There’s a welcome alternative to panto hijinks in this gem of a Trevor Nunn musical revival – more attuned to the biting hardships of winter, and to the elegiac aspect of change, than to festive jollies. Which is not to say that there … Continue reading
It’s all change at the Kiln (was Tricycle) Theatre, with a £5.5 million redevelopment resulting in a bright, light, spacious and welcoming new building – complete with a more obvious street presence, comfortable café/bar area, plentiful ladies’ loos, and a … Continue reading
The actress discusses new hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Read my full BroadwayWorld interview here
In the immediate, heartbroken aftermath of the EU Referendum, I had some very uncharitable thoughts about the right to vote. Perhaps it should involve some kind of IQ test, or at least a demonstrable ability to tell the difference between … Continue reading
The death of a child is an unnatural loss. There’s no reassurance that the departed lived a full life, rather the jagged edge of one cut short. In the case of Becca and Howie, it’s also nonsensical: their perfectly healthy … Continue reading
Make opera, not war. So urges composer-turned-playwright Claire van Kampen’s featherweight historical star vehicle, elevated by husband Mark Rylance – in a tailored role showcasing his beguiling idiosyncrasies – and John Dove’s sumptuous production. Read my full Ham & High review … Continue reading
Molière’s 1664 comedy Tartuffe transplanted to present-day Atlanta, Georgia: it sounds like an inspired idea. The hypocritical religious devotee becomes a charlatan preacher fleecing his flock, offering salvation in exchange for hard cash and a distinctly unpriestly grope. But Marcus … Continue reading
Following a dangerously selective reading of a religious text, 15-year-old Benjamin has adopted a fundamentalist doctrine that espouses misogynist, homophobic and puritanical views and, at its extreme, violence. Neither his mum nor his teachers know how to handle him. The … Continue reading
Can we really distinguish between experience-based judgement and personal bias? Caroline, the social worker at the centre of American writer Rebecca Gilman’s latest “issue” play, trusts a gut instinct informed by her 25-year career, but those decisions – which shape … Continue reading
As we stagger towards electoral chaos, isn’t it comforting to think there might be a master plan at work? That Russell Brand’s meddling is preordained, or Cameron’s ‘brain fade’ an act of divine intervention? The second play in Rufus Norris’s … Continue reading
