Yard theatre, LondonTwo vividly portrayed fencers shuffle towards a climactic battle in this smart, galvanising coming-of-age drama The verbal sparring is sharp and pointed in Gracie Gardner’s quick-witted play about two American high-schoolers trainin…
Metamorphoses review – riotous night of vice, profanity and shocks
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, LondonAncient Greek myths are retold with stripped-back simplicity and no little bloodshed in a hugely enjoyable show“Welcome in,” calls Irfan Shamji as latecomers shuffle into the tight space. “We’re about to start a banger.” …
How to Survive an Apocalypse review – dinner drama ducks deep questions
Finborough theatre, LondonJordan Hall’s play dips its toes into surviving global apocalypse but only explores romantic disaster This play will not teach you how to survive an apocalypse. Pitched as a romcom about the complexities of survivalism, this f…
Motionhouse: Nobody review – keep your eyes glued to this incredible ensemble
Peacock theatre, LondonForget about the plot and lose yourself in this dance-circus show whose dizzying performers cast gravity asideShe falls almost in slow motion, sideways, her body rigid. There’s a feeling like a sucker-punch as they catch her, mom…
Muse and model or painter-poet? Elizabeth Siddal given fresh portrait
RashDash’s new theatre production honours the pre-Raphaelite by focusing on her own art and poetry – and shifting from tragedy into comedyWan, pale, tragic. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Siddal is remembered for how she was portrayed by the 19th-century men who s…
The Song Project review – a mixed bag of theatrical ballads
Royal Court, LondonDutch singer Wende performs songs conceived by playwrights – on topics from bloody battles to online dating – with magnetism and a talent for storytellingIn this glorious experiment with mixed results, five playwrights – EV Crowe, Sa…
Park Bench review – innovative show starts online and ends on stage
Park theatre, LondonTori-Allen Martin’s two-hander opens with the audience watching at home – then the second half is performed in personThe concept is the strongest part of Tori Allen-Martin’s two-act play, the first half of which we watch prerecorded…
‘The best summer of my life’ – Kae Tempest takes Sophocles on a gender odyssey
The writer has turned a Greek tragedy about a marooned soldier into an all-women play for the Covid era. They reveal how its creation mirrored their own journey‘These stories can be intimidating for so many reasons,” Kae Tempest says of the classical G…