THEATRE REVIEW: Teeth ‘n’ Smiles starring Rebecca Lucy Taylor – Self Esteem – and Phil Daniels at Duke Of York’s Theatre

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Saturday 14 March, opens 25 March and runs through 6 June 2026 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Three-quarters of the way through this revival of a David Hare play with music which originally starred Helen Mirren its new star Rebecca Lucy Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, sits on the steps leading up to the stage and plays a new song she has written herself solo on the guitar as her character finds her voice.

  • Read on for reasons including how Self Esteem updates this work with new material that brings real soul and authenticity to it
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(not a) THEATRE REVIEW: Cock starring Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton, Jade Anouka & Phil Daniels

By Neil Durham

WHERE?: Ambassadors Theatre, London

WHEN?: Saturday 5 March, booking to 4 June 2022 RUNTIME: Usually 105 minutes (no interval)

We’re at the 1st preview of this Mike Bartlett revival and 90 minutes in Egerton faints onstage, a doctor is called from the audience and the curtain goes down for 40 minutes.

  • Read on for reasons including how Egerton is due back onstage to perform this on Monday 7 March
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PREVIEW: 9 reasons why we can’t wait for March starring Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton & Jade Anouka in Cock

  1. Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton and Jade Anouka in Cock

Bridgerton star Bailey won our Best Performance Of A Song monsta in 2018 under Marianne Elliott’s direction in Sondheim’s Company, currently running on Broadway. Elliott returns to direct here. Anouka won a monsta too in 2016 for Best Theatre Actress in the Shakespeare Trilogy. Both star with Egerton (Rocketman) and Phil Daniels (Les Miserables). Mike Bartlett’s 2009 (Snowflake) play about a gay male couple threatened from an unlikely source originally starred Ben Whishaw, Andrew Scott and Katherine Parkinson. Runs 5 March through 4 June 2022 at the Ambassadors Theatre. Tickets The view from the audience as Egerton fainted at the 1st preview

  • Read on for reasons including To Kill A Mockingbird in the West End and the return of Bridgerton
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THEATRE REVIEW: King Lear starring Ian McKellen

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre

WHEN: 23/9, press night 29/9, booking to 28/10

This is the third King Lear we’ve seen in recent years and is actually McKellen’s second stab at the role, describing it in the programme as ‘unfinished business’.

  • Read on for reasons including which Oscar winner was in the audience for this 2nd preview

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