Rev Stan's Theatre Blog
London theatre reviews and interviews
Category: Old Vic
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I haven't felt this conflicted about a play for a long time. Lucy Prebble's' new work is based on a book by Luke Harding about the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. The play opens with Marina Litvinenko (MyAnna Buring) talking to a lawyer about getting justice for her husband in the face of a British Government…
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London's theatreland is ripe for a good hearty laugh. I mean look at the state of the world, who wouldn't want to bury their head in giggles for a couple of hours? And so we are spoiled by not one but two classic comedies both with stellar casts: Present Laughter starring Andrew Scott and Indira…
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All My Sons is a gripping play, a slowly unravelling emotional thriller with masterclass performances Colin Morgan's Chris Keller has angry tears rolling down his face. He's just discovered the truth about someone he holds dear, how he has lived with a lie – or was it, deep down, denial?. It is almost too much…
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Trailers for plays are generally a bit rubbish, aren't they? Film trailers give too much away and play trailers often tell you virtually nothing. This trailer for the National Theatre Live screening of All My Sons at the Old Vic feels like a small step in the right direction – I wonder whether the fact…
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Arthur Miller's Depression-era drama The American Clock isn't revived very often – is it unfairly overlooked? There is a sort of central narrative following the once wealthy Baum family, who lose everything in the Great Depression and are forced to give up their Manhatten apartment and move in with relatives in Brooklyn. This is…
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110+ plays and my first visit to the Edinburgh Fringe (15 plays in 6 days), 2018 was quite a year… Magic and memorable moments: Patsy Ferran in My Mum's A Twat, Royal Court. Photo: Helen Murray. Feeling part of the set: Sitting on a bean bag on the carpet in Patsy Ferran's 'bedroom' for My…
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So I've published my favourite fringe plays list and my least favourite plays list, time now for my best plays of 2018 overall, gleaned from everything I've seen – large productions and small, commercial theatres, subsidised and fringe: via GIPHY Misty, Trafalgar Studios A play which put the pulse back into the West End and…
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Shh, it's a rainy Sunday afternoon… it's Ben Whishaw's birthday so in 'celebration' here are the stage performances of his that are my favourites. Hamlet, Old Vic Ok so technically I didn't see him perform it live but I have seen the V&A video recording a couple of times. His Hamlet made so much sense.…
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August was dominated by Edinburgh for me but the London theatre wheels were still turning; here's my round up of my favourite bits of news, my theatre hits and misses and few celeb spots…(let me know if I missed anything while I was north of the border). Sally Field and Bill Pullman in All My…