Review: MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL, Mercury Theatre
by Jess Ashley - September 30, 2024
“In death we are the same” – a phrase which Kelly Jones’ captivating play (…within a play… within a play) beautifully dissects. My Mother’s Funeral: The Show was first developed by Jones through the Mercury Theatre’s Playwrights Development Programme, before being picked up through an open call by P...
Review: THE KING'S SPEECH, Watermill Theatre
by Mica Blackwell - September 30, 2024
The King's Speech achieves something other screen to stage adaptations struggle with: staying true to the spirit while feeling like its own entity. Anchored by a still compelling script and captivating lead duo, the Watermill's production is a beautiful tribute to David Seidler's magnum opus....
Review: WAR HORSE, The Lowry
by Sarah OHara - September 25, 2024
More than 17 years since its onstage premiere, The National Theatre’s acclaimed production of War Horse is providing yet another unforgettable theatrical experience for audiences on its current UK and Ireland tour....
Film Review: THE CRITIC
by Cindy Marcolina - September 09, 2024
The Irish writer Brendan Behan described critics as “eunuchs in a harem; they know how it’s done, they’ve seen it done every day, but they’re unable to do it themselves”. Quite a damning characterisation. Anand Tucker introduces an ageing critic, Jimmy Erskine, whose name and ruthlessness are the st...
Review: THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, Theatre Royal Bath
by Cheryl Markosky - August 12, 2024
If you're after certainty, then you should certainly steer clear of the revival of Harold Pinter's unsettling The Birthday Party at the Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath. However, if you're up for an intriguing evening of comic surrealism mixed with creepy horror – think the Coen brothers meet Wes ...
Review: PERICLES, Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
by Debbie Gilpin - August 08, 2024
'‘Tis time to fear when tyrants seems to kiss.” It’s true that most of Shakespeare’s most well-known works remain perpetually relevant, particularly in the difficult times that continue to afflict populations worldwide, but sometimes it’s worth shuffling the pack and pulling out a lesser played work...
Review: THE PROMISE, Minerva Theatre, Chichester
by Debbie Gilpin - July 30, 2024
'To promise nearly fifty million people truly universal health care - ‘cradle to the grave’ - is crackers.' Despite this quote featuring quite prominently in promotional material, and the poster image showing a pair of midwives, The Promise isn’t wholly about the founding of the NHS. Paul Unwin’s ne...