Tag Archives: murder

Girl on an Altar, Kiln Theatre

Posted on May 26, 2022 by mkmswain

Marina Carr’s new twist on Ancient Greek tragedy spells out too much, but it’s superbly acted and pungently topical. Read my full Telegraph review here

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Season 6 was Outlander at its strongest and weakest

Posted on May 2, 2022 by mkmswain

The finale left us on a tantalising cliffhanger, but had too many side plots. Read my full Radio Times comment here

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A Tidy Ending

Posted on April 18, 2022 by mkmswain

Joanna Cannon’s serial killer thriller sacrifices human complexity for cheap twists. Read my full Telegraph review here

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Why Outlander’s latest season 6 twist is so important

Posted on April 11, 2022 by mkmswain

Episode 6 pays off a slow-burning story – and sets up a thrilling climax. Read my full Radio Times comment here

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What A Carve Up!, Online

Posted on November 6, 2020 by mkmswain

Jonathan Coe’s satirical thriller has been inventively adapted in this joint digital project between three theatres: The Barn, Lawrence Batley and New Wolsey. Presented as a Netflix true crime doc-meets-YouTube conspiracy, it’s a gripping watch. Read my full The i Paper review … Continue reading →

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A Very Expensive Poison, Old Vic

Posted on September 6, 2019 by mkmswain

How theatre should, or should not, be addressing Brexit is a constant topic of conversation. But while Lucy Prebble’s phenomenal new work – a combination of horror, espionage thriller, love story and satire, with dazzlingly theatrical framing – doesn’t centre … Continue reading →

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Chicago, Phoenix Theatre

Posted on April 19, 2018 by mkmswain

Chicago‘s hit West End revival ­- which featured a constant revolving door of big names – closed in 2012 after almost 15 years. Now, it returns with the requisite stunt casting (Cuba Gooding Jr), but also with a cast of … Continue reading →

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Picasso, Lady Bird, Mary Stuart and West Cork

Posted on March 12, 2018 by mkmswain

On my March MoveTo Town and Country Arts page: Exhibition Pablo Picasso’s ‘year of wonders’ graces Tate Modern Film The mother-daughter relationship deftly captured by Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird Theatre Robert Icke’s Mary Stuart presents history as a modern political thriller Commuter corner The latest must-binge true … Continue reading →

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Obsession, Barbican

Posted on April 26, 2017 by mkmswain

“Everybody wants passion,” says Ivo Van Hove in the programme interview for his latest show, but in both tone and aesthetic, his take on this doomed romance is less red-hot fire of ardour, more the cold, grey ash left in … Continue reading →

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Stylish, witty and lurid tale

Posted on March 4, 2016 by mkmswain

In 1933, French society was rocked by Christine and Léa Papin’s brutal murder of their employer. The incident loosely inspired Jean Genet’s 1947 play, which uses that power struggle to starkly challenge identity constructs. Jamie Lloyd’s suitably unflinching revival benefits … Continue reading →

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