Gary Naylor - Page 35

Gary Naylor looks back on 101 shows reviewed in 2017 and picks the best of the best.

A new musical with plenty of echoes of a very famous one indeed, with strong singing and jaw-dropping puppetry but undermined by a tone that is nether one thing not the other.

The Twilight Zone takes us into the world of early 60s cult science fiction TV in a bold and innovative adaptation that never quite transcends its structural weaknesses.

A straight, gimmick-free production of Julius Caesar that may be as relevant today as at any time in the last 420 years.

Stripped back and startlingly intimate, Puccini's great tunes are given full value by wonderful voices and sensational acting in a production that raises boutique operas to a new level.

Project Polunin is a mixed bag of dance and music, a showcase for the bad boy of ballet, Sergei Polunin, that succeeds intermittently.

The Woman In White has its flaws, but Thom Southerland's production of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's 2004 show delivers plenty to fans of musical theatre.

The genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda's songwriting in Hamilton, exemplified in one song.

The Charles Court Opera Company's eleventh panto continues their tradition of bold re-interpretations and bad jokes.

Privates on Parade is often amusing, but time has not treated its approach to issues kindly, even for those unoffended by the casual racism and misogyny typical of its era.

Ordinary Days captures the ups and downs of romance in a big city with fine singing and warm, winning performances.

Three very different dances united by the stellar qualities of Bolshoi superstar Svetlana Zakharova.

This is a great, complex, problematic, Shakespearean, mythic, disturbing, provocative play.

The Dark Room raises important issues but its lack of nuance and relentless emotional pain delivered at top volume and top speed, detract from its dramatic potential.

As it settles into its run, expect this production of 'Earnest' to bring out comedy that goes against the grain of the times, but is no less funny for that.

A pared back but wholly successful production that places the storytelling and poetry at the centre of the storm of hubristic violence.

Mother Courage and her Children grows with relevance as Josie Lawrence turns in a once in a lifetime performance as a woman whose eye for business blinds her to what really matters.

Imagine This is considered and serious in its examination of life in the Warsaw Ghetto, but is ultimately let down by a plodding book and samey songs.

The iconic film loses its way on transition from screen to stage in disappointing adaptation low on shocks.

A timely revival for Terry Johnson's play that delivers on its themes, but falls short on its drama.