Reviews Archive Part 2
OYSTERS To 6 June.
Midlands.
OYSTERS
by Ivan Cutting.
Tour to 6 June 2015.
Runs 2hr 25min One interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 27 May at Blackthorpe Barn Rougham.
Fascinating scenes don’t cohere all together.
McQueen: To 27 June.
London.
MCQUEEN
by James Phillips.
St James Theatre 12 Palace Street SW1E 5JA To 27 June 2015.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Thu & Sat 2.30pm.
Runs 1hr 40min No interval.
TICKETS: 0844 264 2140.
www.stjamestheatre.co.uk
Review: Carole Woddis 21 May 2015.
Mystery unfolds with plenty of stylish swagger.
THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR To 13 June.
London.
THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR
by Alan Seymour.
Finborough Theatre above The Finborough Arms 118 Finborough Road SW10 9ED To 13 June 2015.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat, Sun 3pm.
Runs 2hr 20min One interval.
TICKETS: 0844 847 1652.
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk (no booking fee by ’phone or online).
Review: Timothy Ramsden 24 May.
Post-war generation divide, Australian style, revived with understanding.
THE FUNFAIR To 13 June.
Manchester.
THE FUNFAIR
by Simon Stephens based on Kasimir and Karoline by Ödön von Horváth.
HOME (Theatre 1) 2 Tony Wilson Place First Street M15 4FN To 13 June 2015.
Tue-Sat 7.30pm Mat Wed & Sat 2pm.
Runs 2hr 15min One interval.
TICKETS: 0161 200 1500.
www.HOMEmcr.org
Review: Timothy Ramsden 29 May.
Funfairs are rarely less fun as this one drives Home from thirties Germany.
A NEW PLAY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION To 12 May.
London.
A NEW PLAY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION
by Chris New.
Finborough Theatre above The Finborough Arms 118 Finborough Road SW10 9ED To 12 May 2015.
Sun-Mon 7.30pm Tue 2pm.
Runs 45min No interval.
TICKETS: 0844 847 1652.
www.finbooroughtheatre.co.uk (no booking fee by ’phone or online).
Review: Timothy Ramsden 5 May.
Tedious and brief.
KAFKA ON THE SHORE To 30 May.
London.
KAFKA ON THE SHORE
based on works by Haruki Murakami adapted by Frank Galati translated by Shunsuke Hiratsuka.
Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8D To 30 May 2015.
Thu-Sat 7.15pm.
Runs 3hr 10min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7638 8891 (sold out).
www.barbican.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsdenj 28 April.
Grand simplicity encasing dreamlike lives.
THE PAPER DOLLS To 28 June.
London.
THE PAPER DOLLS
based on the book by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Rebecca Cobb.
Little Angel Theatre 24 Dagmar Passage N1 2DW To 28 June 2015.
Runs 45min No interval.
TICKET: 020 7226 1787.
www.littleangeltheatre.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 23 May.
Sight, sound and story richly combined.
THE GHOST TRAIN To 20 June.
Manchester.
THE GHOST TRAIN
by Arnold Ridley.
Royal Exchange Theatre St Ann’s Square M2 7DH To 20 June 2015.
Mon-Fri 7.30pm (except 9 Jun) Sat 8pm Mat Wed, Sat 2.30pm.
Audio-described 13 Jun 2.30pm.
BSL Signed 18 Jun.
Captioned 11 Jun.
Relaxed Performance 9 Jun 2.30pm.
Runs 2hr 10min One interval.
TICKETS: 0161 833 9833.
www.royalexchange.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 1 June.
Staging ingenuity leaves the plot to look after itself.
KLIPPIES To 6 June.
London.
KLIPPIES
by Jessica Siân .
Southwark Playhouse (The Little) 77-85 Newington Causeway SE1 6BD To 6 June 2015.
Mon-Sat 8pm Mat Sat 3.30pm.
Runs 1hr 15min No interval.
TICKETS: 020 7407 0234.
www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 19 May.
Superb acting in a splendid production - and a play that deserves both.
THE SIEGE To 20 June.
Tour.
THE SIEGE
by Nabil Al-Raee.
Tour to 20 June 2015.
Runs: 1hr 30min No interval.
Review: Carole Woddis 20 May at Battersea Arts Centre.
Theatre that pulls no punches.
LESSNESS To 8 June.
London.
LESSNESS
by Samuel Beckett.
Barbican (Frobisher Theatre 2) Silk Street EC2Y 8D To 8 June 2015.
7 June 4.30pm & 7.30pm.
8 June 6.30pm.
Runs 35min No interval.
TICKETS: 020 7638 8891.
www.barbican.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 6 June.
Brief, bleak and beautiful.
WAY UPSTREAM To 16 May.
Chichester.
WAY UPSTREAM
by Alan Ayckbourn
Chichester Festival Theatre Oaklands Park PO19 6AP To 16 May 2015.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Wed & Sat 2.30pm.
Captioned 15 May.
Runs 2hr 50min One interval.
TICKETS: 01243 781312.
www.cft.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 7 May.
Seven fine performances in a production catching every ripple in this comedy.
DUNCTON WOOD To 20 June.
London.
DUNCTON WOOD
book by James Peries lyrics and music by Mark Carroll based on the novel by William Horwood.
Union Theatre 204 Union Street SE1 0LX To 20 June 2015.
Tue-Sat 7.30 pm Mat Sat, Sun 2.30pm.
Runs 2hr 20min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7261 9876.
www.uniontheatre.biz
Review: William Russell 6 June.
The Mole the Merrier – a fantastic musical.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE To 7 June.
London.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
by William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s Globe 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT In rep to 7 June 2015.
Runs 2hr 45min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7401 9919.
www.shakespearesglobe.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 28 May.
A great Globe production.
WAITING FOR GODOT To 13 June.
London.
WAITING FOR GODOT
by Samuel Beckett.
Barbican Theatre Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8D To 13 June 2015.
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Wed & Sat 2.30pm.
Audio-described 10 Jun 7.45pm.
Captioned 11 Jun.
Runs 3hr One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7638 8891.
www.barbican.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden.
A long Waiting - but well worth it.
THE REHEARSAL To 6 June.
Chichester.
THE REHEARSAL
by Jean Anouilh translated by Jeremy Sams.
Minerva Theatre Oaklands Park PO19 6AP To 6 June 2015.
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Sat & 27 May, 4 June 2.45pm.
Audio-described 5 Jun, 6 Jun 2.45pm.
Runs 2hr 35min One interval.
TICKETS: 01243 781312.
www.cft.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 25 May.
Beautiful theatre, fine set, exemplary performances in a perceptive production bring this play to life.
KING LEAR To 13 June.
Newcastle-under-Lyme.
KING LEAR
by William Shakespeare.
New Vic Theatre Etruria Road Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 0JG To 13 June 2015.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat
Runs 2hr 45min One interval.
A human-scale Lear that has reached many parts.
HAMLET To 24 May.
London.
HAMLET
by William Shakespeare translated by Shoichiro Kawai.
Barbican Theatre To 24 May 2015.
Sat 7.15pm Mat Sat, Sun 2pm.
Runs 3hr 10min One interval.
TICKETS: www.barbican.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 22 May.
A thing of brilliant shreds and patches of surprising quiet.
THE TINKERS’ WEDDING and IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN To 24 May.
London.
THE TINKERS’ WEDDING and IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN
by J M Synge.
Pentameters Theatre 28 Heath Street NW3 6TE (entrance in Oriel Place) To 24 May 2015.
Tue-Sat 8pm Sun 5pm.
Runs 1hr 30min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7435 3648.
www.pentameters.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 10 May.
Comedies give life to lives sidelined in old rural Ireland.
KILLJOY To 6 June.
Sonning.
KILLJOY
by Douglas McFerran.
The Mill at Sonning Sonning Eye Reading RG4 6TY To 6 June 2015.
Tue-Sat 6.15pm (dinner) + 8.15pm (performance).
Mat Sat & 17, 31 May 12.15pm (lunch) + 2.15pm (performance).
Runs 2hr One interval.
TICKETS: 0118 969 8000.
www.boxoffice.millstdonning.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 9 May.
Less killing than joy as it turns out.