Scott Matthewman

“In its exemplary construction and performance, From the Heart offers a masterclass of songwriting that succeeds in sharing Black's joy of life with us.”

“There is much delight in Mangan’s ability to act wounded when he thinks that others are being cruel to him.”

“Sweid’s warmth and the passion he has for his children’s future offer an optimistic view, suggesting the fence on which he sits is a pretty good place to be.”

“And yet, it is this awkward juxtaposition that becomes The Authenticator’s true strength.”

“While The Crucible will doubtless continue to be taught in schools, one can only hope that the vital and compelling John Proctor is the Villain takes its place beside it in the curriculum.”

“By turns hilarious and deeply affecting, it is a hard heart who could hear Bonneville’s final wail of grief and not want to join in.”

“That forms an appropriate conclusion to a stage adaptation that itself feels like bloodless play-acting.”

“It’s an entrancing delight, a faithful yet brand new evocation of the beloved literary character.”

“It is to Le Carré’s credit that this fundamentally nihilistic thesis makes for cracking reading – and, in the end, a suitably thrilling stage play.”

“This Othello has the original writer’s voice, but with a timbre all its own.”

“Like all the best versions of the tale, this production of Hamlet manages to fit into each one of those boxes.”

“McWhinney and Dead Centre are so effective at pulling us into the story that it feels more real than we care to admit.”

“In Greig’s performance, either outcome would be validated by the hours before, and that is her triumph.”

“Poitier’s response to that dilemma is captured well here.”

“Like Vic in his first attempts to revive Bridget, it is so nearly there, but not quite.”

“The dynamic between the couple is ever-shifting.”

“Harris keeps the characters around, becoming whispering consciences to the men who have none of their own – save for poor Antonio, of course.”

“A Tupperware of Ashes has crafted a formidable character, and one that will be remembered.”

“But despite a book that retains much of the charm of the source material, Mean Girls is neither as smart nor as dumb as it believes itself to be.”

“It concludes a searing, frequently funny, deeply empathetic exploration of addiction treatment.”

“That propulsive quality helps the whole work, which runs over three hours, never feel overlong or anything other than wholeheartedly engaging.”

“The West End transfer is deserved and necessary.”

“But within it plays a satire that still retains some bite.”

“It all feels big, brash – and empty.”

“Hamnet promises much – and delivers.”

“It makes for an exhilarating contrast with the boundless energy of Hollander, who careens like a walking pinball over Miriam Buether’s brick-faced set.”

“A city loved by its people – and if this superb musical is anything to go by, with very good reason.”

“By the end of the magical show, one feels emotionally lifted in ways that theatre often struggles to accomplish.”

“What she is not is particularly complex or original.”

“Linton’s revival of Blues for an Alabama Sky may be depressingly relevant to today, but that makes it all the more vital a watch.”

“The result is a play which frequently, rightly, brings the house down.”

“But as it is, this slow and dull production of Grease is very much not That I Want.”

“Those moments – and more, as Queenie's complicated relationship with her estranged husband looks to the future – have a killer bite.”

“But while the interval break is positioned at a convenient time jump, there is so little event of consequence in the second half that the whole piece drags, rather slowly, to its conclusion.”

“And as a number of A Number productions go, this Old Vic production is the best and brightest sibling by far.”

“Life of Pi is a sumptuous, visual treat for the senses, a remarkably vivid recreation of a classic novel, and an effective reminder that sometimes the stories we tell ourselves are stronger than the truth.”

“On the strength of its slightly refreshed incarnation, this delicately reconstructed Phantom of the Opera looks set to be just as much a theatreland fixture as it was in its first three and a half decades.”

“In selecting the right frame, a faded photo has come to life once more.”

“In Ibsen's world, and even more so in Macmillan's, politics is in thrall to the power of the celebrity endorsement, as both Kroll and his rival Mortensgaard (Jake Fairbrother) whirl between desiring Rosmer's backing, and seeking to bring him down if he does not give it.”

“Beyond that, this David Hare revival is toothless.”