★★★☆☆ The performance of Songbirds is as much about the storytelling as it is the delivery of the songs, which, with a few exceptions, are quite short. We hear about growing up in the Dimbleby household, operatic breakfasts for instance, and a reverence for granddad Richard, of whom we hear a recorded clip . . . Working acapella, Kate uses a multi-track voice looper to build layers of backing vocals.
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★★★★★ In the interval, I thought that To Sir, With Love was going to remain as a fine, if unmemorable show for the remainder of its running time. But the first half was secretly masterful, as it deftly set up a second half that (repeatedly, I’m unafraid to admit) left me in tears, warmed and surprised. What a production this was . . . the emotional power of the show bests that of any other show this year..
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★★★★★ Luke Wright is a swaggering fop (and I mean that as a compliment). His clothes are a modern take on the threads of a Georgian dandy and he’s tall, but it’s not this that makes his presence too big for this small stage. He’s a poet, but his show isn’t a traditional poetry reading, where an anxious wordsmith shares sheaves of earnest verse.
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★★★☆☆ In the early 60s, on the Caribbean Virgin Islands, a man called John Lilly began doing research on communication between humans and dolphins. His work attracted the attention of Margaret Lovatt, who was living on the island at the time. She soon became involved and eventually agreed to take part in an experiment in which she would live with a dolphin called Peter for some 10 weeks, and attempt to teach him English.
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★★★★☆ Based The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Concert Theatre under the direction of An-Ting Chang, a concert pianist and chemistry and theatre graduate, presents a novel way of combining classical music performance with theatrical production. The result is a powerful coupling that faithfully recreates the emotional intensity of Brontë’s story, performed in an unforgettable period setting.
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★★★★☆ The entire show is performed in rhyme and song with genuinely funny lyrics performed in an impressive variety of styles and with a wide range of instruments. The script, written by the company, is an absolute joy and consistently hits the funny bone, introducing peripheral characters including the gorgeous Nina, the running mentor.
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