REVIEW: Afterglow at the Southwark Playhouse

Afterglow was only meant to run for an 8 week limited engagement in New York, after having extended numerous times and finally playing for 14 months it finally comes over to London in a newly staged production at the Southwark Playhouse. 

Following the story of married couple Josh and Alex, who are soon to be welcoming a child into their household, we see their open marriage in its bare bones played out on stage with the addition of Darius, a boy who once only came over for a threesome, become a centre part of their relationship. 

What the play asks us is what is a ‘normal’ marriage or relationship? How do we make compromises but still try to remain happy within ourselves and in our partnership? It leaves us with these questions that we, as an audience, leave trying to pick a side and make things right in our heads. 

What is so fantastic about the writing, by S. Asher Gelman, is that we get to really know every single one of the characters and we want them all to come out with a happy ending. The way the play finished is just a brilliant ending, opening it out to us and leaving us with no answer. Its a judgement free piece of work and he is not saying anything is right or wrong but is showing us how people minds work and what people need to survive. 

REVIEW: Ain't Misbehavin' at the Southwark Playhouse

I recall Ain't Misbehavin' from its first West End outing in 1979 when it was nominated for Musical of the year and it is now revived for a residency at the Southwark Playhouse until 1st of June. It is a celebration of the music of Thomas "Fats" Waller and in many ways is a fore runner of the many musical tribute shows that now fill the West End and regional stages.

Musically it is excellent with a wonderful five piece jazz band recreating the sound of the Fats Waller and his Rhythm band under the musical supervision of Alex Cockle on piano and with delightful occasional trumpet and clarinet solos from Elias Jordan Atkinson and Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson respectively. In all they play some thirty tunes over the two hours running time each with an energy and sense of enjoyment which is infectious.

REVIEW: The Rubenstein Kiss at the Southwark Playhouse

Is it me or is communism and the Cold War becoming a trend in theatre and film right now? More precisely, the force that communism seemed to represent even in territories that were its “enemies”?

The Southwark Playhouse’s latest production, The Rubenstein Kiss, is a tense and wonderfully acted play written in 2005 by James Phillips. In 1953, Esther and Jakob Rubenstein were executed by the American government for being spies and informing the Soviets on American secrets regarding the atomic bomb. One of the characters in the play, Anna Levi, says “this is a James Bond” film! The topic around spies sometimes does seem too good to be true, but this is a true story and fascinating for that reason. Also, the play does not just focus on a grand theme, but on the Rubenstein family, their relatives, friends and life in New York City. We meet headstrong, intelligent and proud individuals who enjoy parties and love each other deeply. When they are accused of betraying their country, their insistence on their innocence costs them their lives.

REVIEW: Aspects of Love at Southwark Playhouse

‘Aspects of Love’ is a lesser known Andrew Lloyd Webber hit which stormed the West End 30 years ago, opening in 1989, running for 1,325 performances and elevating Michael Ball’s career with the soaring anthem ‘Love Changes Everything’. Since then it had a London revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2010, and then this production stormed in Manchester at the Hope Mill Theatre, so I was excited to watch this production in London.

The story follows three generations of lovers starting with Alex Dillingham and older actress Rose Vibert, who have a steamy, passionate affair at Alex’s uncle’s villa, but when his Uncle George arrives it changes everything forever.

Pocket Size Theatre: Top 10 Best shows of 2018!

Theatre in 2018 has been incredible! We're ending the year in a strange place, lots of long running shows closing but also lots of exciting shows coming up! Click here to see a list of shows we're looking forward too. We reflect, with our incredible team, on some of the best shows of the year. Take a look!

Six at the Arts Theatre

"Hamilton may be in trouble, theres new girls on the block and they've come to steal your fans. The music will be stuck in your head for days and this has to be one of the hottest shows of 2018. Get your tickets now, however I suspect we’ll see the return of this show to London very soon."

Six returns to the Arts Theatre from the 16th January after completing a sold out run at the Arts Theatre and a successful UK tour.

Read our ★★★★★ review here!

Julius Caesar at The Bridge Theatre

"An absolute must-see for those who perhaps don't know Shakespeare as well as they should as it brings his historical text stampeding into the modern day and for those who know it like the back of their hand: it's new, vibrant and will be unlike any other retelling you've seen before. Shakespearean perfection."

Julius Caesar played the Bridge Theatre form January through to April with a National Theatre Live broadcast in March.

Read our ★★★★★ review here!

REVIEW: Seussical at the Southwark Playhouse

Seussical intertwines many of the most beloved Dr Seuss stories, with characters like Horton the elephant, the who’s and the Cat in the Hat all featuring in the show. 

The story follows Horton as he finds the world of the Who’s on a speck of dust, he must save them and bring them to safety but along the way runs into many problems all whilst being pursued by Gertrude who ends up helping him out. 

The thing that I left wondering was where is this shows audience. It is primarily a children’s show but I’m not too sure if this production allows children to be involved in the right capacity. The space is not very big and, of course, is amazing for children to have this story played within reaching distance of them but at points they lose interest it becomes very obvious to the rest of the theatre. 

REVIEW: The Trench at the Southwark Playhouse

The Trench, first performed back in 2012, is in London for the first time – fittingly in time to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War.

Les Enfant Terribles have become one of the most respected and innovative theatre companies in the UK, earning rave reviews, award nominations and selling over 90,000 tickets for their immersive Alice’s Adventures Underground and more recently, a sell-out run of the absurdist and brilliant Flies at the Edinburgh Fringe.

This production carries many of the familiar hallmarks of a LET show; mesmerising puppetry, intricate set design and original music played live throughout and the cast of 5 are incredibly talented with newcomer James Hastings really shining as he glides effortlessly between a number of instruments. 

As with many of their other works, they do really well to create the world of the play and Samuel Wyer’s design is spot on for this show. The set offers the performers flexibility and space to weave in and out of the story and there are many flashes of beautiful movement throughout this 65 minute piece.

Game of Thrones takes over the West End!

Iwan Rheon in Foxfinder at the Ambassadors Theatre

Iwan Rheon played Ramsay Bolton in the TV show, Game of Thrones. He is also known for Misfits and Inhumans. He made his stage debut in the Broadway transfer of Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith and later, the Novello Theatre. He'll star in Foxfinder which opens at the Ambassadors theatre from the 6th September. 

Maisie Williams in I and You at the Hampstead theatre

Maisie Williams plays Arya Stark on the hit show, her other credits include Doctor Who, Cyberbully, iBoy and Mary Shelley. She will make her stage debut in I and You at the Hampstead Theatre from the 18th October. 

REVIEW: For King and Country at the Southwark Playhouse

Every man was a boy once. Whether he is following protocol, correcting his posture or relying on his uniform, that boy never leaves.

“For King and Country” is a court room drama that takes place in 1918 on the Western Front. Private Hamp is facing a trial following his desertion. Only we learn that he has little active memory of that desertion, that it wasn’t a brave act but a symptom of his need to just leave, as he just couldn’t take it anymore. After seeing his friend blown to pieces and ending up drowned in mud following an explosion, he was shell shocked, and just “couldn’t take it no more”. 

This show directed by Paul Thomlinson and playing at Southwark Playhouse until 21 July, is an intensely sad two hours fuelled by moments of surprise, desperation and hope. 

REVIEW: The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse

The Rink is one of the most famous flops on Broadway, with box office draws Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera you’d think it would run for years but the critics hit hard and it closed after only 204 performances. It didn’t last very long in London either, running only a month. It seems this show doesn’t have much success in large theatres. It isn’t a very commercial show, so I can completely see why but after seeing this revival at the Southwark Playhouse I can tell you with confidence that this piece is musical theatre at its finest. 

Anna is stuck with the left overs of what was once was a thriving Roller Skating Rink, her daughter and husband have left her and she decides to sell the building and move to Florida. On the day she is getting out her daughter comes back, and the audience are taken on a journey to look back at their past to see how we ended up where we are at the beginning. 

Terrence McNally (Book), John Kander (Music) and Fred Edd (Lyrics) have created an intelligent musical and the story telling devises used are filmic but transfer to the stage wonderfully. With Adam Lensons direction we’ve got an intelligent and heart-warming piece that is story telling at its best. 

FIRST LOOK: The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse, starring Caroline O’Connor and Gemma Sutton

Caroline O’Connor and Gemma Sutton star as Anna and Angel in The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse, opening tonight, with Stewart Clarke, Ross Dawes, Michael Lin, Elander Moore, Ben Redfern and Jason Winter will play Dino, Lino, Lucky, Benny, Lenny and Tony respectively in the first London revival in 20 years of Kander and Ebb’s THE RINK. 

The new production of THE RINK will play at Southwark Playhouse for a limited season from 25 May to 23 June 2018, with a national press night on Tuesday 29 May. 

Anna, an Italian housewife who runs a roller-skating rink on the Eastern seaboard, is about to sell it to developers until her estranged daughter, Angel, returns after a long absence, hoping to save the rink and patch things up with her mother.

REVIEW: The Country Wife at the Southwark Playhouse

The Southwark Playhouse is one of the most welcoming and stylish theatres in London, it holds so much charm and the work they stage is just what we need in a city of commercial theatre. 

Morphic Graffiti brings a re-imagined production of William Wycherley’s The Country Wife to the large space, reset in the world of the 1920’s and the bright young things it brings some interesting, good and not so good, ideas to the table. 

The plays themes are totally relevant in our society today; with the #MeToo campaign really spreading awareness we are shocked in the attitude of some men but celebrate the free attitudes of the ladies in this piece. It’s a story for women of all eras and that’s where the concept of this piece succeeds. 

However, there is something about this interpretation of the play that just doesn’t sit right, the text doesn’t seem to have been adapted well enough to match the concept and I’m not sure the direction really reflects it much either. 

REVIEW: Pippin at the Southwark Playhouse

Pippin, written by WICKED composer Stephen Schwartz, originally ran on Broadway in 1972 with later revivals in 2013 with Patina Miller and most recently in London in 2011 at the Menier Chocolate Factory. In August 2017 the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester staged a new production of the show which has transferred to London’s Southwark Playhouse and runs until the 24th March. 

The story is more relevant than ever, in a time where the people are standing up to their leaders this becomes very poignant in the production. With the recent student protests in America about gun laws, when the characters stand up to their dictator we suddenly realise the harsh reality of how we must control our world for the next generation. 

The great thing about this this production in particular is that everyone can take something different away from the show, the messages mean different things to different people. What Jonathan O’Boyle does with this production is very special, it’s not throwing any kind of concept or ideas into your face, it allows you to really make up your own mind on what’s going on.

Caroline O’Connor to Star in THE RINK at the Southwark Playhouse

Renowned Broadway, West End and film actress Caroline O’Connor will star as Anna in the first London revival in 20 years of Kander and Ebb’s THE RINK, having understudied the role of Angel in the 1988 London production of the show. The new production of THE RINK will play at Southwark Playhouse for a limited season from 25 May to 23 June 2018, with a national press night on Tuesday 29 May. The role of Angel, along with further casting is to be announced

Caroline O’Connor is currently starring as Countess Lily in the Broadway musical Anastasia. She is perhaps best known for playing Nini in Baz Luhrmann's Oscar-winning film Moulin Rouge as well as Velma Kelly in Chicago on Broadway and in Australia and Mabel Normand in Mack and Mabel in the West End, for which she received a 1996 Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Caroline’s other theatre roles include the one woman play Bombshells (Arts Theatre, London) which was written especially for her and for which she received her second Olivier Award nomination, Hildy in On The Town (London Coliseum), End of the Rainbow (Sydney Opera House) and Edith Piaf in Piaf (Melbourne and Sydney). Caroline played Ethel Merman in the 2004 Cole Porter biopic De-Lovely.

REVIEW: Trestle at the Southwark Playhouse

Trestle at Southwark Playhouse Little house is the world premiere of Stewart Pringle's 2017 Papatango new writing prize and it is easy to see why he won the award .His writing has a tender gentle charm , at times almost Pinteresque with its pauses and unsaid reflections, as it explores the developing relationship between Harry and Denise, both said to be in their sixties in a village hall in Yorkshire . It promises to ask how we choose to live in the face of soaring life expectancies and does so through twenty one episodic scenes.

It becomes a sort of Groundhog Day experience as each of the first twenty scenes explores the relationship at the weekly changeover of the Billingham Improvement Committee which Harry chairs and the middle aged Zumba class which Denise leads. We never meet the rest of committee or the class attendees and therefore the action is restricted to the five minutes or so between bookings and the removal of the trestle table used by the committee. But in each scene we learn a little more of their past and lives aside the village hall. 

REVIEW: Doubt, A Parable at Southwark Playhouse

There is a self-referential flavour in Doubt, A Parable, which will let you return home with a puzzled mind.

Sister James is a young teacher at St. Nicholas Church School, in the Bronx, who, after a meeting with the school's principal Sister Aloysius, is deeply affected by the woman's assertiveness and lack of empathy for her pupils. 

Sister Aloysius's unsympathetic attitude extends also to her collaborators and, in particular, towards Father Brendan Flynn's, whose innovative preaching matters and progressive didactic approaches encounter her disapproval.

When Sister James mentions to her superior a one-on-one meeting between Father Flynn and the school's only African-American student, Donald Muller, Sister Aloysius opens a personal investigation on the priest, suspecting him of sexual misconduct. According to Sister James' report, after this private conversation the boy's breath smelled of wine and this fact could either incriminate or exonerate the priest. For Sister Aloysius, in fact, this is the ultimate proof that Father Flynn corrupted the boy, whereas the priest insists that he called a private meeting with Muller after discovering he had drunk some altar wine.

FIRST LOOK: Next Fall at the Southwark Playhouse, starring Charlie Condou

Ex-Coronation Street star Charlie Condou is to star in the UK premiere of the Tony nominated Broadway comedy drama Next Fall. 

Next Fall, by award-winning writer Geoffrey Nauffts, will play at Southwark Playhouse from Wednesday 24 September - Saturday 25 October.

Next Fall is directed by Luke Sheppard, whose critically acclaimed production of In The Heights was a sold-out smash hit at Southwark Playhouse earlier this year.

Next Fall portrays the ups and downs of Adam and Luke’s long term relationship and how they make it work - despite their differences. Luke is devoutly religious, while Adam is an atheist. However, following an unexpected accident which changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke’s family and friends for support…and answers. This timely and compelling new American play goes beyond a typical love story and paints a beautiful and funny portrait of modern romance, questioning commitment, faith and unconditional love.

REVIEW: Dogfight at the Southwark Playhouse

Dogfight is a new book musical based on the 1991 movie of the same name starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, premièred Off-Broadway in 2012 with Joe Mantello directing and a cast that included Lindsay Mendez, David Klena and Annaleigh Ashford It won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and it was also nominated for five Outer Critics Circle and two Drama Desk Awards.

The musical is set in 1963, the night before three young Marines are sent to Vietnam. At a dance they have have a competition as to who can bring the ugliest girl, Eddie meets Rose in her mothers dinner and after taking her to the dance she rewrites the rules of the ‘Dogfight’. 

The music in this piece is beautiful, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have written modern and interesting piece that can easily be compared to the likes of Sondheim and Schwartz. George Dyer has done wonderful things with this score, he has hit the nail on the head with this one! I've seen a few things he's worked on and this, by far, has topped them all. The book is also very solid, Peter Duchan has given the characters enough time to grow on the audience and develop. He’s got the right balance of humour and intensity and Matt Ryans staging complements this immensely. 

FIRST LOOK: Dogfight at the Southwark Playhouse

Dogfight, Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Book by Peter Duchan, based on the Warner Bros film and screenplay by Bob Comfort, is produced by Danielle Tarento, the award-winning producer of Titanic, Parade and Mack & Mabel, and directed by Matt Ryan, in The Large at Southwark Playhouse for a six-week season from Friday 8 August to Saturday 13 September.

Dogfight, a new book musical based on the 1991 movie of the same name starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, premièred Off-Broadway in 2012, winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and it was also nominated for five Outer Critics Circle and two Drama Desk Awards.

Revival of GRAND GUIGNOL will return to The Drum before heading to Southwark Playhouse

Directed by Theatre Royal Plymouth’s Artistic Director, Simon Stokes, the revival of Grand Guignol will return to The Drum from 9 – 18 October before heading to Southwark Playhouse where the acclaimed production will run for five weeks from 23 October – 22 November 2014. 

1903, in the back streets of Montmartre, the Theatre du Grand Guignol opens its doors to an unsuspecting public. The plays performed, rife with madness and murders, are sold out every night.  A psychiatrist obsessed with the playwright’s gruesome dramas ingratiates his way into the company.  But when he starts to unpick the author’s mind, the boundaries between theatre and truth begin to blur…