599 stories by "Clare Brennan"
Crucible, SheffieldShakespeare is rooted in our era of fake news in artistic director Robert Hastie's outstanding first production for the CrucibleIf Robert Hastie's first production as arti…
Storyhouse, ChesterA vivid adaptation by Glyn Maxwell of Gay's 1728 ballad play launches Chester's exciting new venue"Storytellers build communities... remember the past and imagine the futu…
Everyman, LiverpoolLizzie Nunnery's scathing social commentary with songs carries a powerful message despite some laboured dialoguePolitical shockwaves knock spending. A small business teete…
Royal Exchange, ManchesterTwo charming leads fail to plug the holes in a black comedy that replaces dark reality with ersatz whimsyKitty is a telephone sex worker. Jimmy is a regular client …
Chichester Festival theatreRichard Wilson stars as a crusty headmaster in Alan Bennett's playful but patchy 1968 state-of-the-nation play"An elaborate life support system for the preservatio…
Theatre by the Lake, KeswickNicholas Pierpan's ambitious drama explores a dark year in the poet's lifeOn the one hand there is the wonder of a mind that makes the world anew with words; on t…
Octagon, BoltonA magnificent Phoebe Pryce in the lead role ensures the 19th-century classic still packs an emotional punch for a modern audienceWhen Acton Bell's second novel was published i…
Watford Palace theatreThe magic and nuance of the written word are missed in this musical adaptation, despite colourful songs and an inventive setA scaffolding structure rises on the stage, …
Bristol Old VicThe story of an idealistic adult winning over a bunch of disaffected kids is a familiar one, but lifted by its sizzling castJunkyard is a new musical inspired by writer Jack T…
Sherman Cymru, CardiffDespite fresh and lively performances, period language and modern behaviour clash to mixed effect"Fair Verona", Shakespeare's setting for the play is, in Kenny Miller's…
Octagon, BoltonDavid Rudkin's 1972 play about an infertile couple is revived to intimate, funny and touching effectCiaran Bagnall's set is starkly impersonal in its shiny whiteness and sculp…
Everyman, LiverpoolThe classic musical about village custom and community is the perfect choice to launch artistic director Gemma Bodinetz's new repertory ensembleThe bare stage looks simple…
Crucible, SheffieldThe drama lacks oomph but sheer exuberance carries this coming-of-age tale by Tom MacRae and Dan Gillespie SellsThe school's psychometric test identifies 16-year-old Jamie…
Northern Stage, NewcastleSelma Dimitrijevic's adaptation, while daring in parts, is ultimately found wantingDr Frankenstein is translated from a he to a she: Victor becomes Victoria. As the …
Birmingham RepA taut cast makes the most of this 2010 hit comedy, directed by Jeremy Sams in its British premiereIn a loft conversion in Peckham, south London, lecturer Peter (Jamie Glover) …
Belgrade theatre, CoventryThe ethical dilemmas of international surrogacy are examined in an impressive production that refuses to offer easy answersAbove the stage, on three different level…
Royal Exchange, Manchester Kaisa Hammarlund's portrayal of Neil Simon's Everywoman strikes a perfect balanceSome people see Neil Simon's 1966 musical comedy (with lyrics by Dorothy Fields an…
Salisbury PlayhouseFour performers rustle up a bustling parlour show of songs, sketches and magicA Little of What You Fancy, as the queen of the saucy song, Marie Lloyd, used to suggest to h…
Dorfman, LondonThe shared indignities of life in temporary accommodation hit home in Alexander Zeldin's new play at the NationalLove is set in a hostel offering temporary accommodation for p…
Crucible theatre, SheffieldThe songs still hit their mark in Irving Berlin's musical western, but 1940s stereotyping leaves the show creaking with ageIn this 1946 comic-romantic musical, set…
Lyceum, SheffieldIt's not surprising that when it appeared in 1997 The Full Monty was instantly dubbed a "feelgood" film. Set in the late 1980s, it tells the story of a group of skilled men …
Liverpool PlayhouseThe Playhouse's sparkling Edwardian past is brought back to life in Michael Wynne's fine new playThe star of The Star is the theatre itself. Gertrude Lawrence and Noël …
Gender roles are all at sea and a fox learns a lesson in our pick of Christmas shows in Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Southampton and EdinburghChristmas shows are a fabulous …
Live theatre, NewcastleShelagh Stephenson's play about the radical thinker's stay on Tyneside provides a witty examination of her ideas but not much dramaLike the quilt its female characters…
John Godber mines his own life for this tale set in an NHS at breaking pointWhen John Godber returns to Hull, Hull turns out. From 1984 to 2010, the writer-director's name was synonymous wit…
