UK Regional Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 7

Review: HAY FEVER, The Mill at Sonning
by Mica Blackwell - March 27, 2023

A staple of the British stage, Noël Coward’s Hay Fever was inspired by the playwright’s travels in New York meeting an eccentric family. Supposedly, the matriarch wasn’t kind to Coward’s perceptions of their lifestyle, but this comedy of manners still paid off and has become one of his best known wo...

Review: OF MICE AND MEN, Birmingham Rep
by Laura Lott - March 24, 2023

John Steinbeck's 1937 novel, set in California during the Great Depression, may be a period piece, but the parallels with current life in the UK are unmistakable. Dealing with themes of poverty, displacement, prejudice and the desperation for independence, Of Mice and Men makes a timely return to th...

Review: WISH YOU WERE DEAD (UK Tour), Theatre Royal Brighton
by Caroline Cronin - March 21, 2023

Aptly kicking off its UK Tour in James’ hometown – and that of his protagonist detective Roy Grace – this stage adaptation by Shaun McKenna is capably performed and authentically menacing in its simplicity, but a problem with pacing prevents it from fulfilling its full potential....

Review: MY FAIR LADY, Birmingham Hippodrome
by Laura Lott - March 09, 2023

Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady is blessed with the sort of songs that never grow old. While the music is timeless, the plot and characters are firmly stuck in 1913, and this revival doesn't do quite enough to endear them to modern audiences....

Review: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 1936, Watford Palace Theatre
by Gary Naylor - March 03, 2023

A bold and accessible Merchant that commits to exposing the antisemitism that suffuses the play...

Review: ABIGAIL'S PARTY, Theatre Royal Winchester
by Imogen Usherwood - March 03, 2023

This new production proves that Mike Leigh's classic black comedy is still as sharp and devastating as ever...

Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Theatre Royal Brighton
by Caroline Cronin - March 01, 2023

If you’re looking for a wholesome yet hilarious evening out supporting your local theatre, look no further than the UK Tour of Steel Magnolias, which this week hit the Theatre Royal Brighton for its latest stop on tour. ...

Review: HEDDA GABLER, Reading Rep Theatre
by Mica Blackwell - February 28, 2023

Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler has been a vehicle for many actresses to show off their dramatic chops. But when you have Diana Rigg, Ingrid Bergman and Ruth Wilson previously inhabit the titular role, it’s easy to see why. Often dubbed “the female Hamlet,” Ibsen’s titular story breathes new life in Har...

Review: EGYPTIANS, Gulbenkian Arts Centre, University of Kent
by Gary Naylor - February 26, 2023

Verse and music enhances a production that straddles millennia...

Review: THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO, Nottingham Playhouse
by Laura Lott - February 13, 2023

Directed by Miranda Cromwell and adapted by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, The Beekeeper of Aleppo tells the story of Syrian refugees Nuri (Alfred Clay) and Afra (Roxy Faridany) as they flee their homeland. Lefteri based the original story on her experiences of meeting people in a refuge cent...

Review: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN - A MUSICAL, The Electric Theatre, Guildford
by Gary Naylor - February 01, 2023

Delightful new musical (based on the much loved novel and film) that deserves a wider audience than its short run affords...

Review: WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS, The Mill at Sonning
by Mickey-Jo Boucher - January 30, 2023

Billed as a romantic comedy, the eye-catching poster artwork courtesy of Oink Creative seems to promise a sort of European '9 to 5', but upon closer inspection the play scarcely lives up to this colourful concept. What's the French for beige?...

Review: WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, Ustinov Studio, Bath
by Mickey-Jo Boucher - January 19, 2023

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is not an easy play to watch, rather a theatrical storm that must be endured with three contempt-filled acts making up a three and a half hour runtime....

Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW UK TOUR, Theatre Royal Brighton
by Caroline Cronin - January 05, 2023

What have I just witnessed? That was my overriding thought as I wandered out of the Theatre Royal Brighton, dumbstruck, baffled, fascinated and charmed by this extraordinary production of The Rocky Horror Show. ...

2022 Year in Review: Cheryl Markosky's Best of 2022 - and Picks for 2023!
by Cheryl Markosky - January 01, 2023

One of my favourite theatrical moments of the year at Theatre Royal Bath was Into the Woods: a trippy version of Stephen Sondheim's musical, thanks to Terry Gilliam's surreal Monty Python-esque imagination. This mind-bending show deserves space in the West End soon....

BroadwayWorld UK's Best of 2022
by Aliya Al-Hassan - December 29, 2022

After Covid dealt a stuttering start to the year, 2022 brought some standout shows and performances. Here are some of our critics' highlights from the past twelve months....

Review: WHITE CHRISTMAS, Liverpool Empire Theatre
by Abbie Grundy - December 22, 2022

While last week's snow may have melted away, there will still be a White Christmas in Liverpool thanks to the touring production of Irving Berlin's beloved Holiday classic....

Review: THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE, The Lowry
by Mickey-Jo Boucher - December 21, 2022

Just over a year after the opening of its West End run at the Duke of York’s Theatre, the critically acclaimed production remains a singularly thrilling piece of storytelling....

Review: TALKING HANDS, Streaming
by Cheryl Markosky - December 12, 2022

Actions can speak louder than words - a proverb that's especially relevant with the new release of Deafinitely Theatre's final two films of its Talking Hands series....

Review: MOTHER GOOSE, Theatre Royal Brighton
by Caroline Cronin - December 11, 2022

As a self-professed panto enthusiast, Mother Goose has never been a favourite of mine...until now. This high profile production written by Jonathan Harvey is a super smart interpretation which has been updated sympathetically for 2022 without losing the original intent. ...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Reading Rep Theatre
by Imogen Usherwood - December 06, 2022

This small-scale production chimes with the spirit of Christmas in the Cratchit house by making the most of everything it has to create plenty of good cheer....

Review: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, New Wolsey Theatre
by Molly Richardson - December 05, 2022

Goldilocks and the Three Bears is one of the lesser known titles in the pantomime collection, but it has seemed to find a recent resurgence; and the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich and Director Peter Rowe are known to enjoy dusting off the less-obvious names and giving it a rock’n’roll twist....

Review: TOP HAT, The Mill at Sonning
by Mickey-Jo Boucher - November 28, 2022

West of London, the Mill at Sonning is hugged on either side by the Thames and neighbours George Clooney’s 17th century mansion. The venue, which provides all its audience members with a sumptuous buffet dinner before the evening’s entertainment, is currently hosting a toe-tapping revival of Top Hat...

Review: NATIVITY! THE MUSICAL, Birmingham Rep
by Laura Lott - November 25, 2022

Since it was released in 2009, the warm-hearted movie comedy Nativity! has been on many families' essential Christmas viewing lists. This festive season, the stage version of the film returns to Birmingham Rep, where it received its world premiere in 2017. Written, directed and composed by Debbie Is...

Review: STRICTLY BALLROOM THE MUSICAL, Birmingham Hippodrome
by Laura Lott - November 01, 2022

The cast and creatives attached to this production of Strictly Ballroom the Musical are enough to make any Strictly Come Dancing fan salivate. Yet despite what should be a winning team, this production fails to find all the right moves....