Macbeth RSC’s The Other Place Playing until 6 December I thought when the RSC schedule came out that I would give this production a miss. I have seen too many Macbeths, most of them unconvincing or unlikely in some way, like Peter O’Toole knocking the set down and then playing the rest of the run for …
Cyrano de Bergerac Swan Theatre Playing until 15 November Cyrano de Bergerac is a French 1897 verse drama in five acts by Edmond Rostand. The RSC’s version is an adaptation by director Simon Evans and Debris Stephenson. The play is about the life of the poet and soldier Cyrano whose diffidence in love is the main thrust of …
Measure for Measure Royal Shakespeare Theatre Playing until 25 October 2025 The last production of Measure for Measure which I saw was at Shakespeare’s Globe, a production which heightened the importance and presence of sexual licence in Vienna by placing two quasi brothels in among the groundlings, so that they became the citizens of Vienna, …
The Winter’s Tale Royal Shakespeare Theatre Playing until 30 August I think it’s always a mistake when you can only grasp some of what’s going on by reading the footnotes. It’s as if the work of art can’t work on its own. In this case some of what was happening escaped me while I was …
Edward II The Swan Theatre Playing until 5 April The RSC has two great plays and two exciting productions of them playing at the same time in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and The Swan. Both Hamlet and Marlowe’s Edward II are as interesting as we have seen for a while at the RSC and both …
Jack and the BeanstalkCidermill TheatreChipping CampdenPlaying until January 7 Is there no end to the hard work, skills and versatility of the Artistic Director of The Attic Theatre, John-Robert Partridge? Not content with directing two pantomimes – this one and Dick Whittington at Stratford’s The Attic Theatre – he also plays Dame Dotty with stripy …
The Merchant of Venice 1936 Swan Theatre It seems a long time now since I’ve been able to say that I think something at the RSC is a must see production, but this one is. It’s stunning. Perhaps it’s the result of the RSC working in collaboration with Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Eilene Davidson Productions. …
I’ve had the experience before of going to a Noel Coward play and realising with some surprise what a good dramatist he was. The same happened going to Jonas Cemm’s production for Tread the Boards Company. Attic regulars are now used to good acting and good directing but with this production we have a much …