Friday 13th March 2020 at York Theatre Royal (Studio). ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Out of Character Theatre’s Less Than Human certainly feels loudly reflective of the world outside theatre doors right now. Exploring ideas about social inequality and ‘survival of the fittest’ we meet a semi-civilisation in which ‘lesser’ beings are left to die in stairwells and those... Continue Reading →
Review: Ghost Stories (Touring)
Tuesday 11th March 2020 at the Grand Opera House, York ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When it comes to this spooky joint venture from Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, it’s so much more about the journey than the destination. Using all bells, smoke, trickery and whistles available, this production swiftly creates a mild hysteria within its audience. If you’re... Continue Reading →
Review: Alone in Berlin (Touring)
Friday 6th March 2020 at York Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alone in Berlin comes to the stage as Alistair Beaton’s translation and adaptation of Hans Fallada’s 1947 novel Every Man Dies Alone. Set in wartime Berlin as the Gestapo roam the streets with menace, the story is one which builds on details of the life and... Continue Reading →
Review: Oliver Twist At Leeds Playhouse
Wednesday 4th March 2020 at Leeds Playhouse (Quarry Theatre). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oliver Twist has once more found his way back to a stage and Amy Leach directs a brand new Dickens adaptation from Bryony Lavery - one that wholly embraces its gritty and disturbing origins. A co-production of Leeds Playhouse and Ramps on the Moon, this... Continue Reading →
Review: Cabaret (Touring)
Tuesday 3rd March 2020 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️Cabaret returns to the stage in a raw and playfully warped form in this latest tour of the the 1966 musical (Book: Joe Masteroff, Music and lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb). Directed by Rufus Norris with an unnerving flair for the dark... Continue Reading →
Review: The Welkin at the National Theatre
Saturday 22nd February 2020 at the National Theatre, London. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Welkin is a fantastic example of past and present colliding, offering harsh realities, intelligent light relief and dramatic revelations to leave craters in the stage. Educating and entertaining as much as it interrogates and grips, Lucy Kirkwood’s new play presents us with riveting shifting... 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: A Monster Calls (Touring)
Tuesday 18th February 2020 at Nottingham Theatre Royal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Monster Calls has captured many hearts since Patrick Ness’ novel was published in 2011 - a work inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd. Telling a tough-to-tackle story through innovative approaches to design and staging, the piece handles the delicate subjects of illness and mortality... Continue Reading →
Review: A Shadow of Doubt at Harrogate Theatre
Tuesday 11th February 2020 at Harrogate Theatre (Studio). ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Doubt and shadows do indeed pervade this interesting piece from Gill Mcvey, who writes, directs and stars as the daughter of a mother lost to dementia and a husband lost to an abrupt, unexpected end. Now living with her father and greeted daily by a warmly... Continue Reading →