Monthly Archives: October 2014

Eric Segal wrote Love Story as a screenplay and then recast it as a best-selling novel. The film got truly terrible reviews; but proved immensely popular and was the number one blockbuster of 1970. A rich boy and a poor … Continue reading →

306 soldiers were court-martialled and shot for cowardice during World War 1. Simon Reade’s ensemble version of Michael Morpurgo’s novel by the National Youth Theatre would be a good choice if you wanted to take a young teenager to the … Continue reading →

Who on earth would want to rule Scotland? It was a good question 500 years ago. It is still a good question. Rona Munro’s three plays about three of Scotland’s kings in the 15th century are Shakespearean in scope and … Continue reading →

Premiered c425-410BC, Sophocles’ tragedy is still capable of having a tremendous impact on audiences today, as was seen in David Levaux’s memorable production with Zoe Wanamaker in 1997. Director Ian Rickson uses the same version by Frank McGuinness. Electra has … Continue reading →

Richard Bean’s latest comedy, based on the recent tabloid phone-hacking scandal, is a satire on the corruption of the press, politicians and police. Nicholas Hytner directs a large cast with great skill and unflagging speed. The tabloids give the public … Continue reading →

Two sisters lose their fiancés during World War I. The first and third acts are set in 1934, when their lives have been blighted. The second act is set during 1914 and 1916. Mercia (Debra Penny) rejects Thomas (Daniel Fine) … Continue reading →

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic was last seen on the West End stage eight years ago. Webber’s score is a mixture of pop, rock, opera, Broadway musical, waltz, Kurt Weill, Latin and church music. The musical traces the … Continue reading →

Chris Thompson, a former social worker, examining the rise of the new far right in modern-day Britain, argues “we are sometimes too quick to exclude people with views we find uncomfortable rather than addressing what the underlying issue is.” The … Continue reading →