St James's, London An anthology highlighting Jewish songwriters' contributions to the American musical, from the 1930s to the present, is at its most delightful in the first halfThe title de…
Olivier, LondonThe National production of Timberlake Wertenbaker's historical play shows convicts and captors alike escaping their colonial chains in shared expressionSince it is only two ye…
Theatre Royal, BathTerry Johnson's adaptation of the 2005 film is a defiantly patriotic piece with a delightful score, rousing ensemble and first-rate performancesIt's a cliche that, ever si…
How do you even begin to pick the world's 101 greatest plays? The Guardian's theatre critic explains how he approached this controversial task for his new book " and admits he is already hav…
Barbican, LondonCumberbatch has a gift for suggesting Hamlet's essential decency, but visual conceits take the place of textual investigation in this frustrating stagingAfter all the hype an…
Minerva theatre, ChichesterDirector Howard Davies's production is meticulous in its emotional detail and the cast match him in charting the aftermath of warThis is Chichester at its best: re…
Southwark Playhouse, LondonPerfectly drilled dance, stunning vocals and stylish direction fuel this cross-section of luxury hotel life in 20s Berlin This musical, based on Vicki Baum's portm…
Donmar Warehouse, London In her tense and riveting early work, Morgan highlights the fragility of power as a group of women gather in a presidential palace with revolution brewing outsideAbi…
At London's Barbican, Benedict Cumberbatch will be taking over a role that defies age, transcends gender and allows actors to play to their strengthsOn Wednesday night, Benedict Cumberbatch …
Prince of Wales, LondonStrip away all the hype surrounding this hit Broadway import and what do you find? A mildly amusing musical, with some knowingly parodic songs, that takes a few pot sh…
Apollo, LondonMichael Simkins' adaptation of Roger Mortimer's correspondence with his son is performed with style by a real-life father and sonA collection of letters by racing correspondent…
Finborough, LondonFirst-time playwright Kieran Knowles captures the terror of the Sheffield blitz in the experiences of four trapped steelworkersOn 12 December 1940, more than 600 people die…
Almeida, LondonJames Macdonald's production at the Almeida offers clarity and imaginative acting, yet falls short of the rage and frenzy that Euripides' masterpiece demandsHaving started wit…
Noël Coward theatre, LondonA major gender imbalance undermines the slick and intriguing acts in this Vegas-style fiesta of illusion Continue reading...
Lyttelton, LondonJohn Simm and Mark Gatiss star in Patrick Marber's version of Turgenev's play that turns its subtle chemistry into a satire on a group of social parasitesTurgenev's A Month …
Michael Billington reports from a quarry near Avignon on Peter Brook's dawn-to-dusk staging of the great Sanskrit epic, the MahabharataWe assembled around seven o'clock on Saturday evening i…
Elegant stage and screen actor who gave memorable performances in many of the productions of her husband, the director Peter BrookNatasha Parry, who has died aged 84, was an actor of excepti…
Regent's Park Open Air theatre, LondonThis production of the 1954 musical about farmboys who kidnap their brides steers clear of chauvinism and lets the choreography take centre stageFrankly…
Shakespeare's Globe, LondonCharles Edwards impresses with his whimsically indifferent ruler, in an interpretation that confirms Simon Godwin as one of our best classical directorsSimon Godwi…
Chichester Festival theatreThe first half dazzles, and Michael Ball is magisterial, but the vibrancy and inventive parts cannot make Jerry Herman's musical a dramatic whole Ever since its Br…
Park theatre, LondonAndrew Keatley's upper-class family drama, starring Jane Asher and her daughter Katie Scarfe, is a compelling record of emotional tensions at the dawn of New LabourA star…
Douglas Gordon's axe-attack on the Home arts centre seems extreme. But from death threats to abusive postcards, critics have paid a heavy price for dismissing thespiansHow do people react to…
Menier Chocolate Factory, LondonFar from being another jukebox musical, this show gives a slew of Bacharach-David hits an exuberant makeover that invites fresh appreciationIt was touching to…
King's Head, LondonClad in loincloths and festooned with chains, two penitents duke it out over a patch of desert in this sharply satirical, weirdly fascinating Peter Barnes revivalI sometim…
Jermyn Street, LondonA couple's rustic idyll is shattered when a stranger arrives to drag their secrets into the light " with a bluntness that stretches psychological credulityLured by the p…