REVIEWS Archives - Page 10 of 457

21Mar

By Maani WayNo Comments

London

Dear England – National Theatre

Dear England, written by James Graham, tells the story of the ‘New’ England football team and centres on the origin story of Gareth Southgate as Manager of the England team between 2016 and 2024. Gareth is determined to bring life and heart back to the squad and we are immersed in his journey, striving for solidarity and a better England. The lighting, sound and projection work of this production is exceptional, as is the set by Es Devlin. As the audience enters, they see a circular stage with a semi-circle above it lit up, representing a football stadium. There is a low hum of the crowd that can be heard which builds anticipation. The semi-circle becomes a space for powerful projection which aids the progression of the show. The revolving stage is used throughout the performance, never...

21Mar

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Mixed Sex – Lion & Unicorn Theatre

Mixed Sex, written and starring Samuel Normington, takes audiences on a nostalgic trip back to the 1990s—a time when Eternals dominated the charts and the Spice Girls were just making their debut. This coming-of-age comedy follows a group of 10-year-olds as they begin to explore their identities, interests, and the awkward, often hilarious, moments of growing up. The play captures the era brilliantly, evoking memories of football-obsessed boys, a fixation on “tits,” and girls who idolized Care Bears and danced to Eternals. The humour is sharp, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and well-timed gags that keep the energy high throughout the performance. The writing cleverly taps into the awkwardness of childhood friendships and early discoveries about self and attraction, making for...

21Mar

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Sisyphean Quick Fix – Riverside Studios

Few plays handle the quiet complexities of family duty with as much tenderness as ‘Sisyphean Quick Fix’, Bettina Paris’ semi-autobiographical debut now playing at Riverside Studios. Set between London and Malta, the story follows two sisters, Krista and Pip, forced to confront the worsening alcoholism of their father, a man whose reckless behaviour has long been their shared burden. Paris plays Krista, a struggling actor in London juggling auditions and bar shifts, while Tina Rizzo’s character, Pip remains in Malta, holding down a steady job and a seemingly more conventional life. What unfolds is a careful dissection of how physical distance can breed resentment, as the sisters wrestle with uneven responsibilities, and the question of what anyone truly owes a parent who repeatedly hits ...

21Mar

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Retrograde – Apollo Theatre

Sidney Poitier was one of the greats of Hollywood, whose influence went well beyond the world of film. The tributes to him at the time of his death in 2022, reproduced in the programme, demonstrate this. On transfer from the Kiln Theatre, this play deals with events early in Poitier's life, when he was on the verge of a major breakthrough into the world of film. He came to the attention of McCarthy's Un-American Activities Committee and was put under extreme pressure to sign a document implicating some of his friends as communists and repudiating his sincerely held views on the civil rights movement. This play is thus essentially about the conflict which he personally faced at this crucial juncture in his professional life but also reflects on the malign influence of the political thought-...

What If They Ate The Baby? / A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First – Soho Theatre

20Mar

By Sadie PearsonNo Comments

London

What If They Ate The Baby? / A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First – Soho Theatre

The ceiling is clanging. the spaghetti casserole is green and the two housewife’s mannerisms are disconcertingly in-sync. In this absurdist comedy, beneath a polite veneer, nothing is quite as it seems… Shirley (Natasha Rowland), 1950s housewife, is a picture of idealised domesticity - scrubbing floors in a marigold dress to match the marigold gloves that it is apparent she lives in. But when Dottie (Xhloe Rice) arrives to return a casserole tray, despite synchronised displays of social respectability - a polite remark to their husbands’ health - an exchange of recipes - it is clear something is desperately wrong beneath all this. Exploring female autonomy, McCarthyism and queer relationships, as the pretences unravel, so too does the world the characters inhabit. What hooks you firs...

19Mar

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

Pig Heart Boy – Liverpool Playhouse

Better to have a pig heart that works, that a human one that doesn’t, right? Pig Heart Boy, based on the popular 1997 novel by Malorie Blackman of the same name and has been adapted for the stage by Winsome Pinnock. It is true to the book and has even been endorsed by Blackman herself. It tells the story of Cameron, a 13-year old boy who has had heart problems since he was ill as a child. Everyone treats him as though he’s a China cup, fragile and to be handled with care. When his father contacts Professor Bryce, things start to look up, after a failed attempt at a heart transplant. Or does it? Bryce has been working on a way to get pig hearts transplanted into humans, to help save more people. The story ends up in the media and what follows is how a young boys life changes – for the be...

19Mar

By Eleanor HallNo Comments

North West

The Moth – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Paul Herzberg’s two hander is a nuanced take on familial responsibility, the ethics of searching for forgiveness, and history’s grip on our adult lives. Using the studio at Shakespeare North to its full potential, The Moth directly confronts its audience with these thought-provoking themes. The stage was preset with tall posters and a flat screen TV that introduced one character’s ‘Confesisonal’, implying a public forum and foregrounding the character study that was to come. The action weaved between John Josana’s talk on racism, his international childhood and his experiences meeting Marius (a South African ex-solider) on a train and later elsewhere. In detailing John’s experiences, the play introduced some vivid imagery and an interesting historical backdrop, supported by monochro...

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – The Lowry

19Mar

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – The Lowry

After its 2018 debut at The Tron, Glasgow, Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) enjoyed a stint in the West End as well as a nationwide tour. With ballgown and boombox at the ready, this musical medley of classic meets comedy ventures out to entertain once more. This irreverent adaptation of the Austen novel is delivered by 5 actors soon to portray servants in a “proper” performance of it: think play-within-a-yet-to-start-play. They are tired of being the unsung heroes and so take on the leading roles in their own loud, rough and ready interpretation. Unwavering passion from an all-female troupe ensures that the utmost humour is squeezed out of every interaction, every song, every gesture. Emma Creaner delights as a pompously charismatic Charles Bingley, later slaying the audience as hi...

19Mar

By Tracey BellNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Rock of Ages – Sheffield Lyceum

A Racy, raucous feast of Rock! Rocking its way to the Sheffield Lyceum, Croft House Theatre Company, who never fail to impress, catapult the comedy and rouse the raucous in the aptly named Rock of Ages. Book by Chris D’Arienzo and Musical arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. Directed and choreographed with flair by Claire Harriott, this difficult script is given an energetic and racy outing, with a strong and able cast of principals and ensemble, filling the stage and creating the crazy hedonistic era. Matt Symonds does a superb job as Musical Director and Keys, he has his work cut out with the full on and complex score. Liam Stevenson on Lead Guitar plays some excellent guitar solo’s joined by Jeff Swift on Guitar two, Matt Jackson (great wig!) on Bass Guitar and the excellen...

19Mar

By Bev ClarkNo Comments

North West

Dear Evan Hansen – Storyhouse Chester

An Emotional Roller-Coaster - It’ll Make Your Spine Tingle! There’s no doubt that composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have a formula for success with The Greatest Showman and Lala Land as part of their catalogue and Dear Evan Hansen is another award-winning musical hit. It premiered on Broadway in 2016, followed by a film and endless theatre tours and it has found a solid following of fans, of which there were many in the audience last night. A standing ovation to rapturous applause. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with moments of grief, love, laughter and sympathy and those ‘sweet spots’ in the melodies make the hairs on your arm stand up and your spine tingle. For those who haven’t stumbled across this wonderful show before, it’s the story of a socially anxious teenager who fee...