Best dance in 2021
January 1, 2021
From The Great Gatsby to The Car Man, read my dance picks for the new year.
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The Nutcracker
December 22, 2020
Birmingham Royal Ballet takes its festive favourite online, in a family-friendly, but less impactful, reduced form.
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Beverley Knight: ‘I’m a black fairy godmother, for all the little girls who look like me’
December 5, 2020
The singer and actress discusses her career, lockdown experience and upcoming performance in Pantoland at the Palladium.
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[Title of Show]
November 21, 2020
This American meta-musical about creating a musical gets a fun streamed production, but is limited by its insider jokes.
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Remembrance
November 12, 2020
Curated by Arinzé Kene, the Old Vic presents solo performances to mark 100 years since the Armistice.
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Death of England: Delroy
November 12, 2020
Roy Williams and Clint Dyer’s blistering monologue, at the National Theatre, is clearly the play for the moment.
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What A Carve Up!
November 6, 2020
Jonathan Coe’s satirical thriller is inventively adapted into a Netflix true crime doc-meets-YouTube conspiracy.
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Lazuli Sky
November 6, 2020
Carlos Acosta introduces his belated premiere commission for Birmingham Royal Ballet, performed at Sadler’s Wells.
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The Real Inspector Hound
October 28, 2020
An all-star cast brings us a Zoom reading of Tom Stoppard’s absurdist whodunnit – which take amusing pot shots at critics.
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Bubble
October 28, 2020
James Graham tackles lockdown in this new work for Nottingham Playhouse, featuring Pearl Mackie and Jessica Raine.
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First Date
October 26, 2020
Simon Lipkin and Samantha Barks star in this streamed American musical, which has witty moments but feels dated.
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Why this year’s stripped-back Strictly will put the focus firmly on the dancefloor
October 16, 2020
An intriguing line-up, including the first same-sex pairing, will surely transcend any production constraints.
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Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon
October 15, 2020
Torben Betts’s new digital play doesn’t really reframe a familiar story, but it’s an enterprising production in difficult times.
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What the Constitution Means to Me
October 14, 2020
Heidi Shreck’s exhilarating work, filmed for Amazon Prime, is the Hamilton of political plays – with a piercing female gaze.
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Burn
October 12, 2020
The latest Old Vic digital offering is Sheila Atim’s empathetic monologue about mental health, rivetingly performed.
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Wait For Me
October 8, 2020
This new online dance musical could use more risk and poetry, but is still an exciting showcase of emerging talent.
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The Silent Burn Project
October 7, 2020
Akram Khan Company celebrates its 20th anniversary with heart-pounding movement and unbridled expression.
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Draw From Within
September 29, 2020
Rambert’s streamed world premiere is familiar and fantastical, primeval and transcendent.
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Private Lives
September 15, 2020
Emma Thompson and Robert Lindsay lead this refreshingly intimate reading of Noel Coward’s play via Zoom.
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Katherine Ryan interview
September 9, 2020
The comedian discusses her stand-up, podcast and new Netflix series The Duchess.
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Three Kings
September 7, 2020
Andrew Scott is superbly showcased in this tragic tale of fathers and sons, livestreamed from the Old Vic.
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Sleepless, Seacole and Nightingale
September 3, 2020
Musical theatre returns at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, while a multidisciplinary documentary pays tribute to carers past and present.
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Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
August 27, 2020
Dancing City, Jeanefer Jean-Charles’s Black Victorians and sci-fi epic Future Cargo at the UK’s first full festival since lockdown.
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Le Corsaire
August 26, 2020
The Mariinsky Ballet supplies an epic and thoroughly entertaining account of this pirate caper.
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Zoo TV and Cinderella
August 25, 2020
Zoo venues’ online Edinburgh Festival dance offering, and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s sumptuous Cinderella.
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Contagion and Our Bodies Back
August 24, 2020
Shobana Jeyasingh’s work about the Spanish flu pandemic is eerily resonant, while Sadler’s Wells and Breakin’ Convention explore black womanhood.
Read my review and top pick here
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The Way I See It and Electric Japan
August 20, 2020
Enter your 30-second movie in DanceFest’s competition, and a Japanese take on hip-hop in the Coronet Theatre’s festival.
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Flames of Paris
August 19, 2020
The Bolshoi’s fiery revival of “the Les Mis of dance” features Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev.
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Dance of Dreams
August 18, 2020
A gorgeous ode to their city from the dancers of San Francisco Ballet in this new Benjamin Millepied-directed film.
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In/Side and Ella
August 17, 2020
Two contrasting Robert Battle works for Alvin Ailey come online: the expressive solo In/Side, and the breathlessly virtuosic Ella.
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Love Stories, Ocean Floor and My Light Shines On
August 12, 2020
The latest online premiere from Alvin Ailey, Scottish Ballet celebrates the enduring spirit of the Edinburgh Festivals, and a gorgeous showcase of a romantic and creative union.
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Windrush: Movement of the People
August 11, 2020
Phoenix Dance Theatre retraces passengers’ steps from the Caribbean to Tilbury Dock via the SS Empire Windrush.
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Lullaby
August 10, 2020
If you need a moment of calm, try balletLORENT’s languid, meditative film.
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Kwame Kwei-Armah interview
August 6, 2020
The Young Vic’s Artistic Director discusses his theatre journey, ahead of a dedicated BBC imagine documentary.
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Jekyll & Hyde, Burberry Inspire and Indoors
August 5, 2020
Drew McOnie’s stylish dance thriller for the Old Vic, Northern Ballet joins forces with American Ballet Theatre, and Scottish Ballet’s work with 28 doors and 36 dancers.
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Manon and Dream
August 4, 2020
Sarah Lamb leads the Royal Ballet’s passionate Manon, while the National Dance Company Wales share Christopher Bruce’s Olympic Dream.
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Summer Shots and ENB classes
August 3, 2020
Dance goodies in Marquee TV’s Summer Shorts festival, while English National Ballet offers online workshops for keen teens.
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The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
July 30, 2020
ZooNation put their hip-hop spin on Lewis Carroll in this witty Kate Prince production for the Royal Opera House.
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Dracula
July 29, 2020
Bram Stoker’s Gothic tale becomes ballet with a bite in David Nixon’s darkly seductive production for Northern Ballet.
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The Sleeping Beauty and DanceEast
July 27, 2020
The Royal Opera House’s classic production casts a spell, while DanceEast shares highlights from its End of Year Shows.
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Hamilton
July 2, 2020
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ground-breaking’s show – filmed with the original Broadway cast – premieres on Disney+.
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The Last Five Years preview
June 24, 2020
Jason Robert Brown’s musical, featuring physically separated stars, could be made for lockdown – as a new digital production aims to prove.
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The Thread
April 22, 2020
It’s Russell Maliphant’s striking take on Hellenic folk dance in this latest Sadler’s Wells Facebook Premiere.
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Shobana Jeyasingh Dance: Configurations
April 21, 2020
In this seminal collaboration with Michael Nyman, Indian classical meets Western contemporary dance.
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Treasure Island
April 20, 2020
Bryony Lavery’s adaptation at the National Theatre features key updates to make this adventure fun for all.
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Drawing the Line
April 16, 2020
At Hampstead Theatre, Howard Brenton tells the extraordinary story of the Partition of India.
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Rain
April 16, 2020
Sadler’s Wells shares Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s signature work: a euphoric celebration of the collective.
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Jane Eyre
April 13, 2020
The National Theatre broadcasts Sally Cookson’s fiery, feminist, intensely theatrical Bronte adaptation.
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The Swan
April 13, 2020
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Carlos Acosta reworks the famous piece for the BBC’s online Culture in Quarantine.
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The best online dance shows for Easter Weekend
April 10, 2020
From Akram Khan’s Giselle to a rare collaboration between the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet.
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Rumpelstiltskin
April 8, 2020
Ballet Lorent’s family-friendly piece at Sadler’s Wells is a less grim, but also less magical, version of the Brothers Grimm.
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Balletboz: Deluxe
March 31, 2020
Kicking off Sadler’s Wells’ Facebook Premieres is this superb showcase of Balletboyz’s work with female choreographers.
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I and You
March 26, 2020
Lauren Gunderson’s play, starring Maisie Williams and Zach Wyatt, is now available online thanks to Hampstead Theatre.
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The Prince of Egypt
March 2, 2020
This epic Biblical musical at Dominion Theatre is earnestly told, yet lacks theatrical magic.
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Endgame
February 6, 2020
Richard Jones’s Old Vic revival – starring Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe – is entertaining but too broad.
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Faustus: The Damned Woman
February 3, 2020
Chris Bush’s gender-swapped take on Marlowe at Lyric Hammersmith is impassioned, but a muddle.
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Rags
January 22, 2020
This musical review at Park Theatre demonstrates that prejudice has no time limits.
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Vanessa Williams interview
March 3, 2020
As City of Angels opens in the West End, the actress, singer, and former Miss America explains why it’s more fun to play the bad girl.
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Jacky Logan interview
January 7, 2020
Featured on the New Year’s Honours List, the teacher, dancer and DJ discusses her years of campaigning for equality though same-sex ballroom dancing.
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The best dance shows of 2020
January 3, 2020
From a new version of the Frankenstein myth to a hip-hop theatre take on Sting.
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Dear Evan Hansen
November 20, 2019
The Tony-winning musical, now at Noel Coward Theatre, makes a timely plea for acceptance of ourselves and others.
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Mary Poppins
November 14, 2019
A visually arresting production at the Prince Edward Theatre, but fails to fully take flight.
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Is Strictly’s dance-off still fit for purpose?
October 31, 2019
As the judges make another controversial choice, we look at the history and effectiveness of the dance-off.
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Same-sex ballroom has been challenging conventions long before Dancing on Ice
October 11, 2019
A quick history on same-sex dancing – and why Strictly should take the plunge.
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The Man in the White Suit
October 9, 2019
Stephen Mangan anchors this genial but muddled farce at Wyndham’s Theatre.
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The Bridges of Madison County
July 24, 2019
The soul-baring passion goes missing in Trevor Nunn’s Menier Chocolate Factory production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical.
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