Tristan & Yseult in the Kneehigh production, at Shakespeare’s Globe. Written by Anna Maria Murphy & Carl Grose. Directed and adapted by Emma Rice. Critically acclaimed … and rightly. See why.

24/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Tristan & Yseult in the Kneehigh production, at Shakespeare’s Globe. Written by Anna Maria Murphy & Carl Grose. Directed and adapted by Emma Rice. Critically acclaimed … and rightly. See why.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged . Hannah Vassallo, Anna Maria Murphy, Carl Grose, Dominic Marsh, Emma Rice, Kirsty Woodward, Kyle Lima, Mike Shepherd, Niall Ashdown | Leave a Comment »
22/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Edna O’Brien has adapted her controversial 1960 novel The Country Girls for the stage, and it is premiered at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre. This is the book that was banned and burned in 1960 Ireland.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Edna O'Brien, Genevieve Hulme-Beaman, Grace Molony, Lisa Blair | Leave a Comment »
18/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Phil Porter has created Vice Versa (LINKED) for the RSC’s “Rome MMXVII” Season. It’s cheerfully ripped off from Plautus (in his words). A thorough-going laugh out loud romp. Marvellous ensemble cast. Unmissable.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Byron Mondahl, Ellie Bevan, Felix Hayes, Janice Honeyman, Kim Hartman, Nicholas Day, Phil Porter, Sophia Nomvete, Steven Kynman | Leave a Comment »
17/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Review of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé at the Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford. Controversially casting Salomé as a man and in modern dress. So did it work? Read the link. King Herod & Pals below.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Gavin Fowler, Matthew Pidgeon, Matthew Tennyson, Owen Horsley, Suzanne Burden | Leave a Comment »
13/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Review of Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams at Chichester Festival Theatre. Directed by Jonathan Kent. Starring Marcia Gay Harden and Brian J. Smith. The play has its faults. Great performances.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Brian J Smith, Emma Amos, Graham Butler, Jonathan Kent, Marcia Gay Harden, Richard Cordery, Victoria Bewick | Leave a Comment »
07/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Review of Woyzeck (LINKED) at the Old Vic, London. This is a radical adaptation of the German classic by Georg Büchner, time-shifted to Berlin in 1981. It stars John “Star Wars” Boyega in the lead role, and was adapted by Harry Potter playwright Jack Thorne.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ben Batt, Georg Büchner, Jack Thorne, Joe Murphy, John Boyega, Nancy Carroll, Sarah Greene, Steffan Rhodri | 2 Comments »
07/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Review (https://peterviney.wordpress.com/stage/the-resistible-rise-of-arturo-ui/) of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, by Brecht, at the Donmar in London. The well-known cast is led by Lenny Henry as Arturo Ui, and the play parallels the rise of Hitler with the rise of Chicago gangster, Arturo Ui.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bertolt Brecht, Bruce Norris, Giles Terera, Justine Mitchell, Lenny Henry, Lucy Ellinson, Michael Pennington, Philip Cumbus, Simon Evans, Tom Edden | Leave a Comment »
01/06/2017 by Peter Viney
Review of Caroline or Change by Tony Kushner & Jeanine Tesori, at Chichester Minerva Theatre. So here’s the conundrum. It’s garnered 4 and 5 star reviews across the board. This performance, was a full house. Every seat taken. After the interval, we counted 27 empty seats. So why? Fantastic singing cast, led by Sharon D. Clarke … but for me? I really didn’t like it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Abiona Omonua, Jeanine Tesori, Lauren Ward, Me'sha Bryan, Michael Longhurst, Sharon D. Clarke, Teddy Kempner, Tony Kushner | Leave a Comment »
27/05/2017 by Peter Viney
Review of Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht, Young Vic, 2017. Directed by Joe Wright and featuring Brendan Cowell as Galileo. I’ve never liked Brecht, so did this widely-acclaimed production change my mind?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anjana Vasan, Ayesha Antoine, Bettrys Jones, Billy Howle, Brendan Cowell, Brian Pettifer, Jason Barnet, Joe Wright, Joshua James, Paul Hunter, Sarah Wright | 1 Comment »
26/05/2017 by Peter Viney
Review of the latest Globe production of Romeo & Juliet (linked). This got the biggest critical thumbs-down from the mainstream press in years. I’ve listed the good bits and the bad bits!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blythe Duff, Daniel Kramer, Edward Hogg, Emma Rice, Gareth Snook, Gold Roseuvel, Harish Patel, Jonathan Livingstone, Kirsty Bushell, Martina Laird, Max Richter, Ricky Champ, Sian Martin, Tim Chipping | Leave a Comment »