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“My Master Builder” at Wyndham’s Theatre

That playwright Lila Raicek new work is “inspired” by Ibsen’s The Master Builderof 1892 is a bit of red herring. OK, there’s an architect involved and adultery (and even vertigo). But the play tries hard to be a think piece for now – putting women to the fore, adding glamour, celebrity and addressing the #MeToo movement. It isn’t boring, but it is spread out thinly. And it doesn’t convince.

As the anniversary of their son’s death approaches, the marriage between Henry and Elena Solness is about to end. The arrival of Henry’s former pupil and fling, Mathilde, is engineered by his wife to make the divorce as messy as possible. It’s dramatic enough, with plenty of speeches about how everyone feels. But notably less attention is paid to grief than the teacher/student affair.

So, from the start, it’s harder to care about the people than it could be. And, unlike Ibsen’s character, there’s nothing provincial about this crowd. Henry, Elena and Mathilde are all super successful. Their wealth is so generic I lost track of where the play was supposed to be set (it’s the Hamptons). As a starchitect, a publishing mogul and an accomplished writer, the trio are the kind of elite that might get on your nerves. 

It’s fun to laugh at their privilege… a bit. But neither their status nor first-world problems are depicted that well. The few luxury symbols or nods to theories dropped in are too easy. And the dialogue is horribly clunky. Which might be deliberate – no one here is quite as clever as they think they are.

There’s clearly extra tension from how inappropriate Henry’s relationship with his student was. But is this really a debate? I guess the twist is how Elena wants to use the event and how Mathilde doesn’t want to cause trouble. It could be interesting – but note how the responses from both women are still really about the man. 

Meanwhile, Mathilde and her college chum Kaia (who happens to be Elena’s PA and also attracted to an older man) turn out to be very whingey Millennials. It’s a damaging stereotype and it doesn’t help the play. Raicek sacrifices Kaia as a foil (although Mirren Mack makes a lot of the role) while Elizabeth Debicki works very hard at a mysterious air for Mathilde to provide some depth to the part. In the end, though, they end up just as “insufferable” as the older characters.

Director Michael Grandage’s staging isn’t as successful as usual. And while Richard Kent’s design looks great, it makes the action feel lost in one scene and then cramped in another. At least the central dynamic between husband and wife, played by Ewan McGregor and Kate Fleetwood, entertains. Both performances are skilled enough to intrigue. It’s left open as to how much genuine affection, let alone passion, exists between them. Is Henry just the old lech we imagine? Is Elena really the villain – Fleetwood does those roles so well – or is there more to her than her bitterness? There isn’t much else to enjoy here, but at least it’s nice to see big names living up to their reputation. In this instance, the show needs the stars.

Until 12 July 2025

www.mymasterbuilderplay.com

Photo by Johan Persson 

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“Dealer’s Choice” at the Donmar Warehouse

As the 30th anniversary production of Patrick Marber’s hit show, this revival might prompt questions as to how the play has aged. The short answer is well enough. The script is funny, the drama intense and the characters interesting. It could be mentioned that Marber was looking at men and their relationships before people started talking about toxicity. But if a sharp critique is what you’re looking for you might be disappointed. While this is, undoubtedly, a well-written play and a fine production, it lacks bite.

The poker game a group of restaurant workers hold each Sunday after work is high stakes in several ways. For Mugsy and Frankie, the event connects to their future dreams. The chef, Sweeney, has more modest ambitions – seeing his daughter the next day. Their boss, restaurant owner Stephen, plays to keep an eye on his son, Carl, who has a gambling addiction. The structure is neat, including the introduction of a wild card – a professional gambler called Ash who Carl owes money to.

The men’s banter is dated but amusing. The shifts in their relationships, before and after work, provide dynamism. Individual ambitions power the play and are depicted well by the cast – these are good roles. Hammed Anumashaun stands out by managing to make Mugsy more than a comic device (no small achievement). Meanwhile Theo Barklem-Biggs gives a nicely layered performance as Sweeney. The father-son relationship is depicted by Daniel Lapaine and Kasper Hilton-Hille with skill, the latter continuing to establish himself as a young talent to watch. Carl could easily be dismissed as spoilt and selfish but, alongside Lapaine, the complexity to both characters is filled out. As a final treat, Brendan Coyle’s performance as the world-weary Ash is strong.

Matthew Dunster’s direction is considered. While the action is never rushed, not a moment is wasted. I’m not sure the musical interludes need to be quite so loud, but that might just be my age – nobody needs to be shocked awake here. Moi Tran’s design is a fancy affair, the reveal of the basement the game is played in is sure to impress and the revolving stage is a great idea. So, with so much to praise, why the reservation?

Dealer’s Choice offers a convincing enough snapshot of these men’s lives but it doesn’t take us any further. Marber is generous with his characters – not a bad strategy – and the production follows this. It’s easy to care about the men despite, maybe because of, their flaws. But we can’t escape that they are stuck. None of them is going to win, let alone win big and that grim conclusion seems, oddly, never addressed.

Until 7 June 2025

www.donmarwarehouse.com

Photos by Helen Murray

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“The Great Gatsby” at the London Coliseum

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, which celebrates its centenary this year, has been turned into a big Broadway musical by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen, with the help of onstage cars and plenty of fireworks. Still running in New York, the Coliseum is a suitably splendid London home for a production that proves value for money, even if it lacks surprises.

This show is a tough one not to damn with faint praise: it’s competent, easy, and enjoyable. Kait Kerrigan’s book is a case in point; as an adaptation it is efficient, clear and comprehensive… but also simplistic. Kerrigan doesn’t assume we all know what is going on with the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby and his former, now married, sweetheart Daisy. The affair, alongside Daisy’s husband’s adultery and a romance for her cousin Nick and friend Jordan, makes for a plot that’s interesting enough, but a little like a soap opera.

The show isn’t sure how funny it wants to be; can we laugh at these old-fashioned views, or do we just condemn them? And Gatsby becomes a bit of a joke himself – rather than a mystery – which is a shame for the audience and Jamie Muscato who takes the lead role. The idea of showing Gatsby’s pretensions with a vaguely British twang jars (Muscato can do a better American accent than this). Frances Mayli McCann, who stars as Daisy, also suffers, with a big effort to make her character sympathetic. Their love isn’t questioned in the way Fitzgerald wanted. Both leads have the poorest songs; their fine voices – and they both sound great – cannot disguise this. 

Howland’s score is powerful, if predictable, with period references that are suggestive (including Gilda Grey is a lovely touch). The romantic numbers soar, just as you might expect. And the party theme is suitably catchy. Tysen’s lyrics are less accomplished, but they are clear, and I didn’t cringe. Both benefit from Marc Bruni’s direction and several numbers are elevated by Dominique Kelley’s choreography. An Act Two highlight, Made to Last, with all the main characters, is the only number complex enough to really impress.

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John Owen-Jones

It’s with supplementary characters that The Great Gatsby does best. Corbin Bleu manages to make sure narrator Nick leads the show despite Kerrigan’s lack of interest in the character. There’s a plumped-up role for Jordan (now Nick’s lover) that Amber Davies makes the most of. And we get more of Meyer Wolfsheim, with the shady businessman’s connection to Gatsby made explicit, leading to a rousing number for John Owen-Jones.

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Corbin Bleu, Rachel Tucker and Jon Robyns

Tom and his lover Myrtle are the big surprise, two strong roles for Jon Robyns (who makes a great villain) and Rachel Tucker, who is excellent as always. It’s a pity Myrtle’s long-suffering husband George isn’t elaborated more (not least for Joel Montague who does well in the role) but all together the show feels hefty enough, and the characters contribute to a general air of satisfaction.

Daisy gets a clumsy finale, almost the last word, lamenting the fate of women and coming close to claiming victim status. It’s not that she’s wrong, just that neither the character nor Fitzgerald would say it. While it isn’t a bad thing to break away from source material, that this is the boldest move only highlights that the show needs more inspired touches. There’s nothing embarrassing here and a lot is done well, it just fails to excite.

Until 7 September 2025

www.london.gatsby.com

Photos by Johan Persson

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“Midnight Cowboy” at the Southwark Playhouse 

Musicals adapted from movies are usually a safe bet. But of the many screen-to-stage shows, using John Schlesinger’s 1969 film is surely a surprise. None other than Bryony Lavery has taken on the task but, unfortunately, the level of effort needed shows. It would be nice to award marks for originality, for taking a risk, but it turns out the idea is a bad one.

It is stressed that this is an adaptation of the book, by James Leo Herlihy, as much as the film. In which case, dropping the snatches of music associated with the movie might have been better, because the show relies on the audience knowing the premise of young misfit Joe Buck coming to New York to work as a gigolo. True, there’s an element of fever dream in Midnight Cowboy, with poverty and drugs fuelling chaos. But the descent to hell is confused as well as relentless.

It’s probably best to leave aside the morals in the story. Are we really OK with having a violent sex worker and his pimp as any kind of hero? The latter is his only friend in New York, a desperate conman called Ratso with a troubled past. The story is bleak to the point of misery porn. The whole show has the puzzling move of inserting humour into the situation: yes, Joe is the world’s worst hustler, and Ratso is oddly endearing, but are laughs appropriate here?

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Max Bowden

The performances are best described as brave. Tori Allen-Martin does well as two very different women, Matthew White and Rohan Tickell have intense roles as two male clients that they make memorable. Max Bowden’s Ratso is admirably complex, he is the only fleshed out character. Paul Jacob French certainly looks the part of Joe, and has the moves, but this is a very tricky role; we can see Joe is clueless, oddly blank, and the depiction follows this. Joe’s job makes him a figure people project onto, so a connection to him is difficult. This problem is complicated by the flashbacks that are supposed to fill Joe out (many of which are hard to hear). Despite all this, Bowden and French make their chemistry clear – no small achievement.

As for the music, written by Francis “Eg” White, the songs are good (the main number is a fantastic, emotional ear worm) but there aren’t enough of them, and they don’t build to anything significant. The delivery is sometimes timid. Again, it’s easy to commend how brave a lot of this is – sex and murder during musical numbers is bold – but the courage doesn’t make it work.

If I had to guess what’s gone wrong, it might be the stress on dreams: Joe’s ambitions, Ratso’s hopes, and various sexual fantasies. But there might be tension here too. Oddly, with little sense of place or time, we miss addressing that big old theme of the American Dream. Thankfully, some of the staging is impressive, the scene changes are good, likewise the projections and lighting. Director Nick Winston’s skills as a choreographer are clear and could have been showcased more. But none of this is enough to save the show from its morbid streak. If I didn’t know better, I’d think we’ve finally found a movie that doesn’t work as a musical.

Until 17 May 2025

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Photos by Pamela Raith

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“Playfight” at the Soho Theatre

It’s not unusual for a coming-of-age play to make some audience members feel old. Julia Grogan’s story of three friends, focusing on them at the ages of 15, then 18, shocks and surprises. Its characters might feel almost alien. At least, I felt ancient, and the play is all the better for that.

There is a lot here that is extreme. There’s a suicide at the start – of a young man who has sex with one of the 15-year-olds without knowing her age – and self-harm features prominently. Sexual violence is more than the backdrop to these young lives – it shapes them, and it is scary.

The frank discussions of sex, the prevalence of pornography and the girls’ different desires might also be termed extreme. These teens are “dreaming of bliss” and want nothing less. Searching for belief, with either Christianity or a vaguely pagan connection with the tree they all meet under, baffles a bit, too (and, with the latter, leads to a literally fantastic, dreamlike scene).

Grogan deals with her material so cleverly we cannot write it off as exaggeration. First, there is humour. Playflight is a raucously funny script, that will make you “crease” (as the kids say). A lot of the laughs come from the girls’ vivid imaginations – some of what they say, occasionally out of ignorance, is crazy. But even when their world-weary pretence slips and we see them as naïve children, what they are going through feels real. And they are tired sick of how they are treated.

Director Emma Callander treads the fine line within this serious comedy with a skill that matches the script. The performances from Nina Cassells, Sophie Cox and Lucy Mangan are superb (just consider how we see them grow up – a short final scene is when they are 24). They are fantastic roles. Presented as sex-obsessed, studious and saintly – an odd trio you might find difficult to see as friends – Grogan refuses to make them stereotypes. Keira, who seems not to care, is full of concern as well as sharp, challenging, arguments, Zeinab’s romantic desires for Lucy are more complex than a teenage crush, while Lucy is far more than the little girl lost she might seem (or pretend) to be.

Along with plenty of laughs, there is a foreboding tension that makes the piece distinctive. And its arguments about how women are treated are as powerful as they are forthright. Confounding, without being contrary, is a tough move to pull off. It’s this that makes the play so exciting (and makes you keen to see what comes next from Grogan). I bet Playfight proves memorable and I’m old enough to spot that.

Until 26 April 2025

www.sohotheatre.com

Photo by Paul Blakemore

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“The Play’s The Thing: A One Person Hamlet” at Wilton’s Music Hall

With Fiona Laird’s accomplished direction and an astounding performance from Mark Lockyer, this solo production of Shakespeare’s masterpiece cannot fail to impress.

Lockyer is a supremely skilled, technically accomplished and hugely charismatic actor, so the quality of his performance is a joy. It is a marvel to see him switch roles and to note how clear the plot remains. Just think of the work behind this version – in itself an inspiring story.

Laird’s idea for the project apparently began during lockdown, with a reflection on how much time many of us spent alone. Lockyer’s own battle with mental health is, surely, another factor. But it is with a light touch that these painful experiences combine into an insightful version of the play.

Why do we praise an actor? Usually, it’s down to a combination of their knowledge of the character they take and how they show that person relating to others. Here, every role has to be considered. Each is intense in its own way and the relationships between the various personalities are rendered with startling clarity. 

Simply, Lockyer is great in every part. In the title role he is understated, one of the saner Danes. There’s no fanfare about his entrance (a move I always prefer) and it is clear he loves Ophelia. Laertes shares this affection, while being a suitably virile counterpoint to the prince. While there are moments of struggle with the female roles, the older male ones are superb: this is a brilliant Polonios, dignified as well as funny, while Claudius is the epitome of tortured cunning.

This is a stripped-back Hamlet. There are no props (not even a skull) and, while Tim Mitchell’s excellent lighting design helps, it really is Lockyer alone on a stage. How it all works is magical. While there is, understandably, less to look at, action in the plot is emphasised and, as a consequence, excitement secured – Fortinbras and his army loom large and (great touch) Hamlet is handcuffed on his way to England. Laird’s edit of the text is brilliant. No characters or story are cut and any lines omitted make sense. One notable absence is Hamlet’s advice to the players, which seems particularly appropriate. A speech about how to act just isn’t needed here.

Until 12 April 2025

www.wiltons.org.uk

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“(This Is Not A) Happy Room” at the King’s Head Theatre

While Rosie Day’s new play might suit a screen more than a stage it is entertaining and well-acted. As the dysfunctional Henderson family meets for a super stressful wedding, we get to enjoy larger-than-life characters, most of whom are successfully drawn, which a talented cast gets the most out of. The play has just enough good jokes, many propelled to laugh-out-loud level by the performers.

There are three siblings here, all of whom are damaged. The very funny Andrea Valls plays control freak Laura, Jonny Weldon’s Simon is an accomplished hypochondriac, while Day herself takes the role of Elle, a young and successful actress she is a bit hard on. A nostalgia for the late 1990s is shot through the play, which narrows its potential audience, as does the class of the characters, but Day clearly knows her stuff and the observations are decent if not surprising.

Amanda Abbington in "(This is not a) Happy Room"
Amanda Abbington

A trio of secondary roles are less successful (husband, demented aunt and psychologist) despite the efforts of Tom Kanji, Alison Linley and Jazz Jenkins. These parts also get laughs but, as we spend less time with them, they feel flatter. All three are balanced by another late arrival – Amanda Abbington, as the magnificent mother, who excels with her Waspish stiff upper lip. Abbington makes every one of her lines land.

There are flashes of profundity to the script that raise interest but struggle to convince as they lack consistency and, being scattered around, provoke a rambling feel. A similar problem comes with several big plot twists. While it’s impressive that these change the comedic feel less than they might (the jokes carry on) the gags aren’t quite as good. Revelations come a little too thick and fast, adding to the sense of a script that’s a tad out of control. It’s still far more celebration than commiseration but, like the events in the play itself, a bit more planning might have been beneficial.

Until 27 April 2025

www.kingsheadtheare.com

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“Retrograde” at the Apollo Theatre

Even with five-star reviews from its premiere at the Kiln Theatre, a West End transfer for a play about Sidney Poitier was never guaranteed. Considering the ‘action’ is three people in one room talking about two pieces of paper, it could be considered a tough sell. But Ryan Calais Cameron’s new play is wonderfully rich. Looking at “trailblazer, activist, icon” Poitier at the start of his career in such a sophisticated and provocative style would surely have made its subject proud.

On the eve of signing a contract with a TV station, Poitier finds himself caught up in Senator McCarthy’s “red scare”, potentially ending his career before it begins. While the subject feels topical – it’s hard not to draw parallels with current events – Cameron doesn’t sacrifice historical context (younger members of the audience seemed a little puzzled, if enthusiastic). This is a solid period drama that makes its points with a firm understanding of the past while allowing us to think about the present day.

Amit Sharma’s confident direction helps. It’s clear he appreciates the strength of the script and he paces it wonderfully. It’s the characters who are the key, and the cast also rises to this quality material. Ivanno Jeremiah does justice to Poitier with a commanding performance. As his character’s admiration for Paul Robeson indicates, it’s good to have a hero. And, like the best heroes, this one has complexity. The will-he-won’t-he signing of a “loyalty oath” is accompanied by moving, tearful anguish from Jeremiah, and his dialect work, with Poitier’s accent slipping at times of stress, is accomplished.

Retrograde is also strong when it considers the industry it is set in. The issues are bigger than TV and Hollywood but wider implications aren’t overplayed. OK, nods to representation aren’t subtle… but they are convincing enough to answer critics who might regard them as a solely contemporary concern. Cameron doesn’t have to work hard to make us believe in the mendacity of the movie business but still does a grand job. And it’s neat that there’s a great role for a writer, the passionate but ineffectual Bobby, whose project Poitier is connected to. A good man but with flaws, and subject to temptation, the performance from Oliver Johnstone brings his qualities out perfectly. 

Cameron also knows how a play can benefit from a great villain. And it’s here that he has excelled himself in the form of the play’s lawyer. Stanley Townsend’s Mr Parks comes close to stealing the show, which in itself is a brave move. Parks talks some sense but, as Poitier points out, he is greedy and afraid. He’s easy to hate but we’re allowed to admire him too, since he brings out the joys of a script crammed with brilliant insults. Many are uncomfortably racist, sexist and scatological. But even more are very funny. “As stupid as a soup sandwich” is my favourite, but invective of this standard is a treat. Retrograde, like its subject, is a class act, so well-written and performed that the West End is lucky to have it.

Until 14 June 2025

www.apollotheatre.co.uk

Photo by Marc Brenner

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“The Mosinee Project” at the New Diorama Theatre

Writer and director Nikhil Vyas has found a great subject for this new short play. Along with original co-creator and dramaturg Aaron Kilercioglu, he presents an odd slice of history: 1 May 1950, when a small town in Wisconsin was taken over by Communism.

Of course you’re intrigued! And the fact that the event was only staged actually adds to the show’s theatrical potential. Vyas and his team (additional material is credited to Breffni Holahan, Jessica Layde, Jonathan Oldfield, Martha Watson Allpress and Millicent Wong) handle the topic with almost too much restraint. But the facts are fascinating. 

In the midst of McCarthyism, The American League, a veterans organisation, masterminded proceedings to highlight the threat of the “red menace”. Showing us the build-up to the day might be more exciting. Did nobody object? Could plans have got out of hand? But is this fair criticism? The show is presented as a documentary, a little like a lecture, so the painstaking efforts separating verbatim and imagined scenes are important in themselves. There are plenty of addresses to the audience, news photos and recordings as well as video work aimed at suggesting the real-life location. 

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It’s a shame, though, that more isn’t revealed. Especially about the impact of the event. The three strong cast – Camilla Anvar, Jonathan Oldfield, Martha Watson Allpress – all impress, slipping in and out of their roles effortlessly and serving as trustworthy documentarians. But they also take on smaller roles as the town’s residents and this section could have easily been expanded.

The focus becomes an argument about whether the project is just a propaganda piece or something genuinely educational, embodied in a conflict between two of its organisers who, in a bizarre twist, were former Communists themselves. The tension between the two men doesn’t quite come through. And an extra debate about what stories really scare us isn’t elaborated on satisfactorily by Vyas. But for sheer ambition and interest The Mosinee Project is admirable. I didn’t quite learn as much as I wanted, but leaving intrigued and wanting more isn’t a bad outcome.

Until 22 March 2025

www.newdiorama.com

Photo by David Monteith-Hodge

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“Alterations” at the National Theatre

Michael Abbensetts’ play, revived via the Black Plays Archive project for the first time since its 1978 premiere, is easy to commend. The script, with additional material by Trish Cooke, is neat. Abbensetts has important things to say and says them well. The action is tight, following West Indian immigrant Walker Holt over the course of his “make or break day” as he works to secure his own tailoring business.  

This is an ‘issues’ play, reportedly inspired by the Kitchen Sink school, with plenty of detail about the racism that Holt and his friends face. Abbensetts’writing is nuanced, with a love triangle subplot that provides an impressively strong female perspective. Its thorough, well-rounded characters are impossible not to care about. 

With such a strong base, it’s no surprise, yet still an achievement, that the acting is superb: sure-footed, impassioned and enjoyable. Led by Arinzé Kene as Holt, who is a commanding presence, his character’s employees, played by Gershwyn Eustache Jnr and Karl Collins, are superb as they tackle their difficult boss and reveal complex dynamics. Cherrelle Skeete is excellent as Holt’s long-suffering wife, a powerful role that manages to challenge his dominance. All the cast bring out the considerable humour in the piece.

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Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, Raphel Famotibe and Karl Collins

There’s plenty to like and caveats are small. Some movement (credited to Shelley Maxwell) could be sharper and – take your pick – more naturalistic or more stylised. Here, we have an in-between that’s occasionally messy. The set and costume design from Frankie Bradshaw is undoubtedly accomplished. But I wasn’t sure if the garments rising and falling were connected to Holt’s daydreams and working it out was distracting. And the revolving stage feels unnecessary as the action is set solely in a Carnaby Street workshop. Too much time is taken trying expand the play. This includes a contemporary figure who makes random appearances and feels a forced effort to give the work relevance since Abbensetts already provides a youthful perspective with the character of Courtney, depicted skilfully by Raphel Famotibe. 

There is a sense that Lynette Linton’s usually excellent direction is effortful, excessive. The script doesn’t need the help the production thinks it does as the play opens up by itself. As well as racism, Abbensetts targets capitalism. The price to pay for Holt’s hard work is the loss of love. His happiness is sacrificed in a search for security. That Holt is warned off his ambitions (by another immigrant, Mr Nat, played by Colin Mace) and seems to recognise his mistakes makes the play a tragedy. The changes referenced in the title must start with the personal – a strong idea that doesn’t need overplaying.

Until 5 April 2025

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Marc Brenner