A Doll’s House review – stark production lifts the lid on Ibsen’s box of secrets
With few directorial flourishes and a compelling central performance, this bare-bones version of the domestic drama gives the story its full due
July 2024
Chariots of Fire review – breathless staging of classic Olympic dash
‘Dream come true’: Elizabeth Newman to be Sheffield Theatres’ artistic director
March 2024
The Crucible review – a deeply affecting take on Arthur Miller’s American classic
DirectorAnthony Lau brings his fiercely rigorous intellect to bear on this intensely felt love story, with standout performances from Simon Manyonda and Anoushka Lucas
February 2024
Wish You Weren’t Here review – postcards from a mother-daughter holiday with ensuite tensions
Archers actor Katie Redford captures the ever-shifting mix of love and pain between parent and child in her conversation-starting theatrical soap opera
December 2023
2023 in Culture
Readers’ favourite stage shows of 2023
This year, our readers were blown away by productions from Machinal to Free Your Mind – with one theatregoer returning to watch Groundhog Day four times
July 2023
The play’s the thing – but its success depends on the theatre too
Michael Billington
Miss Saigon review – slick machine of a musical rather than a radical rewrite
March 2023
The Good Person of Szechwan review – Brecht’s parable gets a bold revamp
Wildfire Road review – comedy and terror on the path to climate hell
December 2022
2022 in Culture
The best theatre of 2022
In a superb year for the stage, our chief critic gives 10 shows an extra round of applause. Plus, Guardian theatre reviewers each pick their 2022 standout
November 2022
Play ‘born of rage’ over Asian female stereotypes lambasts Miss Saigon
Kimber Lee’s award-winning drama, untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, will be staged at Manchester’s Royal Exchange while Miss Saigon opens at the Sheffield Crucible
October 2022
The Contingency Plan review – climate-crisis dramas on a human scale
Updated 13 years after their first showing, Steve Waters’ double bill of plays feels more urgent than before – while their personal dynamics hint at challenges yet to overcome
September 2022
To be or not to be cancelled: how directors deal with Shakespeare’s problematic side
Much Ado About Nothing review – hilarious, heartfelt show is everything
July 2022
On my radar
On my radar: Ian McKellen’s cultural highlights
The week in theatre: Rock/ Paper/ Scissors; The Fellowship
June 2022
Rock/Paper/Scissors review – sharp-edged trilogy celebrates a city in flux
Sheffield Theatres Chris Bush’s audacious production, performed simultaneously by the same cast across three theatres, intertwines comedy, romance and political rage to dazzling effect
February 2022
Far Gone review – child soldier’s story told with chilling intensity
Anna Karenina review – Tolstoy meets Baz Luhrmann in a magnificent spectacle
