Tag: Drama

Matthew Brady (Hal Fowler) arms spread wide behind Mary Lincoln (Keala Settle) standing bathed in light in an elaborate pink Victorian dress.

★★★Keeping Up Appearances

Simon Ward reviews Mrs. President at the Charing Cross Theatre When Keala Settle makes her entrance as Mary Lincoln in John Ransom Phillips’s play, there is a momentary pause when she poses, framed and majestic, as though waiting for the applause with which a Broadway audience would greet […]

Her (played by Toyin Ayedun-Alase)

★★★★Family Matters

Simon Ward reviews Mother.Dad at the Omnibus Theatre This two-hander comprises the narration of two, apparently unrelated, stories by ‘Him’ (Andy Sellers) and ‘Her’ (Toyin Ayedun-Alase), and is performed with utter conviction. Playwright Doug Deans’ writing manages to convey a panoramic overview of life in Britain today, but, […]

★★Beware The Boline

Simon Ward reviews The Boline Inn at the Hope Theatre For anyone who might be unaware, a boline is a white-handled ritual knife used in Wicca. So, much like The Slaughtered Lamb pub in the 1981 comedy-horror classic movie An American Werewolf In London, the name of the […]

Standing on the right in white shirts and dark trousers Gregory Wilder (played by Thomas Billiouw) and Gloria Wilder (played by Dany Van Brabant) ; standing on the right are Phyllis Amberhide (played by Jess Vince-Moin) and Sherryll-Anne Bowman (played by Kgalalelo Thakadu). Phyllis is holding a collection bucket.

★★★★Savagely Funny

Simon Ward reviews Wilder! at the Etcetera Theatre This barely categorisable play written by its leading actors Thomas Billiouw and Dany Van Brabant deserves to be seen by a wider audience than can cram into the tiny Etcetera Theatre. The punning title must surely include an homage to […]

In blue light, four surgeons in white hazmat suits and with head torchs shining surround a suspended surgery bed. A projection of blue dividing cells hangs above the bed.

★★★Who Wants To Live Forever?

Simon Ward reviews Continuity at The Cockpit Theatre As a technology entrepreneur, we can take it that the insights that David Sear shares in this dystopian satirical black comedy are based on concepts being seriously considered in the world of the tech bros. Set in 2034, the world […]

Olly Hawes, standing up holding a microphone, bloodied arms, blood-stained grey sweatshirt

★★Dead End Street

Simon Ward reviews Old Fat F**k Up at the Riverside Studios Olly Hawes has set up camp at the Riverside Studios – as well as this show, in a week or so, he will be alternating performances with his previous play F**king Legend so he must be doing […]

Two men seated at a restaurant table. On the left, Ben, played by Sam Danson, in a dark shirt and beige cords; on the right Tim, played by Dior Clarke, in a midriff-revealing turquoise T-shirt and cargo pants. They are toasting each other with wine glasses.

★★★Grindr’s Not A Dating App

Simon Ward reviews Daddy’s First Gay Date at the Seven Dials Playhouse Rather touchingly listed on the venue’s website as ‘Writer, Producer and Ben’ this show is clearly Sam Danson’s baby. Billed as a romantic comedy, much humour is found in the culture clash between the straight world […]

★★Ye Gods

Simon Ward reviews We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it: and I guess that’s now at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre Sometimes playwrights decide to lean into the idea of Fringe and give their work a title such as this one that could never grace a […]

Standing on the left in a blue multi-coloured football shirt and Burberry style checked scarf Daisy Boy (played by Jud Charlton) and standing on the right Danny Boy (played by Francis Saunders) in a blue and cream Fila jacket.

★★★★Waiting for God

Simon Ward reviews God Don’t Live On A Council Estate at the Hen and Chickens Theatre Dean Stalham’s 2010 play, God Don’t Live On A Council Estate, directed here by Jonathan Linsley, gives us another insight into the world that I was first introduced to in June of […]