Theatre reviews for you, by you. If you would like to review for us,
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Writer: Kenneth Grahame Adaptor: Alan Bennett Music: Jeremy Sams & Tim Dalling Director: Erica Whyman Reviewer: James Dunnill The Public Reviews Rating: ‘Wind in the Willows’ is a classic of English children’s literature, written over 100 years ago it tells the story of four animals and their escapades along a river in the English countryside. In 1990, Alan [...]

Writer: Gary Owen Director: David Horan Reviewer: Steve Burbridge The Public Reviews Rating: In collaboration with Òran Mór, Live Theatre has launched A Play, A Pie & A Pint, a programme which sees new writing company Paines Plough commission work by the UK’s leading and most important writers, including April De Angelis, David Harrower, Marie Jones, Linda McLean [...]

Writer: Craig Higginson Director: Malcolm Purkey Reviewer: Ian Cain The Public Reviews Rating: ‘The Girl in the Yellow Dress’ is a co-production between The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and Newcastle’s very own Live Theatre. Having completed a critically-acclaimed run at The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, as part of The Fringe Festival, it now is to run [...]

Writer: J.M. Barrie Adapter: Stephen Sharkey Director: Erica Whyman Reviewer: Ian Cain When Northern Stage produce a Christmas show you can guarantee that it will be something different to the norm, something ‘outside the box’ and something innovative. Therefore, if you go to see their production of ‘Peter Pan’, you should dismiss the traditional pantomime [...]

Writer/Director: Michael Harrison Music/Lyrics: Olly Ashmore Reviewer: Sue Peel From the moment Donna Steele’s eccentric,  trainee Fairy Godmother makes her amazing entrance, flying from the stage into the auditorium, the magic begins that will continue for the next two hours. Quite simply, ‘Cinderella’ is the most stunning pantomime that I have ever seen! As I [...]

Writer: Lisa McGee Director: Max Roberts Reviewer: Ian Cain The English premiere of ‘Jump!’ – it has previously been performed in Northern Ireland and New York – is billed as ‘a fast-paced dark comedy . . . played out like a Tarantino movie.’The action takes place during New Year’s Eve on Tyneside. Ross (Harry Hepple) [...]

Composer: Leoš Janáček Conductor: Martin André Director: John Fulljames Reviewer: Ian Cain If your taste in entertainment veers toward the zany, bizarre, surreal or downright nutty, then this is probably the opera for you. Be prepared to suspend your disbelief as you are introduced to Mr Matěj Brouček, a boring and opinionated property landlord and [...]

Writer: Jules Massenet Conductor: Richard Farnes Director: Tom Cairns Reviewer: Ian Cain For an opera novice, such as myself, Jules Massenet’s ‘Werther’ is the perfect introductory piece. The plot is remarkably uncomplicated, there are no complex sub-plots to try to keep track of and, although it is performed in French, there are English titles provided [...]