WORTH A LOOK: ***
WHERE: Almeida Theatre
WHEN: 22/12, runs to 9/1/16
Henrik Ibsen’s Little Eyolf is exactly the sort of play one wouldn’t expect to be on at Christmas. But that’s no reason to dismiss this defiantly downbeat tale produced brilliantly here.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Savoy Theatre
WHEN: 20/12 runs to 12/3/16
Casting has been announced for next year’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and its hero is Jamie Parker, who is currently starring in Guys and Dolls in the West End.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHERE: Old Vic
WHEN: 17/12 runs to 16/1
We’ve been quite critical of Matthew Warchus’ tenure as Old Vic artistic director but this is his debut season’s first real success and it draws on much of which made his Matilda such a must-see.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Donmar
WHEN: 19/12 runs to 13/2, NT Live showing 28/1
This production sold out months before it opened but £10 front row tickets go on sale a fortnight in advance (details below).
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHERE: Wyndham’s Theatre
WHEN: 15/12, runs to 5/3/16
What did hangmen do after the abolition of capital punishment in England in 1964? That’s the brilliant idea at the heart of Martin McDonagh’s new play although its, ahem, execution could be more compelling.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Young Vic
WHEN: 5/12 (matinee), runs to 19/12
‘If you treat people like animals, they’ll behave like them.’ It’s an observation by protagonist Paul (rising star Brian Vernel, menacing and brilliant here) referring to football clubs’ treatment of their fans as he waits ticketless outside the only game he’ll miss this season, the 1976 FA Cup final, but it references much else here. Read More
WORTH A LOOK?: ** (on 28/11, **** potential later)
WHERE: Royal Court
WHEN: 28/11, runs to 9/1/16
Is it ever acceptable for a leading actor to carry their script with them while on stage and refer to it occasionally when they have clearly forgotten their lines?
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Menier Chocolate Factory
WHEN: 20/11, press night 2/12, runs to 5/3/16. Transfers to Savoy Theatre and runs 9/4/16 – 2/7/16.
In July we declared that Imelda Staunton was giving the best performance in the West End in Gypsy.
WORTH A LOOK: ****
WHERE: Trafalgar Studios
WHEN: 19/11 runs to 13/2
This 50th anniversary production of Harold Pinter’s unsettling play has attracted a stellar cast including Gemma Chan (who starred in Channel Four’s Humans), John Simm, Gary Kemp and Keith Allen.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: National Theatre
WHEN: 11/11 (matinee), runs to 5/3/16
The unforgettable stage transformation from 21st century office to Forest of Arden is our abiding memory from this playful production by Polly Findlay.
