John OBrien

JEW…ish is a delight, a joy, a real treat. Saul Boyer (co-writer with Poppy Damon) as Max and Edie Newman as TJ are superbly engaging and very watchable as the mixed Jew and gentile couple who try desperately to keep their love hate relationship on track. In a one hour tour de force they give … Read more Review of JEW…ish at the King’s Head Theatre

Gavin McAlinden’s take on Macbeth is intriguing, insightful and innovative. Coming from Armagh he deploys his understanding of war, civil war and paramilitary violence to create a Macbeth that is located somewhere between the IRA, the Serbian mafia and Isis. Men dressed in sinister black clothing from head to foot, carrying Kalashnikovs and pistols are … Read more Review of Macbeth at Theatro Technis

Scandi noir is all the rage on TV. Where does this Scandinavian love for all things dark, disturbing and dangerous come from? Geography would seem to be the most plausible explanation. Living in a part of the world where it’s dark for months on end has given the Scandinavians more than their fair share of … Read more Miss Julie by August Strindberg at Theatro Technis | Review

To see A Midsummer Night’s Dream on a perfect July evening at the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park is to ask oneself as Demetrious does “Am I awake, or do I but dream?” A perfect comedy in the most perfect setting is a gift that prompted me to reflect on the riches that London has … Read more A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park

Matilda, watch out for there is a new kid on the musical block: Adrian Mole. The rivalry between these two shows which puts a girl and a boy respectively centre stage is set to become a must-see compare and contrast experience. Intriguingly, a male writer (Roald Dahl 1916-1990) has written a wonderful part for a … Read more The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 The Musical