★★★★☆ An anniversary is as good a reason as any for mounting a revival of a popular success. Willy Russell’s one woman hit is now thirty years old and re-emerges into a changed world that has made huge strides in some areas whilst stubbornly dragging its feet in others . . . Jodie Prenger delivers an impressive piece of acting that hints at much more to come.
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★★★★★ The ‘Messiah’ becomes ‘The Beloved’ and his followers, a crestfallen bunch of activists, rummage around looking for some meaning and direction following his death. The chorus, much loved by Handel who was very sweet on the English choral tradition, particularly following the waning of our love affair with Italian opera, here takes a role similar to that of the chorus in classical Greek theatre . . .
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★★★☆☆ As the name suggests: the relationship between the title characters is key to the play. When as in this production it fails to ignite, when history’s first great love celebrities seem like strangers, 2 hrs 55 mins can seem a very long time. Never, however, when Josette Simon’s captivating Cleopatra is frolicking on stage.
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★★★★★ As well as being a gifted choreographer, Bourne is a great showman. As in his memorable production of Sleeping Beauty that toured here last year, his Red Shoes is packed with pace, performance and presentation . . . Red Shoes is a visual feast that will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to see it.
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★★★★☆ It’s a pleasant take on teenage angst and hormones before the completely unbridled years of the sexual revolution. Not that there aren’t plenty of smutty little jokes delivered with a wink in the Carry On… tradition. The closest counterpart to Dreamboats is Grease in this respect: a bunch of teenagers who constantly burst into song because their hormonal energies are (presently) unspent.
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★★★★☆ Where else could Boris reach for a historical parallel when politically carved up on the way to No.10? Here it is Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in a riveting, memorable production, based on 2,000 year old history as interpreted 400 years ago, to provide an eternally relevant treatise upon power and its abuse.
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