Independent theatre reviews

Once Upon A Time in Sokoto by Inua Ellam is currently on tour and I was invited to review it at Oxford Playhouse. Directed by Roy Alexander Weise, the narrative focusses on the Sokoto Caliphate between 1865 and 1903, before British colonisation. Interestingly, the show includes discussion of slavery within Africa, a topic unlikely to be addressed in typical history lessons. The music (Femi Temowo) playing when we entered the auditorium, along with the set (Amelia Jane Hanki

August Wilson’s Fences has been brought back to the stage by Headlong, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Home Manchester. I went along to review the show at Oxford Playhouse and somehow managed to have no prior knowledge of the story, so had the pleasure of absorbing it as it unfolded before me. Before we even entered the auditorium the programme caught my eye – if you see the show I highly recommend buying one. Entering the theatre space, the visual impact wa

I picked up my phone one morning in August and saw an Instagram advert for A History of Paper. The first thing that crossed my mind was - this theatre could not be farther away, closely followed by, hang on, that’s when I’m staying in Braemar as part of my holiday in Scotland. By the time I arrived to review the show, all I knew was the title and cast members. I deliberately didn’t read anything else about it in advance and I highly recommend this approach if you are consid

I was invited to review Bury the Hatchet at Southwark Playhouse Borough by Out of the Forest Theatre. Written by Sasha Wilson, the narrative is based on the unsolved mystery of whether Lizzie Borden killed her own father and stepmother, and described as a lively melding of true crime, courtroom drama and live folk gig, I was keen to review the show. On walking into The Little the set (Damien Stanton) was comprised of shelves featuring various items which were tagged, as if

Am I Losing my Mind or Just My Figure? is a one woman play originally written by Sam Holland-Bunyan and reworked in collaboration with Genevieve Labuschagne. I went to review the show during my time at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Fin (Genevieve Labuschagne) is an illustrator but has a side hustle as a zero hours cycle courier to pay the bills. As turning 30 becomes an issue, so do the common "helpful" comments from the people around her, and with them the relentless pressure

I reviewed Trans People are Awful at Bunker One at Pleasance Courtyard, and have to wonder if there would be a more fitting place for this particular show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As the story is set in a garage and the visible props as we entered the room gave an instant air of menace, it was the perfect venue. Boy (Ros Watt) bursts into the room, and he is fired up. There’s no other way to describe it but the energy is instant, constant and relentless. The character

Renwick McAslan’s Woman Seeking Cuddles, is currently showing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe so I went along to review it on my first night in the city. This is a one woman show featuring Harper (played brilliantly by Hannah Strauss), who at first seems like any other young person about to leave their hometown, as she goes out to celebrate this pivotal moment in her life. When she tells us about an accidental sexual encounter with her sperm donor father (not a spoiler, this i

Graham Greene's black comedy Our Man in Havana, has been adapted for the stage by Clive Francis and is currently touring the UK. I was pleased to be able to review the show at Oxford Playhouse. On walking into the auditorium we instantly noticed the set (Julie Godfrey), which was a lovely design, along with music that evoked the setting of Cuba. It must also be said that throughout the performance, the lighting design by Nick Richings and the sound design by Andy Graham sto

The Night Ali Died is a solo play written and performed by Chris Sainton-Clark, and brought to the stage by Raising Cain Productions. I reviewed this show on my last night at Ventnor Fringe. Recounting in detail the activities of three other characters – including a mob boss and a detective - as well as the titular Ali, this was a show I was excited to see. Ali is working in a chemistry lab alongside his friend, and he realises, unlike his own life that he perceives as bori

Sherlock Holmes and the Napoleon of Crime is a MCS Drama (Magdalen College School) production and I was keen to review it at Oxford Playhouse. On entering the auditorium, my eye was instantly drawn to the stage. The set (Christianna Mason) had a Steampunk theme to it, fitting for the time period of this show. As the play went on, this versatile set, alongside fabulous lighting (Will Hayman) and sound (Dan Parry) transported us to a newspaper office, the banks of the River T

I was invited to review William Street at the Burton Taylor Studio by The Fifth Act Company, a student founded theatre company. The performance I saw of William Street was the first of the run. It was interesting to walk into the studio space and see a different layout to those for recent shows I’ve seen in this venue, one that worked particularly well for this show. The set consisted of a family’s living space which instantly transported us to the 1970s with furniture and

The Beekeeper of Aleppo was inspired by Christy Lefteri’s bestselling novel of the same name. Adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, I was excited to see the show at Oxford Playhouse. I should note that despite having a copy of the novel, I have yet to read it so I can’t compare the two. What follows is based entirely on the stage show. Nuri and his wife Afra have been forced to flee from Syria after war takes hold. With Nuri a beekeeper in their hom

Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift (based on the book by Caroline Graham) is currently on tour, and I was delighted to be invited to review the show at the New Theatre in Oxford. The Killings at Badger’s Drift was in fact the very first story that appeared as part of the ongoing Midsomer Murders series on TV in 1997. The play was set in the exact same year. With my hometown being one of the frequently used filming locations for the series, it’s embarrassing to

When I saw the title An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo, I didn’t read anything else about it but just thought ‘that sounds like it will be funny' and put it on my list of shows I’d like to see. I was pleased to review this Choir Boy Productions show at the Burton Taylor Studio in Oxford. Written by Ned Blackburn, who also plays Johnny in the show, this play is exactly what you would expect it to be about from the title. Within seconds of it starting

Oxford Theatre Guild’s Murder in the Cathedral is currently showing at Oxford Playhouse. The information on the website gave insight that this was to be a retelling of the final days of Thomas Becket, after he returned home from exile. With no prior knowledge of the book by T.S. Eliot, I was keen to go along and see it. The opening consisted of a musical treat as a choir sang, instantly setting the scene in a cathedral, alongside the large cross suspended over the centre of

Glorious! is billed as “The Inspiring True Story of the World’s Worst Singer”. I wondered how this idea would translate to the stage, so I went along to review the play at Oxford Playhouse. The story is about Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944) a wealthy socialite and amateur coloratura soprano. An accomplished pianist – described as a childhood prodigy, this was curtailed by an accident, leaving her unable to play. She later turned to singing as a way to express her love f

Invisible Me is a play by Bren Gosling about three people who are turning 60 and feeling like their lives have lost their way, in one way or another. You may think this subject matter could be hard going, however despite the challenges the characters are facing, the writing proves that you can find comedy in some of the darkest places. The set (David Shields) is simple but striking, and the props used consist only of three chairs. Enhanced by the subtle but effective light

Motherhood is a Stories That Hit Home Theatre production, written and performed by Clare Nelson, directed by Emma Webb, and I went to see it at the Burton Taylor Studio in Oxford. This was a completely sold out performance. From a mother - Lisa’s - perspective, this show insightfully details the ever-present worry you have when parenting teenagers, but specifically focuses on how knife crime can impact on a family. The detail in the writing was exquisite, giving valuable in

10 First Dates is a Gooper Dust production, currently making its debut at Etcetera Theatre as part of Women Writers Festival. Playwright Christine Rose was inspired to write this piece after trading horror stories about dating with her best friend. That was enough information to make me want to see this show, which was being presented as a “polished work in progress”. Maggie appeared on stage first, preparing to go on a date whilst speaking aloud both to her reflection in

Children of the Night, a production by Mad Friday Productions, is written by Danielle Phillips, based on the testimonies of 30 people from Doncaster and billed as a love letter to the working-class cultural pulse of the North. I was invited to review the show at Southwark Playhouse Borough. Lindsay (Danielle Phillips) took us back to 1997, to the day she received her GCSE results and was planning a night out to celebrate. There were absolutely no words of dissuasion about her