Patriots raises the curtain on life in the Kremlin after the collapse of the USSR. Based on real events, the show chronicles the rise of the oligarchs under Yeltsin and their eventual subjugation by Putin. It is an absorbing recounting of how the leading oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, plucked the young Putin from political obscurity only to realise that his putative puppet was determined to master the wily puppeteer. It is a byzantine story of intrigue and ego and Peter Morgan connects the dots to create a dark portrait of the rise of the current Russian dictator that is chilling and intense. Any news media consumer will recall the various names invoked, like Roman Abramovich and Alexander Litvinenko, but Morgan's work very interestingly ties their stories into the main plotline and exposes the consequences of acquiescence or resistance to Putin's emerging dominance. The dialogue sometimes seems a bit awkward and too expository, but the plotline of the two principals struggling f

With the opening of the Royal Academy of Art's annual exhibition the summer season officially begins, despite the London weather! This year the theme is Only Connect, the famous phrase from E.M. Forster's Howards End , and the works presented are as open to multiple interpretation as the dictum itself. There is something for everyone, and while we have our particular favourites, every viewer will make their own connections with the various works on display. In the large Weston Room we were particularly intrigued by Sir Michael Hopkins' reimagining of Highgate Cemetery and the linking of the past with the future of this extraordinary city landmark. As always, we also enjoyed, Chris Orr's watercolour/mixed media works such as "Ship" and "Theatre of the Absurd" which use whimsy as a bridge to comment on the variety of human folly. We didn't find as much humour as usual in this year's exhibition, but we enjoyed a chuckle at Martin Langford's

This exhibition does not take on a small subject, but it has been brilliantly organised and curated, and actually manages to address this huge concept through its series of fascinating photographs. The defining characteristics of a civilisation are identified and then explored in the context of our emerging world civilisation of the 21st century. The show is divided into eight parts: Hive explores the reality of the urban environment; Alone Together deals with social relationships; Flow examines the movement of people, goods, and ideas; Persuasion looks at how the community is influenced and manipulated; Control considers concepts of authority and power; Rupture looks at the breakdown of society and conflict; Escape shows people seeking release from the routine and Next? attempts a look at the future. It is impossible to single out works in this extraordinary exhibition, but Edward Burtynsky's chicken processing plant in China, Mike Kelley's picture of Zurich Airport, M

Kids of all ages, it's summer and it's time to go the circus! No matter how old you are Giffords Circus will manage to amuse and thrill with a show that is very up-to-date, but still has a charming nostalgia. This year's offering is called "Les Enfants du Paradis" and a French gloss is put on the spectacle. Michael Fletcher as Hugo Victor and Nell O'Hara as Clair de Lune present the storyline of an old theatre coming to life with wonderful acts. This theme sets an atmosphere and provides a frame for the show, but it's really all about the standard silly clown acts and some extraordinarily daring acrobatics and aerial work. The show kicks off with the breathtakingly beautiful performance by Aerial Luna, and is followed by the stunning acrobatics of the Ethio-Salem Troupe. We had our hearts in our throats watching the feats of The Skating Medinis and the awesome high wire act of Alex Michael. Romy Meggiolaro's juggling was a delight and Amanda Sandow&#

A classic musical with unforgettable songs gets a first-rate production! You don't need a gimmick when you're working with the wonderful material of Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, and this revival respects their show and simply aims to do it well. In that regard, it pulls out all the stops and succeeds brilliantly. Joseph Pitcher's direction and choreography is pitch perfect, and the action never stops. We just bounce along from one great number to the next. The singing and dancing are terrific and the energy is electrifying. Despite the rather dark nature of the story of Gypsy Rose Lee and her relationship with her formidable stage mother, Rose, this is a show that is meant to dazzle and it does. All of the cast bring their A-game to the production and the time flies by. Rebecca Thornhill as the driven and obsessive Rose belts out her show stopping numbers and commands the stage whenever she's on it. Evelyn Hoskins' transformation from playing th

Re-Member Me is not so much a deconstruction of Hamlet as a series of commentaries by various actors who have performed the role. Dickie Beau lip-syncs the remarks of some great interpreters of the Danish prince as they share anecdotes about their performances. Unfortunately, a lot of the significance of these recollections is probably lost if you can't recognise the actors from their voices alone or if you don't know who they are in the first place. The main focus is on Ian Charleson who replaced Daniel Day-Lewis when he withdrew from a production of the play at the National Theatre. Charleson's performance as he was dying of AIDS gets a lot of time and is poignantly recalled by his contemporaries. Apparently, the show intends to address many of the big questions such as mortality, memory and meaning that are central to Hamlet itself, but it all seems rather abstract and intellectualised. Despite the references to Charleson's death and the scourge of HIV, the piece d

Who hasn't thought of giving their partner a makeover? When geeky English Lit. student, Adam, meets the intense MFA candidate, Evelyn, he gets more than he bargained for. Evelyn is direct, disconcerting and determined, and Adam becomes clay in her hands. Neil LaBute's comedy is cleverly amusing, but always darkly ominous. In the end, it proves to be both emotionally and intellectually taxing, raising questions about the manipulative power of love and of art. The issues posed are manifold, but it is to LaBute's credit that they come out of the characters and do not feel imposed on the play or the audience. The people and situations ring uncomfortably true and are only heightened by LaBute's sharp, articulate dialogue. Luke Newton is completely credible as the malleable Adam who undertakes a transformation that has equivocal consequences. Newton gives a nicely understated performance that skilfully complements Amber Anderson's intimidating Evelyn. The latter is utterl

One of the strangest incidents from World War II is hilariously recalled in this Fringe hit that has now moved to the West End. The British ruse of arranging for the body of an apparently crashed pilot to wash ashore in Spain with disinformation about the Allied landing in Europe is one of the most daring and bizarre incidents of the war. This version of the story simultaneously spoofs and respects that daring venture. It's a fine line to walk, but it surprisingly works. The edginess of the Fringe with some sharp satire of about class and gender stereotyping is present, but so also is a real acknowledgement of the extraordinary daring and some of the questionable moral implications of the plan. The show runs from moments of anarchic comedy to interludes of gentle tenderness. The shocked laughter provoked by "Das Übermensch" is balanced by the sentimental rendition of "Dear Bill," and the ghoulish presentation of the coroner, Bernard Spilsbury, is juxtaposed with

In a bravura performance, Maureen Lipman sits in front of the audience for over two hours and weaves a story that holds the audience's attention through the power of her voice and the heartfelt nature of her monologue. Rose traces the life of a young woman born in the Ukraine, survivor of the Holocaust and immigrant to America. It is full of humour and pain, and Lipman brings her character to life without reliance on props or an elaborate production. She brings the audience into Rose's world and shares an astonishing life that is bound to resonate with all listeners. However, while the first act seems to be simply a chronological recounting of a fascinating life that mirrors the Jewish experience in the 20th century, the second act explores more complicated issues in a thoughtful and nuanced way. It is the displacement of Jewish people after WWII that leads to the creation of the state of Israel and to the idea of a homeland for a population that had been without its own state

A newly revised version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love has arrived back in the West End! The story still has implausible moments and the plot about the perils of polyamory remains ragged and a little disturbing, but the performances and staging are breathtaking. Michael Ball dominates the stage whenever he appears, and his rendition of "Love Changes Everything" brings down the house. Laura Pitt-Pulford is simply superb as the vivacious, and apparently voracious, Rose, and Jamie Bogyo is terrific as Alex who follows his heart along the convoluted paths of love. To the part of Giulietta, Danielle De Niese brings a voice that is totally captivating, and she is a delight whenever she appears. Almost upstaging all of them however, is the extraordinary stage design of John Macfarlane. With more than thirty scenes, this is an extremely demanding show, and the sets and use of video is simply brilliant. Macfarlane raises the bar for all future productions in the West En