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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...

My Brother’s a Genius – Sheffield Playhouse

30Jan

By Natalia PrucnalNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

My Brother’s a Genius – Sheffield Playhouse

‘My Brother’s a Genius’ is a comedic but equally incredibly moving and heartfelt play and deeply raw spoken word performance. It’s splendidly written by Debris Stevenson and expertly crafted and directed by Eleanor Manners, with rhythmic music composed by Jammz. A co-production between Sheffield Theatres, The National Youth Theatre and Theatre Centre brings a bewitching ‘indigo’ tone to the Sheffield Playhouse. We follow the story of twins Daisy (Jess Senanayake) and Luke (Tyrese Walters) from childhood to adult life as they navigate neurodivergence, the class system and familial relationships. We watch how their friendship flies, falls and drowns throughout. They experience the world through different lenses: Daisy is named an “idiot” and goes to Circus School, while Luke is labell...

30Jan

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Ballad Lines – Southwark Playhouse

It's hard not to be inspired and astounded at the confidence, devotion and commitment that Finn Anderson and Tania Azevedo have shown in getting Ballad Lines onto the stage. It's been about a decade in the making, with Anderson delivering the music and lyrics while collaborating with Azevedo on the book. From workshops in Chicago and tentative stagings at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2018), this show has evolved and finally landed, due to a lot of hard work and determination. Ballad Lines was first produced by KT Producing and Macrobert Arts Centre as A Mother's Song and was originally commissioned by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and American Music Theatre Project. It should also be noted that Azevedo and Anderson aren't a pair of chancers who've winged it and landed on their f...

30Jan

By Klervi GavetNo Comments

London

The Tempest – Globe Theatre

"I know this play very well. I don't recognise this version..." So says Antonia at the end of this production — and that line pretty much sums up my experience too. This new production of The Tempest, produced by Shakespeare's Globe and directed by Tim Crouch, takes a deliberately experimental, Brechtian-leaning approach to Shakespeare's text. Performed in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the play is fragmented: lines are redistributed across characters, some spoken from within the audience, others added in contemporary English. The intention is clear and well articulated — to question power: who gets to speak these words, who gets to be on stage, what shifts when authority or identity change, and how theatre constructs illusion. On paper, it's an intellectually strong idea. The Tempe...