★★★★ THE CIRCLE, ORANGE TREE THEATRE Acerbic reflections on the price paid for love Jane Asher leads an ensemble cast in Somerset Maugham's comedy of manners Tom Lit…
FlawBored's meta-theatrical show comforts and then goes in for the kill Just when you've relaxed a little, privileged duly checked and confident that you won't be guilt-tripped for nipping i…
Classy new stage adaptation of 1950s French novel proves intellectually rewarding It's apt that this new play, with characters moving in and out of Paris either side of World War I, is stag…
Frenetic take on Brecht's tale of doing good in a bad world loses focus As the UK undergoes yet another political convulsion, this time concerning the threshold for ministers being shitty to…
American show is lost in the West End with only the hits to save it Ain't Too Proud? Ain't too good either I'm afraid. Which is a shame as there's plenty of the raw material here that powers…
New production of the West End show based on the Alan Bennett film is perhaps near its sell-by date People can't find the food they want in the shops. Nobody has enough money. Public service…
A reprehensible man treats women badly, but the political magic is left entirely unexplored One wonders if Ricky Simmonds and Simon Vaughan pondered long over their debut musical's title. S…
Evanna Lynch heads up wan troubles-themed dark comedy "Darkly comic thrillers" (as they like to say) set in Ireland tracking how families, or quasi-families, fall apart under pressure are ve…
Ambitious but misconceived take on musical theatre landmark outstays its welcome It is, perhaps, important to note that this production was first staged in London at the Young Vic, a venue …
★★★★ STANDING AT THE SKY'S EDGE, NT 60 years in one Sheffield flat tells our nation's story Chris Bush and Richard Hawley write a love letter to a friendly and fla…
★★★★ SYLVIA, THE OLD VIC Beverley Knight is compelling and complex in suffragette musical Sylvia Pankhurst suffers for her commitment to votes for women and to soc…
★★★★★ SMOKE, SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE Kim Davies' 2014 play has only grown in relevance for the post #MeToo world The perils of navigating power relations whe…
★★ TITUS ANDRONICUS, SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE Gory play full of murders played with neither gore nor murders Tricksy staging distracts and disappoints If All's Well That…
★★★★ NOISES OFF, PHOENIX THEATRE Michael Frayn's farce about a farce still jars the funny bone Sure it's overly familiar, but, 40 years on, the laughs keep coming …
★★★★ ALLEGIANCE, CHARING CROSS THEATRE Beautifully sung show shines light into a dark corner of American history  Star Trek's Mr Sulu honours fellow Japanes…
★★★★ A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, ALMEIDA THEATRE Torment, toxicity and trauma in New Orleans  Torment, toxicity and trauma in New Orleans It's a long way fr…
★★★★ WATCH ON THE RHINE, DONMAR Country house comedy transforms into call to arms In wartime, when tough actions are needed to back up easy words, what do you do? …
★★★ DOLLY PARTON'S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL, SOUTHBANK CENTRE Great songs, but a sanitised book declaws Yuletide parable Dolly and Dickens team up for dreams a…
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt brings superstar quality and emotional depth to villainous ogre Hovering way, way above us, three aptly named high fairies, in voluminous chiffon, open a show that …
★★★★ ELF, DOMINION THEATRE Plenty of presents for all the family in a spectacular show based on the much loved film Buddy the Elf charms everyone on either sid…
★★★★ A CHRISTMAS CAROL, RSC Old favourite finds contemporary relevance in sanitised staging The RSC Christmas show delivers exactly what it promises Life is full o…
★ HERE, Southwark Playhouse Characters drown in a surfeit of issues The prestige of the Papatango Prize cannot rescue a play that fails to transcend its inexplicable limitations The k…
Super songs can't quite rescue an ill-focused story and sparse staging Whorehouses, gay prostitution and suicide " you can see why James Jones' bestselling 1951 novel was bowdlerised by the …
★★★★ TAMMY FAYE, ALMEIDA THEATRE The rise and fall of a iconic figure whose reach stretched across late 20th century American culture Plenty of heart and bite in a…
★★ THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE, ROSE THEATRE Uncompromising adaptation of Brecht outstays its welcome Carrie Hope Fletcher one of few bright sparks on a tough evening for the audi…