Through one family and one company, Italian playwright Stefano Massini tackles big topics: the development of Western capitalism, the immigrant experience, the American Dream. But this isn’t just any family – it’s the Lehman Brothers, the collapse of whose banking … Continue reading
It seems only too fitting that David Lan’s luminous reign at the Young Vic should draw to a close with this bold, creatively thrilling international import. Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s Tony-winning musical, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2013, is an exquisite adaptation … Continue reading
Chess, by Tim Rice and ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, hasn’t had a major West End revival since its Eighties heyday, but it’s back with a bang in a semi-staged production that features aerial silk acrobatics, cheerleading stunts and drunken Cossack dancing. But … Continue reading
It is, perhaps, a tale that suffers from overfamiliarity. Tina Turner’s rags-to-riches story – from humble beginnings as little Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her discovery, reinvention and sickening abuse by husband and manager Ike Turner, and finally … Continue reading
Three smart travellers share their wisdom: for the stylish, tech-savvy and intellectually curious. Read my full Oryx magazine article here
That this 1948 Tennessee Williams play is rarely performed seems nothing short of a travesty, thanks to the awe-inspiring case made for it by Rebecca Frecknall’s exquisite Almeida production. Aided by the skyrocketing Patsy Ferran, it also makes a case for director Frecknall as … Continue reading
Though a long journey indeed, Richard Eyre’s is a vital revival, giving vigour to Eugene O’Neill’s mighty, semi-autobiographical work and making all the more poignant this tormented but fast-talking family’s gradual dwindling into a despairing silence. Read my full BroadwayWorld review here
The rolling stone is now at home in the West End, as Conor McPherson’s inimitable dramatic take on Bob Dylan transfers from the Old Vic, where it premiered last summer. Described as “a play with songs”, it’s the distinct harmony of two art … Continue reading
Does Hamilton live up the hype – and will it appeal to British audiences? Yes, and yes again. It’s not like America has a monopoly on national identity crisis, leadership, immigration, parenthood, grief, sex scandals and political rivalries. But beyond … Continue reading
Based on Daniel Wallace’s novel and Tim Burton’s 2003 film adaptation, this musical is quite the oddity. Screenwriter John August has tinkered with the book since its brief Broadway run in 2013, but it remains an unfathomable mixture of magical … Continue reading
