Trafalgar Studios 2, LondonJasper Rees tackled his midlife crisis by relearning the French horn and devising a one-man play about itThe midlife crisis comes in many forms. For the journalis…
Ice-creams that cost £4.50, wine at £9 a glass theatre bars and cafes can be a rip-off, but the best are destinations in their own rightI've always said that it's the work taking plac…
Its over-earnest environmental message may overwhelm the narrative, but this take on the Icarus myth powered by its cycling cast does have some wonderful live animation Children's theatre gr…
Arcola theatre, LondonThe tale of a man made homeless when the LA water tank he lived in was turned into a Banksy artwork is fascinating and thought-provoking Read our interview with the pla…
Apollo theatre, LondonThe Swedish horror-drama about a love between a vampire and a bullied schoolboy is brought to life once more in this sensitive, ambiguous adaptation Blood, sex, gore an…
Trafalgar Studios, LondonThis slow piece's young cast capture the emotional consequences of the cruel and hollow world that produced Burgess, Blunt, Maclean and PhilbyWhy did the cold-war sp…
Heritage should be secondary to safety and practicality when it comes to Theatreland's ailing buildingsWhen John Tiffany's production of Let the Right One In opens at the Apollo theatre in t…
The Unicorn theatre is on a roll with a teenaged Henry the Fifth, adventurous adaptations of kids' books and spellbinding devised work. And now there's talk of banning the adults The Velvete…
Gandini Juggling and Compagnie Jerome Thomas don't just keep multiple balls airborne " they explore ideas and emotion, and play with narrativeLuke Hallgarten and Tom Gaskin see the world dif…
Pioneering theatrical performer who liked to invite the participation of members of his audienceThere are not many theatrical performers whose engagement with the audience extends to hugging…
West Yorkshire Playhouse, LeedsHeadlong and Anya Reiss's update of the Wedekind sexual discovery play has plenty of swagger but a lack of mordant modern wit, despite canny use of YouTubeWhen…
Theatre has a rich history. But in times of squeezed funding we should place emphasis on what comes next and not just safeguard legacyDance Gazette recently asked international directors fro…
Channelling voices, raising the dead, audiences eager to believe … spiritualism makes great theatre. Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit is a comedy classic haunted by a host of spectres and sh…
This zestfully filthy and vicious story of a destructive relationship makes Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? look sweetPlaywright Vicky Jones's debut is unapologetically brazen. It hooks you …
Only by becoming more inclusive can British theatre fend off accusations that it is an art form made by an elite, for the elite"Theatre is default white," said one of the participants at Dev…
Two days of discussion about the arts questioned the role of theatre, where it happens and who can access itIf there were two people who for me summed up No Boundaries " a symposium about th…
Barbican, LondonCascades of glitter, soap and water drown out the Mozart in Betty Nansen Teatret's madcap Danish 'theatre concert' You may enter the Barbican a reasonably sane person, but th…
Tobacco Factory, BristolAndrew Hilton's production can't escape Shakespeare's flaws, but there is plenty to enjoy in its portrayal of loveI must confess to a bit of a love-hate relationship …
Adaptations of novels are rife in theatre. But it's wrong to think of them as inferior " sometimes they are more than a match for the original worksOver the weekend I was in Bristol watching…
Bristol Old Vic An inventive staging of Charlotte Brontë's novel shines thanks to attention to storytelling and Madeleine Worrall's superb JaneSally Cookson's two-part four-and-a-half-hou…
An RSC production of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew was recently disrupted by some of its young audience. But does the fault in such cases lie with the kids or the company?Do children nee…
Ovalhouse, LondonThere's a brooding, bloody power in Dan Allum's three-hander about Gypsy life, using music and ritual to hypnotic effectSophie's mum told her that she shouldn't play with th…
Yes, theatre outside the capital should get more money, but it's crucial that funding is targeted carefullyAlthough there are some vocal dissenters, many would agree that in the next round o…
Unicorn, LondonAn understated script about attachment to place picks up steam when a working model railway is unveiled, delighting adults and children alikeA fully working model railway is t…
Barbican, LondonDazzling acrobatics build up a jaw-dropping parade of imagery suggesting 20th-century horrors, yet this thrilling show never quite touches the heartThe Australian company Cir…