Kenneth Branagh’s The Entertainer **

Let me start by saying that I absolutely adore Kenneth Branagh. I adored Harlequinade earlier this year, and I found much to like in his Macbeth in Manchester in 2013. I'm going to keep this review short, but this just fell flat. When I was planning out all the reviews I had missed doing whilst on my Summer …

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene *****

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene My rating: 5 of 5 stars "So long as one is happy, one can endure any discipline. It was unhappiness that broke down the habits of work. When I began to realise how often we quarreled, how often I picked on her with nervous irritation, I became …

11/22/63 by Stephen King ****

11/22/63 by Stephen King My rating: 4 of 5 stars "You can go back. You can stop it." He leaned forward, his eyes not just bright, they were blazing. "You can change history, Jake, do you understand that? John Kennedy can live." 11/22/63 was a massive read for me on audio book. It's the first …

In The Heights at Kings Cross Theatre ***

I hate to give this musical a mediocre rating given the hype that creator Lin Manuel Miranda received for his work in both this and his newer musical Hamilton, but I am also sure that the West End version now in performance does not do the original Broadway production justice. Firstly, I loved the characters. …

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk ****

This post has been in my drafts for an ashamedly long time, and I'm sad to say it is now unavailable. This play was simply beautiful. The Sam Wanamaker playhouse is perhaps my favourite theatre in London. It is small-scale and intimate; an offset of the Globe Theatre (plus it is where Gemma Arterton brushed …

Vivien Leigh Exhibition at Nyman’s Garden

This exhibition is in the National Trust Property where Leigh's favourite designer had lived- Oliver Messel. It is free and shows several pieces of costume for various theatre shows (including the Cleopatra headress in the image below, and Titania's above), and some letters. A letter from Judi Dench expressing her gratitude and admiration for Vivien Leigh ends the …

A Midsummer Night’s Dream ***** at the Globe Theatre

This review contains spoilers for the 2016 Globe Theatre production of A Midsummer Night's Dream I am just catching up on some of my theatre reviews that I have been lucky enough to go see this season. A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of the best of them. This production at the Globe Theatre was …

Kenneth Branagh’s Romeo and Juliet ****

This review contains spoilers for the 2016 production of Romeo and Juliet at the West End.   I am happy to say that I got the chance to see the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's production of Romeo and Juliet at the West End. The actors included Richard Madden and Lily James in the title roles, …

Highlights of RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016

I went to the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time this year. I was there from 8:30am to 4:30pm, which at first I didn't think would be manageable, but there was so much to do. The show gardens were beautiful and I spent a lot of time figuring out the best pictures to take. …

Jamie Lloyd’s Doctor Faustus ***

A man sells his soul to become a Derren Brown figure in modern day North America, with a demon karaoke-singing sidekick...