Coriolanus, King Lear and Richard II have all been hot tickets - but possibly not for all the right reasons"The Bard, 450 years after his birth, is on a roll," trumpeted an Evening Standard …
Touring companies such as the Flanagan Collective are taking shows into spaces that come with a ready-formed communityIt's a Thursday night in the Fauconberg Arms, a 17th-century coaching in…
Jacksons Lane, LondonThis silent, full-mask show presents an enjoyable and crafty examination of dementia, but is undermined by sentimentalityThere is a lovely scene in this silent, full-mas…
Trafalgar Studios, LondonLesley Manville gives a vivid, intense performance in Richard Eyre's exquisite revival of Ibsen's dramaIn the dying moments of Richard Eyre's exquisite revival of Ib…
Gate, LondonInspired by the experiences of war photographer Paul Watson, this story of hauntings is brilliantly acted and shrewdly stagedIn 1993 the Canadian war photographer, Paul Watson, t…
Patronage raises much-needed funds for arts organisations, but is it good for theatres and their patrons over the long haul?Would you like tickets to see King Lear? Well, day seats are avail…
The Shed, LondonTaking its title from Robin Thicke's song, director Carrie Cracknell's show cunningly exposes gender inequalityThere is a terrific scene towards the end of this piece examini…
Wyndham's, LondonConor McPherson's unassuming play smoulders into life in Josie Rourke's production, proving we are all haunted by different ghosts"It's just people talking," said Conor McPh…
The actor and performance artist's latest piece, The Cabinet of Curiosities, crashes art-form boundaries while exploring how the medical profession has approached disabilityMat Fraser is sta…
Southwark Playhouse, LondonNick Gill's play of three military men and their pot-plant detainees is quite a hard watch: prisoners are definitely harmed in this productionIn 2007, Ali Shalah, …
Promising playwright or emerging artist are terms that are regularly flung around by critics, funders and theatres. But are they helpful?"Whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promis…
Camden People's theatre Cheerfully anarchic show takes apart Cervantes' novel " with a power saw " and sends a reminder that change begins with usSometimes, to really understand something y…
Unicorn, LondonLewis Gibson's witty adaptation of Chaucer's poetic masterpiece may be wicked fun, but it's not entertainment for young childrenChaucer's sly, gruesome story from TheCanterbu…
Beginning our series of Guardian writers' favourite musicals, Lyn Gardner describes why she loves Stephen Sondheim's 1971 'pas de deux of regret'"Without music, life would be a mistake," sug…
Fauconberg Arms, CoxwoldWith some streamlining of the storytelling, this foot-stamping folk musical designed for pubs could be a little crackerSmall, not as yet perfectly formed, but ruddy g…
Did you watch the live-streaming of Howard Brenton's Drawing the Line with us? Have you been to one of the NT Live broadcasts? Will that stop you going to the theatre?The early 20th-century …
Unicorn, LondonThis play about a friendship between good girl and bad girl is sparkily written but undermined by a one-dimensional motherJenny's liberal, hippyish mum doesn't like being defi…
Marylebone Gardens, LondonWork-life tensions are boldly explored in this dreamy immersive dance-theatre piece, but the result is oddly woollyAs Sonya in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya suggests, work …
When critics give a show three stars, it may not be great for sales, but nor should it deter audiences from buying a ticketBefore the arrival of star ratings, regular theatregoers would read…
St James Studio, LondonSimon Slater gives a terrifically versatile performance as a 1950s photographer who allows himself to be blindsidedWhen your eyes are bloodshot, you don't always see c…
Royal Court, LondonThree late pieces from Samuel Beckett last a bare hour but encompass the agonies of many lifetimesIf Samuel Beckett's plays sometimes feel like an expression of the annihi…
Purcell Room, LondonThere is something disturbing going on in this tale of identity, gender politics and Frankenstein-style experimentationIt is breakfast time for two men " inventors who bo…
This week Simon Russell Beale takes on the royal role in a revival by Sam Mendes at the National Theatre. Here's a look back at Lear on filmReading on a mobile? Click here to viewOne of the …
White Bear, LondonWomen of Twilight is not a long-neglected classic but it still shines a light on to one of the murkier corners of British lifeSigns declaring "No blacks. No Irish" were oft…
Linbury, LondonThe latest physical theatre piece from Mathurin Bolze does not give up its meanings easily but is brilliantly performed and exquisitely texturedWhen you set out on a walk, is …