Reviews

‘There’s a dramatic punch to this play which lingers quite a while after you leave the theatre.’ ★★★ ½ It’s 1990 and Saddam Hussain has just been driven out of Kuwait. Now he has turned his attention to the loathed Kurds – which results in one of modern history’s most ruthless genocides. The first few scenes in this play are wordily didactic as the playwright seeks ways of making it completely clear what is happening. After all there are people in the audience who aren’t old enough to remember these incidents although there were many Kurdish people there on press night. Perhaps the clumsiness in the script was unavoidable. After a few minutes the six-hander play settles and proceeds to switch pretty seamlessly between scenes – predominantly a pregnant woman fleeing to the bitterly cold mountains in Iraq and diplomats in London working – against their own political constraints, and the Americans who have a different agenda - to find ways of saving the lives of the beleaguered Kurds. Also in the mix is a Kurdish doctor in London (Mazlum Gul - good) lobbying everyone he can get access to on behalf of his desperate compatriots at home. The writer Chris Bowers has been a diplomat and a journalist in war zones. This is a world he knows and understands very well. The titular safe haven was the eventual terminology chosen because “enclave” was seen as provocative. There is a startlingly convincing performance from Beth Burrows as Catherine, a passionate, right-thinking diplomat determined to make a difference. She speaks with her eyes and holds the audience from the start – the play opens with her in a quasi mini-monologue. Lisa Zahra is impressive too – doubling as forthright wife to Catherine’s boss and the warm kind woman who helps her friend on the mountain. Director Mark Giesser makes imaginative use of the simplicity of Arcola’s Studio 2 rectangular space with seating on three sides. Loose curtain screens create two entrances and we readily believe that we’re in a Whitehall office, a home counties garden or homeless, cold and lonely in the inhospitable mountains of Iraq. Of course there are sound effects which add to this. Ali Taie’s sound design gives us everything from atmospheric folk music to connote Kurdish culture and the sound of war planes and machine gun fire. There’s a dramatic punch to this play which lingers quite a while after you leave the theatre, not least because of statements in the script which relate to much of what’s happening now especially in the US – which Bowers may not have intended when he wrote it. Either way there were quite a few hollow chuckles from the audience on press night. Safe Haven is a sobering narrative but it ends, thank goodness, with a moment of hope. SAFE HAVEN by Chris Bowers, Directed by Mark Giesser Arcola Theatre, Studio 2 14 January – 7 February 2026 BOX OFFICE https://www.arcolatheatre.com/event/safe-haven/ CAST: Eugenie Bouda as Najat, Beth Burrows as Catherine, Stephen Cavanagh as Brett/Reporter, Mazlum Gul as Dlawer/Al-Tikriti, Richard Lynson as Clive, and Lisa Zahra as Anne/Zeyra. Photography: Ikin Yum

' Full of comedy and pathos' ★★★☆☆ There are several generations who grew up with Benny Hill, the light entertainment TV superstar, first on BBC then on ITV, from 1955 - 1989. Along with many old school comics, he became a casualty of politically charged, new wave comedy. Ben Elton et al decreed laughter must not be extracted at the expense of others: no racism, sexism or homophobia. Until then, this had been the unquestioned stock in trade for many gag merchants. Massively popular, Hill’s brand of slapstick and parody, was drawn from silent films, Jacques Tati, social observations and European cabaret. The closing sketch would often be something like a saucy British postcard in fast motion, where Hill would chase a beautiful woman, who would try to escape. As feminism infiltrated the mainstream, the use of dolly birds as aesthetic eye candy or as masturbatory aids, also fell from favour for more equal representation. What’s Wrong With Benny Hill? is an affectionate autobiographical portrait of the canceled comedy great that looks at his life, success and demise. One hundred minutes, with interval, written and performed by Mark Carey, contrasts Hill the man, with Hill the comic, his private and public life. It’s generally chronological and expositional but at the heart, Carey gives a well-observed character study. In certain guises, he bears a striking resemblance to the performer who specialised in the slack jaw, loose tongue and wide, scanning eyes. There are songs by Kevin Oliver Jones that give contextual background to Hill’s story and music is scattered throughout. Georgie Taylor supports Carey in this two hander and energetically multi-roles as a host of characters from Hill’s father, the forbidding ‘Captain’ and merchant of French Letters (condoms were referred to as “everlasting chewing gum”) to fans, waitresses and a stand-up female scouser shoveling the final spadeful of soil onto Hill's still warm grave. A simple man who lived modestly and minded his own business, Hill died alone, undiscovered for several days. He amassed a fortune but never got round to making a will, had no significant relationships and could not understand why Britain had cast him into the wilderness while internationally, he was feted and remained huge. Unlike other fallen idols of 1970s light entertainment, there were no skeletons in Hill’s beige closet. He wasn’t a predator or a pedophile. He just wanted to make people laugh. One glaring omission from this narrative is Hill’s mother who is mentioned only in passing. The Captain kept her in her place. Hill’s inability to form relationships with women was a source of great sadness to him as well as the inspiration for much of his comedy; women were his fatal flaw. The endless sketches of him chasing inaccessible females were an expression of his fantasies. In life, he was rebutted and rejected and may have died of loneliness and a broken heart. “I love women and just want to look after them” he insisted. In this play, Hill takes issue with feminists who vilify his comedy but the audience is none the wiser as to why Hill was unable to form relationships with women. While it might set up more questions than answers, What’s The Matter With Benny Hill? is an entertaining account of this fallen star, full of comedy and pathos. There was lots of hooting laughter as audience members saw their childhood hero re-animated on stage. Ultimately you leave feeling that despite money and success, life was not kind to Benny Hill, a clown who must have shed many tears. Giles Shenton Productions What's Wrong With Benny Hill? COMEDY KING OR MYSOGINISTIC MONSTER? 12th - 24th January 2025 BOOK NOW Written by Mark Carey Music by Kevin Oliver Jones Produced by Giles Shenton Starring Mark Carey as Benny Hill alongside Georgie Taylor , playing everyone else

‘riotous fun’ ★★★ ½ COVID-19 cannot help but come to mind when watching One Jab Cures All . With its chronic mentions of face masks, vaccines and AstraZeneca jabs, it does well to draw a laugh out of an audience surely reminded of difficult memories. Directed by Matthew Parker, the former Artistic Director of The Hope Theatre and written by Lloyd Evans, the Spectator’s freelance hack, all elements of this work have bonded together quite well. It's a jovial burlesque about a pharmaceutical company which certainly pricks its audience into a few chuckles. The plot, though highly improbable, doesn’t pretend to be high drama and feels like a tongue-in-cheek news report on the 2020’s. Max (Rob Pomfret), a 40-something scientist with humanitarian ideals has discovered the wonder cure for all the world’s diseases. If this all sounds too good to be true, his snobby boss Judy (Sophie MacKall), the very embodiment of middle management, reminds him that company policy is concerned with unloading it out to the rich first and brings the play somewhat back to earth. Max steals a few samples, and Judy responds by taking his teenage daughter, named Felicity (Lauren Whitehall), as hostage. Once again, fanciful but riotous fun, steers the plot onwards. As a farce, One Jab Cures All, works a treat. If Felicity is a representation of formative years under the spell of the digital age, we all have something to worry about. Pomfret’s Max is commanding in both voice and gesture even if and, only on occasion, lines were lost in his all too genteel accent. Sophie MacKall gives a convincing portrayal of a woman vastly out of touch with the rest of her workers but often, her character feels little more than a cartoon of bureaucracy. It is when characters work in conjunction, arguing over who tests the vaccine or threatening each other with a gun made with a 3D printer that this play comes to life. Tech and stage design complemented each other to considerable effect. With simple lighting cues and location changes, danger presents itself and the pace is picked up, as the plot unravels to its bizarre conclusion. Not to mention, that The Tabard’s familiar black is replaced by jarring white panels that immediately set the scene for a science lab. Overall, the show does not handle the healthcare system and large pharma companies with care or compassion but that is exactly the point. In making a burlesque out of cures, vaccines and the rest, it pokes fun out of many of the bad memories that have lingered over our country for the last years. To put it simply, it gives us a much-needed laugh. Lumbago Theatre Company presents ONE JAB CURES ALL by Lloyd Evans Theatre at the Tabard, Chiswick 14 – 31 January 2026 Box Office https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/one-jab-cures-all/ Cast Starring: Rob Pomfret Sophie Mackall Lauren Whitehill Jay Warn Creatives Director: Matthew Parker Designer: Alice Carroll Lighting Designer: Nat Green Sound Designer: Beth Scott Information Running Time: One hour 50 minutes including an interval Booking to 31st January 2026 Wednesdays to Saturdays Theatre: Tabard Theatre Theatre at the Tabard 2 Bath Road Tube: Turnham Green

“Well performed, and wounding to witness” ★★★★ If (and it's a big 'if') achieving adulthood is analogous to 'settling down' and emulating the nuclear family structure, millennials, that is, the generation born between 1981 and 1996, are surely under performing. Official figures suggest that the current crop of adults between 29 and 44 are significantly more likely to never marry than previous generations. Meanwhile the Office for National Statistics projects that women in England and Wales are likely to continue having babies later in life, and having smaller families, than their mothers and grandmothers. In Doug Dean's intelligent new play the playwright compares two discrete narratives depicting modern parenthood. In alternating monologues, Dean's introduces us to two unnamed characters: a black, working-class single mother, who's experiences are interspersed with those of a white, middle-class married father. Formally, this structure carries with it the underlying suggestion that the trials of parenthood might unite us across the lines that typically divide us. The action in Dean's play is carefully plotted and richly, warmly observed. Dean's confessional-style monologues are considered and tender, and feel relevant to modern audiences. Moments of pathos are successfully balanced alongside spikier, more sardonic forays into observational comedy. Andy Sellers is believable and likeable as 'Him', the father of two very young children, who fluctuates between a barely concealed disappointment in his cosily underwhelming adult life, and moments of total serenity and contentment with his lot. Towards the end of the performance, Sellers has a chance to explore more heightened moments of overflowing panic, which were particularly well performed, and wounding to witness. Toyin Ayedun-Alase is similarly proficient in her performance. Her character trajectory is more complex, journeying from carefree teenager to hardened single mum. The sheer breadth of this story means that moments of this character's life are rushed over and feel slightly under-explored. Nevertheless, the punchy opening monologue is immediately richly compelling and Ayedun-Alase is singular in embodying the interplay between emotional strength and psychological vulnerability. In the play's final moments, there is a revelation that restructures our understanding of the story thus far. On it's face, the ending is neat, dramatically satisfying and provides a clear, digestible moral conundrum for the audience to pull apart on their way home. However, the use of a last-minute reveal in this context is, arguably, too neat, too dramatically convenient. It require key elements of story and character to be withheld and under-explored in the pursuit of a calculated climax, and could divide audiences. Unfortunately, the production I saw was plagued with lighting issues, which intermittently plunged performers into shadows. As a result, key nuances in the performance and story were compromised. Steadier and tighter light design would have gone a lot way to help fully immerse the audience in this production. In defiance of this, the inventive use of darkness in one lights-off conversation worked well to capture a quiet loneliness within the marital bed. The actors share the space rather incongruously with a set of wire triangles that, while they do not exactly detract from the piece, certainly don't add anything either. A bare set would have been much preferable. On the whole, though, these superficial considerations only slightly detract from what is otherwise a strong, competent piece of work. MOTHER.DAD by Doug Deans, Omnibus Theatre 13 – 31 January Produced by Chronic Insanity BOX OFFICE https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/mother-dad/ Cast: Toyin Ayedun-Alase and Andy Sellers Production Team Writer Doug Deans Director Kathleen O’Dougherty Designer Joe Strickland Dramaturgy Sam Pout Movement Director Ruth Phillips Producer Chronic Insanity Photography: Kathleen O’Dougherty Reviewer Natalie MacKinnon Natalie is a writer and playwright from Edinburgh. She is a graduate of the Lir Academy for Dramatic Arts in Dublin and the Traverse Young Writers group in Edinburgh. Her writing has been performed on stage in the UK and Ireland and has been adapted for radio by the BBC.

‘Feels important’ ★★★☆☆ The story behind Gerry & Sewell’s evolution to a short run in the West End is terrific and I would urge you to read London Pub Theatre’s recent interview with Jamie Eastlake (writer & director) here - From a small pub theatre space (big shout out to pub theatres, obv) to the 1,122 seat Aldwych Theatre is ‘purely belter’ and there’s resonance with what has happened to, say, Operation Mincemeat and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. So - to the show itself which frustratingly by turns disappoints and gives a lot of joy. Gerry and Sewell are two young Newcastle United loving ‘down on their luck’ scallywags who want to do more, be more and see more - namely snagging a season ticket to see their beloved football team. What follows in a very, very loose narrative is their attempt to overcome multiple societal and familial hurdles to achieve their goal (pardon the pun). The journey on which they embark is, in truth, a bit of a mess but it’s a largely winning mess on ‘chasing a dream’. The action centre around home and play. Gerry’s family are a complete mixed bag struggling in and with life, and so we have mum (Katherine Dow Blyton) who is dignified and stoic in a battle with cancer, dad (a menacing Bill Fellows) who is an alcoholic and a child beater, younger sister Bridget (a nice turn from Erin Mullen) who runs away to find the brighter lights ,and older sister Claire (Chelsea Halfpenny - terrific voice in there) who has a baby and a dream. We also have some jolly puppetry (nb I am no fan of on-stage puppets having seen far too many but this all worked well), some less-than-jolly ‘hooligans’ all in back and some ‘talking to the audience’ narration which is all very Standing At the Sky’s Edge. There’s also plenty going on around Power Props’ busy set and Jamie Eastlake’s direction is never stagnant and always looking to move the action forward. The lead cast do a decent job - as the melancholy but driving force Gerry, Dean Logan holds our interest and is believable until an un-ravelling in the final act. As the nugget-loving Sewell, Jack Robertson gets the best lines, the best gags and the best moments to the audience - in fact more than a handful of laugh out loud moments which is to the credit of all. Having gone through several iterations the show still feels West End ‘un-ready’ in its lack of coherence, its muddled pacing and some very ropey transitions. And yet, Gerry & Sewell feels important and has a ‘state of the nation’ vibe all the way through. The messages and themes of hope, desperation, solitude and representation (or lack of) give it moments of real pathos and life. I really wish the show well for this West End away fixture. Aldwych Theatre Gerry & Sewell A story of friendship, football, and finding your place in the world. Sat - Thu: 7.30pm * Thu & Sat: 2.30pm Fri: 5.00pm & 8.30pm (* Thu 15 Jan: 7pm) 2 hours (incl. one interval)  Tickets from £10 Until 24 January 2026 BOX OFFICE

'a thing of beauty and wonder' ★★★★★ At a time of fleeting digital imagery, where more people endlessly scroll, looking at more but seeing less, A Microscopic Odyssey, a play by new company Mycelium Theatre, is the perfect antidote. It’s one hour and ten minutes that will wake up tired eyes and recharge a jaded palette with the power of drama, movement, story-telling, light, sound and music. Directed by Hope Wishart and designed by Enza Kim, it’s a thing of beauty and wonder. Dramatising the journey of James Weiss, a popular Youtuber and independent microbiologist, who got ‘lost in life but found himself in pond water’, this production is delivered by a super talented ensemble featuring Ben Boulton-Jones as the winsome, vulnerable Weiss. With an early life overshadowed by a domineering, violent father, the solitary, imaginative child finds solace in nature and the world around him where he creates stories and finds connection. He twinkles back at the stars and finds solidarity with trees. The awe most children feel at the unfolding world is often a passing phase once the novelty is over but for Weiss, it leads to a lifelong passion for inquiry and investigation. Looking through his microscope, he falls in love with Water Bears, also known as Moss Piglets, extraordinarily resilient micro-organisms in which he sees human parallels. They just want to live. Water Bears are “hopelessly adorable” and know how to have a good time - having sex parties while surviving. While the aquatic organisms and the passion, commitment and energy with which they are conveyed is irresistible, what’s equally impressive is how Mycelium have managed to convey this on a fringe budget - which usually ranges from nothing to very little. By going back to traditional craft theatre and using the analogue magic of an overhead projector, they create an immersive microcosmos in a modest South London theatre that generates oohs and aahs from the audience. The audio framing of the narrative, which is non-linear, is equally impressive with Caleb Wilson and Charlie Jones as composers and sound designers. This multi-disciplinary devising ensemble develops collaborative theatre from play, imagination and shared creative practice. For A Microscopic Odyssey, Mycelium’s rehearsal room became a laboratory and the result of this hard work is clear to see. This is innovative, bold theatre that illuminates hidden worlds in myriad ways, and is not to be missed. The Golden Goose Theatre presents A MICROSCOPIC ODYSSEY Created by Mycelium Theatre Company 13th-17th January 20 SOLD OUT Keep in touch with the company on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycelium_theatre_company/

‘Richly layered’ ★★★★ Levi Kreis is a phenomenal talent and it’s quite something for London in general and Kings Head Theatre in particular, to premiere this. his new autobiographical show. The Levi we meet (played by Kreis) is a successful, Tony award-winning performer with a background full of demons which have plagued him since childhood. He is gay and an evangelical church upbringing led to six years of conversion therapy and profound levels of despair and guilt. Always a misfit he was “too gay for the church and too church for the gays.” Aids is in the mix too. Today it’s curable, or at least manageable, and a bit of a non-event. When Levi was young it was very different. The story telling is richly imaginative. We’re in the anguished Levi’s dressing room after a lacklustre matinee. Then his friend Ben (Yiftach “Iffy” Mizrahi) turns up and pressurises him into confronting his past, specifically his younger self when he was known as Matthew (Killian Thomas Lefevre). The three of them then act out scenes from Levi’s memories, summoning some rather jolly theatrical effects – bibles tossed down from the flies, sudden bright lights and more. “We’re in a theatre” says Ben, more than once. Levi, reluctantly, describes his feelings and experiences in songs mostly at the onstage piano. Kries is an exceptionally gifted pianist and his singing voice is stunning with a wide range, impressive purity, faultless intonation and a wide range of gut-wrenching emotion. There is also a three piece band on an upper level led by Matthew Antonio Perri. Sometimes visible and sometimes not, it adds other strands to the musical texture and accompanies numbers when Kreis is not playing. Mizrahi and Lefevre are both strong performers who sing pretty well. They are a nuanced, very responsive trio. Because he struggles to face the truth of what actually happened. Levi repeatedly tries to tell his story differently. “You can’t rewrite the past” Ben, the voice of commonsense and kindness, keeps telling him. It’s a journey and when the final number declares “Nothing to prove, we’re already perfect” it feels as powerfully redemptive as it is moving. This is a richly layered, satisfying show which deserves a long shelf life. Photographer credit: Pamela Raith Photography ALREADY PERFECT at King’s Head Theatre 16 January – 15 February Book, music & lyrics Levi Kreis Directed by David Solomon King's Head Theatre Tickets are on sale now from www.kingsheadtheatre.com CAST Levi | Levi Kreis Matthew | Killian Thomas Lefevre Ben | Yiftach ‘Iffy’ Mizrahi CREATIVES Book, Music & Lyrics | Levi Kreis Additional Book | Dave Solomon Director | Dave Solomon Music Supervisor, Arrangements & Orchestrations | Matthew Antonio Perri Set Designer | Jason Ardizzone-West Movement Director | Jennifer Rooney Lighting Designer | Ian Scott Costume Designer | Jason Antone Sound Designer | Jessica Paz Casting Director | Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Associate Set Designer | Ellie Wintour Associate Sound Designer | Andrew Johnson Assistant Director/Script Supervisor | Alfred Taylor-Gaunt Music Assistant | Amos Wong Artwork Photography | Charlie Flint Producer | Larry Lelli, Lelli-Pop Productions Executive Producer and General Manager | Katy Lipson, Aria Entertainment

‘It's a must see for punters, chucklers and more serious playgoers alike’ ★★★★ Combine contemporary politics, musical theatre and farcical fun and you get NewsRevue, the comedy show taking London’s Little Venice – West London - by storm again this new year. In 2026, Trump and Putin take on serious leads, complemented by a sketch about the Epstein files alongside plenty of tuneful humour about Reform. We have four new performers to tackle the recent headlines. Olly Adams provides a drivelling portrayal of Keir Starmer, working with a spot on demeanour and a not so convincing wig. Marissa Landy battles her fellow politicians as Donald Trump and does an admirable job supported by his infamous ‘Make America Great Again’ cap. Kitty McNeill works her magic as Nigel Farage, satirically rousing his troops whilst drinking a can of Stella beer and Michael Stafford Wells, forces a chuckle even out of his characterization of Putin.Of course, these are just the main acts and there are plenty of interludes, presenting other silly skits of life as a Brit. Everything is kept incredibly simple. A pianist slides along the keys and different scenes, linking every piece together with a famous pop song to pack that extra punch. Director Georgia Leanne Harris has kept a tight ship, with smart scene changes and keeps the comedy physical, relatable and makes sure there is a joke for everybody. Even the cabaret venue does its part, filled with tables instead of stalls and the show takes place on a raised stage, an unusual treat for the regular pub theatre crowd. Running since 1979, News Revue is still a historic event for all kinds of Londoners and has made the names of some of the country's best comedians. It's a must see for punters, chucklers and more serious playgoers alike, as there is plenty to enjoy in its summary of all that is funny about the politics of the last year. NewsRevue at Canal cafe Theatre Current NewsRevue Team Director: Georgia Harris Musical Director: Emily Huxter Cast: Olly Adams, Marissa Landy, Kitty McNeill and Michael Stafford Wells Running from Thursday 8th January – Saturday 21st February Running time: Approx 60 minutes Ages Guidance: Ages 14 and above BOX OFFICE

‘The story delivers’ ★★★★ There was a marvellous moment just before curtain up (or, in reality, lights up) where the charming usher suddenly dropped his mobile phone on the floor causing the entire audience to squeal in fear. With headphones on, the combination of a dark auditorium, a blacked out stage and precisely worded messaging funnelled through the eardrums sets this chiller up in just the right way - and the story then delivers. Down-on-his-luck actor George (George Blagden) gets a gig via old friend and sound engineer Sid (Jonathan Livingstone) to voice a ghost story in a new out of town studio - away from Soho thus necessitating the now obligatory mention of Gail’s as is seemingly required in any modern theatre show. After some friendly banter and a ‘this might be important later’ mention that Sid is about to become a father, George admiringly takes up the (literal) microphone head and begins to tell the tale. The story that unfolds is of a son going to the house of his recently deceased father. What follows is a tick box of classic horror moments - the slow reveal, the voices, the noises, the corridors, the jump scares and (I’m pleased to say) the neat twisty denouement. Why this all works without particularly doing anything new is down to the perfect combination of location, technology and off stage talent. I’m a huge fan of Hampstead Theatre’s downstairs stage which has chameleon-like qualities and, here, Anisha Fields’ set and Ben Jacobs’ lighting design are spot on in enabling the scares and giving the sense that ‘anything can happen’ in a small space. The use of top notch headphone sound by Ben and Max Ringham works well - it never feels over-done or invasive - and Jamie Armitage’s script and direction lead George’s character to maximise the opportunity to get right into the audiences minds - via their ears obv. The acting is good also. Blagden perhaps takes a while to warm up but he tells the story as someone would both as a voiceover actor and then as someone who is having ‘stuff’ happen to him that just can’t be explained. Livingstone flits in and out, and has fun with the jaunty Sid who may or may not hold the key to it all….. The audience I saw the show with was mixed in every way - great to see for Hampstead Theatre - and clearly had a ball with plenty of nervous laughter, whooping and jumps. A distant relative of Inside Number 9, A Ghost In Your Ear is a good old fashioned story which encourages careful viewing and listening to deliver a very, very satisfying outcome. HAMPSTEAD DOWNSTAIRS PRESENTS A GHOST IN YOUR EAR WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JAMIE ARMITAGE A COLLABORATION WITH BEN & MAX RINGHAM 6 December - 31 January 2026 Box Office