Category Theatre Reviews

Lauryn Redding in BLOODY ELLE at Royal Exchange Theatre. Photo Credit: Pippa Rankin

Best described as part play, part gig, and part musical, BLOODY ELLE is a heart-warming and belly-achingly funny show about falling in love for the very first time

Fifteen months after it closed its doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre finally welcomes back audiences to its intimate in-the-round theatre, opening with a varied first season, including the world premiere of BLOO...

Abigail Prudames as the Marquise in Dangerous Liaisons. Photo: Emma Kauldhar

Northern Ballet’s tour of DANGEROUS LIAISONS is beautifully danced and evocatively performed, despite its rushed ending

Tasteful passion with a side of raunch, Northern Ballet’s tour of DANGEROUS LIAISONS hits Salford’s The Lowry this week before it heads to Sadlers Wells from 8 to 10 June.

Set in pre-revolution France where bedroom games are a way to combat boredom and everyone is everyone else’s lover or mistress, DA...

Mature and moving, MEET MET AT DAWN is an intelligent examination of love and grief

Following seven long months of closure, Hope Mill Theatre once again opens its doors to the public with HER Productions’ MEET ME AT DAWN, a modern-day fable by award-winning writer Zinnie Harris.

The one-act two-hander, inspired by the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, follows Helen (Susan Jayne Robinson) and Robyn (Helen O’Hara), a young couple who have washed ashore following a boating accident...

The cast of C-O-N-T-A-C-T. Photo Credit: Phil Tragen

A narrative defined by longing and sorrow, C-O-N-T-A-C-T is a unique sensory and immersive theatre experience

Aria Entertainment and WEF Productions join forces with The Lowry to bring the critically acclaimed live production of C-O-N-T-A-C-T, to two new outdoor locations in Salford and Manchester from May 18 for six weeks.

After a week of torrential downpours, the clouds parted and the sun shone on a 50-minute evening promenade around Salfor...

Courtney Stapleton and Eloise Davies in NOW OR NEVER. Photo Credit: Jenya Steanson

Exciting and ambitious, Matthew Harvey’s NOW OR NEVER captures the heart and stirs the soul, making you wish this innovative production was on for more than just one night

Over the past six months, the Barn Theatre in Cirencester has certainly pulled it out of the bag when it comes to digital productions. From WHAT A CARVE UP! to the more recent THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, the team has helped to keep theatre al...

Alison Reid in AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN. Photo Credit: Farrows Creative

Simon Reade’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN is a poignant and charming piece of theatre that doesn’t shy away from the pain of war

Following successful UK tours from 2014 to 2019, Poonamallee Productions brings their production of Michael Morpurgo’s AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN to the digital stage for the very first time in collaboration with the Barn Theatre.

Set against the backdrop of ...

Dark, dazzling and thought-provoking, Henry Filloux-Bennett’s modern-day adaptation of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY brings Oscar Wilde’s Faustian tale kicking and screaming into the digital age

Between family Zoom quizzes, homeschooling and virtual meetings, it’s fair to say that most of us have spent the majority of 2020 – and 2021 – online. As such, Henry Filloux-Bennett’s modern-day adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY holds an unexpected relatability as it plunges us ...

Waylon Jacobs in PETER PAN at Barn Theatre, Cirencester. Photo Credit: Eve Dunlop

Stripping J.M. Barrie’s classic tale back to its roots, Alan Pollock’s new take of PETER PAN has a whimsical, nostalgic, and magical charm.

With much of the country in Tier 3 and many theatres forced to remain closed due to Coronavirus restrictions, the annual Christmas theatre outing will likely be off the cards for many families this year...

The Company of RENT at Hope Mill Theatre. Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

Luke Sheppard’s sensational revival of RENT surges with life, passion and a fighting spirit that feels particularly poignant in the current climate

It’s fair to say that, of all the sectors Coronavirus has impacted, theatre is one of the worst-hit. Nothing demonstrates this more than Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre latest production of RENT...

Employing multiple narrative styles, different perspectives and a highly fragmented timeline, WHAT A CARVE UP! builds up the story meticulously to entice the audience

As regional theatres in England prepare for a second lockdown, the Barn Theatre in Cirencester takes to the spotlight with the premiere of their new digital play, WHAT A CARVE UP! 

Based on Jonathan Coe’s satirical novel, WHAT A CARVE UP! chronicles the events leading up to the fictional ‘Winshaw Murders’...