Monday, January 20, 2014
Beginning our series of Guardian writers' favourite musicals, Lyn Gardner describes why she loves Stephen Sondheim's 1971 'pas de deux of regret'"Without music, life would be a mistake," sug…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:37AMFriday, January 17, 2014
Fauconberg Arms, CoxwoldWith some streamlining of the storytelling, this foot-stamping folk musical designed for pubs could be a little crackerSmall, not as yet perfectly formed, but ruddy g…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:17AMDid you watch the live-streaming of Howard Brenton's Drawing the Line with us? Have you been to one of the NT Live broadcasts? Will that stop you going to the theatre?The early 20th-century …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:28AMThursday, January 16, 2014
Unicorn, LondonThis play about a friendship between good girl and bad girl is sparkily written but undermined by a one-dimensional motherJenny's liberal, hippyish mum doesn't like being defi…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:40AMWednesday, January 15, 2014
Marylebone Gardens, LondonWork-life tensions are boldly explored in this dreamy immersive dance-theatre piece, but the result is oddly woollyAs Sonya in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya suggests, work …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:05AMTuesday, January 14, 2014
When critics give a show three stars, it may not be great for sales, but nor should it deter audiences from buying a ticketBefore the arrival of star ratings, regular theatregoers would read…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:54PMSt James Studio, LondonSimon Slater gives a terrifically versatile performance as a 1950s photographer who allows himself to be blindsidedWhen your eyes are bloodshot, you don't always see c…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:45AMRoyal Court, LondonThree late pieces from Samuel Beckett last a bare hour but encompass the agonies of many lifetimesIf Samuel Beckett's plays sometimes feel like an expression of the annihi…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:07AMMonday, January 13, 2014
Purcell Room, LondonThere is something disturbing going on in this tale of identity, gender politics and Frankenstein-style experimentationIt is breakfast time for two men – inventors who …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:06PMThis week Simon Russell Beale takes on the royal role in a revival by Sam Mendes at the National Theatre. Here's a look back at Lear on filmReading on a mobile? Click here to viewOne of the …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:33AMWhite Bear, LondonWomen of Twilight is not a long-neglected classic but it still shines a light on to one of the murkier corners of British lifeSigns declaring "No blacks. No Irish" were oft…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:48AMFriday, January 10, 2014
Linbury, LondonThe latest physical theatre piece from Mathurin Bolze does not give up its meanings easily but is brilliantly performed and exquisitely texturedWhen you set out on a walk, is …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:16AMThursday, January 9, 2014
Platform, LondonCompagnie Non Nova's figures take flight and a sinister figure provides a brooding presence in this dark and committed showCompagnie Non Nova's enchanting L'Après-Midi d'un …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:30AMStratford Circus, LondonOily Cart tell a simple, profound children's story with the aid of a sandpit in this low-key interactive showA simple storytelling circle is at the heart of this late…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:13AMThe London international mime festival won't have a problem selling tickets, but building new audiences remains a priorityWhatever kind of theatre you make, an audience is crucial. Audiences…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:30AMBusiness talks in theatre as the Stage 100 proves, but who do you rate as the people who are making a difference in British theatre?Everyone loves a list, me included. Often it's so we can d…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:25AMWednesday, January 8, 2014
Sir John Mills theatre, IpswichEastern Angles's seasonal literary spoof has a game cast, but they cannot redeem a witless script full of rotten innuendoJane Brontë of Dunwich wants to be a …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:42AMRoyal Albert Hall, LondonQuidam displays grace, daring and astonishing levels of perfection but its creative vision is too safeIt has not been a happy 12 months for Cirque du Soleil, the Can…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:19AMRoyal Albert Hall, LondonQuidam displays grace, daring and astonishing levels of perfection but its creative vision is too safeIt has not been a happy 12 months for Cirque du Soleil, the Can…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:19AMTuesday, January 7, 2014
New Vic, Newcastle-under-LymeThe humans can't compete with the canine charm in this stylish if underpowered adaptationThere's oodles of stylish retro charm and fun in Theresa Heskins's adap…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:48AMMonday, January 6, 2014
Michael Gove's outburst against the way artists portray the first world war is unsurprising, but reminds theatremakers of the need to respond to current Tory cuts to arts funding• Labour c…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:49AMRoyal Exchange, Manchester Music runs through Victoria Wood's hymn to the city of Manchester like an unstoppable river of emotionFirst seen at Manchester international festival in 2011, Vict…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:45AMSunday, January 5, 2014
Finborough, LondonDespite fantastical touches, the magic of Peter Pan becomes lost in this musical spin-off set in the first world warHow do you recover from an enchanted childhood? In the e…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:43AMThursday, January 2, 2014
Maxine Peake playing Hamlet in Manchester? Hairspray at the Curve or Urinetown at the St James? The latest from Tim Crouch? Tell us which productions you want to see – and whyYesterday's 2…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:06AMMonday, December 30, 2013
Which thespians stood out in the theatre this year? Tell us about the new faces you spotted and the performances you lovedSome of the gongs of the year have already been handed out, and in t…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:03AMFriday, December 27, 2013
Clowns might be getting a bad press just now, but clowning has long been an essential part of British theatre traditionEverybody loves to hate a clown, and news of sightings of clowns on str…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:37AMThursday, December 26, 2013
Lyn Gardner: George Brant's searing monologue about an ace US pilot now flying drones, was a gripping analysis of 21st-century warfareLyn Gardner
SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:00AMMonday, December 23, 2013
After the roof collapse at London's Apollo theatre, it's high time the West End followed the world of football and modernisedCould it be curtains for London's West End theatres? That was the…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:57PMFriday, December 20, 2013
Stephen Ward has an orgy on stage and Beauty and Beast lets it all hang out, but it's suggestion rather than the act that's most eroticEven Virginia Woolf was afraid of sex on stage. Writing…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:07AMRhys Ifans brings a whiff of danger to a heartfelt solo piece on the Occupy movement and homelessnessOn your way to the National Theatre you will almost certainly spot some of London's rough…
SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:15AMThursday, December 19, 2013
Barbican, LondonChildren just want to laugh at this type of play, or at least believe in the characters, but there's not much chance of either hereMaking theatre for children is not child's …
SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:47AM 
