Category Archives: Reviews

THEATRE REVIEW: Gina Gionfriddo’s ‘Becky Shaw’

Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Anyone who thinks there’s a huge gulf in the sense of humor of American and British audiences should have been at London’s Almeida Theatre where the first night audience for Gina Gionfriddo’s off-Broadway play “Becky … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Becky Shaw', Almeida Theatre, Anna Madeley, Daisy Harrad, David Wilson Barnes, Gina Gionfriddo, Haydn Gwynne, Peter DuBois, Vincent Montuel | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Peter Hall directs ‘Twelfth Night’

Posted on January 19, 2011 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – British stage legend Peter Hall celebrates his 80th birthday by directing his movie star daughter Rebecca Hall in a lyrical and musical production of Shakespeare’s gender-bending comedy Twelfth Night that shows his touch is as … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Twelfth Night', Amanda Drew, Charles Edwards, David Ryall, Finty Williams, National Theatre, Peter Hall, Rebecca Hall, Simon Callow, Simon Paisley Day, William Shakespeare | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Georges Feydeau’s ‘A Flea In Her Ear’

Posted on December 16, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The best way to perform farce is to be perfectly serious and in the Old Vic’s revival of the Georges Feydeau French classic “A Flea In Her Ear”, Tom Hollander plays two roles with such … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'A Flea In Her Ear', Fiona Glascott, Freddie Fox, Georges Feydeau, JOhn Marquez, Lisa Dillon, Old Vic, Rebecca Night, Richard Eyre, Tom Hollander | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Seasons Greetings’

Posted on December 10, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Alan Ayckbourn’s parochial English comedy Season’s Greetings seeks to burst the illusion of happy families at Christmastime but the set-up and characters are so contrived that it runs like a clock that needs winding. Nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Seasons Greetings', Alan Ayckbourne, National Theatre | Comments Off

FILM REVIEW: Brian Welsh’s ‘In Our Name’

Posted on December 9, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – A sober portrait of a returning soldier who suffers from post-combat stress, “In Our Name” holds suspense without melodrama and features an outstanding performance as the British Army private by Joanne Froggatt (pictured).

Posted in Film, Reviews | Tagged 'Downton Abbey', 'In Our Name', Artificial Eye, Brian Welsh, Chloe-Jayne Wilkinson, Joanne Froggatt, Mel Raido | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Emma Williams shines in ‘Love Story’

Posted on December 7, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Those for whom Arthur Hiller’s 1970 tearjerker “Love Story” is the hallmark of mawkish manipulation will be amazed to learn that Erich Segal’s original novella has been turned into a delightfully elegant and satisfying stage … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Music, Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Love Story', Arthur Hiller, Chichester Festival Theatre, Duchess Theatre, Emma Williams, Erich Segal, Francis Lai, Howard Goodall, Michael Xavier, Peter McKintosh, Rachel Kavanaugh, Stephen Clark, Stephen Ridley | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Derek Jacobi in ‘King Lear’

Posted on December 3, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – It’s always an event when a great actor decides finally to take on “King Lear” and, at 72, stage veteran Derek Jacobi, also known for film roles and TV series such as “I, Claudius” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'King Lear', Adam Cork, Alec Newman, Christopher Oram, Donmar Warehouse, Gina McKee, Justine Mitchell, Michael Grandage, Paul Jesson, Pippa Bennett-Warner, William Shakespeare | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Katie Mitchell’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Posted on December 3, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The creature in director Katie Mitchell’s Beauty and the Beast at London’s National Theatre is a great hairy beastie, a 10-foot cross between a rat and a wolf with a voice that growls and thunders … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'Beauty and the Beast', Justin Salinger, Katie Mitchell, Kristin Hutchinson, Mark Arends, National Theatre, Sian Clifford, Vicki Mortimer | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘The Invisible Man’

Posted on November 25, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Nifty tricks by illusionist Paul Kieve, acrobatic performances, a smart sound design and an actor fully dressed with gloves and a bandaged face, combine to make the title character palpable on stage in the Menier … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'The Invisible Man', Christopher Goodwin, Geraldine Fitzgerald, H.G.Wells, Ian Talbot, Jo Stone-Fewings, John Gordon Sinclair, Ken Hill, Maria Friedman, Menier Chocolate Factory, Natalie Casey, Paul Kieve | Comments Off

THEATRE REVIEW: Sheridan’s ‘The Rivals’

Posted on November 24, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – If Mrs. Malaprop did not exist (in fiction) someone would have to invent her. The trouble with Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 18th century comedy of manners “The Rivals”, given a jewel-box revival at London’s Theatre Royal, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged 'The Rivals', Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles, Peter Hall, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Theatre Royal Haymarket | Comments Off