Simon Ward reviews Bubble Schmeisis at the Soho Theatre Nick Cassenbaum describes his work as ‘simultaneously unforgivingly Jewish and undeniably British’. As if to underline the point, the programme for this show includes a glossary of both Yiddish and East London slang. Admittedly the Yiddish list is significantly […]
Simon Ward reviews Paper Swans at the Soho Theatre This is the first full-length play by Vyte Garriga, a Lithuanian actress, writer and physical theatre performer. As we enter the theatre, we see a chilly parkland world populated by innumerable paper swans. Garriga is seated on a park […]
Simon Ward reviews The Summer After Dad Died at the Hen and Chickens Theatre Written and directed by Danish playwright and actor Sarah Majland, The Summer After Dad Died is set in Denmark in the hot summer of 1985. Three sisters, Marianne (Halli Patterson), Tina (Milja Martilla) and […]
Simon Ward reviews Dead Mom Play at the Union Theatre I have yet to decide how I feel about on the use of trigger warnings. There are the well-worn arguments about the lengthy list pretty much any Shakespeare would require. Furthermore, in my experience, the warnings tend to […]
Simon Ward reviews Summoning Sondheim at The Glitch Theatre This is a new venue for me. It is a tiny cafe-bar and I am sure that we were not the only patrons to have to ask the friendly staff whether this was the right place. The performance space […]
Simon Ward reviews Moderation at the Hope Theatre Making its UK premiere at the Hope, Kevin Kautzman’s searingly topical new play, Moderation is the darkest of dark comedies. It is unmistakably an American work, but its themes resonate across the world, just as the actions of the techbro […]
Simon Ward reviews Mixed Sex at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre Writer Samuel Normington (who also co-directs and stars as Sam) recounts how this, his first full-length play, began in lockdown as he jotted down some anecdotes from his childhood. It then became a monologue before being fleshed […]
Simon Ward reviews Tell Me You’ll Think About It at the Hen and Chickens Theatre In Lyndsey Ruiz’s debut play Tell Me You’ll Think About It , in which she also stars, a young couple have returned to their flat after an evening at the theatre. Ruiz plays […]
Simon Ward reviews And If The Surface Tension Breaks at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. The title of this piece is a beautiful evocation of the fragility of life that it explores. Written and directed by David Brady, it is a slick and well-worked production, including video projection […]
Simon Ward reviews Heaven at the Southwark Playhouse Borough Following successful runs in Dublin, Edinburgh and New York, this is the London premiere of Eugene O’Brien’s 2022 play. Presented as a series of interlocking and overlapping monologues – tellingly the couple at the heart of the piece never […]
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