All stories by Ben Brantley on BroadwayStars

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Theater Review: Stephen Adly Guirgis’s ‘Between Riverside and Crazy’ by Ben Brantley

“Between Riverside and Crazy,” a new play by Stephen Adly Guirgis, centers on a retired policeman threatened with eviction and his extended family and friends.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM
Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Week Ahead: ‘The Opponent,’ a Boxing Play from A Red Orchid NYC by Ben Brantley

The Rock and Anvil Boxing Gym has been assembled at 59E59 Theaters for the New York premiere of Brett Neveu’s “The Opponent.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:47PM
Tuesday, July 29, 2014

A Battle of the Hamlets by Ben Brantley

A theater critic imagines a clash of the greatest versions of Shakespeare’s melancholy prince, as portrayed by John Barrymore, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton and others.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:01PM
Monday, July 28, 2014

Theater Review: Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell Star in ‘Fool for Love’ by Ben Brantley

Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell star in Sam Shepard’s “Fool for Love” at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:54PM
Friday, July 25, 2014

Critic’s Notebook: ‘Medea,’ Kathleen Turner and Noël Coward on London Stages by Ben Brantley

Three plays with particularly passionate women are running in London: “Medea,” “Bakersfield Mist” (with Kathleen Turner) and Noël Coward’s “This Was a Man.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:28PM
Thursday, July 24, 2014

London Theater Proves There’s Nothing So Enticing as Gossip by Ben Brantley

London productions, like “Wolf Hall,” “Bring Up the Bodies,” “Handbagged” and “The Crucible” prove there’s nothing so enthralling as gossip.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:00AM
Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Theater Review: ‘Shakespeare in Love: The Play,’ in London by Ben Brantley

The Oscar-winning film that pondered the sexual and writing habits of William Shakespeare is adapted for the stage in “Shakespeare in Love: The Play.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:20PM
Tuesday, July 22, 2014

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: On Artifice and Oxygen, Earnest and Jeeves by Ben Brantley

Productions of the comedies “Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” operate on the “it’s only a play,” calling attention to the artifice …

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:43PM
Friday, July 18, 2014

Theater Review: In London, the Latest ‘Richard III’ Is a Bureaucrat by Ben Brantley

A new production of “Richard III” at Trafalgar Studios in London offers a bureaucratic functionary of a leader, portrayed by Martin Freeman.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:02PM
Wednesday, July 16, 2014

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: A Hellish Vacation by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley on “Hotel” and “Idomeneus.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:30AM
Tuesday, July 15, 2014

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: A ‘Carousel’ That Really Moves by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley on energetic productions of “Carousel” and “The Pajama Game.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:42PM
Monday, July 14, 2014

London Theater Journal: Shadowlands by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley on stage adaptations of Hilary Mantel's novels and Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons."

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:30PM
Friday, July 11, 2014

Theater Review: ‘The Crucible,’ by Arthur Miller, Plays at the Old Vic by Ben Brantley

An earthy production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” starring Richard Armitage, is playing at the Old Vic in London.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:30PM

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: The Despot Behind a Desk by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley reports on “Richard III” with Martin Freeman and a revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s “A Small Family Business.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:47PM
Wednesday, July 9, 2014

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: Mind Games by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley on “Handbagged” and “1984.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:39PM
Monday, July 7, 2014

Theater Review: ‘Let the Right One In,’ a Stage Version of a Vampire Novel by Ben Brantley

“Let the Right One In,” at the Apollo Theater in London, turns your emotions inside out in a way you probably haven’t experienced since you were a teenager.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:47PM
Sunday, July 6, 2014

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: Two Wars, With Song and Sentiment by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley on the revival of “Miss Saigon,” Sean O’Casey’s seldom-seen “The Silver Tassie,” and Peter Brook’s latest offering, “The Valley of Astonishment.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:03PM
Friday, July 4, 2014

Theater Review: David Hare’s ‘Skylight’ Stars Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan by Ben Brantley

A new production of David Hare’s “Skylight,” at Wyndham’s Theater in London, stars Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:00AM
Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Up to Its Old Tricks, Monty Python Reunites by Ben Brantley

The beloved great uncles of British humor perform for loyal and new fans in their new production, “Monty Python Live (mostly),” at the O2 Arena in London.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:01AM
Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Theater Review: Richard Bean’s ‘Great Britain’ Opens at the National by Ben Brantley

“Great Britain,” Richard Bean’s satire about the phone-hacking scandal that brought down a newspaper, opened on Monday night at the National Theater amid gleeful expectations.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:35AM
Monday, June 30, 2014

ArtsBeat: London Theater Journal: A Weekend of Hedonism and Hope by Ben Brantley

Ben Brantley on “Antony and Cleopatra,” “The Last Days of Troy,” “Adler & Gibb” and “Red Forest.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:07PM
Friday, June 27, 2014

The Week Ahead: Damned People Got No Reason to Live by Ben Brantley

“Randy Newman’s Faust: The Concert” is getting a one-night-only Encores! Off-Center production.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:17PM
Monday, June 23, 2014

Theater Review: ‘The Old Woman,’ With Willem Dafoe and Mikhail Baryshnikov by Ben Brantley

“The Old Woman,” based on a novella by Daniil Kharms, stars Mikhail Baryshnikov and Willem Dafoe at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:03PM
Thursday, June 19, 2014

R. C. Sherriff’s ‘Journey’s End,’ a Remembrance of War by Ben Brantley

R. C. Sherriff’s 1928 play “Journey’s End,” based on his memories of life in the trenches, anticipates the absurdism and existentialism of Beckett.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:05PM
Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Theater Review: ‘When We Were Young and Unafraid,’ With Cherry Jones by Ben Brantley

Cherry Jones plays a character who runs a bed-and-breakfast that becomes an early shelter for battered women in the earnest, thoughtful drama “When We Were Young and Unafraid.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM
Monday, June 16, 2014

Theater Review: Lily Rabe in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in Central Park by Ben Brantley

Jack O’Brien’s pleasure-filled production of “Much Ado About Nothing” in Central Park pits Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater as Shakespeare’s sparring partners Beatrice and Benedick.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM
Thursday, June 12, 2014

Critic’s Notebook: ‘Ayckbourn Ensemble,’ 3 Offerings by the British Playwright by Ben Brantley

“Ayckburn Ensemble,” a medley of plays by Alan Ayckbourn at 59E59 Theaters, offers a rich opportunity to explore the sadness of his antic consumerist characters.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:42PM
Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Theater Review: ‘Fly by Night,’ a Metaphysical Musical by Ben Brantley

In “Fly by Night,” the new musical at Playwrights Horizons, a New York sandwich maker finds himself drawn to two sisters with very different goals.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM
Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Theater Review: ‘The Village Bike’ Stars Greta Gerwig as a Woman Obsessed by Ben Brantley

“The Village Bike,” Penelope Skinner’s play at the Lucille Lortel Theater, centers on a lonely pregnant woman whose growing obsession with sex takes her and other characters to dark pl…

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM
Thursday, June 5, 2014

Theater Review: A Fast and Furious ‘Macbeth’ at Park Avenue Armory by Ben Brantley

Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh’s staging of “Macbeth” at the Park Avenue Armory is a speeding juggernaut for two intermissionless hours.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM
Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Theater Review: Alan Ayckbourn’s Latest, ‘Arrivals & Departures’ by Ben Brantley

“Arrivals & Departures,” part of a trio of Alan Ayckbourn plays running in rep as part of Brits Off Broadway, is a comedy that delves into counterterrorism.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 10:00PM