Fortune Theatre, London: This impeccably directed, rather enchanting showcase opens with a compelling musical number devised and nicely performed by Oliver Grant, Michael Fox and Steve McCou…
Criterion Theatre, London: It's a big ask to showcase the talents of 37 students (23 men and 14 women) properly in just 75 minutes and 51 items. Inevitably there are talented and accomp…
Unicorn, London: Imagine a Kafka story with a whiff of Brecht and Roald Dahl, punctuated with Kurt Weill-style music, all deliciously and hilariously hammed up for children, and you've …
Soho Theatre, London: With its 38 students, 62 separate items and 90-minute duration this showcase smacks of trying to do far too much at once. Read the full review
Half Moon Young People's Theatre, London: This magical, colourful little show for children aged 3-7 gives us Jamal (Mark Newnham) put to bed by his grandmother (Gwenllian Higginson). He drea…
Duke of York's Theatre, London: It is unusual and encouraging to attend a graduating showcase in which male students outnumber female and where there is so much strong work. So this <a hr…
In this guest blog, Susan Elkin " author and Education and Training Editor at The Stage " tells AYT about the need for more practical careers advice when it comes to theatre, and talks us…
Apollo, London: Luke Treadaway, twists, cries, writhes, fiddles nervously, howls and moves with astonishing fluidity especially in the surreal dream sequences when he is bodily threaded over…
Half Moon Young People's Theatre, London: This immaculately integrated four hander gives us a group of older teenagers acting out the story of their lost friend Holly and it is one of the mo…
Polka, London: This entertaining celebration of Chinese New Year sets out to educate non-Chinese people into the great traditions. It packs a lot of slightly clunkily placed information (wor…
Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London: Roald Dahl once said that you only have to mention "knickers" to make children laugh and this gentle, witty, clever show for over-threes - p…
Bluetown Heritage Centre, Sheerness: This swashbuckling, farcically entertaining tale of mistaken identity, with its echoes of Shakespeare, WS Gilbert and Mark Twain, is deliciously hammed u…
Unicorn, London: This delightful take on The Arabian Nights sets the stories against a poignant 21st century plot about a father (Thomas Padden) and daughter, Shahrazad (Danusia Samal) who l…
Unicorn Theatre, London: This intense piece of theatre gives us Grace (Danusia Samal), whose mother has left home for another man, dealing with the troubled complications of life with her in…
New Diorama, London: Configured in the round without raking and with the surrounding audience on a single row of seats, the New Diorama provides an appropriate, claustrophobically intimate s…
January 25: This well-directed and enjoyable showcase gives us just 18 students - eight women and ten men - an ideal number and balance for a successful event. It is also encouraging, and su…
When I last visited High House Production Park in Thurrock, where Royal Opera House has its fabulous workshop, builders were just putting in the foundations of Creative and Cultural Skills' …
New Diorama, London: The New Diorama's enclosed space, this time with very subdued lighting and a near continuous low level rumbling sound effect, evokes rather well the claustrophobic …
Susan Elkin considers the cost of auditions and the rationale behind the fees being charged
New Diorama Theatre, London: The first of three plays in The Faction's 2013 rep season, Fiesco is an unfamiliar piece which presents the ever topical theme of usurping tyrants. This acc…
Theatre Royal, Margate: The star of this low key, traditional panto is the giant - a gorgeously grotesque green and brown 10 foot tall puppet operated from within, closely followed by a rat…
Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells: This lively show gives us the dishiest prince I've seen so far this year in Toby-Alexander Smith. He has commanding height, a magnificent singing…
Central, Chatham: The big thrust stage, grandiloquent domed roof and long quasi baroque U-shaped balcony of Central Theatre is an ideal setting for a big, bouncy pantomime. And Evolution, as…
Brook Theatre, Chatham: This inspired promenade show for very young children is immersive as well as interactive and uses three different areas of the Brook auditorium. When an entranced chi…
Cottesloe, National Theatre: This quirky, witty, intelligent take on one of the darkest of Grimm's Tales has mobile trees, a Russian talking oven, lots of quite sinister puppeted animal…