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 review of Hidden Fires: a surprisingly short but powerful staged reading at the Almeida, part of Six Artists in Search of a Play. I’m still just happy that such a range of cultural offerings are back on stage. A Mini-Outing To The Theatre I was very interested to see that the first series of […]
A review of Lolita Chakrabarti’s new play Hymn, streamed live from the Almeida. Devastating and brilliant, it had me totally captivated. Hymn at the Almeida – A Play About Love Hymn is not a traditional love story. It follows Gilbert (Adrian Lester) and Benny (Danny Sapani) over the course of about a year, as a […]
A review of Nine Lessons and Carols, a new work currently on at the Almeida Theatre. In which I find that for once the focus on human connection results in a genuine connection with the audience. Finding Ways to Stay Connected In Our Isolation The preoccupation of 2020, aside from coronavirus, US elections. Brexit and […]
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, […]
A review of the West End transfer of the Almeida’s production of The Doctor, with Juliet Stevenson reprising the title role. Identity politics writ large in Robert Icke’s loose adaptation from an earlier work by Arthur Schnitzler. The Doctor It feels a bit like a full circle moment to be seeing Juliet Stevenson on stage. […]
A funny and relatable one woman show by Amanda Wilkin, Shedding a Skin will leave only the coldest heart unwarmed Shedding a Skin Hardly ever have I seen the set design for a play so cleverly used to mirror the narrative itself. But Rosanna Vize’s set starts small. Just a sliver, from which Amanda Wilkin’s […]
A part-live, part-recorded, gameplay, Zoom call version of Romeo & Juliet has me feeling a little conflicted. Theatre Truly Embraces The Online Channel It feels somehow apt to be reviewing a forward-looking online version of Romeo & Juliet on the day that theatres and other cultural venues reopen in England. The last 18 months have […]
A refreshing take on the theme of touch and connection from an Australian artist in London. Valerie Ellis is one to watch. Touch Me by Valerie Ellis: Connecting Despite It All It’s interesting. I’ve commented once or twice on how much new theatre writing in the last year has focused on the theme of human […]
Review of Typical from Soho Theatre on Demand and Nouveau Riche. A powerful work with a relentless energy, and huge relevance to the current moment. (lead photograph: Aly Wright) Typical – An Incredibly Relevant Story For Right Now Not too long after I watched Hymn, I am back with another review of an online theatre […]
