Our Country's Good, National Theatre ****

I seem to be one of the few who have never heard of Timberlake Wertenbaker's play, I was surprised to learn after seeing the play in the Olivier that it was originally written for a smaller space and fro character doubling. Nadia Fall's production captures the vast space and desolation in this far-off place that these people have been shipped off to. McKintosh has designed something simple yet effective that makes use of the famous drum revolve to show the cramped conditions of a ship and to change the scenes. Jason Hughes leads a strong cast that shows the therapeutic qualities of theatre that could go hand in hand with Farinelli and the King. It uses these dire circumstances in this broken society to highlight the fact that, whilst theatre and the arts can't transform a person, it can change them to take time to forget their problems and focus on someone-else's life. The horror isn't diluted but the celebratory nature of the play doesn't come across as pretentious. Cerys Matthews' music is wonderfully atmospheric yet contributes towards a slightly longer running time than is expected, even if you don't notice the time pass. This is a funny, uplifting but also brutal play in a good production which captures the scale of the Australian outback.

Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre ***

This is the second time I have seen Phantom after seeing it in it's 25th year. It was startling going back a second time to see quite how tired this production has become. It has quickly dated with Maria Björnson's design that belongs in 1986 more than it does 2015 whilst the magic from Paul Daniels hardly shocks when there are far better gimmicks on the stage than the final scene of Phantom. Saying this however, it has to be said that the music is wonderful and brought a smile to my face as soon as the Fleetwood Mac plagiarism started. Lloyd Webber's score is what keeps this show from being pulled and it has real power. With a new production, I think his show could be given a new lease of life yet feels chained down by a production that is older than me. Harriet Jones replaces Sierra Boggess as my favourite Christine, having a naivety and purity which is beautiful to listen too. Gerónimo Rauch is an impressive Phantom and, apart from being unable to get the bottom A flat in Music of the Night, has a good range and is proficiently scary yet sympathetic. Liam Tame has a harsh sound as Raoul which at times is quite annoying. The rest of the cast are a talented bunch who are a joy to watch but the longevity of any show for that length of time does it a disservice and I feel it, like the operas it pokes fun at in Il Muto, needs to be taken down before it becomes further past it's sell by date.

Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre ****

If last year was a bad year for the musical, this year is turning out to be a truly great one with a second superb musical that looks almost certain to have a decent run in the West End. The plot is predictable enough and it has the brash Broadway look with a set from David Rockwell that feels typical of a Broadway show. I was wanting to hate this show, feeling that it was another money making machine from America and in a way it is but it is also far more than that. It addresses sexuality in a way that isn't intimidating and provides one of the most pleasant, enjoyable and feel-good evenings around. The anti-phone message is unique and hilarious and Jamie Baughn is great as the person who delivers that message in his role as Don who is great as the bigot who surprises everyone. An ensemble cast are wonderfully slick for this early in previews. There will be some discussion over X Factor contestant Marcus Collins who has an ensemble role here after reportedly walking out on Joseph rehearsals but he does have a solo in the second half which he excels in and is an understudy for Lola which I'm sure he will be excellent as. The comedy role is played well by Amy Lennox whilst Killian Donnelly plays the owner of the failing shoe factory well. However, it is Matt Henry's Lola that is the true marvel of the piece. He fills Cyndi Lauper's decent score with life and soul. He plays the drag queen with sass and, for me, is shoe in for the Olivier next year. It doesn't see drag queens as masking their true selves but are celebratory towards difference and the audience reacted fantastically because of that. This is one Broadway musical which will deserve it's long run.

Oresteia, Trafalgar Studios *****

It was with great surprise and delight that I found out that Icke's acclaimed production was getting a West End transfer. I had no idea what it was about when I saw it at the Almeida so each twist of the plot seemed truly remarkable.  Getting to look back at this production is good, therefore, to be able to see the production with some knowledge of the plot was enlightening. The story of Electra makes more sense the second time around whilst you could see the proleptic irony in the first family dinner. I also forgot how shocking it is, much more so than 1984. The feminist spin at the end didn't feel forced and Oliver Ryan is just as creepy as Calchas whilst the original cast are just as spellbinding here as at the Almeida. I can't think of a production that I could have wished a West End run on more as this is an impressive and important piece of theatre that as many people as possible need to see.

My original blog post is here: http://britainstheatre.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/oresteia-almeida-theatre_28.html 

Women of Troy, The Scoop **

It is hard to have an objective view on a production. Multiple elements like your mood at the time, the seat your sitting and the price of a ticket impact your view on a show. Therefore, I find it difficult to be critical of The Scoop as their setup is very noble and ambitious. However, I have to say that Women of Troy was plain boring. Lisa Kuma has adapted Euripides' Trojan War plays in a way that feels long-winded and dull. The first half is spent with the debate over the death of Iphigenia between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra that has no buzz or tension to it. When you feel apathetic at the ultimate death, you know these actors have not done their job properly. The second half picks up some pace and captures the idea of the brutality of humanity yet never feels quite right. There are wobbly links as far as the acting goes but Ursula Mohan, Hannah Kerin and Terence Frisch are three notably good performances. The rest range in performances from middling to bad. Unfortunately, it comes at an inconvenient time when many of these Greeks are being portrayed at other theatres with larger budgets, with shows like Oresteia at the Almeida showing the same events with such skill and brilliance. Whilst the motive of this enterprise is fantastic, the quality needs to be better so that people aren't alienated from theatre.

Captain Show Off, The Scoop ***

Free theatre is a rare and brilliant thing and this is the 13th year this has happened at the scoop. This latest play is an adaptation of a Plautus comedy that is very similar to the plot of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, right down to the diamond necklace. Touched up with some Frankie Howerd cum Carry On humour and musicals that pastiche 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', 'West Side Story' and 'Les Mis', this comedy provides some (if limited) interest for adults even if it mainly plays for kids. Some of the innuendo, especially the 'happy stick', is too much and overtly crude however it appeared to wash over the children's heads and they seemed to enjoy the silly and overacted nature of Wilmott's production. The interactivity is the funniest part of this, however, with a child having a bowl of orange stuff being dumped on his head reducing me to hysterics. Whilst I have seen better shows for children, it is impressive that the scoop can provide a production of this quality on a budget from donations and the effect is that children from a wider background will be able to have access to the classics and to theatre in general.

Our House, Union Theatre ****

Our House does fall into the traps of the Jukebox musical. It occasionally includes songs and sequences that are irrelevant to the narrative arc (eg. an inconsequential drive in a car which happens not to be a jaguar) and, in order to make each line of Madness' songs make sense, it occasionally shoehorns in things and characters into the action who shouldn't be there like a priest in the opening number. However, Tim Firth's fist class book makes this musical stand out. The sliding doors style narrative explores the possibilities of what happens if Joe Casey, who has taken his girlfriend Sarah into an unowned house to look over his street, takes account for his actions when police come to arrest them for breaking and entering. Through clever directorial choices by Michael Burgen, Bad Joe and Good Joe are easily separated and it is an interesting take on the effect that crime, however small, has on our lives. The experience of this intimate 50 seat venue is wonderfully intimate and Eleanor Wdowski's design is great in setting the scene of this road whilst providing a thrust stage that means that the audience feel engulfed into Madness' 'banging tunes'. The cast is admirably brilliant with energy and charisma and are professional enough to carry on through a song when the keyboard died halfway through a song leaving the cast to keep it together with only a drum and bass guitarist backing them up. Considering when a similar problem occurred at American Idiot, the performer stormed off stage and the show was stopped for a few minutes, here they can muddle through which is something I admire greatly. Steven France is a great Joe Casey and is supported well by Alisa Davidson as Sarah. An ensemble cast have fantastic precision as well as comedy and most importantly, fun. The curtain call shows you how great the music of Madness is and how well the Union Theatre has produced one of the few good jukebox musicals.

Carmen, Soho Theatre ***

During the summer, the Royal Opera House and the Coliseum give way to the Ballet leaving little in the way of Opera to be found in London. Luckily, the ambitious OperaUpClose have filled that gap by bringing a new production of the Bizet classic to the Soho theatre. It is a rarity to be able to see the expressions on opera singers faces so sitting only a metre away from them here is a revelation. Therefore, the performers here have, in a sense, a harder job than singers in the opera house in that they have to be able to act. Even the mighty Bryn Terfel appeared shaky in his acting during Sweeney Todd when I was almost a mile away from him. These performers are strong actors and their singing strong, even if it isn't quite as powerful as the great singers at the ENO or ROH. The other slight problem with this setup is that the power and impact of the orchestra is lost when the grand prelude is only played by a pianist, a flautist, a cellist and a violinist making the overall effect seem slightly naff at moments. However, the overall effect of this stripped down performance is to create a piece of theatre that feels more real and gritty than the grandeur of the opera house. Robin Norton-Hale's adaptation turns what could be an overly romantic story glorification of murder into a relevant story of domestic violence that, through a change to the end, is far from the sexy and passionate story of a man killing for love. Flora Mcintosh's Carmen is not the sexy and in control woman that we have come to expect and instead quickly becomes a woman who is abused by Don José, played by Philip Lee at the performance I attended. His José is convincing in yet unsympathetic however there are times when he slips into his falsetto that feels like the melody is too high for him. Of the rest of the cast, there are some stronger singers and weaker singers but overall, the experience is a fantastic alternative to the opera house experience even if it is in no way a replacement for it.

Hamlet, Barbican *****

When I was at the Young Vic to see A Number, I saw Benedict Cumberbatch and a friend walking in to see The Trial. As they gave their tickets to the young steward who clocked them and, after they had gone, proceeded to flap her hands with excitement and jump in the air. A split second later, a much older steward had joined her and together they excitedly enthused about how they had seen this living legend in the flesh. It is truly astonishing that one man can have such universal appeal so that both young and old adore him and his work. It is therefore some achievement that I was able to grab a ticket for his return to the stage, even if it cost the same as the last 5 theatre outings combined.

This production may not be too forgiving to a Shakespeare newbie, however Lyndsey Turner's production lives up to the hype and then some. Es Devlin achieved wonders with Headlong's comparatively tiny production of The Nether and has done the same with a far larger stage of the Barbican and presumably a largely inflated budget. In what could be the most lavish set in theatre history, Devlin makes full use of the breadth and depth of the Barbican stage to host this palace complete with chandelier, a deer head and oil paintings. Luke Halls, in another collaboration with Devlin, orovides excellent video along with Jane Cox's lighting to make the outdoor scenes fit the set and create a supernatural dimension to proceedings. As much as Cumberbatch leads a stellar lineup of actors, the creative team are equally impressive with some of the best CV's in the business and they are firing on all cylinders here. As far as I am aware, there is no fault to be found in this production. Cumberbatch owns his Hamlet, creating a believable character whose madness isn't overdone and, by the end, seems perfectly sane in the absurdity of the tragic events that unfold. However, it isn't his performance that lingers in the mind but that of the two leading ladies. Siân Brooke's Ophelia and Anastasia Hillie's Gertrude left me a blubbering mess. Considering how little time is given between Hamlet and Ophelia, Brooke creates this likeable character whose despair is felt throughout the auditorium which is hard to do in the vast space of this auditorium. Hellie's Gertrude is also gets more sympathy and feels more down to earth than Ciarán Hinds' aloof Claudius. Whilst I think that the attention being given to this is utterly ridiculous yet this is a truly great example of perhaps Shakespeare's greatest play.

Note: I saw this when still in preview so it may have changed by press night. However, there was no mention of this performance being a preview and there is no price difference so I think early reviews seem fair game, especially since there have been examples of early reviews being published with no backlash from the show (Quentin Letts reviewing Kristin Scott Thomas in The Audience after being barred from press night).

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre ****

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a hard musical to produce in the modern age. It has some very tricky views on gender roles that seem to be endorsed in the 1954 film. Rachel Kavanaugh's sole change to justify these views is to make the brothers apologise after they abduct 6 girls. However, to concentrate on this problem is both taking the purpose of this frivolous musical far too serious and to neglect the true brilliance of this production. Five members of my family with ages ranging from 11 to 51 came to see this and everyone had the time of their lives. The youngest turned around after the show and exclaimed "THAT WAS AWESOME!!" whilst my dad is still humming 'Bless Your Beautiful Hide' and 'Wonderful Day' to an almost tedious extent. The beautiful Open Air Theatre provides a great and friendly atmosphere and the creative team have done a good job. Peter McKintosh has designed a clever set that slides out to create wonderful interior spaces yet also leaves space for Alistair David's astonishing choreography. The sound is tricky to get right in this outdoor space so Nick Lidster does well in his sound design. Alex Gaumond and Laura Pitt-Pulford are formidable in the lead roles of Adam and Milly. They both have some of the best voices in Music Theatre and their personalities and energy turn quite a twee musical into something that feels exiting and fun. The ensemble cast do some impressive chorus singing and show the power of dance in drama in a magnificent dance sequence as powerful as the sequence in West Side Story. A special mention to Sam O'Rourke's Gideon and Bethany Huckle's Alice who captivated my brother's attention and was the highlight of his evening with their cute, charming and heart-warmingly funny performance. What could have been a show that is ruined by it's hateful moral stance is in fact turned into a great evening of entertainment by some quality performances and direction.

Three Days in the Country, National Theatre ****

On the surface of things, Three Days in the Country is an amusing period piece yet Patrick Marber's adaptation of Turgenev's classic A Month in the Country goes far deeper than that. It explores the darker side of love and marriage and Marber, as well as bringing out the laugh out loud comedy in Turgenev, he also brings out the tragedy in the piece and explores the complexities of human relationships. The open stage design from Mark Thompson highlights the public and exposed nature of country life, letting the audience see the mechanics of this operation, with the pianist and prop tables visible and actors sitting on the edge, observing the action. A few days ago, I saw several 'enthusiastic' Doctor Who fans in full costume by stage door which started to worry me that this was going to be a starry production relying on Gatiss and Simm too heavily. However, despite one slightly odd Who nod, it isn't noticably a 'star-studded' production like Man and Superman and, whilst they put in good performances, neither of them dominate the stage. Rather it is Amanda Drew who is the star, playing Natalya with strength and someone who is losing her patience with the stifling nature of country life whilst Belyaev is played by Royce Pierreson with an appearance of control even if in reality he has no control whatsoever. Patrick Marber has made a truly triumphant return to the National with what I think is the greatest of his three projects currently on stage in a well judged and beguiling production.

Splendour, Donmar Warehouse ****

Abi Morgan's Splendour is about a journalist who is waiting for an interview with a war-time dictator with the dictator's wife, the wife's best friend, and an interpreter.  Robert Hastie's production of Morgan's play sparkles at times but is very tricky to engage in until late into the play. Morgan writes in a way that feels disjointed and jarring, with characters undercutting each other which is difficult to listen to. However, her writing cuts to the heart when the characters start to reveal the truth about themselves and stop just feeling resentful towards each other. McKintosh's design is beautiful and fascinating, creating a set that shows a world of destruction outside a stronghold that, at a certain moment, is destroyed as well. The four-strong cast give overwhelmingly good performances in an ensemble play. The spiky nature of Genevieve O'Reilly's Kathryn is balanced by the sickly and slimy Micheleine, who is played with ease by Sinead Cusack who controls the audiences sympathy, fluctuating between her role as the wife of a dictator and a helpless mother. Michelle Fairley is great as a timid yet strong best friend Genevieve whilst Zawe Ashton is funny as an interpreter who focuses more on theft than interpreting. They gel perfectly together in a play that requires perfect timing to create real tension. Even if this exquisite production can't always defeat the tricky text, this an example of great female-lead theatre that is much needed in the West End.

1984, Playhouse Theatre ****

I'm a wimp. I can't sit through any horror movie and I jump whenever a gunshot is used in the theatre. Therefore, perhaps sitting in the middle of the first row for 1984 wasn't one of my smartest ideas. I am proud to say that I managed to get through it in one piece without closing my eyes. This is a brutal adaptation of Orwell's image of dystopia. Icke and Macmillan capture the text wonderfully and it is rendered by a talented cast. Icke has a fantastic understanding of how to capture horror on stage and, whilst this isn't as layered or exhilarating as his Oresteia, the ability to create an atmosphere of fear and oppression is masterful. The idea of of the oppressive nature of the party is captured by Chloe Lamford superbly. She firstly uses a set that almost lulls the audience into a false sense of security before stripping it back to reveal a bigger and scarier reality. It is at this point that we, as audience members, are directly addressed by their actions which is made obvious by the house lights being turned on. Natasha Chivers' use of lighting allows strange and eerie trickery to occur that even kept the front row confused whilst Tom Gibbons' video design brings the art of film and uses it to a positive effect on the stage as dramatic irony for the ever- watching eye of Big Brother. This piece is made necessary in an age of surveillance and a world where a North Korea loss at the World Cup leads to 're-education'. Whilst the gimmick of the nursery rhyme feels ineffective and clichéd, it is the sole creative misstep in an impressive production.
And yet, I still left slightly frustrated. This production is far from alone and it is a subject that I get very frustrated with. Since Oppenheimer, I haven't commented about it but it has been niggling me for a long time. The lack of diversity here is noticeable. Two white, male directors are in charge of a company of white, British actors. Perhaps the production calls for a company that are identical but I mainly think this is a production from fantastic companies such as Headlong and the Almeida which produce diverse and interesting pieces from many cultures (I am not familiar with the Nottingham Playhouse's work) so it is a shame that there is no visible effort here in a production that could clearly encourage BAME actors. They're not alone with shows having their 'token' black person or having none at all and I hope this hasn't detracted from my view of what is a truly remarkable show. However, whilst I appreciate the quite brilliant production values and acting on the stage, I still feel more needs to be done here and across the West End to reflect the wonderful diversity we have in Britain.