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Composer: Tchaikovsky Original Choreography: Petipa Adapted Choreography: Victor Smirnov-Golovanov Reviewer: Ann Bawtree The Public Reviews Rating: What an embarrassment of riches to have so many first class classical dancers on hand that they are not identified in a cast list. There was no way to know who was dancing Clara, Drosselmeyer, the Nutcracker Prince or the Sugar [...]

What makes a good pantomime? As panto dames dust off their skirts and audiences everywhere practice their best ‘he’s behind you’s, Catherine Love catches up with pantomime stars Gary Wilmot and Kellie Shirley to talk tradition, magic and the Kate and Wills effect. “Don’t mess with perfection.” These are the wise words of pantomime veteran [...]

Writer: James Saunders Director: Anthony Clark Reviewer: Sheila Cornelius The Public Reviews Rating: Richmond’s Orange Tree theatre celebrates its fortieth anniversary on 30th December 2011 with a special season that included the work of celebrated playwrights whose work has been part of the theatre over four decades. A commemorative tea-towel adorns the porch in the theatre’ current location, [...]

Mention puppets and the immediate associations are probably Pinocchio, Jim Henson and children’s shows, but this re-emerging art form has just as much to offer adults as kids. Puppetry is on top form in the capital this week thanks to the second Suspense London Puppetry Festival, proving that puppets can be very grown-up indeed, while [...]

Writer: Mike Bartlett Director: Rupert Goold Tour Director: Caroline Steinbeis Reviewer: Alex Ramon The Public Reviews Rating: Directed by Rupert Goold, Mike Bartlett’s Earthquakes in London was indisputably one of the “event” productions at the National Theatre last year. This was due not only to the sheer scale and scope of Bartlett’s text – which stretches backwards and [...]

Writer and Director: David Lewis Reviewer: Carmel Doohan The Public Reviews Rating: Watching a play as well structured and skilfully acted as this one is certainly one way to improve your mood. As David Cameron prepares to launch the first official Happiness Index, this play questions what we mean by happiness and whether our obsession with quantification brings [...]

Writer: Gill Adams Director: Paul Nicholas Reviewer: Ian Foster The Public Reviews Rating: The story of Keeler that is told here purports to be the inside story of the Profumo Affair and is based on Christine Keeler’s own book on the matter with Douglas Thompson, ‘The Truth At Last’. Gill Adams is credited as the playwright, although curiously [...]

Writer: Charles Dickens Director: Richard Twyman Reviewer: Alex Ramon The Public Reviews Rating: Fresh from his successful stint at the Edinburgh Festival in Emmanuel Darley’s Tuesday at Tescos, and having only recently completed a run of Being Shakespeare in the West End, the indefatigable Simon Callow now hits the road with Dr Marigold and Mr Chops. Callow first [...]