Simon Ward reviews Distant Memories Of The Near Future at the Arcola Theatre Written and performed by David Head, Distant Memories of the Near Future comes to the Arcola to makes its London premiere following success at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023. Any idea that this may be a […]
Simon Ward reviews The Elephant In The Room at the Waterloo East Theatre Peter Hamilton’s latest play, now presented in Waterloo East under Ross McGregor’s direction after a run last year at the Tabard Theatre, is a kaleidoscopic magical mystery tour encompassing life, death and all points in […]
Simon Ward reviews Miss Julie at the Courtyard Theatre Under the direction of Jon Fentiman, this is a stripped-down rendition of August Strindberg’s naturalistic play of 1888. Taking place in the madness of Midsummer’s Eve celebrations, it is set in a world of aristocrats and servants, with strict […]
Simon Ward reviews Foreverland at the Southwark Playhouse Emma Hemingford’s stunning new play, Foreverland, is a fascinating deep dive into the possibilities that may open up in the near future as biotechnology evolves and genetic re-engineering offers the chance for some people to ‘live forever’. We follow the […]
Simon Ward reviews My English Persian Kitchen at the Soho Theatre Upstairs Based on a story by Iranian food-writer Atoosa Sepehr, and adapted as a play by Hannah Khalil, this extraordinary show manages to be at once a feast for all the senses, a nail-biting thriller, a heartbreaking […]
Simon Ward reviews Shifters at the Duke of York’s Theatre After a sellout run at the Bush Theatre earlier this year, Congolese-British playwright Benedict Lombe’s second play, Shifters has triumphantly transferred to the West End. As regular readers will know, the Peg seldom finds itself in the rarefied […]
Simon Ward reviews Dorian :The Musical at the Southwark Playhouse Borough With book by Linnie Reedman and music and lyrics by Joe Evans, this loose adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 1890s novel A Portrait of Dorian Gray feels like an attempt to re-imagine the story as Wilde might have […]
Simon Ward reviews My Name Is Rachel Corrie at the Old Red Lion Theatre This is a verbatim play created by Katherine Viner and Alan Rickman, based on the emails and diary entries of Rachel Corrie. The facts of Rachel’s life and death are stark. She was born […]
Simon Ward reviews So Help Me Dog at the Hen and Chickens Theatre It can be excruciating being in the audience at a fringe theatre show, typically in a small room above a pub. If a show is not going well, or simply needs a bigger audience to […]
Simon Ward reviews English Kings Killing Foreigners at Camden People’s Theatre What is it with theatre makers and audience participation these days? Here it’s of the gentlest, even ironic, kind. I have a vivid memory of the late Anthony Sher bringing the house down as he descended into […]
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