Live Theatre Struggles on in London by Bill Russell.

Live theatre in London struggles on – 2023 offered plenty of variety but when it came to compiling that list of the top whatever I found it difficult to pick things that seem likely to stand the test of time, an evening that one will never forget. Did Andrew Scott doing Uncle Vanya alone, a stunning feat of memory and versatility, merit a place, or was it Mark Gatiss conjuring up the ghost of Sir John Gielgud in The Motive and the Cue? Of the musicals it probably was the productions of Pacific Overtures at the Menier, one of Sondheim’s more difficult works, and Nicholas Hutner’s sparkling immersive staging of was Guys and Dolls at the Bridge that stood out. But they were revivals of shows given a fresh breath of life not something new. Among the plays there was the pleasing pairing of Sir Ian McKellen and Roger Allam in Ben Weatherill’s Frank and Percy and the National’s Dear England about Gareth Southgate which was magnificently staged . But whether one will say in years to come that one was there on the night is another matter. And, as with any review like this it all depends on what I saw and I certainly did not see everything on the London stage West End or Fringe and in the nature of things nothing in a theatre near you. Stars are deceptive – you look back at what you gave and think - Was it really that good? I must have enjoyed it on the night if I awarded them but looking at the handful I gave five to I had to reread the review to recall the reason for bestowing them. I am reluctant to ever award more than four anyway. Perhaps one should award the stars to theatres like the tiny Finborough in West Kensington which has rescued some fine plays from oblivion or the slightly larger Jermyn Street theatre in the West End which never shirks a challenge. I have never awarded nil stars as no matter how bad something is the actors deserve at least one star for actually doing the wretched thing.

Stars are quite simply a marketing device. Getting four or more allows the producer to put them on the poster with a one word declaration to each at most and everyone is impressed by the galaxy they are presented with and in a sense co-erced into going. Whether they ever read the actual review is anybody’s guess. For me 1* means the show got performed but don’t blame me if you ignored what I said about it and found it awful. You were warned had you bothered to look. 2** mean the cast knew their lines and it passed the time. 3*** mean it is well worth seeking out but probably is not going to be an experience of a lifetime. 4**** mean the evening delivers what is says on the label, and could even be one you will remember ever after. Of the handful of 5***** reviews time has led me to conclude they mostly should have been awarded 4**** and like those audiences which have adopted the ghastly American habit of leaping to their feet at the end of pretty well anything I just got carried away. As for what lies ahead in 2024 – that will surely be written in the stars.