Hampstead theatre, LondonThe songs that unite two grieving sisters are collected and ‘tidied up’ by Cecil Sharp in this historical dramaThis beautifully brooding slice of English pastoral places Cecil Sharp, the godfather of folk music who collected th…
Unlike cats, dogs used to leave me cold – until I met a puppy in a padded jacket | Arifa Akhbar
A fateful train ride when we were coming out of lockdown this year taught me to question long-held opinionsI have been a cat lover my whole life. That is to say, I have never liked dogs. Or at least, this was the case until earlier this year. There was…
The Drifters Girl review – sensational songs but flat storytelling
Garrick theatre, LondonBeverley Knight excels as trailblazing manager Faye Treadwell in a musical that skips hastily through history and lacks emotional drama The idea behind this musical is to show the powerhouse female force that managed the all-male…
What’s New Pussycat? review – high-voltage collision of two Tom Joneses
Birmingham Repertory theatreThe 18th-century novel and Welsh crooner meet on 1960s Carnaby Street in a spirited jukebox musicalThis is a madcap mashup of a musical. Its basic premise is, bizarrely, a meeting of two Tom Joneses: the foundling and rakish…
‘This had to happen now’: Lucy Kirkwood on Maryland, her 30-minute ‘howl’ of a play
Galvanised by the killings of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard, the playwright tells how she penned the eviscerating drama in just two daysIt usually takes Lucy Kirkwood two years to write a play, crafting and honing meticulously before sending it out to…
Curious review – Jasmine Lee-Jones packs a punch with new solo show
Soho theatre, LondonThe Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner playwright returns with a production about a drama student researching Black British historyJasmine Lee-Jones made the fiercest of debuts with her audacious two-hander Seven Methods of Killi…
Flayed and depraved: the Tunisian film that satirises the art world
Yahya Mahayni, the Syrian star of The Man Who Sold His Skin, discusses Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated work, depictions of refugees on screen and working with Monica BellucciThe first thing we see in The Man Who Sold His Skin is human hide: flayed…
The Lodger review – fights, forgiveness and midlife reckonings
Coronet theatre, LondonThere’s an intriguing story about sibling betrayal buried among the distracting subplots in Robert Holman’s playRobert Holman’s play contains some great riches. A story of sisters and midlife reckonings, it puts two older women c…
Frozen review – stunning musical extravaganza creates its own magic
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, LondonBeyond the visual thrills and powerful ballads, this adaptation brings an unexpected depth to the relationship between two tortured sisters This musical extravaganza about estranged sisters, an icy kingdom and unharnesse…
Changing Destiny review – Ben Okri’s sketchy foray into ancient Egypt
Young Vic, LondonKwame Kwei-Armah’s adaptation of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian poem is ambitious and visually stunning, but Ben Okri’s script is too broadbrushTwo towering pyramids dominate the auditorium, which is arranged in the round. The top structure…