All stories by Michael Davis on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

‘Continues to explore the themes of racial identity & femininity’: BLUE BENEATH MY SKIN: Alchemist Theatre Company (Online review) by Michael Davis

The second entry in Alchemist Theatre’s ‘Writers On Hold’ series, Blue Beneath My Skin continues to explore the themes of racial identity and femininity.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 10:00AM
Monday, June 22, 2020

‘Set at a time when suffragettes were regularly making headlines’: JANE CLEGG – Finborough Theatre ★★★★ (Online review) by Michael Davis

While Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is arguably the first and most famous ‘modern’ play about female emancipation from an inequitable marriage, it’s certainly not the only drama to tackle…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 10:00AM
Thursday, June 18, 2020

‘Refreshingly unapologetic’: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL – Graeae (Online review) by Michael Davis

As an artist, Ian Dury is unique in the annals of British rock music. Contracting polio at the age of seven (which resulted in the paralysis of his left leg, shoulder and arm), Dury didn’t…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 06:00AM
Sunday, June 14, 2020

Depicting women from different walks of life: Glass Half Full’s lockdown monologues showcase by Michael Davis

During lockdown, Glass Half Full Theatre have produced a series of monologues that depict women from different walks of life.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Friday, May 29, 2020

‘The story of a violinist takes on an introspective dimension’: AMSTERDAM – Orange Tree Theatre (Online review) by Michael Davis

While world history is ‘officially’ about facts, in reality, it is an amalgamation of thousands of experiences into one coherent narrative.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 10:00AM
Tuesday, May 26, 2020

‘The conflicted emotions of relationship aftermath’: LOVE (& LOSS) IN THE TIME OF CORONA – Sherman Theatre (Online review) by Michael Davis

If one were to peruse social media as this time of ‘social distancing’, one thread that surfaces periodically is how hard it is for single people who have no human contact. There is, how…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Thursday, May 14, 2020

‘A tale that has a special resonance at a time of remembrance’: IT IS EASY TO BE DEAD – Finborough Theatre (Streamed Broadcast) by Michael Davis

A young man whose life was cut short by the First World War, Charles’ poems marked him out of as one the pre-eminent wordsmiths of his time.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Wednesday, May 13, 2020

‘Women were sectioned on all sorts of non-medical pretexts’: BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON – Online Fringe Festival by Michael Davis

History shows that right up to the 20th century, women were ‘sectioned’ on all sorts of non-medical pretexts.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Monday, April 20, 2020

‘Packs a lot of ideas in its hour running time, which flies by’: BAABA’S FOOTSTEPS – Online Fringe Festival (Online review) by Michael Davis

Far from being just a niche tale about familial connections, the play’s intersectionality provides greater depth in the questions and answers it broaches.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Monday, March 2, 2020

‘Shepherd returns to similar themes’: THE CUTTING EDGE – Arcola Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

The Cutting Edge passes on the message that art in all its forms is about the importance of the human experience, rather than an end in itself.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Monday, February 24, 2020

‘Belief in the emotional truth of the situation’: THE DOG WALKER – Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★ by Michael Davis

In Paul Minx’s play The Dog Walker (which is directed by Harry Burton) we meet two individuals who despite initial appearances, have deep-seated issues that manifest as ‘quirky’ behavi…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Wednesday, February 19, 2020

‘Has a gravitas that pulls the audience in’: FLIGHTS – Omnibus Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

In Flights, which is written by John O’Donovan and directed by Thomas Martin, a protracted period of grieving is examined for the first time, leading to an uncomfortable night of self-exam…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Wednesday, February 12, 2020

‘Takes on Orton-esque proportions’: ON MCQUILLAN’S HILL – Finborough Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Responsibility to oneself and others permeates On McQuillan’s Hill, as does how isolation – real or imagined – affects one’s mental well-being.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Thursday, January 16, 2020

‘There’s an authenticity in Blessed’s writing that can’t be faked’: Lullabies for the Lost – Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★★ by Michael Davis

With no topic too grim, too unsettling or embarrassing, Lullabies for the Lost gives a voice to the unsayable and has insights to spare about the human condition.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

‘The vibe is very tongue-in cheek’: THE INVISIBLE MAN – Brockley Jack Studio Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

The Invisible Man manages to combine both panto and more serious fare, bringing a modicum of seasonal mirth to a tale about the darker side of human nature.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Monday, December 16, 2019

‘A love letter to the NHS’: BLOOD ORANGE – Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Asides from being a love letter to the NHS, Tania Amsel’s Blood Orange makes clear how stressful and demanding on one’s mental health working in the caring professions is.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Sunday, December 8, 2019

‘Themes that resonate during periods of crisis’: THE WIND OF HEAVEN – Finborough Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

The Wind Of Heaven at the Finborough Theatre is spot on, with the principal characters living within the skin of their respective roles.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Friday, November 22, 2019

‘Much to savour’: UNCLE VANYA – New Wimbledon Studio Theatre & Touring ★★★★ by Michael Davis

The current production of Uncle Vanya which is touring with Theatrical Niche stays true to the spirit of its origins, while also fleshing out aspects that resonate today.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Thursday, November 14, 2019

‘As much the history of a nation as a family drama’: THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS – Cervantes Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Adapted by Caridad Svich from Isabel Allende’s award-winning novel and directed by Paula Paz, The House of the Spirits is as much the history of a nation as a family drama. While the count…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Wednesday, November 6, 2019

‘A tour-de-force performance from Angela Marray’: THE MATCH BOX – Omnibus Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Directed by James O’Donnell, Frank McGuinness’ The Match Box is an in-depth examination of parental grief.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 07:00AM
Thursday, October 24, 2019

‘Compelling tale’: THE GIRL WHO FELL – Trafalgar Studios ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Writer Sarah Rutherford cleverly weaves together disparate elements of a sensitive story with subtlety and humour in The Girl Who Fell.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Friday, October 18, 2019

‘Orton-esque in its conceit’: THE HOUSE OF YES – Hope Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

As Matthew Parker’s swansong as artistic director at the Hope Theatre, The House of Yes isn’t afraid to show the underbelly of ‘respectable society’.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Thursday, September 26, 2019

‘Hot in terms of its relevance’: DANELAW – Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

One might be forgiven for thinking that Danelaw would be unrelentingly bleak, but in truth the play is a satire and doesn’t avoid the more absurdist elements of storytelling.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Monday, September 16, 2019

‘Heightens the aural experience’: THE EYES OF THE NIGHT – Cervantes Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Written by Paloma Pedrero – Spain’s most prolific playwright in the 21st century – and directed by Simone Coxall, The Eyes Of The Night makes its UK premiere at the Cervantes Theatre i…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Thursday, August 29, 2019

‘A family drama with a difference’: SKIN IN THE GAME – Old Red Lion Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Written by Paul Westwood and directed by Clemmie Reynolds, Skin In The Game is a family drama with a difference.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Monday, August 19, 2019

‘Not afraid to be immersed in the material’: RIVER IN THE SKY – Hope Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

River in the Sky shows that even for those dealing with the ramifications of fertility issues, speaking frankly and directly is seldom on the cards.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Saturday, August 17, 2019

‘The stuff of Greek legends’: GO BANG YOUR TAMBOURINE – Finborough Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

First performed in 1970, Tricia Thorns’ revival of Philip King’s Go Bang Your Tambourine is remarkably the first time the play has ever been performed in London

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 05:00AM
Thursday, August 8, 2019

‘Always has something to say about the human condition’: THE COLOURS – Soho Theatre ★★★★★ by Michael Davis

Ask people below a certain age what palliative care is and there might not be recognition for the term. But as one gets older, and family and friends succumb to the effects of time, there is…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 01:00PM
Monday, July 15, 2019

‘It’s the journey that’s more important than the destination’: LUNATIC 19’S – Finborough Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

In Tegan McLeod’s play Lunatic 19’s, which is directed by Jonathan Martin, we meet a young woman of Hispanic descent who happens to be at the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 09:00AM
Friday, July 5, 2019

‘The point of the play is still relevant’: THE CENSOR – Hope Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Written by Anthony Neilson – himself a theatrical bête noire in terms of his fearless probing at the underbelly of sexuality – and directed by Imogen Beech, The Censor is as much a ‘b…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM
Wednesday, July 3, 2019

‘The relationships between the family ring true’: SUMMER ROLLS – Park Theatre ★★★★ by Michael Davis

Written by Tuyen Do and directed by Kristine Landon-Smith, Summer Rolls focuses on an ‘invisible’ demographic – the Anglo-Vietnamese.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards