Something of a marmite production, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! uses all the tricks in the book plus some new ones to shake up this classic musical. Oklahoma! I do like approaching productions from a place of determined ignorance. Sometimes (like my annual outings to A Christmas Carol) I know the plot of the thing I’m […]
A play for anyone, cast live on stage, Out Last First is a universal love story and a lesson in inclusive theatre-making. Our Last First Our Last First began, as did so many things (including the relaunch of this blog) as a lockdown project. During a socially distanced walk an idea was born in the […]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the ultimate pastoral production by sustainable touring company The Handlebards. The Handlebards: Taking Shakespeare Back To Its Roots The thing about Shakespeare is… well there are a lot of things about Shakespeare. His mastery of language. The timeless themes. The complex characters. And the fact that some of his plays […]
A thought-provoking new play about nostalgia, technology and loneliness, Ned is on at Theatre Peckham as part of Peckham Fringe, 30-31 May only. Ned Have you found yourself wondering, recently, whether a computer might take your job? Joked about it with friends or colleagues? Felt left behind by technology? A bit of a Luddite? Afraid? […]
Ryan Calais Cameron shows off his playwriting range in Retrograde, the story of a young Sidney Poitier faced with a difficult decision. Retrograde If I haven’t kept up with Ryan Calais Cameron’s recent work, it’s only due to overcommitment to evening outings on the part of the Salterton Arts Review. I saw an earlier play, […]
An energetic and uplifting musical treatment of 2001 novel The Secret Life of Bees is all about the musical numbers and the talented cast. The Secret Life Of Bees I snuck in just before the end of the Almeida run of The Secret Life of Bees. Based on a 2001 novel by Sue Monk Kidd, […]
A new play at the Arcola Theatre, The Misandrist is an edgy tale of sexual discovery. Don’t bring your mum. Warning: some content and links very NSFW. The Misandrist I was very curious about The Misandrist. A two-hander, it is billed as “a penetrating new play”. With pegging, no less. But how would this work […]
A lyrical journey through London and beyond, Jan Noble takes a tragedy as his starting point to create something beautiful in Body 115. The Story Of Body 115 I first noticed the memorial plaque a few years ago, on a wall at King’s Cross Station. It references a tragedy which occurred on 18 November 1987. […]
Lenny Henry’s debut play August in England starts like a comedy set and ends like a punch to the gut. August In England 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush bringing more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean to British shores. It became a symbol of a wave of post-war immigration: thousands […]
Adapted from NoViolet Bulaweyo’s acclaimed novel, We Need New Names is a coming of age tale split across continents. We Need New Names A young girl growing up in Zimbabwe moves to the America she has dreamed of, but finds her experience of the Midwest is not what she had imagined. Such is the premise […]
