Jim Compton-Hall

London

Contributor at The Upcoming

Copywriter & Founder, Jim Writes Stuff. 2 parts nice guy, 1 part sarcastic dickhead and 8 parts Coca-Cola.

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Articles

Cruel Britannia: After Frankenstein at The Glitch | Theatre review

1 week ago | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

Cruel Britannia: After Frankenstein at The Glitch | Theatre reviewA powerful and important one-woman play that too few people will see. It’s the 80s. Thatcher’s Britain. Frank navigates masculine bravado and West Ham away days while Ruby navigates sexual encounters and Heaven nightclub. There is huge conflict between the two of them. Ruby watches Frank and his life of football hooliganism, while for a long time, Frank refuses to believe Ruby even exists.
The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse | Theatre review

3 weeks ago | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

It’s Ancient Greece, but the time is the present. Based loosely on an Ancient Greek play of the same name by Aristophanes, The Frogs was adapted for modern times by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove, turning it into a fun-loving musical. Dionysis, god of the theatre, is worried about the direction the world is going in. He talks about leaders lying and people just sitting around letting things happen instead of speaking up.
Shucked at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre | Theatre review

1 month ago | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre hosts this new corn-based musical from across the pond, a non-stop laughfest with so many jokes it’s a miracle they managed to fit any songs in. Shucked is the story of a small American town where they grow corn. But one day, the corn starts dying, and no one can figure out why. Maizy (Sophie McShera) heads into the big city to find help, leaving her fiancé, Beau, behind, and returns with a shady conman in tow who claims he can help revive the corn.
Hamlet at Barbican Theatre | Theatre review

2 months ago | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

This is Hamlet, but not as you know it. It’s a lively and fast-paced reimagining that weaves the experiences of Shakespeare’s characters with the experiences of the cast. Peru’s Teatro La Plaza presents this Spanish language adaptation of Hamlet, bringing the show and its cast half-way across the world to the stage at the Barbican, where it feels right at home. It’s a play about identity, inclusion and life.
The Play’s the Thing at Wilton’s Music Hall | Theatre review

2 months ago | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

The Play’s the Thing at Wilton’s Music Hall | Theatre reviewAn impressive one-person showing of Hamlet at the ever-stunning Wilton’s Music Hall. What happens when you try to stage a famously long and large Shakespeare play with just one actor and in just 100 minutes? In most cases, an incredible mess, one would imagine. But Director Fiona Laird has toiled hard to develop a masterful show. The King of Denmark has died, and his brother has taken the throne.
The Glass Menagerie at Yard Theatre | Theatre review

Mar 13, 2025 | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

Tennessee Williams’s first successful play becomes the last to be shown at the Yard Theatre in the building’s current form before its exciting rebirth in 2026. The Glass Menagerie is a story told through the character of Tom Wingfield (played by Tom Varey). He introduces the narrative as his memory of a time when he was living with his mother, Amanda (Sharon Small), and sister, Laura (Eva Morgan). Set in 1930s America, the show very much showcases the gender roles of the time.
Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East | Theatre review

Feb 14, 2025 | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

George Orwell’s great modern classic is brought back to the stage in this both beautiful and brutal adaptation. Tired of doing all the work and never seeing any reward for it while Farmer Jones lives it up on the spoils, the animals of Manor Farm rise up in revolt and take over the farm themselves. The animals declare all are equal and vote together on resolutions for the farm. But soon their leaders, the pigs, start to succumb to the corrupting nature of power.
Cymbeline at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse | Theatre review

Jan 23, 2025 | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

Culture Theatre Cymbeline at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse | Theatre review Dates 22nd January - 20th April 2025Price £5-£75 A rare find for Shakespeare collectors, Cymbeline returns to the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse with vim and vigour. The Roman Empire is angry that Britain has not been paying her dues and war is imminent.
Sh!t Theatre: Or What’s Left of Us at Soho Theatre | Theatre review

Nov 20, 2024 | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

Culture Theatre Sh!t Theatre: Or What’s Left of Us at Soho Theatre | Theatre review Sh!t Theatre: Or What’s Left of UsDates 18th November 2024 - 1st March 2025Price £13-23 Cult-hit Sh!t Theatre are back with a joke-laden folk music sing-a-long that’s unexpectedly powerful.
Rocky Horror Show at Dominion Theatre | Theatre review

Sep 11, 2024 | theupcoming.co.uk | Jim Compton-Hall

Culture Theatre Rocky Horror Show at Dominion Theatre | Theatre review Dates 6th September - 20th September 2024Price £25-£110 50 years on from its original debut, Rocky Horror Show returns again, not with a whimper but with a bang. Brad and Janet get a flat tyre during a storm and seek refuge in a nearby castle. That’s about where the sanity ends, if there ever was any.