Enjoyable but underpoweredPaul Merton has a lot of strings to his bow " stand-up, improv artist, historian of silent-movie-era comedy, quiz-show panellist, to name a few " and now he adds pa…
Musical enactment of the 1914 Christmas Truce showcases superb choral singingLike a supermarket "Christmas Dinner" sandwich, cramming the delights of a full festive lunch into every bite, Ep…
Thrilling revival of Danai Gurira's 2012 play about Chistianity and imperialismWow! First, the Black Panther team took cinema by storm; now, they have conquered theatre as well. Or, at …
Award-winning adaptation of Mark Haddon's novel retains its ingenuity and pathos One emotional high point in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the much-lauded Simon Ste…
Mark Ravenhill's comeback play is a brilliant account of the abuse of powerPlaywright Mark Ravenhill, who shot to fame in 1996 with his in-yer-face shocker Shopping and Fucking, has bee…
Love it or leave it production sends the RSC on a laboured way to EssexFor those of us who have never thought much before about links between pantomime and Shakespeare, Fiona Laird's new Mer…
Congreve's Restoration-era rarity is boisterous to a fault It's been 40 years since The Double Dealer last had a major airing (indeed, perhaps any airing) in London, so on the basis of …
Susie McKenna creates fast-paced fun in a busy mixSusie McKenna and Steven Edis have been creating pantos for Hackney Empire for 20 years, and over that time its seasonal offering has become…
Natasha Gordon joins the company as her debut drama transfers from the NationalThis is Natasha Gordon's first play, and in it she has created a whole world. A world of grief and laughter, co…
Last year's festive-season hit, re-cast, continues to enchant The Old Vic's revival of its successful Christmas Carol first seen this time last year had me at the mince pies: they were …
A deceptive lightness of tone brings new resonance to the textWhat do you gain by casting Dr Faustus and Mephistopheles as women? In the programme for this often illuminating production, dir…
Kit Harington and Johnny Flynn go hell for leather as savagery-prone siblingsDon't be deceived by Kit Harington's matted, slicked-back hair that is immediately visible the minute the audienc…
Trevor Nunn's intimate staging provides a soulful seasonal outingThere's a welcome alternative to panto hijinks in this gem of a Trevor Nunn musical revival " more attuned to the biting…
Short new play from actor Ellie Kendrick is full of ferocity, but lacks originalityActor Ellie Kendrick is a familiar face on television, but it's only as a writer that she reveals the depth…
Our heroine is torn between the charms of a washing-machine inventor and a CountThe convention-challenging sexually adventurous life of Glaswegian writer Aimée Stuart is worth a play all on…
Jacobean and contemporary justice collide in audience-involving dramaForget the cloak in the puddle. Never mind potatoes and tobacco. The children's book cliché of Sir Walter Raleigh (or Ra…
Dick jokes in abundance told in urban street style pantomimeIn 2009 Sean Holmes, then Lyric Hammersmith's artistic director, made a bold move by reintroducing panto at the lovely Frank Match…
Poignant take on Captain Marlene in the Second World WarGetting the look right is half the battle: in that, Peter Groom's one-time-Captain Marlene Dietrich is a winner from the start. The lo…
West End transfer from the Almeida retains pressure-cooker intensityThis production of Tennessee Williams' neglected classic, Summer and Smoke, arrives from the Almeida into the West End wit…
A daring counterintuitive reading proves richly rewardingMacbeth has rarely seemed quite as metrosexual as in this gorgeous shadow-painted production that marks artistic director at the Glob…
An alternative take on a classic myth produces sizzling resultsThe road to full musical theatre production has been a long one for Hadestown. It began back in 2006, with Anaïs Mitchell's …
The Pinter season continues, this time in largely comic form The West End is specialising in two-parters of late. To Imperium and The Inheritance we can add to a growing list the latest duo …
International sensation stirs the heart anew in its return homeWar Horse at the National Theatre on Sunday's Armistice Day centenary: there were medalled veterans and at least one priest in …
Fakin' it: a production as spare on script as it is on visualsWhat to make of The Simon & Garfunkel Story, which began a week-long residency at London's Vaudeville Theatre last nigh…
The director talks about Macbeth in the candle-lit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, cross-gender casting and the director's roleRobert Hastie is a little late for our meeting. Directing Shakesp…