All stories by Arifa Akbar on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Hamlet review – Cush Jumbo is a remarkable prince by Arifa Akbar

Young Vic, LondonGreg Hersov’s sleek production focuses on familial grief, unfolds with the pace of a thriller and is full of fresh humour and chemistry We have been promised a “new kind…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:36AM
Monday, October 4, 2021

The Mountaintop review – Martin Luther King meets his match in a motel room by Arifa Akbar

Royal Exchange, ManchesterNtombizodwa Ndlovu is spellbinding in Katori Hall’s intriguing drama about an imaginary meeting between King and a maid The Mountaintop is a bold shape-shifter of…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:12AM
Friday, October 1, 2021

The Normal Heart review – poignant and powerful account of the Aids epidemic by Arifa Akbar

Olivier theatre, LondonThe first London production of the Larry Kramer play since 1986 captures the fear and anger in the gay community of that decade – and its heartbreaking personal loss…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:42AM
Thursday, September 30, 2021

Curious review – Jasmine Lee-Jones packs a punch with new solo show by Arifa Akbar

Soho theatre, LondonThe Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner playwright returns with a production about a drama student researching Black British history Jasmine Lee-Jones made the fiercest…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:12PM
Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Tokyo Rose review – fiery musical revolves around radio DJ’s fight for justice by Arifa Akbar

Southwark Playhouse, LondonIva Toguri’s trial for treason, accused of broadcasting Japanese propaganda to American troops, forms the backbone of this production This real-life story of Iva…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:18PM
Friday, September 24, 2021

Malindadzimu review – a poignant quest to confront Africa’s past by Arifa Akbar

Hampstead theatre, LondonCharm and camaraderie lie at the heart of a smart, soap opera-style attempt to unpick issues of history, heritage and empire Malindadzimu is a mother-daughter soap o…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:54PM
Thursday, September 23, 2021

History review – hostility repeats itself in tale of prejudice and protest by Arifa Akbar

Available onlineThere are spirited performances as Roy Williams explores activism, parenthood and sexuality in this audio drama about black British identity spanning 40 years Roy Williams’…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:36AM
Wednesday, September 22, 2021

The Lodger review – fights, forgiveness and midlife reckonings by Arifa Akbar

Coronet theatre, LondonThere’s an intriguing story about sibling betrayal buried among the distracting subplots in Robert Holman’s play Robert Holman’s play contains some great riches.…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:06PM
Monday, September 20, 2021

Finally! Get ready for a new season of culture by Presented By Nosheen Iqbal With Arifa Akbar, Ammar Kalia and Ben Beaumont-Thomas; Produced By Hannah Moore and Axel Kacoutié; Executive Producers Phil Maynard and Archie Bland

New albums, new TV series, and actual live shows – the culture taps might have run dry during the pandemic, but this autumn they are switching on again at last. Our critics give their pick…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:24AM
Friday, September 17, 2021

Camp Siegfried review – love and terror on Long Island by Arifa Akbar

Old Vic, LondonTeenage passion meets Nazi ideology in Bess Wohl’s play, inspired by a real-life summer camp in the US It is 1938 and two American teenagers are at a themed summer camp on L…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:48PM

Is God Is review – revenge is a dish best served bold by Arifa Akbar

Royal Court, LondonTarantinoesque bloodshed meets Greek tragedy in Aleshea Harris’s daring drama about a voyage of vengeance It is not often that a play manages to resemble a Tarantino fil…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:06AM
Wednesday, September 15, 2021

NW Trilogy review – let’s hear it for melting-pot Brent’s brilliant stories by Arifa Akbar

Kiln theatre, LondonMoira Buffini, Roy Williams and Suhayla El-Bushra deliver a trio of powerful immigrant stories set in the London borough NW Trilogy comprises three short plays with one o…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:48PM
Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Can I Live? review – privilege, protest and the climate crisis by Arifa Akbar

Available onlineFehinti Balogun’s show uses hip-hop and spoken word to explore the ways people of colour have been excluded from environmental activism There is a moment in Fehinti Balogun…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:48PM
Monday, September 13, 2021

Back to the Future: The Musical review – the car’s the star by Arifa Akbar

Adelphi theatre, LondonThis is a splashy theatre-film mashup, with gravity-defying effects, cute quirks and offbeat gags How does a car speed at 88mph on stage? That must have been the bigge…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:06PM

East Is East review – magnificent revival of culture-clash classic by Arifa Akbar

Birmingham RepAyub Khan Din’s comedy still resonates in its depiction of a hostile environment – Salford in the 70s – while its sharp wit and warm characterisations are exhilarating Tw…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:48AM
Friday, September 10, 2021

The Beauty Queen of Leenane review – Martin McDonagh’s raging black comedy returns by Arifa Akbar

Minerva theatre, ChichesterThis tale of a claustrophobic mother-daughter relationship takes contrived turns, but the starkly moving performances remain compelling Much has changed in Ireland…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:24PM

White Witch review – slavery drama turned into awkward farce by Arifa Akbar

Bloomsbury theatre, LondonBarry Reckord’s sexually charged play about freedom and rebellion is drowned out by chaotic comedy The Jamaican playwright Barry Reckord broke several boundaries …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:12AM
Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Frozen review – stunning musical extravaganza creates its own magic by Arifa Akbar

Theatre Royal Drury Lane, LondonBeyond the visual thrills and powerful ballads, this adaptation brings an unexpected depth to the relationship between two tortured sisters This musical extr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:42PM
Monday, September 6, 2021

‘Take back power’: Talawa’s Run It Back and the politics of black joy by Arifa Akbar

The resurgence of Black Lives Matter has given fresh potency to the theatre company’s production – an earthquake of sound and dance We have been encouraged to bring our “rags and flags…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:18AM
Friday, September 3, 2021

Rockets and Blue Lights review – radical retelling of Britain’s slavery history by Arifa Akbar

Dorfman theatre, LondonA tidal wave of plotlines, ideas and characters embraces past and present in a production where playfulness meets cruelty Winsome Pinnock’s leviathan of a play opens…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:54PM
Sunday, August 29, 2021

Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age review – much music, little material by Arifa Akbar

Old College Quad, EdinburghThis lightweight cabaret-style set sells its subject short, even if Cumming can belt out a power ballad convincingly The promise is that Alan Cumming will talk abo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:32AM
Friday, August 27, 2021

Once Upon a Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia review – horror, humour and forgotten history by Arifa Akbar

Almeida theatre, LondonAdrian Edmondson plays a psychopath in Josh Azouz’s nuanced tragicomedy about Jewish-Arab relations in 1942 A man is buried up to his neck with only a geometrical de…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:03PM
Thursday, August 26, 2021

Hamlet, Cabaret and a fistful of Romeos: the best theatre, comedy and dance of autumn 2021 by Arifa Akbar, Brian Logan and Lyndsey Winship

Cush Jumbo tackles the troubled prince, Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne head for 30s Berlin, while standup favourites and dance spectaculars burst back on the stage Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:12AM
Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Sophia review – flesh-and-blood story of Scotland’s first female doctor by Arifa Akbar

Available onlineIn her audio play, Frances Poet nimbly entwines Sophia Jex-Blake’s groundbreaking battles with the story of her biographer Sophia is the story of Scotland’s first female …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:12PM

Rise of the robo-drama: Young Vic creates new play using artificial intelligence by Arifa Akbar

Inspired by a Guardian article, the theatre’s surreal and spellbinding show AI is a collaboration between humans and the system GPT-3 Last autumn, a deep-learning computer programme wrote …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:32PM
Thursday, August 12, 2021

Paradise review – Kae Tempest’s unruly take on Sophocles by Arifa Akbar

Olivier theatre, LondonLesley Sharp stars in a tragedy that interrogates notions of military machismo and the performance of masculinity Kae Tempest’s reworked Sophoclean tragedy is the st…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Wednesday, August 11, 2021

The Windsors: Endgame review – a right royal disaster by Arifa Akbar

Prince of Wales theatre, LondonThe sharp Channel 4 comedy becomes a lumbering stage show sending up King Charles and a band of boo-worthy buffoons For fans of the TV series, watching The Win…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:06PM
Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Twelfth Night review – impeccable staging of Shakespeare’s merriest romp by Arifa Akbar

Globe Theatre, LondonImaginative directorial tweaks and an expert cast bring out the full effects of a text stuffed with double-meanings, gender-swapped disguises and dextrous language Post-…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:24PM

Carousel review – takes the shine off its fairground attraction by Arifa Akbar

Regent’s Park Open Air theatre, LondonTimothy Sheader’s production relocates the musical from New England to the north of England and dismantles the fatal romance at its heart It is no s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:42AM
Monday, August 9, 2021

Alexandra Burke: ‘I got asked to bleach my skin after X Factor’ by Arifa Akbar

Her career has taken her from pop success to Strictly and the stage. She discusses the pain of racist comments, the joy of duetting with Beyoncé – and the enduring influence of her late m…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:24AM
Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Wonderville review – pick ‘n’ mix variety show loses its magic by Arifa Akbar

Palace theatre, LondonThis confusing concoction of cabaret, holiday camp entertainment, panto and pub act fails to showcase its talented illusionists The first thing to say about Wonderville…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre