Writer: Samuel Bailey Director: George Turvey Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Already the winner of a new playwriting prize, the premiere of Samuel Bailey’s Shook set in a young offenders’ institute comes loaded with expectation. The judges of the Papatango prize clearly spotted something a bit special in Bailey’s writing and this debut production at Southwark Playhouse, directed by George Turvey, rages ...
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Book: Stewart Melton Director: Amy Draper Music and Lyrics: Finn Anderson Reviewer: Karl O’Doherty An exciting burst of sound, folklore and danger tells the story of an island under threat, about to be torn apart for the second time in its history. Blending reality and mythic fantasy, the musical calls back to a time when stories and imagination were the ...
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Writer: Dave Malloy Director: Alex Sutton Reviewer: David Guest A breathtaking synthesis of musical styles and an offbeat story that resonates through the ages could be the most exciting and mind-blowing UK premiere to hit a London stage this year. Dave Malloy’s Preludes is outrageously anachronistic, compellingly creative and devastatingly frank as it dares to paint a picture of a cruel ...
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Writer: Chloe Moss Director: Charlotte Peters Reviewer: David Guest Brief encounters with lost souls form the framework of the deceptively quiet but powerful How Love Is Spelt at Southwark Playhouse. It’s the first major revival of the assured and mature play by Chloe Moss since its premiere at the Bush Theatre in 2004 and it remains pertinent to today,resonating with the ...
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Music and Lyrics: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul Book: Peter Duncan Director: Dean Johnson Reviewer: Karl O’Doherty The freewheeling, cocky musicality and choreography through Dogfight boost two seemingly competing forces. On the one hand we have the vibrant macho camaraderie of three marines who are on a night out following basic training. On the other, the ugly, muscular bullying of entitled ...
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Book and lyrics: Lynn Ahrens Music: Stephen Flaherty Director and choreographer: Lee Proud Reviewer: Stephen Bates Continuing The British Theatre Academy’s 2019 Summer Season, Once On This Island is a revival of a short musical which was seen on Broadway in 1990 and in the West End in 1994, the latter production winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. ...
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Music and Lyrics: Steven Schwartz Book:David Stern Director:Séimí Campbell Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Poor Geppetto! One minute he’s a successful toymaker living a bachelor lifestyle then one ill-advised wish later and he’s a single father to a human-puppet boy with a wilful mind of his own. Stephen Schwarz and David Stern’s My Son Pinocchio Jr reimagines the famous fairy tale from the ...
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Book, music and lyrics: Alex James Ellison and Tom Lees Director: Tom Lees Reviewer: Stephen Bates The Small space at Southwark Playhouse is turning into fertile territory for new British musicals. Just a few weeks after The Curious Case of Benjamin Button emerged as, arguably, the fringe hit of 2019, here comes a refreshing offering from a young team that ...
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