Category: 4/5 Stars

On the left, in light blue football kit, Melissa (played by Dión Di Maio) shaking hands with Deren (played by Jake Douglas) on the right also in football kit and holding a Gaelic football.

★★★★Whose Game Is It Anyway?

Simon Ward reviews The Pitch at Theatre503 Philip Catherwood’s new play, directed by Thea Mayeux, is not the first to investigate the thorny issue of land and its use on the island of Ireland, but his approach is refreshingly free of the weight of history which normally surrounds […]

★★★★A Sepia-Tinged Dream

Simon Ward reviews A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Southwark Playhouse Borough Since the turn of the millennium, Southwark Playhouse has been re-imagining the great works of the Shakespearean canon to create versions which can engage younger audiences, with the aim of bewitching them with the power of […]

Bar setting, optics behind, glasses in front. On the left Kellie Shirley, looking downcast, on the right Peter Caulfield, looking pensive.

★★★★★Time Gentlemen Please

Simon Ward reviews TWO at the Greenwich Theatre For this revival of Jim Cartwright’s 1989 play, the Greenwich Theatre has been transformed into a pub of that era, The Clock and Compass, with nostalgic soundtrack to match. This doubles as the theatre’s own bar before the show and […]

★★★★Zany Zombie Delirium

Simon Ward reviews Improv The Dead at The Bridewell Theatre One of the joys of a Fringe festival is, of course, to move out of one’s comfort zone and try out something a bit different. I confess that the danger element of improvisational theatre has often left me […]

Ann (played by Nikol Kollars) wearing an open-necked green flowery blouse, with a red flower in her hair, a white necklace and purple sash, standing and about to sing.

★★★★The Long Goodbye

Simon Ward reviews Fickle Eulogy at the Hope Theatre, 207 Upper Street, London N1 1RL Debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, Nikol Kollars’s devastating solo show, directed by Javier Galitó-Cava, is now running at The Hope under the aegis of the Camden Fringe. It is clearly a […]

Blake Stratso seated on a bar stool in open-necked white shirt, tan chinos and white trainers. There is an Indian rug on the floor.

★★★★Soft Underbelly

Simon Ward reviews TURTLE: A Story About Christ, Cancer, Kinks, and Christmas at the Aces & Eights Theatre Although the bread-and-butter review circuit consists of rooms above pubs, there are a few venues where things are not quite that simple. Aces & Eights is one such example. It […]

★★★★Climb Every Mountain

Simon Ward reviews in defence of adventurous mothers at The Glitch As we descend into the underground world of the Glitch we find ourselves in a climbing centre – two large pillars with the tell-tale brightly coloured mouldings on which the intrepid can make their ascent. This is […]

Simon Parkes (played by Max Runham) arms spread, wearing a bomber jacket, T-shirt and jeans, looking defiantly towards the viewer.

★★★★Call of the Wild

Simon Ward reviews Brixton Calling at the Southwark Playhouse Borough Just over ten years ago, Simon Parkes wrote his memoir Live At The Brixton Academy describing the incredible true story of how he acquired the lease on the building that would become the Brixton Academy for £1, before […]