Call me a heathen, but I never got into the mythology of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic and beloved trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Mind you, I could say the same about Harry Potter … and then I saw that stage play, firstly in two parts and then in one, which won me over. Now, the…
He’s quick-witted, natural, easy going and self-deprecating. He’s playful and he’s funny. Luke McGregor speaks openly about his autism, his looks, his marriage and his children. After thanking everyone for coming several times, he tells us that he arrived at the theatre late because he feared he had left the iron on … only to…
Accountability is behind the twisted Agatha Christie tale And Then There Were None. Eight people are invited to a luxurious island retreat off the coast of Devon, but when they arrive their supposed hosts are not there to greet them. Attending to them are a butler, Rogers (Grant Piro), and his wife, a cook, Mrs…
Whether it has become an annual pilgrimage or if you are seeing it for the first time, The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol is an outstanding, heartfelt production. Each year, the starring role goes to a different actor. Now it is Erik Thompson who plays Ebenezer Scrooge with distinction. In the first Australian showing two…
SIX sizzles and girl power rules. It is a high-octane musical in every sense of those words. I speak of talent, production values, choreography, sound and lighting – the complete package. The concept is pitting the wives of King Henry VIII against each other in a show of strength about who was the most hard…
One of the most lauded plays of the 20th century, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a high stakes cat and mouse game. Husband and wife adopt a take no prisoners’ attitude to the unfolding conflict. Before this is over, both will be metaphorically beaten up, as will their unwitting younger guests who become part of the…
In New York, two separated guys – best mates – move in together. They are like chalk and cheese … polar opposites in terms of their approach to life. One – news writer Felix Ungar – is uptight, angst riddled, awkward and “anal” about cleanliness and cooking. The other – sportswriter Oscar Madison – is laid back…
We’re in the 19th century. Trusting Bella Manningham is fragile. Not long married, she met her now husband Jack in Switzerland and they connected instantly. They moved into an old house – complete with dark, wood panelled walls – in London, but this is a home with a nefarious history. Its previous owner was murdered in a…
What a magical, beautifully constructed and executed show The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol is. Conceived and directed by Matthew Warchus, Jack Thorne has reimagined the Charles Dickens’ classic tale to mesmerising effect. It is dramatic and melodic with humorous flourishes. It recounts Dickens’ famous 1843 novella with relish and a fresh perspective. I saw it last year…
Cinderella, like you have never seen her before. She’s an activist who refuses to be pushed around. She has strong views about the crown and its lack of action in addressing the needs of the people who are struggling to make ends meet. She is out to change that narrative. While all this seems to be driven by the…
