A Brief Case of Crazy at York Theatre Royal was an absolute delight from start to finish, delivering a fast-paced, slapstick comedy packed with energy, charm and laugh-out-loud moments. Produced by Mitch Donaldson and written, directed and choreographed by Rowan Armitt-Brewster (who also stars as the wonderfully chaotic Thomas) the production embraces classic physical comedy while adding its own fresh, inventive style. Every scene was able to radiate joy, infecting the audience with humour.
The performances from the three-strong cast were outstanding. Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s portrayal of Thomas was a masterclass in physical comedy, with wonderfully exaggerated facial expressions and flawless comedic timing that brought every joke vividly to life. Lennie Longworth was equally engaging as Daisy, bringing warmth, wit and excellent chemistry to the stage, while Sam Cunningham’s Simon provided the perfect counterpart as the antagonist, purposefully tormenting the bubbling protagonist, Thomas. Together, the trio demonstrated remarkable comic synergy, their finely tuned interplay creating an engaging stage presence that captivated the audience from start to finish. The movements on stage were completely synchronised; each cast member was able to replicate the jolts of a train ride or the circular motions of a fly as the characters watched it invisibly in the air.
One of the production’s most memorable features was the incredible use of the puppet, which represented Thomas, dressed in the same clothing, with the same hairstyle and glasses. The puppet was flawlessly integrated into the action, allowing the slow-motion movements to contrast with the upbeat dance moves of the cast. As the performance was completely non-verbal, the cast did a phenomenal job at ensuring the character’s actions, thoughts and intentions were fully understandable and received by the audience. This was successfully achieved by the sound effects, lighting changes and facial expressions which carried the narrative through till the end, courtesy of lighting designer Beth Scott and of course the marvellous cast.
The technical elements were just as impressive as the performances. The briefcase was of course a highlight and main feature of the show, moving in harmony with the sound effects and lighting to build anticipation before punctuating each moment with perfectly timed comic effects. These creative choices amplified the excitement and theatrical magic, enhancing the show’s playful atmosphere.
A Brief Case of Crazy was overall a wonderfully imaginative production that combines outstanding performances, inventive staging and nonstop laughter into a hugely entertaining theatrical experience suitable for all ages.
Tonight, at Malvern, we are blessed with one Mozart’s blockbusters – The Marriage of Figaro.
The story revolves around the titular marriage of Figaro to Susanna. Susanna objects to the room that they have been given and Figaro cannot fathom why, as it is so handy should the master or mistress of the house ring for them. Susanna then divulges that the master was not benevolent but selfish, in order to have her close for his amorous conquests. Figaro begins to hatch a plan for teaching him a lesson…
The first thing one notices about this Wild Arts production is that the orchestra is on stage, at the rear but in plain sight. Conducted by Orlando Jopling, from the keyboard, the small but perfectly formed chamber orchestra made a joyous sound. Never overpowering, always well balanced and bringing a clarity to the music which did the score justice.
The set was a minimal affair with just enough elements – wooden cubes, movable screens and some sheets – to tell the story, to not get in the way and cause scenery change dilemmas and for the actors to interact with it in a humorous fashion (especially in the last acts). A most inventive use of materials from Designer Laura Jane Stanfield.
The cast were all magnificent and it’s hard to single out anyone in particular since all were singing to the highest quality, with fabulous acting and comedic timing to boot. The gentlemen (Jack Sandison as Figaro, Timothy Nelson as Count Almaviva and Timothy Dawkins as Bartolo/Antonio) all had commanding, sonorous voices and stage presence. I really loved William Searle as Don Basilio – his dancing near the beginning was worth his inclusion alone. A deliciously slimy portrayal.
But it was the ladies who (for me) stole the show. Ellie Neate as Susanna had a voice to die for and she was one minute furious, the next playful and back again. Abbie Ward as Cherubino was obviously having a ball with a deliciously naughty, impish young man to portray. Olivia Ray (as Marcellina) and Eleanor O’Driscoll (as Barbarina) both had their pivotal moments in the opera and were indispensable. But the highlight was Countess Almaviva sung by Elinor Rolfe Johnson. Tender, full of emotion and pathos – hers was a spellbinding performance that was so delicate you felt that just turning up the lights a fraction would be enough to shatter the perfection. Her quiet notes brought a tear to this seasoned theatre goer’s eye!
The plot was a convoluted affair full of twists, misunderstanding (mostly through people jumping to conclusions before asking) and some lovely, deliberate, misdirection involving dressing as others and making assignations in the dead of night. A glorious farce that reminded me of a cross between No Sex Please, We’re British and Gilbert & Sullivan.
But, the true star of the show was the music. Tuneful in the extreme and rightly lauded – everyone helped bring this to life from page to stage. Bravo to everyone involved.
Worth a trip to the theatre (even risking finding out what the England score was)? …a total no-brainer. I cannot recommend this highly enough. A triumph from this incredible company.
Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions and PW Productions
in association with Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor, Curve Leicester, and Beverley Knight
present The Old Vic and ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company
in association with Sadler’s Wells
production of
Sylvia
Starring alongside Beverley Knight as Emmeline Pankhurst will be Naomi Katiyo as Sylvia Pankhurst as full casting is announced for Sylvia, the Olivier-nominated musical production which returns for a limited tour this Autumn ahead of five performances at the Royal Albert Hall from13th – 15th November 2026.
Produced in association with Curve, Sylvia will open in Leicester on 24 September, followed by Birmingham Hippodrome, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Salford Lowry, Norwich Theatre Royal, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and close the tour at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Royal Albert Hall was the home of over 20 suffragette rallies and some of the most historicspeeches in the fight for women to gain the vote, and the suffragettes were banned from the Hall between 1913 and 1918.
‘Sylvia – The Essentials’ album, containing 14 selected tracks from Sylvia the musical starring Beverley Knight produced by Grammy award winner Martin Terefe is available on all streaming platforms here.
Sylvia Pankhurst. Activist. Rebel. Icon.
Today full casting is announced for Sylvia as it embarks on a UK tour this Autumn culminating in five performances only at the Royal Albert Hall this November. Joining the previously announced renowned singer/song writer and performer Beverley Knight MBE(Sister Act, The Drifters Girl, Memphis The Musical) who is reprising her Olivier Award-winning role as Emmeline Pankhurst is Naomi Katiyo (Hamilton, Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical) who will play the role of Sylvia Pankhurst, replacing Sharon Rose who has withdrawn from the production.
Cast returning to Sylvia from The Old Vic production include Kelly Agbowu(Mrs Flora ‘The General’ Drummond/Betty Savoy), Claudia-Rose Carlier (Swing), Jaye Marshall (Swing), Kirstie Skivington (Adela Pankhurst) and Ellena Vincent (Christabel Pankhurst).The rest of the cast includes: Lauren Azania (Swing), Zion Battles (Swing), Ebony Clarke (Emily Davison/Daisy Parsons), Eloise Davies (Annie Kenney/Norah Smyth) Solomon Davy (Prime Minister Asquith/Richard Pankhurst), Collette Guitart (Clementine Churchill/Julia Scurr), Leah Hill (Edith Garrud/Mollie Bird), Nathan Louis-Fernand (Swing), Tachia Newall (Keir Hardie/Lord Cromer), Uzuazo O’David (Harry Pankhurst), Castell Parker (Winston Churchill/George Lansbury), Cleve September (Lloyd George/Lord Curzon), Kenedy Small (Jennie Churchill/Edna Payne/Sophia Singh) and Ivano Turco (Silvio Corio/Sir Almroth Wright).
Following its sellout world premiere production at The Old Vic in 2023, Sylvia will visit Leicester Curve (24 Sep – 3 Oct), followed by Birmingham Hippodrome (6 – 10 Oct), Edinburgh Festival Theatre (13 – 17 Oct), Salford Lowry (19– 24 Oct), Norwich Theatre (28 – 31 Oct), Canterbury Marlowe (2 – 7 Nov) before heading into the Royal Albert Hall on 13, 14 and 15 November 2026. Sylvia is supported by a grant from the Arts Council Incentivising Touring scheme.
Sylvia will host the UK’s largest ever education matinee on Friday 13 November. Delivered in partnership with Go Live Theatre and made possible through the essential support of The Garek Trust, the special performance will welcome almost 5,000 children and young people, with tickets priced at just £10, helping to make live theatre more accessible for young audiences.
The full creative team includes:
Kate Prince with Priya Parmar (Book), Josh Cohen and DJ Walde (Music), Kate Prince (Lyrics, Director & Choreographer), Ben Stones (Set and Costume), Natasha Chivers & Hector Murray (Lighting), Tony Gayle (Sound), Andrzej Goulding (Video and Animation), Cynthia De La Rosa (Wigs, Hair and Make-up), Mark Dickman (Orchestrations), Sean Green (Music Supervisor), Stuart Burt CDG (Casting) and Lolita Chakrabarti (Dramaturgy), Tachia Newall (Additional Lyrics).
Sylvia Pankhurst – fearless, flawed, and unforgettable. The untold story of the rebellious middle child of Emmeline Pankhurst takes centre stage in this irresistible hip hop, funk and soul musical that moves your feet and fires your spirit. Whilst her mother and sister battled for women’s suffrage, Sylvia ignited a revolution for the forgotten: working women, the impoverished, the silenced. Caught between her family and her beliefs, Sylvia risked it all to bring change to millions.
The Olivier Award-winning electrifying musical is fuelled by an irresistible soundtrack by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde that joyously unites hip hop, funk, and soul, and is brought to life by world-renowned choreographer and storyteller Kate Prince (ZooNation).
The Royal Albert Hall played a defining role in the campaign for women’s suffrage, serving as the backdrop for some of the most significant speeches and gatherings in the movement’s history. Between 1908 and 1913, the Hall hosted nearly thirty events linked to the fight for the vote, attracting both militant and pacifist suffrage groups — as well as the National League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage — who hired the venue for their meetings. The first meeting took place at the Hall in April 1908 and each event drew immense public interest; every seat was sold well in advance, with hundreds more turned away at the doors. According to accounts of the time, audiences were composed almost entirely of women, with 200 women stewards dressed in white overseeing proceedings.
Affectionately known by the Suffragettes as a “Temple of Liberty,” the Royal Albert Hall even appeared as their base in a popular board game of the era. However, following the intensification of militant tactics, the Hall’s trustees — like many London venues — banned Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters, and the Women’s Social and Political Union from using the venue in April 1913. The Suffragettes thus became the first political group ever to be barred from the Hall. After the partial victory of 1918, when some women gained the right to vote, the Hall lifted its ban. On 16 March 1918, it hosted a special “Celebration of the Women’s Suffrage Victory” meeting, featuring addresses from Mrs. Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel — marking both a symbolic and literal return to the “Temple of Liberty.”
Julie Larson cuts a birthday cake on the opening night of THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT at Southwark PlayhouseThe cast of THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT at Southwark Playhouse celebrate their opening night with Jonathan Larson’s sister, Julie, Executive Producer of the show, director John Simpkins and Jennifer Ashley Tepper, who conceived the show.
The Jonathan Larson Project is a show about a young man following his heart in New York City trying to change the world. The show offers a rare and exhilarating window into Larson’s creative world, featuring previously unheard songs from the late composer’s archives. They illuminate the artistry, activism, and restless imagination of one of musical theatre’s most influential voices.
The 2026 London production holds special significance, marking 30 years since Jonathan Larson’s death in January 1996 from an aortic dissection just one day before Rent’s first performance in New York.
Cast:
Max Harwood (breakout star as Jamie New in the film Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Marcus Collins (original West End cast of Kinky Boots), Natalie Kassanga (Satine in Moulin Rouge the Musical, Irene Roth in Crazy For You, Deena Jones in Dreamgirls), Michael Mather (Smoggie Queens on BBC3 and Fiyero on the international tour of Wicked), Imelda Warren-Green (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder in the West End), plus Georgie Butler and Edward Flynn Haddon, who were chosen over 600 performers in an open search led by Emmy-nominated casting director Rob Kelly, making their professional debuts as covers.
PRESENTED BY SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS BY ANTON CHEKHOV IN A NEW ADAPTATION BY CONOR McPHERSON
DIRECTED BY IAN RICKSON
PLAYING AT THE HAROLD PINTER THEATRE FROM 3 OCTOBER 2026 – 9 JANUARY 2027
Stephen Mangan(The Split, Episodes, The Birthday Party) joins the previously announced BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning Kristin Scott Thomas(Electra, Slow Horses, Four Weddings and a Funeral) in The Cherry Orchard as Lopakhin, opposite Scott Thomas’ Lyubov Ranevskaya.
They will both be joined by further cast members; Ruby Bentall(Industry) as Sharlotta, Megan Cusack (Playboy of the Western World) as Dunyasha, Karl Johnson (King Lear) as Firs, Noof Ousellam (Macbeth)as Yasha, Nadia Parkes (Kidnapped) as Anya, Jack Riddiford(Stereophonic) as Trofimov, Vinette Robinson (Emilia) as Varya, Shubham Saraf(An Enemy of the People) as Yepikhodov and Peter Wight (Three Sisters) as Gaev. Complete casting will be announced in due course.
The production will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 3 October 2026 until 9 January 2027, with press night on 13 October.
The Cherry Orchard will see Stephen Mangan reunite with Ian Rickson having previously worked with him on Pinter’s The Birthday Party in 2018.
Ian Rickson(Uncle Vanya, Jerusalem) and Kristin Scott Thomas also reunite to bring another Chekhov classic to the stage, Scott Thomas having previously played Arkadina in Rickson’s acclaimed production of The Seagull which ran both in London and on Broadway; a role for which Kristin won the Olivier Award for Best Actress.
The Cherry Orchard also sees Rickson and Conor McPherson (The Weir, Girl from the North Country, Uncle Vanya) working together again having had previous success on the 1997 production of McPherson’s critically acclaimed The Weir and Uncle Vanya in 2020.
The Cherry Orchard,Chekhov’s final masterpiece, captures a world in delicate and inevitable transition, and remains as timeless and resonant as ever.
“Without the cherry orchard, life has no meaning to me”
When Lyubov Ranevskaya returns to her childhood estate after years abroad, she finds her family home and beloved cherry orchard under threat.
As old loyalties falter and new ambitions rise, a world of privilege begins to crumble. Can Lyubov embrace the future, or will the pull of memory prove impossible to escape?
The creative team for The Cherry Orchard includes: Director: Ian Rickson; Set Designer: Chloe Lamford; Costume Designer: Sussie Juhlin-Wallén; Lighting Designer: Bruno Poet; Sound Designer: Tom Gibbons; Composer: Stephen Warbeck; Movement Director: Shelley Maxwell and Casting Director: Amy Ball CDG.The Cherry Orchard will be produced in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions and Winkler & Smalberg.
Chichester Festival Theatre – until Saturday 5th September 2026
Reviewed by Sally Lumley
5*****
My Fair Lady has opened at Chichester Festival Theatre, and my goodness what a production! Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, this classic musical from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe tells the story of cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Keziah Ibe) and her transformation into a lady under the tutelage of opinionated professor of phonetics Henry Higgins (Hadley Fraser). Packed with classic songs, clever staging and a top-notch cast, this production is wonderful from beginning to end.
Returning to Chichester for a fourth time, Hadley Fraser is absolutely at home as the cantankerous Henry Higgins. Higgins is condescending, rude and full of class prejudice, making his behaviour feel uncomfortable through modern eyes. However, Fraser finds every scrap of humour, while showing us glimpses of the insecurity and vulnerability that creeps out as he meets his match in Eliza.
The real revelation however, is Keziah Ibe, making an astonishing professional debut as Eliza Doolittle. Her Eliza is spirited and funny, capturing the flower girl’s rough-edged charm before beautifully conveying the inner conflict that comes with her transformation.
My Fair Lady has one of musical theatre’s greatest scores, including songs such as “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?”, “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “On The Street Where You Live”. The ensemble numbers were absolute highlights for me, especially the big cockney knees-up “Get Me To The Church On Time” led by Gary Milner as Eliza’s ne’er-do-well father Alfred. This is simply joyous, with the stage full of energy and character that absolutely bought the house down.
Peter McKintosh’s elegant set makes superb use of the revolving stage, sweeping between Higgins’ wonderfully cluttered study and the lamplit street outside. His costume designs are also wonderful, with the Ascot and Embassy Ball sequences absolutely exquisite. The contrast between Eliza’s humble beginnings and her final transformation is wonderfully illustrated.
Chichester Festival Theatre has delivered another first-class production, making My Fair Lady the perfect treat for a summer’s evening. Highly recommended for a ‘loverly’ night at the theatre.
In the UK & Ireland Tour of Agatha Christie’s The Hollow
Lowry, Salford
TUESDAY 20TH TO SATURDAY 24TH APRIL 2027
Two-time Olivier Award nominee Peter Polycarpou will play Agatha Christie’s legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the UK & Ireland tour of The Hollow, which comes to the Lowry in Salford next Spring.
The production will be at the Lowry from Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th April 2027.
Peter Polycarpou’s recent stage credits include Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Hello, Dolly!, while his screen work includes House of the Dragon, Birds of a Feather, The Brutalist and Evita. Hereceived Olivier nominations for his performances in Oslo and The Band’s Visit.
Following sell-out tours of And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, producers Fiery Angel and director Lucy Bailey (director of the hit London show Witness for the Prosecution) partner once again to bring one of Agatha Christie’spsychologically complex mysteries to the stage this autumn in a new version by Tamsin Oglesby.
The Hollow is produced by Fiery Angel in association with Agatha Christie Limited and the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. The production is directed by Lucy Bailey, with set and costume design by Joanna Parker, lighting design by Chris Davey, sound design and composition by Nick Powell and casting by Ginny Schiller.
Renowned detective Hercule Poirot expected a quiet break in the country; instead he’s drawn into one of the most unsettling cases of his career.
At The Hollow, an elegant country estate, a glamorous circle of guests gather together one summer evening. But beneath the sunlit charm, something darker coils. Old passions refuse to die. New rivalries ignite. Dangerous infatuations take hold. Then — a shot rings out.
A body is discovered. A smoking revolver in an unsteady hand. The scene appears almost staged; a shockingly straightforward crime…. It is anything but.
James Prichard of Agatha Christie Limited said, “We are thrilled to be working once again with Lucy Bailey and Fiery Angel on this bold new production of The Hollow. A sharply observed and unsettling drama, it showcases a fascinatingly different facet of my great grandmother’s storytelling, and we are excited for audiences across the UK and Ireland to experience it anew.”
Having recently directed four of Christie’s classic thrillers for the stage, this will be Lucy Bailey’s fifth.
She said, “The Hollow is one of Agatha Christie’s most powerful and arresting plays. At first glance it appears to be a classic country-house mystery, but it’s something far richer: a family ruthlessly clinging to the past, failed relationships and illicit love. Christie gathers a circle of brilliantly drawn characters to an English country estate and lets long-buried family tensions simmer until a sudden act of violence shatters the idyll. When the unthinkable happens, it falls to the incomparable Hercule Poirot to unravel the truth.
Equally comic and tragic, it’s a play about people trapped between the lives they have and the lives they longed for. That tension makes The Hollow feel startlingly contemporary.”
West End Primary Schools Bring Shakespeare to Life in a Spectacular Shared Performance
Royal Shakespeare Company Associate School Programme & Newcastle Theatre Royal
More than 380 year five pupils from across Newcastle’s West End joined forces in a joyful celebration of creativity and performance as they presented a vibrant retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Associate Schools Programme, delivered in partnership with Newcastle Theatre Royal.
Through a series of engaging workshops led by Theatre Royal associate artists and embedded in classrooms in all nine Primary Schools across the West End School’s Trust, pupils and teachers explored exciting and accessible ways to bringing Shakespeare to life – making the work of one of the world’s greatest playwrights relevant and enjoyable for a new generation.
Each school developed its own section of the play, culminating in a special performance at Broadwood Primary School on Friday 26 June. Pupils performed for one another in a celebration of collaboration, achievement and collective storytelling.
Helen Milner, Head of Creative Development at Newcastle Theatre Royal, said:
“This playful and inspiring project has been a fantastic opportunity for young people across Newcastle’s West End to explore one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and imaginative plays. Our associate artists have enjoyed spending the last few months working closely in schools, supporting both pupils and teachers to develop their confidence, creativity and passion for drama.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream is full of mischief and humour, with themes that young people can really relate to – friendship, identity and emotions. It’s been wonderful to see how these schools have embraced the story and made it their own.”
Mrs Mitcheson, Headteacher at Broadwood Primary School, added: “Watching the children perform with such confidence, energy and pride was incredibly rewarding. The project gave pupils the opportunity to work creatively together, try something new and develop skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
“For many children, performing Shakespeare might once have felt intimidating, but this programme made it accessible, exciting and fun. Seeing all nine schools come together to support and celebrate one another was a really special moment for our whole community.”
This project highlights the transformative impact of arts education and the vital role organisations such as Newcastle Theatre Royal play in enriching the lives of young people across the region. By bringing professional artists into schools and supporting teachers to develop new skills, the programme helps to build confidence, communication skills and aspiration among young people throughout the community.
Two invitations – one to a wedding, and the other to paint a portrait – are the starting point for Tom Neenan’s whip smart storytelling. Of course, playing on social awkwardness and ingrained English politeness, nothing goes smoothly.
In this hour-long show, themes and threads are interwoven masterfully with wonderful callbacks and clever setups. Neenan’s descriptions of his subject and his idiosyncratic conversation paint a picture in the audience’s mind long before we see the finished portrait, and the request to be painted with medals to represent all he has overcome in his life provides a magnificent one-liner but also leads to a deeper insight to Neenan’s own struggles with confidence and anxiety. There are hilarious but toe-curling anecdotes about teenage self-confidence and disasters and a glorious section about his phone call with the world’s worst Samaritan.
The show tackles important topics like body image and mental health, self-image and how we want the world to view us – in art and in life – but Neenan’s storytelling prowess and his deft comedic touch keep the audience chuckling and he throws in curveballs about chocolate (this should have had a content warning!) and comments about his own writing that keep the audience on their toes.
Neenan’s self-deprecating style is charming and engaging, and the hour whizzes by, coming back full circle to the opening and a smart reminder that this “true” story is a piece of art that has been embellished and carefully honed to display an image of Tom Neenan that delights and entertains – which the show does in spades.
A wonderful hour of clever and creative comedy.
Playing at Underbelly – George’s Square at 3.15 from 5 – 31 August
Darlington Hippodrome – until Thursday 16th July 2026
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
3***
Last night I had the privilege of being invited along to the lovely Darlington Hippodrome to review the latest stop on the 2026 UK Tour of Micheál Mac Liammóir’s play “The Importance of Being Oscar”. The play is a one man show taking you through the life and notable moments of the historic poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. We follow Wilde all the way through his life, from his roots in Dublin, passing through his highs in London and lows in the famous Reading Gaol and ultimately ending up with him in his final days in Paris. I must confess I only knew the vary basics of Oscar Wilde’s story so I was very much looking forward to finding out more about this notable historic figure.
Alastair Whatley takes on the starring role as the performer, narrating us through the story and embodying Wilde to perfection. Whatley is a master of his craft, with the ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand alone for 45 minutes per act, never once stopping to break or losing the audiences focus. Whatley’s Wilde was a deeply human performance, never descending into over dramatism past what would be expected of someone playing Oscar Wilde and his mannerisms were subtle and true. Whatley was directed by Michael Fentiman and I think this has worked out to be a brilliant pairing of craftsmen. Fentiman’s ideas of how Wilde is built are clear and I loved the staging of “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”. In terms of set and costume they were simple but appropriate, with Whatley wearing a period suit and the set focusing around a ring of light, this telling us when Whatley is himself and when he is Wilde… mostly. I did like this device but the light did not always keep up with the performer, sometimes making this slightly confusing as to what we are meant to be imagining. The show did also suffer from some patchy microphones at first. There was use of an echo effect which worked at times but also seemed to randomly come and go on its own at times. I must also note in terms of audience enjoyment that the light was far too bright for the dark theatre we were in, with my partner and I, as well as several neighbouring theatre goers all noting at the interval that we were slightly pained and had this ring of light burnt into our vision, I think the sharpness of this could do with being turned down slightly.
Overall I had an enjoyable evening, particularly in terms of the performance itself and should the couple of technical issues be sorted I would think that this play is on to a winner. If you are like me and know little of Oscar Wilde then this is a great introduction to his fabulous story.
