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Review – Putting It Together, St James Theatre
Brave to stage the London premiere of Putting It Together just after Christmas when telly’s just served countless cobbled together compilation shows, reviews of the year and list shows. And, of course,...
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Review – Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, Duke of York’s Theatre
Inclement weather, a flurry of Oscar-nominated films to see, a nasty bug, seasons 5 of both Mad Men and Breaking Bad to plough through and vague attemps to understand the hammer rule in the curling. It...
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Review – The Full Monty, Noel Coward Theatre
There’s a branch of Blockbusters that’s still open and it’s called the West End. We’ve already got (or recently had), to name but a few, Dirty Dancing, The Lion King, Strangers on a Train, The...
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Review – Blithe Spirit starring Dame Angela Lansbury, Gielgud Theatre
Perhaps that should be Dame-elect. As far as we know Angela Lansbury‘s still waiting to pick up her gong. But it’s well-timed. Charity gigs aside (Phil once saw her perform ‘Bosom Buddies’ with Bea...
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Review – I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical in 3 Acts, London Palladium
Preamble Something of surprise that the well-received The Full Monty (you know the one; men lose their jobs and take their clothes off as a result. Critic Mark Shenton’s life back to front if you think...
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Review – Fatal Attraction, Theatre Royal Haymarket
It’s all about the bunny, bunny, bunny… Hard to believe it’s 27 years since the film Fatal Attraction left its indelible stamp in life’s lexicon with the term ‘bunny boiler’. And, unlike this story...
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Review – Relative Values, Harold Pinter Theatre
Just like buses. Two Trevor Nunns in a row. Not intentional. Just the way it happened. But if Fatal Attraction is his (probably) doomed bendy bus of directorial offerings, Relative Values (which has...
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Review – Let the Right One In, Apollo Theatre
A few things you may not know about Let the Right One In. Let the Right One In is not a UKIP immigration policy. Nor is Let the Right One Nigel Farage’s new campaign slogan. Well, not yet anyway. Phil...
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Review – Finian’s Rainbow, Charing Cross Theatre
“Merciful heaven it’s a crock!” It’s a brave show that risks a line that. And yes, of course, we tittered inappropriately. But Finian’s Rainbow is in some ways brave. It’s certainly utterly bonkers....
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Review – King Charles III, Almeida Theatre
Naughty Mike Bartlett. This of course the same Mike Bartlett who once presented us with his Cock. Naturally we had a lot of fun with that title at the time and like childish schoolboys will always whip...
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Review – Handbagged, Vaudeville Theatre
Strange how things come in pairs. Phil recently saw two Nunns back to back and now this is his second play in a row portraying living royals. Of course the Queen is missing from Mike Bartlett’s King...
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Review – Sunny Afternoon, Hampstead Theatre
” It’s not about the words. It’s about the atmosphere” says Ray Davies (John Dagleish) towards the end of the new Kinks’ musical. How apt. By the finale, that atmosphere was something akin to a party....
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Review – Mr Burns, Almeida Theatre
Well, you can’t win them all, although it looked at one stage as if the Almedia just might. Churning out possibly the best 3 theatrical productions of the last 12 months: Chimerica, American Psycho and...
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Review – Shakespeare in Love, Noel Coward Theatre
What’s Shakespeare in Love about then? Well, it’s about 3 hours. We’ve probably used that ‘gag’ before, but since the West End is hooked on recycling movies and musical back catalogues we feel moved to...
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Review – Great Britain National Theatre
“OZZY’S SNAKE ATE MY PUSSY” screams a tabloid headline on stage as you take your seat in the Lyttleton Theatre, pretty much setting the tone for the almost three hours of Richard Bean‘s new comedy...
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Review – My Night With Reg, Donmar
Phil feared that – like himself – My Night With Reg might not have worn too well. He saw it at the Royal Court Upstairs when it opened twenty years ago and was something of a success, moving to the...
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Review – The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre
Phil once had the thrill of witnessing a sofa collapsing during Shaw’s yeast infection play Candida. He can’t remember which of the cast members proved too heavy a burden for said furniture, it could...
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Review – Ballyturk, National Theatre
It was only yesterday that Phil was reminiscing about theatrical mishaps and already he has another to add to his list. In Enda Walsh‘s strange and possibly existential (if Phil really understood the...
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Review – Lindsay Lohan in Speed – the – Plow, Playhouse Theatre
Oh, Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay… No, not because she screwed up, far from it, but this must be the most Lindsay-heavy production ever. Two out of the cast of three in David Mamet‘s satirical poke at...
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Review – James III: The True Mirror, National Theatre
It was too big a commitment to book for all 3 of Rona Munro‘s James Plays despite Phil having a bit of Scottish blood in him and James as a middle name. So he opted for the third one, The True Mirror...
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