Free stream of its first pantomime In a much depleted and truncated pantomime season that withered on the vine, the National Theatre's debut production of Dick Whittington lasted only four p…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:32PMChildren and adults are catered for Cinderella **** I did worry that pantomime – that most audience-driven of theatrical pursuits – might not work through the tube, but Nottingham Play…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 10:03PMThe Pin sketch duo's assured theatrical debut Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen together form The Pin, a sketch duo who have won much critical acclaim and full houses in the Edinburgh Fringe shows.…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 09:12PMJamie Kenna brings Brighton favourite to life It’s fitting that there’s another run of Dave Simpson’s terrific play about Brighton’s favourite son, Max Miller (aka The Cheeky Chappi…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 11:24PMMagnificent backdrop of ruins for fundraiser On a normal bank holiday weekend there would be festival events held in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey. But in this anything-but-normal year, c…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 04:18AMLots of bum and poo gags to keep the kids happy In each of its incarnations – books, television series and theatre shows – covering more than 80 titles, Horrible Histories, created by Te…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 04:18AMNice in-jokes and smart observations about actors A running gag in David Nicholls' novel The Understudy is that its main character is called Steve McQueen. Not that Steve McQueen, the multi…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 12:12AMImmersion in Georgian court intrigue Les Enfants Terribles is the theatre company behind several interesting immersive projects, including Alice's Adventures Underground and Inside Pussy Rio…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 03:36AMBen Elton's new comedy is a gagfest What joy it is to welcome this offshoot of the television series to the West End stage – complete with several of that show's cast, plus a few new addit…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:36PMMischief Theatre and Penn & Teller mash-up Mischief Theatre's “Goes Wrong” oeuvre is now well established: broad humour combined with physical comedy and slapstick mishaps. Magic Goe…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:48PMMischief Theatre with another enjoyable farce Mischief Theatre is a wonder of modern commercial theatre. In 2008, group of young actors who had met at drama school started the ensemble – w…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 09:06PMPurists may quibble at circus-themed show When Qdos brought back pantomime to the Palladium three years ago after an absence of nearly 30 years, it set the bar high with superb production v…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 10:18PMDavid Baddiel's debut play tackles a big issue David Baddiel is a very fine comic, and over the past few years has become an acclaimed author of children's books. So I'm genuinely sad to sa…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 12:33AMJane Austen redux fizzes with ideas What a joy Laura Wade's latest play is. Transferring from its successful run at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester last year, The Watsons is developed from…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 09:24PMJacobean comedy gets a rare outing It was a bold choice by director Blanche McIntyre to stage Ben Jonson's seldom performed, sprawling slice-of-life play in the bijou Sam Wanamaker Playhouse…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 09:18PMFinal outing for Phoebe Waller-Bridge as her iconic creation We're saying goodbye to a much treasured friend. Fleabag will live on, of course – other actresses have and will inhabit the ro…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 07:54PMMore from the world's biggest and best arts festival The Red Pleasance Dome ★★★★ Comic Marcus Brigstocke has spoken in the past about his addictions and now he has written this two…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 09:06PMMore from the world's biggest and best arts festival On the Other Hand, We’re Happy Summerhall **** This affecting co-production between Paines Plough and Theatr Clywd of Daf James’s pl…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 04:42AMJeremy Herrin's production of modern classic feels leaden Michael Frayn's Noises Off is a modern classic, a backstage sex farce that pokes affectionate fun at a profession he loves. And now …
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:42PMPenelope Skinner probes the men's rights movement Penelope's Skinner's monologue was a critical and audience hit at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, when its talking point found its moment. He…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:17PMDavid Ireland's dark, absurdist comedy about identityDavid Ireland is a playwright who likes to jolt his audience and Cyprus Avenue, a dark absurdist comedy about an Ulster unionist afr…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 07:32PMMartin Crimp's latest about a sex game is all talk and no actionWhen it was announced that Cate Blanchett was making her National Theatre debut with Martin's Crimp's new play, When We h…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:32PMWest End transfer for Tony Kushner's musical about race and povertyWith the politics of hate alive and well both sides of the Atlantic, this seems a good time to revive Tony Kushner and…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:04PMEnjoyable but underpoweredPaul Merton has a lot of strings to his bow – stand-up, improv artist, historian of silent-movie-era comedy, quiz-show panellist, to name a few – and now he add…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 08:54PMSusie McKenna creates fast-paced fun in a busy mixSusie McKenna and Steven Edis have been creating pantos for Hackney Empire for 20 years, and over that time its seasonal offering has become…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 10:32PMDick jokes in abundance told in urban street style pantomimeIn 2009 Sean Holmes, then Lyric Hammersmith's artistic director, made a bold move by reintroducing panto at the lovely Frank Match…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 04:54AMTwo-hander with a Walt Whitman poem and a clever twistHere's a good pub quiz question: after Shakespeare, who was the most performed playwright in America last year? Arthur Miller? Tennessee…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 09:06PMRose Matafeo’s take on twentysomething life is toast of the FringeNew Zealander Rose Matafeo has won the coveted best comedy show award at the Edinburgh festival fringe. Steve Coogan, one …
Linked From The Guardian at 06:18AMLes Dennis is superb as a washed-up comicLes Dennis was once a marquee name on Saturday night television as host of Family Fortunes, but since giving up the light entertainment lark he now p…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 10:06PMJames Graham tells of the "coughing major" who wanted to be a millionaireYou could be forgiven for not remembering the “coughing major” brouhaha in 2001, coming as it did the d…
Linked From theartsdesk.com at 02:00AMJamie Campbell came out at 14, wore a dress to his school dance and dreamed of being a drag star. Throught it all, he was supported by his mother. Now, their lives are the subject of a music…
Linked From The Guardian at 02:54AM