Karen Bussell

Theater Critic at British Theatre Guide

Employment lawyer; theatre critic; lecturer

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Articles

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

4 days ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Supremely spectaculous and downright bonkers, the latest reworking of Bond creator Ian Fleming’s 1964 children’s story is fun and flighty. With the classic film firmly embedded in most of our minds, director Thom Southerland’s revamp is vibrant and pacy (at least after the rather lengthy buoyant overture and somewhat drawn-out introduction to the famed grand prix winner and Vulgarian skulduggery) and doesn’t disappoint.
In Search of Goldoni

4 days ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Saikat Ahamed packs (and unpacks) a torrent of emotion and humour in a very personal 95 uninterrupted minutes as he drags his family around a damp Venice in search of a prolific 18th century playwright. Aldo Vaxquez’s simple set—a metal bridge and shiny floor—and Rajiv Pattani’s lighting transports the tale from Venetian gondola and watery streets to Romford hospital and a mosque by way of a chair, box or book.
Kinky Boots The Musical

3 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Heart, heels and honesty abound in the brand-new Made at Curve production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical (based on a real story) Kinky Boots The Musical, currently touring the UK and Ireland.
Dear Evan Hansen

3 weeks ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Hugely complex, beautifully engaging and rather unsatisfactory, the 10-year-old Olivier and Tony Award-winning emotional rollercoaster Dear Evan Hansen continues to provoke difficult conversations. Dealing with the big, dark issues of teenage angst, tenuous friendships, exploitation of tragedy, mental health, the desperation to belong and fractured relationships magnified and skewed by social media, Steven Leverson somehow manages to still make the piece entertaining.
Cinderella from Birmingham Royal Ballet at The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth

1 month ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

A family-friendly fairy tale. Gone are the staging reductions and performer bubble constraints seen last time out hot on the heels of the COVID lockdown, and instead, all is opulent and bursting at the seams with sparkly sumptuousness. Carlos Acosta is now established at the BRB helm, and he masterfully directs the revival of Sir David Bintley’s award-winning three-act classic resplendent with sparkly corps de ballet pieces, ghastly and garish stepsisters, magicked animals and glittering coach.
The Adventures Of The Little Red Hen

1 month ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Charming. A sweet, homespun 60 minutes for tinies and adults alike tells the tale of the Little Red Hen’s quest to plant seeds in the hope of a loaf. Her farmyard friends—the football-loving pig, languid cow and lazy rat—are far too selfish to help her sow, water, reap and grind the wheat but rather too keen to help eat the final product. Maria Gray is the erstwhile, endearing chicken and Gareth Price-Baghurst everything else—puppeteer, helper and musician.
IMAGO from Pett|Clausen-Knight at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth

1 month ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

The powerful examination of toxicity in a relationship coupled with the language of flowers is the unlikely premise for James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight’s IMAGO. Fixating on the word and one of its several meanings—to emerge, butterfly-like, from darkness striving to be one’s perfect self—Clausen-Knight initiated the mesmerising piece as the duo explore connections, façades, heartbreak, abuse, desperation and anxiety—and probably more (or maybe less).
Mary Poppins from Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Group at The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth

2 months ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Just a spoonful each of Walt Disney, Matthew Bourne, Cameron Mackintosh and Bob Crowley and there’s a practically perfect family musical in Mary Poppins. Playing to packed houses, the unbeatable creative quartet has crafted a spectacular show to enchant youngsters and oldies alike. Based on the stories of P L Travers and the Disney film, Stefanie Jones is spit spot-on as the magical nanny, the practically perfect answer to the Banks children’s advert.
Mid Life from Diverse City in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth

2 months ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

A show about mid-life women by a mid-life woman and based on anthropologist Dr Isabel de Salis’s research into 50 menopausal women for over 10 years, Mid Life is poignant, funny, over-reaching and frustrating by turns. There is a lot packed into just 90 uninterrupted minutes, from the physical and mental effects of perimenopause and menopause, to changing relationships with mothers and children, to the impact of upbringing, ageing, sexuality, race, becoming adult orphans and much more.
Amplify from Richard Chappell Dance at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth

2 months ago | britishtheatreguide.info | Karen Bussell

Richard Chappell Dance presents a mixed bill—both in terms of content and enjoyment—celebrating the relationship between dance and music, narrative and the world around us. Performances from early career choreographers Juan Sánchez Plaza and Cornwall-based Aisha Namaani and a piece by Plymouth’s Rhythm City Dance keep it very local, while one of two extracts from RCD’s acclaimed creations was inspired by Chappell’s own childhood on the South Devon coast.