London Theatre Reviews

A disconnected 'Romeo and Juliet' struggles to overcome isolation constraints

This gets an A for effort, I suppose. It can't be easy during the pandemic working on Shakespeare given the size and scope of his plays, both of which run counter to the demands of social distancing and other dictates of our infectious times. All credit, therefore, to Metcalfe Gordon Productions for even daring to mount a new Romeo and Juliet available for streaming in this climate: a project put together in two weeks that by necessity required the cast to film their parts individually so as to...

Beloved panto 'Dick Whittington' goes virtual with National Theatre at Home

The National Theatre regularly trawls the world repertoire but has only infrequently dipped a raucous toe into arguably this country's best-loved theatrical institution, the Christmas pantomime, or panto. I dimly recall a Cinderella at this address in 1983, when I had only just moved to the UK, and Christmas 2020 saw only the first panto since then - a busy, bustling, openhearted version of Dick Whittington that closed before opening night (so what else is new in these Covid-ridden days) but...

‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Old Vic highlights empathy and generosity

A lot has changed between 1843 and 2020, but when it comes to A Christmas Carol, not much feels different, especially this year. Although the Charles Dickens classic has been on stages across the world for holidays seasons for years, this year not excepted, something rings a little closer to home with the classic tale, particularly in Jack Thorne's adaptation, produced here as part of the Old Vic's virtual In Camera series. Ebenezer Scrooge is a bit like Covid-19 to start, in that his...

'The Comeback' at the Noel Coward Theatre is a madcap respite

The Comeback? More like The Shutdown, if Tuesday night's performance this week was any gauge, given that London theatreland went dark yet again as of the next morning. That decision was in accordance with tier 3 restrictions prohibiting people from gathering in playhouses, even though the "sold out" sign in front of the Noel Coward Theatre was met, upon entry into the auditorium, with plenty of deliberately empty seats in accordance with COVID-era protocol pertaining to social distancing and the...

Mischief Movie Night is a hilarious, 75-minute improv delight

There's nothing like seeing old friends at holiday time, even if they're onstage. Or especially if they're onstage in this of all blighted years, which I'm sure many would agree can't come to an end soon enough. Imagine my delight, therefore, late one recent afternoon to enter the newly socially distanced Vaudeville Theatre and find the ever-wonderful Mischief Theatre troupe back not with Magic Goes Wrong, the Penn and Teller collaboration with which they were last represented at this address....

'Flight' at the Bridge Theatre is a soaring dramatic feat

This really is a small wonder. Created by Scottish company Vox Motus and first seen three years ago, it's the story of two orphaned brothers, Aryan and Kabir, who flee their home in Afghanistan to make a new life in London. It's based on the novel Hinterland, by Caroline Brothers - but this, co-presented here by the Bridge and the Barbican, is no ordinary literary adaptation. Instead, its perilous odyssey unfolds in exquisitely detailed model boxes, arranged as a revolving diorama. Each audience...

'A Christmas Carol' at the Dominion is a sugary holiday treat

With no shortage of visitations by the spooky seasonal favourite this year, why the Dickens would you pick this one? If it's political punch you're after, there's Jack Thorne's Old Vic adaptation (online, thanks to Covid). And for stripped-back storytelling and virtuoso acting, the Bridge's three-hander is the obvious choice. But if you've been missing large-scale spectacle, and you crave the heart-soaring joy of song and dance, then this might be just the ticket.It's a lavish concert version of...

'SIX' brings the girl power party back to the West End

The queens are back, and they're beautiful. Since their creation by Cambridge University students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss in 2017, when they first sashayed before audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, these ritzily reincarnated wives of Henry VIII have stomped their way into the theatre history books. The show - more rock revue than musical - transferred to the West End and became an international hit. Its Broadway opening was delayed by the Covid crisis, but doubtless its conquering of...

'Death Drop' is playful and delightfully silly, oozing with natural charisma

While not marketed directly as a Christmas show, there is more than a touch of pantomime to Death Drop. Written by Holly Stars, the self-described "Dragatha Christie Murder Mystery" is a glitzy, if somewhat straggly show.The premise is fairly simple — set in 1991, against a stage design which can only be described as what might happen if the set of The Mousetrap was put in a blender with The Pink Panther, a group of guests, ranging from the washed up 80s popstar Shazza (Courtney Act), the stuffy...

'Nine Lessons and Carols' at the Almeida is a mixed bag of vignettes

Add the Almeida to the gratifying list of London playhouses that are opening their doors this week for the first time since March, following directly on the heels of another Off-West End mainstay, the Hampstead. But whereas that northwest London venue is currently looking towards the past by way of a Harold Pinter play (The Dumb Waiter) from 60 years ago, the Almeida has its eye on the here and now - specifically, a fragmentary play devised for our fraught times that draws its title from the...