Tag Archives: Swan Theatre

Writer: Thomas Otway Director: Prasanna Puwanarajah Reviewer: Gemma Fincher Political unrest, anarchy, rebellion and corruption meet futuristic ‘80’s cyberpunk in this dystopian re-imagining of Thomas Otway’s restoration thriller. First staged in 1682, this tragedy of disillusionment,unfulfilled expectations and distrust of the establishment yields eerie parallels with today’s political climate and the appetite for a change to the status quo. Set ...

Writer: John Vanbrugh Director: Phillip Breen Reviewer: James Garrington Lady Brute is bored. She married in haste and her husband has turned out to be a tedious drunk who’d rather spend time with his friends than with her. So, helped by her niece Bellinda, she decides to spice up her love life by having a dalliance with a younger man ...

Book, Music and Lyrics: Sam Kenyon Director: Erica Whyman Reviewer: James Garrington “We know about so many unremarkable men and so few remarkable women”. So says Joan Littlewood in this production, in a clear reference to herself – because for many outside the world of theatre, the name Joan Littlewood may not mean very much at all. Working during the mid-20th century, ...

Writer: Mary Pix Director: Jo Davies Reviewer: Katy Roberts Jo Davies is the third director to pick up the baton in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Spring/Summer 2018 season; a season that, for the first time in the Company’s history, sees the staging of four works directed solely by women. Whilst Maria Aberg and Polly Findlay’s productions are works by ...

Writer: John Webster Director: Maria Aberg Reviewer: Katy Roberts Maria Aberg returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) with an arresting and timely production of John Webster’s revenge tragedy The Duchess of Malfi. Masculinity and madness loom large throughout, and Aberg’s clever direction and Naomi Dawson’s powerful staging bring the issue of toxic masculinity front and centre with devastating consequences ...

Writer: Christopher Marlowe Director: Kimberley Sykes Reviewer: John Kennedy  The she-wolf suckled twins, Romulus and Remus, sacrosanct symbols of Ancient Rome’s foundation, never got in the way of shrewd chancer and Roman poet, Virgil, in his bid to re-jig legend and myth in pursuit of a lucrative propaganda pitch. Plagiarising, ‘reimagining’ Homer’s Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid epic celebrates the perilous voyages ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Gregory Doran Reviewer:  John Kennedy You are the apotheosis of male perfection – Adonis (the clue's in the name). The Goddess of Love, Venus (ditto) is desperate to get you in the sack and at your sacs in a leafy glade down among the blue-veined violets – best not to dwell on that image. But, Lydian ...

Writer: Oscar Wilde Director: Owen Horsley Reviewer:  James Garrington When Oscar Wilde’s lyrical one-act drama was written in 1892 it was banned as blasphemous while still in rehearsal. It wasn’t until four years later and a French translation that it was actually performed in Paris, not making a public appearance in Britain until 1931 when the ban was lifted. The ...