We asked our review team to nominate their 2017 theatre highlights. Sophie Adnitt nominated her favourites.
The Pitchfork Disney at Shoreditch Town Hall. Photo: Matt Humphrey The Pitchfork Disney, (Shoreditch Town Hall)
The claustrophobic nature of the town hall basement made for the perfect venue for this Philip Ridley revival, placing the audience unavoidably amidst the action. Tom Rhys Harries was magnetic as dystopian showman Cosmo Disney, and Presley’s nightmare monologue in the hands of George Blagden was absorbingly electric. This was my first live experience with Ridley’s work - any future productions will have to seriously up their game to beat it,
Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare's Globe Romeo and Juliet, (The Globe)
In Emma Rice’s final summer season, this unusually aggressive take on the legendary romance divided opinion, but after years of witnessing the same predictable elements of the play, I adored it. Daniel Kramer’s interpretation looked at these lovers in a whole new way, and the result was unforgettable. I left the Globe that night completely overwhelmed, but utterly elated.
Bertie Carvel (Rupert Murdoch) and Richard Coyle (Larry Lamb) in Ink. Photo: Marc Brenner Ink, (Almeida/Duke of York’s)
James Graham’s confrontational and unapologetic play quite rightly transferred to the west end, which is where I managed to catch it late this year. Richard Coyle and Bertie Carvel both turned in staggering performances as the men behind The Sun, and Bunny Christie’s superb set was a highlight all of its own.
Rhys Ifans in A Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol,(The Old Vic) Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne’s take on this Dickens classic delved into what lies below a ‘Scroogeish’ exterior, and this adaptation was all the stronger for it. Music, lighting and a phenomenal cast all combined to create some seriously festive fare, though thankfully low on saccharine over-sentiment. On a technical note, this production proved beyond all expectation the power of a good lighting design, with a result that was impressively cinematic in nature. Read Sophie's review. Book Tickets
READ SOPHIE'S OTHER REVIEWS FOR 2017
Sophie Adnitt is a graduate of the University of Winchester, with a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing and Drama Studies. She continues to unite her twin passions of writing and performing arts as part of the BritishTheatre.com team and creating longer reads for her own arts blog, Riot in the Cheap Seats, as well as taking an active role in local theatre companies.
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