All stories by Aleks.sierz on BroadwayStars

Sunday, March 19, 2023

The Way Old Friends Do, Park Theatre review – sweet, but flimsy by Aleks.sierz

Mark Gatiss and Ian Hallard’s ABBA tribute is fun, but clunky Is it a good idea to work with your spouse? The Way Old Friends Do, a love letter to ABBA tribute bands — which premiered a…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 04:19PM
Friday, March 17, 2023

Further Than the Furthest Thing, Young Vic review – small island longings by Aleks.sierz

Empathetic revival of Zinnie Harris’s 2000 play about a lost world Some plays are instantly forgettable, others leave a tender fold in the memory. I well remember seeing Zinnie Harris’s…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 04:01PM
Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Truth's a Dog Must to Kennel, BAC review - King Lear goes virtual by Aleks.sierz

Tim Crouch’s latest show intriguingly deconstructs theatre in a post-truth world Has theatre’s time passed? In Tim Crouch’s latest 70-minute show, first staged at the Royal Lyceum The…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:07PM
Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse review - entertaining and warmhearted by Aleks.sierz

History play about an African-American GI in Cardiff never really takes off With the fast-approaching anniversary of the latest war in Europe, our culture’s continued fascination with Wor…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:25AM
Thursday, February 16, 2023

Graceland, Royal Court review - quiet desolation is too literary by Aleks.sierz

Subtle monologue about a toxic relationship lacks dramatic punch Is new writing becoming increasingly literary? Recently, some of the language being used by younger playwrights seems to me t…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:03PM
Sunday, February 12, 2023

Phaedra, National Theatre review - stunning acting in stunning show by Aleks.sierz

Hotshot auteur Simon Stone creates a dazzling new myth for our times How can old texts speak to us now? The point is not just to adapt classics, but to reimagine them – and that’s exact…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:10PM
Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Linck & Mülhahn, Hampstead Theatre review - problems as well as pleasures by Aleks.sierz

New play about a gender-pioneering couple is provocative and engaging With the total loss of its Arts Council funding, Hampstead Theatre’s future as a specialist new writing venue is in d…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:01AM
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre review – cool cast chills the drama by Aleks.sierz

West End transfer for Sam Steiner’s fringe classic does the play no favours Culture which arrives from the margins to the mainstream is a classic phenomenon. In the case of Sam Steiner’s…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:05PM
Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Two Billion Beats, Orange Tree Theatre review - lively, but overly idealistic by Aleks.sierz

Sonali Bhattacharyya’s coming of age drama returns with a new cast Do the right thing! But doing the right thing isn’t easy – especially if you are a teen. And a female teen who is bei…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:03PM
Monday, January 30, 2023

Sound of the Underground, Royal Court review - loud and triumphantly proud by Aleks.sierz

New play about the queer club scene is a fabulous extravaganza Ever been to a queer club? You know, drag cabaret night at Madame Jojo’s, or the Black Cap or Her Upstairs. No? Well, not to …

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 07:01AM
Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Sons of the Prophet, Hampstead Theatre review - perfect mix of pain and comedy by Aleks.sierz

Stephen Karam’s 2011 award-winning play is a subtle exploration of suffering Pain is, at one and the same time, something to avoid, and also something you can use. Kahlil Gibran, the Leban…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 12:02PM
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Kerry Jackson, National Theatre review - new writing nadir by Aleks.sierz

April De Angelis’s latest has Fay Ripley, but precious little else Is British new writing in deep trouble? With the Arts Council defunding venues such as the Hampstead Theatre, the Donmar …

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:12PM
Sunday, November 27, 2022

Baghdaddy, Royal Court review – Middle-Eastern magic realism by Aleks.sierz

New play about an Iraqi exile and his daughter is strong if a bit messy What is the best way of talking about the Middle East? Should plays take a documentary or verbatim approach, all the b…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 07:54PM
Thursday, November 17, 2022

The Sex Party, Menier Chocolate Factory review – disappointing detumescence by Aleks.sierz

Terry Johnson returns with a sex comedy that is neither sexy nor funny In the past, playwright Terry Johnson has mixed sex and comedy with hilarious results. His Freudian farce, Hysteria, a…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 02:36PM
Sunday, November 13, 2022

Super High Resolution, Soho Theatre review - the NHS at breaking point by Aleks.sierz

New play about a junior doctor on the edge is powerful and moving Every day there is bad news about the NHS — junior doctors are exhausted, nurses need foodbanks and the stats are hitting…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:32PM
Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Mary, Hampstead Theatre review - compelling study of power politics by Aleks.sierz

New play about the Queen of Scots is a bit wordy, but well worth it Scottish playwright Rona Munro is both prolific and ambitious. After her trilogy of historical dramas, The James Plays, w…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 04:36PM
Saturday, October 29, 2022

Martin Crimp: ‘stripping naked the process of making theatre’ – interview by Aleks.sierz

The playwright talks about his latest play, Not One of These People, which he is performing himself, and about digital creativity and constraints on authorship The fictional world is our wo…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:55AM
Sunday, October 23, 2022

Marvellous, @sohoplace review - silly, singular and sentimental by Aleks.sierz

New West End theatre opens with a bio-drama that is joyful silly - but a bit relentless Opening a theatre should be a celebration, says Nica Burns, the West End power behind this new theatre…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:19PM
Friday, October 7, 2022

Ravenscourt, Hampstead Theatre review – strong, but slender by Aleks.sierz

New play about therapy is powerfully emotional, but sadly predictable Therapy is inherently dramatic. After all, it’s all about character — and it has the aim of producing a recognizable…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 02:03PM
Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Jews. In Their Own Words, Royal Court review – calling out ancient prejudice by Aleks.sierz

After its antisemitic blunder a year ago, this venue makes amends What is the Royal Court theatre for? Is it a space that stages innovative new writing, or does it prefer to do documentary t…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 11:37PM
Friday, September 16, 2022

The P Word, Bush Theatre review - persecution and pride by Aleks.sierz

Two-hander about a contrasting pair of gay Pakistanis is beautifully wrought Britain is a divided nation, but one of the divisions that we don’t hear that much about is that between Pakist…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:07PM
Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Silence, Donmar Warehouse review - documenting disaster by Aleks.sierz

Dramatization of Kavita Puri’s Partition Voices is moving and compelling Partition equals trauma. It cannot have escaped anyone’s attention that the British Empire’s solution to intrac…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:37PM
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

The Trials, Donmar Warehouse review – chillingly compelling by Aleks.sierz

A jury of young people hold their elders to account for climate change Dystopian theatre takes many forms — but this is the first which is a jury-room drama. Dawn King has previously expl…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 06:03PM
Tuesday, August 9, 2022

All of Us, National Theatre review – revelatory, but problematic by Aleks.sierz

Francesca Martinez’s debut play about disability politics entertains – and frustrates Has the pandemic made us more angry? Although Francesca Martinez’s debut play, which is at the Nat…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:07PM
Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Chasing Hares, Young Vic review - militant mix of politics and fantasy by Aleks.sierz

New award-winning political play is warmly idealistic, if a bit too obvious While Britain is experiencing a "summer of discontent", with inflation, strikes and other conflicts, it is odd th…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:24PM
Tuesday, June 28, 2022

The Fellowship, Hampstead Theatre review - strong clashes, too little drama by Aleks.sierz

Roy Williams’s latest is a tribute to the children of the Windrush generation I live in Brixton, south London. A few days ago, the borough’s aptly named Windrush Square hosted events whi…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 06:03PM
Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Bangers, Soho Theatre review - sizzling gig theatre by Aleks.sierz

Loving account of two couples is perceptive, but a bit slender Is gig theatre the latest sugar rush? Okay, it ups the brain’s serotonin levels and charges around your body like a crazy el…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 11:18PM
Sunday, June 19, 2022

That Is Not Who I Am, Royal Court review – gimmicky post-truth spoof by Aleks.sierz

Lucy Kirkwood’s new play is depressingly cynical in form and content What is the shelf life of a theatre gimmick? In April, the Royal Court announced that they were going to stage a debut …

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 06:18PM
Sunday, May 22, 2022

Lotus Beauty, Hampstead Theatre Downstairs review – uneasy mix of comedy and tragedy by Aleks.sierz

Tamasha play about a Punjabi family-run salon could do with a makeover Theatre is slowly recovering from the effects of the pandemic — and many shows which were cancelled because of the f…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:48PM
Thursday, May 5, 2022

Middle, National Theatre review - a bit of a muddle by Aleks.sierz

David Eldridge’s follow up to his 2017 hit, ‘Beginning’, is disappointing The traditional, and much derided, well-made play is meant to have a beginning, middle and end. Although playw…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:12AM
Sunday, April 24, 2022

The Corn Is Green, National Theatre review – Nicola Walker teaches a life lesson by Aleks.sierz

Dominic Cooke’s imaginative revival improves on Emlyn Williams’s 1938 play Let’s talk repertoire. Over the past decade the range of British plays, especially those from the 17th, 18th…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 05:06PM

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