... Satire targets the Ken riddle Almeida Snogging Ken This 40 minute late-night piece d'occasion by Tariq Ali, Howard Brenton and Andy de la Tour anticipates the London mayoral election with satire and telling commentary. The authors take it as read that Livingstone is unbeatable and that the only reason Frank Dobson is in the race is the prime minister's Thatcher-like hatred of Ken. Taking off ...

... The Ultimate Man Bridewell As one mega musical after another opens in the West End this summer, a modest offering such as this is a welcome and entertaining surprise. The idea itself may not be particularly new the comic book world meets the real world, good tussles with evil, integrity wins the day (City of Angels covered similar ground), but this creative team still have a few innovative, if ...

... Prophet in Exile Chelsea Centre Nadim Sawalha's new play, the last in this venue's Around the World season, is inspired by the life and work of Kahlil Gibran, author of pop mysticism classic The Prophet. Like many exiles, Gibran--whose family emigrated from Turkish-dominated Lebanon to America in 1893 led a life of contradiction. Was he, the play boldly asks, a visionary or a fraud? After a ...

... Quarantine Birmingham Four travellers embark on 40 days and nights in the wilderness of Judaea 2,000 years ago. The kindly Aphas seeks healing from cancer, the ascetic Shim seeks enlightenment, barren Marta wants a baby and dumb Badu desires the power of speech or so we presume. They are exploited by Musa, a merchant, but look to Gaily, a Galilean healer, for a miracle and salvation. Bill ...

... Noel and Gertie Keswick Sparkling and witty, this production is the fitting fifth and final offering of the first full summer season at the new Theatre by the Lake. Devised by Sheridan Morley and featuring the words and music of Noel Coward, it tells the story of his legendary partnership with the actress Gertrude Lawrence, from their early juve nile meeting as child actors at the Liverpool ...

... Another Country Arts Julian Mitchell's play, first seen nearly 20 years ago, has many of the drawbacks of writing a thesis to support a supposition. Having noticed that three of the four leading spies of the last century were public school educated homosexuals, he predicates that those two circumstances were sufficient to make them betray their country. The period is 1932, the school is ...

... The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde BITEOO: Barbican Theatre Wilde cast his wife Constance as the Good Woman, a boring sub-plot to his own notorious life of triumph, transgression and tragedy. Drawing heavily on historic sources, Thomas Kilroy's play, first staged at the Abbey in 1998, attempts to place her centre- stage, outspoken and independent, a woman beset by childhood demons, staunchly ...

... Storeys Finborough Amid an urban wasteland stands a disused tower block whose baleful shadow falls across the local community. As Deborah, a hardworking doctor, tries to patch up the festering social problems of this poor neighbourhood, her artist boy-friend George fantasises about how to put the building to a new use. Meanwhile, the big money arrives in the shape of Lucy, a bank executive ...

... Bedroom Farce Scarborough Back for a celebratory 25th anniversary production at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, this is the first time Ayckboum has directed this work in the round. In fact he has not directed the piece at all since he shared duties with Peter Hall at the National in 1977 And it really is a case of back to the seventies, with plenty of paisley patterned clothing, green corduroy ...

... Jamaica House Eastwood/Touring Nottingham Playhouse has created this two+tander by Paul Sirett specifically to tour smaller venues in the East Midlands. The Jamaica House of the title is a sixties tower block where demolition is imminent and where Jean, a former resident, returns with the intention of taking her life. As time runs out, Jean's encounter with 17-year-old Narshi reveals her to ...

... Musik Plymouth Set in Germany in 1906, Wedekind's work has been translated by Neil Fleming, who admits to rewrites from the original. A music teacher seduces one of his pupils. The girl falls preg nant and is jailed for the crime, as is the abortionist. The girl accepts the weight of guilt. The music professor and his wife, and society at large, see the girl as the guilty party. The man's part ...

... A Bit of a Blow Fareham/Touring The Forest Forge Theatre Company continues to amaze with the quality of its shows that tour village halls, schools and community centres, on this occasion appearing at Cams Hill School. This play, devised by the company, must rank as one of their finest yet. Within this beautifully created story of a village brass band, three marvellous actors simulta neously ...