The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady review – dancers take the audience with them on a wild jazz ride
The slinky grooves of Charles Mingus animate the expressive dancers of Clod Ensemble, who sweep up the crowd in a joyful celebration of movement - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarThe Confessions review – dazzling drama drawn from a mother’s memories
Alexander Zeldin’s profoundly moving play grew from his parent’s reflections, which he uses to conjure an epic struggle for love and freedom - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarSong of Songs review – a wondrous tribute to Jewish dance heritage
Pam Tanowitz’s heartfelt, thoughtful work, inspired by her late father, is delicate, mystical and timeless - Sarah Crompton
starstarstarstarstarOil review – Brooke Satchwell and Charlotte Friels magnetic in Ella Hickson’s ambitious epic
The audacious play leaps through space and time to tell the geopolitical story of crude oil through the lens of a mother and daughter as they reckon with their complicity - Fiona Murphy
starstarstarstarstarNineteen Gardens review – gripping account of an illicit affair’s aftermath
Social disparities are highlighted in Magdalena Miecznicka’s satirical study of the power play between two former lovers - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarHot Orange review – hoop dreams and true love in bittersweet teen drama
Amal Khalidi and Tatenda Naomi Matsvai’s play for over-13s touchingly evokes two friends’ passions and pressures - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarThe Box of Delights review – the RSC makes merry with Masefield’s fantasy
This is a well-crafted, brilliantly acted version of John Masefield’s classic novel about an orphan who travels through time - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarNutcracker review – a Christmas dream of love that goes with a swing
A hunky Action Man opens up a sequin-clad life for the protagonist of Drew McOnie’s jazzy, out-and-proud take on Tchaikovsky’s ballet - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarMachinal review – spare yet shocking revival of 1920s play on female criminality
An excellent cast give the story of Ruth Snyder, a woman executed by electric chair in 1928 for killing her husband, a cleverly inventive, chillingly modern update - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarRhinoseros review – absurdist fable gets a Welsh twist as villagers sling the mud
Manon Steffan Ros has translated Ionesco’s play into Welsh for this technically ambitious and compelling production - Gareth Llŷr Evans
starstarstarstarstarNorthern Rascals: Shed review – everyday realities are danced out within four confining walls
The set is a claustrophobic flat, the clothes are baggy, the prop is a gaming console … this three-part show lets us peer into its characters’ lives - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarClyde’s review – crunchy kitchen drama is a dish to be savoured
Clyde runs a mean sandwich shop, while Montrellous is the sensei of sourdough, in Lynn Nottage’s mouthwatering play - David Jays
starstarstarstarstarCowbois review – all guns blaze in wild queer western
Dream cast and exuberant staging brings the genre’s dusty rules to a whole new frontier - Ryan Gilbey
starstarstarstarstarThe Limit review – oppressed pair make words and steps count
Sam Steiner’s play, set in a world of rationed speech, lends itself to movement, and the dancers here also retain the dialogue, fusing the forms with quiet grace - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarCircle of Fifths review – beautiful and moving portrait of a place and its people
Gavin Porter’s exploration of grief through the experiences and funeral traditions of the residents of Cardiff’s Butetown pays tribute to the rituals that bind a community and a nation - Gareth Llŷr Evans
starstarstarstarstarFree Your Mind review – The Matrix triumphantly reloaded by Danny Boyle and co
This dance adaptation of the cult sci-fi movie is a work of breathtaking ambition that fully inhabits Manchester’s stunning new £240m venue - Sarah Crompton
starstarstarstarstarTaylor Mac: Bark of Millions review – a bombastic queer history, told over 55 songs
This four-hour musical-opera-variety show from the celebrated US performer is a moving, witty, extravagant exercise in pure pleasure and spectacle - Michael Sun
starstarstarstarstarChoir Boy review – gospel hymns light up stirring production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play
Everyone gets their chance to shine in Nancy Medina’s expressive staging of this drama about sparring prep-school students - Ryan Gilbey
starstarstarstarstarFree Your Mind review – Danny Boyle’s Matrix reboot is a thrilling shock to the system
The director’s collaboration with hip-hop dance company Boy Blue, designer Es Devlin and writer Sabrina Mahfouz conveys the march of AI - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarTig Notaro: Hello Again review – all the right notes, except on piano
The comic brings an assured touch to tales of everyday humiliation, and even her terrible musicianship is endearing for a while - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarPortia Coughlan review – drama rich with secrets and mourning
Marina Carr’s play is beautifully bleak and Alison Oliver’s central performance as a woman lost in grief is matched by a mighty cast - Kate Wyver
starstarstarstarstarAditi Mangaldas: Forbidden review – a post-menopausal play for sexual pleasure
Leading Indian kathak performer Mangaldas explores her desire and confronts the double standards around men’s and women’s sexuality - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarKathy & Stella Solve a Murder! review – podcast sleuths are cracking fun
The hit Edinburgh fringe musical about two friends on the trail of a killer has been awkwardly expanded but is still a delight - Clare Brennan
starstarstarstarstarHousemates review – rip-roaring real-life story of a revolutionary experiment
Astounding tale of how a volunteer at a Welsh hospital changed the lives of neurodivergent people globally is dynamically directed and movingly told - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarBlue Mist review – dreamlike dive into Muslim demonisation
An aspiring journalist comes up against the difficulties of accurately representing his shisha-going community in Mohamed-Zain Dada’s energetic debut - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarPam Tanowitz and David Lang: Song of Songs review – turning on the lights
Meditation on the Bible’s great love poem can feel opaque but it is performed with great precision and set to a bewitching score - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarWhat It Means review – how a gay American writer came out fighting
Richard Cant is superb as Merle Miller who takes a stand against homophobia in this clever retelling of his landmark essay - David Jays
starstarstarstarstarDeath of England: Closing Time review – riotous comedy with a serious sting
Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ state-of-the-nation series continues, this time giving the perspective of the women in its central duo’s lives - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarShooting Hedda Gabler – Ibsen update is a brilliantly unnerving study of coercive control
A demanding director drives his cast into discomforting areas in this clever play critiquing the patriarchal power structures of the movie business - Kate Wyver
starstarstarstarstarDon Quixote review – Nuñez and Muntagirov deliver a sensational shock of sunshine
The Royal Ballet principals light up the stage in Carlos Acosta’s charmingly comic staging of an often nonsensical, but enduring, classic - Sarah Crompton
starstarstarstarstarJohn Robins: Howl review – the sad hilarity of high anxiety
Assembly Hall theatre, Tunbridge Wells Heartfelt two-act show revels in the manic, painful and sometimes amusing fallout of recovering from alcoholism - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarThe Great Escaper review – Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson exude ineffable class
The two British icons bring a huge amount of joy to the heartwarming true story of Bernard Jordan, the 89-year-old veteran who snuck off to attend the 70th anniversary of D-day - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarDon Quixote review – sunshine, warmth and dazzling technique from the Royal Ballet
With its stellar leads and lively background action, this sprightly revival of Carlos Acosta’s revised staging is a celebration of the pleasure of classical dance - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarBirmingham Royal Ballet: Black Sabbath – The Ballet; English National Ballet: Our Voices – review
The fathers of heavy metal have gained at least one new fan thanks to an inspired new Carlos Acosta commission. And the music’s the star in the English National Ballet ambitious new mixed bill - Sarah Crompton
starstarstarstarstarQuiz review – Rory Bremner is an uncanny Chris Tarrant
A delightfully performed and finely crafted revival of James Graham’s fresh and funny play about the Millionaire cougher case, which critiques the TV industry and trials by media - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarPurlie Victorious review – Ossie Davis play makes triumphant Broadway return
Leslie Odom Jr leads a note-perfect cast in a revival of Ossie Davis’s thoughtful comedy about a preacher scheming to save his church in the Jim Crow South - Jesse Hassenger
starstarstarstarstarDo I Love You? review – laughter and pain in John Godber’s northern soul comedy
Three struggling twentysomethings find solace in dance in the writer-director’s well performed if not quite satisfying new work - Clare Brennan
starstarstarstarstarBalletBoyz: England on Fire review – riotous tour through a nation’s soul
This ‘psychic landscape of Albion’ deploys a huge ensemble to send its dancers spinning through a patchwork of national mythology - Sanjoy Roy
starstarstarstarstarBranwen: Dadeni review – epic musical is a landmark in Welsh theatre
This Welsh-language retelling of an ancient myth is a huge endeavour, with great performances and lots of promise - Gareth Llŷr Evans
starstarstarstarstarTo Have and to Hold review – fond family comedy from the writer of One Man, Two Guvnors
Richard Bean’s new play touches on ageing and alienation, care and family love, but focuses on making us laugh - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarA Forgotten Man review – watchable account of central figure in Swiss wartime guilt
Laurent Nègre’s stagey film is also a free adaptation of Thomas Hürlimann’s play on the same subject, and may have worked better in the theatre - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarKnocking on the Wall review – delightful domestic surprise in Ena Lamont Stewart revival
The third play in this programme of work by Scotland’s first major modern female playwright redeems an otherwise underpowered evening - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarZona Franca review – a fleet-footed favela dance party
With incredible moves from Rio’s Cia Suave, Alice Ripoll choreographs a joyful celebration of young lives - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarLizzie review – ferocious rock opera revisits 1892 double murder case
Strong voices, polished direction and pop choreography boost this uneven account of Lizzie Borden, accused of killing her father and stepmother - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarThe Interview review – Martin Bashir’s Princess Diana deceit in closeup
A crisp and jarringly satirical play presents the 1995 Panorama documentary as a forerunner of today’s fake news - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarThe Time Traveller’s Wife review – eternal romance is a bumpy ride
Joss Stone and Dave Stewart’s strangely forgettable score does little to lift this musical but there are some wonderful set pieces - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarSputnik Sweetheart review – Haruki Murakami’s love triangle staged in style
The enigmatic 1999 novel about three entwined lives is sleekly adapted by Bryony Lavery and sharply directed by Melly Still - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarMonster Show review – trans take on Frankenstein is a stomping experiment
Dressed as the creature, Hester Stefan Chillingworth live-dubs the 1931 movie and reframes the narrative - Kate Wyver
starstarstarstarstarKing Lear review – Kenneth Branagh’s fast and feverish tragedy
At two hours with no interval, the actor-director’s production hurtles past at such speed that the depths of the play are too rarely realised - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarTo Wong Foo the Musical review – fabulous fantasia keeps it frothy
Adapted from the 1995 film, this musical about three drag queens stuck in a US small town is low on tension but has plenty of heart – and wigs - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarCowbois review – playing with expectations in the wild west
Gender identity comes to town in writer-co-director Charlie Josephine’s atmospheric but slow-going tale of a disruptive stranger - Clare Brennan
starstarstarstarstarRomeo & Juliet review – slow jams, Asda bags and trackie tops in a Manchester love story
Nicholai La Barrie’s production edits out some of Shakespeare’s characters, but amps up the modern-day relevance of this play about a divided community - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarHere We Are review – posthumous Stephen Sondheim musical is hit-and-miss
The legendary composer and lyricist’s take on two surrealist Luis Buñuel movies is a patchy satire - Gloria Oladipo
starstarstarstarstarFlip! review – a Faustian fable for the age of social media
In Racheal Ofori’s bright new play, Leah St Luce and Jadesola Odunjo delight as wannabe influencers whose friendship is tested by the temptations of fame and fortune - Clare Brennan
starstarstarstarstarThe Score review – Brian Cox is magnetic as JS Bach in a clash of values
The Succession star excels in Oliver Cotton’s play about the meeting between the composer and Frederick the Great - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarMeetings review – cooking with postcolonialism in Mustapha Matura’s sparky drama
In a chic kitchen a Trinidadian couple discuss their high-end lives, but their cook, whose recipes the audience can scent, draws them back to deeper roots - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarThe Flea review – royal scandal becomes a satirical pantomime
James Fritz frames a Victorian story as folk tragedy and political interrogation – exuberant in its ambition, just occasionally not quite fulfilling its potential - Claire Armitstead
starstarstarstarstarOwners review – Caryl Churchill’s 1970s housing comedy is still bleakly relevant
Often outrageously funny, Churchill’s play grimly reveals the costs and risks involved in private renting - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarBeyond Caring review – a low-key meditation on love, loss and care homes
An 83-year-old resident rails against the lack of liberty, settling herself on a bench outside and refusing to return despite legal threats and offers of hot-water bottles and fresh knickers - Mark Fisher
starstarstarstarstarChicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget review – poultry derring-do boosted by some showstopping gags
The sequel to the 2000 hit verges on formulaic, feeling a little like it’s been produced by AI. But it’s largely redeemed by decent jokes and a lively, likable cast - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarSunset Boulevard review – Nicole Scherzinger dazzles in Jamie Lloyd’s radical rework
Lloyd brings hipster edginess, style and unpredictability to this revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical – though it’s more surface-level than penetrating closeup - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarOthello review – three-headed Iago distracts from tragedy
Depicting the insinuating villain as a trio of manipulators is striking and gives the drama thrillerish momentum, but intimacy is lost - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarDance Umbrella review – yoga poses, a vibrator and an all-points breakdance battle
Highlights of the opening weekend of the annual month-long dance festival included an arresting piece about gender expectations by Taiwan’s Su PinWen and an exuberant dance-off between the capital’s hip-hop crews - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarFlowers for Mrs Harris review – sweetly unassuming musical with dreams of chic
Jenna Russell gives a shining performance of quiet resolve in this musical adaptation of Paul Gallico’s novel about a widowed cleaner in gloomy postwar London who sets her sights on purchasing a Dior dress in Paris - David Jays
starstarstarstarstarThe Real & Imagined History of the Elephant Man – a tale for the age of sameness
Nottingham PlayhouseThis ‘theatre poem’ by the Australian dramatist Tom Wright lacks drama under Stephen Bailey’s direction - Clare Brennan
starstarstarstarstarThe Hypochondriac review – Molière malady comedy played for big laughs
It takes a while to get going but when it hits its straps, thanks to the cast’s skilful handling of farce, Sarah Tipple’s production from the Roger McGough translation becomes genuinely funny - Nick Ahad
starstarstarstarstarRosie Jones: Triple Threat review – sly gags delivered with a wicked grin
The comedian launches her campaign to become a national treasure with a show that has charm, smut, irony and laughs in equal measure - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarA Voyage Round My Father review – Rupert Everett brings soft focus to John Mortimer’s play
Richard Eyre’s production of the father-and-son drama has some strong performances but is too light to really probe the play’s plaintive depths - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarThese Demons review – sisters under siege in a haunted house
Rachel Bellman explores Jewish exorcisms and rebellion in this darkly funny, psychological play - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde review – menace on Edinburgh’s mean streets
Hope Dickson Leach’s atmospheric adaptation of the classic thriller looks good but in rewriting the story, adds an unnecessary element of distraction - Cath Clarke
starstarstarstarstarJaja’s African Hair Braiding review – wildly entertaining but overstuffed
The Harlem-set comedy drama is a delightful ode and visual feast, but efforts to cover too much ground are a hindrance - Gloria Oladipo
starstarstarstarstarStephen Sondheim’s Old Friends review – merrily they roll along
A cleverly cast tribute, featuring Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga and Bonnie Langford, reflects on the passing of time with comedy and melancholy - Claire Armitstead
starstarstarstarstarMahabharata review – epic tale of two warring clans is dazzling and detached
Canadian company Why Not Theatre’s take on the Sanskrit poem, led by South Asian artists, exquisitely blends classical elements with modern, but feels distant in the second act - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarGroup Portrait in a Summer Landscape review – Chekhovian take on the Scottish referendum
An impressive ensemble makes the most of Peter Arnott’s new country house play, set during Scotland’s 2014 independence vote - Clare Brennan
starstarstarstarstarRumble in the Jungle Rematch review – immersive recreation aims to leave you reeling
The fight that sealed Muhammad Ali’s fame as the greatest is re-enacted in a London warehouse, complete with Don King, music, food… All it needs now is the crowd - Donald McRae
starstarstarstarstarHelen Bauer: Grand Supreme Darling Princess review – cartoonishly confident comedy
The standup’s loud and proud show about female self-sufficiency presents her as an attention-hogging misfit parading her indignities for our delight - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarMy Sister Jill review – Patricia Cornelius’s family drama cries out for social realism
The playwright’s stage adaptation of her semi-autobiographical novel explores Australia’s changing attitude to war, but it never rises above the schematic - Tim Byrne
starstarstarstarstarBlack Sabbath: The Ballet review – riveting riffs, endless kisses and flying limbs
Three choreographers use inspiringly orchestrated tracks from the city’s heavy metal legends to spring some surprises - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarThe Dictionary of Lost Words review – stage adaptation of bestseller finds power in the silences
Pip Williams’ 2020 novel was all about words – but on stage, it could do with a few less - Jane Howard
starstarstarstarstarUnbelievable review – Derren Brown presents an evening of magic by proxy
There’s plenty to enjoy here as a cast of non-magicians subvert conjuring convention with song, dance and synchronised skill - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarThe Yellow Wallpaper review – Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story given hi-tech staging
Aurélia Thierrée narrates the tale of a confined ‘hysterical’ woman while Fukiko Takase dances on a screen behind her - Chris Wiegand
starstarstarstarstarDanny and the Deep Blue Sea review – Aubrey Plaza sinks in her stage debut
The White Lotus star struggles alongside Girls’ Christopher Abbott in an overcooked relationship two-hander from John Patrick Shanley - Adrian Horton
starstarstarstarstarHarmony review – Barry Manilow’s Broadway musical lacks magic
The period musical about a German singing group stumbles to the big stage after a troubled decades-long journey, arriving a little worse for wear - Jesse Hassenger
starstarstarstarstarMates in Chelsea review – filthy-rich farce lets the upper classes off lightly
A trust-fund kid losing his family castle to an oligarch provides enough satire for some strong performances, but the concept is overstretched - Kate Wyver
starstarstarstarstarBrenda’s Got a Baby review – pregnancy deadline drama doesn’t quite deliver
Ama wants a baby before her 30th birthday in this unstructured play from Jessica Hagan that doesn’t know if it is serious or trying to make us laugh - Anya Ryan
starstarstarstarstarPhantasmagoria review – scary story forgets the fear factor
Unsettling ideas about sinister political forces are debated in a haunted house. It’s timely subject matter, but fails to create any sense of tension - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarBackstairs Billy review – anodyne comedy about the Queen Mother and her servant
Penelope Wilton plays the isolated royal and Luke Evans is her courtier in a light production that never gains much depth - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarI Need That review – Danny DeVito makes an awkward return to Broadway
A funny performance from the actor is the only saving grace of Theresa Rebeck’s messy comedy drama about a hoarder - Gloria Oladipo
starstarstarstarstarMaud Le Pladec: 27 Perspectives review – dizzying deconstruction of a Schubert symphony
A loose, casual dance based on an artist’s interpretation of a Cézanne painting via a Pete Harden score is full of ideas that often feel out of sync - Lyndsey Winship
starstarstarstarstarThe Inquiry review – drama about a Whitehall cover-up hints at deeper stories left untold
Despite fine acting, Harry Davies’ political thriller about a contaminated water scandal fails to plumb the depths of its characters - Mark Lawson
starstarstarstarstarMycelial review – underground community of sex workers fight for change
Stories from across the world intertwine through activism in an ambitious production, but the delicate threads never quite mesh - Catherine Love
starstarstarstarstarLyonesse review – Kristin Scott Thomas charms in messy #MeToo tale
Starry cast including Lily James and Doon Mackichan are tossed around in a plot that never gets hold of its many concerns - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarDoctor Jekyll review – Eddie Izzard in gender-flipped reboot of Hammer horror
Casting Izzard as billionaire scientist Nina, a new incarnation for the classic story’s tormented hero, proves less intriguing than it sounds - Peter Bradshaw
starstarstarstarstarTrueman and the Arsonists review – timely revival of 50s dystopia
Roundhouse, LondonSimon Stephens’ adaptation of Max Frisch play about bourgeois indifference to a rising crisis should ring loud bells, but its absurdism fails to resonate - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarHour of the Wolf review – is this the end of immersive theatre?
This choose-your-own-adventure set in a spooky town haunted by a monster reaches for the baroque – but feels like a hollow cash-grab instead - Tim Byrne
starstarstarstarstarMunya Chawawa review – YouTube star’s standup still a work in progress
This is a big stage for a streaming star who’s still a rookie standup, and at times his show feels over-engineered and effortful – but he still has enough honesty and charm to go far - Brian Logan
starstarstarstarstarThe Foreigners’ Panto review – pro-immigrant comedy is non-seasonal but timely
This musical meta comedy allegorising Britain’s hostility to immigrants arrives ahead of panto season but with perfect timing nonetheless. Unfortunately it seems under-rehearsed – a bargain basement The Play That Goes Wrong - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarElvis: A Musical Revolution review – a very good tribute show, but not much more
The staging is a hit and the songs are great fun – but with some uncomfortable truths omitted, this biographical musical aims high but misses the mark - Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen
starstarstarstarstarImposter 22 review – deconstructed detective story never quite comes together
We’re left wondering not just whodunnit but what was done and why in this lushly designed but confusing production - Arifa Akbar
starstarstarstarstarClose-Up: The Twiggy Musical review – Ben Elton’s strange and sentimental snapshot
With a jarring tone and karaoke hits, this show never truly captures the highs and lows of the star’s life - Arifa Akbar
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