Hamlet: a play that speaks to pandemics past and present
Elizabeth Schafer watches Sir Ian McKellan in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and finds there is much to relate to and learn from as our world widens and we learn t…
The Visit
A grotesquely funny, undeniably elegant (slightly overlong) visionary revenge play with star turns from Lesley Manville and Hugo Weaving. Laurence Green review…
The Welkin
Science versus superstition, and an inadequate legal system against mob hunger for justice are two themes in Lucy Kirkwood’s gutsy new play, The Welkin. …
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Joel Horwood’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a production which will excite, unsettle and enchant in equal measure both adults and children, writes…
Theatre review of the year 2019
50connect theatre critic Laurence Green selects his top productions from 2019, including the superb Jesus Hopped the A Train and Sally Field’s excellent …
The Antipodes
A journey to the centre of America’s dark heart is provided by Annie Baker in her latest play The Antipodes (Dorfman Theatre at the National) which is al…
The Doctor
‘A timeless work, performed with great bravado, which manages to be both powerful and thought-provoking.’ Laurence Green reviews The Doctor.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Bridge Theatre
Nicholas Hytner returns to the Bridge Theatre once again with another Shakespearn classic, this time venturing out of Rome and into the dream-forest outside of…
On Your Feet
Christie Prades gives a performance of great personal magnetism, tenderness and sensitivity in this absorbing and occasionally moving musical about the life of…
Rutherford and Son
An impressive, intimate family drama that has aged well and provides plenty of topical resonance in its sense of festering tensions between the generations, wr…
Death of a Salesman
Wendell Pierce excels in this compassionate, psychologically acute interpretation of Arthur Miller’s classic that allows us to see a familiar play with f…
All My Sons
Sally Field and Bill Pullman bring a real sense of authenticity to this production that is a testament to the enduring power of Arthur Miller’s appeal to…
Top Girls
Top Girls presents an argument for compassion, as well as a sharp look at social inequality in a country divided by its own ambitions, writes Laurence Green.
Admissions
Alex Kingston and Andrew Woodall are perfectly cast in Joshua Harmon’s satirical comedy skewering of the hypocrisies of the liberal left.
Only Fools and Horses
An affectionate, if lightweight, homage to the classic BBC sitcom with delightful performances from Tom Bennett (Del Boy) and Paul Whitehouse (Grandad). Lauren…
The Price
Arthur Miller’s The Price is a powerful study of reunion and confrontation that yields a chest-full of pertinent and painful reflections on the forces th…
The Tragedy of King Richard the Second
Simon Russell Beale effortlessly holds the attention as Shakespeare’s flawed monarch, but overall it is a production that lacks both clarity and insight,…
Theatre review of the year 2018
Laurence Green selects his top 10 theatre productions from a year which saw a resurgence of quality musicals and some memorable reworked classics.
Don Quixote
Andrew Jackson’s RSC production of Don Quixote is overlong but achieves genuine poignancy while the clanky-armoured, straggly-haired David Threlfall look…
Antony & Cleopatra
Antony & Cleopatra is both epic and intimate with shining performances from Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo as the titular leads showing that passion and…
The Importance of Being Earnest at The Vaudeville Theatre
Laurence Green enjoys one of the most immaculately crafted stage comedies of all time as The Importance of Being Earnest concludes a year-long celebration of t…
Pressure
David Haig’s debut play expertly combines elements of excitement, drama and self doubt as crucial decisions are made in the hours leading up to the pivot…
Nine Night
“Nine Night is a moving and very funny play with a rich emotional depth that gives firm voice to the Windrush generation” writes Laurence Green.
Tina
A performance of power and finesse brings this biopic of rock icon Tina Turner to life and is a celebration of the singer’s triumph over adversity, write…
A Spoonful of Sherman
A supercalifragilistic musical about prolific Disney Studios songwriters the Sherman brothers sets off on a national tour with a real bounce in its step. Chris…
Theatre review – Frozen
Laurence Green reviews Jonathan Munby’s revival production of Bryony Lavery’s 1998 crime drama, Frozen.
The Grinning Man
Laurence Green reviews Tom Morris’s production of the macabre new musical, The Grinning Man.
Pinocchio
Laurence Green reviews John Tiffany’s inventive and funny revival of the Disney classic, Pinocchio.
Everybody’s talking about Jamie
Laurence Green reviews Jonathan Butterell’s new feel-good musical hit, Everybody’s talking about Jamie.
The Lady from the Sea
“An absorbing and thought-provoking production that attains just the right emotional pitch”, Laurence Green reviews Elinor Cook’s, The Lady f…
Five Guys Named Moe
Five Guys Named Moe has its limitations but once it gets going it delivers a life-affirming experience like no other! Writes Laurence Green.
Evita
Laurence Green rediscovers his love for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita enjoying an emotionally rich work which has grown in stature over the years.
Mosquitoes
Laurence Green reviews Lucy Kirkwood’s bold and ambitious tale of sibling rivalry, Mosquitoes.
Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Laurence Green reviews Lanie Robertson’s superb production about Billie Holliday, Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill.