December 2023
It’s been another great year of theatregoing for Always Time for Theatre, with plenty of reviews (and insightful interviews with casts and creatives) published. Between myself and the brilliant London-based team, we’ve had some cracking times in beautiful theatres, so here’s the round-up of the most glowing write-ups of 2023, in no particular order…
According to the London Team, there were some top notch offerings this year:
Sleepova at Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre’s latest production, Sleepova, is a beautiful homage to Black British sisterhood. Staged in the intimate Holloway Theatre, audience members are invited to share in a story of laughter, grief, resilience, and chosen family. […] Light yet complex, filled with harsh truths and pure joy, Sleepova is a vital piece of new writing in the canon of British theatre. Read Dela Ruth Hini’s full review here.
After the Act at New Diorama Theatre
After the Act, a brand-new musical from NDT Associates, Breach, (from which you may have also seen It’s True, It’s True, It’s True) has conquered the beast that is verbatim theatre. […] Many times, I find that verbatim/documentary pieces – shows that depict historical events – often reach too far for a connection to modern times. Because After the Act has created such a tight vessel for itself in regard to staging, text, music and media, it doesn’t even have to try for this connection. It is, most unfortunately, embedded in our very history. Read Emma Dorfman’s full review here.
Blanket Ban at Southwark Playhouse
All too often, when we introduce both the personal and the political into a piece of theatre, it can come across as self-serving and undeniably cringe-worthy. Blanket Ban, without a doubt, is not that show. Through this verbatim 2-hander dark dramedy, Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vella use a single small island nation, Malta, as a lens through which we examine an undeniably controversial and dangerous issue: abortion. […] Whilst there are moments of peaceful contemplation and reflection scattered throughout the piece, of course, no one can have political theatre without an uprising. Many a show I have seen unravel because of this need to disturb the piece, and once again, Blanket Ban is not that show. Read Emma Dorfman’s full review here.
Breaking the Castle at The Pleasance, London
Written and performed by Peter Cook, Breaking the Castle shines a light on the often-misunderstood complexities of mental health and addiction. The moving piece, which had a critically acclaimed Fringe run, is inspired by Cook’s own extraordinary life experiences. […] This is an important piece of theatre which finely balances despair with hope and humour. Cook’s performance is spectacular, which seems somewhat ironic given he depicts a struggling actor. You will leave the theatre reflecting on how you see the world and the people who may be struggling within it. Read Charlotte Dawes’ full review here.
LIZZIE at Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Directed and choreographed by William Whelton, LIZZIE the musical blends true crime and heavy rock with killer performances. […] Beyond the loose similarities to SIX, LIZZIE is unlike any musical out there at the moment. This show will no doubt bring in a new audience, particularly those interested in the true crime element. This is an all-female show not to be missed. Read Charlotte Dawes’ full review here.
Have You Heard of Christmas? at Soho Theatre
Matt Rogers’ show, Have You Heard of Christmas? delivers a hilarious interpretation of the holiday season. Written by and staring Matt Rogers, the musical comedy takes us through Rogers’ debut Christmas album. The score features pieces written from the perspective of lesser known festive characters such as Mrs Claus and Martha May Whovier (Christine Baranski’s character in How the Grinch Stole Christmas). […] Did Matt Rogers convince us he’s the Prince of Christmas? Absolutely. Read Charlotte Dawes’ full review here.
And I had a fair few raves of my own to write in Year 7 of Always Time for Theatre, including my first glimpses of classics like 42nd Street and Oliver! and a first outing to the cult hit Heathers, along with the latest offering from the Leeds City Varieties panto gang and the latest touring production of Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of). Other show highlights across the year include a gorgeous evening with new musical In Dreams and a few lovely returns to The Bodyguard and the spectacular The King and I. I’d say my biggest highlights of 2023 though were the fantastically immersive and inventive Kinder and the thoroughly superb adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice helmed by Tracy-Ann Oberman.
Kinder (Tour)
Smoking Apples Theatre’s Kinder is is beautiful show. Its beauty lies in the visual richness of the puppetry and inventive use of set throughout, but also in the quiet strength of Babi, whose story we see in a cross-section of childhood and twilight years. Aimed at teenagers but every bit as engaging for grown ups and those in pre-teen years, this show explores The Czech Kindertransport initiative (the brainchild of Nicholas Winton) which saw Czech-Jewish children evacuated to seaside towns in England during the Second World War. […] Clever and inventive, visually rich and beautifully emotive, Kinder is a must-see. Shouts of “All change!” have never been so moving. Read the full review here.
The Merchant of Venice 1936 (Tour)
I am a huge fan of this latest adaptation which restructures and reframes the story to place Shylock at the very centre and keeps them there. Not only this, but adaptors Brigid Larmour (who also directs) and Tracy-Ann Oberman (who also stars) have cast a female Shylock in a 1936 London setting – and every shift has something valid and valuable to offer. In fact, rarely has Shakespeare’s work been adapted so well or so meaningfully as this. […] For me, this production rightfully brings out the real, disturbing darkness of the piece, recognising the tragedy at its core and placing comic and romantic elements in the margins. In doing so, it has given a powerful spotlight to one of Shakespeare’s most gripping and complex characters, and Oberman’s performance certainly deserves that spotlight. Read the full review here – and the interview with Oberman here.
Oliver! At Leeds Playhouse
Lionel Bart’s Oliver! boasts some of the best and most iconic ditties in musical theatre, make no mistake – and book, music and lyrics combine to do a fabulous job of bringing Charles Dickens’ famous characters to the stage in all the right shades and hues. In this production from Leeds Playhouse, the original characters, the adaptation and the cast all shine. […] James Brining’s staging is light and lively for the most part, with some very stylish and inventive moments, particularly with the nighttime sequence at the undertakers, Sikes’ fate and periodic freeze frames creating sepia snapshots of key moments in real time. Read the full review here.
In Dreams (Tour)
While characters and plot are beautifully rendered, the gorgeous songs of Roy Orbison also offer a rare example of how known classics can be skilfully embedded within a brand new story: they’re not shoe-horned in with a knowing wink, they’re re-purposed as if they were written to tell the story of In Dreams (and some of the segues between scene and song are really top notch). […] This is a great new musical which marries playful comedy with gentle sentiment and glorious vocals throughout. With a superb cast, an endearing story at its centre and fantastic music leading the way – In Dreams is definitely well worth seeing. Read the full review here.
42nd Street (Tour)
Few shows can boast the kind of spectacle and sense of trapped-in-amber theatrical magic that 42nd Street delivers. Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the movie of the same name, and with book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, 42nd Street takes us back in time to see a show-stopper musical within a show-stopper production. […] 42nd Street is an irresistible, mesmerising reminder of why bona fide classics deserve their place on our stages. There are many great musicals of yesteryear, but this one is a standout. Read the full review here.
The King and I (Tour)
The latest cast, under direction of Bartlett Sher, are wonderful and make light work of Christopher Gattelli’s striking choreography (original choreography: Jerome Robbins) and Rodgers and Hammerstein II’s packed, lush score. With songs like “I Whistle a Happy Tune”, “Getting to Know You”, “Shall We Dance”, “Hello, Young Lovers” and “My Lord and Master” moving us between perky optimism and romance, longing and idealism, audiences can enjoy famous musical greats brought to life in all their richness. […] In this impeccably executed production, we may be swept along by the ups and downs of the story and characters, but ultimately, The King and I leaves us with full hearts. It really is a thing of beauty. Read the full review here.
The Bodyguard (Tour)
Another crowd-pleasing screen-to-stage musical? Yes indeed, and The Bodyguard, The Musical is an impressive stage rendition of the hit 1992 Warner Brothers film. […] I love a big show-stopper musical and The Bodyguard certainly delivers on going big and then sending us home – confetti, fire cannons, dramatic projections, high impact dance routines and an impressive range of impactful backdrops all serve to create an enveloping world of showbiz, love triangles and imminent threat. In fact, this show, even as a musical, achieves a sense of (mild) threat and thrill far more effectively than some shows actively billing themselves as edge-of-seat thrillers… Throw in a very generous selection of Houston classics, and you’ve got yourself a show well worth seeing! Read the full review here.
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) – Tour
So what’s so mighty about this take on Pride and Prejudice – a beloved satirical look at life and relationships when match-making is as much about survival as it is about stumbling upon true love? In short: it’s incredibly clever, it’s absolutely packed with theatrical flair and it somehow balances the comically ridiculous with real sincerity when it counts. […] Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) certainly livens up the adaptation scene and raises the bar for refreshing adaptations of classics. It’s a show which is all about great fun and big laughs – what’s not to love? The show remains a firm favourite – and very quickly hurtled its way into my all-time top theatre list… Read the full latest review here.
Heathers (Tour)
There’s catty, there’s bitchy, and then there’s Heathers The Musical: “mythic bitch” central. With book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, and based on the 1988 film by Daniel Waters, this show is a darkly comic look at the sacrifices a nobody makes in order to survive Westberg High School – going from a nobody to a somebody with some very dark secrets. […] Most impressive about this show is just how incredibly slick it is. Andy Fickman’s direction and Gary Lloyd’s choreography give this musical both edge and flair and the sense of precision running throughout perfectly matches the militant harshness of the Heathers. Time after time, the cast deliver perfectly synchronised moments with catwalk attitude, and it’s just great entertainment. Read the full review here.
Robin Hood the Rock’n’Roll Panto at Leeds City Varieties
Rock’n’Roll Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood is this year’s panto offering at Leeds City Varieties and it joins previous productions at the venue as one of the best festive offerings each year. […] Peter Rowe’s writing merges traditional panto elements with modern additions and continues the trend of daring quips which fly inches from the tops of little heads and therefore keep the grown-up audience just as entertained as the youngsters. All in all, it’s another top year for the City Varieties gang. Read the full review here.
So there you have it: another top year! The Merchant of Venice is easily my top pick of 2023 and I’m thrilled to know it’s heading for a six week run at the Criterion Theatre in the West End – catch that one in 2024 if you can! I’m also chuffed to see that a few of the shows here are up for various awards, so be sure to vote if you saw them. And my one complaint to vent is the unfathomable lack of an extended tour or West End transfer for the superb production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Divina De Campo which was so celebrated during its run in Leeds and Manchester last year. I had a great time chatting to Jamie Fletcher about the show and I hope it gets picked up by a canny producer in 2024…
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