Spotlight on: The Best Theatre of 2016

January 2017

2016. What a year of theatre it’s been! I’m a little late with it, but here’s my belated round-up of the best shows of 2016, complete with some of the best bits from the full reviews. The categories have been chosen on the grounds of the variety of shows seen, rather than adhering entirely to ‘traditional’ categories…

Best show of my 2016 theatre year:

By a hop, skip and a jump, it’s Kneehigh’s ‘946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips’ (at West Yorkshire Playhouse) for its sheer genius:

‘There was not a single minute of this performance in which I was not totally entranced with the energy, the vibrancy, the heartbreak and the genius of what Kneehigh was showcasing on stage…The creative approaches to almost every challenge presented by such an ambitious production seem to have been greeted with relish and mind boggling innovation. Kneehigh really do make the possibilities seem endless.”

Best Drama:

‘An Inspector Calls’ (at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre).

‘I had very high hopes for the production as soon as I saw the impressive set. The concept of the Birling’s house on an uneven and unstable pedestal, rough around the edges and with a clear ‘black hole’ beneath is a fantastic image of where the Birling’s foundations meet the grey and decaying world of the lower classes out on the pavement. Two worlds colliding without touching… Priestley’s enduring message ended up centre stage in this production and appropriately so.’

Best Musical:

‘Wicked’ (at The Apollo Victoria Theatre, London).
I’ve seen it before, but it remains as glorious as ever and with Rachel Tucker back at the helm, accompanied by the brilliant Suzie Mathers for the 10th Anniversary, it was truly fantastic.

”Wicked’ is a ‘belter’ musical. It’s a feast for the ears as well as the eyes. It’s utterly, quintessentially West End in both style and substance… I can’t think of any other show which is more West End from every angle, in every category…’

Best Comedy Show:

‘Tapeface’ (At The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds).
This was a delight which still makes me smile:

‘I think that the elements of surprise and anticipation are probably the real heart and soul of ‘Tape Face’; of course, the humour is visual and the laughs come from wonderfully clever combinations of inanimate objects and exceptionally well applied hit tunes, but these things are used, ultimately, to play to the key strengths: the expertly formed anticipation-surprise combination. While I was of course aware of Wills’ turn on America’s Got Talent, I avoided any clips (bar the one posted on the theatre website), and I was so glad that I didn’t- I’m sure the laughs would still have come, but I wouldn’t have been so gripped as I was to find out where exactly the action/prop/audience participation would lead…’

Best Kids’ Show:

A tough one here- both Erth’s ‘Dinosaur Zoo’ and ‘Aladdin’ at Nottingham Playhouse were wonderful. I think the Dinosaurs snag the win though!

‘The success of course emanates from the beautiful and gigantic dinosaur puppets which tower above those in the front row. Although set up as a zoo meet-and-greet with the animals, with lots of interesting information provided, there are of course lots of lovely theatrical elements. What’s more, the fact that children are given the opportunity to meet a selection of the dinosaurs after the show for photographs really is the cherry on the cake- kissing the nose of an adorable baby dinosaur is the stuff of children’s dreams, I’m sure!’

Best Alternative Show:

‘Joan’ by Milk Presents (at Rough Trade, Nottingham).
This was a surprising show in many ways. Beautiful writing and very topical subject matter, despite being about Joan of Arc…

‘At the centre of this piece is the issue of identity, particularly challenging gender norms and the long struggle for acceptance for those straying from the ‘norm’ in any way. ‘Joan’ has a varied and thoroughly entertaining style, combining cabaret, comedy and history to explore a very modern and topical issue facing so many in the here and now. It’s an important piece of contemporary theatre which rightfully and commendably challenges society to be much more discerning and intelligent when it comes to identity and gender identity in particular. With the dramatic ending seeming to say that the answer is not conformity, but strength on the part of those struggling and greater understanding on the part of those needing to support rather than condemn.’

Best Shakespeare Production:

Oddsocks’ ‘Macbeth’ (At Harlow Carr, Harrogate).
A modern, comical rendition of ‘Macbeth’? Yes. And they pulled it off, too!

‘From the comical, ditzy witches to the very visual gags of ‘is this a dagger I see before me?’ and ‘trifles’, this production is hell-bent on re-branding tragic ‘Macbeth’ as a giggle-fest, with oodles of success. What’s more, the comedy in this production comes from more directions and means than I can include here, which, I think, is a perfect indication of its success as a fresh take on an old classic. The comic aspects are so well woven into the fabric of this once-tragedy that it undeniably, and somewhat inexplicably, works. This ‘steam-punk style’ rendition plows full steam ahead for the duration and it is brilliant.’

Best Puppetry/Mask show:

Vamos’ ‘The Best Thing’ (at The Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds) A master class in bringing the inanimate to life:

‘Although I relish the artistry of puppet and masked theatre, I was definitely dubious of a silent, be-masked company. I was, however, more than pleasantly surprised. It took all of three minutes for me to fall head over heels in love with the beauty of a silent (but for perfectly timed musical accompaniment), be-masked company, somehow entirely captivated by entirely fixed expressions which seemed to play the scene in so many colours. The masks themselves are fantastically done; seaside caricature in style for the most part and amazingly, completely believable as the narrative unfolds.’

Best Physical Theatre Production:

‘The Maids’ by Square Peg Theatre Company (at Harrogate Theatre). A brilliant display of the many merits of physical theatre:

‘There are powerful performances from Katie Robinson and Olivia Sweeney as Solange and Claire, respectively. Katie’s performance as Solange is fantastically uncomfortable and arrestingly sensitive. Those chaotic monologues betraying her apparent growing psychosis are brilliantly played, particularly impressive for those in her eye line as she spits her venom at imaginary entities.’

Here’s to another great year of theatre in 2017!