REVIEWS
Home Chat - Finborough Theatre, London
***** RemoteGoat.com
**** The Telegraph
**** The Stage
**** The Reviews Hub
**** BroadwayWorld.com
**** LondonTheatre1
**** Last Minute Theatre Tickets
“Home Chat, a 1927 script by Noël Coward, has not been performed for nearly 90 years. It was not greeted well when it was first produced in the West End, and no one has championed it since. But they ought to have done…It turns out to be a searingly powerful, anti-establishment expression of female individuality”
Tim Auld, The Telegraph
“An unexpectedly splendid surprise…it’s a genuine marvel that that play turns out to be a sparkling diamond…on the evidence of Martin Parr’s revelatory production here, you wouldn’t be surprised to see it take it place alongside the more familiar of Coward’s works that frequently pepper the repertoire”
Ian Foster, There Ought to Be Clowns
“One of the brightest, sparkiest proto-feminists to be found in English drama. Janet Ebony is a fantastic character”
Alison Goldie, RemoteGoat.com
“An enjoyable and polished production”
London Pub Theatres
“This revival shows the strength of Coward’s compact wit and stagecraft with a polished production”
Traffic Light Theatregoer, Alice Joseph
“Rapier sharp dialogue”
Genni Trickett, Last Minute Theatre Tickets
“Splendid performances from a highly skilled cast”
Gary Naylor, BroadwayWorld.com
“Zoe Waites is just superb”
Ian Foster, There Ought to Be Clowns
“Played with devil-may-care vivacity by Zoe Waites”
Julia Rank, The Stage
“Janet is made compulsively watchable by Zoe Waites, a whirlwind of energy and luminosity”
Alison Goldie, RemoteGoat.com
“Zoe Waites gives a masterclass in flippant insouciance and steely self-possession”
Tim Auld, The Telegraph
“Tim Chipping, excellent as the stuffy, honourable Paul”
Genni Trickett, Last Minute Theatre Tickets
“Particularly noteworthy is Clare Lawrence Moody who plays the simpering Mavis Wittersham with deft humour”
London Pub Theatres
“The star of the show, however, has to be Clare Lawrence Moody, playing Mavis Wittersham”
Olivia Gibbs-Fairley, A Young Theatre
“The scene stealer is Robert Hazle, as the manservant”
Tim Auld, The Telegraph
“Robert Hazle, who plays the manservant, is a show-stealer with his jazz-age songs”
West London Living
“Robert Hazle’s comedic turn as the Butler was impeccable”
London Pub Theatres
“The old ladies are divinely eccentric courtesy of Polly Adams and Joanna David”
Alison Goldie, RemoteGoat.com
“The relationship between David and Adams is fantastic”
Cat Lamin, LondonTheatre1
“Polly Adams and Joanna David both give a masterclass in scathing comments and cutting glances”
Ian Foster, There Ought to Be Clowns
“The show is stolen by the not-quite-lovers’ mothers, who have the menace of the aunts of PG Wodehouse and the chutzpah that comes with what’s now called white privilege. Joanna David and Polly Adams draw on years of experience to maximise the outrage”
Gary Naylor, BroadwayWorld.com
“Director Martin Parr has now stylishly revived this comedy drama, giving it the production it deserves”
Traffic Light Theatregoer, Alice Joseph
“Martin Parr’s production does full justice to Coward’s sharp wit”
Carolin Kopplin, UK Theatre Network
“A delightful production by Martin Parr”
Julia Rank, The Stage
“Christopher Nairne’s lighting and Pete Malkin’s sound are original, inventive and atmospheric”
Genni Trickett, Last Minute Theatre Tickets
“Special mention has to go to the set design by Rebecca Brower which flawlessly encompasses the roaring twenties”
London Pub Theatres
“Charlotte Espiner’s costumes and Rebecca Brower’s set are both packed with detail”
Gary Naylor, BroadwayWorld.com
“The strongest period revivals at the Finborough are the ultimate in class”
Julia Rank, The Stage
Hamlet - Rose Theatre, London
“****”
The Telegraph
“Martin Parr’s fast and fresh adaptation is a pleasure to behold…clever and original in the most unexpected way, Parr’s adaptation is a must-see”
Hattie Williams, The Public Review
“Martin Parr has created an intriguing chamber play”
William Russell, Reviewsgate
“Whistlestop production…staggeringly good”
Honour Bayes, The Stage
“Wholly inclusive and immersive…every word is felt in an engrossing experience…intimate and passionate staging”
Vanessa Bunn, Extra Extra
“Intimate and private, throughly reclaimed from larger spaces by re-envisioning it in a small room in half darkness…effective and imaginative…Martin Parr’s Hamlet is a rarity and I urge you to dash to see it”
Aleksandra Akowska, Plays To See
“This ambitious production soars…to hear the soliloguies spoken like this is to feel ones imagination piercingly provoked…played at top speed…faute de mieux inventiveness…the production works because Parr understands that ‘words words words’ are what the play is all about…what an unexpected delight this is…the experience is a fascinating one”
Laura Thompson, The Telegraph
“Fastpaced…slick…Martin Parr manages to balance comedy and drama extremely well…go and see Hamlet as you’ve never seen it before”
Alice Dickerson, London SE1, 12th February 2013
“Director Martin Parr cuts the script to it’s thrilling essentials…a killer thriller with an intellectual kick- this brakes-off production does the play gripping justice”
Conor O’Neill, Southwark News
Urinetown - LIPA, Liverpool
“Real moments of greatness”
Jules Sanderson
“Hits very close to home”
Readtravelwrite
“Current protest signs added layers of poignancy”
Broadway Baby
“The entire production is very funny...laugh out loud”
Broadway BabyA.M, London
The Eighth Wonder of the World - Brunel Tunnel, London
“How better to celebrate (the Brunels) than to creep through a low, narrow bricky shaft and climb fifty feet below Shoreditch into an echoing Victorian vault?!… It’s the ultimate site-specific theatre….The two performers are strongly drawn”
Libby Purves
“Really interesting…beautifully observed…poignant…the two actors work really well together and bring the father/ son relationship alive beautifully…it is truly beautiful…Like two prizefighters sizing each other up in a boxing ring with an audience seated all around them…An enchanting show. 4 stars”
London Theatre 1
“A warm retelling of the drama behind the (tunnel’s) construction…stunning; a remarkable space for theatre…”
Culture or Trash
“Most remarkable…the performances are very fine and the whole show is topped off with a brass band!”
Curtain Up
“There can’t be many theatres in the world where you need to get down on your hands and knees so you can crawl into the auditorium. But then again, plays aren’t typically performed in railway shafts with London Overground trains whizzing beneath your feet, causing the floor to vibrate! A fascinating insight into a family dynasty.”
Past in the Present
“Intriguing…these are two powerful performances.”
British Theatre Guide
The Devil to Pay on Brook Street - Handel House, London
“Sian Thomas makes Bordoni a real diva…a performance that matches her gorgeous gown and florid hat”
Howard Loxton
“Sara Kestelman’s strong sense of integrity…these actresses give close up performances that grip the attention” – “Delightful and very intimate production”
British Theatre Guide
84 Charing Cross Road - The Salisbury Playhouse (as asst director)
“Transfixing…lovingly realised…they make this fleeting, unforced embodiment of the Anglo-American relationship really rather special indeed”The Telegraph ****
“Makes you want to rush out and start an immediate correspondence with a complete stranger!…a rather lovely reminder of a time long past”Whatsonstage
“Quietly joyful…meditative…a moving picture of a relationship that is tender and surprising…a lovely and loving revival”The Stage
“Gentle, funny, poignant…Salisbury Playhouse have revived a gem of a show with such a relented cast and beautiful production, this is one not to be missed”The Public Reviews
“Unique and intensely genuine…quality performances…this is an evening in the theatre you won’t want to miss”Western Day Press
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang - The Rose Playhouse, London
“Stunning visuals abound…incredibly striking…the result is outstanding”
“Beautiful imagery…a breathtaking conclusion…mesmerising beauty”
“Katherine Heath is superb. Lucia Capellaro is equally outstanding…utterly enthralling”
“An imaginative production that blends poetry, music and visual art…the result is outstanding…a delightful, must-see show”
Views From the Gods
“Delicately beautiful…gentle, melancholic, inventive and profoundly moving”
"A number of striking visual moments…minutely choreographed”
“Not a hey nonny in sight!”
“Witty, poised and risky…affectionate eroticism”
“The influence of director Martin Parr is quietly but pervasively present throughout”
Alexandra Coghlan, The Arts Desk
“The structure is a genius-as if the whole performance is a sonnet itself”
“Beautiful and unexpected…an experiential whirlwind”
“Virtuosic performance”
Verity Healey, Theatre Bubble
Regarding X - Vauxhall, London
“Annie Aldington captivates the audience with an emotional performance and one feels so involved with her character that at moments it becomes painful to watch. Yet in an instant you find yourself laughing through the pain, as Regarding X takes another turn, rounding up a life-enhancing evening to remember.”
T.H, Worcester
“Perfect delivery of a dialogue of pain and angst, joy and sorrow. The audience shed a tear and took a shared gasp. A beautiful play with music interludes that very cleverly evoked the time and period of the day. A very sad, very beautiful and very special play and performance.”
R.C, London
“In Regarding X we saw both a funny and deeply moving performance by Annie Aldington, who showed a great understanding of and empathy for the multiple characters she embodied so wonderfully. The piece was brilliantly directed by Martin Parr with clarity, sensitivity, humanity and flair – a great balance between the comedy and tragedy of this woman’s life. A great show!!”
A.B, Australia
“So beautifully and touchingly presented, it made me cry…”
A.M, London
“I laughed and I cried, the only disappointment was that the play had to come to an end!”
C.K, London
Doctor Faustus - The Rose Playhouse, London
“Truly unnerving psycho drama…genuinely creepy…lean and pacey…mercurial…an audacious production that doesn’t shy away from being genuinely disturbing”
Whatsonstage.com
“Simply put, utterly gripping…powerful, uncomfortable, wonderful theatre…an adaptation that will make you look at your own darkness”
The Londonist
“Skilfully staged by Martin Parr…mesmerising…a handsome tribute to the 450th anniversary of the playwright’s birth”
Reviewsgate.com
“I can claim with confidence that the current version (of Doctor Faustus)…is the best I’ve ever seen…pulled off with astounding panache…”
The Public Reviews
“One of the most astonishing performances, of anything, I’ve ever seen…strong stuff indeed…an astonishing performance”
Migrant Press
“Martin Parr’s direction makes it feel like a supernatural Beckett-esque monologue…the direction and production is powerful…exciting work”
Peter Carrington, Remotegoat
“If the ghost of Christopher Marlowe is stalking The Rose, I’m sure he’d approve”
Plays to see
“Leaves us bedazzled”
The Stage
A Door Must Be Kept Open or Shut - Osborne Studio Gallery, London
“****”
The Public Review
“This attention to detail and atmosphere highlights the clear vision the director Martin Parr has for this production.”
Christopher Hong, The Public Review
“Bravo to director Martin Parr for his scintillating and minimalist staging”
Chris Osburn
“Martin Parr is right on the money in his direction, doing justice to De Musset’s sharp and witty dialogue with a precise and attentive eye. Each line and every moment has been thought through so as to deliver a piece that excels in acknowledging the subtle intricacies of the text and brings honesty to the more absurd moments without once becoming over-indulgent”
Hannah Tookey, A Younger Theatre
“Sharp…a delight…bravo to producer-director Martin Parr for his scintillating, minimalist staging…”
Chris Osburn, Tikichris
“**** Great entertainment in an unusual setting…a charming evening…”
Everything Theatre
“Martin Parr has found a true gem…Parr is right on the money in his direction, doing justice to De Musset’s sharp and witty dialogue with a precise and attentive eye…strong and engaging…”
Hannah Tookey, A Younger Theatre
“Eloquently acted…small scale, sophisticated, intelligent”
British Theatre Guide
“Attention to detail and atmosphere highlights the clear vision director Martin Parr has…a rare treat of theatregoing”
A Younger Theatre
“Martin Parr has clearly worked hard to create the perfect atmosphere…pitch perfect…”
Matthew Partridge, Remotegoat
Te Deum - Casa Da Musica Porto
“A wonderful opportunity…uplifting and celebratory…enthusiastic and exciting…Martin Parr’s direction highlighted the celebratory aspects of the music…spectacular and magnificent”
John Roque, Live Journal, Jan 16th, 2013
L’Ippolito - Casa Da Musica Porto
“The whole performance was excellent…an accomplished contribution…an effective staging by Martin Parr…polished and satisfying drama”
George Loomis, New York Times, 2nd October 2012
Romeo and Juliet - The Rose Playhouse, London
“Spellbinding…powerful performances….analyses the play in all it’s beautiful detail”
Chris Hislop, One Stop Arts, 12th June 2012
“The setting of Martin Parr’s production feels as light to the touch as his quicksilver direction does”
Honour Bayes, The Stage, 12th June 2012
“An aggressively stripped down staging, going for quality instead of quantity…the approach works excellently…a stellar production that cannot be recommended too highly- if you only get to see one Shakespeare this Summer, makes sure this is it”
Matthew Partridge, Remotegoat, 8th June 2012
“Directed with aplomb by Martin Parr, there is immediacy and urgency in the language…vibrant energy…for anyone with a love of text and excellent performances”
Chris Hislop, One Stop Arts, 12th June 2012
“Top quality touring theatre. Energetic and accessible…areal crowd pleaser”
Oliver Bevan