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Theatre

Evening Standard column

Fiona Mountford

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The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew, RST - review

There's an intriguing statistic in the programme. Between 1908 and 1944, The Taming of the Shrew was staged almost every year in Stratford. Since 1960, however, there have been a more modest 13 RSC versions

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The Madness of George III, Apollo - review

It's delightful to report that, from the very first sparkling line, David Haig seizes upon this once-in-a-lifetime gift of a part from Alan Bennett and makes it his own

King John, Union - review

It's little wonder that King John is rarely performed. Described by one writer as "the runt in the litter" of Shakespeare's history plays, it's an uneasy ragbag of catastrophe and irony, with none of the grandeur we've come to expect from a cavalcade of Henrys

Constellations, Royal Court Upstairs - review

Few theatres enjoyed a better 2011 than the Royal Court, and Constellations serves impressive notice that the venue intends to carry on in the same vein this year

London International Mime Festival, Barbican - review

In these sluggish January days, the London International Mime Festival continues to provide a welcome burst of (silent) clamour

Man in the Middle, Theatre 503 - review

If ever there was a play for the internet era, it is this one from Ron Elisha. It's a fairground waltzer of a ride through the turbulent recent life and digital times of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Frankland and Sons, Camden People's Theatre - review

From Oedipus via Hamlet, fathers and sons have powered through drama. John and Tom Frankland, a real-life (retired drama teacher) father and (theatre maker) son, riff on this theme by creating a show about their own deceptively complex family history

Mary Stuart, New Diorama - review

Mary Stuart is the second opening of a three-play, seven-week, 11-actor ensemble season and this gamble from artistic director Mark Leipacher looks to be paying off. There are uneven moments but it's never less than gripping

The Charity That Began at Home, Orange Tree, Richmond - review

Charity (1905) by social satirist St John Hankin (1869-1909), doesn't make it into the front rank but mounts a strong case for itself after a gumboots-through-treacle first half

Cinderella, Richmond and Theatre Royal Stratford East - review

Cinderella is just one of eight pantos that Eric Potts has written for this festive season, and the stretched-too-thin-ness is readily apparent

Copyright Christmas, Barbican - review

This jaunty interactive promenade performance leads us round the titular - and increasingly deranged - superstore, where "the devil is in the retail"

The Canterbury Tales, Southwark Playhouse - review

Director Juliane von Sivers and her seven-strong cast have ingeniously transformed Southwark's cavernous playing space into an authentic medieval tavern, complete with hayloft, bench seating and a fully-functioning bar

10 Christmas show crackers in London

Our theatre critic runs through the seasons best festive productions...

Herding Cats, Hampstead Theatre - review

Lucinda Coxon's brutal but icily funny three-hander is the dramatic equivalent of a triple shot of something bitter and delicious

Pippin, Menier Chocolate Factory - review

While this bold revival does offer sophisticated projected graphics and some decent performances, Pippin remains stranded in the wilderness of musical theatre

The Heart of Robin Hood, RSC Stratford-upon-Avon - review

This Robin Hood deserves to roam far beyond Stratford. It is ingenious, sophisticated family entertainment and full of lovely touches

Foxfinder, Finborough - review

Foxfinder had me at the title, so it's pleasing to report that the play itself more than lives up to its name

A Round-heeled Woman, Aldwych - review

The more I think about A Round-Heeled Woman, the more confused I am. Is it a celebration of "late-life adventures in sex and romance", or is it a sort of Eat Pray Love for the sixtysomething generation?

Goodbye Barcelona, Arcola - review

It feels wretched to carp at a piece of theatre because it cares too much but it is useful for art of any kind to keep some distance, however small, between itself and its subject matter

The New World Order, Barbican at Shoreditch Town Hall - Review

The unusual setting is perfect for this ingenious amalgamation of five of Pinter's short political plays

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Theatre top five
Matilda The Musical
Matilda: The Musical

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Rating: 5 out of 5
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Hamlet

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Rating: 4 out of 5
The Ladykillers

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Noises Off

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