Gary Naylor - Page 22

Sam Ra's updating of Anthony Shaffer's much produced and adapted Sleuth takes it into the 21st century without really adding much save some difficulties that are not fully resolved.

Scrooge, the ghosts and a very Tiny Tim just an arm's length away in a fine adaptation of Dickens' timeless tale.

Hunger, adapted from controversial Norwegian, Knut Hamsun's, early career novel, brings us a man alienated from an uncaring world - as much a fixture on the fringes of our city some 130 years since the book was published.

David McVicar's compelling new production of Benjamin Britten's last opera is an extraordinary tour-de-force that takes you inside a troubled mind and leaves you as ill-at-ease as you might expect, but strangely uplifted too, the beauty present in even a dying world underlined and celebrated.

Kwami Odoom talks about his life as an actor and about his role in Hunger, at the Arcola Theatre until 21 November.

La Clique is a fast-paced spectacle that astonishes and entertains in equal measure, making for a good night out on the town.

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory have a lot of fun with their London transfer of Shakespeare's battle of the sexes, but not every decision pays off and they need to be more sympathetic to the unique pros and cons of this remarkable venue.

Reputation has its flaws, but it also has some wonderfully worked songs, well sung by a talented cast.

A big Harry Potterish serpent, a Salad Daysy enchanted glockenspiel, a Scooby-Dooish birdman, a pre-Ford Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and enough underground conspiracies to keep the most fervent follower of QAnon frothing at the mouth - what's not to like?

UK Theatre in 2019 was like a box of choccies made by Mr Wonka - a delightful set of surprises, with just a hint of menace to keep you on your toes. Many tremendous achievements did not make the BroadwayWorld shortlist, but many did, and here's my pick of them.

Frank McGuinness's play is never less than engaging, Angela Murray tremendous as the woman left alone after her daughter is shot, but it's an unrelenting and demanding watch

I Do! I Do! even with this updated book, is an old-fashioned two-hander musical that never fails to please, without ever challenging the traditional approach to the union between a man and a woman.

Edred, The Vampyre is a lot of fun with its fair quotient of chills thrown in and a fine example of how to stage horror, a tricky genre for theatres.

Hannah Khalil's new play grapples with some big issues for over two hours, but the biggest issue of all for any play - the drama between the characters - is absent for much of that time.

Danusia Samal's award-winning play packs plenty of issues, perhaps too many, into its drama but says important things about the way young Muslim women are expected to behave, as they navigate the first generation immigrant experience.

Assassins is never less than engaging and interesting, for all its structural flaws. Worth the ticket price just to see the virtuosity of this super-talented cast.

This Merchant of Venice is aimed at schoolchildren and it's a fantastic experience for them. It's also pretty good for anyone, whether a 100+ Shakespeares veteran like me or a first-timer.

For all its flaws, Brooklyn - The Musical features great songs sung by great singers. What more can one ask for really?

King John's themes are horribly present in today's febrile political climate making it exactly the right time to revive one on Shakespeare's less performed plays.

Despite a distracting set, the music and singing triumph on an evening that reminds us that you can be too clever by half when you seek to be kingmaker.