UK Regional Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 29

BWW Review: ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, Union Theatre
by Gary Naylor - February 12, 2017

Anyone Can Whistle is a rare combination of a well-deserved flop and a must-see show. Swallow the myriad flaws, and its an entertaining, sharp and eerily prophetic show....

BWW Review: STRICTLY COME DANCING LIVE!, Wembley Arena
by Vikki Broad - February 11, 2017

The Strictly Tour has now been an annual fixture in fans' calendars for ten years. Each time the casual enthusiast mentally prepares themselves for a some full on fluff and scripted joviality but on this opening night at Wembley, this relentlessly joyful show was full of heart which is exactly what ...

BWW Review: MY LAND'S SHORE, Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre
by Gary Naylor - February 11, 2017

The show has bags of potential, passion to burn and excellent singing, but is let down by a pedestrian book and sprawling subplots....

BWW Review: THE RED SHOES, Birmingham Hippodrome
by Emma Cann - February 09, 2017

Based on the 1948 film of the same name, starring Moira Shearer, Matthew Bourne's production of The Red Shoes tells the story of ballerina Victoria Page and her tragic struggle between love and duty. Both the film and Matthew Bourne's production are inspired by Han Christian Andersen's fairytale of ...

BWW Review: NEWSIES THE BROADWAY MUSICAL, Selected cinemas, 19 February only
by Gary Naylor - February 10, 2017

This one-off cinema presentation is a great way to see Newsies The Broadway Musical and get a feel for what it's like to be in a big New York audience....

BWW Review: RUN THE BEAST DOWN, Finborough Theatre
by Gary Naylor - February 08, 2017

Run The Beast Down creates a world collapsing psychologically and socially as the foxes, real and metaphorical, close in on Charlie....

BWW Review: SCHOOL PLAY, Southwark Playhouse
by Gary Naylor - February 07, 2017

Contemporary and hard-hitting, Alex MacKeith's debut, School Play, doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts....

BWW Review: SALOME, Hoxton Hall
by Gary Naylor - February 04, 2017

Impressively designed in a wonderful space, Theatre Lab Company's Salome isn't quite compelling enough as entertainment nor thought-provoking enough as polemic....

BWW Review: ROALD DAHL'S FANTASTIC MR FOX, Lyric Hammersmith
by Gary Naylor - February 02, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a new adaptation of an old favourite that hits the mark with broad appeal, plenty of laughs and fine songs....

BWW Review: WHAT'S IN A NAME, Birmingham Rep
by Emma Cann - February 01, 2017

Set in a trendy warehouse flat in Peckham, What's In A Name follows the ups and downs of a friendly dinner party. Ill-timed jokes, secrets long hidden and a clash of ideologies take place amidst the backdrop of a familiar setting of cheap rose and the cries of children interrupting adult conversatio...

BWW Review: YEARS OF SUNLIGHT, Theatre503
by Gary Naylor - January 31, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a play that examines the failures of the social experiment of Skelmersdale, a 60s council mega estate stuck between Liverpool and Wigan...

BWW Review: RAISING MARTHA, Park Theatre
by Gary Naylor - January 18, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a wonderfully funny farce blessed with strong performances and a script that packs a punch along with the punchlines....

BWW Review: ABIGAIL, The Bunker Theatre
by Gary Naylor - January 14, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a play with a tricksy structure and a vagueness in its script that leaves the actors with few places to go....

BWW Review: BIRTHDAY SUIT, Old Red Lion Theatre
by Gary Naylor - January 14, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a funny, contemporary comedy blessed with an Ayckbournesque script and some very fine acting....

BWW Review: THE SNOWMAN, Birmingham Rep
by Emma Cann - January 12, 2017

Although Christmas may be over, the last of decorations swept away and life returning to normality, Birmingham holds onto the festive spirit for a little while longer. The Birmingham Repertory Theatre's beloved production of The Snowman delights audiences for a nineteenth successive year. ...

BWW Review: GASLIGHT, New Alexandra Theatre
by Emma Cann - January 12, 2017

The New Alexandra's 2017 season kicks off with Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton. A psychological thriller, in the tradition of the famous Victorian melodramas, Gaslight follows Bella Manningham, who believes she is becoming mentally unstable until she receives a visit from Inspector Rough. The inspector...

BWW Review: BRAINS, Theatre N16
by Gary Naylor - January 12, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a show that generates laughs and shows potential, but doesn't make the most of the setup before the punchline arrives too soon....

BWW Review: THREE SISTERS, Union Theatre
by Gary Naylor - January 07, 2017

Gary Naylor sees a play that rewards repeated viewing, as relevant today as ever and, in this version, performed with subtlety and grace by an excellent cast....

BWW Review: DICK WHITTINGTON, Birmingham Hippodrome
by Emma Cann - December 23, 2016

If there is one sure sign that Christmas has truly arrived, it's the inescapable onslaught of the pantomime season. Theatres across the country ring to the shouts of 'he's behind you', the boos and hisses, and the singalong family favourites. Often acclaimed as the UK's biggest pantomime, Birmingham...

BWW Review: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Crucible, Sheffield
by Ruth Deller - December 17, 2016

Annie Get Your Gun is another crowd-pleasing musical from Sheffield Theatres, featuring a winning performance from Anna-Jane Casey and showcasing many of Irving Berlin's finest songs....

BWW Review: KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, Southwark Playhouse
by Gary Naylor - December 14, 2016

Gary Naylor sees a show sure to enchant all the family, a theatrical production every bit as good as its celebrated animated predecessor....

BWW Review: CHICAGO, New Alexandra Theatre
by Emma Cann - December 14, 2016

In a welcome break from the usual steady stream of pantomimes and children's productions, the New Alexandra Theatre takes a trip back to the Roaring Twenties this Christmas with Chicago. However, similar to many pantos, this production features a star-studded cast, including Hayley Tamaddon, John Pa...

BWW Review: THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, Park Theatre
by Gary Naylor - December 09, 2016

Gary Naylor sees a loyal, committed adaptation of CS Lewis's once celebrated novel that fails to ignite fully as drama, but works well as polemic....

BWW Review: THE SNOW QUEEN, Bristol Old Vic
by Kerrie Nicholson - December 09, 2016

When taking a work as well-known as Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen to the stage, the challenge is how to adapt and present the material in such a way that feels new and exciting....

BWW Review: CINDERELLA: A FAIRYTALE, Tobacco Factory
by Tim Wright - December 08, 2016

This show is the perfect antidote to the celebrity stuffed pantos offered up by more commercial outfits. The show demonstrates that Christmas shows don't have to be formulaic or even familiar. They can be wonderfully inventive pieces of storytelling every bit as worthy as the rest of the years progr...