REVIEWS Archives - Page 14 of 563

Paranormal Activity – Ambassador’s Theatre

9Jan

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Paranormal Activity – Ambassador’s Theatre

Paranormal Activity, the iconic horror film franchise known to terrify cinema audiences worldwide, has successfully made the leap from screen to stage in a chilling and immersive theatrical production. From the very first moment, the audience is plunged into complete darkness, immediately creating an atmosphere of unease that never truly releases its grip. This bold opening choice sets the tone perfectly, preparing us for a night of suspense, fear, and psychological tension. Written with precision by Levi Holloway and directed masterfully by Felix Barrett, the production is cleverly constructed to draw the audience deep into the emotional and supernatural journey of its characters. Rather than relying solely on shock tactics, the play allows tension to build gradually, making every mome...

9Jan

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Orphans – Jermyn Street Theatre

Orphans was written by Philadelphia-born Lyle Kessler and first staged in 1983, directed by Gary Sinise at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, before going on to a successful Off-Broadway run. Later, in 1986, the play transferred to London’s West End, earning Albert Finney an Olivier Award, followed by a filmed version in 1987. Set in Philadelphia, two brothers, Treat (Chris Walley) and Phillip (Fred Woodley Evans), live a strange life brought on by the abandonment of their father at an early age and the death of their mother. Treat, the elder brother, takes his role as caretaker seriously and has instilled an unhealthy fear of the outside world into Phillip in order to keep him from harm. But what effect will a stranger entering their small world have on the brothers’ relationship? Set d...

Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana – Sheffield Lyceum

9Jan

By Jo TillotsonNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Carlos Acosta’s Nutcracker in Havana – Sheffield Lyceum

The Nutcracker is inextricably linked to the Christmas season; a young girl, Clara, receives a gift of a nutcracker doll and as she sleeps, the doll transforms into a handsome prince and draws her into a world of adventure and fantasy. This version of that classic tale, Nutcracker in Havana, is transported into a Cuban setting by renowned Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, here serving as artistic director and choreographer. The show opened with a swirling video-projected tour of the streets of Havana which really helped to set the scene and highlight the changes from the off. However, as someone who suffers with quite severe motion sickness, I did struggle a little and I would have liked to have known that before it started! Acosta has cleverly woven aspects of Cuban culture and dan...

9Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Fawlty Towers – Leeds Grand

Fawlty Towers is regularly voted the greatest ever British sitcom, so five decades after the madcap antics of the world’s worst hotelier were first broadcast it seemed ripe for a stage adaptation. John Cleese was famously moved to co-write his comedy masterpiece with his then wife Connie Booth after the Monty Python team endured a stay at a rundown hotel run by a very strange and rude owner. Thus, the xenophobic, misogynistic and downright rude hotel owner Basil Fawlty was born. Cleese has seamlessly weaved his three favourite episodes - The Hotel Inspectors, Communication Problems and The Germans - into what is now a classic British farce, featuring a ninety-minute Basil meltdown. In many ways the adaption is spot on for an audience who have come to see comedy gold recreated right i...

6Jan

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Jack – Courtyard Theatre

Having celebrated previously successful runs, ‘Jack’ (the musical) arrives in London with a gothic-electro music fusion bringing the vibes of Victorian London crashing into the modern day. This is an intriguing and exciting concept, based around the story of “Jack The Ripper”, and within Sahar Malaika’s storytelling there are moments of genuine promise, but the execution of this production ultimately falls well short of the standard expected on a professional stage. At its core, the ‘Jack’ suffers from a lack of cohesive artistic vision from Co-Directors Rosie Sutton and Sasha Ranawake. Casting choices feel under-baked and poorly considered, with very young performers presented to the world without a clear or consistent aesthetic. Facial jewellery, modern bleached hair highlights, m...

Magic Awareness Society – The Royal Scots Club

1Jan

By Jessie MartinNo Comments

Scotland

Magic Awareness Society – The Royal Scots Club

Set in the exuberant class of The Royal Scots Club, the highly esteemed Magic Awareness Society has gathered to instil the law - magic is banned and has been for decades. In this meeting we are informed on the dangers of magic, the tricks magicians historically used, and the ways in which we could be coerced by them today. Ironically being performed on the final night of the Edinburgh International Magic Festival, it is soon revealed to us that this meeting is a ruse. In fact, this meeting is a resistance - we are here to oppose the ban on magic and once again be filled with wonder. Leading this show is Tim Licata, accompanied by his right-hand man Dan Bastianelli. Both magicians are clearly very well experienced, dedicating a large amount of focus on the perf...

Jamie Leonard, Wonder Boy – Edinburgh International Magic Festival

1Jan

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Jamie Leonard, Wonder Boy – Edinburgh International Magic Festival

As my final show in this year’s Edinburgh Magic Festival, Wonderboy brought energy, charm and an undeniable sense of youthful confidence. Performed at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Jamie arrives fresh from a successful 2025 Edinburgh Fringe run and clearly comfortable in front of an audience. This boy unquestionably knows his way around a stage. There’s a strong theatrical instinct at work here, allied to a rubber-faced expressiveness that plays very effectively to a mixed crowd. At just 17, his confidence is impressive, and he leans into his age with a stream of schoolboy humour and routines that feel knowingly pitched rather than apologetic. It’s a sensible strategy, and one that allows him to sidestep the trap of pretending to be more seasoned than he is. That said, ...

Insane Christmas Magic – Edinburgh International Magic Festival

1Jan

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Insane Christmas Magic – Edinburgh International Magic Festival

There’s always a faint risk with festive spin-offs that the tinsel overwhelms the craft. Happily, Insane Christmas Magic avoids that trap entirely. This is not novelty magic with baubles glued on, it’s proper, high-grade conjuring, lightly dusted with Christmas spirit and delivered by three performers who know exactly what they’re doing. The trio, Cameron Gibson, Elliot Bibby and Luke Osey, are no strangers to Edinburgh audiences. Gibson and Bibby in particular have been round these parts many times before, and it shows. There’s an ease to their stage presence that can’t be faked, relaxed, confident, and quietly assured in a way that instantly settles an audience. No visible nerves, no frantic patter, just a sense that you’re in safe hands. Magically speaking, that’s always a good ...

Tricky Ricky, Jingles All The Way – Edinburgh International Magic Festival

1Jan

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Tricky Ricky, Jingles All The Way – Edinburgh International Magic Festival

There’s a particular challenge to the Christmas morning family show: you’re dealing with excitable children, coffee-deprived adults, and a room that’s already humming before you’ve said a word. Jingles All The Way, Tricky Ricky’s festive offering at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Edinburgh Magic Festival, meets that challenge with confidence, warmth, and a good understanding of its audience. Ricky pitches his comedy in broadly Shrek-style territory, knowingly silly, fast-moving, and deliberately aimed across the child–adult divide. For the most part, it works. The jokes come thick and fast, the tone is inclusive rather than condescending, and there’s a sense that he’s genuinely comfortable working a mixed-age crowd. That ease is hardly surprising: Ricky has spent many y...

Four Magicians – Edinburgh Storytelling Centre

30Dec

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

Four Magicians – Edinburgh Storytelling Centre

Fit like, loons and quines? If floundering in the fog of ‘Betwixmas’ the answer will have been overwhelmingly positive after 80 minutes in the company of this engaging quartet from the north-east. Tricks, illusions and mirages lurked within a pleasant, easy-going evening of chat and mild comedy, the odd well-aimed barb (mostly at a recently de-frocked prince) adding a note or two of spice. Especially amusing in a self-effacing, Corbett-style manner was Jeff Burns, making the most of his diminutive stature. Clearly the audience volunteers are bigger these days, to boot. All are members of or connected with, the Aberdeen Magical Society. Smith & Burns (Jeff Burns & Ivor Smith) are sometimes known as Fifth Dimension and have a track record in dispelling the tedium of business confe...