All stories by Clare Brennan on BroadwayStars

Sunday, May 7, 2023

Wuthering Heights review – chaotic Brontë adaptation by Clare Brennan

Royal & Derngate, Northampton, and touringThe classic novel reimagined as a sort of police procedural becomes a storm of ideas struggling to find definition A barrage of sound mixes rain…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:36AM
Sunday, April 30, 2023

The Killing of Sister George review – lots of jokes but something’s missing by Clare Brennan

New Vic, Newcastle-under-LymeFrank Marcus’s 60s black comedy, about a radio soap star whose character has been axed, suffers from a rather two-dimensional makeover “It’s BBC policy to …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:24AM
Sunday, April 16, 2023

Kidnapped review – tantalising glimpses of Robert Louis Stevenson’s wife by Clare Brennan

Royal Lyceum theatre, Edinburgh, and touringOlder, American and previously divorced, Frances Stevenson frames the National Theatre of Scotland’s pantomime-inspired recasting of the novelis…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:54AM
Sunday, April 9, 2023

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof review – giving Tennessee Williams new scope by Clare Brennan

Royal Exchange, ManchesterA mainly black cast and modern setting inject this new production with a dose of symbolic power Two sides of a family battle over land in Tennessee Williams’s 195…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:02AM

Beyond Belief: The Life and Mission of John Hume review – profoundly affecting by Clare Brennan

Guildhall, DerryThis musical drama about the lives of Northern Ireland peacemakers gives a familiar story a new dimension Beyond Belief, written by Damian Gorman and composed by Brian O’Do…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:03AM
Sunday, March 19, 2023

Run, Rebel review – issues-led adaptation of Manjeet Mann’s YA novel by Clare Brennan

York Theatre Royal, and touringJessica Kaur captivates as a talented teenage runner trying to escape her father’s expectations and violence in a vivid, if overlong production Run, Rebel is…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:30AM
Sunday, March 12, 2023

The Comedy of Errors (more or less) review – funny, frenetic reimagining by Clare Brennan

Shakespeare North Playhouse, PrescotPrescot is pitted against Scarborough – and women get their fair share of the limelight – in this engaging rewrite of Shakespeare’s comedy When this…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:30AM
Sunday, March 5, 2023

Macbeth review – the lady vanishes in filmic gangland hybrid by Clare Brennan

Harrogate theatre, and touringImitating the Dog’s exciting live action-video fusion, which sets the Scottish play in a modern-day crime syndicate, leaves Lady Macbeth out in the cold In tu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Sunday, February 19, 2023

Macbeth (An Undoing) review – sound and fury signifying nothing by Clare Brennan

Royal Lyceum, EdinburghThe concept is promising, and it’s acted with panache, yet Zinnie Harris’s Shakespeare adaptation falls flat An essay accompanying the programme of Zinnie Harris�…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Sunday, February 12, 2023

The Beekeeper of Aleppo review – principled but patchy Syrian refugee drama by Clare Brennan

Nottingham Playhouse, and touringAn at times arresting production of Christy Lefteri’s bestseller is let down by its didactic structure Nuri is the beekeeper of Aleppo, or he was, until hi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Sunday, February 5, 2023

Head Over Heels review – Elizabethan romance meets Go-Go’s jukebox musical by Clare Brennan

Hope Mill theatre, ManchesterThis improbable mashup of Philip Sidney’s Arcadia and the pioneering LA rock band has plenty of rhythm but little dramatic jeopardy Sir Philip Sidney’s 1590 …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023

The Brides review – overblown antics from David Glass and co, and for LIMF the end of an era by Clare Brennan

Jacksons Lane, London Glass’s latest collaboration cites female power but suggests the opposite, and comes as London’s influential mime festival prepares to disperse After 47 appearances…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Sunday, January 22, 2023

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? review – Elizabeth McGovern cracks the whip by Clare Brennan

Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal BathThe Hollywood star is on top form opposite Dougray Scott in Edward Albee’s classic tale of a marriage gone sour Edward Albee’s first short play, The Zoo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:30AM
Sunday, December 18, 2022

Betty! A Sort of Musical review – fitfully funny take on the life of Betty Boothroyd by Clare Brennan

Royal Exchange, ManchesterCo-writer Maxine Peake stars as an am-dram actor playing the former Commons speaker in Sarah Frankcom’s end-of-the-pier-style production “But this isn’t histo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:42AM
Sunday, December 11, 2022

Alice in Wonderland review – spectacular class-flipped adaptation by Clare Brennan

New Vic, Newcastle-under-LymeAn underprivileged Alice fights for the wonder of book-learning in Theresa Heskin’s transformative take on Carroll’s classic tale A stubby barge manoeuvres t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:48AM
Sunday, December 4, 2022

The Nutcracker review – modernised magic by Clare Brennan

Bristol Old VicThe final production from outgoing artistic director Tom Morris draws fresh weirdness from ETA Hoffmann’s source story Tom Morris takes his last bow as the Bristol Old Vic�…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:06AM
Sunday, November 13, 2022

Richard the Second review – an unfinished but promising production by Clare Brennan

Taunton Brewhouse, and touringTangle Theatre’s dynamic five-actor staging features a dazzling debut from Daniel Rock Founded in 2009, Tangle Theatre Company’s aim is to champion African …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:06AM
Sunday, November 6, 2022

Guy Fawkes review – a Gunpowder Plot drama has flashes of fun but doesn’t ignite by Clare Brennan

York Theatre RoyalDespite some witty twists, the stage version of David Reed’s tragi-comic radio play is, well, a bit of a damp squib By the end of the performance, a tang of pyrotechnics …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:24AM
Sunday, October 30, 2022

The Contingency Plan review – a double dose of climate crisis drama by Clare Brennan

Crucible, SheffieldSteve Waters’s newly revived and updated companion pieces about global heating have lost none of their urgency Steve Waters’s double bill about global heating, The Con…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:03AM
Sunday, October 23, 2022

Tartuffe review – modern Brummie staging skews a little too broad by Clare Brennan

Birmingham RepAnil Gupta and Richard Pinto’s updating of Molière favours caricature over character, offset by some dynamic performances Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto’s updated version (c…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:03AM
Sunday, October 16, 2022

James IV: Queen of the Fight review – Rona Munro’s knotty latest Stewart dynasty play by Clare Brennan

Theatre Royal, Glasgow; and touringA racist ode by the court poet William Dunbar is the problematic inspiration for the fourth of Munro’s James plays exploring Scotland past and present Ro…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:55AM
Sunday, October 9, 2022

The Famous Five: A New Musical review – lashings of vim by Clare Brennan

Theatr Clywd, MoldThis co-production with Chichester Festival theatre nails the atmosphere and the performances, if not Enid Blyton’s knack for a good plot Here be: a dastardly villain dis…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:43AM
Sunday, October 2, 2022

Joyce’s Women review – Edna O’Brien offers a fresh view on her literary hero by Clare Brennan

Abbey theatre, DublinO’Brien’s new play, imagining James Joyce through the eyes of the women in his life, is the hot ticket at the Dublin theatre festival Joyce’s Women, the opening pr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:19AM
Sunday, September 18, 2022

Family Album review – Alan Ayckbourn’s funny, moving new play about the lives of women by Clare Brennan

Stephen Joseph theatre, ScarboroughDirecting a masterly production, the playwright follows three generations of women in one home, from 1952 to 2022 Alan Ayckbourn’s 87th play makes master…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:43AM
Sunday, September 11, 2022

Playtime review – a bubblegum take on Monsieur Hulot by Clare Brennan

Royal & Derngate, NorthamptonFive actors play more than 100 roles as Tati’s 60s satire is transformed into a meet-cute comedy of quick-change physical comedy The late, great Observer f…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:43AM
Sunday, September 4, 2022

The Steamie review – memories of postwar Glasgow speak to the present by Clare Brennan

Dundee RepTony Roper’s 1987 play conjures a vanished world whose hardship and longing for community feel nonetheless familiar The world of The Steamie is long gone. Public laundries, where…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:03AM
Sunday, August 28, 2022

All’s Well That Ends Well review – an uneven take on Shakespeare’s most puzzling play by Clare Brennan

Royal Shakespeare theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonJamie Wilkes’s Parolles steals the show in Blanche McIntyre’s unromantic, social media-inflected production All’s Well That Ends Well is o…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:37AM
Sunday, August 21, 2022

Under Another Sky review – an amiable road-trip two-hander around Roman Britain by Clare Brennan

Pitlochry Festival theatreThis playful adaptation of Charlotte Higgins’s book is charming, if a little lacking in narrative drive How to dramatise a text that is part travelogue, part expl…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:49PM
Sunday, August 14, 2022

Identical review – a new musical of The Parent Trap has its own special effect by Clare Brennan

Nottingham PlayhouseThe casting of twins as the separated sisters adds a frisson to Trevor Nunn’s elegant production of the twice-filmed tale, with pitch-perfect music by George Stiles Eri…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:03AM
Sunday, August 7, 2022

Finding Home review – Idi Amin’s expulsions remembered by Clare Brennan

Curve, LeicesterFifty years on, these specially commissioned pieces movingly and unflinchingly reflect the experiences of Ugandan refugees in Britain Eleanor Field’s set suggests impermane…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:07AM
Sunday, July 31, 2022

Whistle Down the Wind review – outstanding production of the Lloyd Webber musical by Clare Brennan

Watermill, NewburyTom Jackson Greaves thrillingly fuses movement with music in his revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Louisiana-set take on the classic 60s film Many will remember Whistle Do…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:54AM

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