As a lover of the Fringe, Edinburgh and musicals, this show was made for me. For 55 minutes Emily Jane Kerr, Laura Hyde and James Witt sing and dance their way through Fringe related sketche…
Louise Coulthard's writing is of a very high quality, and a play that could have been worthy or predictable in different hands is moving, complex and real. Cockamany is a true delight, and C…
Those seeing Legally Blonde for the first time will most likely have an enjoyable evening due to the warm-hearted nature of the piece. However, the many patchy moments made me feel as if the…
On the one hand, it is really great to see a gay rom-com being unashamedly romantic and comedic in such an inclusive manner. On the other, I couldn't help but wish that Sam Ward's production…
A clearly talented playwright and actor, Alan Flanagan creates a world that is not only drenched in reality but gives you a sensation of hope that will have you leaving the theatre all warm …
What happens if you throw together 23 songs, five musical theatre performers, a pianist, and tons of colour? The answer is It's Only Life, a musical revue based on several 'orphan songs' (Jo…
Details have been announced for the National Theatre's season running from July 2018 to January 2019. Highlights include Peter Brook returning to direct at the NT for the first time in 50 ye…
Carrie Cracknell directs Polly Stenham's contemporary adaptation of August Strindberg's classic play Miss Julie. But what have critics been making of it?
Machinal is the type of production that only the Almeida seems able to produce, with an inventive vision that simultaneously draws you into the story while still keeping you at arm's length.
Ruth Jones, well known as the co-writer of the award-winning BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey in which she also appeared, will star in the new comedy The Nightingales, presented by Jenny Toppe…
Got your tickets yet for the return of Beth Burrows' "exceptional" one-woman cabaret Sirens of the Silver Screen? Watch this fantastic video trailer from the show's London premiere last year…
The idea of Kiss Chase is an intriguing one, as it promises "a part-interactive, part-verbatim speed dating event" in the confines of the Bunker Theatre, with the bar staying open throughout.
The National Theatre's War Horse certainly lives up to all of the hype. I'm a hardened theatre critic, aren't I? However, like most of the inspired audience, I was brought to my feet, and to…
Overall, while the show has its own charm and is sweetly nostalgic, the sad thing is it doesn't have enough substance to capture the attention for the two hours.
Written by Steven Dietz and directed by Ian Brown, Lonely Planet is set in 'Jody's Maps', a specialist store in the US, not unlike the shop in Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road.
Findlay's finely tuned production is full of nuance and provides a singular, emotive finale in which responsibility, influence, life choices, aspiration and limitation are all beautifully co…
There are definitely some nice ideas at work here, but the dramaturgical execution is pretty poor. Unbelievable dialogue and tenuous narrative events are too big to be held up by the story a…
Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk.
Directed by Natalie Abrahami, Machinal is one of those rediscoveries that reflects the zeitgeist. Written in 1928 by Sophie Treadwell " eight years after all women in the US were allowed to …
It's true what "they" say, you know, small is beautiful. This can definitely be said for the small but very beautiful It's Only Life. This life-affirming musical makes you rediscover what's …
As part of her ongoing post-show Q&A series, on Saturday 28 July 2018, Mates co-founder Terri Paddock is at London's Soho Theatre for the highly anticipated return of Vicky Jones' award…
Tragic in a way that only stories of real life events can be, there is no small amount of hubris on display in this powerful touring production of Titanic the Musical.
Section 2 is an important and timely piece of theatre, raising awareness of the far-reaching impact of mental illness, and sectioning in particular. More than that though, it's a play about …
This beautifully written show is hilarious, heart-warming and painfully realistic; an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you in tears and wanting to hug your own loved ones tight. Don't…
I would simply implore you to go and see this show. It's clever, witty, exceptionally well-written, outstandingly acted and kept my attention throughout. Even knowing the outcome, I was fasc…