Traverse theatre, EdinburghA grandmother welcomes her family to a birthday bash in a muddled play that addresses its key theme too lateA celebratory family get-together leads to an almighty …
Summerhall, EdinburghHannah Reilly is a bold and deft performer in a knotty solo show that questions whether sexual empowerment can survive its commodificationIt is hard to ignore the buzz a…
Pleasance Dome, EdinburghJacob Sparrow’s award-winning two-hander finds hope and humanity amid the prejudice and loss of the 1990sOne of the highlights of the Edinburgh international festi…
Church Hill theatre, EdinburghAt the Edinburgh international festival, Olivier Rannou’s lone cowboy encounters desert dangers in a mix of clowning, mime and visual trickeryThe lone ranger …
Studio theatre, EdinburghMagnificently expressive performances make this ambitious sign-language production feel viscerally new. But what’s with the square brackets?The silence in this ada…
Lyceum theatre, EdinburghAt the Edinburgh international festival, the Narcos star and director Christiane Jatahy transform the 1882 classic into a resonant, fourth wall-breaking eventThis dr…
Regent’s Park Open Air theatre, LondonMacavity and co are back, with the balance in Drew McOnie’s stylish revival tipped in favour of dance and acrobatics over storytellingAndrew Lloyd W…
Almeida theatre, LondonRebecca Frecknall pulls off this notoriously difficult 1998 play, in which appalling cruelty and violence is balanced against human yearning for love and beautySarah K…
Riverside Studios, London Joe Haddad’s solo show tilts between family comedy and football fandom as well as the horrors of the Gaza war but never qu…
The Yard theatre, LondonBarbies, giant erections and exquisite craftsmanship combine in one of the year’s most outrageously funny and startingly original showsDid someone say Jackie Collin…
Theatre Royal Haymarket, LondonThe chopped-up story means this ends up feeling like a weak impersonation of Danny Boyle’s classic film“Choose life …” Those iconic words from that era…
Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-AvonTamara Harvey’s production of Chekhov’s final play can seem woolly in meaning and the soft-edged tone mutes its forceLaura Wade’s reworking of Anton Ch…
King’s Head theatre, LondonCamp comedy from The Simpsons’ Harry Shearer and Seinfeld writer Tom Leopold explores the relationship between FBI boss Hoover and protege Clyde TolsonThis que…
Marylebone theatre, London Christine Lahti tells the story of family life, misunderstandings between mothers and daughters, and her career – but its focus is blurredChristine Lahti’s aut…
Chichester Festival theatreThe well-worn rags to riches story blossoms beyond its generic setup when Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins’ relationship develops an emotional truthFor the firs…
Bridge theatre, London Mary-Louise Parker gives a powerhouse performance in a three-part drama that cuts up Aeschylus’s chronology and adds shades of other playsAlthough writer-director Si…
Bush theatre, LondonFrancesca Amewudah-Rivers is a phenomenal presence in this queer thriller that leaves a little too much unexplainedThis strange and alluring two-hander was first performe…
Schwarzman Centre, OxfordHeadlong’s take on Karel Čapek’s 1920 tale of romance and robots is rife with timely debates about tech’s threat but at times the philosophical discussions dr…
Theatre503, LondonMixing naturalism and fantasy, Katie Đỗ’s debut is conceptually inventive but flawed by over-short scenes and scant emotive appealThis debut by Vietnamese-American pla…
London PalladiumThe Eurovision star leads a glittery production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s blockbuster but this booming show lacks context and clarityThis amped-up version of An…
The formidable actor talks about the challenge of finding meaty characters, tough times in the US – and co-starring with her dad’s hero Kenneth Branagh in The Cherry OrchardIt’s luncht…
Sadler’s Wells, London Hideki Noda’s spectacular vision of villainous biotech and bone conduction is full of dazzling coups but gets bogged down in its earnest messageThis wacky futurist…
Donmar Warehouse, LondonTovey plays a lone officer in a control room dragged into a mysterious case in this gripping drama directed by Punchdrunk’s Felix BarrettThe Donmar has had mixed re…
Regent’s Park Open Air theatre, London There’s much to love in Atri Banerjee’s fun staging, in particular Titania’s musical crew and a brilliant Bottom, but some of the wonder is mis…
Lyric Hammersmith, London Four siblings squabble over an art treasure possibly stolen by their grandfather in this riotous play by Ben OckrentBen Ockrent’s black comedy about a family in m…