REVIEWS Archives - Page 9 of 563

4Feb

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Boxes – Soho Theatre

The titular boxes of Shona Bukola Babayemi's one-woman play chart the character's life from child to adult, the boxes holding Christmas presents and keepsakes, reminders of a life past and present. Referenced only as "biological guardians", her parents may have initially tried to provide a secure, if poor, family setting but this all disintegrates as she moves from the UK to the US and back to the East End of London. Relationships and friendships come and go; she finds herself homeless and sofa surfing and ends up living in a basic hostel and working a nightshift in a soul-less warehouse. Throughout her difficult life, she somehow stays positive, never giving up and occasionally finding fleeting friendship and help from strangers who show her kindness. All the while, the bits and pie...

4Feb

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Rocky Horror Show – Bradford Alhambra

There are not many shows where the opening overture gets a massive round of applause, but this is the Rocky Horror Show where usual theatrical rules do not apply during this cult classic. More than fifty years after Richard O'Brien first staged his transgressive love letter to the fifties and sixties B-movies of his youth the Rocky Horror Show continues to play round the world, including a cold Monday night in West Yorkshire. This is the simple tale of two very straight fifties kids, Janet (Lucy Aiston) and Brad (James Bisp), who stumble upon the lair of transvestite mad scientist Frank N Furter who is conducting strange experiments in his spooky mansion with his gang of kooky misfits, and takes great delight in corrupting the naive young couple. It's a mashup of finding yo...

4Feb

By Mark HumphreysNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Marriage of Figaro – Leeds Grand

Opera North’s new production of The Marriage of Figaro begins with a quietly touching prologue: during the overture, we’re shown the early romance between the Count and Countess, blooming with promise before gradually cooling. The changing of flowers marks the passing seasons, and alongside this gentle unravelling we see the spark between Figaro and Susanna — their relationship building towards engagement. It’s a deft and atmospheric device, grounding Mozart’s whirlwind comedy in a world shaped by real emotional weather. Louisa Muller’s staging relocates the action to a contemporary country house — not aristocratic in the Downton sense, but a slightly frayed estate populated by tour guides, cleaners, gardeners, and other staff. In this world, hierarchy isn’t defined by powdered wigs but...

Dagmarr’s Dimanche: Songs from the Cinema – Crazy Coqs, London

4Feb

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Dagmarr’s Dimanche: Songs from the Cinema – Crazy Coqs, London

I had the pleasure of reviewing Hersh Dagmarr perform in September 2025 and so I was very excited to review this instalment of Dagmarr’s Dimanche. To my delight, this show was even better than the last. Glamorous vampire Hersh Dagmarr, decked out in dazzling sequins, takes a break from the cabaret scene of Weimar Berline to take the audience on a decedent tour of songs from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Accompanied by pianist and arranger Karen Newby, Dagmarr sings a variety of songs from films, some of which I knew and the rest of which I was very pleased to be introduced to. Dagmarr has absolute command of the stage and gorgeous singing voice. He is utterly engaging and captures the emotions behind the lyrics beautifully. Between songs, Dagmarr evangelises about the complex and ...

Passenger: One for the Road – Theatre Royal Haymarket

4Feb

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Passenger: One for the Road – Theatre Royal Haymarket

It was an absolute pleasure to see Passenger perform in the intimate setting of the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a one-off performance in a venue that perfectly suited the reflective and emotionally rich nature of his work. Best known for the global hit Let Her Go, Mike Rosenberg otherwise known by his stage name Passenger, has recently turned his songwriting talents to musical theatre, having written the music for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, currently playing at the same venue. For one night only, Passenger performed a selection of songs from the musical, alongside several pieces that did not make the final production, before closing the evening with a few of his most recognisable hits. The story at the heart of the musical follows Harold Fry, an ordinary man who impulsively ...

3Feb

By Kira DanielsNo Comments

London

Gelin – Canal Cafe Theatre

Güle güle gidin. Gelin is as easy going a comedy as they come. Adapted from Ibrahim Şinasi’s Şair Evlenmesi, Estelle Warner’s contemporary spin on a Turkish classic is as comforting as a cup of çay. Both English and Turkish in its writing and its casting, this play is also hybrid in its historicity. Reimagined from the 1860 original, it takes modern London as its setting and English as its primary language yet remains rooted in Turkish tradition even as it extends tendrils into thorny modern subjects such as giving SHEIN-branded gifts or pairing pickles with Nutella. The Canal Café Theatre is charmingly intimate, but this story is a little too thin to fill out a full flavour profile. As afraid to take up space as its reluctantly centralised heroine Aylin (Gunes Soysal), the play ...

3Feb

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

American Psycho – Almeida Theatre

Premiering last Friday, American Psycho, Artistic Director Rupert Goold’s hotly anticipated revival, has returned to the Almeida Theatre and has already sold out its run. After witnessing this incredible musical in the flesh, it’s easy to see why. Based on the original 1991 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, which inspired the 2000 cult film starring Christian Bale, the dark satirical comedy follows Patrick Bateman, a young investment banker working in New York City’s Wall Street, who, dissatisfied with his seemingly perfect life of wealth and flawless appearances, descends into a dark double life as a serial killer. Es Devlin’s set design is simple yet effective, a blacked-out stage with a few set pieces brought in and out via a stage lift and by the ensemble, perhaps refl...

3Feb

By Louise PennNo Comments

London

Loyalties – Questors Theatre

John Galsworthy’s play of society norms and expectations is now over 100 years old, yet Loyalties retains a contemporary relevance. The Questors production is the first to reach the English stage for two decades, with its ensemble including company members both old and new. Charles Winsor (Ant Foran) is a country gentleman, with a house full of guests following race day at Newmarket. When Ferdinand de Levis (Euan Charles), a wealthy Jew, accuses a highly decorated former soldier, Ronald Dancy (Alex Perez), of stealing a sum of money from his room, ranks close and loyalties come into play. In Loyalties it is quickly clear that the question of justice and truth is secondary to the code of ‘esprit de corps’: in essence that those of a similar class and grouping stick together because being...

The Cathode Ray & Electrical Melting Company – Edinburgh Traverse Bar

3Feb

By Roger JacobsNo Comments

Scotland

The Cathode Ray & Electrical Melting Company – Edinburgh Traverse Bar

First up in the night’s intriguingly titled diversion were the aptly named Electrical Melting Company who proceeded to meld, with great affection, their many late-60’s influences. Being quite the event for Edinburgh musical alumni the trio consisted of ex-Spooks Ron Doo Ron, AKA Scott Fraser (bass & vox) and Peach McNulty, AKA Pod Kennedy (guitars & vox) supported on drums by longtime associate and ex-Ringo Graham Bodenham. Kicking off with a Neil Innes quote, ‘here’s a medley of hit’ their clutch of tunes landed upon almost every Austin Powers reference point; The Beatles Revolver-era ‘Suburban Bourbon Man’, the Traffic/Donovan/Barratt-inspired ‘Mile High Strawberry Pie’, a straight cover of The Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ (apologies, ‘straight’ is an insult in this context), some r...

3Feb

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

Quiz – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Quiz has become one of those modern plays that feels instantly familiar, and yet still thrilling, and James Graham’s sharp, playful script proves a perfect fit for the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse in this brilliantly executed production by the Garrick Ensemble at the Playhouse. Based on the infamous “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” coughing scandal, this production leans fully into the spectacle of television, celebrity and courtroom drama, while never losing sight of the human stories at its core. Tom Broughton delivers a compelling performance as Charles Ingram, capturing both the awkwardness and quiet determination of a man thrust into the harsh glare of public judgement. Melanie Beswick is equally impressive as Diana Ingram, offering a nuanced portrayal that balances vulnerability w...