1. The play of the year, by a mile, was Fathers and Sons at the Donmar adapted from Turgenev’s novel. Lindsey Turner directed Brian Friel’s harrowing and exhilarating script with immense visual aplomb.
2. Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be
Lionel Bart’s first musical was a sublimely witty look at the Cockney underworld starring Gary Kemp.
3. The Realness
A new song-and-dance comedy at Hackney Downs Studio, approached the same material as Fings but with a punchier and more contemporary style.
The exhilarating title melody of this musical set my nape tingling with static electricity and I was convinced that Harry Hill’s X-Factor spoof would stick around for years. It lasted a matter of weeks.
Closure rumours surround this high-energy political romp with a slightly irritating conceptual set. Its outstanding feature is a hilarious cameo from Mark Hadfield as an acrobatic, quick-stepping Harold Wilson.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in