David Shopland’s Cul-de-Sac at the Omnibus Theatre is a sharply observed suburban drama with comic bite and emotional generosity, exploring the midlife crossroads with wit, warmth, and just the right amount of chaos. Cul-de-Sac at the Omnibus Theatre: A Comedy with a Dramatic Heart After seeing a string of solo shows recently (like this, this […]
Chop-chop! is an energetic solo show with a vibrant concept and moments of charm, but one that struggles to sustain its momentum across a full-length format. Chop-chop! Andrea Holland’s Chop-chop! is a bold, bilingual solo performance packed with energy, physical comedy and flair. Performed largely in Spanglish (knowing a bit of Spanish helps but is […]
Tana Sirois’s UnTethered at The Glitch is a funny, unflinching one-woman show that explores OCD, demisexuality, and the tangled ties between vulnerability, trauma, and connection. UnTethered OK now we have a theme of the week. Or month. In my last post I was talking about the coincidence of autobiographical one-woman shows where the woman is […]
A sharp, darkly funny solo show about illness, ego and what it means to be alive, Outpatient is unexpectedly life-affirming. Outpatient It’s not quite “theme of the week,” a game we sometimes play here at the Salterton Arts Review, but it is interesting to have seen two shows in quick succession about young women navigating […]
José María Velasco: A View of Mexico offers a quietly powerful window into 19th-century Mexico through the eyes of one of its most careful observers. José María Velasco: A View of Mexico I saw José María Velasco: A View of Mexico on the same day as Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350. It made for […]
A sharp, unsettling and darkly funny look at online extremism and male loneliness, The Last Incel brings the dark spaces of the internet to the stage. The Last Incel A Brief Glossary of Incel Terminology greets me on the familiar Pleasance Theatre cabaret-style table. What will the next hour have in store? The Last Incel, […]
Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Oskar Reinhart Collection brings a rare and revealing group of works to the Courtauld, offering an insight into one man’s singular vision as a collector A Collector’s Eye: The Oscar Reinhart Collection It was about time I was back at the Courtauld! After becoming one of the many who […]
A powerful and playful piece of autobiographical theatre, Dear Annie, I Hate You explores what happens when your own brain turns against you. Dear Annie, I Hate You It’s remarkable how one moment, one conversation, or one test result can change the course of a life. In Dear Annie, I Hate You, Samantha Ipema shares […]
The National Gallery uses its art world influence to bring together an astonishing array of works in Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350. Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300-1350 Phew, I’ve finally managed to stop rushing around exhibitions that are closing, and get to a few that you might still have a chance of seeing, […]
SWING! SWING! ADMIRAL BYNG! at the Playground Theatre is a thoughtful look at legacy and justice, with strong performances and clever design, though uneven pacing holds it back. SWING! SWING! ADMIRAL BYNG! I like serendipitous moments. One happened to me recently when I heard that a play was going to be on at the Playground […]
