Jekyll and Hyde review " Hong Kong-inspired horror story is a strange case by Lyn Gardner

Platform, LondonAdorned with Chinese lanterns, this staging always looks stylish but Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic mystery has been obscured It looks beautiful. Steam rises from under the …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:10am on July 30, 2015☆⚑

Talking Heads review " muted emotions in Alan Bennett's eulogy for a lost world by Lyn Gardner

Theatre Royal, BathBennett's three protagonists provide unchallenging and comforting stereotypes with plenty of wry humour but few surprises Alan Bennett's monologues were written for the TV…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:03pm on July 29, 2015☆⚑

Why radical kindness is the key to artistic development by Lyn Gardner

Schemes to develop theatre artists are flourishing all over the country " but greed and laziness still prevail. Theatres need to put their talent first if they want to ensure a vibrant futur…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:38am on July 28, 2015☆⚑

American Idiot review - post-9/11 disaffection meets Fame in Green Day musical by Lyn Gardner

Arts theatre, LondonApathy and anger lack coherence as boy fights George W Bush's world, perkily, in a decidedly 20th-century production"Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:46am on July 28, 2015☆⚑

Songs for a New World review " ghosts jostle in musical micro-stories by Lyn Gardner

St James theatre, LondonJason Robert Brown's show traces pivotal moments in his characters' lives through a song cycle to thrilling, subtle effectJason Robert Brown's melodic 1995 show is an…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:56am on July 27, 2015☆⚑

Plan your week's theatre: top tickets by Lyn Gardner

There's a postage-stamp-sized revival of Oliver! in Newbury, Tony Benn lives again in Nottingham, Ursula Martinez is self-promoting at the Southbank and Howard Davies directs in ChichesterFr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:28am on July 27, 2015☆⚑

Brainstorm review " unflinching return to adolescence by Lyn Gardner

NT Temporary Space, London Revisiting teenage mood swings is made wonderfully engaging by a smart young cast's empathic tour through the science of strops Towards the end of Islington Commun…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:07am on July 23, 2015☆⚑

Why British theatre should embrace the great outdoors by Lyn Gardner

Outdoor theatre generates the kind of broad audiences that traditional venues can only dream of " but how do you keep the quality high and bring in a financial return?The outdoor theatre sea…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:07am on July 23, 2015☆⚑

The Desire Machine review " strange and hallucinatory, but lacking in variety by Lyn Gardner

Brunel Tunnel Shaft, London Hybrid of dance and acrobatics from the Arbonauts company is less memorable than the dark and atmospheric venueThe pleasure of site-responsive theatre is that it …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:38am on July 22, 2015☆⚑

What we can learn from the wandering stars of rural theatre by Lyn Gardner

As well as lashings of cake, rural touring is generating some of the UK's most innovative theatre, despite a relative lack of funding. So what might big city venues learn from the countrysid…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:43am on July 21, 2015☆⚑

Now Is the Time to Say Nothing review " an immersive exploration into the conflict in Syria by Lyn Gardner

Young Vic, London TV news brings Syria to our homes, yet distances us. This heartfelt installation-cum-video closes the gap to humanise the warWhat do you know about what is happening in Syr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:41am on July 16, 2015☆⚑

Silent review " from the streets to the stars in virtuoso monologue by Lyn Gardner

Soho theatre, LondonPat Kinevane's Tino emerges from his blanket and struts like a Hollywood great in a graceful performance touching on issues of mental health and prejudiceBefore he shot t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:25pm on July 14, 2015☆⚑

The King of Tiny Things review " enter the world of creepy-crawlies by Lyn Gardner

Udderbelly, LondonThis adaptation of a popular picture book has songs, puppets and acrobatic bats " but somehow fails to hold youngsters' attentionSo many page-to-stage adaptations for child…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:12am on July 14, 2015☆⚑

Love your arts job? It doesn't mean you shouldn't be properly paid by Lyn Gardner

Many working in the theatre consider free labour a sacrifice worth making " but there's a fine line between opportunity and exploitationWe all know that the biggest subsidisers of the arts a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:37pm on July 13, 2015☆⚑

Plan your week's theatre: top tickets by Lyn Gardner

There's theatrical gold all over the country this week, including Manchester's Flare festival and the latest from Francesca Millican-Slater, Alice Birch, Jess Thom and Tom BasdenThe Flare fe…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:39am on July 13, 2015☆⚑

She Stoops to Conquer review " dull outing for Goldsmith's shining comedy by Lyn Gardner

Theatre Royal, BathSo much more is needed from this production " a light comic touch, generosity of spirit and more polish on performances"To be sure, aunts of all kinds are damned bad thing…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:29am on July 12, 2015☆⚑

Neck of the Woods " all style and no fangs by Lyn Gardner

Home, ManchesterCharlotte Rampling does her best in visual artist Douglas Gordon's humourless and sedate Red Riding Hood retellingIf you go down to the woods today ... the only surprise abou…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:30am on July 11, 2015☆⚑

Art that fears offence risks indifference by Lyn Gardner

The fuss over Damiano Michieletto's Guillaume Tell at the Royal Opera House must not lead to caution in all live performanceContext can be all in live performance. Where and when a show is h…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:08am on July 7, 2015☆⚑

Dot, Squiggle and Rest review " abstract opera for kids leaves them restless by Lyn Gardner

Polka, LondonRoyal Opera House and Polka's opera and dance show for the under-fours has a smidgeon of magic and a dreamy staging but fails to engage its young audienceThis collaboration betw…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 8:01am on July 7, 2015☆⚑

Rebecca Lenkiewicz: this government is 'determined to crush the poor' by Lyn Gardner

The Oscar-winning co-writer of Ida is determined to shout loudly about cuts to legal aid. The result is her new drama, The Invisible. 'A play may be a very small ripple,' she says, 'but it's…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 5:46am on July 7, 2015☆⚑

Plan your week's theatre: top tickets by Lyn Gardner

There's new writing to discover in Newcastle under Lyme and Cambridge, creepy offerings in Bristol and Battersea, people power in Corby, and fringe surprises as well as blockbuster shows in …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 3:23am on July 6, 2015☆⚑

Pink Mist review " heartbreaking story about the aftershocks of war by Lyn Gardner

Bristol Old VicInspired by interviews with British soldiers, poet Owen Sheers' tale of three Bristol men deployed to Afghanistan confronts the mental scars that never fade"Who wants to play …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:04pm on July 5, 2015☆⚑

Around the World in 80 Days review " an exceptionally witty adventure by Lyn Gardner

Tobacco Factory, BristolJules Verne's novel is reimagined as a family-friendly summer pantomime that pokes fun at Victorian colonial attitudesAnyone can now circumnavigate the globe in well …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 6:51am on July 3, 2015☆⚑

Think theatre is overrated? Maybe you're just watching the wrong shows by Lyn Gardner

Elizabeth Day reckons most plays are average, staged in uncomfortable venues for pretentious audiences. Yes, too many shows get standing ovations, but British theatre is currently on a roll.…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:07am on July 2, 2015☆⚑

The Four Fridas review " a sky-high portrait of Kahlo by Lyn Gardner

Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, LondonThe Mexican artist is celebrated with dance, fireworks and aerial skills in a colourful show created for the Greenwich and Docklands International f…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:07am on July 2, 2015☆⚑