My Theatre & Dance highlights winter 23/24

Posted March 31, 2024

My top 5 theatre and dance highlights of winter 2023/24 ~ in no particular order. These are shows I’ve reviewed, and have been chosen for the kind of holistic artistry that makes a production greater than the sum of its parts.

The Barber of Seville ~ Charles Court Opera

…Charles Court Opera is to be applauded for its treatment of a comedy that, so often performed with dizzyingly expensive production values, is at heart a childish romp for adults. Choosing a wild west theme with stock characters, comparable to those of opera, was an inspired move by director John Savournin, not least because Spaghetti Westerns have acclimatised us to this Italian American love-child.

You can read the full review on The British Theatre Guide here.

Credit: Bill Knight

Tess ~ Ockham’s Razor

…As a woman named after one of Hardy’s tragic heroines, I was always going to enjoy this production. But Ockham’s Razor has made a show that, by exploring the extremities of what bodies can do, conveys the wild consequences of emotion in Hardy’s classic.

You can read the full review on British Theatre Guide here.

Credit: Kie Cummings

Standing on the Sky’s Edge ~ National Theatre, Sheffield Crucible

…Standing at the Sky’s Edge is a successful musical that engrosses, entertains and tugs at heartstrings in a succession of emotionally raw scenes. The symmetry of the piece and its grammar of music and movement hold it together beautifully.

You can read the full review on British Theatre Guide here.

Credit: Brinkhoff-Moegunberg

Vortex on BBC4 ~ Russel Maliphant Dance Company

…This expression of lack may not be intentional, Maliphant believes that dance touches people “more deeply than words” or causal explanations. Yet, it is remarkable that such a total image of insecurity has been developed during the pandemic years and toured during this cost-of-living crisis.

You can read a full interview feature with Russel Maliphant OBE on British Theatre Guide here.

Credit: Roswitha Chesher

Pirates ~ Scottish Dance Theatre

…Scottish Dance Theatre has further, cleverly employed bursts of pop culture from club beats and entrancing lighting from Emma Jones to breaking and barn-dancing in a festive offering that should have children, families and adults in search of adventure suspending their disbelief.

You can read the full review on British Theatre Guide here.