The Play Review

Jodi Rilot joins me for the first time to review two shows: The Circle by Somerset Maugham at the Orange Tree theatre in Richmond-upon-Thames, and Private Lives by Noël Coward at the Donmar Warehouse in London.

Tom Littler. who directed The Circle, draws a line connecting Somerset Maugham to Noël Coward in the history of English drama, so it is appropriate that we cover these two shows together.

The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre in London is currently one of the hottest tickets in town.

There are numerous reasons why this show is so popular, starting with the fact that it tells the story of when two acting giants of the 20th century, Sir John Gielgud and Richard Burton, came together to stage Hamlet on Broadway in 1964. This was at a time when Burton had just married Elizabeth Taylor, and they were the most famous couple in the world. Mark Gatiss and Johnny Flynn recreate Gielgud and Burton respectively.

The play is written by Jack Thorne, the amazingly prolific author for stage and screen, and directed by Sam Mendes.

So many reasons to want to see this show. Jodi Rilot returns to help me to assess whether it lives up to its billing.

Jodi and I share our thoughts about Rebecca Frecknall's production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre in London. Rebecca Frecknall is currently the hottest director in town, her most recent credits including A Streetcar Named Desire with Paul Mescal and Patsy Ferran, which also started life at the Almeida before transferring to the West End, as well as her innovative production of Cabaret. She is known for her stripped down, modern takes on classic titles and her Romeo and Juliet is no exception.