Forget About The Dog topped my round-up list for Best Regional Fringe Production back in 2018 with their thoroughly fantastic production of 100 Ways to Tie a Shoelace so I was very chuffed to finally have a chance to chat about the show and the company last week. A collective of five, Forget About The... Continue Reading →
Interview: Max Vernon Talks Theatre, The View UpStairs & Upcoming Work
Having won over London audiences in style last year with The View UpStairs, Max Vernon can boast success on both sides of the pond. The show premiered off Broadway in 2017 and subsequently enjoyed productions in the US and Australia before landing in London for a run at Soho Theatre. As with previous work KPOP,... Continue Reading →
Interview: Oddsocks Productions’ Elli Mackenzie & Andy Barrow
As an outdoor theatre company priding themselves on a party atmosphere and accessible entertainment for all, Oddsocks have been delighting audiences as an independent theatre company for just over 30 years. Their wonderful work bringing Shakespeare’s plays to life in brave and whacky ways places them firmly in my top five theatre companies line-up, so... Continue Reading →
Interview: Francesca Forristal Talks Theatre, Drag & the Importance of Laughing to Learn
My latest gossipy chinwag is with Francesca Forristal, comedy and songwriter, actor and drag artist extraordinaire. Here Francesca talks about getting into the arts, the importance of broad thinking when it comes to drag artists and why it’s so important to laugh at the difficult subjects in order to truly engage with and understand them.... Continue Reading →
Review: Crongton Knights (Touring)
Wednesday 26th February at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Based on Alex Wheatle’s novel and adapted here by Emteaz Hussain, Crongton Knights is a refreshing piece spotlighting young voices and experiences. The production looks at everything from the classic glorification of friendships to gender politics and the dangerous situations which can so easily sneak up on... Continue Reading →
Interview: Ollie Norton-Smith Talks Our Man in Havana & Speed Dial
Spies Like Us are bringing not one but two pieces to the 2020 Vault Festival. One - Our Man in Havana - is a fully fledged production which has already gained significant recognition and the other - Speed Dial - is a work in progress. With both arriving on the Vault scene between 3-7th March... Continue Reading →
Review: Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) (Touring)
Tuesday 25th February 2020 at Leeds Playhouse (Courtyard). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not all takes on revered classics are created equal, and the sad truth is that many fall short when it comes to revolutionising or reinvigorating the titans they optimistically take on. On to that precarious theatre scene walks the writer of this piece... With an eyebrow... Continue Reading →
Review: Kneehigh’s Ubu! (Touring)
Tuesday 4th February 2020 at Leeds Playhouse. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absurd anarchy abounds in the best possible way in Kneehigh’s latest offering. This 'promenade musical' and 'sing along satire' is a real mix - night club scene, street protest, circus act and avant-garde fearlessness come together to take us on a wild ride of satirical mudslinging. We’re... Continue Reading →
Review: Once (Touring)
Monday 3rd February at The Grand Opera House, York. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It takes all of a few mere minutes for this production to show us exactly why it has snapped up so many awards. From the rousing, foot stomping pre-curtain act delivered as the audience arrive, to the first full-pelt number from our lead, we are... Continue Reading →
Round-Up: The Best Theatre of 2019
2019 has been a fabulous year for theatre and it’s given me a grand total of 154 performances to enjoy - 147 of which have been reviewed here on the site. So what’s been seen in 2019 and what are my top picks I hear you ask? You can find both answers below! January took... Continue Reading →