ISLANDER 2018 reviews (Edinburgh 2019 to follow)
★★★★ All Edinburgh Theatre Mystical in content and audacious in its presentation…It is excellently done, with Amy Draper’s direction keeping everything clear and distinct…This is a real treat of a production
★★★★ The List it’s both the complexity and simplicity of Islander that make it so thoroughly enjoyable… Director Amy Draper has elicited a myriad of characters from this talented twosome
★★★★ The Outlier A magically minimalist production, Islander challenges the possibilities of imagination in story, technology, and staging…Intimate and spacious at the same time, this musical explores loneliness and community, and how magic can be found simply by paying attention.
***
DAY OF THE LIVING reviews
The Times electrifyingly inventive…It’s a wild party in hell, as highly coloured as a cartoon, but deeply serious in intent, radiating anger, defiance and, ultimately, hope. Fiercely effective.
The Stage a whirlwind of song, Mexican folklore, wrestling matches and masks… a testament to endurance against injustice.
British Theatre Guide a savage, satirical, musical review of the entire history of Mexico…It’s as if the chaos is the country.
★★★★★ the730review.co.uk shared heart and soul by a brilliant ensemble…These are stories that should be on our nation’s stages. I cannot recommend these two productions strongly enough. Why isn’t theatre always this provoking?
***
PRINCESS CHARMING reviews
★★★★★ West End Wilma an absolute gem of a show…Spun Glass Theatre state on their website that they aim for bold, authentic and affecting theatre, they have created it here in spades
★★★★ Female Arts hilarious, touching and truthful… with a powerful, important message
A Younger Theatre What Spun Glass Theatre has done is give children, every child, a voice. It is pertinent and powerful, but most of all it’s extremely fun!
***
HANSEL AND GRETEL reviews
Shortlisted for Off-West End Award for Best Production for Young People 7+
★★★★★ Plays to See Fun, magical, thought-provoking and inventive… engrossing for all ages
★★★★★ Act Drop wonderfully magical
★★★★ West End Wilma The best Iris Theatre production so far
***
THE TEMPEST reviews
★★★★ The Stage Invigorating, rhythmic staging, setting a high standard for fringe Shakespeare productions
★★★★ Whatsonstage an enchanting and emotionally charged Tempest
★★★★ Time Out Sparky, streamlined take on Shakespeare’s final play
★★★★ British Theatre tremendously well done…full of clever ideas
★★★★ Mind the Blog terrific ensemble performance in a lively & well-constructed re-imagining of a Shakespeare classic
***
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING reviews
Nominated for 4 Off West End Awards,including Best Director
★★★★★ Theatre Bubble a triumph. Superbly directed by rising talent Amy Draper
★★★★ The Stage Amy Draper’s exuberant, thoughtful production
★★★★ Reviewsgate as good open air theatre as one could hope to find
★★★★ West End Wilma Shakespeare at its best. Direct, accessible and immersive
★★★★ Everything Theatre a beautifully executed production that benefited from an outstanding cast
★★★★ Grumpygaycritic as for the pacing of a promenade performance, Draper has this spot on… If you can’t actually escape to Sicily this summer, Iris Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing is as close to sheer warmth and enchantment as you’re probably going to get.
★★★★ Cubmagazine the entire show is infectiously happy
Whatsonstage Much Ado always was about fun and Draper ensures we get much of that.
Bargaintheatreland Amy Draper’s direction keeps it surprising and fresh at each turn
British theatre Guide I have never seen a Dogberry and Verges that worked so well
***
THESE TREES ARE MADE OF BLOOD reviews
2017
2015
★★★★★ The Upcoming a highly innovative piece of theatre…special mention must go to visionary director Amy Draper, writer Paul Jenkins and composer/lyricist Darren Clark… this exceptional political satire will be difficult to forget.
★★★★★ Londonist The superb effort of the cast in telling such a harrowing story was rewarded, on the night of our visit, by a standing ovation and quite a few damp eyes. Theatre doesn’t get much more immersive than that.
★★★★★ LondonTheatre1 a powerful, compelling musical satire…It deserves a wider audience as evidenced by a standing ovation from a packed house.
★★★★ The Public Reviews a quite extraordinary piece of theatre…sets a new and impressive standard for the way political story-telling and theatre can be combined.
★★★★ Everything Theatre a daring, innovative production… An outstanding people play exploring the human condition
★★★★ Morning Star a riveting production, directed by Amy Draper with panache
British Theatre Guide a brave and important theatrical work…London does not see political, polemic Cabaret such as These Trees Are Made Of Blood very often
UKtheatre.net At its best theatre has the potential to excite, shock, educate and provoke. “These trees are made of blood” does this in abundance…Director Amy Draper deserves enormous credit for taking a vision of a very tricky subject and translating it so successfully to stage…If you see one production this year make it this.
Bargaintheatreland a tantalizing and dramatic feast for all the senses…pushed music theatre performance boundaries
***
USAGI YOJIMBO reviews
★★★★ Time Out (Critic’s Choice) Amy Draper’s gorgeous production is also a visual delight… a seasonal treat
★★★★ The Stage a superb alternative to the usual festive family fair
★★★★ Exeunt Usagi Yojimbo is lovingly, faithfully adapted. It blends the best of ancient and modern: swordsmanship and live music with mesmeric projections
A Younger Theatre If you’re going to take the tykes or indeed just yourself to a show this Christmas, please make it Usagi Yojimbo.
***
LIFE ON THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR audience feedback
This was the most amazing piece of theatre I have seen in a long while. It really moved me more than I thought it would. The book is one of my favourites and I was terrified that the play would ruin it for me. But it has had the opposite effect. I now want to read it again and again. Beautifully acted, with such grace and ingeniously designed. The symbolism for the change of seasons was a stroke of genius. I want to watch it again and again but I’d probably run out of tears. Of course this was well balanced with hilarious and adorable moments too. Thank you. I now want to go and hug my mum and tell her I love her. Well done – I can’t wait to see where this transfers to – it was really an amazing piece of theatre.
***
THE DOOR reviews
★★★★ everything theatre Kafkaesque in conceit… An intelligent and thought-provoking production that takes a potentially cerebral subject matter and gives it a soul.
★★★★ West End Wilma The Door is a clever deconstruction of humanity’s increasing dismissal of society… A forceful social statement
★★★★ Female Arts The Door is gripping and intense… with some lovely little bits of dark humour… The acting in the Door is first rate
Bargain Theatreland Directed by Amy Draper, Cross’ play opens up a number of questions of reality, explores the nature of the human mind, and in a Kafka-esque style, creates a fine mix of the real and the surreal…truly thought-provoking work
Whatsonstage tantalising psychological drama… beautifully performed… excellent production values… We are asked to think, debate, and conclude for ourselves… This is a fascinating piece of work
West End Frame The Park Theatre has become known for its innovative, thought provoking productions and its latest offering, The Door, completely embodies this.
***
ANGEL CAKE reviews
★★★★ London Aisle Cabaret performer Rhyannon Styles is charming as the sweetly disarming Sophie… There are some heart wrenchingly tragic moments… Angel Cake is really something special, an experience to be shared between an intimate few
★★★★ remotegoat There should be more theatre like this. Director Amy Draper has created an intimate, personal, heart-warming and heart-wrenching piece
Reviewsgate I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a truly ‘experimental’ evening at the theatre. As the lights dimmed and the show ended, it took me a few moments to remember I was in Camden People’s Theatre.
Exuent There are fragments of surprising tenderness… Christopher Nairne’s lighting contributing to a fuzzy, biscuit-fuelled haze inside Ele Slade’s cosy set, and Styles is a winning hostess.
Broadway Baby Styles plays storyteller of the world’s impending doom skilfully, plucking rich stories of mankind’s and specifically London’s recent reaction to the apocalypse from the air and leaving them to float above our heads as vivid vignettes… a play insightful enough to cast transitional artist Rhyannon as a young girl and surreal enough for it to work.
A Younger Theatre Everyone loves a party game, and while audience participation strikes fear in lots of people, Styles is charming enough to make it fun and inviting
***
SUNDAY MORNING AT THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD reviews
Southwark Playhouse
★★★★Time Out Critic’s Choice ingenious revival…Amy Draper’s extraordinarily sensual production… deserves massive praise…
Evening Standard ingeniously slanted version of reality… a layered sensory experience that involves aroma, a panoply of live sound effects and a few tactile surprises…full of clever little wrinkles.
A Younger Theatre Some moments have touches of perfection… Evidence of ingenuity was present throughout, with beautiful touches and ideas executed with professionalism and flair.
Brighton
★★★★★ Fringereview a truly joyful and uplifting multi-sensory experience …the performance was soulful, energetic and alive. The lighting was subtle, unobtrusive, and utterly effective… This show smells like the very essence of what fringe theatre ought to be: evocative and refreshing… Wow, I love it when a piece of theatre makes me feel that way
★★★★★ FringeGuru (Editors’ Choice Award) It’s remarkable that it works, but it works all the same; one script, one set of voices and two completely different ways of enjoying it all.