Freelance journalist, campaigner and theatre critic.
★★★ Productions like Lights Over Tesco Car Park make me miss participatory theatre in these difficult times. Armed with a tub of flying saucers sweets, the quartet behind Poltergeist Theatre, … Continue Reading ‘Lights Over Tesco Car Park’ online review – Space explored in UFO mockumentary
★★★ You’ve missed the play. The start of Lippy is the post-show talk, the moderator – and creator of the whole production – Bush Moukarzal sits down with actor Mark O’Halloran to discuss what … Continue Reading ‘Lippy’ online review – Lipreading investigation leaves a lot to look into
★★★★ The National Theatre at Home series gets off to an outrageous and cheery start with One Man, Two Guvnors. The 2011 production, starring James Corden, still conjures up laughter despite … Continue Reading ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ online review – James Corden shines in sensational slapstick
★★★★ We see it a lot in spy dramas: a mysterious operative meets a person at threat and on the run, offers them support and the individual often accepts with … Continue Reading ‘Wild’ online review – Mike Bartlett’s hotel room security drama is clever and comedic
★★★★ You aren’t supposed to take Eugenius! seriously. The musical tribute to 80s pop culture, with its many neon costumes and a whinging, baby bottle-sucking villain, is one evil laugh away … Continue Reading ‘Eugenius!’ online review – Galactic 80s homage is good fun
★★ Henry V opens with a plea for the audience to work their “imaginary forces” when watching the play, given the stripped-back nature of the set (in this production, it’s … Continue Reading ‘Henry V’ online review – Conquering king fails to captivate
★★★★ In his portrayal of unsettling characters, Stephen Rea certainly takes it to a whole new level in David Ireland’s Cyprus Avenue. If his role in Dennis Kelly’s ultra-violent TV series Utopia … Continue Reading ‘Cyprus Avenue’ online review – Stephen Rea is haunting in absurd, dark drama
★★★ There is something slightly meta about Hampstead Theatre’s decision to place I and You on Instagram’s portrait video feature, IGTV. Caroline (Maisie Williams), the authoritarian and ‘impossible’ teenage protagonist in … Continue Reading ‘I and You’ online review – Maisie Williams’ perplexing poetry project
“We’re here, we’re queer and we’re mentally unclear,” sing the trio of Here and Queer Productions in the opening and closing number of their 10-minute show, a melody which is … Continue Reading ‘Here, Queer and Mentally Unclear’ online review – Queer mental health musically explored
“Where do we go from here?” As you are probably aware, most theatres have closed and cancelled performances until late April in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. For a … Continue Reading Reviewing under review…
★★★ Kate Goodfellow gives one of the most authentic and passionate performances I have seen in theatre in 39 Degrees, and that’s because the play is an autobiographical tale about her mental … Continue Reading ‘39 Degrees’ review – Australian bushfire experience told with searing emotion
★★★★ Viv (Katherine Parkinson) has lost her shoe. Understandable – it happens to us all. Yet in E.V. Crowe’s 65-minute play, Shoe Lady, it becomes an impressive little metaphor on continuity, … Continue Reading ‘Shoe Lady’ review – Katherine Parkinson’s musing on maintenance
★★ Becka McFadden’s staging of Closed Lands explores and breaks down borders and walls – including the fourth. Crammed into the maximum hour-long running time of a VAULT Festival show (though … Continue Reading ‘Closed Lands’ review – Migration gets gamified
★★★★ Butterfly is a queer anthology which sizzles with an electric energy. On stage, five individuals from history gather, their extraordinary stories forgotten about until this moment. Its timely staging … Continue Reading ‘Butterfly’ review – Five forgotten, queer stories flourish
★★ From the producer of Teddy Lamb’s Since U Been Gone comes another grief-themed drama at VAULT Festival. Yet while Teddy processes their grief in the form of noughties pop tracks, … Continue Reading ‘Killing It’ review – A family’s grief is hard to process
★★★ Many audience members will likely begin watching the Frantic Assembly production of I Think We Are Alone with high expectations. If they know the name, they’ll probably know the … Continue Reading ‘I Think We Are Alone’ review – Frantic Assembly’s anniversary show struggles to connect
