Aleks Sierz

London

Contributor at The Arts Desk

Theater Critic at Freelance

New writing for theatre, watching, reviewing, writing, reading, eating, drinking, sleeping...

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Articles

Personal Values, Hampstead Theatre review - deep grief that's too brief

1 day ago | theartsdesk.com | Aleks Sierz

“They fuck you up your Mum and Dad; they may not mean to, but they do.” These lines from Philip Larkin’s 1975 poem, “This Be the Verse”, sum up the emotional fuel of many recent plays by young writers. They certainly apply to Personal Values, Chloë Lawrence-Taylor’s debut, which is currently running in the studio at the Hampstead Theatre.
Personal Values, Hampstead Theatre review - deep grief that’s too brief

1 day ago | theartsdesk.com | Aleks Sierz

“They fuck you up your Mum and Dad; they may not mean to, but they do.” These lines from Philip Larkin’s 1975 poem, “This Be the Verse”, sum up the emotional fuel of many recent plays by young writers. They certainly apply to Personal Values, Chloë Lawrence-Taylor’s debut, which is currently running in the studio at the Hampstead Theatre.
Playfight - Aleks Sierz

3 days ago | sierz.co.uk | Aleks Sierz

Favourite stage direction: “An oak tree. It’s centuries old. Seen it all.
Julia Grogan’s Playfight at the Soho Theatre: Superbly Punchy Teen Drama That Electrifies The Senses And Engages The Emotions

1 week ago | thetheatretimes.com | Aleks Sierz

Coming of age stories are more or less all the same. But what distinguishes Julia Grogan’s Playfight, which was first staged at the Edinburgh Festival last year, and is now at London’s Soho Theatre as part of a national tour, is the sheer energy of the story. This is the kind of new writing that roars on stage, kicks over anything in its way, and fizzes and flares with coruscating wit, lurid imagery and — above all — a real sense of pulsing life.
All the Happy Things, Soho Theatre review - deep feelings, but little drama

1 week ago | theartsdesk.com | Aleks Sierz

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. Or words to that effect. This quote from Milton’s Paradise Lost seems apt when thinking about the prevalence of mental health issues in current new writing for British stages. Perhaps this subject reflects the long shadow of the pandemic, or our greater sensitivity to such conditions.
Manhunt, Royal Court review - terrifyingly toxic masculinity

1 week ago | theartsdesk.com | Aleks Sierz

Are we really in “a new era of male anger, societal discontent and rage”? This is what Royal Court artistic director David Byrne claims in the programme of Manhunt, Robert Icke’s new documentary play about Raoul Moat. Weak thought, because surely there has never been a decade in which toxic masculinity was not a problem.
Manhunt, Royal Court review - terrifyingly toxic masculinity

1 week ago | theartsdesk.com | Aleks Sierz

Are we really in “a new era of male anger, societal discontent and rage”? This is what Royal Court artistic director David Byrne claims in the programme of Manhunt, Robert Icke’s new documentary play about Raoul Moat. Weak thought, because surely there has never been a decade in which toxic masculinity was not a problem.
Robert Icke’s Manhunt at the Royal Court Theatre: Terrifyingly Powerful Account Of Toxic Masculinity And Murderous Rage

1 week ago | thetheatretimes.com | Aleks Sierz

Are we really in “a new era of male anger, societal discontent and rage”? This is what Royal Court artistic director David Byrne claims in the programme of Manhunt, Robert Icke’s new documentary play. Weak thought, because surely there has never been a decade in which toxic masculinity was not a problem. The current success of Jack Thorne’s Adolescence on Netflix certainly shows that we are more than ever fascinated by its roots in boyhood, but male rage has a very long backstory.
Apex Predator - Aleks Sierz

2 weeks ago | sierz.co.uk | Aleks Sierz

Text of the day: “Smile, not smile, keys in hand, don’t make eye contact but be aware of your surroundings, mirror signal manoeuvre, it’s like driving in traffic all the time, it’s exhausting! I see it in you too sometimes, like you could hurt me.” (Mia in John Donnelly’s Apex Predator) Apex Predator feminism Hampstead Theatre John Donnelly marriage sexual violence toxic masculinity violence against women women...
Rhinoceros, Almeida Theatre review - joyously absurd and absurdly joyful

2 weeks ago | theartsdesk.com | Aleks Sierz

Is the theatre of the absurd dead? In today’s world, when cruel and crazy events happen almost daily, the idea that you can satirize daily life by exaggerating its latent irrationalities seems redundant. For this reason, perhaps, revivals of plays by Eugène Ionesco have been rather infrequent in recent years. His masterpiece, Rhinoceros, which was first staged in 1959 and is now revived at the Almeida Theatre, does present a challenge.