Tag Archives: Es Devlin

The Hunt

Almeida Theatre, London ****
Runs: 2hr 10 mins incl one interval
TICKETS 020 7359 4404 (24 hours)
In person: 10am-7.30pm (Mon-Sat)

© Marc Brenner, the `Lodge' and the community, close-knit bonds that snap when taboo lines seem to have been crossed.

© Marc Brenner, the `Lodge’ and the community, close-knit bonds that snap when taboo lines seem to have been crossed.

Review of perf seen July 2, 2019:

Like Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, The Hunt is based around a lie, a false accusation and sex.  Continue reading

Aristocrats

Donmar Warehouse, London ***
Review by Carole Woddis of performance seen Aug 10, 2018:

© Johan Persson, David Ganly (centre), Aisling Loftus (right), Emmet Kirwan (Eamon) - picnic, Ballybeg Hall style...

© Johan Persson, David Ganly (centre), Aisling Loftus (right), Emmet Kirwan (Eamon) – picnic, Ballybeg Hall style…

Amazing to think it’s nearly forty years, 1979, since Brian Friel wrote Aristocrats and thirteen years (2005) since the National revived it in a Tom Cairns production which included a budding Andrew Scott. Continue reading

The Lehman Trilogy

Lyttelton, National Theatre, London ****

© Mark Douet, Henry, Emanuel and Mayer Lehman - the three Lehman Brothers: Simon Russell Beale, Ben Miles and Adam Godley

© Mark Douet, Henry, Emanuel and Mayer Lehman – the three Lehman Brothers: Simon Russell Beale, Ben Miles and Adam Godley

The cast would be worth the ticket alone, Simon Russell Beale, Ben Miles and Adam Godley. They could read the old-fashioned telephone directory and still make it sound significant. Continue reading

Girls & Boys

Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, London ****

© Marc Brenner, Carey Mulligan coolly describing terrible things...

© Marc Brenner, Carey Mulligan, sensational as raconteur, coolly describing terrible things…

The thing about Dennis Kelly is he likes to leave audiences with a moral question mark. Not for him easy platitudes. Or neat little conclusions. No wonder you’ll find him listed, amongst his credits, as author of the `book’ for Matilda the musical and the tv thriller, Utopia (also the comedy series, Pulling, on Netflix). Continue reading

Ugly Lies the Bone

Lyttelton, National Theatre (****)

© Mark Douet, Ralf Little (Stevie), Kate Fleetwood (Jess, the returning injured vet)

© Mark Douet, Ralf Little (Stevie), Kate Fleetwood (Jess, the returning injured vet)

Women and modern warfare. Women have fought to be treated as equals on the front line. A question of equality. The corollary to that is, they are open to being just as badly injured. Continue reading

Faith Healer

Donmar Warehouse, London (****)

&copy, Johan Persson, Stephen Dillane as Frank, the faith healer

&copy, Johan Persson, Stephen Dillane as Frank, the faith healer

Brian Friel’s Faith Healer (1979) is regarded as one of his best, if not the best of an amazing body of work. With its shaggy dog tales, its incantatory, metaphorical dream-like quality, guilt and exploration of the strange alchemical process that can produce miracles – spiritual or creative – its own magic lies in the close proximity of word and character with atmosphere. Continue reading