It’s been another fantastic year in live theatre, and I was lucky enough to visit more than 70 venues in London, plus trips up north to old haunts and new. In this post I highlight my favourites from theatres big and small
Twenty best shows of the year, in no particular order:
Othello by Frantic Assembly at Lyric Hammersmith
High Steaks by Eloina at Vault Festival
Feste by Familie Floz at London International Mime Festival
And Then The Rodeo Burned Down by Chloe and Natasha at King’s Head Theatre
Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Lyric Hamnersmith
August in England at Bush Theatre
Groundhog Day at Old Vic Theatre
Re:Member Me by Dickie Beau at Hampstead Theatre
The Long Run by Katie Arnstein at Vault Festival
Home Sweet Hell by Maedb Joy at Camden People’s Theatre
The Swell at Orange Tree Theatre
Miss Saigon at Sheffield Crucible
La Cage Aux Folles at Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park
Scavengers by Urban Wolves Theatre at Etcetera Theatre for Camden Fringe
Transparency by Jaden Adams at Camden People’s Theatre for Camden Fringe
Fell at Barons Court Theatre
The Island at Cervantes Theatre
I, Daniel Blake at Stratford East
The Motive and the Cue a National Theatre transfer to the West End
Crazy for You a Chichester Festival transfer to the West End
Thank you all for a great year!
Here are my picks for performances of the year:
Patrick Vaill in Oklahoma
Marisha Wallace in Guys and Dolls
Ashley Goh in Fury and Elysium
Sarah Majland in A Woman on Fire
Hal Fowler in Flowers for Mrs Harris
Roger Allam in Frank and Percy
Patsy Ferran in Pygmalion
Meriel Cunningham in Odyssey a Heroic Pantomime
Jadesola Obunjo in School Girls
Kyle Ramar Freeman in A Strange Loop
Ainsley Fannen in Bones
Felix Kai in I F*cked You In My Spaceship
Helen Cunningham in Curating
Lauren Jones in Rebecca the Musical
Jak Malone in Operation Mincemeat
Emma Lucia and Talia Pick in How We Begin
Olivia Barrowclough in Good Day
Karen Barredo in Iphigenia
Nkhanise Phiri in The Trial of Josie K
Rob Madge in My Son’s a Queer