Archives
Welcome to the archives. Here you can read reviews from productions that
have finished their runs.
have finished their runs.
Jack the Ripper: The Women of WhitechapelLONDON COLISEUM
Iain Bell's gripping new opera about the lives of the 'women of Whitechapel' in 1888 (when Jack the Ripper was terrorising the streets) is having its world premiere here with the ENO at the London Coliseum. |
The Magic FluteLONDON COLISEUM
Mozart's The Magic Flute tells a bizarre and unlikely story of journeys through a mystical world in which the handsome Prince Tamino must face different trials in order to be allowed to marry his new love Pamina. |
The Merry WidowLONDON COLISEUM
Lehar's The Merry Widow is a blend of outrageous humour (with a bit of added slapstick), and beautiful melodies. Unlike many operas, it is not sung through which makes it an excellent first opera - an introduction to the style of music whilst not being at all difficult to follow. |
AkhnatenLONDON COLISEUM
Akhnaten was written in 1983, so is modern and certainly unlike any opera I have ever seen or heard before to say the least. Any preconceptions that you might have of classical opera can be almost entirely brushed away in one fell swoop. |
La bohème
LONDON COLISEUM
This performance marks the fourth revival of Sir Jonathan Miller's La bohème. It also comes conveniently in time to mark 40 years since Miller's directorial debut at the ENO. This production of La bohème is an intricate weaving of details which piece together to make a remarkably naturalistic and simple, yet wonderful, masterpiece. |
CompanyGIELGUD THEATRE
Marianne Elliott's production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company stars Rosalie Craig, Patti Lupone and Mel Giedroyc. With a couple of gender swaps here and there, resulting in a female lead, a gay couple, and a stay at home dad married to a career driven woman, the musical has been revamped so that it feels as contemporary and relevant today as it must have done for its original audience. |
42nd StreetTHEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE
42nd Street has been open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for little over a year and I have recently been lucky enough to see it. |
Caroline, or ChangeHAMPSTEAD THEATRE (transferring to the West End)
Caroline, Or Change has been such a roaring success that it is almost impossible to get a ticket other than a return for its run at the Hampstead Theatre. I was lucky enough to get such a ticket, and it was well worth the wait. |
Nine NightNATIONAL THEATRE (now at Trafalgar Studios)
Natasha Gordon's play Nine Night is, I believe, the perfect play to be putting on at the National Theatre - the theatre that is for everyone.Nine Night is about the Jamaican tradition of celebrating someone's life for nine nights after they have passed away. The play comes as a voice from within the West Indian community and gives those who are not members of that community the rare opportunity of looking at and learning about a different culture. |
Lucia di LammermoorLONDON COLISEUM
The ENO's production of Lucia di Lammermoor is returning after 8 years. It isn't difficult to understand why there has been such excitement around this opera; its story line is easy to understand, the music is beautiful and the production's design makes it arresting and deeply poignant. |
ear for eyeROYAL COURT THEATRE
debbie tucker green's ear for eye (all intentionally lower case) is a punchy play in three parts, lasting just over 2 hours without an interval. It storms against racial injustice in the UK and the US, and shows the fire in young black people who are fighting relentlessly for change, as well as showing the roots of racial segregation and discrimination. |
Porgy and BessLONDON COLISEUM
Host to some iconic songs such as 'Summertime' and 'It Ain't Necessarily So', the Gershwin brothers' Porgy and Bess is being performed by the ENO for the first time in history. When I have seen Porgy and Bess before it has been in a musical version, with spoken text and then the main tunes sung. Here, at the London Coliseum, it is being performed in all its original operatic glory. |
SaloméLONDON COLISEUM
The story of Salome is rather intriguing, and its somewhat scandalous subject matter is part of the cause for it's success. Strauss' opera is as shocking now as it would have been when first performed in 1905. The opera is based off a book of the same name by Oscar Wilde and is set in Ancient Judaea. |
I and YouReview by Upstaged Reviewer Charlotte C
HAMPSTEAD THEATRE Going to see new plays in off west end theatres is always thrilling and the Hampstead Theatre was certainly alive! There was a bustling, feverish atmosphere with people chatting excitedly about this new play written by Lauren Gunderson, the most produced playwright in America of 2017. I And You stars Maisie Williams as Caroline whose previous work includes Game of Thrones, and Zach Wyatt as Anthony. |
The WoodsROYAL COURT THEATRE
The Woods by Robert Alan Evans is certainly an interesting play. While I'm not entirely sure what exactly it was about, the production itself was quite breath-taking. |
Twelfth NightYOUNG VIC
To kick off Kwame Kwei-Armah's first season as artistic director of the Young Vic is a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It is imaginative, fun and vibrant, set in the run up to Notting Hill Carnival in a West London street between two rows of brightly coloured terraced houses. Costumes are bright and colourful and the stage is busy and buzzing with energy. |
Victoria's KnickersNYT REP Company
SOHO THEATRE The story for Victoria's Knickers is inspired by records of Edward Jones, a young man who repeatedly broke into Buckingham Palace between 1837-1840 and was at one time found with a pair of Queen Victoria's knickers. The mystery was enough to fire the imagination of Victorian tabloids who wrote endless stories on him and gave him the nickname "Boy Jones". Apparently, the mystery, intrigue and implausibility of this real story is, for Josh Azouz, the perfect material for a play. |
ConsensualNYT REP Company
Review by Upstaged Reviewer Charlotte R SOHO THEATRE Evan Placey’s Consensual tackles the subject of sexual abuse and consent, and is particularly poignant in today's climate when we hear reports of such matters in the news so frequently. |
The King and ITHE LONDON PALLADIUM
Arguably the most hotly anticipated Musical of the summer. This show stopping production of The King and I has officially landed with its two famous Broadway stars in tow. |
National Theatre. New Views -
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Little Shop of HorrorsREGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
In the middle of a black and white set, three girls dressed in green come onto stage and burst into song. Renee Lamb, Christina Modestou and Seyi Omooba are fantastic as the street urchins Chiffon, Ronnette and Crystal. Each equipped with a fabulous voice and some sharp choreography, they kick the show off to a fiery start. |
PericlesNATIONAL THEATRE
Shakespeare's Pericles, here in a version by Chris Bush with music by Jim Fortune, is the first Public Acts production with a cast of over 200 people from local communities, including only a handful of professional actors and actresses. The company are of all different ages, shapes and sizes, coming from a vast range of different cultural and religious backgrounds. |
PressureDavid Haig's play is another transfer from Chichester and is, like many others before it, West End bound. It tells the largely unknown story of Dr James Stagg, one of the unsung heroes of World War 2. As Chief Meteorological Officer for the Allied Forces , it was down to him and fellow American meteorologist Colonel Irving Krick to forecast the weather for D-Day - Monday 5th June 1944 - a job that would determine the fate of thousands of soldiers.
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Me and My GirlCHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE
Me and My Girl is on at the Chichester Festival Theatre and will hopefully be transferring into the West End, like many other big musicals before it. It certainly deserves the transfer! |
PityROYAL COURT THEATRE
By Upstaged Reviewer Charlotte An unemployed man stands in the town square, watching the world go by, unknowing of the mayhem that is about to take place. Ice cream. Lightning strike. Bombs. A wedding. Shootings. Sandwiches. And tanks. |
As You Like ItREGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
Set in the magical Forest of Arden and the Court of Duke Ferdinand, Shakespeare's As You Like It is ultimately a story of love, some required, some unrequited, and all come with complications. There is also, of course, a woman disguising herself as a man, and a couple of very lovable fools. |
QuizNOEL COWARD THEATRE
Have you ever, as an audience member, been filmed and shown on giant television screens whilst watching a show? Or been asked to vote in order to decide the fate of a character? Or even taken part in a pub quiz whilst sitting in the seats of a West End Theatre? Well, within the first act of Quiz at the Noel Coward Theatre you will have done all these things and more. |
The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieDONMAR WAREHOUSE
In the Donmar's production, the iconic role of junior school teacher Miss Jean Brodie, made famous by Maggie Smith in the film, is played magnificently by Lia Williams. Her presence is felt every time that she is on stage, helped by the colourful outfits she wears. The character is immediately pointed out as a rule breaker, as she first appears on stage in a bright red dress which directly contrasts to the drab greyness of the set and other costumes. |
The Turn of the ScrewREGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
On the website of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, it says that the opera will be starting at 8 o'clock as it has a running time of 2 hours; slightly shorter than usual. This is to allow for the sun to set, and to provide a suitably eerie atmosphere for the spooky content of the play. And boy was it worth it! |
Peter PanREGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
J.M Barrie's famous story of Peter Pan absolutely belongs in Regent's Park Open Air - a magical play in London's most magical theatre. If you have never visited it, then this is the perfect first experience. |
The FallThe National Youth Theatre Presents:
SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE James Fritz's The Fall is made up of three different sections which are all connected by a few key elements. The discussion all centres around the relationship between young and old - and this is the theme of James Fritz's play. |
FacelessPARK THEATRE
By Upstaged Reviewer Charlotte Set in modern day Chicago, Faceless is a play that discusses the issues of racism, sexism in the workplace and terrorism in present day society. |
Instructions For Correct AssemblyTHE ROYAL COURT THEATRE
Hari and Max's first child didn't quite go plan. He didn't turn into "the big grown up man" that they had hoped for. And so they're trying again. As keen flat pack enthusiasts (their bed, cupboards and bookshelves are all made like this) they order a DIY son. Jan. He will be perfect. |
The Grinning ManTRAFALGAR STUDIOS
The Grinning Man is a new musical, a haunting fairy-tale based off Victor Hugo's novel 'L'Homme qui Rit'. It is set around the early 18th Century in a fictitious Lon-don, which is under the rule of the cruel King Clarence. |
Building The WallPARK THEATRE
As you walk into the auditorium of Park200, the first thing you see is a man in a bright orange jumpsuit, sitting at an empty desk. He is enclosed in a glass box. |
Fanny and AlexanderTHE OLD VIC
Fanny and Alexander has been adapted for the stage from Ingmar Bergman's famous 1980 film of the same name. It is a short snapshot of the life of Alexander, a young child in the eccentric theatrical Ekdahl family who live in upstate Sweden. . Alexander opens the show by stating that it is the longest you will ever see, and, at 3 and a bit hours, he is probably correct. |
PinocchioNATIONAL THEATRE
Pinocchio is one of Disney's most popular classics and is now on stage for the first time in history. And what better place to do it than the National Theatre, where magic is so often created from scratch in the theatre's very own workshops. |
A Passage To India
PARK THEATRE
A Passage To India, created by simple8 and adapted by Simon Dormandy from E.M Forster's famous novel of the same name, has come to The Park Theatre having been on tour. It is a story set in the time of British Colonialism, and it asks the question "how can we love one another in a world divided by culture and belief"? |
Five Guys Named Moe
MARBLE ARCH THEATRE
This production of Five Guys Named Moe is in the new Marble Arch Theatre, a wonderful pop-up theatre, or Spiegeltent, erected especially for this show. As a result a 1940's jazz bar feel has been created perfectly. |
The Host
NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE @ ST JAMES'S CHURCH
Last week for 3 nights only, the National Youth Theatre presented Nessah Muthy's play "The Host", after a successful run in the summer. They will soon be taking the production on tour in rural areas around Britain. |
Rothschild and Sons
PARK THEATRE
The story of Rothschild and Sons is certainly not one that necessarily jumps out at you as one destined to become a musical. But when lyricist Sheldon Harnick and his partner, composer Jerry Bock read the best-seller by Frederic Morton, somehow that is exactly what happened. |
The Winter's Tale
NATIONAL THEATRE
The Winter's Tale is being performed at the National Theatre for an audience of children aged 8-12 (although it's certainly enjoyable for older audience members as well!) I brought along my brother who is 10 years old, and he's written a mini review which is at the bottom of the page! |
Eugenius!
THE OTHER PALACE
Eugenius! has been billed as the "most hotly anticipated new musical" of the year and is showing at The Other Palace for a run of only 6 weeks (ending 3rd March). The Other Palace is the home for new and developing musicals, and Eugenius! has landed here after first being performed at The London Palladium back in June 2016. |
Daisy Pulls It Off
PARK THEATRE
Denise Deegan wrote the script for Daisy Pulls It Off in 1980 and it won the 1983 Olivier award for Comedy of The Year. Here, a cast of 7 take on the roles of the Upper 4th students at Grangewood school in the 1920s. It is a 'show within a show' - the Grangewood girls themselves are performing Daisy Pulls It Off for their families and friends. |
White Fang
PARK THEATRE
By Upstaged Reviewer Charlotte White Fang is an interpretation of Jack London’s novel of the same name, written and directed by Jethro Compton. Compton’s piece follows a young Indian girl, Lyzbet Scott, who is saved and taken in by a huntsman after the massacre of her tribe and is on a journey of discovering her identity. |
Fishskin Trousers
PARK THEATRE
Fishskin Trousers has come to the Park Theatre with the same cast as when it premiered at the Finborough Theatre in 2013. Elizabeth Kuti's play consists of 3 monologues from 3 different characters, each character from a different era. |
The Suppliant Women
THE YOUNG VIC
As soon as I entered the theatre I could feel with every single bone in my body that this play would be amazing and sure enough it was. It was more than just watching a play though - it was an experience. |
How To Win Against History
THE YOUNG VIC
How To Win Against History is the largely imagined story of Henry Cyril Paget, the cross-dressing 5th Marquis of Anglesey, a man in whom creator Seiriol Davies has had an interest in since a young age. |
St George and the Dragon
THE NATIONAL THEATRE
The Olivier theatre has been taken over by Rory Mullarkey's Saint George and the Dragon, a new, modernised folk tale. It comes in three parts, the first two covered in the first act. Initially, we are in medieval England, the dragon a fantastical creature, complete with claws and a spiky tail (and three heads). |
Othello
AMBASSADORS THEATRE
Othello is the first of the NYT REP Company's productions put on at the Ambassadors Theatre. The REP Company is a 9 month alternative to drama school for members of the NYT, culminating in a 3 month run at a West End Theatre of a couple of shows, this year Othello and Jekyll and Hyde. |
Jekyll and Hyde
AMBASSADORS THEATRE
The second of the NYT REP Company's plays is Jekyll and Hyde, reimagined by Evan Placey. People who were almost entirely excluded from the original narrative are put right at the forefront of this play. As a result, most of the characters are women, including the dual character of Jekyll and Hyde. |
Goats
ROYAL COURT THEATRE
The Royal Court Theatre has, over the last two years, started working with playwrights from Syria and Lebanon and Goats has come to London for it's premier through this scheme - the Genesis Foundation Project. Written by Liwaa Yazji and translated by Katharine Halls, this play sheds a light on life in Syria where the war appears to be ever-lasting. |
Follies
THE NATIONAL THEATRE
Stephen Sondheim's musical Follies, is making its first appearance in London since 1987. In the vast, magnificent space that is the Olivier Theatre, this production is just perfect. |
B
ROYAL COURT THEATRE
By Upstaged Reviewer Charlotte Written by the renowned Chilean playwright, Guillermo Calderón, B looks at what it takes to make real change and what violence means to two generations. Is hurting the lives of others worth the short moment where you snatch the power from the ‘man with the gun’? |
Victory Condition
ROYAL COURT THEATRE
Chris Thorpe's new play aims to highlight how we live in a world where so many things happen at once - there is always the same thing happening in more than 1 place and so many things happening in each place. There is not a plot as such, it is simply 55 minutes of each character's thoughts. |
Road
ROYAL COURT THEATRE
Seeing Road was my first ever trip to the Royal Court and it was a real eye-opener. Not only was the production fantastic, so was the venue itself. With a youthful and vibrant energy about it, it felt like a great place to be |
Half A Sixpence
NOEL COWARD THEATRE
This new production of Half A Sixpence is jam-packed with energy and leaves you buzzing. It follows young Arthur Kipps (played masterfully by Charlie Stemp) on his journey up the social ladder in a time where social mobility was greatly desired. |
Wind In The Willows
THE LONDON PALLADIUM
In 1908, The Wind in The Willows was written by Kenneth Grahame, former secretary for the Bank of England. It was a celebration of nature and the Great British Countryside. This musical adaptation of the novel (music by Styles & Drew and book by Julian Fellowes) was certainly a celebration. The entire play was just a great big ball of energy, going from number to number to number! |
The Tempest
THE BARBICAN
The RSC's production of The Tempest opens with a breathtaking shipwreck scene. The explosion of light and sound immediately grasps you, so that the production has you in its hold from the outset. It is the start of what is a truly spectacular play. |
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Oliver Twist
REGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
There is always much anticipation for the Regent's Park productions that have been "re-imagined" for younger audiences. After a two year gap without one such production, this year's Oliver Twist has been greatly awaited! |
A Tale of Two Cities
REGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
This famous novel written by Charles Dickens in 1859, set during the French Revolution has been adapted with a modern twist by playwright Matthew Dunster. |
The Little Beasts
THE OTHER PALACE
The Other Palace is fast becoming one of my favourite theatres in London. A hub for developing new musicals, and as a result is a buzzing and exciting place to be. The Little Beasts is one of these musicals. |
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
DONMAR WAREHOUSE
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is one of German playwright Bertolt Brecht's most famous plays. The Donmar's production is truly captivating and thought-provoking, with absolutely breath taking performances across the company. |
On the Town
REGENT'S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
There is nothing more magical than a night out at Regents Park Open Air Theatre. The fairy lights on the trees, the butterflies flying around, the birds that swoop overhead as the sun sets on the second act, these are the signs that summer has truly begun, and what a helluva start to the summer it was! |
La Strada
THE OTHER PALACE
The Other Palace is a new(ish) venue in London, having used to be St James' Theatre, with an aim to become a place where new pieces of musical theatre can be "refined". This results in productions such as La Strada, far from the expected, far from the ordinary, so different from the way modern audiences think of 'musical theatre'. |