358 stories by "Aleks.sierz"
New adaptation of Eliza Clark's highly praised novel lacks a genuine heart of darkness
We've all heard of the male gaze, but what about its subversion? Overturning masculine dominance is on…
Energetic new play about South Asian Muslim men challenges stereotypes
Multiculturalism, according to the Home Secretary, has failed, so where does that leave British Black and Asian commun…
Triumphant climax to Roy Williams and Clint Dyer's brilliant tetralogy about race
It's closing time somewhere in the East End. Nah, not the pub, but at a small local shop. Inside, Denise is …
New play about the relations between humans and other life forms has profound depths
How many hearts does an octopus have? Answer: three. This pub quiz clincher is just one of the many fasci…
Revival of Alan Brody's award-winning 2013 history play is solid but plodding
Must science always be dominated by politics? This question is most urgent when the stakes are high " climate ch…
Revival of Polly Stenham's 2007 punk extravaganza stars Niamh Cusack
Playwright Polly Stenham MBE had a meteoric rise with this play, her award-winning 2007 debut which she wrote aged 19 an…
Jonny Lee Miller stars in a problematically dystopian story of creativity and censorship
This is a play about censorship in a totalitarian state " but, no, I'm not reviewing The Pillowman a…
New comedy explores digital and family alienation, but finds nothing to say
Historically, the Royal Court is the venue for cutting-edge new writing " you know, the kind of plays that have s…
British premiere by this venue's supremo is thrillingly provocative but also flawed
Trauma is the source of identity politics. In the case of African-Americans, the experience of brutal slav…
Jack Thorne's play about the BBC informs and educates, but does not really entertain
Can things change, or must they always stay the same? The latest history play by Jack Thorne, a man of t…
New play about a lesbian love triangle is emotionally true and profoundly theatrical
There are some songs, and singers, that make your heart swell. One of them, for me, is Ani DiFranco's 19…
West End revival of Martin McDonagh's storytelling classic is fun but unconvincing
British theatre is getting a bit timid " is that right? Ahead of the opening of this revival of Martin McDo…
New writing season kicks off with two imaginative adventures in theatre
The summer season at the Royal Court, London's premiere new writing venue, features two plays which imaginatively exp…
Trauma play about domestic abuse raises questions about the role of theatre
Men are bastards. Okay, not all of us, but enough to make the lives of millions of women a misery. This we know, …
New play about family trauma and loss is an experiment in poetic drama
Is it possible to successfully challenge naturalism in British theatre today? At a time when audiences crave feelgood d…
Ivo van Hove's stage version of Hanya Yanagihara's bestseller is a real misery fest
Wow! James Norton naked! Wow! New play by Ivo van Hove. Wow! It's four hours long. Wow! Wow! Wow! The much…
Debut play about sex, race and queerness is a disappointing mishmash
The act of idol worship is, at one and the same time, both distantly ancient and compellingly contemporary. Whether it is…
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 at th…
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 evo…
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 Theatre i…
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 World…
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…
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 exactly w…
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 dou…
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 Lem…
