Developed as a part of Pipeline Theatre Company’s PlayLab, non-binary writer and director Sam Max's darkly comic Coop opens Off-Off-Broadway tonight at Paradise Factory in the East Village. Produced by a queer and femme led creative team, the play stars Latinx, transmasculine actor Lio Mehiel as Avery, a girl who has been isolated from the... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Composer Paul Englishby on his music for The Inheritance “my feeling was that the music should gently put it’s arm around the audience”
With Matthew Lopez's multi-Olivier winning The Inheritance now in its final weeks on Broadway The Queer Review's editor James Kleinmann spoke exclusively with composer Paul Englishby about creating the play's achingly beautiful music. Scoring for theatre, film, television, dance and opera, Englishby is perhaps best known for his BAFTA-nominated work on BBC's Luther starring Idris Elba. His jazz inflected... Continue Reading →
Teenage Dick (Donmar Warehouse, London) ★★★★
Reworking Shakespeare’s Richard III into American High School territory, Teenage Dick feels like a mash-up - take Netflix’s The Politician, mix in the social media of Dear Evan Hansen, a dash of Six’s feminine re-framing and serve nice and hot. Of course, most of these shows debuted after Teenage Dick first took to the stage... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: The Inheritance (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York) ★★★★★
Matthew Lopez’s Best Play Olivier award-winning The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, has arrived on Broadway following last year’s highly acclaimed production at London’s Young Vic and its West End transfer, with many of the original cast. Inspired by E. M. Forster’s novel Howards End, the epic two-part play examines multigenerational gay life in New... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: The Boy Friend (Menier Chocolate Factory, London) ★★★1/2
If the onset of winter, the continuing saga of Brexit and a looming general election is getting you down, maybe stepping back in time to a completely charming musical is what you need? That’s what the Menier Chocolate Factory is betting on with this bright and relentlessly cheery revival of 1950s hit musical, The Boy... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: & Juliet (Shaftsbury Theatre, London) ★★★★
British theatre is loving a bit of historical revision these days and & Juliet gives us re-written Shakespeare with liberal lashings of scandi-pop brilliance. I loathe jukebox musicals but & Juliet is just fantastic! What if star-crossed Juliet didn’t take her own life after Romeo died? What if instead, she woke up and got on... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: My Brilliant Friend Parts 1 & 2 (National Theatre, London) ★★★1/2
April De Angelis’ two-part adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s beloved Neapolitan Novels has a lot of stories to tell you and this production ricochets from magical realism to mobster-camp with frequent stops at political-feminism-polemic to bring them to you. It’s a bit exhausting. How do you translate an epic, adored literary series to the stage without... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: Dear Evan Hansen (Noël Coward Theatre, London) ★★★★ 1/2
Dear Evan Hansen is probably the most anticipated Broadway-to-London transfer since Hamilton, and it’s finally here with a fresh-faced lead actor who bowled over critics and fans alike. For this show, today is definitely going to be a good day! Teenager Evan Hansen suffers from severe social anxiety and writes encouraging letters to himself on... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: High Fidelity (Turbine Theatre, London) ★★★1/2
A musical about a spoilt white guy who gets endless chances to learn life’s lessons may not be the show the world needs right now, but the Turbine Theatre’s UK Premiere of High Fidelity (the musical) makes it work through a combination of diverse casting and a talented ensemble. This is the tale of Rob,... Continue Reading →
NewFest 2019 Film Review: Leonard Soloway’s Broadway ★★★
Who is Leonard Soloway? And why should you care? Well, maybe there’s no reason for you to care, but if you like a good Broadway backstory and a glimpse behind the curtain into the world of a major theatre producer then Leonard Soloway’s Broadway might be for you. Leonard Soloway is a Broadway producer -... Continue Reading →
