Scotland

Lyrics: Tim Rice Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Director: Bill Kenwright Reviewer: Edie Ranvier It’s hard to go wrong with a bit of “Joseph”. It’s coming up for fifty years since the musical, inspired by the biblical tale of Joseph and his brothers and penned by the unsurpassable double-act of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, opened for its professional premiere ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Erica Whyman Reviewer: Caitlin Scollin Erica Whyman's production of Romeo and Juliet gives a contemporary edge to the most famous love story ever told. Whyman gives William Shakespeare's original text a sense of realism and humour, grounding the play in an environment much more familiar to the audience. This is reflected through a diverse cast which ...

Director: Scottee Choreography: Lea Anderson Reviewer: Dominic Corr There’s something about being fat isn’t there? Puts a target on you we just accept. So many ugly words leap to mind describing this 'epidemic'. All redundant here, chances are one of the Fat Blokes onstage has heard it (or worse). Described as a ‘sort of dance’ what you are about to ...

Director & Choreography: David Bintley Musical Director: Koen Kessels  Reviewer: Dominic Corr Sixteen years ago, David Bintley reimagined what is perhaps fairy tales' most recognisable story. Returning to the stage, the Birmingham Royal Ballet seeks to capture the illustrious nature of the piece, whilst showcasing some of the nation’s finest dancers in the timeless classic – Beauty and the Beast. ...

Libretto: W.S. Gilbert Music: Arthur Sullivan Artistic Director: Alan Borthwick Musical Director: David Lyle Reviewer: Edie Ranvier When you think about it, it’s funny that The Mikado has lasted like it has. Why should droves of punters still turn out to watch musical satire that was topical in the late nineteenth century? And given that they do, why should the ...

Writer: Iman Qureshi Director: Hannah Hauer-King Reviewer: Dominic Corr Death. Each faith, nation and individual have their own thoughts, prayers and customs surrounding the event. The Funeral Director, winner of Papatango’s 10th annual new writing prize tackles the Islamic faith’s relationship with same-sex relationships and the concealed secrets associated with it. Being a funeral director is far from the most ...

Conceived, written and directed by Matthew Lenton Music & Lyrics: Biff Smith Reviewer: Dominic Corr Below the soil, amidst the worms and the spiders you might just hear clinking glasses, it might just be The Dark Carnival. When we die – we die. Tragic I hear you say, but as Mrs Eugenia Mark herself proclaim; 'it’s more fun than being ...

Writer: August Strindberg Adaptation: Zinnie Harris Director: Shilpa T-Hyland Reviewer: Tom Ralphs When Strindberg’s Miss Julie was first performed in Sweden in 1889 it shocked audiences who may have been expecting the scandalous subject matter, but certainly weren’t expecting the dark psychological exploration that came with it. 130 years later, the play remains a benchmark for its exploration of class, ...