Tag Archives: america

The Red Bird Sings: the bizarre true story of how a ghost testified in court

Posted on March 21, 2023 by mkmswain

Aoifa Fitzpatrick draws on an extraordinary 1897 trial in a debut novel that’s a blend of courtroom drama, murder mystery and feminist fable. Read my full Telegraph review here

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Best of Enemies, Noel Coward Theatre

Posted on November 29, 2022 by mkmswain

James Graham’s play hits the West End, with Zachary Quinto joining the cast. Read my full London Theatre review here

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The 47th, Old Vic

Posted on April 11, 2022 by mkmswain

Bertie Carvel is an uncanny Trump, but this is a hollow political pageant. Read my full London Theatre review here

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The Revolutionary War brings a new moral dilemma in season 6

Posted on March 6, 2022 by mkmswain

Outlander star Sophie Skelton reveals all. Read my full Radio Times article here

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Best of Enemies, Young Vic

Posted on December 10, 2021 by mkmswain

Could any political play top the current seething drama in Westminster? Perhaps not, but James Graham’s latest is another fascinating slice of history that feels all too pertinent. Read my full London Theatre review here

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Rags: The Musical, Park Theatre

Posted on January 20, 2020 by mkmswain

“Take our country back!” is the rallying cry of the self-identified “real” Americans gathered to protest the arrival of immigrants. It could be a contemporary Trump rally – or, indeed, the nastier side of current British political discourse – but in fact this scene … Continue reading →

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Alexander Hamilton

Posted on December 29, 2019 by mkmswain

Visiting the great man’s native Nevis is a must for fans of the hit musical. Read my full Visitor magazine article here

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Ravens: Spassky vs. Fischer, Hampstead Theatre

Posted on December 6, 2019 by mkmswain

We’ve had Chess the musical; now, here’s Chess the play. Tom Morton-Smith, who has experience wrestling recent history into dramatic form with the acclaimed Oppenheimer, turns his attention to the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavík, in which American challenger Bobby Fischer battled the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky. … Continue reading →

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The American Clock, Old Vic

Posted on February 14, 2019 by mkmswain

This year’s unofficial Arthur Miller season – following The Price and ahead of All My Sons at the Old Vic and Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic – now turns to his 1980 work, The American Clock, inspired in part by Miller’s own memories of … Continue reading →

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Violet, Charing Cross Theatre

Posted on January 21, 2019 by mkmswain

Following Caroline, or Change and Fun Home, the UK is blessed with another work from American composer Jeanine Tesori – this the British premiere of her 1997 musical Violet, which had a Sutton Foster-starring Broadway production in 2014. If not as refined as that exquisite duo, it’s … Continue reading →

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