Finn from Star Wars dominates a radical rewrite of Georg Büchner classicWelcome back John Boyega. Less than a decade ago, he was an unknown budding British stage actor, then he took off as …
New twist on the biblical story gets bogged down in a portentous production Is God female? It says a lot about Yaël Farber's overblown new version of this biblical tale that, near the end…
New epic from the 'Jerusalem' playwright is a breathtaking experienceI hate the kind of hype that sells out a new play within minutes of tickets becoming available. I mean isn't there someth…
Colourful and vivid revival of Martin Crimp's 1993 tale of New YorkPlaywright Martin Crimp's 1993 satirical epic, The Treatment, is a fabulous work, but it's rarely revived. Although much of…
Masterpiece of 'New York Trilogy' is visually amazing and intellectually satisfying on stagePlaywright Duncan Macmillan has had a good couple of years. In 2015, his play People, Pl…
New play about loss offers an unusually experimental and immersive experienceText can sometimes be a prison. At its best, post-war British theatre is a writer's theatre, with the great pensm…
New writing venue reopens with a play about another architectural marvelThe Bush is back! After a whole year of darkness, the West London new writing venue has reopened its doors following a…
A tale of two toilets: Edinburgh Fringe First winner comes to Soho TheatreIt's hot. Real hot. And you're dancing, just lost in music. You're at the legendary Shrine nightclub in Lagos, where…
Anna Maxwell Martin stars in Nina Raine's compelling play about rape and justiceRape is such a serious social issue that it's hardly surprising that several recent plays have tackled it…
David Tennant charms and excites in Patrick Marber's energetic rewrite of Molière Updating the classics is not without its pitfalls. How can a modern audience, which has a completely differ…
Cut! Simon McBurney muddles the story of Hollywood mogul Robert EvansThe beauty of fiction is that its stories have both compelling shape and deep meaning " they are dramas where things feel…
Michelle Collins stars in haunting account of belief and lonelinessMichelle Collins, actor and TV presenter, is so strongly associated with her roles in EastEnders and Coronation Street that…
The poet laureate's verbatim play about Brexit sinks into banalityOh dear. The first explicit play about Brexit is being staged by the National Theatre in a production that has all the acrid…
Docudrama about the 1981 Labour Party split is a treat " for politics buffsPolitics is a serious business, but it's also a spectator sport. Think of the duels in Prime Minister's Questions; …
New play by debbie tucker green is too abstract for its own goodLove, we know, will tear us apart again. And again. And yet again. It will shred our nerves and rip through our guts; it will …
American play about virtual reality therapy is a bit thinTheatre increasingly uses digital delights to enhance audience enjoyment. And you can easily see why. Visual effects that mimic the e…
Neat revival of 1980s feminist comedy is more curiosity than classicThe 1980s were a great decade for British women playwrights. During those Thatcher-dominated years, Caryl Churchill produc…
Real sex workers take the stage for a brilliantly devised showSex workers come in all shapes and sizes. Everyone knows that. But why do they do it? Why does anyone take the risk of being int…
Stage version of dystopian classic returns " lively but cartoonishThere are few modern literary fables that really resonate in the wider culture. And most that do are dystopias. Think of Geo…
Jamie Lloyd tackles Philip Ridley's modern classic " with terrific resultsPlaywright Philip Ridley has one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary theatre. His imagination is laced wi…
New drama about literary ambition is neat, but not nearly disturbing enoughOdd bedfellows are an ideal subject for comedy, and for passion " because opposites attract, right? Well this is ce…
Hit rom-com show is LOL funny, but also a bit thinAs the only inhabitant of Planet Earth who wasn't completely knocked senseless by La-La Land, it does occur to me that I might not be the mo…
New play about the cultivated face of fascism is fascinating if flawedA day or so after Theresa May's keynote speech about Brexit the words Europe and European carry an electric charge. For …
New play about casual work is thinly written and lacks dramaYou could call it the Corbynisation of new writing. In the past couple of years, a series of plays have plumbed the lower depths, …
Revival of Shaw classic is a tour de force for Gemma ArtertonHow's this for a Christmas-week story? Joan, a young peasant girl " played in this version by the charismatically attractive Gemm…