Released over 4 decades ago to critical acclaim, Hollywood hit An Officer and a Gentleman has remained a much loved cinematic classic internationally, Douglas Day Stewart’s tale of a young man’s perseverance training towards a career as a Naval Pilot one that addresses deeper themes concerned with manhood/brotherhood – that more than ever, where we address mental health more openly, has aged well. Nikolai Foster tapping into the relevancy of Stewart’s screenplay effortlessly with a musical adaptation realised entertainingly by musical director Christopher Duffy.

We root for all of the troupe, each naval trainee with a personal hurdle to overcome of their own, Jamal Crawford’s Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley the icy, no nonsense, quick witted yet unwittingly paternal figure that brings everything together yet pushes all to their limit. Luke Baker’s Zack Mayo determined to not only expand his own capabilities, but to make his father, a former army officer proud. Danny Whelan’s Sid Worley longs for purpose, with this possibly realised when meeting Sinead Long’s Lynette Pomeroy – for heartbreak to very sadly ensue. A lot goes on, we’re made privy to the lives of everyone beyond training, making the cast that much more relatable.

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Yael Elisheva invites you to a roast of the Jewish men in their life by retelling stories from Jewish folklore with a modern twist. A one-person show that is part-drag, part-performance art, part-theatre, it’s packed with witty commentary about religion, masculinity and even current day politics in Israel and Palestine. Yael, the creator and performer, is Yaya and plays as themselves and as a number of Jewish American and British characters. It’s a physical undertaking which they pull off with enormous skill and ingenuity. Costume changes, facial hair application, music and video projection all come to their aid in welcoming the audience into Yaya’s very own “City of Fools”.

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A challenging work crated back in the latter part of the 1800s, Bizet‘s Carmen continues to stir emotion, the tale of an audacious young lady stealing the heart of a respectable Don José, a soldier committed to king and country and heartlessly abandoning his side once he’s left for the battlefield for another love interest – Escamillo, a fearless matador, a tumultuous tale that gets to the very heart of lust and love, and how they interlink and manifest. Carlos Acosta‘s Acosta Danza adapting the tale to embody the vitality of the 21st century, yet still in keeping with the traditional context of the piece

Acosta crafts a dynamic work able to meander between Carmen’s coquettishness, playfulness, tumultuousness and more vulnerable moments – Carmen the focus here, a woman that would otherwise be pushed aside societally – an energy actually quite powerful within her own femininity. The production a case study as to how someone’s charm and prowess can very easily entrance and bring about the descent of someone’s being if played around with.

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Larger than life, postmodern, explosive, and chaotic, Daniel York Loh subverts the notion of the typical British Chinese experience in his latest play which premiered in London last week. The last time I felt such awe and excitement about the possibilities of theatre was when I saw Daniel’s last play at the Arcola Theatre, FORGOTTEN 遗忘 (2018).

Initially, one might wonder what more there is to say about identity politics. I myself thought this as we were forced multiple times to listen to all manner of racist slurs that are specifically directed to East and Southeast Asians. I thought to myself, do we really need to cover the same ground again and again? Can we not put our traumas to bed? But then I am rudely reminded on my Instagram feed where news broke yesterday that we live in a world where the Metropolitan Police are able to arrest multiple South Asian individuals for calling other South Asians a “coconut,” the subject clearly remains painfully relevant. So, this is the question the play is asking, what does it mean to be Chinese? And what does Dao mean? There is no straight forward answer to either.

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Black millennials’ stories are having a moment on stage, and I love it so much! Between Williams’ Red Pitch, Cameron’s For Coloured Boys, and now Lanre Malaolu‘s Now I See! And it’s not even October! I tried my best to view Now I See on its own merits, as comparison can steal joy. Fortunately, it stands just fine all by itself. I saw it a few days before it ended its run at Stratford East Theatre Royal, and I hope it will be back soon.

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What motherhood looks like to all women differs, how this facet of humanity has been viewed upon throughout time, transforming with the times, the choice to become one the most important decision that a woman can make within her lifetime and therefore not taken lightly. There can often times feel like there’s a societal pressure to become a mother, throughout time women scolded for not becoming one – ignorant of the circumstances that influence that particular life decision decision – flippant comments not thought about having huge implications. A brave exploration of this, theatre maker Stephanie Ware doesn’t at all take herself seriously in Whoa Mama!, a humorous observation of self – femininity, motherhood and singledom through the gaze of a versatile, highly sought after acting career.

Imperative that the audience join in with Ware’s comical observations, Whoa Mama!, although zoning in on Ware’s story stresses a point of taking a look within ourselves to purely ask what makes us happy – whether that be starting our own families or making the choice not to.

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An adaptation of two 1929 treatise established pre WWII, The Geneva Conventions, now consisting of four treatise and three additional protocols crafted post WWII in 1949 set out humanitarian conditions of those impacted by conflict, these being wartime prisoners, civilians and military personnel. In a time of increasing conflict post 2020 which saw the beginnings of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in 2022, and the decades long tensions between Israel and Palestine resulting in the beginnings of the Israel/Hamas conflict in 2023 – with both conflicts still devastatingly dominating today’s world events, historically we’re at a critical point. Blank Productions mark the dark times that we’re in with Geneva Convention – a tale of what has been and sadly, what is to follow.

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Courtesy of Marc Brenner.

To achieve sobriety is a great thing, for anyone who has directly been affected by alcohol and drug addiction, whether that be you, yourself, or a family member or loved one, the impact of addiction is destructive and heavy. Unresolved traumas dealt with by attempting to source out a means of escapism and resolution. Reprising her award winning role Emma – Denise Gough shows once more why People, Places and Things still resonates a decade on – in a day where we talk about wellbeing and mental health more so.

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Making its Broadway Debut in 1950 to critical acclaim, winning a Tony Award in the process, as well as being adapted for the screen, much loved musical Guys and Dolls returns to the Bridge Theatre stage, after a much deserved scoop of awards at this year’s WhatsOnStage Awards. Reimagining Frank Loesser’s classic, Bridge Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner and choreographers Dame Arlene Philips and James Cousins remind us as to this current revival has taken London by storm.

You could easily be deceived into thinking that you’d stepped back in time to the 50s and were out on the humming streets of New York – Bunny Christie’s bright, attention to detailed set design armoured with attention grabbing neon signs, quaint mini market stands and unrelenting traffic lights and road signs. A tale of hustle, and what it means to go beyond the chaos of the day to day to find what truly matters – connection – Guys and Dolls flitters between the chatter, competition and erratic nature of the gambling world and the grounding reality of love.

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Hanif Kureishi’s much loved screenplay is adapted masterfully for the stage in 2019. The story takes a life of its own with characters given more development in the way only theatre allows, with asides and fanciful monologues, that humanise the stuffy Pakistani patriarchs and skinheads alike.

Set in South London during the Thatcher years, the story is told through the eyes of a young mixed-race Pakistani, Omar, who is intent of making a success out of his uncle’s run-down launderette with old school friend and part-time fascist Johnny.

My Beautiful Launderette paints a complex picture and narrative of male masculinity and relationships which explore father-son relationships, brotherly love, friendship and queer love, competition between the ideal Pakistani man and the Westernised ethnic, and finally leadership and pack mentality. Power, love and freedom are main motivators in the play and the various variations of how these dynamics play out between different characters is what makes this story so irresistible to watch. Chemistry is palpable, especially between the main two protagonists Omar and Johnny played impeccably by Lucca Chadwick-Patel and Sam Mitchell.

Speaking of impeccable performances, Gordon Warnecke plays Papa beautifully which makes total sense when you find out that he played Omar Malik in the original film in 1985. You can read the interview with Warnecke with The Belgrade Theatre here. Warnecke’s comic timing especially deserves special mention along with his ability to be lovable even whenbeing a complete twat. Speaking of lovable twats, Paddy Daly’s depiction of Genghis, the Paki-hungry racist and political anarchist, is extraordinary. It is testament to what great actors can do with nuanced writing.

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