Theatre Reviews

______ 10 October 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Frederick Ashton’s 1960 re-working of the 18th Century ballet is a frothy, romantic, playful, virtually plotless spectacle – and it is an utter delight. As presented by Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ashton’s choreography and John Lanchberry’s adaptation of Ferdinand Herold’s music is exquisitely performed with a joyful vigour and […]

______ 3 October 2024 ______ 5***** ______ This is a review and it isn’t. Maybe it is a review of a revisit. I had the pleasure of seeing Past Tents at the Alma Tavern Theatre in Bristol in September 2023, it was before then and since, a piece of theatre close to my heart. My

______ 24 September 2024 ______ 4**** ______ Adapting the work of the Queen of Crime is a perilous business; tinker with the original works and you could fall foul of the millions of fans, and bringing them to the stage or screen can cause high anxiety; witness criticisms of Kenneth Branagh on film and Sarah

______ 17 September 2024 ______ 3*** ______ Opening at London’s National Theatre in 2004, Alan Bennett’s ‘The History Boys’ was an instant hit and helped launch the careers of the likes of James Corden, Russell Tovey and Dominic Cooper, to name but three. In his introduction to the play, Bennett talks largely about his own

______ 16 September 2024 ______ 5***** ______ It’s bonkers, it’s barmy, it’s brilliant. Following on from Patrick Barlow’s take on ‘The 39 Steps’ last year, the same team have taken on Barlow’s version of the epic ‘Ben Hur’, a tale of the Christ. A theatre company of just four (The Daniel Veil Collective) present every

______ 9 September 2024 ______ 5***** ______ When it comes to stage thrillers, Ira Levin’s ‘Deathtrap’ is one of the big hitters. The 1978 play had lengthy runs on both the Broadway and West End stages. Many writers have tried to emulate the twists and turns of the plot, but barely anyone has achieved the

______ 2 September 2024 ______ 5***** ______ Sometimes it is so refreshing to discover a play one has neither read nor seen on stage and Terence Rattigan’s 1943 comedy, ‘While The Sun Shines’ is just such a play to this reviewer. First appearing the year after the writers’ hit ‘Flare Path’ it is something the

______ 26 August 2024 ______ 4**** ______ With his 1972 play, ‘Absurd Person Singular’, Alan Ayckbourn had his first real hit. Far from being a straightforward comedy, the story is full of many layers and is, at times, far from obviously funny. Three sets of couples (and one you never get to meet) meet on

______ 19 August 2024 ______ 3*** ______ Peter James’ thrillers have been something of a phenomenon, they sell by the bucketload and have been successfully adapted for TV in the form of the series ‘Grace’. In the recent past they have also made their way on to the stage, ‘Looking Good Dead’ is the third

______ 12 August 2024 ______ 5****** ______ Since first appearing on stage in 1977 and subsequently on television soon after, Mike Leigh’s play ‘Abigail’s Party’ has become firmly entrenched in British theatrical heritage. An exploration of the developing strata of class and the materialistic society of the time is brought to life in an excruciating