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Writer: Vivienne Franzmann Director: Matthew Dunster Reviewer: David Noble The Public Reviews Rating: Mogadishu, which is with no great relevance to the plot the capital of Somalia, is the cautionary tale of a young, black school student who assaults a teacher. The play is a study of the culture of false accusation, racism and powerlessness in contemporary inner [...]

Theatre often has its finger firmly on the pulse of modern society – sometimes, such as in the case of the Tricycle Theatre’s rapid response to the summer riots, even more so than those in power. This week’s top picks recognise theatre’s power to respond to and reflect our world with a selection of plays [...]

Liverpool’s Playhouse theatre (now part of the Everyman) celebrates its 100th anniversary on 11 November, with a full day of events including a gala performance of Graham Linehan’s The Ladykillers. The Public Reviews’ Laura Maley took a look back at the theatre’s past and found out some personal Playhouse highlights from Ros Merkin, whose book Liverpool Playhouse: a [...]

Writer: Moliere Adaptor: Roger McGough Director: Gemma Bodinetz Reviewer: Bill Avenell The Public Reviews Rating: I would never have chosen to go and see a Moliere play if I had not been doing this job. And what a treat I would have missed that was on show from the English Touring Theatre at Brighton last night. The [...]

Missed out on an acclaimed production or craving another chance to see an old favourite? Get another opportunity to see old classics and more recent productions alike with this week’s selection of revivals across the country. Picks by Catherine Love 1) SWEENEY TODD – CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE For those who like their musicals with gore [...]

Writer: Alan Bennett Director: Sarah Esdaile Reviewer: David Noble The Public Reviews Rating: The Lady in the Van is Alan Bennett’s somewhat remarkable account of Miss Shepherd, an old lady who lived in his garden for around 20 years. Compelling and funny, the play documents her batty idiosyncrasies and bizarre activities from the perspective of two Alan Bennett’s [...]

Writer: Roald Dahl Adapter: Jeremy Dysn Director: Polly Findlay Reviewer: John Roberts The Public Reviews Rating: Following on from their successful partnership on the marmite show Ghost Stories – The Liverpool Playhouse and the Lyric Hammersmith have once again joined forces to produce another production from the mind of Jeremy Dyson – this time Dyson has decided to [...]

Choreographer: Henri Oguike Reviewer: Peter Jacobs The Public Reviews Rating: After a tenth anniversary tour in 2009 Henri Oguike spent a year on sabbatical and returned in late-2010 with a brand new set of four dancers and three completely new works, a bold and characteristically creative start to his company’s second decade. The Butterfly Dreaming Tour resumed touring [...]