South East

Writer: Eleanor Bergstein Director: Russ Spencer Reviewer: Simon Topping  Dirty Dancing is one of those 1980’s iconic films everyone has seen by the time they reach their teens, even though, upon intense questioning, some would deny it. Judging by the diversity of the Brighton audience, the classic coming-of-age tale appears to appeal to all generations, captivating the young just as ...

Book: Rachel Wagstaff based on the novel by Paul Gallico Music and Lyrics: Richard Taylor Director: Daniel Evans  Reviewer: Simon Topping  Director Daniel Evans brings this award-winning 2016 musical, from his previous creative home in Sheffield, to Chichester for its first outing since its revision and shortening of act one. Set in a food and clothes rationed, shell-shocked, south London ...

Writer: Alan Bennett Director: Philip Franks Reviewer: Michael Hootman The Habit of Art sees Alan Bennett stake his claim to the same theatrical territory inhabited by Tom Stoppard. Habit is very much a play of ideas. Or, to put it more bluntly, a play of too many ideas. It’s a play-within-a-play which examines the very idea of theatrical devices whilst ...

Creative Director: Julius Green Reviewer: Victoria Bawtree Circus meets West End in this gloriously quirky and creative show. Performers from across the world are represented here with an endless variety of traditional and contemporary skills entwined. Impressively, what might have been a simple variety show becomes a unique and unified production through careful staging and storytelling. Apart from one specific ...

Writer: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields Director: Mark Bell Reviewer: Jo Payne First performed a mere 4 years ago, The Play That Goes Wrong has taken London, the UK and the world by storm. It is no surprise at all that this is the case as sometimes the most successful shows have the simplest concept. For this show, an ...

Book: Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen Director: Nikolai Foster Reviewer: Victoria Bawtree This could be a show that splits its audience: those that know and love the film will likely be won over, but for those who don’t, the near-constant stream of 80s hits may or may not be enough to keep all onside. Douglas Day Stewart’s original ...

Writer: Peter Yates Adaptor: Michael Gyngell and Mark Haddigan Director: Racky Plews Reviewer: Cathy Swaby What better way to celebrate this belting hot summer in Brighton than to pop along to see the “feel good” 1963 musical Summer Holiday, which is playing to overheated audiences at the Theatre Royal this week. Performing to standing ovations and sing along crowds, this ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Tom Littler Reviewer: Steve Turner Written towards the end of the sixteenth century Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost features the longest scene and the longest word in any of his works. There is also more than the usual helping of sophisticated wordplay and convoluted literary references, such that it might seem a little impenetrable. Thankfully the Guildford ...