London’s one unforgiveable crime
Everyone knows the rules. London invented trains that run underground as well as the protocol that makes the system bearable.…
One for hardcore fans: Golden Boy reviewed
Golden Boy, written by Clifford Odets in 1937, feels like a Norman Wisdom movie. A talented boxer wants to become…
A sumptuous set that’s too good for the play
The Children by Lucy Kirkwood is a life-or-death drama about three ageing boffins invited to fix a broken atomic power…
Never trust a happy jogger
What is it for? Jogging means being in a hurry to get nowhere in particular as fast as possible. And…
Why has the National chosen to put on this cumbersome old play?
The National Theatre’s latest show, written in 2003, has bundles of energy and ideas. A thrusting young reporter, Yvonne, investigates…
Marilyn Monroe was a bore
Who Killed Marilyn? is a new show about an old subject. Sharleen Cooper Cohen’s play examines the circumstances surrounding Marilyn’s…
My radical plan for the House of Lords
A neighbour betrayed me to her 16-year-old son. ‘Lloyd knows about politics,’ she told the youngster. ‘He can help you…
A classic Alan Ayckbourn that’s made for Roger Allam
How the Other Half Loves is the play that established Alan Ayckbourn’s name as a writer of farce. Frank and…
The star of the Fringe
Attention spans at Edinburgh are brief. With thousands of shows on offer, the punters have to make a split-second decision…
Confessions of a dog hater
‘Do you like animals?’ asked the woman at the door, collecting for a zoo. ‘No, I hate them, they keep…
The slow death of the Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Fringe is getting bigger. Last year’s total of 3,893 shows is surpassed this year by 4,206 productions. More…
Zack Polanski reveals his instant soup politics
Zack Polanski enjoyed a cosy conversation with Iain Dale at the Edinburgh festival yesterday. They sounded and acted like old…
An enjoyable circus show masquerading as education
Brainiac Live! is a ‘family science’ show based on a popular Sky TV programme. It’s ideal for children under 12…
My friend the failure – and the star
‘Altogether Elsewhere.’ The title page of an unpublished travel book caught my eye during a recent clear-out. The author, Matthew…
The Trainspotting musical is made for cruise ships
Plenty of critics have mocked Trainspotting – the musical (with lyrics and music by Irvine Welsh and Stephen McGuinness, respectively)…
This J. Edgar Hoover musical is destined for Broadway
Here Comes J. Edgar! has a brash poster featuring a cross-dressing FBI agent in fishnet tights with his thighs splayed…
How has Tower Hamlets really spent my council tax?
How does Tower Hamlets spend my council tax? I’ve been shovelling cash at them for 19 years so I strolled…
A funny, unorthodox Much Ado About Nothing
You may need to do a spot of homework before attending Tilly No-Body at the Arcola. Acted and written by…
Springwood is a waste of time
Springwood, set in June 1939, looks at a series of tricky meetings between the American president FDR and George VI…
The day the bishop hit me in the face
The bishop hit us in the face. That was the best thing about confirmation. When I was 12, along with…
A Sinatra musical for hardcore fans
Sinatra: The Musical dramatises the star’s career during a minor wobble in the early 1950s. After falling from grace, Sinatra…
The power of Glengarry Glen Ross
The Old Vic presents an eccentric new version of David Mamet’s ultra-masculine play, Glengarry Glen Ross. Director Patrick Marber populates…
The NHS believes in fairness – they treat everyone with equal contempt
Edward Gibbon was troubled by a swelling in his lower abdomen. I have the same condition. ‘Wow. That’s huge,’ said…
A play that shows Iranian society is like our own
Under the Shadow is a timely drama set in Tehran in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq war. Saddam’s missiles are raining…
Michelle Terry is ferocious in Brecht’s simplistic tutorial
Bertolt Brecht’s classic, Mother Courage, is about a female war profiteer who drags a wagon of supplies through no man’s…
