Book and Lyrics: Andy Stanton Music:Jim Fortune Director:Amy Hodge Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Schools out for the summer and theatreland has given itself over to feel-good comedies and family-friendly shows designed to entertain young and old alike. The National Theatre’s big summer production for kids is a musical adaptation of Andy Stanton’s book Mr Gum and the Dancing Beargiven surreal but ...
Read More »
Book: James Lapine Music and Lyrics: William Finn Director: Mehmet Ergen Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys The epitome of dysfunctional, the Hoover family travel 800 miles from Albuquerque, New Mexico in grandpa’s beaten up VW camper van to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, California, so the youngest member of the clan, the unlikely Olive, can compete. So goes William ...
Read More »
Book: James Lapine Music and Lyrics: William Finn Director: Mehmet Ergen Reviewer: Maryam Philpott William Finn’s adaptation of Little Miss Sunshine promises much, wacky scenarios, a loveable misfit family and the most musical of themes, self-belief. And while no one likes to be upstaged, the success of Finn’s production, receiving its European premiere at the Arcola Theatre, relies on the glittering ...
Read More »
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 ...
Read More »
Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Daniel Buckroyd Reviewer: Mel Duncan ‘Forget your troubles, come on get happy’. A dark and seedy underbelly to the glittering silver screen is exposed when one considers the use of amphetamines on set. Fed to young actors by doctors on studio payroll, these pills were a way of enabling Mickey Rooney and contemporaries cope with the ...
Read More »
Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Daniel Buckroyd Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys Judy Garland is in London with her soon-to-be fifth husband Mickey Deans, ostensibly to complete a six-week residency at the Talk of the Town, but in reality to pay off her substantial debts and hopefully kick-start her career. Forty-seven years on from her demise, Garland’s name still has the power to ...
Read More »
Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Daniel Buckroyd Reviewer: Selwyn Knight It’s December 1968 and Judy Garland has been booked to perform at London’s Talk of the Town for a five-week run. There can be little doubt that she needs this engagement – previous concerts in Australia have been a shambles thanks to her chaotic personal life and her finances have ...
Read More »
Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Daniel Buckroyd Reviewer: Michael Hootman Second only to Marilyn in the tragic female icon stakes, Judy Garland’s life is a cautionary tale about the perils of too much drink, too many drugs and looking for love in all the wrong places. Peter Quilter’s play sees Judy (Lisa Maxwell) near the end of her life playing ...
Read More »
The Reviews Hub Champions of truly nationwide theatre coverage