Cyrano de Bergerac review: An astringent and moving adaptation December 19, 2019 Cyrano de Bergerac opens to a stark stage, with plain walls and harsh neon lighting. We are, it would seem, beyond any normal sense of time, but, as the play begins, we learn that this is actually 1640s Paris. James McAvoy takes to the stage as the titular Cyrano, man of many talents: wordsmith, master [...]
Fairview at the Young Vic review: A strange and thrilling masterpiece December 13, 2019 When talking about her Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fairview, writer Jackie Sibblies Drury explains that she cannot reveal what it is about without spoiling it. And she has a point – this really is a see-it-to-believe-it surprise of a show, and is thoroughly deserving of such anticipation. In simple terms, the story concerns a black middle-class [...]
RSC’s As You Like it at the Barbican: Fresh and flirtatious but too self-conscious November 1, 2019 The Royal Shakespeare Company’s first offering from its ensemble season at the Barbican takes us on a journey from the royal court, deep into the Forest of Arden. It’s a playful, mad, physical comedy, with a number of laugh-out-loud moments and some strong performances. Speech and tone are casual and the production feels modern, fresh [...]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is an unbridled summer joy July 11, 2019 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of three London companies presenting the Bard’s most mischievous and magical comedy this summer. How, then, does director Dominic Hill make his Dream stand out? From the outset, it’s a fresh, fun interpretation. It opens to a Riot Club-esque dinner party, with flashing lights and blaring music. The [...]
