Reviews

‘a very welcome UK premiere’ ★★★★ For anyone not familiar with the work of Nobel-prize winner Jon Fosse, this is a valuable introduction. The Name is his second play, first performed in 1995 during the Bergen International Festival, it was awarded the Norwegian Ibsen Award. It tells the story of a pregnant girl forced to come home with the father of the child as they have nowhere else to go. This production is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys Nordic-noir, with its take on a family living by the sea and their dysfunctional dynamics. Their failure to communicate with each other is drip fed throughout the play until the final denouement, a painful discovery which ends the play with a gut punch. The living room set, by Anthony Lamble, is appropriately gloomy and the sound design, mainly footsteps from the family coming and going in the house, adds a feeling of empty spaces with little soft furnishings to cushion the family. It’s an appropriate symbol of the harshness of their lives, the often repeated phrases, the lack of empathy and the personal needs which fail to be addressed. The father, brilliantly portrayed by Tony Bell, is so recognisable in his closed in state, that it is heart-breaking. The long suffering mother, played immaculately by Valerie Gogan is one of the victims of the piece. There are glimmers of hope with the sister (Marie Thorseth Molnes) who brings a breath of fresh air, and the boy (Daf Thomas), whose imagination shines through. In an interesting episode in the play, the boy fantasises about the life of unborn babies thinking about where they will be born, and dreading the pain of their birth. It’s nicely performed by Thomas, a difficult role to play as he treads the line of being the stranger in the house, with all the discomfort of meeting the girl’s parents for the first time, he reads to fill in the time. Perhaps this is a comment on how much literature broadens the mind. If the play sounds rather dour, there are moments of humour to lighten the load, and potentially there could be many more (this might change from performance to performance). Just a mild niggle, and a question whether Jasmin Dufa Pitt who plays the girl, could have more of a sense of what is meant when she says ‘you don’t care’ a refrain throughout the play. It is so loaded, with so many different possibilities, that a sense of intent, might have given the character more of an inner life. In addition to this bothersome thought, her bump was four or five months, rather than nine months making nonsense of her imminent birth and her sister saying, ‘you’re so big’. Hardly major concerns to put anyone off seeing this very welcome UK premiere, with fine direction from Simon Usher, who used the White Bear tiny space to perfection, giving a sense of place: The claustrophobia of the house and the proximity of the sea outside opening onto a world of wider of possibilities just beyond the reach of the parents but giving hope for the youngsters. There are many fine moments in the production which do justice to Fosse’s highly regarded play in this translation by Gregory Motton. Hornsey-Pennell Productions Presents: The Name by Jon Fosse Translated by Gregory Motton White Bear Theatre, Kennington 19 May – 6 June 2026 BOX OFFICE https://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk/whatson/the-name Cast: Jasmin Dufa Pitt (Girl) Daf Thomas (Boy) Valerie Gogan (Mother) Tony Bell (Father) Marie Thorseth Molnes (Sister) Jan Martin (Bjarne) Creatives: Simon Usher - Director Anthony Lamble – Set design Malcolm Gluck and Saurabh Agarwal – Executive Producers Photography: Charlie Usher

 ‘Shows flare and brilliance.’ ★★★ ½ You’ll have the best of times, you’ll have the worst of times – this ambitious adaptation of Dickens’ classic novel for the stage shows flare and brilliance almost as regularly as it stumbles, and though it stops just short of its lofty goals, it achieves so much in the process that you might not mind much. First the good; the ensemble here (Nikki Claire Durrant, Caroline Edwards, Reece Lewis, Aryan Chavda, Liv O’Connor, Joe Childs and Vince Mathews) is strong and each take on their multi-roles with gusto as they bring dozens of characters to life over a narrative spanning decades, with O’Connor, Matthews and Lewis in particular doing well to add layers to the characters they portray, keeping the story engaging even when it falters most. Alongside this the design of the show is excellent and lives up to the incredibly high standard that can often be seen in the Jack Studio Theatre, a venue well-known for regularly punching well above its weight – the costumes are elaborate and elegant, and the intelligent use of haze and light often mean that there’s plenty to keep the senses occupied during the more dull or dense scenes of the play. This dullness is where the show’s flaws start; naturally the journey from novel to play is expected to have some bumps, particularly concerning how hundreds of pages can be condensed into an hour and thirty minutes of performance, and director and adapter Liz Love is to be commended for navigating much of the original work so well. However, there are still a dizzying number of characters and relationships to keep track of, leaving individual scenes featuring highly static and compact dialogue that can be difficult to parse in time for the next scene, with the ending in particular feeling a little bungled and rushed. Overall, the play ends up feeling both too long and too short. Too long in the sense that we’re often exposed to more threads of the original narrative than feels absolutely necessary for the core that works on stage, and too short since many of these threads end up under-explored. Either cutting these threads or extending the show and allowing them to fully develop would give the show firmer footing. Despite this, the show remains a well-crafted and exciting adaptation of a classic that should easily please anyone looking for a night of culture and history, filled with strong performances. Runs : 19th – 23rd May 2026 Box Office : https://brockleyjack.co.uk/jackstudio-entry/a-tale-of-two-cities/ Creatives: Written by Charles Dickens Adapted and Directed by Liz Love Lighting & Sound Design by James Connor Costume Designer by Helene Gustavsson Produced by VandL Productions Photo credit: Claire Greenan.

'great fodder for humour and commentary' ★★★ ½ Rosie Holt created a fantastic series of sketches during Covid as a clueless Tory MP, justifying the ridiculous actions of the Conservative party. After the Conservatives lost power, she switched to the Labour Party, naturally. In this ‘alternate world’ piece, she is the first female Chancellor Of the Exchequer (not Rachel Reeves). Yet, the story is seeded from Reeves' real experience of discovering how difficult it would be to remove a urinal from her bathroom because of its historical significance. Yes, a urinal. Of course, great fodder for humour and commentary. Much like the child’s joke about ‘uranus’ (sound it out if you’re too high brow to know this one), there are mentions of pee and other 'crap' jokes. More importantly, there is thoughtful commentary about Churchill: the man, the legend, the mythology. The political humour may not be as biting as when she played her (online) Tory MP character, despite much acerbic name-dropping, but she juggles many elements throughout the show's 70 minutes. Holt goes from handling different physical telephone lines (which doesn’t land so well), dealing with an enshrined urinal, and handling an angry, Churchill-deifying mob. She works hard. And she has to: it is not only the patriarchy, but the physical environment isn’t exactly in her favor with ventilation noise roaring throughout in the space, so Holt has to try to articulate above it. Her desk (aptly, also an object of historical significance) is thrust too far forward that much of her audience is behind her, missing out on her contorted facial expressions, which are sometimes just as key to the humour as her words. Holt has some salient points to make about females in positions of political power, though some early jokes slightly alienate her more-than-half-male audience, even addressing individual men, who couldn’t possibly give her a good answer. The through line of Holt’s impending divorce (and random conversations with her ex) doesn’t seem to have a purpose other than to give her an opportunity to swear (accidentally) at the wrong person. The main humour that really takes off centers on the national pressure to keep the urinal (and her pristine, speaking made-in-Japan toilet). As the tension builds and a drink-fueled and obstinate Rosie is holed up in her office. Churchill’s urinal (Michael Lambourne)- yes, the urinal talks and walks - is a wonderful foil to this flustered politician who just wants to make change - not politics, just in her personal bathroom - and provides a delightful Churchill echo, as well as some other characters voiced extremely well. When he appears in the second half, there is a real shift in style that adds more energy to the piece. With pressure to show fealty to the urinal, a mob grows outside and Holt must yield or be crushed. It is this that is her ‘finest hour’. Holt gives a rousing speech to a worked-up crowd that allows her to uphold her personal values. She is a character, Rosie Holt. If not, I’d vote for her as Prime Minister! BOX OFFICE Written by Rosie Holt; additional material by Stewart Lee Performed by Rosie Holt, Michael Lambourne Directed by Daniel Clarkson Sound Designer: Jac Cooper Produced by: James Seabright

‘one of the best plays you’ll see all year’ ★★★★ ½ Few things are quite as sticky as family infighting. Stirring life or death issues in alongside pointless and petulant grudges, love and hate intermixes effortlessly to create the kind of conflict that can underpin the best dramas, from King Lear to Succession. Joining these works now is Ally Manson’s The Inheritors, a debut play that has all the makings of a future classic. Set in Finland, though performed almost entirely in English, the play sees Manson play a distant brother returned to the rural lakeside cabin which his now deceased father used to own. |He is set to spend the night with his estranged half-sister (Sini Mattila) and half-brother (Marius Laiho) who have seen and heard little of him for years. Much mystery and repressed feeling bubbles under the surface of all involved as the siblings dance around each other, asking innocent questions that soon show to be less than innocent, probing defenses and opening up old wounds. It’s full of delicately balanced tension that the ensemble, a wonderfully strong ensemble to navigate flawlessly. Manson and Laiho are engaging performers, but Mattila is often the source of the louder, more emotional, and downright funniest moments of the play, stealing the spotlight in the best of ways. Tie all this to playful and effective lighting from Ilja Raunio and a gripping, expertly paced script by Manson and you have hands down one of the best plays you’ll see all year. Individually and collectively, these are artists whose future work we should look forward to. Nothing’s perfect of course, and there are some areas one could query. Laiho’s character feels a little underdeveloped compared to his siblings (though perhaps this just comes naturally to youngest children) and things speed up quite a bit toward the end after what feels like a very fleshed out beginning and middle. The ending itself will divide people, mainly by its nature, as an emotional gut punch. The surprise it reveals is effective, but comes truly out of left field and without the breadcrumbs or threads that would have hinted toward its coming. It’s purely in character for all involved, but feels a bit too much of a blindside to be fair. Regardless, none of this gets in the way of a truly excellent show. See it now so you can say you were there. Runs : 19th – 23rd May 2026 Box Office : https://www.thehopetheatre.com/theinheritors Cast: Ally Manson Marius Laiho Sini Mattila Creatives: Written and Directed by Ally Manson Sound and Lighting Design by Ilja Raunio Produced by Helsinki Contemporary Theatre Company

'There is a deep love of theatre in this play' ★★★★ Al Nedjari is incredibly compelling as he channels Omar Sharif. There is the elegance, the smoothness, and, yes, the anger. But the story is not only about Sharif’s antics in his dressing room. There is a woman: Mag (Lara Sawalha), the assistant director-become-director of the show of Rattigan’s The Sleeping Prince, being performed at Chichester Festival Theatre. The setting is based on reality. Sharif really did perform at Chichester to play beside Debbie Arnold in 1983, at the age of 51, a long-awaited return to the stage. (There is a a wonderful line he says, looking wistfully in the mirror, “I don’t even look like Omar Sharif anymore.”) We get to see Nedjari’s Sharif in his habitat, complaining, musing, and being loving and generous, and name-dropping (Olivier, O'Toole), as the tension builds slowly. For quite some time, we’re not entirely sure what Mag wants. She enters on the premise of working through lines. But does she want be near greatness, is she looking for answers, or does she just want to be seen? After all, people are always looking to Sharif for something. He shows the bagful of post from fans around the world. Mag wants something too, though it is more elusive and she almost seems unsure what it is herself, perhaps reflective of playwright Hannah Khalil’s own life questions, as Mag is partially autobiographical. There is an astuteness by Khalil in creating a racial incident between Omar Sharif (the most famous Arab actor) and this half-Arab woman, right in his dressing room. Whether accurate to the real person or not, Sharif’s famed anger is on display at a couple of points: falling over a child’s skates, when he senses an injustice in people’s understanding of his motives about a generous gift given to a young lady, and when he finds out Mag is partly Arab. After she shares an anecdote about a personal incident with her own father, Sharif advises her to ‘pass’ as white. No-one would know. Mag has not found the font of knowledge in Omar after all. The play’s humorous touchpoints reside mainly in Sharif’s sardonic lines but also sometimes arrives in the form of Daphne (Ishia Bennison), the Dresser, who pops in and out at points, to be variously swooned, berated or belittled, at the whim of Mr. Sharif. Her presence adds lightness and even touches of comedy. It is hard to imagine a high-level actor such as Sharif picking up a game of backgammon just 15 minutes before the play begins (even if his part only starts at page 8); yet, it is fun to consider some of the backstage shenanigans, from dealing with issues with the cast (especially his co-star), to trying to get clean undergarments (“I bet Alec Guinness never had to beg for his knickers.”), to managing his moustache. The stunning design for the dressing room (Pip Terry) has a great many details that draw the eye. The multi-bulbed vanity mirror to the seated dressing table to the chaise lounge (of course, there has to be one of those) are matched with a clothes hanger next to random boxes. The details to the costumery are beautiful, especially Mag’s fluffy purple cardigan that is tossed by Sharif with disdain, another point of humour. Mag’s analysis of Rattigan’s play that they are staging, as she talks of it being a product of its time, and the actual run-through of the play's lines, present moments of theatre analysis, a wonderful self-awareness from behind the stage. There is a deep love of theatre in this play, not just of one of its most illustrious actors. BOX OFFICE Written by Hannah Khalil Performed by Ishia Bennison, Al Nedjari, Lara Sawalha Directed by Chris White Set & Costume Designer: Pip Terry Lighting Designer: Marty Langthorne Composer & Sound Designer: Michael Pickett Movement Director: John Nicholson Produced by Laila Alj Photo credit: Ellie Kurtz

“a satirical mystery that calls on tropes from classic Gothic horror films and Victorian melodramas“ ★★★ ½ There is a new pub theatre in East London! The Pearly Queen Theatre, a 50-seat black box theatre, has officially opened above The Bow Bells Pub on Bow Road, marking its arrival with an inaugural production of The Mystery of Irma Vep. The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam first premiered off-off-Broadway in New York City in 1984. The titular reference to the 1915 French silent-film character, Irma Vep, is the first indication that the show is one of gothicism, camp, and - just maybe - vampires. Indeed, The Mystery of Irma Vep is a satirical mystery that calls on tropes from classic Gothic horror films and Victorian melodramas. Characters include immediately recognizable genre figures – a hunched groundskeeper, an uptight maid, a deceased wife whose portrait hangs above the mantle alongside a single rose and an ever-burning flame, and so on. The play begins with Lady Enid’s arrival to Mandacrest Manor, the gothic estate home to her newly-betrothed, Lord Edgar. Lady Enid’s arrival follows the mysterious death of Lord Edgar’s first wife, Irma Vep, three years prior. As the plot unfolds, the mysteries of Mandacrest Manor accumulate, surprise twists reveal themselves, and characters travel to Egypt and back in search of answers. The Mystery of Irma Vep is intended for two performers. In this case, all eight characters are performed by Curtis Burrows and Leyon Stolz-Hunter. Both Burrows and Stolz-Hunter give excellent performances, effectively transitioning between multiple characters, frequently within the same scene. Their commitment and delivery help sell a considerable amount of absurdist jokes that may have otherwise fallen flat from less confident performers. The play’s plot leaves much to be desired. Characters’ motivations are often unclear and the audience is arguably left with more questions than answers. There’s an overtly sexual throughline that remains confusing throughout. Certain reveals feel too unjustified and random for successful payoff. Other twists simply do not make sense. Luckily, The Mystery of Irma Vep does not aspire to be Chekhov. It is a show that can laugh both with and at itself, and is trying to make its audience laugh far more than it is trying to fundamentally change their worldview. Plot holes are easily overlooked as comprehension is largely irrelevant. In this particular production, Glenn T. Griffin’s direction is similarly most focused on mining Ludlam’s script for opportunities for visual gags and physical comedy, more so than clarifying for the sake of audience understanding. The 120-minute runtime feels modestly excessive, but the play remains entertaining throughout. The performance is as successful as the script allows. Both the performance and the space contribute to audience enjoyment. During the show’s 20-min interval, audiences had the option of returning to The Bow Bells below, or enjoying a drink or snack at the theatre bar. Attendees could order food without leaving the theatre to then enjoy from their seats during the second act. All to say, The Pearly Queen Theatre is worth the trip. It is an intimate and welcoming space, and a wonderful addition to London’s pub-theatre scene. Fans of high-camp and murder mystery should be sure to catch The Mystery of Irma Vep before its closing on May 23rd for a guaranteed two-hours of absurdity and laughter. Audiences who prioritize plot and are committed to high art may consider catching the next one. Cast: Curtis Burrows, Leyon Stolz-Hunter Director: Glenn T. Griffin Venue: The Bow Bells, 116 Bow Rd, London E3 3AA Dates: 7–23 May Times: 19:30 (plus select Sunday matinees at 14:30) Ages: 16+ Running time: 2 hours (includes intermission) Tickets: from £20 (concessions available) Book: www.pearlyqueentheatre.co.uk Instagram: @thepearlyqueentheatre

'Innovative direction, busy with movement, that added to the chaos of the story and showed extremely well how they were all trapped together.' ★★★☆☆ The dark, restricting crypt that is the Barons Court Theatre was the perfect place to use for Rory McGrory's purgatory in the U.K. premiere of T.J. Elliot's Retrospective. Confined by a surround of blank canvases, the artist wakes up in this strange gallery and is soon joined by his dead wife Pippa. Eventually convincing him that he too is now dead, they embark on a duel of reminiscence, arguments, insults and accusations. Later, two more characters from the artist's past arrive to add to the chaos as the four struggle with their pasts in an attempt to work out how to escape. Noah Huntley, as the artist Rory McGrory gives a lively and varied performance; from his initial disbelief that he is dead and viewing a retrospective of his life's work that he can't even see, to frustrated anger at the curatorial comments about his paintings and his contemporary Clint Belinsky. Sarah Pearcy has a commanding stage presence and the choreographed explanations in the afterlife were comically performed. The audience for the most part seemed to find the funny bits funny and the energy of the actors gave the intimate atmosphere in the theatre a personal feel. Everyone was on for the ride and this rather wierd story, well performed, was appreciated by everyone. The connections and antagonisms between Rory and the other three were well defined and the escape from purgatory for all of them relied on acceptance of the truth about their past in one way or another. Jasmine Dorothy Haefner as Z and Benjamin Parsons as Clint Belinsky gave strong performances in their supporting roles. The directing was innovative and the stage often busy with movement. This was something that worked well in such a small space and something that added to the chaos of the story and showed extremely well how they were all trapped together. Their freedom, being expressed towards the end as each one exited, leaving the artist alone on the stage to finally see what he had created on his once blank canvases. READ INTERVIEW with playwright T.J. Elliott and director Liviu Monsted on RETROSPECTIVE HERE Retrospective by T J Elliott 14 - 23 May 2026, 7.30 pm BOX OFFICE By T.J.Elliot Directed by Liviu Monsted Cast Noah Huntley as RORY MCGRORY Sarah Pearcey as PIPPA LEFEBVRE Jasmine Dorothy Haefner as Z  Benjamin Parsons as CLINT BELINSKY Photographer: M arjorie Phillips Elliott

‘moments of excellence and Paterson is one hell of a performer, but … ‘ ★★ Boxed-up books slam to the floor with the weight of a secret family history. Glimpsed at first through snippets of conversation remembered as a child, Beth Paterson eulogises her grandma, Niusia, in her solo show that traces her story through the Holocaust, life in Australia and recounts the twists of generational trauma that run through Paterson’s and her mother’s bones. It’s a coming-of-age tale that works backwards not forwards, romantic in its very nature, but with a sharp historical edge. There are moments of excellence and Paterson is one hell of a performer, but form is not married to context here and this makes need for some serious edits. A show should be the sum of all its parts and Paterson splices together different elements with too great an ease. At once, she plays the dark comedian recalling jokes from family gatherings, in another, the errant academic, recounting the atrocities of Nazi military physician Josef Mengele (the “Angel of Death”) who her mother, forcibly worked under as a secretary even though she was in the camps herself. Sayings from the Talmud and Torah, Judaism’s most prominent scriptures, are not settled well with the impressionistic sketches Paterson gives of her childhood. It feels like a central point is missing here as the play reaches further than just Niusia. It’s a commentary upon much of Jewish history from the 20 th century till now. Too much feels like a history lesson and less like a discussion of events. It is not enough to say this plays is ‘Jewish’ in spirit, this needs to be displayed further. The audience is too often told rather than shown. This is not to say there is not inherent artistic value in Paterson’s script as it’s an inventive, rule breaking, stage play that work upon the heart strings, but it doesn’t feel like one concerted piece by a long chalk. She gives awkward grins to the audience to laugh that often feel like pantomime more than theatre. Paterson has one hell of an operatic voice though. Bursting into full opera, swinging jazz movements and quiet lullabies to Niusia. Voice over is used to a great effect with the cadence of a crackly radio creating a visceral quality to the speech of Paterson’s mother. Lighting forms a cracking colour motif, with split second changes matched well with longer fades in and out. Still the piece feels like it needs more direction. A lightning speed once over to check what is working and what is not. Overall, it has all the makings of a classic one woman show that works when it is at its most feminist, radical and free thinking. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between. BOX OFFICE https://theatre503.com/whats-on/niusia/ Photography by Mayah Salter

‘When does a freedom fighter become a terrorist?’ ★★★★ ½ Set in Cuba, the story centres on 21 year old student Fanuco and an older American woman, Assata Shakur. The action takes place in Assata’s lounge and dining room, where we meet Fanuco. Assata has bravely rescued him from a beating and brought him to her home to patch him up. It is Fanuco’s dream to move away from poverty and make his fortune in America. He must improve his spoken English for the job he has been offered and he latches onto Assata begging her to be his teacher. When she reluctantly agrees, he receives an education that he was not expecting. Along the journey Fanuco learns more about his African heritage and the truth about Assata. Assata is an escaped convict and former Black Panther turned FBI’s Most Wanted Woman - with $2m on her head. The play asks when does a ‘freedom fighter’ become a terrorist. How important are our roots and the history of our people. No simple answers but audiences are sure to take sides as the drama unfolds, with clarity and a powerful ending. It is expertly directed and written by Kalungi Ssebandeke with two fine performances. Ebenezer Gyau is adorable as Fanuco with all the delightful playfulness and naievity of the young. Susan Lawson-Reynolds as Assata is a wonderful foil, someone who has experienced the horrors of slavery and has fought for freedom for her people. The cleverness of the direction shows in so many small details (and others not so small). The knocking on the door is sound only, no need for mime. The entrance through the side (and not the door) immediately gives the impression of the passage of time. The change of costumes helps to show the growing maturity of Fanuco, who by the end of the play is considerably changed. The lynching is a turning point in the play, it is shown as part of the story, and dramatically it is very effective. The props are used very judiciously, with lighting and sound being spare, but effective. All round, a gripping drama, well worth seeing at Riverside Studios’ fabulous complex of theatres, cinema and eateries next to the river (glorious on a sunny day). ASSATA TAUGHT ME by Kalungi Ssebandeke at Riverside Studios 12 – 24 May 2026 BOX OFFICE https://riversidestudios.co.uk/whats-on/mp-assata-taught-me/ Directed by Kalungi Ssebandeke Cast Susan Lawson-Reynolds: ASSATA SHAKUR Ebenezer Gyau: FANUCO MACEO Creative Team Associate Producer: David Ajala's VP & CHAIRMAN Associate Producer: Clarisse Makundul Set and Costume Designer: Bolu Dairo Lighting Designer: Chuma Emembolu Sound Designer: Jose Guillermo Puello Movement Director: Gabrielle Nimo Voice and Dialect Coach: Aundrea Fudge Cuban Cultural Consultant:LuandaPau Stage Manager: Mel Fritz-Liu