Selected reviews by Anya Ryan, freelance theatre critic for publications including the Guardian, the Independent and the Stage.
Anya Ryan is journalist, specialising in culture and lifestyle content for publications including The Guardian, The i, The Stage, the Independent, Metro and Stylist.
She has also worked at companies including the BBC and ITV.
More about Anya Ryan:
The Guardian Bio & Articles | The Stage Bio & Articles | The Independent Bio & Articles | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Beautiful Thing at the Theatre Royal Stratford East (2023)
★★★★
"Time has turned Johnathan Harvey’s classic ’90s queer play into a period piece, but this thirtieth-anniversary revival is powerfully affecting"…
TimeOut
Mlima’s Tale at the Kiln Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Lynn Nottage’s experimental drama about the ivory trade is punchy but it feels like there could be more to it"…
TimeOut
The Little Big Things at the @sohoplace Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Beautifully big-hearted pop musical based on Henry Fraser’s inspirational memoir" "Both Henrys give performances mighty enough to tear your soul.…
TimeOut
Private Lives at the Ambassadors Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers star in this breezily enjoyable production of Coward’s timeless comedy" "Pour yourself a cocktail, darling,…
TimeOut
The Crown Jewels at the Garrick Theatre (2023)
★
"Despite Mel Giedroyc and Al Murray, this is a vulgar, tragic mess" "A cast stuffed with British comedy talent is…
i News
Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Breathes fresh injustice into the horrors" "This devastating verbatim play reminds us: simply remembering the dead is not enough" "Gillian…
i News
The Empress at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon (2023)
★★
"More dryly explanatory than fiercely revelatory" "An important historical retelling that lacks an emotional core" "If scale makes good drama,…
The Stage
Re-Member Me at the Hampstead Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Shrewd and eloquent" "A striking meditation on life and death through the words of Hamlet" "Re-member Me, Dickie Beau’s original…
The Stage
Blanket Ban at the Southwark Playhouse Borough (2023)
★★★★
"Hard-hitting docu play about Malta’s oppressive total ban on abortions" "‘Blanket Ban’ is a protest and incisive call to action."…
TimeOut
Richard III at the Liverpool Playhouse / Rose Theatre Kingston (2023)
★★
"Adjoa Andoh follows up her excellent Richard II with this messy, malfunctioning take on his diabolical namesake" (Rose Theatre Kingston)…
TimeOut
No ID at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"Tatenda Shamiso’s brave, joyous autobiographical show about his life as a Black transgender immigrant" "What a gift of a show…
TimeOut
Animal at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★
"Fails to snap into motion" "Meandering exploration of what dating is like for disabled people" "... though there are vivid,…
The Stage
For Black Boys Who Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at the Apollo Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"A moving meditation on Black masculinity" "Underneath the pain in Ryan Calais Cameron’s powerful play there is an abundance of…
The Guardian
Sleepova at the Bush Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A captivating safe space for teenage dreams and fears" "Four girls joke, squabble and share their secrets in this exhilarating…
The Guardian
The Winter's Tale at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★★
"Sean Holmes’s magical ‘Winter’s Tale’ totally pulls off its daring use of both Globe theatres" "For the first time, the…
TimeOut
Winner's Curse at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★
"Clive Anderson’s warmth can’t revive this dodo" "This interactive play by a former diplomat about working in negotiation feels like…
The Guardian
Sound of the Underground at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"An evening of party, celebration and confession" "Riot of a show exploring the realities of the queer club scene" "In…
The Stage
George Takei's Allegiance at the Charing Cross Theatre (2023)
★★
"‘Star Trek’ legend Takei stars in this sadly underpowered musical inspired by his own childhood experiences of a Japanese internment…
TimeOut
On The Ropes at the Park Theatre (2023)
"Moving autobiographical drama about Vernon Vanriel" "It is an unquestionably powerful drama, not least because it’s true. But stuffing someone’s…
TimeOut
Paradise Now! at the Bush Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Margaret Perry’s corporate satire is meandering but hugely enjoyable" "Perry’s play is a thorough look into the highs and lows…
TimeOut
Sarah at the The Coronet Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Pungent story of self-destruction" "Jonathan Slinger is the antihero – and all the other characters – in an adaptation of…
The Guardian
Elephant at the Bush Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Magnetic monologue on mixed-race identity in Britain" "In her melodic debut play, Anoushka Lucas asks difficult questions about her own…
The Guardian
A Single Man at the Park Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Intriguing but somewhat distant stage version of Christopher Isherwood’s poignant novel" "n Simon Reade’s adaptation, directed by Philip Wilson, George’s…
TimeOut
Good at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★★
"David Tennant is hypnotic in muddled Nazi drama" "Dominic Cooke’s revival of CP Taylor’s 1982 play, about a liberal professor…
The Independent
The P Word at the Bush Theatre (2022)
★★★
"The actors shine" "It’s complicated being Pakistani and gay – and Waleed Akhtar’s The P Word doesn’t flinch from it."…
The Stage
I, Joan at the Shakespeare's Globe (2022)
★★★★
"Non-binary Joan of Arc proves a rousing protest piece" "Isobel Thom gives a visceral, courageous performance as France’s patron saint,…
The Guardian
Millennials at the The Other Palace (2022)
★★★
"Easy to see why it's a TikTok sensation" "It might not get to the core of the millennial experience, but…
The Stage
Jitney at the Old Vic Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"A captivating revival" "Tinuke Craig’s exquisite revival peels back the walls of their crumbling workplace, allowing us to enter it…
TimeOut
Grease at the Dominion Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Slick" "Nikolai Foster’s .. has replaced all the twee of the fan favourite with something darker." "All the joy of…
The Stage
The 47th at the The Old Vic (2022)
★★★★
"Bertie Carvel’s hypnotic Trump is a whirlwind, career-defining performance" "Mike Bartlett’s new play, set in 2024 with Donald Trump gearing…
The Independent
Anyone Can Whistle at the Southwark Playhouse (2022)
★★★
"A revival that celebrates diversity" "Sondheim described his show as a “cartoon”, which seems a fitting description for Rankcom’s fantastically…
The Stage
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre (2021)
★★★★★
"A thunderous, sometimes terrifying adaptation" "Joel Horwood’s thunderous adaptation finds wonder even in the most unremarkable of moments." "While the…
The Independent
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