Freelance journalist, campaigner and theatre critic.
★★★ In its clever placing of Nora across three different moments in history, Stef Smith’s take on A Doll’s House certainly cements the play as a timeless classic – but … Continue Reading ‘Nora: A Doll’s House’ review – Ibsen’s classic transcends the centuries
★★★ Al Blyth’s spiralling spy thriller The Haystack is essentially Johnny English meets Bodyguard. Our protagonist, socially awkward, video game-loving tech whizz Neil (Oliver Johnstone) has at times a humorous … Continue Reading ‘The Haystack’ – Espionage drama struggles to uncover new ideas
★★★ In more ways than one, Collapsible struggles to ground itself. Its protagonist, Essie (a role reprised by Breffni Holahan) begins by meditating cross-legged on a slab of brick, held … Continue Reading ‘Collapsible’ review – A funny and unnerving monologue crumbles
★★★★ Since U Been Gone has a gentle warmth in its poetry. Writer and performer Teddy, against Pete Butler’s neon backdrop, addresses you. ‘You’ being both us as audience members, … Continue Reading ‘Since U Been Gone’ review – Teddy Lamb’s heartfelt open letter on self-discovery
★★★ Is Dizzee Rascal a modern day Shakespeare? Perhaps for some. For poet and protagonist Debris Stevenson, the artist’s debut album Boy in da Corner was a gateway to grime, … Continue Reading ‘Poet in da Corner’ review – Dizzee Rascal soundtracks a journey through grime
★★★★★ Mike Bartlett’s Albion is a tender tale about confronting reality. Reprising her 2017 role, The Crown’s Victoria Hamilton flourishes as Audrey Walters, a stubborn protectionist who decides to spruce … Continue Reading ‘Albion’ review – Gardening play celebrates the beautiful now
★★★★ Good grief, Black Mirror‘s Rafe Spall is astonishing in the loud and chaotic Death of England, Roy Williams and Clint Dyer’s vivid tale of Cockney geezer Michael Fletcher processing … Continue Reading ‘Death of England’ review – Rafe Spall triumphs in riotous reflection on identity
★★★★ VOiD opens, quite subversively, with a protagonist who doesn’t know where to begin. Ali (Eastenders‘ Sophia Capasso) sits on a chair in the darkness, her face lit up by … Continue Reading ‘VOiD’ review – A crackling, confrontational challenge of justice
★★★★ Middle Child and Arcola Theatre’s radiant gig theatre production charts a young black man’s lived experience – one which is passionately told. Writer and performer Daniel Ward’s semi-autobiographical story … Continue Reading ‘The Canary and the Crow’ review – Personal story shines in glowing gig theatre
★★★★ Teenage Dick is educational Shakespeare, and that’s not just because this particular retelling of Richard III from Mike Lew is set in an American high school. Framing his rise … Continue Reading ‘Teenage Dick’ review – High school Richard III teaches everyone a lesson
★★★★ There’s a reason why ushers at the Harold Pinter Theatre may seem stricter than usual around phone use. Rosmersholm director Ian Rickson’s take on Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya – adapted … Continue Reading ‘Uncle Vanya’ review – Toby Jones is hilarious in a sluggish search for meaning
Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) and Rebekah Murrell (Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp.) are radiant in this open and emotional look at relationships – ★★★★ There’s a lot to love in Miriam … Continue Reading ‘Scenes with girls’ review – A sharp scrutiny of love’s parameters
Maxine Peake commands a strong cast in a shouty courtroom drama which is indecisive about what it wants to be – ★★★ Both the 12 women at the heart of … Continue Reading ‘The Welkin’ review – ‘12 Angry Men’ goes domestic
Jamie Lloyd’s slick direction of the love triangle tale, freshly adapted by Martin Crimp, marks an electric start to the company’s Playhouse Theatre season – ★★★★ His Dark Materials star … Continue Reading ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ review – James McAvoy turns lyrical lover in exhilarating drama
Sarah Bedi’s deaf thriller about authoritarian systems is an imaginative tackling of disability politics, but by no means straightforward – ★★★ “No one will understand everything – that’s how it … Continue Reading ‘The Process’ review – Government bureaucracy explored in dark digital drama
The award-winning race drama from Jackie Sibbles Drury subverts with a sharp intensity – ★★★★ Fairview is a unique theatrical experience – the word ‘experience’ perhaps being overused in theatre … Continue Reading ‘Fairview’ review – A blistering takedown of perceptions
