★★★★☆ Romantics Anonymous is highly entertaining, though the plot has pretty much run is course by the interval, and the second half consists of a repetition of the same will-they-or-won’t-they theme.  It’s rather old-fashioned in many ways, and its combination of wit, romance and dance is very reminiscent of the Astaire and Rogers musicals of the 1930’s.

★★★★☆ The BOV Young Company is made up of young people aged 5-25 from across Bristol and together with the creative team deserves enormous praise for producing the first highlight of 2020.  They demonstrate the power of theatre and the abiding truth that even ancient stories can reveal about the human condition. 

★★★★☆ The show is a triumphant example of regional theatre connecting with its audience, recognising that they want to hear local references and see themselves reflected in the story telling . . . A Christmas Carol is a fantastic, heart-warming tale with real soul that only the hardest hearted Scrooge could find fault with.

★★★☆☆ Burgerz is an intense show with challenging elements around lifelong struggles and insecurities. There are themes of race, gender, sexuality and class that are both provocative and inspiring. A forthright, thought-provoking performance from a capable and energetic performer.  

★★★★☆ Mike Bartlett’s gripping and ambitious tale of dysfunction and personal peril uses the imminent threat of an earthquake to symbolise impending climate catastrophe and the seismic emotional tipping points between three sisters, their father and their partners.