South West

Director: Tom Morris Writer: David Greig Movement director: Sasha Milavic Davies Designer: Ti Green Composer: Jon Nicholls Lighting designer: Chris Davey Reviewer: Hugh McCann This adaptation of Touching The Void retells the classic autobiographical account of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates’ death-defying climbing trip in the Andes, written by Joes Simpson. The piece begins with Joe’s sister Sarah (Fiona Hampton) ...

Writer:  William  Shakespeare Director: Elizabeth Freestone Sound Designer: Giles Thomas Reviewer: Julia Beasley England is at odds with France. the country sees the people across the Channel as the enemy. The air is thick with jingoistic rallying cries: "Once more unto the breach…cry God for Harry, England and St George!" We’re just about to do battle with our old foes. The ...

Writer & Performer: Tom Marshman Reviewer: Leah Tozer You may find this morally wrong. I don’t. This is the irreverent, fearlessly truthful, revolutionary reaction of Geoffrey Patrick Williamson, a teenager arrested in Taunton in the fifties after approaching a plain-clothes police officer while travelling on a train. His crime? Existing as a homosexual, and what a haunted existence it was.  A Haunted ...

Writer: Nick Stafford, adapted from the novel by Michael Morpurgo Directors: Marianne Elliot and Tom Morris Reviewer: Kelyn Luther This tenth-year anniversary tour coincides with the centenary year of the end of WWI, so it’s a poignant time see War Horse back in Plymouth again. One of the National Theatre’s most successful productions, the play begins when farmer’s son Albert ...

Book: Douglas Day Stewart & Sharleen Cooper Cohen Musical Supervision: Sarah Travis Director: Nikolai Foster Reviewer: Kelyn Luther It should have been an ill omen that when this film was originally turned into a musical, it only ran for six weeks. At least songwriters Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner had a go by giving it original songs - this new ...

Composer: Jeanine Tesori Book and Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire Director: Nigel Harman  Choreographer: Josh Prince Designer: Tim Hatley Lighting Designer: Hugh Vanstone Reviewer: Leah TozerAn offbeat fairytale about being a believer in happily-ever-afters for the beautiful and ogreish alike, Shrek the Musical is a hefty, hearty, gorgeously green show that lets its Freak Flag Fly but its originality fall victim to fart gags and the far-greater film.  The original film won ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Jo Loyn Reviewer: Kelyn Luther 2018 marks the fourth year of ‘Bard in the Yard’- Barbican Theatre’s summer Shakespeare production staged outdoors in the ‘secret garden’ of Residence One, Royal William Yard. Having previously staged only comedies in this way, Macbeth might seem like an odd choice - after all, the foreboding gloom of Scotland doesn’t ...

Based on the book by Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen Director: Nikolai Foster Reviewer: Charlotte Vowles It seems surprising that it’s taken this long for the much-loved 80’s film to make its transition to the stage, but when it arrives, the cast spring to action with such impact and energy, it takes a moment for the eyes and ...