Blithe Spirit ★★★ Harold Pinter Theatre | Sep 16 - Nov 6, 2021


Blithe Spirit, Noël Coward's 1941 "light comedy about death" wasn't quite as 'light' as it could have been in Richard Eyre's production which brought only a smattering of real laughs. It looked stunning in Anthony Ward's towering country house and Geoffrey Streatfeild and Lisa Dillon, as hosts Charles and Ruth, worked hard to create the ambiance. However, the build up to the arrival of Madame Arcati, a local medium who has been invited to give a séance, was dulled somewhat – her entrance being largely obscured behind a huge sofa. The presence of Jennifer Saunders as Madame Arcati is, of course, the raison d'être for this revival. Unfortunately, her wig, makeup and costumes made her look somewhat like a bag lady, and frequently sounding breathless with arms windmilling about, this Madame Arcati left us missing the charming eccentric created by Margaret Rutherford or Angela Lansbury. In the other star role, Madeleine Mantock as Elvira, ghost of Charles' deceased wife, faced all the challenges of a screen actor cast in a leading role on stage. Of course, there were some funny moments; Coward wrote plenty of sharp and witty lines but many went almost unnoticed. Lengthy passages, especially towards the end of the play, seemed to sag. Knowing and loving the play, we felt that, while remaining pleasantly amusing, these “profuse strains of unpremeditated art” were not quite as blithe as Coward intended.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by D.S.J.
Photo by Nobby Clark

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Panton St, London SW1Y 4DN, UK

Most Popular

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Image
Maybe the best musical value in London. The lunchtime concerts at St. Martin's are always a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle that is London and the sensory overload that is Trafalgar Square. This is a beautiful setting with great acoustics, and a church pew hard enough to make sure you don't nod off. Reviewed by J.C.  Our score:    ☆☆☆☆  WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Mon & Fri: 1 pm - 1:45 pm ( occasionally Tues & Thurs)  St. Martin in-the-fields, Trafalgar Square Nearest tube: Charing Cross https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on
Full Details »

Happy Ending ★★★★ Waterloo East Theatre | Sep 27 - Oct 26, 2025

Image
Ronnie Larsen has written an amusing two-hander that, along with some witty dialogue, reveals uncomfortable truths about the complex roles that prevarication and fantasy play in people’s lives. Jimmy Essex portrays Andy, a gay masseur who must navigate the advances of a straight client, Mr. Millar, played by Billy Walker. Andy doesn’t want to cross professional lines and risk his license, yet Mr. Millar possesses many of the qualities that he finds attractive. What follows is a cat-and-mouse seduction that ultimately exposes hidden aspects of both men. Larsen delivers a sharp, intimate piece that uses the physical closeness of massage as a metaphor for what becomes a deeper, soul-baring exchange. Both Essex and Walker strike the right balance of awkwardness and manipulation as they circle each other, and their discomfort and attraction are equally palpable. The play subtly offers some insight not only into the small deceptions we all employ to get through life but into the restricting ...
Full Details »

Hedda ★★★★ Orange Tree Theatre | Oct 18 - Nov 22, 2025

Image
In her adaptation of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler , Tanika Gupta largely follows the original narrative while introducing a new element: Hedda is portrayed as an Anglo-Indian film star who must conceal her origins due to pervasive racism in society and the movie industry. This reimagined aspect draws on the career of Merle Oberon, a film icon of the late 1930s and early 1940s who was only later revealed to be of mixed-race parentage. To succeed in Hollywood, Oberon claimed to be from Tasmania and often asserted Armenian heritage. In Gupta's version, Hedda remains Ibsen's bored, desperate woman who capriciously inflicts pain on those around her, but her motivations are expanded. She struggles not only with the constraints imposed on women by society, but also with the prejudice of a world that would never accept a mixed-race film star. The play is filled with the characters' casual racist remarks and an unmistakable colonial condescension, creating an atmosphere that illuminates...
Full Details »

The Maids ★★★ Donmar Warehouse | Oct 13 - Nov 29, 2025

Image
Playwright and novelist Jean Genet was the quintessential outsider in post-war France. A criminal and a homosexual, he nonetheless attracted the admiration of luminaries such as Jean Cocteau and Jean-Paul Sartre. His daring literary experiments and provocative imagery in works like Our Lady of the Flowers fascinated both writers, while the layered symbolism of his plays, particularly The Maids , invites multiple interpretations. In this drama, the servants Claire (Lydia Wilson) and Solange (Phia Sabin) engage in ritualistic power games as they assume the identity of their mistress (Yerin Ha) in scenes that can be read on political, religious, existential, or erotic levels. In Kip Williams’ current staging of Genet’s best-known work, the director seems to adopt a role toward the play similar to that of the maids towards their employer, both reverent and mocking. The production moves between homage and parody, overflowing with theatrical excess. An initial curtain separating audience an...
Full Details »

Crocodile Fever ★★★★★ Arcola Theatre | Oct 17 - 22 Nov, 2025

Image
In this gruesome absurdist comedy, two very different sisters confront both the memories and the reality of an oppressive father. Playwright Meghan Tyler has crafted a darkly humorous work that shocks and amuses in equal measure. Just when you think you have seen everything, she takes the absurdity to yet another level. As in many contemporary Irish plays, this domestic conflict serves as an allegory for the island’s political divisions. Here, however, the message is presented as a wonderfully goofy and gory feast. Fianna, the free-spirited sister, rebels openly against their tyrannical parent (read as Britain). She has even served time in prison and is now linked to the IRA. Allanah, by contrast, obeys and conforms, embodying repression and religiosity as she caters to the demands of her vicious, bedridden father. At first, the sisters seem entirely opposed, but gradually they recognise their shared oppression and unite in an attempt to murder their father. That plan, however, proves ...
Full Details »

Ghost Stories ★★★ Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre | Sep 30 - Nov 8, 2025

Image
Ghost Stories comprises three tales of supernatural encounters, framed by an academic’s sceptical perspective. Writers Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman have crafted a clever script that keeps the audience engaged and unsettled as a night watchman, a student, and a new father recount their chilling experiences. In today’s highly technical age, the production’s reliance on light and sound effects to create the moments of horror may appear somewhat simplistic. Nevertheless, these evocations of confrontations with the spirit world still elicit the intended gasps and nervous laughter. Indeed, a strong cast does an excellent job of drawing us into their unsettling realities. Jonathan Guy Lewis strikes just the right note as the slightly condescending professor who provides a rational counterpoint to the three narratives, while David Cardy is completely credible as the curmudgeonly warehouse caretaker confronted with an inexplicable phenomenon. Preston Nyman effectively captures the terror of bei...
Full Details »

Hamlet ★★★ National Theatre | Sep 25 - Nov 22, 2025

Image
Hamlet is back! The National Theatre’s inaugural production was Shakespeare’s Hamlet , staged at the Old Vic in 1963. Peter O’Toole played the title role under the direction of Laurence Olivier. This new revival marks the company’s seventh staging of the classic, and director Robert Hastie and lead actor Hiran Abeysekera have some formidable shoes to fill. Abeysekera, known for his starring role in The Life of Pi , brings much of that same physicality to his portrayal of Hamlet. Rather than the traditional hesitant and melancholic prince, his version of the brooding Dane brims with restless energy. When he is not delivering the familiar soliloquies, he leaps about the stage in an acrobatic display that often borders on comedy and at times becomes distracting. Abeysekera's stated intention of injecting humour into the tragedy is evident and partially successful, although it is debatable whether it enriches the work. Francesca Mills offers an unconventional take on Ophelia, leaning ...
Full Details »

Mr Jones ★★★★ Finborough Theatre | Oct 28 - Nov 22, 2025

Image
On 21 October 1966, the small Welsh village of Aberfan became the site of a heartbreaking disaster that captured the world’s attention. When 150,000 tonnes of mining waste cascaded down a hillside, engulfing the local school and killing 144 people, including 116 children, the world mourned the senseless loss. The sheer scale of such horrors can make them seem almost abstract, and their incomprehensible nature often leaves us numbed. In this powerful two-hander, playwright Liam Holmes brings the Aberfan tragedy vividly to life by focusing on one young couple caught in its shadow. Stephen Jones is a carefree teenager whose ambitions reach no further than becoming the village rugby star and courting his childhood sweetheart, Angharad. Content with his simple dreams, he believes himself to be winning at the game of life. Holmes, as Stephen, and Mabli Gwynne, as Angharad, both deliver deeply moving performances. Their innocent affection and flirtatious banter feel as authentic as their late...
Full Details »

Death on the Nile ★★★ Richmond Theatre | October 7 - 11, 2025

Image
Agatha Christie is a name to conjure with. Her books have sold in the billions, making her perhaps the most widely read author on the planet. The Mousetrap remains the longest-running play in history, while Witness for the Prosecution has enjoyed a London run since 2017. Death on the Nile , one of her most popular novels, has been adapted twice for film, twice for television, and was turned into a stage play by Christie herself in 1944. Can this latest adaptation by Ken Ludwig live up to that remarkable heritage? The sets by Mike Britton cleverly evoke both a cruise ship and The British Museum, and Sarah Holland’s costumes are eye-catching and stylish. The show has a pleasing art deco feel, and despite some initial hesitancy and rather stilted performances at the beginning, the cast eventually achieves the right balance of naturalism and stylised mannerism, which allows us to believe in Christie’s world of suspects. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Mark Hadfield’s Poirot. Wh...
Full Details »

Marie Antoinette Style ★★★★★ Victoria & Albert Museum | Sep 20, 2025 - Mar 22, 2026

Image
When the daughter of Maria Theresa, Empress of the Hapsburg Empire, became engaged to the heir to the French throne, her mother wrote to young Marie Antoinette, “All eyes will be on you.” The words proved prophetic, for she would become France’s most famous queen, and her life story has since entered the realm of legend. Her reputation for extravagance and her tragic end remain enduring cultural touchstones. This exhibition, which highlights her distinctive style and traces her fashion legacy to the present day, also recounts the drama of her opulent life and unforgettable death. Historical events and sartorial elegance are seamlessly intertwined. The beautifully curated display not only conveys the richness of 18th-century design, from dresses and jewellery to fans, china and even fragrance, but also presents the slanders that circulated about the queen and contributed to her downfall. A representative model of the guillotine by which she was executed is also included. The narrative, ...
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings