The Bridge - Bush Theatre

I was back at the Bush Theatre on Monday night for The Bridge, written and performed by Alaa Shehada alongside co-writer and director Sam Beale. It’s an autobiographical solo show following Alaa’s journey across the 180-metre Allenby Bridge. The bridge is the only way Palestinians in the West Bank can leave or return home. There is no airport in the West Bank so a long road trip is required instead. The journey to the bridge is long but that’s nothing in comparison to the final 180 metres. That takes a staggering 12 hours across three separate border checkpoints, each with their own quirks (West Bank, Israel, and Jordan). It’s an ordeal full of waiting, bureaucracy, and total fragility. The bridge can be shut down at any moment and for no apparent reason. Not everyone will get across.. 

Alaa’s mission? Delivering a battered yellow plastic jerry can of olive oil, made from his grandfather’s ancient trees, from his mum in Jenin to his aunt in Amman. 

The storytelling and the writing are genuinely strong. Dialogue flows effortlessly, taking us through the sheer frustration of border delays, family errands, and the colourful characters you meet along the way. The script weaves in the history seamlessly. We go back more than 100 years to 1918 and the British government’s geopolitical machinations that created the West Bank in the first place. It gives you essential context that most of us are unaware of without ever feeling preachy or slowing down the pace.

Alaa Shehada is a brilliant, highly energetic performer with massive comedy creds. He completely owned the Bush’s main space. Performing in the round can intimidate a less experienced actor, but he played right up to the audience on all three sides. His multiroling is spot on, effortlessly bringing to life his mum, his uncle, a girl he fancies, a coughing cigarette smuggler, and a local elderly woman, amongst others. Each character is distinct, consistent, and cleanly drawn. Micaela Miranda’s movement direction blends in seamlessly too; the physical comedy and brief dance bits never feel tacked on. I needed a couple of minutes to tune into his accent at the start, but I quickly caught the rhythm without missing any detail. 

Visually and aurally, the production keeps things minimal but effective. The set is just a wooden bench and that battered yellow jerry can, but it doesn't need anything else. Jazz Thompson’s illustrations and back-wall animations were a real highlight for me - striking, unexpected, and beautifully executed. Coupled with Julius Pollux Rothlaender’s sound design (bringing in the market noise, the checkpoint buzz, and even the annoying flies while you wait as well as original music), it paints a vivid, sensory picture of both the journey and life in the West Bank. 

Where the show lost me a little was in its structural format. The Bridge sits right at the crossroads of one-man play and stand-up routine. There’s frequent fourth-wall breaking and direct audience interaction. The rest of the crowd were clearly lapping it up, but for me, coming in expecting a straight play, some of the stand-up elements broke the tension a little for me. It’s a serious topic, and whilst humour is vital for showing the resilience and warmth of the people, leaning so heavily into stand-up routines interrupted the narrative flow right when I wanted more dramatic depth and poignancy. I may be an outlier in that respect though! 

What makes The Bridge stand out in the landscape of political theatre, especially compared to shows like My Name is Rachel Corrie or David Hare's Via Dolorosa, which I have also seen recently, is that it isn't an outsider's commentary or compiled verbatim text. It’s lived, daily Palestinian experience from a Palestinian. It doesn't dwell purely on the occupation, even if the expanding Israeli settlements and border guards are ever-present background realities. Instead, it focuses on a very relatable ordinary life: family connections, helping fellow travellers, and navigating absurd bureaucracy and jobsworths.

Ultimately, it’s a deeply human, incredibly energetic piece of storytelling that offers a fresh lens on an intractable reality, even if I personally wanted a bit more play and a bit less stand-up. 

The Bridge plays at the Bush Theatre (Holloway Theatre) until 11 November. Tickets (from £15) available here https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/the-bridge/ 

The Disappearing Man - Queen's Theatre Hornchurch

Returning to his roots, washed-up magician Bazza Cadabra is ready for one final comeback in his old stomping ground of Clacton-on-Sea. He left Jaywick, a small, deprived coastal village on the outskirts of Clacton-on-Sea, 20 years ago after performing the dangerous and infamous "The Bullet Catch" with his wife and son. Kenny Emson’s The Disappearing Man picks up as Barry reunites with his family, unpacking his kit and attempting to put right his abandonment of his family.

This comeback isn’t just about applause or making it back to the big time. It is about the fragile relationship with his son, Harry. They share secrets, old tricks, and unfinished business, the show blurb tells us. Their reunion sparks hope, rivalry, and the possibility of something extraordinary as Barry puts together a new show with the help of a new manager, Isha, and a younger, flashier, social-media savvy magician, Presto.

The writing and pace feel very much like a high-quality TV drama series and that is no bad thing. It makes the piece accessible, with natural dialogue that feels authentic to its coastal Essex setting. What works particularly well on stage, however, is how the illusions and magic tricks weave neatly into the narrative. They are not forced; they are part of the core family makeup between Barry (Bazza), Wendy, and Harry.

The illusions add a distinct flavor to the piece, although the close-up sleight-of-hand, such as the card and coin tricks, gets a bit lost in a venue as large as the Queen’s Theatre unless you are seated near the front. Still, they work as a narrative device, giving us extra insight into how this family operates. I particularly liked the younger magician, Presto (Kadell Herida). The attention to detail around his social media obsession and the realities of being a modern illusionist is sharp and believable. I was less convinced by the manager character, Isha (Courtney George) - not so much a fault of the actor and more that I was not fully buying into why she would stick around with an aging, washed-up magician. But that’s a small gripe about dramatic licence and one I can put aside. There are also some plot twists in Act 2 that are a lot darker than I was expecting. No plot spoilers here but you have been warned.

From a production standpoint, Sarah Beaton’s set design is strong, functional, and versatile. It supports smooth transitions across multiple locations without overcomplicating the space. We even get a real-looking bed with an actual mattress on stage rather than the usual wooden box! Matt Haskins’ lighting design works effectively alongside it, particularly during the theatre sequences, though some projected visual media might have helped smooth out some of the transitions.

Where the staging stumbles slightly is in the movement and acoustics. Anne-Lunette Deakin-Foster’s movement direction attempts to stylize scene shifts with choreographed set moves by the actors. However, this is undermined by inconsistency: stylised actor movements contrast awkwardly with standard (but effective), unchoreographed scene shifts by the stage crew. Director Alex Thorpe also keeps much of the action mid-to-rear stage. Because the show runs without vocal amplification, the female cast members (Debra Baker and Courtney George) are harder to hear at times, especially from further back in the auditorium. Making better use of the downstage edge would have helped both acoustic clarity and visibility for the close-up magic.

The ensemble acting is consistently solid across the board and merging stage magic with domestic drama makes for an engaging, accessible night out. While it may lack the cohesive resolution needed for a West End transfer, it is a solid piece of regional new writing that makes great use of the live stage experience.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Cast: Matt Bardock, Debra Baker, David Angland, Courtney George, Kadell Herida
Creatives: Kenny Emson (Writer), Alex Thorpe (Director), Sarah Beaton (Set/Costumes), John Bulleid & Gareth Kalyan (Illusion Designers), Anne-Lunette Deakin-Foster (Movement Director), Matt Haskins (Lighting Designer), Ella Wahlstrom (Sound Designer)

The play is heading to Blackpool, Guildford and Peterborough. Details and booking links here https://hightide.org.uk/event/the-disappearing-man/

[PR/Gifted]

Long After The Labyrinth - Upstairs at the Gatehouse

The premise of the play Long After the Labyrinth at Highgate’s Upstairs at The Gatehouse is a compelling one. Writer Jonathan D’Young, director Ramon Ayres with Professor Alice König tackle a lesser-known chapter of World War II: the Nazi invasion of Crete in May 1941 and its devastating impact on the island’s Romaniote Jewish community. The production follows Rena, a young Jewish girl hidden during the roundups who loses her family to deportation and tracking her life across decades and how she lives through the trauma she experienced.

It is certainly an ambitious narrative, perhaps overly ambitious. It attempts to weave ancient Cretan mythology - specifically the legend of the Minotaur - into a 20th-century story of survival against the odds. Where the play succeeds best is in its dynamic performances and creative staging, even if the script struggles under the weight of its own scope.

Genevieve Dunne delivers a strong lead performance as Rena bringing emotional range and versatility to the role. Among the supporting cast, Leonie Hill is particularly strong, tackling multiple roles with sharp definition and presence. The two male actors, Harry Lukakis and Noah Young, offer solid support, though their varied characters suffer slightly as they were not as well drawn as some of the female roles. A lovely part of the production is the use of choreography. It is tightly executed, adding a fluid physical rhythm that helps the flow of the piece as we move between decades.

For a fringe production operating on a modest budget, the creative team makes clever use of space and design elements. The set is simple but evocative, anchored by a central rope tree and hanging street lamps on either side or a curtain. The lighting design builds a solid atmosphere, but the real highlight is the sound design. The choice of music and sound effects gives the production a distinctly filmic quality. While these atmospheric audio moments occasionally slow the theatrical momentum, they are carefully chosen and well-timed.

The production also incorporates shadow work to portray key narrative moments. The team's background with the acclaimed theatre company 1927 is evident in these visual choices. While these shadow sequences lack the absolute polish needed to land with full impact, the intention is clear and the technique adds an interesting visual layer to the storytelling.

Where Long After the Labyrinth encounters friction is in its writing. The script contains some brilliant individual scenes. A quiet encounter between an older Rena and a Rabbi is deeply poignant, and a party scene featuring a feisty Rena clashing with an upper-class British woman is sharply observed and witty and the scene with Rena and her children felt true, although someone needs to show the actors how to use a rotary phone!

The play attempts to pack an entire lifetime into a standard running time which means there are some jumps between years and a lot of scenes. These  leaps create plot gaps and limit the character development. The narrative tries to cover so much ground that the audience is left tracking transitions rather than settling into the emotional arc.

The thematic threads are similarly mixed. While the production aims to explore peacebuilding, the emotional resonance leans far more heavily toward rage. The Minotaur functions effectively as a metaphor for Rena’s internal anger and unhealed trauma, but the actual motif of the labyrinth feels underdeveloped and gets lost along the way.

Long After the Labyrinth is an engaging evening of fringe theatre supported by a dedicated cast, inventive physical work, and strong atmospheric design. Genevieve Dunne’s performance alone makes it worth a look. Ultimately, the narrative scope feels almost too expansive for the stage; the story's depth might have found fuller expression in a novel or a feature length film. With a tighter focus on fewer, more fully realised scenes, this important and little known moment in history could reach more people.

Play seen on Friday 23 October 2026 and playing until 8 November 2026. Tickets and more information available here

The Seafarer at Greenwich Theatre

Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer is a masterclass in dark, comic Irish storytelling and the Putney Arts Theatre transfer their production to Greenwich Theatre with total confidence. The result is an authentic, engaging, and atmospheric evening which does total justice to the original script.

Set in a slightly run-down North Dublin home just before Christmas, the play follows two brothers and their friends in their slightly chaotic, alcohol-fuelled lives. It explores the relationship and loyalty between them as well as their struggles and secrets. Darker moments from their past re-emerge amongst the banter and ribaldry. And then there’s an unexpected visitor who disrupts their status quo.

From the moment the show opens, the environment feels completely real with the set design showing great attention to detail. Occupied and visited entirely by men, the room looks appropriately worn and lived-in without ever feeling claustrophobic on Greenwich’s wide stage. Subtle touches, such as the flickering candle beneath the Sacred Heart image on the stairs, the light in the window, and the glowing fire grate, all add depth to the space. The use of the off-stage areas was well done too so although we could only see one room, it did feel like a whole house. Well-observed costumes, solid sound effects, and simple, effective lighting round out the production seamlessly. 

The cast handles McPherson’s natural, fluid dialogue with precise comic timing. Physical and verbal comedy balance the play’s darker and more supernatural elements effectively. This is a play that reveals secrets and the fallibility of the human condition with both a dose of reality and of the supernatural.

Eugene Duffy leads the company as James ‘Sharky’ Harkin. Duffy delivers a grounded, multi-layered performance, capturing Sharky's struggles and dark past intertwined with the reality of living with and caring for his older brother. Ian Cooke is equally strong as Sharky’s blind, ruffian brother, Richard. Playing sightless is a difficult technical challenge, but Cooke delivers it well. James Ross Turner stands out as Ivan Curry, serving as a brilliant foil to the two brothers yet has his own struggles and secrets which are revealed as the play progresses. Turner also brings some fantastic physical comedy to the role, making the hapless Ivan endearing and easy to root for.

The supporting cast completes this tight ensemble. Nick Thomas injects fresh energy and humor into the room as Nicky Giblin. Matthew Flexman brings gravitas to Mr. Lockhart. Flexman executes his late-play monologue with poetic precision, landing its full emotional weight. Throughout the night, the cast uses every inch of the stage, and the space offstage, to build a vivid world.

This is a rich, beautifully acted production that stays true to its North Dublin roots. This Go see it! Playing at Greenwich Theatre until 24 October 2026 with tickets for around £25. A bargain for a play of this quality. Book here https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/the-seafarer/

And I looked at The Sky

And I Looked at the Sky brought to the stage by husband and wife team Tim Stubbs-Hughes (writer) and Julia Stubbs (director) brings a thoughtful premise to the Omnibus Theatre. We meet Betty and John, an aging artistic couple navigating a decades-old pact to end their lives once their creative days finish. The play opens with Betty's 86th birthday and as she reflects on her age and her inability to create art any more we discover more about both their lives.

Unfortunately, at least for me, the writing itself feels wrong for a stage play. The dialogue lacks a natural flow, and lengthy monologues to no-one in particular drift into poetic prose. As such, this piece feels much better suited to a novella or book. 

The set works reasonably well in a large space. It could possibly benefit for more art, shelves and clutter to feel more like a house inhabited by two creatives for decades. In terms of design choice, Betty’s costume jarred a little. She wears paint-spattered working overalls despite no longer making art, followed by a surprisingly muted frock that fails to capture the spirit of an aging former art wunderkind. On a positive note, the sound design and music choices are strong, adding a welcome filmic quality to the mood.

The real highlight is the cast. The duo, John Rayment and Mary Tillett, give solid performances, but Tillett stands out as Betty with direct, grounded delivery. Tillett came to acting later in life and studied it as a mature student. Directors should take note: giving new, older actors real stage opportunities is vital, and Tillett proves she has the talent and skill to back it up.

The core concept has clear potential and exploring the nature of a creative spirit, a long marriage and long life and having the agency on how to manage your life and your death are worthy themes to explore. And if you like your stories languid and poetic, this may well appeal.

The core concept has real potential. Exploring creative spirit, long marriage, and agency over one's own life and death are rich, worthy themes. Whilst the stage pacing felt too slow for my taste, if you enjoy languid, deeply poetic storytelling, you may still find plenty to appreciate in this 90 minute play. And it's always a pleasure to visit the Omnibus Theatre with it's cozy bar and outdoor terrace.

And I Looked At The Sky is playing at the Omnibus Theatre 15 September to 3 October 2026. Tickets available here.

Brainsluts at Seven Dials Playhouse

What happens when you trap four millennials in a hospital waiting room without WiFi? Dan Bishop's "Brainsluts" answers that question with both warmth and sharp wit in this Edinburgh Fringe hit that's now playing at The Seven Dials Playhouse in Covent Garden.

The premise is deceptively simple: four strangers participate in a clinical trial, spending one day a week over several weeks testing a mysterious new drug. When the WiFi fails and phone signals disappear, their planned day of doom-scrolling gets derailed, forcing actual human interaction. What follows is a masterclass in character comedy that feels both absurd and painfully relatable.

Dr Eavis (Emmeline Downie) oversees the chaos as the slightly frazzled researcher whose narration bookends each week's events. Downie strikes the perfect balance between professional authority and imposter-syndrome induced panic. Her commentary provides both structure and laughs as the situation unfolds.

The four guinea pigs or ‘brainsluts’ are brilliantly realised millennials. Kathy Maniura's Bathsheba floats through life in bohemian bliss, stringing beads while blissfully unaware of reality crashing around her. Robert Preston delivers a pitch-perfect performance as Duggan, the desperately eager young man whose attempts to connect fall flat through his social incompetence and inability to read the room. Dan Bishop (who also wrote the piece) embodies Mitch, the work-shy activist who views the drug trial as political resistance, while Bethan Pugh's Yaz initially seems the quietest of the bunch, lacking confidence and preferring to observe from the sidelines.

As the WiFi-free hours stretch on during the weekly visits, these characters reveal themselves in funny and unexpected ways. Bishop's writing sparkles with both comedy and uncomfortable truth as the lengths people will go to fill silence become apparent. The oversharing escalates, secrets spill, and modern life's absurdities get laid bare.

The comedy hits from the opening moments. Bishop has crafted dialogue that flows naturally while landing consistent laughs. His characters feel authentic rather than constructed, their neuroses and insecurities recognisable without being mean-spirited. There is some physical comedy too which complements the verbal wit beautifully. I particularly enjoyed the wonderfully surreal meditation scenes. Who knew that a guided meditation could (a) be funny and (b) reveal so much about each character.

Directors Noah Geelan and Seth Jordan, with associate director Rohan Sharma, make excellent use of the simple hospital waiting room set. The staging maintains energy and pace in the confined space, ensuring the action never feels static despite the limited setting. The cast maximizes every inch of the small stage, their movements and interactions keeping the audience engaged throughout.

What makes "Brainsluts" work so well is how it uses comedy to explore genuine themes about connection, loneliness, and modern life as experienced by young people. It exposes, perhaps, how our digital dependencies have changed the way we relate to each other. The characters' struggles to communicate face-to-face feel both funny and slightly tragic, a mirror to our own anxieties.

The performances are uniformly strong, with each actor fully committed to their character's particular brand of millennial dysfunction. Preston's physical comedy as the socially inept Duggan is particularly memorable, while Maniura brings genuine warmth to what could have been a one-note hippie stereotype. Bethan Pugh’s Yaz shows there’s much more to her than her anxiety. Emmeline Downey as Dr Eavis showed us a lot more depth than I was expecting as her own story is revealed at the end. Dan Bishop shows impressive range as both writer and performer. He nailed the politically passionate Mitch.

Having conquered Edinburgh, "Brainsluts" translates perfectly to London audiences who'll recognise themselves and people they know or have met in these characters. It's rare to find a play that's genuinely funny while also having something meaningful to say about contemporary life.

This is a smart, laugh-out-loud comedy that doesn't sacrifice substance for laughs and is relatable whether or not you're a Millennial. If you're looking for a short play about modern life that'll make you think while making you laugh, "Brainsluts" delivers exactly that. 

Brainsluts runs at The Seven Dials Playhouse until 13 February. Running time 70 minutes.

My year in theatre - 2025

The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London

I've seen more shows in one year than most people see in a lifetime and my life is all the richer for it. I don't read many books (I never have) so my exposure to new ideas is primarily through theatre and I'm as happy seeing a West End blockbuster as a fringe gem. I'm also happy to try new formats and genres, although I'm still on the fence with 'immersive' theatre but I'll keep trying. I've reviewed a number of shows this year and I'm slowly adding all the ones with my name on them to my blog (I've ghost written and co-written a few as well but am not credited).

Anyway, this is a summary of my year in theatre:

163 shows seen (not including concerts)

Most visited venue - The National Theatre (where I'll be again next week watching Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves in End) but fringe venues also get a decent look-in. 

My smallest venue was the etcetera theatre in Camden with just 42 seats and the biggest, the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith with over 3,000. The Museum of Comedy was a newly discovered gem - a lovely, intimate,, basement venue in Bloomsbury.

About a third of what I see are musicals. I thought it would have been more than that as I do love a good musical.

January and April were my busiest months with 20 and 22 shows seen respectively. November was my quietest month with only 8 shows, but that was down to being away for work for half the month.

And I've even ventured out of London to see a couple of things (must make more of an effort for out-of-London trips next year)

So what's been good, what's been not good and what am I looking forward to in 2026...

Plays: 

1. Punch (Young Vic/West End) (hard hitting, emotional, great writing and a true story from my favourite contemporary playwright, James Graham - a schools tour is coming soon)

2. Kenrex at The Other Palace (booking until end Jan) (I was riveted throughout. Just wow. Also based on a true story)

3. Much Ado About Nothing at Drury Lane  (About the most perfect version of any Shakespeare play I've ever seen and supersedes my previous favourite, The Bridge Theatre's Midsummer Night's Dream)

Honourable mentions: Kyoto (RSC), Til The Stars Come Down (National), Dear England (National)

Musicals:

1. Just for One Day (booking until February at The Shaftesbury Theatre) - it's a great retelling of an important part of modern cultural history with fantastic music. I've seen it three times!

2. Evita - Jamie Lloyd did what he does best with Evita. He threw all his motifs at it, but they all worked. Rachel Zegler and Diego Rodriguez were fabulous in the lead roles. I also saw the balcony scene twice which was also wonderful.

3. The Producers (booking until at least the Spring) - fast-paced and utterly hilarious. I laughed so much that the next day it felt like I'd done a workout!

Honourable mentions: Shucked (Regents Park), London Road (National), Oliver (Simon Lipkin makes a great Fagin in this faithful restaging of the familiar story and it's booking for 12 months-ish so it's doing well) and Tina Turner (now on tour)

Off West End /Fringe

1. Murmuration Level 2 at The Peacock theatre was a clever and beautiful dance production. The cast moved as one organism. Quite something to behold. You can find out more about them here.

2. Dimanche was gorgeous with wonderful puppetry and movement and was part of the annual MimeLondon season (there were many treats as part of the festival such as Moby Dick and Manekine).

3. Sing Street was a lot of fun with youthful energy and great music (I hear rumours of a West End transfer)

Honourable mentions: Salty Brine (Soho Theatre), Tones A Hip Hop Opera by Gerel Falconer at Brixton House, In The Dark (back in the Spring with new immersive music experiences), Ada Campe's Behind The Nightlight (who has a show coming up at Crazy Coqs soon)

Worst show

1. Bacchanalia at Hoxton was not a good experience, not least witnessing some punters and their sordid voyeurism leering at the young cast. Even without that, it summed up everything I dislike about the 'immersive' genre. 

2. Bettie Page (the musical) - good idea in principal but poorly executed. There is a story in there to be told but this version wasn't it. 

3. Stiletto was one of those that looked good on paper and had high production values - the set and costumes were lush with a good band and one of the largest casts I've seen at Charing Cross Theatre. However, this musical lurched back and forth between drama and parody and ended up being neither. And it was so overblown. And why is no-one talking about the 'Thriller' style zombie dance? What on earth was that about? And why wasn't there a counter-tenor on stage? I know they're not that common, but they do exist.

(Dis)honourable mentions: Salome, Saving Mozart 

Overall favourites 

1. Punch

2. Kenrex

3. Just for One Day

Most looking forward to:

1 Paddington - I have my ticket but it's months and months away!

2. Something Rotten - I saw the concert version with Jason Manford and Richard Fleeshman in the leading roles and can't wait to see them again.

3. Waitress - I've never seen the whole thing, only clips on YouTube and I love the song She Used To Be Mine so I'm looking forward to catching it on tour.

4. Avenue Q - I never saw it in the West End but know some of the songs which are so funny.

5. Cats - I never saw it back in the day but know all the songs and I need to expunge the dreadful movie version with something (hopefully) much better from Drew Maconie at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

Interview at Riverside Studios

I was lucky enough to be asked to press night to see Interview starring Robert Sean Leonard and Paten Hughes and I was genuinely excited - it's an interesting premise, has a strong pedigree from the creative team and a highly relevant topic, especially in today's climate of cancel culture and the battle between not just Boomers / Generation X and GenZ but also old vs new media and gives an insight into the world of a modern-day 'influencer'. 

Although there was much to like about the play: The set is great. I loved the visuals. The music maintained the tension and there were some great moments. However, the production overall didn't quite hang together for me. 

It's still worth a watch because the topic will give you pause for thought if you have even the slightest interest in culture, politics or media. And if I were to give it a star rating, it would be 3*. (Arguably, it will be better now that they're a bit further into the limited run.)

You can read my full review over on 1883 Magazine. I saw the show on 28 August 2025.

One of the best things about the night were the people I met there and got talking to. Not only were two good friends there who are also active theatre reviewers, but I also made two new friends. Gotta love the theatre for bringing people together. And thank you to the PR team for the complimentary ticket.

Till The Stars Come Down at Theatre Royal, Haymarket

I first saw Till The Stars Come Down by Beth Steel at The Dorfman. I watched it on the last weekend where I'd managed to buy a single ticket, in, possibly, one of the worst seats in the house! I'm usually better organised when buying tickets at The National Theatre but this one had slipped through my fingers.

Despite the frustration of having a head in front of me blocking my view half of the time, I was still totally rapt throughout. It's exciting writing, refreshing to hear new voices on stage and a poignant story. Therefore, I was absolutely delighted to be invited to see the show again and to review it on behalf of 1883 Magazine. 

It still hits the spot - hilarious and thought-provoking in equal measure. I missed the intimacy of the setting in The Dorfman, but that's a minor niggle rather than a complaint so if you do go and see it (and I recommend you do), then try to get one of the on-stage seats where you will get to experience that better than from a seat further away. 

Recommended. Booking until 27 September.

My full review is over on 1883 Magazine. Show seen on 11 July 2025. Thank you to the PR for the complimentary tickets.

Tending - Riverside Studios

Tending, written by and starring El Blackwood, staged at Riverside Studios this week and last week, is a piece of verbatim theatre drawn from 70 interviews with real NHS nurses. With just three actors - El Blackwood, Anjelica Serra and Ben Lynn - and a simple set consisting of three chairs, a striplight and a surgical-style curtain as a backdrop, the production lets the words do the work.

The nurses' testimonies chart their journeys into the profession, their day-to-day work in the NHS, and the challenges they faced - firstly as newly qualified nurses ('they told me I'd be crying every day for the first 6 months and they were right') and then as early and mid-career nurses. Their roles made all the more challenging by funding cuts, relentless demand, and the long shadow of COVID. Their stories are by turns funny, harrowing and deeply moving, and as someone who has been both a patient and a visitor in hospital, I found many of the images they conjured very familiar, some of them painfully so.

The acting was outstanding - honest, nuanced and emotional. This was as powerful as anything I’ve seen in the West End, despite having none of the budget. Through raw, direct storytelling, the cast revealed what it really means to be a nurse in Britain today and also how they witness the human condition in all its forms from the sublime to the ridiculous. There were moments that certainly brought a lump to my throat, especially around palliative care (something I know about from being my late mother's carer), but the piece was never heavy-handed. The writing allowed for light and shade, making space for hope and humour alongside sorrow.

That said, the way the play ended felt strangely unresolved. Given the strength of the voices we’d just heard, I was left wondering what we were meant to do with it all. It felt like a missed opportunity—an ending that offered no direction. Instead, my friends and I came away feeling a bit despairing and helpless. 

Still, this was poignant, urgent, and vital theatre and shares more insight into the realities of the NHS than any episode of Casualty or Holby City. Tending is a moving reminder of the human faces behind the hospital scrubs and how critical the NHS is to our society here in the UK. 

You can still catch it until Sunday 4th May.

Review: The Inseparables at Finborough Theatre

There’s a lot to admire in The Inseparables, a new play by Grace Joy Howarth based on Simone de Beauvoir’s novella of the same name (you can read about that here), now playing at the Finborough Theatre. It’s an ambitious project to take on a reworking of this recently found novella. The story shines a light on the early life and friendships that helped shape one of the 20th century’s most radical thinkers. And whilst the production has flashes of beauty, particularly in its visuals and performances, it doesn’t quite land emotionally, mainly due to issues in the writing.

The source material is loosely autobiographical: Sylvie represents de Beauvoir and Andrée is based on her real-life best friend and confidante, Elizabeth 'Zaza' Lacoin. These two young women were pioneers in thought, pushing against social norms and having the kind of formative conversations that would later feed into de Beauvoir’s feminist philosophy. On paper, it’s fascinating. But on stage, the depth of their connection doesn’t fully come through. I didn’t quite feel their inseparable-ness, which seems like a bit of a problem when that’s the central premise. Teenage girl friendships can be some of the deepest, passionate bonds around, as intense as any romantic crush and I needed more of that emotional weight to make sense of the story.

The play unfolds in a series of short, fast-moving chronological scenes, jumping from childhood into their twenties. That structure might work on the page, but here it felt a little rushed and fragmented. It was hard to settle into any particular moment before we’d moved on again. It was also hard work as an audience member to keep up with what was going on and where we were in place and time. This also meant there wasn't time to get to any emotional depth between the two girls. We got glimpses of their radical spirit, but not enough of the raw, thought-provoking conversations that maybe fuelled de Beauvoir’s work.

That said, the production design is full of clever touches. Hazel Poole Zane’s set is minimal but effective: a simple window with lace curtains, a chaise longue, a dresser-turned-anything, and a couple of prop shelves - nothing flashy, but enough to give each scene a clear sense of place. The stage is small, but it never feels cramped, and the transitions are smooth and purposeful.

The standout design element, though, is the video projection by newcomer Jessica Brauner. These projections add real texture to the world of the play, transporting us from school chapels to rural idylls to domestic interiors. The stained glass effect is especially striking—there’s one moment in Act 2 where it’s used in combination with shadow dancers to contrast Andrée’s faith with Sylvie’s rebellion, and it’s genuinely beautiful.

Costume-wise, everything feels grounded in period—give or take the odd zip (a small detail, but zips weren’t really a thing until the 1930s!). Overall, though, the look and feel of the show is cohesive and well thought-out.

Performance-wise, the cast of four is strong. Lara Manela as Andrée is a real highlight—graceful, expressive, and consistently engaging. She brings a subtle wildness to the role that hints at something deeper beneath the surface. Ayesha Ostler as Sylvie is solid too, although I didn’t always feel the fire of Sylvie’s emotional or ideological journey. I think that's down to the writing as much as anything. Alexandre Costet-Barmada and Caroline Trowbridge both provide excellent support, juggling multiple roles with ease and nuance.

The real treats come in the movement sequences, choreographed by Daniela Poch. Andrée’s love of music, especially the violin, is beautifully rendered through dance. These moments could have veered into interpretive-dance cliché, but they don’t. They’re elegant, clear, and a lovely way of deepening the character. The music choices (by Flick Isaac Chilton) are also pitch-perfect, helping to break up the linear storytelling and evoke mood and time really effectively.

There’s also something genuinely exciting about the fresh talent involved in this production. Three of the cast are new graduates, two are French (which feels fitting, given the source material), and the video designer is also just starting out. It’s fantastic to see new artists being given this kind of platform, and I really hope we see more from them in future. Kudos to the Finborough Theatre for providing a platform for them to showcase their talents.

Am I glad I saw it? Absolutely. Despite its flaws, it’s made me want to read the novella and dig deeper into both de Beauvoir and Lacoin’s lives so in many respects, the purpose of the exercise has been achieved. It's also important to support new work to maintain the health of our theatre ecosystem.

Playing until 10 May at Finborough Theatre (5 minutes walk from Earls Court tube, Warwick Road exit) https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/the-inseparables/

The Inseparables - by Grace Joy Howarth, based on the novella by Simone de Beauvoir translated by Lauren Elkin

Cast & Creatives:

Cast: Alexandre Costet-Barmada, Lara Manela (Andree), Ayesha Ostler (Sylvie) and Caroline Trowbridge

Director: Anastasia Bunce / Set Designer: Hazel Poole Zane

Lighting Designer : Abraham Walkling-Lea / Sound designer: Flick Isaac Chilton

Movement Director; Daniela Poch / Video Designer: Jessica Brauner

Intimacy Coordinator: Justin Stirewalt / Stage Manager: Kiara Atkinson

Elektra - a Review

Performance seen: Thursday 27 March 3pm. Stalls K19. Duke of York's Theatre.

This is a high concept, experimental piece of theatre breathing new life into the centuries old storyfrom Sophocles. In that respect, it was successful. I enjoyed the drastically different approach to the story telling. The Greek Chorus's singing and sound effects were a highlight, although they were perhaps overplayed in the final third of the piece. Brie Larson's performance was good. She's essentially doing a monologue interspersed with some Greek Chorus and the odd bit of dialogue. At times, the delivery was a bit one tone but it wasn't as shouty as expected from the reviews I'd read.

Stockard Channing was fabulous and it would have been great to have seen more of her on stage. The whole thing would have benefitted from more dialogue too to maintain the energy and to provide variation.

The set effects (very limited - bare stage, white backdrop, a blimp, some chairs and some microphones) and staging were good but were probably not needed inasmuch the words and sounds were the focus here. What the blimp added is anyone's guess. Ditto the spray paint. The wardrobe department are clearly kept busy removing that from the elegant silky gold and white faux fur costumes worn by all but Elektra. She's in jeans, sneakers, shaved head and a Bikini Kill t-shirt.

Overall, the poetry of Brie's (Elektra) words and the opera meets plainchant of the chorus were enjoyable and an interesting way to tell the story. As such, it was more an auditory experience than a visual one for me and that's not a bad thing.

This style of theatre won't be for everyone, but I'm glad to have seen it and I'm glad that experimental, high concept theatre is available in the West End. 

Worth noting that after the performance, there was a queue at the stage door waiting for the cast to come out. I'm guessing these were mostly for Ms Larson but I expect Ms Channing also has her fans.

The run ends in a couple of weeks so if you want to catch it, you'll need to be quick. If you shop around, you'll find discounted tickets.

Cast:

Elektra - Brie Larson

Clytemnestra - Stockard Channing

Chrystothemis - Marieme Diouf

Aegisthus - Greg Hicks

Orestes - Patrick Vaill

Chorus: Hannah Bristow, Wallis Currie-Wood, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, Nardia Ruth, Rebecca Thorn, Adeola Yemitan, 

Understudy - Arthur Boan

Creatives:

Writer - Anne Carson

Director - Daniel Fish

Choreographer - Annie-B Parson

Designer - Jeremy Herbert

Costume Design - Doey Luthi

Lighting Designer - Adam Silverman

Sound Design - Max & Ben Ringham

Composer - Ted Hearne

Dear Octopus at The National Theatre. Lyttelton Stage

Dear Octopus is a play by Dodie Smith who also wrote 'I Capture the Castle' and more famously, co-wrote '101 Dalmatians'. It's a gentle comedy with melancholic undertones highlighting one family's life just before World War 2. I watched it at The National Theatre on Thursday 7 March 2024.

The family is gathered for the Golden Wedding Anniversary of the matriarch Dora (Lindsay Duncan) and her long-suffering, but long-loving husband, Charles. Dora is overseeing every detail of the anniversary weekend, and in doing so, we meet her staff (nanny, maid and companion), children and their progeny (it was refreshing to see young children playing a prominent role in a play). Their characters and personal stories unfold at a gentle pace as the weekend progresses and as each family member arrives. 

It feels more filmic in style due to the slower pace, and I did find it dragged a bit in places. Others around me didn't seem to feel that way so that might just be me! The pace is likely a deliberate choice to contrast with our current fast-paced life vs how it might have been back then (although that may just be a nostalgia-tinted lens). 

The morals and themes in the story are still relevant today, despite it being a period piece in many respects. Emotions are revealed, some intense and some but not all resolved. The ties that bind are loose, perhaps strained but still evident. 

It's a solid, ensemble piece where everyone gets their chance to shine. The set is stunning and the costumes really evoke the style of the era perfectly. 

I found the lighting challenging, though. It's deliberately low-lit which evokes the period well but can be a strain on the viewer's eyes, especially when that's using LEDs (and there's no choice on that these days), Even a smidge more light might relieve that and I'd be interested in research about lighting levels in theatre and eyestrain but that's a conversation for another day. 

It's not the best thing I've seen at The National in the last few months, but it's definitely worth a watch. Think of it like a middle-class version of Brideshead Revisited, scaled down to a large family home on a single weekend rather than a stately home over a period of years. 

I came away feeling rather wistful but also sated having seen something completely different to my usual TV or theatre viewing.

More information about the production including cast and creatives and a photo gallery: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/dear-octopus/