London.

LIGHT SHINING IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
by Caryl Churchill.

Arcola Theatre 27 Arcola Street E8 2DJ To 7 August 2010.
Mon-Sat 8pm Mat Sat 3pm.
Runs 2hr 10min One interval.

TICKETS: 020 7503 1646.
www.arcolatheatre.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 19 July.

Bright revival of undervalued play.

Nottingham.

MEMOIRS OF A BISCUIT TIN: Bethany Sheldon and Kathryn Lowe.
Lakeside Arts Centre: Tkts 0115 846 7777 www.lakesidearts.org.uk
Runs: 1h 0m: no interval.
Review: Alan Geary: 15 July, 2010.

It doesn’t just work - it’s excellent.

Newbury.

Barry Manilow’s COPACABANA
music by Barry Manilow lyrics by Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman book by Barry Manilow, Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman.

Watermill Theatre Bagnor Newbury RG20 8AE To 4 September 2010.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Thu & Sat 2.30pm (no mat 15 July) except 4 Sept at 1.30pm and 6.30pm.
Runs 2hr 45min One interval.

TICKETS: 01635 46044.
www.watermill.org.uk
Review Mark Courtice 19 July.

Cheerful fun.

London.

DESIRE
by Josep Maria Benet I Jornet translated by Sharon G Feldman.

White Bear Theatre 138 Kennington Park Road SE11 4DJ To 31 July 2010.
Tue-Sat 7.30pm Sun 5.30pm.
Runs 1hr 30min No interval.

TICKETS: 020 7793 9193.
www.ticketweb.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 18 July.

Desire disrupts the plane of life.

SOUND OF MUSIC: Birmingham Hippodrome
Runs: 2h 45m, one interval
Review: Alexander Ray, 16 July 2010

Nice but pedestrian

London.

DANTON'S DEATH
by Georg Buchner.

Olivier Theatre Upper Ground South Bank SE1 9PX In rep to 14 October 2010.

7.30; mats 2.30pm (see website for details);

Runs: 1hr 45min No interval.

TICKETS 020 7452 3000.
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/tickets
Review: Carole Woddis 24 July.

Hurtling production - but the whole is less than the sum of the parts.

London.

The Secret of Sherlock Holmes
by Jeremy Paul.

Duchess Theatre 3-5 Catherine Street WC2B 5LA.
Mon-Sat 8pm Mat Wed 3pm Sat 4pm.
Runs:1hr 40mins One interval.

TICKETS: 0844 412 4659.
Review: Carole Woddis 20 July.

Timeless or throwback?

London/Tour

THE HOUSE OF BILQUIS BIBI
by Sudha Bhuchar.

Hampstead Theatre Eton Avenue NW3 3EU To 14 August
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat 3pm & 4 Aug 2.30pm.
Audio-described 14 Aug 3pm.
BSL Signed 3 Aug.
Captioned/Post-show Discussion with speech-to-text transcription 10 Aug.

TICKETS: 020 7722 9301.
www.hampsteadtheatre.com

then tour to 2 October 2010.
Runs 2hr One interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 26 July.

Parallel turns out off-kilter.

London.

GOD DON’T LIVE ON A HOUSING ESTATE
by Dean Stalham.

Hot Tap Theatre 20-32 Goodwood Road SE14 6LG To 31 July 2010.
Tue-Sat 8pm.
Runs 1hr 50min One interval.

TICKETS: 020 7274 7474.
dean@artssaveslives.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 15 July.

New theatre space and play might not be best matched, but an enjoyable enough evening.

Newcastle-under-Lyme.

BLEAK HOUSE
by Charles Dickens adapted by Theresa Heskins.

New Vic Theatre Etruria Road ST5 0JG To 24 July 2010.
Tue-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat 2.15pm.
Audio-described 24 July 2.15pm.
Captioned 20 July.
Post-show Discussion 20 July.
Runs 2hr 45min One interval.

Captures the range of Dickens’ social portrait and his tonal palette.

London.

WILLY RUSSELL SEASON

EDUCATING RITA and SHIRLEY VALENTINE

Trafalgar Studios (Studio 1) Whitehall To 30 October 2010.

Educating Rita:
7.30pm 20, 31 July, 2-7, 9-14, 28, 30-31 Aug, 1-4, 13-18, 27-30 Sept, 1, 2, 11-16, 25-30 Oct.
3.30pm 31 July, 5, 7, 19, 21. 26 Aug, 9, 11, 23, 25 Sept, 7, 9, 21, 23 Oct.
Runs 2hr 10min One interval.

Shirley Valentine
28, 29 July, 16-21, 23-27 Aug, 6-11, 20-25 Sept, 4-9, 18-23 Oct.
3.30pm 12, 14, 28 Aug, 2, 4, 16, 18, 30 Sept, 2, 14, 16, 28, 30 Oct.
Runs 2hr 5min One interval.

TICKETS: 0844 871 7632.
www.willyrussellseason.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 26 July (Shirley Valentine); 27 July (Educating Rita).

Speaking up in the Mersey sound.

Tour.

ROMEO AND JULIET
by William Shakespeare.

Illyria Tour to 5 September 2010.
Information www.illyria.uk.com
Runs 3hr 5min One interval.
Review: Alan Geary 10 July at Newstead Abbey.

Well up to Illyria’s high standards.

London.

SPUR OF THE MOMENT
by Anya Reiss.

Royal Court (Jerwood Theatre Upstairs) Sloane Square To 21 August.
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Wed & Sat 4pm.
Captioned 12 Aug.
then Unit 215 Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre (1st Floor, opposite Café Nova SE1 6TE 25-28 August 2010.
Wed-Sat 7pm Mat Sat 3.30pm.
Runs 1hr 40min No interval.

TICKETS: 029 7505 5000.
www.royalcourttheatre.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 24 July.

The younger the characters, the more they convince.

London.

INTRIGUE/LOVE
by Friedrich von Schiller new version y Daniel Millar and MarkLeipacher.

Southwark Playhouse Shipwright’s Yard, corner of Tooley Street/Bermondsey Street SE1 2TF To 7 August 2010.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat 3pm
Post-show discussion 28 July.
Runs 2hr 35min One interval.

TICKETS: 020 7407 0234.
www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 24 July.

Rare chance to see an intriguing play sympathetically presented.

London.

THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE
by Martin McDonagh.

Young Vic 66 The Cut SE1 8LZ To 21 August 2010,
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat & 4, 18 Aug 2.30pm.
Audio-described 14 Aug 2.30pm.
Captioned 5 Aug.
Runs 2hr 20min One interval.

TICKETS: 020 7922 2922.
www.youngvic.org.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 21 July.

Emotions accumulated in a corner of the country, finely on show in London.

London.

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL
by Horton Foote.

Courtyard Theatre 40 Pitfield Street N1 6EU To 1 August 2010.
Tue-Sun 7.30pm.
Runs 2hr 15min One interval.

TICKETS: 0844 477 1000.
www.thecourtyard.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 14 July.

Makes a trip to the Courtyard worthwhile.

London.

ANNE BOLEYN
by Howard Brenton.

Shakespeare’s Globe In rep to 21 August 2010.
7.30pm 6, 11, 12, 20 Aug.
2pm 7, 21 Aug.
Audio-described 7 Aug.
BSL Signed 20 Aug.
Runs 2hr 30min One interval.

TICKETS: 020 7401 9919/020 7087 7398.
www.shakespeares-globe.org
Review: Timothy Ramsden 28 July.

Vibrant drama of politics, Protestantism and personality.

Tour.

THE TEMPEST
by William, Shakespeare.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Tour Information www.tlcm.co.uk.
Runs: 2h 10m: one interval.
Review: Alan Geary 18 July at Newstead Abbey.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men might just be the best open-air touring company around.

London.

PERSONAL ENEMY
by John Osborne and Anthony Creighton.

White Bear Theatre Club 138 Kennington Park Road SE11 4DJ To 11 July 2010.
Runs 2hr 40min One interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 11 July.

Play of its time that stands up as a period piece today.

Northampton.

FLATHAMPTON
by Daniel Jamieson.

Royal and Derngate To 17 July 2010.
Runs1hr 30min No interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 16 July.

A look around town.