Reviews Written by J

It would be unfair to do anything other than make my biases clear from the start. Robert Icke's version of Oedipus that completed its run at the Wyndham's Theatre only a few months ago was perhaps the finest production I have seen. It had such a profound impact on me; it felt unbelievably well-crafted and exceptionally acted. It is with regret that the production I review for you now is not Icke's meticulously devised adaptation, but rather the version of Sophocles' tragedy that is currently on show at the Old Vic.  Ella Hickson directs Rami Malek in the title role, relying heavily on contemporary dance, lighting and sound design. This offering presents as a surface level approach to modernisation, incorporating ideas and techniques indiscriminately, in a way hindered understanding of the text and suppressed opportunities for heartfelt and complex performances from its cast.   Malik is no natural stage actor, and never seems to submit fully to the role, it is hard t...

There are not many that can integrate a quad bike to the opening scene of a Chekhov play, but Thomas Ostermeier somehow manages it with his radical, star-studded adaptation of The Seagull. Thomas Ostermeier first directed a production of The Seagull over a decade ago for the International Theatre Amsterdam; it is clear that for a theatre production to be considered truly great these days (Eline Arbo's The Years, Robert Icke's Oedipus, Ivo van Hove's A little Life) Dutch origins are a prerequisite. Now being performed at the Barbican, Ostermeier has refined the production, with a script adapted by Duncan Macmillan and a changed set courtesy of Magda Willi, but its deck chairs, microphones, and fourth-wall-breaks persist.  A quad-bike-riding, Telecaster-wielding, Billy-Brag-belting Zachary Heart (playing the role of Simon Medvedenko) acts as the show's hype man, as charismatic as he is multitalented. In the particular production I had the pleasure of seeing, the actor...

Anna Mackmin's Backstroke depicts the chaotic life, past and present, of Bo (played by Tamsin Greig) as it pertains to her relationship with her mother, Beth (Celia Imrie) caring for Beth in declining health. Backstroke makes its home at the always forward-thinking Donmar Warehouse, which has provided some of greatest moments of theatre in recent memory. Backstroke balances joy and despair, by offering some great witty lines like: "you're only a true craftsperson when you've gifted someone your work and have had to endure their ambivalence" (paraphrasing) alongside its broadly dark themes. Unfortunately for Backstroke, the pacing is somewhat off. We suffer a long and grueling first half, which perhaps engages too much in sorrowful tone setting, rather than more complex narrative building. The play's second half felt comparatively short, with greater incidences of charming humour, in addition to better exploring the depth of the dynamic between m...