Katori Hall’s tale of manhood and fatherhood in Memphis, Tennessee, The Hot Wing King shows why the kitchen really is the heart of the home. The Hot Wing King Is it actually compulsory for every work at the National Theatre to be three hours long (give or take)? At two hours and forty-five minutes, The […]
John Steinbeck’s epic Dust Bowl novel The Grapes of Wrath gets a solid National Theatre treatment with a US theatrical pedigree. A critical story for us to reflect on as we respond to increased economic and climate migration. The Grapes of Wrath Firstly I would like to implore you, if you have never read The […]
James Graham tells the story of Gareth Southgate’s England team in Dear England, an insightful play which also examines the place of individual, team and national psychology in sport and society. Dear England Dear England is a play about football. What do I know about football? Not a whole lot, really. But Dear England is […]
The Father and the Assassin features an unexpectedly charming murderer, a wonderfully evocative set and score, and a talented cast. The Father And The Assassin I didn’t think a play about the man who murdered Gandhi would be so funny. And yet Anupama Chandrasekhar’s play The Father and the Assassin, now in its second run […]
Some seventy years after its first production, The Crucible still has the power to illuminate aspects of human nature. The Crucible Thank goodness for West End transfers – I love a second chance. The Urban Geographer and I ran out of time to see The Crucible at the National Theatre last year, so were pleased […]
Pearl Cleage’s tragi-comedy Blues for an Alabama Sky makes for powerful viewing at the National Theatre. With a strong ensemble cast and all of the precarious glamour and ever-present hardship of the Harlem Renaissance. Blues For An Alabama Sky The Harlem Renaissance is a period which endlessly inspires us even a century later. The jazz, […]
A review of Jack Absolute Flies Again, a reworking of Sheridan’s The Rivals, by Richard Bean and Oliver Chris. A rollicking romp set in a commandeered WWII airfield. The Rivals Reborn Long-time readers will know that I actually quite like walking in as an unprepared audience member. No prior assumptions, just taking things as they […]
A review of Manor, now on at the National Theatre in London. What a misfire – where to start? Manor It’s not a good sign when National Theatre bar staff are politely deflecting questions from audience members about how something ended up on stage. After watching Manor, I was wondering this myself. Of all the […]
Once again we take a look at two plays currently on at the National Theatre. This time we have The Normal Heart, a passionate and heartbreaking play written during the AIDS epidemic, and East is East, the first production in the National’s Lyttleton theatre since early 2020. All Three Theatres In Action Once More! I […]
A review of Paradise and Rockets and Blue Lights, both currently on at the National Theatre. Adapted by Kae Tempest and featuring Lesley Sharp, Paradise is a mostly successful modern version of a work by Sophocles. While Rockets and Blue Lights is a layered story exploring the historic trauma of enslavement and its legacy in […]
