Theatre

The Goat Review: ‘raw, absurdist, and honest’

Clarendon Productions brings The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (Edward Albee) to the Michael Pilch studio, painfully, humorously, and soulfully. Seated in the round, the audience is gifted a...

The Busy Body Review: ‘Theatre of the Real’

The Busy Body (1709) is one of the many plays written by Susanna Centlivre....

In conversation with ‘The Children’

‘If you’re curious as to how and why cows, nuclear reactors, tricycles, peperami, and...

Sanskrit drama returns to Oxford

Building on a strong recent tradition of plays performed in Sanskrit (with surtitles!) we...

Is sadness ‘all Greek’ to you? – Greek tragedy in the modern day

Can Greek tragedies be staged for a modern audience?

Review: Heart of Darkness at York Theatre Royal

Can we retell Conrad’s disturbing critique of exploitation in colonial times without falling prey to racism which even the author couldn’t avoid?

Review: Good Dog – ‘reflects an experience that many can relate to’

Arinzé Kene’s Good Dog portrays the harsh reality of growing up in inner-city London as a young black man

Review: Edward II – ‘fantastic at handling themes of homosexuality and power’

The tender exploration of sexuality in Bagnall's production makes Marlowe's sixteenth century play still relevant for a modern audience

Review: Betrayal – ‘all the poise, restraint and subtlety that Pinter’s masterpiece requires’

Ingenious set design, the actors’ spectacular chemistry, and director Lloyd’s brilliant attention to detail make Betrayal a triumphant culmination of the ‘Pinter at the Pinter’ venture

Review: The Duchess of Malfi – a brave and ambitious move

York Settlement Community Players present an ambitious take on the Webster classic

The Dark Review – ‘calls our attention to the othering of refugees’

Taiwo Oyebola finds that poet Nick Makoha's new play uncovers the stark realities of a refugee's journey.

Surviving the Drama Scene

Do Oxford's student theatre productions have the longevity of professional shows?

Fade to Black – a history of the theatrical blackout

The convention which now seems part-and-parcel of theatre wasn’t always there – indoor venues and developments in lighting provided new staging opportunities. But what is the theatrical blackout for?

Review: What Comes After – ‘one of the most effortlessly flowing performances’

Wonderful set design, music, and performance make for a beautiful new song cycle by Máth Roberts

Preview: You Are Frogs – ‘toes the line between playfulness and danger’

Practically Peter's production will be at the BT Studio until Saturday.

Review: I punched a Nazi (((and i liked it))) – ‘Brechtian to the absolute T’

I found out I wasn’t going to be allowed to punch a Nazi

Review: Bandages – ‘hard-hitting and unromanticised’

With visceral imagery and effective multi-roling, Radical Attic Productions' darkly feminist show explores the inheritance of abuse

Review: Redacted Arachnid – ‘has the audience close to tears with laughter’

The Owlets’ adaption of a Broadway legend provides great character performances and hilarious Beyoncé-inspired dance routines

Review: Many Moons – “thoroughly compelling”

Stellar performances and staging create a wonderfully emotive piece, but its bitter narrative makes it a hard pill to swallow

Review: Kinky Boots – ‘a poignant message amongst the glitter and glamour’

This touring production of Cyndi Lauper's celebratory musical seems a fitting show for LGBT History Month

Preview: Many Moons – ‘the edges of a crowd’

Small Fry Theatre’s production of the Alice Birch play provides a tense snapshot between the worlds of the intimate and immense

Made in Dagenham Review – ‘a fight that will affect women for generations to come’ –

Daanial Isaaq Chaudhry finds the latest Playhouse production completely compelling

OUDS New Writing Festival 2019 – A Roundup

A summary by their writers of the plays which are part of this year's OUDS New Writing Festival.

Preview: Skin a Cat – an interview with playwright Isley Lynn

"The final scene I saw – a relentless, breezy epiphany, beautifully handled in all its profanity by Tupper – emphasises this point more than any: it’s about 'creating your own metric for your own happiness'."