Stuart King
21 Nov
Reviews 
Review: DINNER WITH GROUCHO at Arcola Theatre
By Stuart King Monday, November 21 2022, 21:50
In its infinitely trusting capacity as a house to champion new work, The Arcola Theatre has included in its current season Frank McGuinness’ intriguingly titled DINNER WITH GROUCHO which enjoyed a short run at The Gate in Dublin. However, despite its exceedingly short running time (barely 70mins), this overbaked absurdist 3 hander, drew stifled yawns and bemused consternation at last evenings Press Night.
Dinner With Groucho. Ian Bartholomew, Greg Hicks. Photo by Ros Kavanagh
10 Nov
Reviews
Review: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY at Charing Cross Theatre
By Stuart King Thursday, November 10 2022, 08:57
US soldiers stationed at Hawaii during the Second World War, pace the barracks growling like caged tigers due to the lack of anything to occupy them — aside from posturing, banter and press-ups in readiness for a boxing tournament. Soon will come Japan’s calculated surprise attack on Pearl Harbour, but before then, there’s a fair chunk of James Jones’ 1951 story to get through. The burning question, is will audiences be sufficiently engaged by the characters in this musical, to care what happens to them by the time the devastating aerial attack is delivered?
04 Nov
Reviews
Review: THE YEOMAN OF THE GUARD at ENO, London Coliseum
By Stuart King Friday, November 4 2022, 09:54
The Tower of London provides the backdrop for Gilbert & Sullivan’s playful romp-amidst-the-ravens where the waywardly amorous daughter of a righteous Beefeater has designs on one of the inmates (whom it seems, everyone believes innocent of the crime for which he has been incarcerated). By using her womanly wiles and appealing to her father’s good nature, Phoebe contrives to set-free the object of her desire and instead imprison him in matrimony. But is she doomed to failure?
A scene from Yeoman Of The Guard by Gilbert & Sullivan @ Coliseum. Directed by Jo Davies. Conductor, Chris Hopkins. ©Tristram Kenton
01 Nov
Reviews
Review: MARY at the Hampstead Theatre
By Stuart King Tuesday, November 1 2022, 08:16
For a woman who was executed aged 44 more than four centuries ago, there remains an extraordinarily healthy fascination with Mary Queen of Scots, her life, loves, apparent political miss-steps and legacy. Much has been written over the centuries — overwhelmingly by men and through a male power prism — invariably gaslighting Mary’s vulnerability as misguided passion resulting in ill-considered alliances conceived through little more than lust.
Douglas Henshall (James Melville) Brian Vernel (Thompson) Rona Morison (Agnes) in Mary at Hampstead Theatre. Credit Manuel Harlan
28 Oct
Reviews
Review: TAMMY FAYE at Almeida
By Stuart King Friday, October 28 2022, 10:42
When news of its existence began circulating many moons ago, there seemed something delightfully subversive about the prospect of Elton John and Jake Shears combining their songwriting talents to create a musical based on the tumultuous life of one of the Christian Evangelical movement’s most unforgettable, beloved, pilloried, reviled and eventually rehabilitated television personalities, Tammy Faye Bakker.
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