OUR CHOICE OF BEST SHOWS 2024

31/12/24



Another year of exceptional shows which is always a terrific challenge for LPT critics, what should we choose? There have been many 'hidden gems', work that has surprised us and writing that has impressed us, it’s particularly refreshing to see so many female writers coming of age.  There have also been many richly entertaining shows this year, with more than a dollop of humour.  


With LPTM's tenth anniversary coming up in 2025, it will be time to reflect and we hope that you will join us for our major event, 'Friends of London Pub Theatres 10th Anniversary Party' at Golden Goose Theatre on 1 June. We would love it if you would come and support this joyous occasion, details of this and other events are at the bottom of the page.


Huge thanks to our reviewers who have contributed to this round up of favourite shows and for giving their time to reviewing shows all year round.  Meet the full team of 30 plus people  here.


27/12/2024


David Weir 


THREE QUEENS by  Rosamund Gravelle at Barons Court Theatre (Apr/May) 

 


Smoke, candlelight, stone pillars and a figure on a stage thinking, watching, taking care. Three Queens at Baron’s Court, the perfect venue for a claustrophobic little drama about an imagined meeting between Mary Tudor, Jane Grey the nine-day Queen, and the young Princess Elizabeth who would reign long after both of them were dead. Well-researched historical plays can mean pedagogy and worthy pedantry, but this one sparkled, its learning lightly worn amid the darkness of both the interplay of character and a murky setting. The kind of beautifully put together, brilliantly performed show that might sometimes get overlooked against more flash or modish productions. A little gem that’s resonated since I saw it.


Susan Elkin


WHY I STUCK A FLARE UP MY ARSE FOR ENGLAND by Alex Hill at Southwark Playhouse, Borough  (Apr)  Previewed at Old Red Lion Theatre  (Sept 2023)  before touring,  Roxy Dog Productions



I was initially negative about this show given the off-putting title (to a non-sporty person) the 8.45pm start and the well oiled, noisy atmosphere in the foyer when I arrived. As soon as it started, however, I was mesmerised. It's a one man show, written and performed by the extraordinarily talented Alex Hill. It tells the story of a warm but ultimately tragic friendship between two lads bonded by football and is intensely powerful. I loved it to bits, not least, because it turned out to be such a delightful surprise. And apparently some idiot really did do what it says in the title!


Nilgin Yusuf 


MAGGOTS by Farah Najib at Lion and Unicorn Theatre (Jan/Feb)



Maggots by Fight or Flight Productions wriggled under my skin and stayed there for quite some time. This play at the Lion & Unicorn, focused on the true story of Sheila Seleone, a woman who lived alone and died in her flat on a Peckham estate where her body lay undiscovered and unsearched for, for almost two years. It was only when maggots started to fall through the light fittings of the flat below that neighbours realised something was awry. I remembered how I shuddered when I first heard the news story and some time later, being riveted by the Radio 4 investigative series about this unknown woman whose death said so much about our society.

How was it possible that this monstrous and dismal true story inspired such an engaging, thought provoking and unsettling play? This impressive production, full of pathos and quiet fury, directed by Jess Barton and beautifully written by Farah Najib, did not resort to sensationalism or gore but instead used poetic diction, rising action and even humour to shine an unflinching light on the subject of profound urban isolation. 

Farah Ashaf, Antoinette Harrison and Ross Kernahan multi-roled as narrators, the authorities and neighbours and Maggots gently and mindfully drew audiences somewhere unimaginable. It compelled audiences to consider their own neighbours, consciences, communities as well as one's own vulnerabilities and human frailty. Sheila Seleone was forgotten in life but Maggots created a beautiful space for her memory to be honoured, as well as a mirror that reflected back all we are: the good, bad and ugly.


Srabani Sen


Rossini’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, Wilton’s Music Hall (March)

Humperdinck’s HANSEL AND GRETEL, Upstairs at the Gatehouse, part of Camden Fringe (August)



I tried hard to think of my top show of 2024 but I really couldn't choose between two. Both of them were operas: The Barber of Seville (Charles Court Opera at Wilton's Music Hall) and Hansel and Gretel (Opera Kipling at Upstairs at the Gatehouse). While they are very different operas (musically speaking) and productions (visually and dramatically speaking) they had several things in common: exceptional singing (why aren't these talented singers gracing the stages of major opera houses of the world?), imaginative staging leading to truly magical moments and clever set design which made the most of small budgets and the audiences' imaginations. It makes me sad that in the UK, opera is thought of as elitist in ways that are just not the case abroad. If ever there were two shows that could have seduced new audiences into a love of the opera, these were them. 



Anna Clart


DOUBLE ACT by Nick Hyde at Lion & Unicorn Theatre (January)



Two men, one mind—or, to be precise, two halves of the same man, played by two actors. Double Act is a very funny, very touching portrayal of a man in crisis, determined to live one last perfect day and then end it all. That doesn't sound particularly comedic? Trust me, in the hands of performers (and writer) Nick Hyde and Oliver Maynard it is. The text is sharp, the acting fluid and the style perfectly off the wall: think French mime and circus tricks with McDonald's cartons, all in a black-and-white world. Director Jeff Hall-Flavin has done a fantastic job of creating a highly stylised show that still holds scope for the emotional depth and truth its subject matter requires.

My initial review wrapped up like this: “I deserve more,” our protagonist says close to the end—and that is certainly true of this production. Here’s to hoping this is the start of its long life. Luckily, that's exactly what's happening—the Southwark Playhouse recently announced that it's giving Double Act a full run in March. I couldn't be happier for the team.



Alex Owen


Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST at Drayton Arms Theatre (April)



Fittingly, with Jamie Lloyd's epic rendition at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane right now, my favourite show this year has got to be The Tempest by Burnt Orange Theatre, which, in its own way, honestly held its own against Sigourney Weaver's cavernous iteration. 

Using the same spellbinding cocktail of movement, lighting, sound, set design, and stellar performance, this mini-massive show of 16-21 year-olds achieved the same giant scale in just a little space, packing a whopping effect with a similarly cool abridgement of Shakespeare's haunting tale.

The fact that this production still feels so grand and operatic when so freshly compared to Jamie Lloyd's mammoth imagining is a phenomenal achievement. This one stayed with me.



Annie Power


THE BLAIR BITCH PROJECT by Finella Waddilove at Old Red Lion Theatre, part of GrimFest (Oct)



My standout show of 2024 is "The Blair Bitch Project", written and directed by Finella Waddilove. This chilling tale blends body horror and dark comedy, and delves into the themes of female friendship, the female body, and sexuality. The script is witty, insightful and unsettling. The production creates tension through suggestion rather than gore, and builds an eerie atmosphere that is enhanced by Cameron Pike’s imaginative lighting and sound design. Waddilove and Kathryn Crosby deliver magnetic performances - Waddilove as the ebullient, chaotic Kitty, and Crosby as the grounded, sympathetic Fay - creating a chemistry that is both playful and taut. With its clever mix of humour, suspense and relatable themes, "The Blair Bitch Project" is a gripping and thought-provoking production that stays with you long after the curtain falls.



Harry Conway 


PILGRIMAGE by Jack Robertson at Old Red Lion Theatre (Oct/Nov)

 



Few shows manage to create an atmosphere that chills an entire packed house, even fewer manage to balance that kind of tension with excellent character comedy and it’s an exceptional show that builds all of this to an intelligent and satisfying climax - to achieve all of these together is downright impressive, and Pilgrimage pulls it off with aplomb. Thanks in no small part to a wonderful ensemble performance from all actors, expressive and effective sound and light from Benedict Esdale and most importantly of all a stellar script from Jack Robertson, Pilgrimage is without a doubt the best hour of theatre I saw in 2024. See it, or anything else this talent is involved in, as soon as you can.


Heather Jeffery


LIE CLUB performed and written by Rachel DeFontes and Peter Jeffries at Etcetera Theatre (Oct)



So many wonderful choices but I have settled on this piece of new writing by Rachel DeFontes and Peter Jeffries because of its thorough examination of what prompts people to lie. A love story is woven into this two-hander with the couple’s individuals back stories being drip fed to the audience throughout the show.  Several twists keep audiences on their toes until the final revelation.  It’s an intelligent script, intriguing, philosophical and illuminating. As actors, the pair riff off each other beautifully and DeFontes has a wonderful range of expressions which add depth to her characterisation. It is produced by Murmuration Studios, founded by DeFontes, a London based company working throughout Europe and the US, and I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future. 


We are celebrating LONDON PUB THEATRES MAGAZINE’S TENTH ANNIVERSARY in 2025 


Sign up to our newsletter here to keep in touch with our plans for the year. Here below are some of the highlights:


FRIENDS OF LONDON PUB THEATRES TENTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Please join us for our major event and fun filled fund raiser at Golden Goose Theatre on 1 June. 

We’re planning surprise visits, extracts from favourite shows, an auction of theatre memorabilia (everything must go) and a yummy banquet (of finger food). Plus, of course, there will be cake. 

If you’d like to express your early support, please get in touch with the Editor, Heather Jeffery, to secure your place, on hjwrites@aol.com 



FEATURES

Features on the magazine to include a RETROSPECTIVE OF THE LAST TEN YEARS and a follow up to our popular piece on female writers, WOMEN IN THEATRE (What women want to say now).



OTHER EVENTS

A series of MASTER CLASSES

FESTIVAL highlights

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF PUB THEATRES.  Please keep in touch by signing up to our newsletter, twitter account and Instagram accounts. 


HAPPY NEW YEAR


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