SANCHO at Birmingham Rep Studio

SANCHO at Birmingham Rep Studio

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Paterson Joseph delivers a performance that is hard to fault in Sancho: An Act of Remembrance. He begins the show as himself, in plain garbs, introducing his audience to Ignatius Sancho. Joseph’s passion for the subject matter is evident and he sets the tone for what follows: warm, buoyant and didactic . . . He is funny, too. Rarely does anyone (particularly in a one-man show) pull off audience interaction with such charm and humour as he does here. The rapport that he builds with the audience feels genuine and lays the groundwork for later emotional beats that he hits, making them all the more effective.

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ORPHEUS at Bristol Old Vic

ORPHEUS at Bristol Old Vic

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This is an imagined reworking of the Orpheus and Euridice myth by Little Bulb Theatre in which Django Reinhardt, the famed gypsy jazz guitarist of the inter-war years Paris, acts out the role of Orpheus opposite a nightclub chanteuse. It’s a flimsy conceit, but allows a very talented group to entertain with some style. If you like your gypsy guitarists suave, dumb and with a permanent air of noble sacrifice, this Django is for you. . . . The silliness of much of the dumb show mixed with an effervescent bonhomie and vivacity of presentation, together with a great sense of fun and no small musical talent, whisk the whole concoction into a joy not to be missed.

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Brian Friel’s LIVING QUARTERS at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

Brian Friel’s LIVING QUARTERS at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

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Living Quarters may not be one of Friel’s greatest plays; it lacks the originality and sustained power of Dancing At Lughnasa or Translations. Nevertheless it has much to offer, and it is hard to imagine it being performed better. This is an excellent production of a play that speaks of some universal truths about the choices we make in our lives. It is also a play rooted in Ireland – a country that, more than most, seems unable to escape from the clutches of its own past. Highly recommended.

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The Shawshank Redemption at the Theatre Royal Bath

The Shawshank Redemption at the Theatre Royal Bath

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Adapted directly from the Stephen King novel by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns. Andy Dufresne (Ian Kelsey), a sensitive, thoughtful man, wrongly convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover, initially finds himself to be the ‘outsider’ inside the penitentiary and buddies up with the only other rounded human being, Ellis ‘Red’ Redding (Patrick Robinson), who has been rightfully convicted for a crime of passion . . . those unfamiliar with the story will also find a moving testament to human resilience in this cleverly staged and compelling production.

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Complicité’s THE ENCOUNTER on tour

Complicité’s THE ENCOUNTER on tour

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Simon McBurney is a consummate and passionate storyteller who expertly conveys the wonder, excitement and tension of his story. Based on the account of the explorer, Loren McIntyre as related in the book, Amazon Beaming, by Petru Popescu, he uses theatre to take his audience where the book could not go. His jungle is constructed aurally in the audience’s heads and is a wonderfully vivid creation which also makes use of clever design, lighting and projection . . . The play is a considerable creative achievement which brings storytelling enthrallingly up to date.

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THE BOGUS WOMAN at Cheltenham and Oxford

THE BOGUS WOMAN at Cheltenham and Oxford

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The Bogus Woman is compelling, harrowing theatre which fulfils one of the basic requirements of any form of art – it makes you look at the world differently. All those concerned have a right to be immensely proud of their achievement but most of the praise must go to Krissi Bohn who delivered a virtuoso, tour-de-force performance the like of which you will rarely see. This was a truly remarkable and memorable evening about an issue which is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore and will inevitably, ultimately affect all our lives.

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