TRADGE THE THEATRE GEEK

Natalie Beech work ticks all boxes thematically, but lacks focus ----- We've surely all come across the social media thought experiment: as a woman alone in the woods, would you rather be there with a man or a bear, and in which of these two scenarios would you feel the most safe? That really is all there is to it in terms of the overriding thematic material in this new work by Natalie Beech, which explores feminism, power dynamics, sexual politics, and individual autonomy, w

Slick, stylish new production brings the best out of this underrated Kander & Ebb work ----- Though the incomparable Goliaths of musical theatre John Kander and Fred Ebb have quite the compositional back catalogue from which to choose, it is fair to say that the vast majority of people, when asked, would only be familiar with their two biggest hitters, “Chicago” and/or “Cabaret”, with both currently experiencing long-term major revivals. Enter their surrealist, seven-time Ton

PREMIERED: 2023 (RSC Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon) PLAYWRIGHT: Lolita Chakrabarti ----- I'm back with another play this week, and one that built up a lot of buzz after being adapted to the screen, subsequently being nominated for 8 Academy Awards, with Jessie Buckley winning for her leading performance as Agnes. Originally a novel by Maggie O'Farrell, "Hamnet" tells the true story of William Shakespeare's only son, who died at the age of 11 in the summer of 1596, as well as t