REVIEWS Archives - Page 12 of 574

27Feb

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Swan Lake – Hull New Theatre

Without fail in Hull, a former city of culture, theatregoers flock to the theatre when the ballet is in town. And Thursday was no exception as Hull New Theatre was packed in anticipation of watching the Varna International Ballet company perform the classic, Swan Lake. Founded in Bulgaria in 1947, the company has been playing to full theatres at home and abroad and brings its talents to Hull as part of a UK tour visiting 23 venues around the country. As well as Swan Lake, the ballet dancers will perform Cinderella during their visit to Hull. Classed as the greatest romantic ballet of all time, Swan Lake benefits from the musical compositions of none other than Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. And throughout Thursday evening’s production we were treated to his music played by the most t...

26Feb

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Dracula – National Youth Theatre

Everyone knows the classic Gothic horror tale of Dracula, first written by Bram Stoker, but the National Youth Theatre offers a bold reinterpretation that feels almost like two plays in one. The first act remains largely faithful to the spirit of the original story. Sasha Jagsi commands centre stage as the young woman who has been bitten by Dracula and is visited nightly as he continues to drain her blood. Her portrayal captures the terrifying uncertainty of a character questioning her own sanity: is she unwell, losing her mind, or actually dying? Through visions, night terrors and sleepwalking episodes, the audience is drawn into her psychological unravelling. Jagsi’s slow, deliberate movements and her haunting, bewitching stare out towards the audience create an unsettling atmosphere....

Evening All Afternoon – Donmar Warehouse

26Feb

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

Evening All Afternoon – Donmar Warehouse

Jennifer (Anastasia Hille) is about to marry the never-seen John and become stepmother to Delilah (Erin Kellyman) in Anna Ziegler’s Evening All Afternoon. The play switches between extended addresses to the audience and scenes playing out between the two women grappling at being thrown together. Her father’s remarriage leaves Delilah consumed by grief over her mother’s death, leading to hallucination as she speaks with her dead mother. Delilah’s cheekiness pushing and testing Jennifer, feeling at liberty to really press on issues contrast strongly with Jennifer’s primness, never even untucking her blouse as disdainfully noted by Delilah. Delilah’s mother was younger than her father, Jennifer is a full decade older than John. Boomer and Gen Z and there is a gap there at once, with ...

26Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Espen Eriksen Trio – Traverse Theatre

Once again, local music programming charity Soundhouse have graced the Traverse theatre with another act of outstanding renown: this time, the Espen Eriksen Trio. This Norwegian jazz trio is composed of frontman Espen Eriksen on piano, Lars Tormod Jenset on double bass, and Andreas Bye on drums. With tranquil, lilting phrases, the Espen Eriksen trio bring a gentle approach to jazz, creating a completely dreamy and meditative soundscape. The trio all possess that typical Norwegian wit, presenting their work with charm, managing to absolutely win the audience over with their dry quips and smart remarks. We really warmed to them as people and hence furthered our connection with their music. My favourite track had to be the opener of course, bringing in the show with p...

Werewolf Sighted In Port Talbot – Old Red Lion

26Feb

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Werewolf Sighted In Port Talbot – Old Red Lion

Werewolf Sighted In Port Talbot is a darkly comedic horror play from playwright Andy Sellers. This astounding debut play premiered at GrimFest in 2025 and now returns to the Old Red Lion for a short run that you should go out of your way to get tickets for. The play follows couple Ffion and Billy on a camping trip in the Welsh countryside. They are there so that Billy can finally witness Ffion’s monthly transformation into a werewolf. With the stress of this pivotal moment building, and with dark secrets lurking beneath the surface, their relationship is tested. Playwright Andy Sellers also plays Billy, alongside Lucy Havard as Ffion. They perfectly deliver the script’s naturalistic dialogue with believable nuance, such that it real feels like observing a snapshot of a real couple. ...

Here and Now: The Steps Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

26Feb

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Here and Now: The Steps Musical – Edinburgh Playhouse

If you’ve ever wanted to experience a fever-dream in real time, Here and Now: The Steps Musical is the show for you. This brand new jukebox musical, written by Shaun Kitchener in association with Steps, is utterly ridiculous. At first that might feel like a negative, but the further the show goes on, the more Here and Now sweeps you into the madness and by the end you’ll be belting out tragedy in the megamix. Its self-aware silliness can’t be denied, and with all of the Steps’ classic hits, it’s hard to resist the “Summer of Love” - I for one, had the time of my life. Set in the Best Better Bargains supermarket, we see four core cashiers make a pact that this is the Summer they get their love lives together. As they attempt to make their moves, we come to find ou...

25Feb

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Siblings: Dreamweavers – Soho Theatre

Siblings are a sketch and character comedy duo consisting of real-life siblings Maddy and Marina Bye. In their latest show, Dreamweavers, they play scientists who have invented a device that can projects people’s dreams. Using the audience as clinical trial participants, the duo project (i.e. act out, as sketches) a variety of dreams, ranging from the nightmarish to the absurd to the Freudian. This sci-fi B-movie -esque framing device is fun and provides a broad narrative throughline that gives something tangible to latch onto amidst the delightful chaos of the show. Dreamweavers took a little while to win me over, but once I was on board I had a wonderful time. At first, I found the sketches to be too random and surreal for my tastes. Obviously, this randomness suits the theme of the s...

25Feb

By NewsdeskNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Dry Bits – Crucible Playhouse

Imogen Ashby, with support from Sheffield Theatres and the LEVEL Centre, brought her raucous, raw solo show ‘Dry Bits’ to the Crucible Playhouse stage. What followed was a night of humour, vulnerability, ferocity and honesty. To the show’s credit, whilst a one-woman piece about menopause might feel like it has a very clear target audience (and it does), it is ultimately a story about change, memory and how we attach and detach ourselves emotionally from moments, events and conditions of past, present and future life. That seems loaded, but this show also knows exactly what it is and isn’t afraid to put that on the tin (the show’s title doesn’t leave much to the imagination, for example). The concept is delivered with great playfulness and kookiness to good comedic effect. Ashb...

25Feb

By Natalia PrucnalNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Single White Female – Sheffield Lyceum

‘Single White Female’ is an intense psychological thriller, adapted by Rebecca Reid from the iconic 1992 film under the same name, but with a modern twist for its 2026 audience. The script takes many creative liberties in updating the story from the source material, but generally does so fluidly, despite the occasional already-outdated reference and odd pacing of the end of the second act. The play follows Allie and her teenage child Bella, as they navigate life in a skyscraper apartment. Allie’s ex-husband, Sam, tells her his new fiancée is pregnant and cannot afford to support them, so Graham (Allie’s coworker and best friend) encourages her to look for a roommate. Online they quickly find Hedy. Hedy’s relationship grows with both Allie and Bella, but things take a turn for the worst,...

Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes – Liverpool Empire

25Feb

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

North West

Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes – Liverpool Empire

A dancer enters the stage wearing vibrant red ballet shoes, the lighting renders her faceless, the music boldly proclaims that there is drama ahead… I am already hooked. A timeless tale of love, passion and conflict perfectly plays out from start to finish. A ensemble dancer is discovered by a ballet impresario, but are his obsession and her desires compatible? This tour of The Red Shoes celebrates the tenth anniversary of its original production and is a celebration of art and performance. The beautiful score originally composed by Bernard Herrmann is beautifully orchestrated for this company by Terry Davies. The visual identity of the piece is beyond description, and, quite simply, begs to be seen. Lez Brotherston’s set, with its grand moving proscenium arch and clever use of material...