2022 theatre at LouReviews (part 4)

The final quarter of the year saw some excellent fringe shows and the peak of the pantoomime seasom. There were revivals, adaptations, dance and the opening of a new London Theatre near Baker Street.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

October-December

Shows not reviewed

Exceptional

Poster images for shows Peaky Blinders and The Doctor

Peaky Blinders: the Redemption of Thomas Shelby (Troubadour Wembley Park)

It was difficult to see how Rambert were planning to make Steven Knight’s story of Birmingham gangsters dance, but this show was an excellent piece of work which caught the spirit of the Shelbys without being a direct copy of the show.

The Doctor (Duke of York’s)

Seen from the stalls, this was as powerful as it had been a few years ago at the Almeida. It plays with gender and race politics with clever casting, and is anchored by a powerful central performance from Juliet Stevenson.

Very good

Poster images for shows 42 Balloons, Tammy Faye, Dance Umbrella, Prima Facie

Dance Umbrella (digital)

Fourteen pieces were availanle with the digital pass of which six were performances playing with the idea of dance theatre and film. These were #PUNK, Radioactive Practice, Hunter, SAY AF and Friends, O Samba do Crioulo Doido, and The Devil.

Prima Facie (NT at Home, digital)

This solo performance by Jodie Comer played in the West End earlier in the year, then into cinemas through the NT Live initiative. It is now available on the subscription/rental service NT at Home. It features a defence lawyer who specialises in sexual assault cases who finds out the systems fails her.

42 Balloons (Vaudeville Theatre, WIP)

This new musical takes the real-life stoiry of a man who flew in a lawn chair held by 42 balloons. Using 80s pop songs as inspiration for its score, this is a show which boasts a large amount of potential.

Tammy Faye (Almeida)

Another musical biopic, this one takes the story of TV envangelust Tammy Faye Bakker and makes it into a tongue-in-cheek piece scripted by James Graham and with songs by Elton John and Jake Shears. Katie Brayben and Zubin Varla stand out in the cast.

Good

The Duchess of Malfi (Red Bull Theater, digital)

The John Webster classic receives a rehearsed reading from the American theatre company.

Mother Goose (Duke of York’s)

Ian McKellen is the clear draw as the Dame in this lively, bawdy and tuneful turn on the classic panto.

Service to Empire (National Galleries of Scotland, digital)

A reading of Maud Sulter’s 2002 play which had not been previously performed. Sulter was a Black Scottishwoman and visual artists, photographer and writer.

Choir of the Earth presents Christmas 2022 (digital)

SEEING 30 DEC Cinderella (Theatre Royal Stratford East)

Shows reviewed

Exceptional