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“Till The Stars Come Down” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

If you put three sisters at the heart of your play, as Beth Steel does, then your audience is likely to think of Chekhov. Add a community in some kind of decline (in this case, a former mining town) and a new group on the rise (here, Polish immigrants) and more bells ring. The comparisons prove interesting but might not be complimentary. Steel’s play is funny, but its humour isn’t subtle. There’s a lot of drama, but it often approaches soap opera. What impresses, though, is that the trio of siblings prove strong enough to stand on their own – powerful characterisation and excellent performances make the show.

We join Hazel, Maggie and Sylvia on the latter’s wedding day. There’s a lot of stress as well as fun, and it’s clear from the start these are fine roles for Lucy Black, Aisling Loftus and Sinéad Matthews, who all do a great job. Tensions in the family are skilfully revealed, with the women’s father, a cheating husband and a frustrated groom providing more strong turns from Alan Williams, Adrian Bower and Julian Kostov. The men aren’t as well written but, with trouble brewing because of the new groom being Polish and Hazel’s marriage breaking down, the play is action packed.

Steel has a lot of interests. It’s a shame that a sense of community, and its problems, aren’t conveyed in more depth. The sisters’ grief for their recently deceased mother is hazy, too, although Williams helps here. Much better is a concern for time and memory, highlighting the joys that make life worth living – a child playing with a toy, a recollection of shopping as a family or a moment in the rain. Director Bijan Sheibani stages these impeccably (with help from lighting designer Paule Constable), creating theatrical moments that lead to goosebumps.

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Dorothy Atkinson

Steel has further success with another character, the sisters’ aunt, a terrific comic creation that Dorothy Atkinson excels in – full of wit, wisdom and convincing depth. This wedding day is not a happy one as the final moment shows the family breaking up. If the plot here isn’t exactly a surprise, it’s handled with sensitivity and an impressively even hand. There are sensational touches including, perhaps, too many shouting matches. Yet Steel and Atkinson manage to get laughs in the darkest moments, balance excesses and shows the skill of all involved in a play that is interesting and entertaining.

Until 27 September 2025

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan

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“This Bitter Earth” at the Soho Theatre

Harrison David Rivers’ play sees an interracial couple react to the Black Lives Matter movement. The twist is that Waspy Neil is the activist. The tension is that his African American boyfriend, Jesse, is accused of apathy. There’s intelligence and detail here, both emphasised by director Billy Porter. But there’s also disappointment, as the topic isn’t explored in depth and the romance doesn’t move as much as it might.

There are a lot of references, many of them American, showing Rivers’ careful research, which situates his play firmly in a time and place. From the title, based on a song by Dinah Washington, to the poet Essex Hemphill (who I confess I’m keen to learn more about), the quotes, songs and people mentioned don’t necessarily have to be explained. But might the references be elaborated on? In a short play (less than 90 minutes), ideas bombard the audience and the work is weighed down by its erudition rather than the substance of what is being said.

Neil and Jesse speak in hashtags and slogans. I don’t doubt this is accurate and, again, the dialogue situates us in a specific context well. But do people talk like this all the time? The little bit of flirting we see is sweet, but much of the everyday is lost in talk of privilege and activism. So, the play’s tragic conclusion isn’t as emotional as it should be. Rivers’ efforts to tug at heartstrings come across as forced. More seriously – surely in opposition to his aims – there isn’t enough debate. Argument is lost among signalling. That’s a shame and it leaves the play feeling… not bad, but thin.

The structure of the piece, though, is exciting. Action goes back and forth, with conversations repeated to good effect. Big moments in the relationship are shown out of sync. Some scenes are very short, punctuated by robust sound and lighting design, from Julian Starr and Lee Curran respectively, and aided by the video work so integral to Morgan Large’s efficient set. Porter and the cast deal with all this impeccably, not only avoiding potential confusion but creating an energy that matches the script. For all that, the action, while thought-provoking, contributes to a distance from the characters. Rivers treats growth and development of the men and his story in a novel manner. I just don’t think it works.

Despite these reservations, the performances from Omari Douglas and Alexander Lincoln are an undoubted success. Their accents are superb, the chemistry between them fantastic and they bring out the script’s sexiness and humour wonderfully. Douglas makes the super-smart, if self-obsessed, Jesse appealing, showing a self-knowledge that is inspiring. Moments of explosive rage or grief are compelling. Lincoln allows Neil’s wealthy background to be a genuine cause of concern – and his guilt is contagious. Clearly, the cast, and Porter, see a lot in This Bitter Earth and it is their conviction that carries the day.

Until 26 July 2025

www.sohotheatre.com

Photo by Tristram Kenton

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“Intimate Apparel” at the Donmar Warehouse

Nothing written by Lynn Nottage should be missed. Director Lynette Linton’s revival of the playwright’s 2003 piece, last seen at the Park Theatre, is splendid. This story of a seamstress at the turn of the 20th century is well constructed, dramatically engaging, full of poetry and contains great insight. And what a heroine! Esther’s hard work, good heart and bad luck all prove compelling as she looks to better herself and find love. While the show is more than a romance, it is easy to fall in love with her.

The lead role is a triumph for Emmy award-winner Samira Wiley. Barely off the stage, she holds the audience’s attention with ease, although the role could be played with more restraint. There’s a balance between Esther’s determination to fulfil her dreams and her disbelief when some of them appear to be coming true that Wiley doesn’t quite pin down. But the emotion displayed is sincere and always moving.

While Esther overly dominates the play, there is excellent support from three women who are her friends, played by Nicola Hughes, Claudia Jolly and Faith Omole. These accomplished performers share Nottage’s skill in making their roles more than foils. There’s a case for claiming that Intimate Apparel is a play about female friendship.

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Kadiff Kirwan

Kadiff Kirwan is George, whose epistolary romance with Esther very results in their marriage. His wonderful letters convince – until their nuptial night. The cloth merchant Mr Marks is a tougher role for Alex Waldmann. The chemistry with Wiley is good, but there’s not enough conflict surrounding this potential romance. And Waldmann should display the material he sells (and praises so beautifully) with more care.

A long-term collaborator of Nottage, Linton is a justifiably confident director. Which makes some fussy touches in the show’s design (by Alex Berry) a surprise. The video work feels unnecessary. But the production’s intensity is a marvel – full of frustration, passion and drama. It’s sexy, too, with innuendos about fabric and Esther’s fantasies given weight. The humour shines out and there are gasps over plot points. None of this is surprising, given the strength of the script, but it’s a still an achievement and a theatrical thrill.

Until 9 August 2025

www.donmarwarehouse.com

Photos by Helen Murray

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“Who is Claude Cahun?” at the Southwark Playhouse

The titular artist who is the subject of DR Hill’s play has only received attention relatively recently. Speculation about Claude Cahun’s sexuality and gender has appeal for academics, while her life makes for an interesting story. From Paris in the 1930s to resistance work in occupied Jersey during World War II, this is a story worth telling. It is a great shame that here, despite a lot of effort, that it is not told well.

Rivkah Bunker, who takes the title role, and Amelia Armande, who plays Cahun’s partner Marcel Moore, are hampered by a script that is both worthy and wooden. Maybe Hill has read the anti-war messages his subjects wrote as a form of protest too often – there were posters and banners, as well as writing secreted in magazines and even on cigarette papers. But surely, Cahun and Moore didn’t speak like that in real life. The problem is compounded by an eye on theory – the word ‘identity’ is used far too often – which takes us out of the world of the play. Nearly all the dialogue is poor. Lines such as “open up, it’s the Gestapo” are close to embarrassing. 

There is no shortage of ideas in the piece. Juliette Demoulin’s set is effective and the video design by Jeffrey Choy uses Cahun’s artwork well. Director David Furlong highlights movement a lot and manages to create some intriguing moments, inspired by Cahun’s performance work, expressing intimacy and emotion. But there is a reliance on presenting Cahun as a troubled genius. Too much background information is taken for granted, with a difficult childhood and time in a chauvinistic Paris presented in short scenes that are hard to digest. The trio that makes up the remaining cast – Gethin Alderman, Ben Bela Böhm and Sharon Drain – are overworked and the results unpleasant. There are a lot of accents and poor attempts at establishing weakly written characters.

Things improve… a little. As the Resistance work becomes riskier, causing concern to the paranoid Germans, Cahun and Moore are captured and undergo interrogation, imprisonment and almost execution. At times it is hard to believe they were taken so seriously (the “Soldier with no name” Cahun took as her identity was presumed to be German and part of a whole terrorist cell). But it really is a compelling story and that Cahun’s confession was not believed a fine touch.

Again, though, the delivery isn’t strong enough. Bringing out farcical moments is a good idea. Like the art Cahun left behind in Paris, you might say the situation was surreal. But the comedy lacks bite and detracts from the tension. Furlong tries to keep up a pace, but the effect is clumsy. There’s a final twist that is strong. In the search for who Cahun is, do we forget the identity of their companion? It’s Moore’s photography that has made Cahun memorable, yet her name is even less well known. Such insight into the perils of biography is admirable, but not enough to compensate for so many mistakes.

Until 12 July 2025

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photo by Paddy Gormley

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“Stereophonic” at the Duke of York’s Theatre 

As the most Tony Award-nominated play ever, and the biggest winner in 2024, David Adjmi’s smash hit is compulsory viewing. Set in music recording studios in the late 1970s as a band work on an album, there are vivid characters, rigorously directed by Daniel Aukin, to enjoy. As the highs and lows of making music are recounted in depth, ‘detailed’ is a generous description. It turns out there’s a lot of repetition to making an album… and a surprisingly amount of silence. So, while Adjmi’s script is carefully crafted, it might try your patience.

The pressures and problems of artists aren’t my favourite genre. No matter how troubled, the characters here are talented and successful, so sympathy is a bigger ask than it might be. And I’ll admit the period and type of rock group the show is about (roughly, Fleetwood Mac) has little appeal. Nonetheless, the focus brought to the project is admirable. The claustrophobia recounted is compelling and, considering how little action there is, this long show has tension that Aukin sculpts with skill.

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Eli Gelb and Andrew R. Butler

Does Adjmi open up his play so that mere mortals who aren’t ‘artistes’ have something to relate to? Yes. But not successfully. The band’s two engineers, Grover and Charlie, are a device here. Eli Gelb and Andrew R. Butler are strong in the roles, but the characters are still stuck in their milieu. They become lackeys to Peter, the band’s self-appointed creative lead, whose tortured performance from Jack Riddiford makes his deep insecurities clear. There’s plenty to observe about the (male) ego – a bigger topic than the music business – although not much of it is new.

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Chris Stack

There is an admirable restraint when it comes to the machinations of showbusiness. Simon, who both the band’s manager and its drummer, could be a more sinister figure, but Chris Stack’s careful portrayal makes us warm to the man. Addiction is a big subject, too. But the band’s bag of cocaine is, literally, too large – it causes more laughs than it should. Bass player Reg, played by Zachary Hart, is a role that suffers, as his drunken and drugged stumbling just gets giggles. Even when he gets clean, Reg is just ridiculous. 

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Nia Towle and Lucy Karczewski

It’s with romantic relations that the play excels. With two married couples in the band, the sexual dynamics are interesting, and the balance Diana and Holly must strike between being wives and artists means that Lucy Karczewski and Nia Towle have meaty roles. Both are fantastic, their characters complex, quick to connect with and easy to become invested in. As Diana fights not to cut verses of her song, it is the only instance when Adjmi’s interests are a hit emotionally.

The songs written for the play, by Will Butler, will be a further attraction for many audience members. But because the show is consciously not a musical, they come close to being a distraction. It’s nice to hear what the band are working on, and it all sounds great, but it also makes the whole show too long. As with everything here, the music and its performance are of a high standard. But, while you can see why Stereophonic got so many awards, it is hard to be inspired by it.

Until 11 October 2025

www.stereophonicplay.com

Photos by Marc Brenner

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“STOREHOUSE” at Deptford Storehouse

Secrecy can be exciting, and this project from new arts production company Sage & Jester uses that fact well. “Truth lies here” is the smart tagline, immersive theatre is the promise and, given how diverse that scene is, what you are going to get is hard to anticipate. That the show is big is obvious enough – the former paper depot that serves as the venue is 9,000 square metres.

Without giving too much away, there’s a sci-fi scenario that the audience is guided through a little too strictly. The story isn’t complicated – all the world’s digital information, since the internet started in 1983, has been secretly stored in this very location – but it is hampered by a lot of jargon. The scientists who founded the project (at the height of post-modernism, no less) were aiming for an ultimate truth via algorithm. A mission that has, not surprisingly, failed.

The show’s founder and concept creator, Liana Patarkatsishvili, has the laudable aim of provoking us into thinking about information and control. But the issues aren’t new and it’s all a bit worthy. We learn that online media is often biased and that it brings out the worst in people. Hopefully, that isn’t a revelation to many. Exploring the cultish overtones to a faith in the algorithm is more interesting but comes with yet more cant.

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Nina Smith

While those founders are voiced by an impressive cast in recordings, it is the bookbinders, stackers and caretakers (each with an oath) that we meet. These characters are a touch too bizarre. And attempts at humour fail. But Nat Kennedy, Zachary Pang and Nina Smith, who I saw perform, dealt very well with the audience participation, which is encouraged but isn’t heavy handed – the cast won’t bother you if you aren’t keen (guilty). The questions are rather elevated, or at least abstract, which gives the show some standout.

There was a ‘Writers’ room’ at work here. And while there is lots of talent credited (Tristan Bernays, Sonali Bhattacharyya, Kathryn Bond, Katie Lyons, Caro Murphy and Rhik Samadder, with the story “produced” by Donnacadh O’Briain) the result is disappointing. The vocabulary is, frankly, naff and the dialogue clunky, partly because of too many slogans. Yes, we are meant to question all these mantras. But that doesn’t make them any easier to listen to. A bigger problem is that we don’t get to know our guides. They have a back story, but not enough time is taken over it, so there is no emotional connection.

There’s a twist when it comes to the end, with a nod to conspiracy theories that might surprise. After all, when it comes to “shaping narratives”, theatre makers are experts! It’s never a bad thing check how gullible you might be. I’m just not sure that insight is commensurate with the effort here.

Thankfully, there can be no reservations about the set itself – that is impressive. Production designer Alice Helps’ work is big and beautiful. It’s clever not to lean too far into scary, and the details, including the smells, tick the immersive box. The lighting from Ben Donoghue and the sound design from James Bulley are both suitably ethereal. For the finale, there’s a great touch incorporating the crowd, as well as music by Anna Meredith and more abstracts, as we are asked about the future and what gives us hope. This final scene might even give you goosebumps, though that’s mainly down to the staging and set.

Until 20 September 2025

www.sageandjester.com/storehouse/

Photos by Helen Murray

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“The Fifth Step” at the Soho Place Theatre

David Ireland’s new play, a hit for the National Theatre of Scotland at last year’s Edinburgh International Festival, is a vague affair. The scenario, discussions between an alcoholic and his sponsor, is promising enough, a good idea. But scenes talking about sex, abuse and addiction are joined by the topic of religion, and nothing is addressed in detail. Like much recent writing, masculinity might be the subject matter – but even this topic feels tackled by default.

There’s also Alcoholics Anonymous itself, whose course of treatment provides the play’s title. How much do you need to know about the organisation to enjoy the play? The Fifth Step isn’t about A.A., as such, criticism about the process is implied, but not investigated. It’s frustrating that we don’t learn more through the play. Is the target talking therapies in general? Or the quasi-religious system of “fellowship” that has a fascinating history?

As a two-hander, the piece is, understandably, character driven and these are meaty rolls that have a clear attraction for performers. Jack Lowden reprises his part as Luka while Martin Freeman joins as an older sponsor, called James. Both men are interesting to watch, and the dynamics of their relationship provides the drama, carefully nurtured by director Finn Den Hertog. Still, Luka is too much a tick-box of toxic masculinity: his opening line is that he is an incel, while his homophobia, misogyny and ignorance push credulity just a little too far. Likewise, James’ sensitivity and hypocrisy don’t quite work – it’s just a little too clear that things aren’t as rosy as he makes out. But when he gets nasty, it doesn’t ring true either.

The performances are top-notch. Fans of Freeman and Lowden will enjoy themselves. And their talents are clear, given how both deal so expertly with Ireland’s humour. The Fifth Step tries hard to be funny. At times it’s a little too close to sketches for stand-up comedy routine, where seeing the punchline coming is part of the fun. Both cast members are great at landing the lines. But despite their efforts, which are considered and considerable, the characters end up as bores. It’s a shame that, with such emotive topics discussed – from adultery to atheism – it is hard to feel for either man or wish to journey any further with them.

Until 26 July 2025

www.thefifthstop.co.uk

Photo by Johan Persson

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“Shucked” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Well, this one is fun! Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally’s new musical, fresh from Broadway, is full of laughs and chipper songs. The story of an isolated community having trouble with its crops juggles sentimentality and cynicism with gusto. Strong performances from a cast that seems to be loving every moment make it easy to enjoy. 

The inhabitants of Cob County, who all appear to be related, are great figures of fun. There are lots of country bumpkin jokes and colourful characters (Keith Ramsay is particularly strong). Every kind of gag gets a go – dad jokes, dirty jokes and some awful puns. They’re delivered thick and fast and almost always land. 

Keith Ramsay in Shucked at Regents Park Open Air Theatre
Keith Ramsay

While giving us plenty to laugh at, the characters have admirable qualities, focusing on loyalty and community, that the show extols. And it feels very contemporary that their suspicion of the outside world might be warranted. Our heroine, Maizy, may not be too bright but she has the courage to travel to the big city – Tampa, Florida – to seek help with the harvest and Sophie McShera makes her character’s mini journey of self-discovery appealing.

Of course, Maizy is conned. By a not very good conman posing as a chiropodist (a great role for Matthew Seadon-Young). And her adventure complicates her love life, too, as she’s left her beau, who is called Beau, behind. But don’t worry – it’ll all work out. And along the way there are strong numbers for Georgina Onuorah and Ben Joyce, who both sound fantastic. Robert Horn’s book for the show is admittedly slim, but it is romantic without being sickly sweet.

Monique Ashe-Parmler and Steven Webb in Shucked
Monique Ashe-Palmer and Steven Webb

The music itself is pastiche, but strong. The silly songs are great and there’s enough heart to make you fall in love with everyone (one of the strongest numbers is about female friendship). And there’s a nice twist with two ‘story tellers’, played by Monique Ashe-Palmer and Steven Webb with fantastic energy. They provide many of knowing glances that help the show and a reassure us that we’re all here for fun. Of course, it’s corny – that joke is set up from the start – but such enthusiasm is delicious. 

Until 14 June 2025

www.openairtheatre.com

Photos by Pamela Raith

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“The Frogs” at the Southwark Playhouse

Fans of Stephen Sondheim – and I’m one – are lucky right now. His last work, Here We Are, is playing at the National Theatre while this show has been revived in spirited style by director Georgie Rankcom. There’s fun to be had with comparisons or, to be frank, shared problems. But this is another part of the canon it is wonderful to get the chance to see. And fan or not, The Frogs is smart, fun and well-executed.

Like all Sondheim’s work, The Frogs is inspired by… a lot. There’s the play by Aristophanes, adapted “freely” by Burt Shevelove, then “even more freely” by Nathan Lane, and at each stage given Sondheim’s spin. And it’s a show with a long, somewhat convoluted genesis. Rather brilliantly, as it involves a journey on the River Styx, it starts in a swimming pool!

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Dan Buckley and Kevin McHale

A lot depends on the leads Dionysos and his slave Xanthias, who journey to Hades to save the world through art. The plan, to bring George Bernard Shaw back to Earth, is suitably kooky. Dan Buckley and Kevin McHale, who take the parts, are up to the job, sounding great and making an excellent comedy duo. The metatheatricality and the message in the show are generally overdone, but with these two the touch is, thankfully, light.

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Martha Pothen as George Bernard Shaw

Their adventures are accompanied by a talented ensemble who also double as extra characters. Joaquin Pedro Valdes stands out as Herakles and Martha Pothen as Shaw. The structure is simple enough, but the pace slows too often. Thankfully, the music is a delight. From the jolly refrain ‘I Love To Travel’, to a melancholic number, ‘It’s Only A Play’, the songs are Sondheim quality, and you can’t give higher praise than that.

Still, given Sondheim’s back catalogue, there’s some disappointment. The Frogs feels heavy-handed. Even the lyrics, although always smart, are a little blunt. And a final contest (apparently agon is the term) between Shaw and Shakespeare is far too lengthy. The point is interesting enough: do we need Shavian “great abstractions” or the bard’s poetry? Pothen and Bart Lambert (as Will) do well. But the outcome is predictable (who really wants an “orgy of Georgie”?) and preachy.

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Victoria Scone stars as Pluto

There is a strong sense of musical revue about the show (it started out at Yale) that suits the venue and that Rankcom cleverly leans into. Dance numbers, difficult in such a small space, showcase choreographer Matt Nicholson’s talents and add energy – the “web-footed debauchery” of the titular amphibians is a hoot. And having a special guest as Pluto is a great idea (until 31 May it’s Victoria Scone and very good she is, too).

The variety of the score and the broad humour are all embraced, with lots of good gags based around Greek myths (apparently Viagra is the god of perseverance). It’s on a wider level, with Sondheim reviewing the state of the world, that problems arise. A touch of the classroom carries the potential to defeat the argument and instruction that we should all get angry and act. Maybe it’s more generous to say that the show’s sense of urgency overwhelms it? At least there is fun as well as conviction here.

Until 28 June 2025

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photos by Pamela Raith

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“Clueless” at the Trafalgar Theatre

There’s a strong opening number to this musical adaptation of the 1995 film that, loosely, resets Jane Austen’s Emma among wealthy Los Angeles teens. The idea that the show’s heroine, Cher, has a perfect life makes for a strong motif we can have fun exploring. If the rest of the songs are not as good, the show overall is a respectable affair that deserves credit.

It’s a shame for Clueless that the screen-to-stage musical feels a little played out. That’s not the fault of director Rachel Kavanaugh, who keeps the action going nicely, nor the talent on stage. But as Mean Girls and Back to the Future are still running, and memories of Heathers and Cruel Intentions are fresh, there’s just been too much cashing in on Gen X nostalgia.

Here, KT Tunstall and Glenn Slater have written music and lyrics, and both are better than some examples of the genre. All the numbers are competent and several are strong. If they don’t add up to a satisfying musical theatre score (this is Tunstall’s first go), there is nothing objectionable. But it’s a shame there are few chances for the ensemble to sing together, as the score is a collection of solos and duets. Clever nods to the late 1990s could have been leaned into more. But even an incongruous Lindy Hop number, which feels written for something else, is a good tune. Slater’s lyrics are consistently smart, if occasionally dense, and deal well with the plot. And hats off for rhyming porpoise with habeas corpus.

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Emma Flynn and Keelan Mcauley

The show, and production, relies too heavily on the lead role of Cher. Emma Flynn, who takes the lead, is great: her voice is superb, her acting convincing, and it’s clear she has a very bright future. But she has too much to do. And it’s a problem because there are a lot of strong characters here who are poorly served. Cher’s friends, Dionne and Tai, fade into the background. Both Chyna-Rose Frederick and Romona Lewis-Malley seem to know it and don’t look very happy about it. Isaac J Lewis, who plays Christian, arrives much later in the action but establishes his character more forcefully. With two good songs, Keelan McAuley, who plays Cher’s love interest, is the luckiest and he shines as a result.

Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams provides a stylish set to perform in with neat solutions for all the cars that feature. It’s a shame that Lizzie Gee’s choreography feels tacked on; there are few extended numbers so most of the dancing looks like fillers for scene changes. This is easy to forgive, but the show’s biggest problem is a lack of humour. Given a rare funny scene of Cher struggling in her high heels, this isn’t Flynn’s fault – she has a feel for comedy. But the rest of the cast struggle to work out how funny they are supposed to be. And Amy Heckerling’s book (based on her own film) hasn’t been updated or changed for the stage enough. There’s a lot that hits the mark here, but even big fans will miss the laughs.

Booking until 28 March 2025

www.cluelessonstage.com

Photos by Pamela Raith