Improvisation is something that strikes fear into the hearts of so many actors. If, as Shakespeare said, ‘the play’s the thing’ then where is the damn script?! So to combine this already tricky medium with an art form that requires the seamless synchronisation of wit, rhythm, choreography and live music...
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The last time I reviewed a show at the Almeida, I was described by one patron as a community theatre-hating “grouch” who should “go and see some Ibsen instead”. Never one to dismiss audience feedback, I now found myself back in North London to see an adaptation of A Doll’s...
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Dylan Oates reviews James' most recent performance at Birmingham's Utilita Arena.
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The Friday evening spotlight may have been on the age-old, if rather predictable, rivalry between Warwick and Coventry. Here at Canoe Polo though, we thought we’d go one better and take on the second city. We may not have opposite numbers in the uninitiated Coventry ranks, but the University of...
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Brian Friel’s Translations is one of the most significant Irish plays of the 20th century. Written at the height of The Troubles, but set in the 1830s, it mourns the loss of the native Irish language whilst raising a much-deserved middle finger at Ireland’s former colonial occupiers. Nearly fifty years on from its premiere, emerald lighting now hovers over the Warwick Arts Centre...
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It is as if we are staring at the waiting room of an asylum. The bright white lighting forcing its way onto the stage reminds us that there is, or at least should be, nowhere for characters to hide from their misdemeanours. This is how the Royal Shakespeare Company choose...
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Entering its 45th year, the Almeida has firmly cemented its place as a household name in British theatre. It regularly attracts some of the biggest stars in the business, but it is also not afraid to trade Hollywood actors for projects a little closer to home. 81 (Life), written by...
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![Image: Richard Smith [The Loft Theatre Company]](https://theboar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/the-loft-press-photo-1-150x150.jpg)
In the modest but charming arena of Leamington’s Loft Theatre, the story of a plucky underdog Rugby League team played out. The local troupe were tasked with presenting John Godber’s 1984 play Up ‘n’ Under. The production begins with a cast member cheekily poking his head out from the theatre’s...
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How do you go about covering the UK’s crucial sporting moments? I think back to the summer of 2019- where the Cricket World Cup final, Wimbledon final and British Grand Prix all took place on the same day. Sometimes we are spoilt and simply don’t know what to choose. In...
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Whilst many were celebrating their visits to Stratford by seeing a light-hearted, football-themed Much Ado About Nothing production, a select group of journalists geared up to face the notoriously brutal Titus Andronicus. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre would play host to the bloodbath, with the legendary Sir Simon Russell...
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In a quiet corner of the Sports Hub, when all the leisurely swimmers have finished for the day, we hear the faint splash of a ball being tossed into water. Silence. A whistle blows. And then the thunder of paddles as opposing boats rush towards an adrenaline-filled melee. This is...
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Dylan Oates reviews the upcoming album from The Darkness: 'Dreams on Toast'
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What can one do differently with arguably the most famous play ever written in the English language? A tale constantly retold through a variety of art forms, almost everyone in an audience has some expectation as to what it should look like. Director Corey Campbell and composer duo That’s a...
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