All stories by Veronica Lee on BroadwayStars

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Christmas shows 2022 round-up - panto is properly back by Veronica Lee

Glittery stars and local heroes What joy it is to have pantomime and Christmas shows back with full audiences up and down the country – everything from local shows to star-driven productio…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:48PM
Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Mother Goose, Duke of York's Theatre review - Ian McKellen returns as the Dame by Veronica Lee

Jonathan Harvey's (mostly) family-friendly script sparkles When Ian McKellen, one of our greatest Shakespearean actors, gave us his acclaimed Widow Twankey at the Old Vic in 2004, some wonde…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:48PM
Saturday, August 27, 2022

Edinburgh festival’s funniest performers for 2022 are revealed by Vanessa Thorpe and Veronica Lee

Young Latina whose act tackles disability is among the winners at prestigious awards ceremony Both of the top prizes for being funny at the 2022 Edinburgh fringe festival have gone to foreig…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:18PM
Thursday, August 11, 2022

Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Afghanistan Is Not Funny / Yippee Ki Yay / Eh Up, Me Old Flowers! by Veronica Lee

War as entertainment, Die Hard as an epic poem, and a potted biography Afghanistan Is Not Funny, Gilded Balloon ★★★★

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 10:54PM
Monday, August 8, 2022

Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! / Hiya Dolly! by Veronica Lee

A musical whodunnit and an ovine origin story Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Summerhall ★★★★★

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 10:33PM
Saturday, August 6, 2022

Edinburgh Fringe 2022 reviews: Les Dawson: Flying High / Boris III by Veronica Lee

'World king' as a young man; and a comedy legend Les Dawson: Flying High, Assembly George Square ★★★   Any opportunity to watch impressionist Jon Culshaw at work is not to be miss…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:03PM
Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Bloody Difficult Women, Riverside Studios review - political drama by Veronica Lee

Brexit battle laid bare Few critics become playwrights, but Tim Walker has done just that with Bloody Difficult Women, his debut. It's taking a risk; should any of his less generous critical…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 07:33AM
Sunday, January 16, 2022

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Birmingham Hippodrome review - Jason Donovan makes his panto debut by Veronica Lee

Australian plays against type as the baddie There was a time when UK pantomime was heavily populated by Australian soap stars; rather late in the day Jason Donovan – formerly known as Sco…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 12:42AM
Friday, December 31, 2021

Pantomime 2021 round-up 2: TV stars in the spotlight by Veronica Lee

Shirley Ballas and Scarlett Moffatt are good fun Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells ★★★★

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 06:36AM
Monday, December 13, 2021

Pantomime 2021 round-up 1: a great Dame and two debuts by Veronica Lee

Clive Rowe dons the frocks, while Rob Rinder and Anton Du Beke slap their thighs Jack and the Beanstalk, Hackney Empire ★★★

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 10:06PM
Thursday, June 3, 2021

Four Quartets, Bath Theatre Royal review - Ralph Fiennes gives a compelling performance by Veronica Lee

Premiere of solo stage production of TS Eliot's work For 75 captivating minutes, Ralph Fiennes digs deep into TS Eliot’s Four Quartets, the poet’s interlinked reflections on time, faith …

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:48PM
Tuesday, April 20, 2021

The Importance of Being Earnest online review - Oscar Wilde updated for the Nando's generation by Veronica Lee

Yasmeen Khan's spoof has a big heart Oscar Wilde's fabulous play satirised Victorian England and contained a shedload of quotable quips. Now Yasmeen Khan has written an updated and uprooted …

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 10:48PM
Sunday, January 10, 2021

Dick Whittington, National Theatre at Home review - colourful and amiable entertainment by Veronica Lee

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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:32PM
Sunday, December 20, 2020

Pantomimes 2020 round-up: what's available online by Veronica Lee

Children 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 10:03PM
Sunday, December 13, 2020

The Comeback, Noël Coward Theatre review - frantic farce with touches of vaudeville by Veronica Lee

The 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.…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:12PM
Tuesday, September 22, 2020

The Cheeky Chappie, The Warren Outdoors review - entertaining drama about risqué comic Max Miller by Veronica Lee

Jamie 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 11:24PM
Tuesday, September 1, 2020

One Enchanted Evening, Glastonbury Abbey review - concert of West End show tunes by Veronica Lee

Magnificent 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 04:18AM
Monday, July 20, 2020

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain, Northampton Saints review - history made funny by Veronica Lee

Lots 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 04:18AM
Friday, May 22, 2020

The Understudy, online review - entertaining adaptation of David Nicholls' novel by Veronica Lee

Nice 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 12:12AM
Tuesday, March 3, 2020

United Queendom, Kensington Palace review - rollicking royal tale by Veronica Lee

Immersion 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 03:36AM
Monday, February 17, 2020

Upstart Crow, Gielgud Theatre review - terrific Shakespeare spoof by Veronica Lee

Ben 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:36PM
Thursday, January 9, 2020

Magic Goes Wrong, Vaudeville Theatre review - entertaining spoof by Veronica Lee

Mischief 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:48PM
Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Alexandra Palace Theatre review - JM Barrie's classic as you have never seen it before by Veronica Lee

Mischief 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:06PM
Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, London Palladium review - joyously filthy fun by Veronica Lee

Purists 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 10:18PM
Sunday, November 3, 2019

God's Dice, Soho Theatre review - overlong and overblown by Veronica Lee

David 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 12:33AM
Monday, September 30, 2019

The Watsons, Menier Chocolate Factory review - Laura Wade's inventive new play by Veronica Lee

Jane 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:24PM
Thursday, August 29, 2019

Bartholomew Fair, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse review - Jonson's chaotic slice of 17th-century life by Veronica Lee

Jacobean 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:18PM
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Fleabag, Wyndham's Theatre review - superb swansong for modern classic by Veronica Lee

Final 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 07:54PM
Friday, August 16, 2019

Edinburgh Fringe 2019 reviews: The Red/ Gone Full Havisham by Veronica Lee

More 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 09:06PM
Saturday, August 10, 2019

Edinburgh Fringe reviews 2019: On the Other Hand, We're Happy / Daughterhood / The Shark Is Broken by Veronica Lee

More 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…

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 04:42AM
Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Noises Off, Lyric Hammersmith review - farce doesn't catch fire by Veronica Lee

Jeremy 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 …

SOURCE: theartsdesk.com at 08:42PM

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