Waiting for Godot review – Beckett’s classic tragicomedy is more comedic than tragic | Theatre
SAmuel Beckett's 1953 tragicomedy about two sad men waiting by a willow tree for a mysterious figure to appear strikes a delicate balance between the absurd and the bleak, the funny and the terrifying. In James MacDonald's production, the drama between Estragon (Lucian M'Samati) and Vladimir (Ben Whishaw), who form an unspoken bond while waiting […]
Why Am I So Single? review – dating debacles from the duo behind Six | Theatre
TTwo musical theatre writers are trying to write a new show around the musical, and to complicate things further, they appear to be modelling their work on Toby Marlowe and Lucy Moss, the creators of Why Am I So Single? “Write what you know,” agents suggest. But that truism didn't apply when Marlowe and Moss […]
The Band Back Together review – witty reflections on youth and middle-age | Theatre
BRumors of a reunion seem to be circulating — at least, for one band — and here's another song that, while it may not have been as era-defining, speaks to a similar estrangement between members of a once-tight-knit group. The last time Joe (James Westphal), Ellie (Laura Evelyn) and Ross (Lois Cronin) performed together was […]
Death of England: The Plays review – Brexit-voting bailiff electrifies this post-Boris revamp | Theatre
TThe world has changed since Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ foul-mouthed, dysfunctional inner circle first delivered a fast-paced, dramatic monologue about how their lives have been shaped by Brexit. As a triptych, it begins with Michael, the son of a racist flower seller played by Rafe Spall, telling his strange story at his father’s funeral. […]
Alice in Wonderland review – down the rabbit hole and into the woods | Theatre
circleLewis Carroll’s classic children’s book is difficult to stage, with more incident than drama; the fun logic games of the novel can feel haphazard when performed, and Alice can come across as overly passive, the helpless center of a chaotic world. Playwright Andrew Pollard’s solution for Duke’s annual promenade around Williamson Park was to portray […]