- JEEVES TAKES CHARGE at The Ustinov Studio, Bath
Devotees of the Wodehouse oeuvre will find much to enjoy in this technically adroit and very skilfully performed show. ★★★★☆
- Review: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS at Bath Theatre Royal
Jon Monie has once again grasped the Christmas panto template to conjure another a first-class traditional show. ★★★★☆
- Review: TWELFTH NIGHT at RSC Stratford-upon-Avon
The production sparkles with inventive nuggets whilst showing us a strange and unfamiliar Illyria.
★★★★☆
- Review: THE LITTLE MERMAID at Bristol Old Vic
A bold and beautiful reimagining that balances spectacle, humour, and a heartfelt message for all ages. ★★★★☆
- Review: LITTLE RED (& OTHER WINTER TALES) at The Weston Studio, BOV
Little Red & Other Winter Tales is a masterclass in family theatre. ★★★★★
- Review: Living Spit’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Tobacco Factory Theatres
Only the grumpiest of traditionalists could fail to be nudged into the Christmas spirit by this relentlessly entertaining seasonal offering. ★★★★★
- Review: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS at Bristol Hippodrome
Brian Conley is the star of the show, establishing an instant rapport with the audience in seemingly effortless fashion.
★★★☆☆
- Review: ALADDIN at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Festive, frivolous and formulaic fun for all the family
★★★☆☆
- Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES & A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
A charming festive retelling of a lesser-known Holmes tale
★★★★☆
- Review: HANSEL & GRETEL at Tobacco Factory Theatres
The cast lavish their considerable talents on storytelling that knows no boundaries.
★★★★★
- Review: THE (All Male) PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Bath Theatre Royal
The staging of some of the choral numbers is joyfully comic, making the most of the possibilities of silly walks and other nonsense. ★★★☆☆
- Review: NOTTING HELL: The Greatest Love Story In The Underworld at The Wardrobe Theatre
The Wardrobe has consistently managed to find Bristol’s funny bone. ★★★★★
- Review: THE THREE MUSKETEERS:TROIS at The Barn Theatre, Cirencester
A flamboyant, funny, feel-good festive treat
★★★★★
- Review: BIRDSONG at Bath Theatre Royal
Despite some fine performances the episodic and literary nature of much of the play is a hindrance to a sustained dramatic narrative. ★★★☆☆
- Review: TREASURE ISLAND at The Redgrave Theatre
A Treasure Island that takes a fresh look at this familiar tale with loads of action-packed family entertainment. ★★★★☆
- Review: PINOCCHIO at The Watermill Theatre
Colourful, vividly depicted characters, witty script and a multi-talented cast, this Pinocchio is excellent family entertainment
★★★★☆
- Review: GWYNETH GOES SKIING at Tobacco Factory Theatres
An absurdly funny play, that stays true to the real life ridiculous show trial of Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski crash – an absolute joy to watch. ★★★★★
- Review: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER at Arnos Vale Cemetery
Masterfully acted in a magnificently monstrous setting. What more could you want on a chilly winter’s eve? ★★★★★
- Review: THE RED SHOES at The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
A family Christmas show with a bit of seasonal moralizing
★★★☆☆
- Review: MARY POPPINS at Bristol Hippodrome
Twenty years since the show premiered here, the stagecraft and storytelling of Mary Poppins has managed to reach new giddy heights. ★★★★★
- Review: FILUMENA at Bath Theatre Royal
Felicity Kendall brings a perfect pitch to the impassioned Filumena’s pleading and scheming ★★★★☆
- Review: CHARLES & DIANA: THE REUNION TOUR at Tobacco Factory Theatres
A kitschy, heartfelt tribute to an era of glam, grit, and guilty pleasures. ★★★☆☆
- Review: THE AXIOM OF CHOICE at Oxford Playhouse
You may well feel that your mind has been extended in a Stoppardian kind of way, even if you’re not sure exactly how. ★★★★☆
- Review: THE WELKIN at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic
Disparate characters are brought vividly to life, creating a vibrant portrait of womanhood. ★★★☆☆
- Review: NEVER LET ME GO at Bristol Old Vic
A lack of ratcheting tension makes it more thought provoking than dramatic ★★★☆☆
- Review: RISHIKESH at The Alma Tavern Theatre
The show has an original plot containing the seed of an idea ★★☆☆☆
- Review: THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT TYPHOID MARY at The Wardrobe Theatre
If you like your humour salty, shocking and perched right at the edge of the toilet seat, then this is for you. ★★★★★
- Review: SUMMER 1954 at Bath Theatre Royal
Featuring excellent performances from a strong cast, Summer 1954 effectively displays Rattigan’s many qualities as one of our finest dramatists. ★★★★☆
- Review: GURT HAUNTED at Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio
Those with a taste for supernatural buffoonery are offered seventy-five minutes of silliness. ★★★☆☆
- Review: BIRDSONG at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
A production which loses none of the emotional power of Faulks’ mesmerising story of love, loss and courage. ★★★★☆
- Review: OTHELLO at RSC Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
This is a fine production, faithful to the text and the spirit of the text. ★★★★★
- Review: PAPAYA FEST: ‘Jeezus!’ at the Wardrobe Theatre
A dazzling collision of faith, queerness, and identity, packed with wit and audacity. ★★★★☆
- Review: PAPAYA FEST: ‘Mad Women’ at the Wardrobe Theatre
A fearless exploration of mental health, creativity, and womanhood, brought to life by a courageous community cast. ★★★★☆
- Review: BULLRING TECHNO MAKEOUT JAMZ at Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic
A fun evening hosted by a charming host with hints of a meaningful message conveyed through laughter. ★★★★☆
- Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Bath Theatre Royal
The entertainment levels were quickly up to the max
★★★★☆
- Review: THE NEW REAL at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
This is intellectual fisticuffs of a high order and a clever exegesis of the new real in politics.
★★★★☆
- Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN (Abridged) at Alma Tavern Theatre
The action is fast, funny and sharp, peppered with occasional witty feminist asides and fourth wall moments. ★★★★☆
- Review: DRACULA at Bath Theatre Royal
a production which seems to offer much, but is full of missed opportunities. ★★☆☆☆
- Review: REVERBERATION at Bristol Old Vic
A sleek and moving portrayal of trauma and connection, subtly enhanced by brilliant design. ★★★★☆
- Review: OUR LITTLE HOUR at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
A beautifully sung tale of an unsung hero
★★★★☆
- Review: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO at Tobacco Factory Theatres
A joyous must-see production offering comedy in abundance. ★★★★★
- Review: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Oxford Playhouse Theatre
An accomplished cast who illuminate a historical moment
★★★★☆
- Review: THE LITTLE PRINCE at The Egg Theatre, Bath
Toby Thompson is a gently amusing performer, skilled at engaging the attention of a young audience by tapping into their capacity for wonder. ★★★★☆
- Review: ROOM 13 at The Barn Theatre, Cirencester
Keeps the audience gripped and provokes gasps and laughter, mostly of the nervous sort ★★★☆☆
- Review: GHOST The Musical at Cheltenham Everyman Theatre
A musical to raise your spirits. ★★★★☆
- Review: PLEADING STUPIDITY at The Wardrobe Theatre
A chaotic but entertaining comedy that thrives in absurdity but needs more clarity and focus. ★★★☆☆
- Review: REBUS: A GAME CALLED MALICE at Theatre Royal Bath
As with Rankin’s novels, the fun lies in the subplots . . . ★★★☆☆
- Review: THE KING’S SPEECH at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury
An excellent production, with a superb cast that brings out the humanity that often lies behind epoch defining historical events.
★★★★☆
- Review: THE LONG RUN at Tobacco Factory Theatres
Ms. Arnstein wrestles the ogre to the ground, and tells it, ‘You’re up against people and we’re not going to let you walk over us!’ ★★★★☆
- Review: PEAKY BLINDERS: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby at Bristol Hippodrome
Whilst in some way a spin-off from the success of the television serial this show stands alone as an artistic creation and spectacle. ★★★★☆