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Review of ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’ (2026, BBC Proms): “On point delivery almost makes up for undistinguished libretto”
I am conflicted. That might be a good sign when discussing art, depending on how you see it. But the thing is, I’m not really sure how I feel about this piece. I’m aware some opera fanatics consider it one of Strauss’s best works. To some, it’s even the magnum opus of his operatic oeuvre.…
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Review of ‘Before We Forget’: “Memory-themed play is dramaturgically oblivious”
I think it’s frightening that science-fiction stories warning of the dangers of technology in the near future no longer come across as science fiction or the future. Sorry to sound apocalyptic, but the threat has become a reality by now. And so, a plot involving a company providing human memory storage services should serve as…
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Review of ‘Jeeves Takes Charge’: “Return of the valet caters to its audience, but the comedy isn’t fully serviced”
I’m all down for a good old English farce. And probably no other stock-character duo embodies that quintessence better than an idle gentleman and his dry, quick-witted valet. With that in mind, P. G. Wodehouse’s revered creation would have got me in stitches. Or more appropriately, a subtle smirk and an ironic laugh as tradition…
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Review of ‘Death Note, The Musical’ (2026, Barbican): “Supernatural sung-through thriller has no super or natural writing”
I’m starting to believe that the world may come to an end the day Frank Wildhorn comes up with an original melody. If you don’t believe me, just go through his body of work (which is as extensive as it is derivative) and try to find a single motif he hasn’t borrowed and probably made…
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Review of Gerswhin’s Piano Concerto (BBC Proms, 2026): “Gaffigan and Son shine despite disappointingly bland opening”
There’s no question that art can show the best and the worst in humans. May this concert serve as a fair example of that. I’m not talking about its message or emotional reading. What I’m referring to is how greatness and banality stood on the same stage, hand in hand. Fortunately enough, the latter was…
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Review of ‘Evelyn Glennie and the Fantasia Orchestra’ (BBC Proms, 2026): “Eclectic rendition doesn’t miss a beat, but it doesn’t sing either”
They could have done better. Not that much in terms of execution- although that wasn’t exceptional either -but regarding their choice of repertoire, which was eclectic but hardly electric. Not everything can be great, that’s true. But all my previous interactions with the Fantasia Orchestra have got close enough. Not this time, however. And although…
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Review of ‘Edgar A. Poe’s Last Call’: “Love letter to Poe honours his predicament — with darkness there and nothing more”
In some way, this is a dream within a dream. An invocation to the spirit of one of America’s enigmatic writers. And at the same time, a mournful reflection on the suffering that forges an artist’s greatness, as he yearns for the opportunity to enjoy the happiness he will never grasp. A dream of hope.…
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Review of ‘The Comedy About Spies’ (Adelphi Theatre, 2026): “Secret-agent parody earns its license to kill the room”
There is funny, and then there is this. Revisiting something you loved the first time can be a tricky business. Often, those expectations aren’t met again. That’s why it’s so refreshing to reconnect with something that I happen to like even more. And chances are anyone who’s into Mischief’s signature droll humour will feel the…
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Review of ‘CATS’ (2026, Regent’s Open Air Theatre): “Impurrfect production passes by a whisker”
Let’s be honest — this musical has never been a masterpiece. If you think my claws are showing, I will clarify that I do think there’s an element of genius to it. But that doesn’t make it flawless. Or great. Yet, there is a reason why Andrew Lloyd Webber’s feline-driven folly became the cultural phenomenon…
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Review of ‘Deliver Us From Evil’: “New witch-trial play is no theatrical crucible”
Every story has been told. But not every story needs to be told again. Especially when they don’t have anything else to say; that’s the difference between a compelling reinterpretation and a derivative piece. The former speaks to a new audience with different lenses and its own voice. The latter shows no vision, and the…
