All stories by Dave Fargnoli on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson review at Park Theatre, London – ‘unfocused and unsubtle comedy’ by Dave Fargnoli

In 2016, as the Tory party grappled with David Cameron’s decision to hold a Brexit referendum, Boris Johnson invited Michael Gove to

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:26AM
Friday, May 10, 2019

The Provoked Wife review at Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon – ‘outrageous and uproarious’ by Dave Fargnoli

Straddling the line between raucous sex comedy and insightful examination of human folly, John Vanbrugh’s 17th century satire The Provoked Wife boasts

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:03AM
Thursday, May 9, 2019

A Thousand Splendid Suns review at Birmingham Repertory Theatre – ‘an unconvincing adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel’ by Dave Fargnoli

Viewing Afghanistan’s recent history through the experiences of three overlapping generations of women, Khaled Hosseini’s novel A Thousand Splendid Suns tells a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:52AM
Tuesday, May 7, 2019

The Hired Man review at Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch – ‘an uneven revival’ by Dave Fargnoli

Periodically revived since its 1984 premiere, Melvyn Bragg’s bittersweet, bucolic drama about the tenacity of the working poor is a stirring but

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:03AM
Friday, April 26, 2019

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin review at Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames – ‘feels diminished’ by Dave Fargnoli

Condensing Louis de Bernières’ bittersweet wartime romance for the stage, Rona Munro’s adaptation of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin never quite resonates. Though her

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:11AM
Thursday, April 25, 2019

Ghosts review at Royal and Derngate, Northampton – ‘lushly designed and atmospheric’ by Dave Fargnoli

Railing against the hypocrisy of religious and social propriety, Ibsen’s Ghosts was met with disgust on its 1882 release. Modern audiences won’t

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:30AM
Thursday, April 18, 2019

Amélie review at Watermill Theatre, Newbury – ‘whimsical and warm-hearted musical adaptation’ by Dave Fargnoli

Significantly reworked from its Broadway incarnation, Michael Fentiman’s Amélie sticks closer to the tone of Jeunet and Laurant’s beloved 2001 movie, and

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:24AM
Monday, April 15, 2019

Keep Watching review at New Diorama, London – ‘ambitious, if unfocused, exploration of surveillance’ by Dave Fargnoli

Exploring the tensions between privacy, loneliness and the all-pervasive reach of technology, Keep Watching is a stylish, slow-burning and low-key thriller. The

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:00AM
Friday, April 5, 2019

Scary Bikers review at Trafalgar Studios, London – ‘refreshing Brexit comedy’ by Dave Fargnoli

Given the currently fraught political climate, it feels like quite a feat to talk about Brexit without descending into inarticulate fury or

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:43AM
Thursday, April 4, 2019

Kunene and the King review at Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon – ‘a compassionate character study’ by Dave Fargnoli

Set in contemporary Johannesburg, Kunene and the King explores weighty issues of terminal illness, race, and the legacy of apartheid with a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:54AM
Thursday, March 21, 2019

Ain’t Misbehavin’ review at Mercury Theatre, Colchester – ‘a lively musical revival’ by Dave Fargnoli

Compiled in 1978, prototype jukebox musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a big-hearted breeze through the music of pioneering jazz pianist Fats Waller. Making

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:55PM
Friday, March 15, 2019

Romance Romance review at Above the Stag, London – ‘heartfelt performances’ by Dave Fargnoli

Smartly reframing Barry Harman’s whimsical 1987 musical Romance Romance for a contemporary audience, this tight and tender version is full of wit

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:26AM
Thursday, March 14, 2019

Absurd Person Singular review at Watford Palace Theatre – ‘an energetic staging’ by Dave Fargnoli

Regularly revived since its 1972 premiere, Alan Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular is a slow-moving but sharply observed farce of social climbing and

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:55AM
Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Macbeth review at Watermill Theatre, Newbury – ‘lurid, raucous and bloody’ by Dave Fargnoli

Kitsch and off-kilter, this tightly adapted take on Shakespeare’s classic story of regicide and reckless ambition feels surprisingly cheerful. Watermill artistic director

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:53AM
Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Bodies review at Southwark Playhouse, London – ‘stiff, cerebral, dated’ by Dave Fargnoli

Two smug and self-regarding middle class couples wring their hands over their past infidelities in Bodies, James Saunders’ rambling meditation on the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:08AM
Wednesday, February 13, 2019

You Stupid Darkness! review at Theatre Royal, Plymouth – ‘unflinchingly truthful’ by Dave Fargnoli

Life has a way of carrying on, even in the face of catastrophe. With the world quietly coming to an end offstage,

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:41AM
Friday, February 8, 2019

Measure for Measure review at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford – ‘thought-provoking, but overwrought’ by Dave Fargnoli

Guildford Shakespeare Company has made some bold choices with its 40th production. This stripped-down Measure for Measure highlights both the striking modernity

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:03PM
Monday, February 4, 2019

Beast on the Moon review at Finborough Theatre, London – ‘humane and melancholy’ by Dave Fargnoli

Telling the story of two survivors of the Armenian genocide forging new lives in America, Richard Kalinoski’s 1992 play Beast on the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:15AM
Friday, February 1, 2019

The Orchestra review at Omnibus, London – ‘a diverting take’ by Dave Fargnoli

Set in the aftermath of the Second World War, as a new normality grew awkwardly from Europe’s ashes, The Orchestra is an

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:59AM
Friday, January 25, 2019

American Idiot review at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – ‘raucous revival of the Green Day musical’ by Dave Fargnoli

Written at a time when US politics seemed merely infuriating rather than numbingly awful, punk outfit Green Day’s American Idiot brimmed with

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:28AM
Thursday, January 24, 2019

Secret Theatre: Trial TV review at Town Hall Theatre – ‘ambitious, but uneven courtroom drama’ by Dave Fargnoli

Murder trial meets gameshow in Trial TV, the latest piece from immersive performance-makers Secret Theatre. With the audience cast as jurors in

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:30AM
Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Rosenbaum’s Rescue review at Park Theatre, London – ‘committed performances’ by Dave Fargnoli

In October 1943 more than 7000 Jews were evacuated from Nazi-occupied Denmark, many being saved or sheltered by ordinary citizens. Examining the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:20AM
Thursday, January 10, 2019

An Enemy of the People review at Union Theatre, London – ‘prescient and powerful’ by Dave Fargnoli

Getting its first UK production in nearly 30 years, Arthur Miller’s adaptation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People certainly feels prescient

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:11AM
Monday, December 17, 2018

Peter Pan review at Royal and Derngate, Northampton – ‘packed with music and dance’ by Dave Fargnoli

Light, tight and cheerful, Barbara Evans’ boisterous staging of JM Barrie’s much-loved adventure might have had its story stripped to the bare

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:51AM
Friday, December 14, 2018

Chasing Bono review at Soho Theatre, London – ‘a tale of ambition, fame and failure’ by Dave Fargnoli

Adapting their 2011 movie Killing Bono – itself an adaptation of music critic Neil McCormick’s only-slightly-bitter memoirs – writers Dick Clement and

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 04:16AM
Thursday, December 13, 2018

Sleeping Beauty review at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre – ‘big energy and silly banter’ by Dave Fargnoli

Benefiting from a serious dose of kids’ TV nostalgia, Sleeping Beauty at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre is a warm-hearted pleasure. Director Ian Adams

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:02AM
Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Aladdin review at Orchard Theatre, Dartford – ‘action-packed but wildly uneven’ by Dave Fargnoli

Wildly uneven in terms of tone, Aladdin at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford, is more fantasy adventure than traditional panto, despite sticking close

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:18AM
Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Just So review at Barn Theatre, Cirencester – ‘Gentle but joyful revival’ by Dave Fargnoli

Capping off the Barn Theatre, Cirencester’s first season with an enthusiastic musical revival, Just So puts a warm, light-hearted spin on Rudyard

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:20AM
Monday, December 10, 2018

Cinderella review at Churchill Theatre, Bromley – ‘flat and uninspired’ by Dave Fargnoli

There’s a fine line between embracing tradition and going through the motions. Stripped back to the barest plot beats, this glitzy but

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:36AM
Friday, December 7, 2018

Snow White review at Cambridge Junction – ‘warm, family-friendly fairytale with a smart twist’ by Dave Fargnoli

Smartly shifting the focus of the familiar fairytale, New International Encounter’s Snow White unfolds as a playful but unusually nuanced storytelling session.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:45AM
Monday, December 3, 2018

Robinson Crusoe review at Greenwich Theatre, London – ‘uncomplicated but upbeat’ by Dave Fargnoli

Light, bright, and cheerful, Andrew Pollard’s Robinson Crusoe is a breezy adventure with a few subversive twists. After a boilerplate first half

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:54AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards