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Show of the week

young Vic production of
PUBLIC ENEMY
by Henrik Ibsen
in a new version by David Harrower
directed by Richard Jones

young Vic production of PUBLIC ENEMY by Henrik Ibsen in a new version by David Harrower directed by Richard Jones Keith Pattison

Public Enemy

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice

Despite a retina-searingly bright set that looks like a cross between a ski chalet and everything that was wrong with the ’60s (er, in a good way – credit to designer Miriam Buether), Richard Jones’s revival of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘Public Enemy’ is a surprisingly understated affair that starts slow and gathers intractable momentum. Central to ‘Public Enemy’ are two feuding brothers and a public baths. Both Nick Fletcher’s Doctor Stockmann and Darrell D’Silva Mayor have grown fat on

  1. Young Vic 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 8
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This week's theatre reviews

4000 Miles

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice
  1. The Print Room 34 Hereford Road, W2 5AJ
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 1
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Cuddles

  • Rated as: 4/5
  1. Ovalhouse 52-54 Kennington Oval, SE11 5SW
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 1
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Mess

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice
  1. BAC Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 1
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Playing with Grownups

  • Rated as: 3/5
  1. Theatre 503 503 Battersea Park Rd, SW11 3BW
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 8
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Prometheus Bound

  • Rated as: 3/5
  1. White Bear Theatre 138 Kennington Park Rd, SE11 4DJ
  2. Thu May 23 - Sun Jun 2
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Sons Without Fathers

  • Rated as: 4/5
  1. Arcola Theatre 24 Ashwin St, E8 3DL
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 15
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These Shining Lives

  • Rated as: 3/5
  1. Park Theatre Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP
  2. Thu May 23 - Sun Jun 9
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The Victorian in the Wall

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice
  1. Royal Court Theatre Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 8
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More London theatre reviews

The Hothouse

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice
  1. Trafalgar Studios 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Aug 3
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The Match Box

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice
  1. Tricycle 269 Kilburn High Rd, NW6 7JR
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 1
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Passion Play

  • Rated as: 3/5
  1. Duke of York’s Theatre 104 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4BG
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Aug 3
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The Play That Goes Wrong

  • Rated as: 3/5
  1. Trafalgar Studios 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 1
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Travels With My Aunt

  • Rated as: 4/5
  • Critics choice
  1. Menier Chocolate Factory 53 Southwark St, SE1 1RU
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 29
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  1. Jermyn Street Theatre 16b Jermyn St, SW1Y 6ST
  2. Thu May 23 - Sat Jun 1
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Comments & ratings

Rated as: 0/5 (0 ratings)
  • Just seen "Paper Dolls" at the Tricycle Theatre. What a fantastic show, with a really good story line. All the paper dolls are superb, but the outstanding member for me was the part of "Sally" played with such passion it was really touching. Well worth a visit.

    Tina Brown Wed Apr 17
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  • Always look forward to the emails from Timeout. They have some good offers.

    Danielle Steele Sat Mar 16
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  • I bought tickets to see Phantom of the Opera through lastminute.com that were advitised as second price stalls or royal grand stand for £50. The seats I was asigned were actually restriced view and were misrepresented on the lastminute site. When I complain to the company, with picture evidence, they refused to admit that the seats were ristricted view. Both the theatre and lastminute are selling these tickets and fooling the public. Be aware it will definately spoil your enjoyment!

    Lia Mon Dec 17 2012
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  • How could Time Out give Birthday the honour of being show of the week?? Either the offering that week in London was abysmal, or the reviewer had been smoking something very mind altering, because certainly not even "easily pleased from Welwyn Garden City" could have honestly thought this play was good. It was second-rate British TV sitcom from the beginning to end. A laboured premise (if you'll excuse the pun), cardboard characterisation (e.g. midwife and registrar) and not one funny line in the whole play. A disaster! Don't go!

    Simon Fri Jul 6 2012
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  • Duchess of Malfi- Old Vic: Visually stunning production but at 3 1/4 hours Mr. Spacey needs to talk to Jamie Lloyd - who seems like one of those children, who given too many toys for Christmas insists on playing with all of them at once. Webster's plotting is pedantic at best and it does not do to allow the audience to dwell on the leaps of time and logic that bedevil the text. Mr. Lloyd instists on explaining everything - slowly, directly and with deliberate focus. But what has kept the play in focus for the past 400 years is the language in all its beauty and epigramatic magnificence. Eve Best is wonderful and her transformations from duchess to lover, to mother, to victim and back to duchess again are clear and emotionally satisfying. Her brothers offer less clarity and compelling complexity. Harry Lloyd in particular, offered none of the perverted sexual power that drives him to lust after his sister while seeking her death to secure his release from his guilt. Understudy Adam Burton did well with the cardinal, but was perhaps more clinical than debauched. Fynbar Lynch brought an unexpected celtic quality to his Bosola and I missed his sense of ambition and secret power. His redemptive moments were however compelling and he held the narrative together beautifully. One last note - I think that the design elements of this play - while offering the standard Jacobean shape of curtained discovery space and multiple balconies made brilliant use of the theatres vast proscenium opening - truly magnificent.

    Tony Sun Mar 18 2012
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