The Years @ Harold Pinter Theatre

Adapting an epic novel which spans multiple decades is no easy feat, and in particular, one which follows the same woman through phases of her life. Eline Arbo’s adaptation tackles this with seeming ease; with 5 actors portraying the woman at each phase of her life, while also embodying the other people and events in her orbit, there is no artifice of realism. The production’s clever staging brings to life major events, all while making it quite clear we are watching a performance.

Each of the 5 women is given some properly chunky material to work through, the emotional baggage we pick up as we age, the memories of the past. There is no weak link in this production, across the script, performers, direction, and design. It is clearly well conceived — so much so that it makes me wonder whether there could be another production that would do it justice.

As you can imagine, covering the life of a woman who was born during WW2 through the many radical shifts of female rights and public existence in this time, from illegal back room abortions to the feminist movement and increase of divorce rates covers a lot of ground. In what definitely didn’t seem like the first time (from the swift professionalism of stage management and the exceptional technique of the performers to pause and then drop back in) the show had to be stopped due to someone in the audience being overwhelmed by the abortion scene. While it is risque as far as West End performance, it was brilliant to see materials that was modern, feminist, and intellectually challenging on a West End stage.

A very good production of a good script - definitely worth your evening.

... blackbird hour @ Bush Theatre

...blackbird hour is told primarily through Eshe, a young woman battling demons. We see her primarily anchored to her bed, a place of comfort but also one of enablement. Voiceover haunts and interacts with her heavily at first, and then with a lighter touch as she is visited by two lovers, each of whom represent a connection to one of the sides of her. The text is delightfully poetic; sharp and soft at the same time, moving through the story with intense reality, heightened through the language to align with Eshe’s heightened state, her struggle. As it shifts further into Eshe’s mind, reality shifts. Where in earlier scenes Eshe is the one who is outside normality, while Ella and Michael are grounded, later on the tone shifts so that we experience from Eshe’s point of view, Ella and Michael becoming exaggerated and robotic, and the experience of time expanded yet contracted. 

While this is not babiyre bukilwa’s first production, it was their first play — which makes the quality of the language and layers of the story all the more astounding. This is a masterful piece of writing that gets inside mental illness in a truly unique way. 

Evlyne Oyedokun is powerful as Eshe. She moves through rippling emotional shifts effortlessly, shaping the manic and depressive moments with care. Despite rarely leaving the bed for a significant period of the play, she is physically dynamic and engaging, embodying Eshe with every ounce of her being. This is a thoughtful, nuanced, and challenging performance of difficult content and text. 

One element that will stick with me, however, is the inclusion of surtitles. Where many productions will include these, projected across the top in plain colours, never moving...this production made them a part of the experience of the play. Words appeared in different fonts, colours, and positions in alignment with who was speaking them, which was ingenious to create the different voices visually. But most importantly, the pace of words appearing and disappearing had a powerful effect; at times the delay versus what was spoken aided in tense moments, creating the effect of feeling the character’s mouth was racing ahead of their thoughts as we often do in arguments....or conversely, when a word or phrase remained projected during a pause, it quite literally hung in the silence, echoing at us through the visual representation. This was an incredibly powerful choice to not only make accessibility a part of the production, but arguably a part of the storytelling itself. 

Five Lines @ Barbican Pit for Mime London Festival

Five Lines bills itself as micro cinema; live projected and manipulated models of miniature objects, with a mixture of live and pre recorded sound as well as video, and some moments of live action. The seed of the idea was interesting; a couple meet and fall in love, then there is a natural disaster and they are forced to live in a shady underground hierarchical world where their work is exploited, and their interests (he a musician, she an activist) diverge. The cast were responsible for manipulating the scenes and lights, as well as the cinematography. There was a lot going on, a lot of ideas, but rarely did they feel like they held together for more than a moment or two.

Choices around how elements were used, and the scale of action, or even what was live/manipulated/pre recorded felt arbitrary and confusing. Indeed even choices around when to see the manipulation of miniatures and when it was “magic” were inconsistent and arbitrary. This isn’t to detract from the skill of the performers, or the seed of the idea…it simply did not translate into anything compelling or meaningful.

Not A Word - Bru Theatre @ Barbican Pit for Mime London Festival

Not A Word is a poetic, wordless reflection on the loneliness of those living and working abroad, with specific reference to the Navvies who left Ireland to work in ports, in gruelling, lonely jobs.

A unique and thoughtful production, this piece challenges our perception both of the story as it unfolds, but our expectations of reality. A world is created, rules understood, and then these expectations are upended in a moment of surprise or shift, playing with surreal moments such as a magical world appearing in a cupboard, while hyper real moments abound such as a functioning tap and steaming kettle. The innovative use of these elements created a strong and cohesive overall production. The use of music and sound was innovative as well, creating a representation of both the real shipyard and the fanciful memory of home, layering live and recorded sound in real time, almost overwhelming and creating a sense of this for the audience, replicating what the character felt, too.

Absolutely beautiful, breathtaking work, that took its time.

La Manekine @ Barbican Pit for Mime London Festival

Le Manékine is a dark fairytale, told through music, clown, puppetry, and video, all of which come together through the evocative performances of the two performers. The production shifts in its magnitude, starting with small puppets, shifting to bigger mask and full body puppetry, transforming the two performers into a whole suite of characters. Video then supplements, with stop motion style masked performers progressing the story. This is all underscored by one performer who plays so many instruments I lost count, often multiple at once. The music was truly integral, and supported the transformation of the other performer between many characters, each unique physically and vocally. The creation of spaces through small objects and puppet focus was inventive and fun.  

It had moments that didn’t quite work, specifically some of the earlier song breaks, although they fed into the final one which was haunting. Overall a unique and playful performance that packs a punch. 

Hold On To Your Butts @ Arcola Theatre

Positioned as a low-budget live action re-enactment of Jurassic Park….in a theatre….Hold On To Your Butts is a semi-improvised theatrical presentation of the story of the film (sort of), with silly character traits emphasised, and cardboard cut out kid’s basement style interpretations of costumes to create the heightened moments of the story.

It had moments of humour, but for me just wasn’t sufficiently a parody, or sufficiently campy to elicit more than a chuckle, leaving me to question what the point was. Granted, the audience seemed to enjoy the point of view more than I, so perhaps I am just not quite the right audience for this. It wasn’t bad, it just for me wasn’t particularly new or interesting.

OffWestEnd Awards - Assessors & Productions Wanted!

The OffWest End Awards (or Offies) celebrate exceptional work in London’s smaller venues, and has done for many years now. This fully volunteer-run organisation consists of theatre makers and critics who love theatre, and want to help celebrate and showcase this work. Work that is often small, new, experimental — or all those things at once.

I joined the team in late 2023, as an assessor. I’ve found it to be a really exciting way to see shows that I might not otherwise be aware of, learn about venues, and keep current on the context of contemporary performance in one of the busiest theatre communities in the English Speaking world. Since the start of 2024, I’ve been co-lead of the IDEA category, specifically focussed on innovative and experimental theatre, the work that pushes boundaries of form and content. I’m honoured to spend many of my evenings assessing innovation in theatres across London, and celebrating creators that are continually extending our understanding of what makes great performance.

Importantly, it has been a way for me to continue to contribute to the conversation about contemporary theatre-making, even when not directing or writing myself. I’ve been fortunate to get to take in many brilliant and boundary-pushing pieces of performance, which inspire my own practice.

We are always looking for news about productions in the community, and welcome interested parties to become assessors and help celebrate new work in London.

Do you have a show that you want to promote, and potentially be considered for an Offie?
Producers can submit details on their show here.

Are you a theatremaker or critic who wants to contribute on a voluntary basis as an assessor?
Fill in the application form here to be considered to join our exciting team

The Devil Wears Prada @ Dominion Theatre

One expects high camp from an adaptation of a cult classic film about fashion, with music by Elton John and starting Vanessa Williams. And to a large extent, the production delivers. It is silly and delightful and funny — at times it takes a serious turn to tackle subjects like impostor syndrome and growing up gay, but a chuckle is never far away.

Adapting a cult classic movie for the stage is tricky; you have to contend with the ghosts of a production not just that people saw or read about, but have watched repeatedly, memorising not only the script and snappy one liners, but the cadence and delivery of each beat. The West End production does a decent job at balancing this, giving faithful audience members the lines they want, while also trying to get new life out of the material.

The music is very good, enhanced by incredible performers. The lyrics and script, however, let the production down; attempts at new text fall flat, and often the rhymes in the songs feel shoehorned. The choreography and design (particularly the costumes). Where some scenes choreography is cleverly pedestrian, using runway struts and campy drag style movements to enhance the story, some scenes feel almost as if the choreo was thrown together on a lunch break, eliciting no meaning from the text or moment in the play. Similarly the costumes are uneven, some opulent, some Primark.

On the whole it isn’t a bad production — and the people it is directed to will adore the campy fun of the entire experience. You enter The Dominion Theatre and feel as if you’re at an exclusive party — house music playing, backdrop for red carpet photos, beautiful flowers and RUNWAY posters abound (a beautiful foreshadow to the most exceptional scene in the play, the Met Gala style event which echoes Phantom’s Masquerade). The performances are exceptional from all leads, and they’re supported by a generally strong chorus.

So long as you go expecting camp, not commentary, you’ll have a great time.

Nutcracker - Birmingham Royal Ballet at Royal Albert Hall

My first time seeing a ballet staged for the iconic Royal Albert Hall, and it did not disappoint. Making use of the thrust stage, the production invited the audience to feel a part of the action, not only for those sitting practically on stage, but for the entire audience. Making use of the height of the building, the clever design brought objects down from the ceiling, ran through the floor aisles, and even projected up to the skies, creating a feeling of being inside the production (quite literally when we were inside the tree for the dream sequence).

The BRB’s nutcracker is a mix of work by several choreographers, and this is apparent at times, when the movement style and even spacing choices change abruptly. At times this is to positive effect as we jump between worlds, however at times it is jarring. Notwithstanding, the company were exceptional, of particular note our Nutcracker Prince (guest appearing from another company) and Clara. I was left a bit underwhelmed by sugarplum, however.

All that said, it was probably the most magical experience I have ever had at the ballet - I can only imagine how life changing this would be for a small child seeing it.

Aladdin @ Watford Palace Theatre

Watford’s panto offering this year benefits from a strong cast of highly talented performers, strong musical direction, and clever and inventive design. Re-imagining the story of Aladdin, there are hijinks and a little magic. There are talking animals - the monkey sidekick you expect (an incredible Kate Donnachie) but also a duck (replacing the princess’ confidant tiger), and a frog — not sure of the reason for the frog other than a single (very funny) bit. 

The design really shines, with the lights in particular working extra time to create many magical stage moments. The illusion in particular to create the flying carpet is achieved to outstanding effect.

The script isn’t the greatest, but it is more than made up for by the talented cast, who squeeze every drop of comedy out of it; in particular John Henry Falle as Abanazer the villain is delightful in his improvised banter with the audience. 

Overall a a strong performance supported by great design, which covered for an okay script. 

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake @ Sadlers Wells

It is challenging to describe the magnitude of this ballet and its lasting influence without veering into what might seem like hyperbole; but the impact cannot be understated. Twisting the story of Swan Lake and forbidden love from its traditional arch, and refocusing it on male homosexual love, it gender bends the majority of the story and casting. Most notably, it is the swans, performed entirely by male dancers, that are pure magic. Unlike female swan choreography, the male dancers are strong and aggressive, in the way swans are — and the choreography mimics this. The sheer strength and endurance to perform the choreography, and with Tchaikovsky’s score performed at a breakneck pace, the story races along in a delightful manner.

The two dancers performing The Prince and The Swan/Stranger were incredible, the agony of their forbidden love palpable to the highest reaches of the Sadlers Wells, and they are supported by an incredible company. There was not a single weak link or weak moment, and the ballet’s language reads as just as modern today as it would have decades ago at its premiere.

Peter Pan @ Harrow Arts

Harrow Arts Centre’s 2024 panto offering is a high-energy “what came next” story of Peter Pan and Captain Hook, leaning on the traditional storyline of the boy who won’t grow up to tell a story of family love, friendship, and second chances. 

The production values are high overall; a cleverly deployed yet simple set, supported by well considered costume design, with foy for Peter to fly (!) and multiple pyrotechnics and confetti cannons at key moments, creating an air of circus-like excitement. The young audience were engaged throughout, and the script cleverly adjusted in time to the weaning attention spans of young audience members, with surprises and interaction at just the right moments. 

The cast were evenly matched, with standout performances from Captain Hook (James Tobias Clifford), Silly Sammy (Emmett Carroll), and Sally Starkers (the hilarious dame, performed by Philip McParland). The chorus were well rehearsed on challenging choreography, and the young cast members rounding out the production were eager and skilled. 

Music Direction and lighting were the only areas that lagged; despite clever muical choices and a talented group, a few song choices didn’t suit the range of actors (Peter Pan in particular) and despite the excitement of the foy, an over-eager fog machine and missed lighting design meant we hardly saw Peter flying. 

WEER - Natalie Palamides @ SOHO Theatre

The sheer delightful chaos of Natalie Palamides show is central to its success. In a time when many shows aim to be polished and perfect, Palamides gives us rough around the edges and spiky. Centered around a couple and their downfall, with flashbacks to their meet cute, and all underscored by late 90’s music, the show has all the storyline makings of a meet-cute based rom-com from the period. However Palamides turns this on its head in many ways, most notably by playing both characters. And not in the way most solo shows do, but rather fully embodied through voice, movement and COSTUME across half of her body. The choreography to achieve this is nothing short of outstanding, and I regularly found myself marvelling at the stamina needed to perform this.

This is not the show for everyone - spiky jabs at late 90’s bro culture and the expectations on young women from a 2024 lens might be a bit much for some, but for me it is this clown-inspired means of taking the old rom-com formula to task while still revelling in its delights that make it exceptional.

This was my first of Natalie’s shows to see live, and it will not be my last.

By Their Fruits @ Theatre 503

This is the story of a young couple, fiery, in love, and intertwined. They have known one another from childhood, grown together, struggled together. Told in the tiny space of Theatre 503, the players and the design transform the space magically. Their bodies intertwine, weaving choreography seamlessly in and out of more natural movement - it is both smooth and staccato, harsh and soft, fast and slow, interchangeably. The heightened poetic language of the text is emphasised by these movement, which take place in a set which is somehow static and transformational at the same time. It is rare to see a production where the pacing is pitch perfect throughout two acts of heigtened text, but this one was. All of this might sound experimental, which it was, but within the constructs of a “well made play”. The form was constantly rebelled against, then fallen into, repeatedly, mirroring the experiences of the characters who rebel against their past, their history, then fall back into old and familiar comfortable patterns. This is all supported by the lighting design and sound design which create a seamless world for this language and play. 

The two performers are captivating, their connnection to one another permeating the space, making the audience feel a part of their story yet voyeurs at the same time. It is difficult to describe the patter, the connection - you believed for every second they had known one another a lifetime, with the deepest intimacy. 

None of this would be possible without a strong guiding directorial eye. Every breath, every moment thought of, planned in the most beautiful detail yet somehow feeling organic and spontaneous. 

My only qualm was with the story itself — the form was so delightfully challenging and intellectual, that the content itself (a simple story of love, family complexity, and unwanted discoveries) was nothing new, nor did it elicit response from me in a new way as an audience member. It was as if the form was so powerful the content took a back seat. This isn’t a complaint, but I would say that the story was the weakest element of the script. The text, however, filled with vivid imagery and biblical references was well constructed and clearly a delight for the creatives to work with. 

Tender @ Bush Theatre

Eleanor Tindall’s latest play, Tender, weaves a story of two people who at first appear to be disconnected, each working through their own trauma, who meet by happenstance, and then are drawn together. As the play progresses, we learn that in fact, they were connected all along. 

The script begins rather poetically, with a story of Ivy’s self destruction as a teen. The poeticism continues, through pulsing walls and choreographed interactions, with some truly delightful moments between the two actors. That said, the script and production don’t quiite click into place and race forward in the way you would like them to — the style of the script jumps around a little too much, and despite the efforts of the very talented cast, it is good, but just never reaches great. Frustratingly, there are glimpses of what could have been for the production - through perhaps another round of dramaturgy. 

Annabel Baldwin stands out in the highly skilled duo, with their ability to embody the text with beautiful subtlety. 

Songs for the Storm to Come - Mikhail Karikis @ HOME Manchester

Entering a long, dark room, there are small TV’s on the floor in a cluster, with hyper-close-up which you can’t quite make out, and in the far corner, a massive projection screen playing a cycle of singing, movement, and conversation. As the cycle progresses, the sound design envelops you, panning left to right, creating a dizzying effect.

The piece is a response to alternative futures, imagining what it could be like in England 25 year into the future should rising sea levels continue. The mixture of pragmatic discussion and reviewing of maps with chant-like singing, and simple, recorded breathing is immensely powerful.

Take care of each other, and the planet. We only get one.

Blood Show @ Battersea Arts Centre

The audience are warned before going in of potential splatter, and offered ponchos. This obviously sets an expectation, which is immediately subverted when we walk into a room where the playing space is pristine and white, the performers wearing clean white outfits, while one performer lounges in a chair, covered in fake blood. As we wait for the show to begin, La Roux’s The Kill plays on loop, and I wonder about how the actor managed to get into the white jumpsuit and not get it covered in blood, which drips from the toe that dangles over the edge of the white chair, onto the white floor. 

The early movements of the performance are set to silence; there is a ghost (which turns to highly comedic effect later on) and two performers, dressed in white. One covered in blood, one face made up like a ghost in a pantomime. The choreographed movements of a fight ensue, the fight becoming more graphic but also more performative in each repeat of the cyclical choreography. The actors vocalise at first, and in later “rounds” are accompanied by music. As they move through the space the pristine white is tarnished, with the mess expanding and getting increasingly absurd as they go on. 

There is an element of duration at play, as we witness nothing explicitly happening, while it is clear that the meaning of the fighting and the ensuing mess is evolving and expanding before our eyes. Without narrative the audience fill the gaps, imbuing meaning to the marks in the floor, the lengths of the pause between fights as the actors prepare again. Were the songs different or the same? Did the cycle of the choreography change intentionally? 

The cycle reaches a pinnacle of absurdity with literal buckets of fake blood dumped on the floor; this is where the production lost me. Earlier moments caused thoughts of our willingness to watch violence on TV and in films so casually, whereas in a live environment it was quite jarring. These final absurd moments while funny, did (for me) take away from the overall feeling of the production. 

Notwithstanding, this was a feat of production; the actors were exceptional in their physical commitment, and the design was clever and inventive, continually surprising the audience with where the blood would come from next. 

Selecting a Ghost @ Stanley Arts Centre

Staged in promenade fashion, Selecting A Ghost uses every possible inch of the Stanley Arts building to tell a brilliantly devised production of the Arthur Conan Doyle story. The audience are positioned as on a tour of the house, so what might be boring exposition is transformed into an adventure to explore the space. A playful urgency is created by the actors as they take us through the space, with the building transforming from room to room. Some audience members get to partake in a ghost chase, and there are light moments of interaction which are respectful of audience boundaries while still making us feel engaged in the action. 

As the production moves into bigger spaces in the building, the lighting and sound are quite inventively used - even the lift is a delight, as we see an actor rising up (to delightful comic effect) as we in the audience walk up the stairs. Lighting is used cleverly to direct our attention and create new spaces at times, without moving the audience. 

The final phase of the production where we meet the ghosts is beautifully conceived, using the text and dubstep to create an almost X-Factor ghost audition for the audience. The choreography is captivating and the use of this bigger space coupled with sound and light is inventive and fun. 

The two lead performers (Edward Bennet and Jade Williams) do a brilliant job taking us on the journey, with a special shout out to the actor who plays the wife along with at least 3 other characters through a fantastic physical transformation. They are supported by 4 dancers who play the ghosts, all of whom were captivating. 

Tracey Emin - I followed you to the end @ White Cube Gallery

Emin’s latest exhibition of new work fills White Cube in Bermondsey with the angst and anguish of a scorned lover; a person who has been wronged through love, who leaves, or is left.

The main corridor is lined with miniature paintings, aggressive and sensual in their composition. The larger spaces house the bigger pieces, which tower over the viewer. Continuing to explore themes we have seen from Emin before - bedrooms, sensuality, sex - and toying with absence, there is an almost snarky edgy quality to some of them, despite the anguish they depict. They feel like a breakup song, replete with searing guitar riffs and mashed keyboards. Most stunning were the scenes where the lover is so faint, painted over in white, that it appears to be only the imprint their body left in the bed, not the lover themself. The memory of their warmth.

There is anger here, which at times bubbles, but then fades. A memory of the anger - as much with oneself for being tricked as with the former lover for the transgression.

L'Addition @ Battersea Arts Centre

L’Addition begins with a foreword; the two actors coming out, lights up, to give us some information. The bit is reminiscent of the preambles ahead of performances, efforts to provide warnings to audiences. While it pokes fun at these things, at the same time it values and respects them, the tension between honouring the audience, challenging them, and respecting them at the forefront. 

We’re asked to forget the preamble, but of course are unable as the “performance” begins. Cyclical and slapstick in nature, it repeats and repeats, weaving around, never quite repeating in the same way and yet clearly the same. On the eve of the US election, it felt haunting to watch people repeating and repeating and never learning from their mistakes. 

What are we doing when we warn our audiences into oblivion? And what are we doing when we see a pattern, even say we want to break it, but are wholly unable? Absurdism feels so relevant in these times. I hear there is Rhinoceros outside…

Bert and Nasi are exceptional performers in their ability to fill the space, hold the tension, without a word. They play off one another beautifully, feeling improvised when of course we know it is wildly well rehearsed. The physical and textual choreography tripping beautifully over one another as if it is by mistake.