Midnight Your Time, Donmar Warehouse online review – intimate and quietly moving

★★★★ MIDNIGHT YOUR TIME, DONMAR WAREHOUSE Intimate and quietly moving

Revival of 2011 HighTide hit reconceived for streaming stars Diana Quick

During lockdown, some of the best online theatre has been shows that are specially created for this digital format. Much better than dull records of dramas that might have worked well on stage, but now seem sadly moribund and exceedingly slow on the laptop screen.

Theatre Lockdown Special 4: Little-known Lloyd Webber, prize-winning Shakespeare, and starry David Mamet

THEATRE LOCKDOWN SPECIAL 4 Little-known Lloyd Webber, prize-winning Shakespeare, and starry David Mamet

In an ever-busy week, the Donmar and Finborough join the online bustle

Has anyone else noticed how fulltime this streaming thing has become?  Those who were of a mind to (and who never slept) could find enough cultural output to satisfy 24/7, especially if one adds to the free offerings that crop up by the week the ongoing back catalogue made available on sites such as Marquee TV or Digital Theatre, and the like.

Far Away, Donmar Warehouse review - one for the devotees

★★★ FAR AWAY, DONMAR WAREHOUSE Revival of Caryl Churchill's brief dystopic classic is vivid but unexceptional

Revival of Caryl Churchill's brief dystopic classic is vivid but unexceptional

Caryl Churchill, Britain's best living playwright, is enjoying a spate of high-profile revivals of her classic work. Last year, the National Theatre staged her Top Girls, and an upcoming production of A Number is coming soon to the Bridge Theatre.

Teenage Dick, Donmar Warehouse review - a fearlessly acted, well-intentioned mess

★★★ TEENAGE DICK, DONMAR WAREHOUSE A fearlessly acted, well-intentioned mess

Mike Lew's riff on Shakespeare needs more art to go with its heart

If good intentions were everything, Teenage Dick would be the play of the year. As it is, this British premiere at the Donmar of an Off Broadway entry from summer 2018 grants centre-stage, and not before time, to two disabled actors, one of whom  the mesmerically fearless Daniel Monks  plays the Shakespeare-inspired figure of the title.

[Blank], Donmar Warehouse review - strong but dispiriting

★★★ [BLANK], DONMAR WAREHOUSE Strong but dispiriting

Alice Birch's new play prioritises form over content, and is depressingly reactionary

Clean Break, the theatre company that specialises in working with women in the criminal justice system, is doing a lot of celebrating. It's the 40th anniversary of this unique female organisation and already this year they have put on a variety of shows, from Chloe Moss's Sweatbox to the devised piece Inside Bitch.

Europe, Donmar Warehouse review - timely, tender, brutal and brilliant

★★★★★ EUROPE, DONMAR WAREHOUSE Timely, tender, brutal and brilliant

Magnificent revival of David Greig's 1990s visionary classic is both tough and tender

In the middle of the current decade, there was a mild vogue for reviving a handful of the great plays of the 1990s, such as Mark Ravenhill's Shopping and Fucking and Patrick Marber's Closer.

Berberian Sound Studio, Donmar Warehouse review – improves the original

★★★★ BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, DONMAR WAREHOUSE Improves the original

This dark comedy raises disturbing questions about sound and intimacy

Two men called "Massimo" face the audience, one very tall, one very, well, minimo. The tall Massimo (Tom Espiner, pictured below) sports wavy shoulder length blond hair and an exuberant pearl rosary, the minimo Massimo (Hemi Yeroham) has dark hair, a beard and glasses, and intense stare. In front of them are two stands carrying all the paraphernalia needed to create sound effects for one of the gruesome slashing scenes in the Italian giallo film on which they are working, not least several sharp implements and a watermelon.

Best of 2018: Theatre

BEST OF 2018: THEATRE American titles everywhere, but British and classic plays got a look-in too

American titles were everywhere but British plays and the classics got a look-in, too

Will pride of place amongst theatre productions every year go in perpetuity to the work of Stephen Sondheim?