Stand out Performances of 2018

2018 saw many kinds of theatre; ground breaking theatre like The Inheritance, gender swapping in Company, new musical theatre like Unexpected Joy at the Southwark, twisting and retelling of loved  shows like Little Shop of Horrors and revivals of classic like Pinter at the Pinter. Within that we have seen some incredible performances and we wanted to highlight some of our top performances of the year. What are yours?! 

Rosalie Craig in Company at the Gielgud Theatre

The first Female to tackle the role of Bobby (Or Bobbie in this adaptation) in Stephen Sondheim's Company, she succeeds in every way possible. She gives a real and genuine performance that is natural and precise, this role could have been written for her. Alongside one of the best ensemble of actors in the West End, she proves exactly why she is the true meaning of a Leading Lady. Company closes on the 30th March, so get down to see her quickly!

Marc Antolin in Little Shop of Horrors at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

After seeing Marc in quite a few things over his career, we knew he was great but after seeing him as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors over the summer at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, we finally saw how truly versatile and brilliant he is as an actor. Maybe not the obvious choice for the role aesthetically but he was absolutely the perfect choice in this wonderful and ground breaking production.

REVIEW: The Grinning Man at the Trafalgar Studios

Rarely since its transformation into Trafalgar Studios in 2004 has a production felt so at home in this tight intimate venue. The auditorium has been dressed into Trafalgar Fair freak show stage which sets the tone for the production and once the band strikes up the stage explodes with a fusion of creativity and invention that immediately engages, excites and entices us into the strange world of the Grinning Man. The opening song "Laughter is the best medicine" is a delightfully comic scene setter underlying a central theme of the tale.

The creation of a musical from Victor Hugo's epic nineteenth century novels has of course been done before but Carl Grose has adapted "The man who laughs " into a dark mortality tale about the haves and the havenots and about the search for truth. The creative team of director Tom Morris, set designer Jon Bausor, lighting designer Rob Casey, choreographer Jane Gibson and sound designer Simon Baker have created a macabre strange world inhabited by flawed characters who gradually reveal the truth. It is spell binding at times (occasionally too laboured at others) as the story unfolds not just on the stage but in the auditorium itself.