... Mad for Love Riverside Studios The Spanish title of Lope de Vega's romantic comedy means 'the stupid lady', which better describes the story of Bnea, a vivacious girl who acts dumb to keep her marital options open. Her sister Nise. bnght and well-read, has a string of eager admirers. But Finea's dowry has to be increased fourfold in the hope of attracting a potential hus band who can put up ...

... The Guns of August White Bear An excellent cast under the direction of Syd Golder and Christina Saremoe creates a sure sense of the patriotic pride and heartbreak, even the speech and behavioural style, of a prosperous English family living through four years of the Great War. This is an exceptional achievement. given the limited resources of both Golder's Elephant produc tion company and this ...

... Upstairs at the Landor Side by Side by Sondheim A revue show like Side by Side by Sondheim can work with basic sets and costumes, but there can be no scrimping on talent. Lucky, then, that this small but perfectly formed cast has enough of the latter to pulf off a successful production. An intimate space sucn as this lends itself to such entertain ment, and director Mark Woolgar (staging by ...

... Not in My Backyard Stonehouse/Touring The Festival Players, under the direction of Trish Knight-Webb, are currently touring the West Country with Frank Hatt's new play Not in My Backyard. It concerns an ill-assorted group of protesters who, having scored a hit with direct action against a supermarket project, proceed to fall out with each other. Sectional interests are, how ever, put aside ...

... Production has staying power London Coliseum Ariadne on Naxos This revival of Graham Vick's 1983 production of Ariadne on Naxos confirms its staying power. It contains many of Vick's stylistic trademarks in embryo. Designer Russell Craig pro vides a mildly-raked wooden thrust with an 18th Century archi tectural back facade for the Prologue and a swagged curtain and pavilion for the Naxos set ...

... South West Entertainer of the Year Awards Paignton Held at the Inn on the Green, South West Entertainer of the Year Awards has become more and more prestigious as the years have gone by. This year, the overall standard was remarkably high and in three cases I thought the acts were outstanding. Anne George, who now runs the agency, is one of the most stylish, assured and accom plished ...

... Street Cries Alison Mercer Camden People's Theatre Helped along with bursts of rockabilly music and jokey costumes, Mitch Binns' play provides a colourful picture of 24 hours in the life of London. Stocked with Dickensian grotesques, puns and songs, it does not shy away from excess, yet at the same time its crazy observations about the city are spot on. In addition, Binns strides on to the ...

... The Wolves Bridewell/Touring Michael Punter has leapt to prominence with commissions from Hampstead Theatre, the NT Studio and BBC Radio. But Vicky Featherstone, new artistic director at Paines Plough, gets in first with this premiere of his splendidly assured romantic thriller, set in a pig farmer's cottage on the snow- swept southern reaches of the former Soviet empire. The local regime ...

... Cider with Rosie Liverpool In a world of pinafores and picnics, hard work and patience, where nothing went faster than the horse, Laurie Lee created Cider with Rosie in the fold of a Cotswold valley. Richard Williams' mellow and sunlit tactile production at the Playhouse expands the world of fat summers and thin winters with a cast that successfully comes and goes in various roles. The ...

... Raw Women and Cooked Men Croydon But the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes! cried the wise little child. There are moments in this baffling display when one wants to stand up and shout: Enough! Stop!, then ask individual audience members just exactly why they are laughing. This Cardiff-based European Live Arts Network's production at the Warehouse claims to look at lust and desire, and the ...

... Give Me Your Answer, Do Dublin In his latest play at the Abbey, the question Brian Friel poses is what is a writer? On a summer's day in Donegal he gathers a group at the home of Tom Connolly, writer, and starts the questioning. Tom's manuscripts are being evaluated by a representative from a Texan university. His decision could remove Tom and his wife Daisy from the shadow of debt and ...

... What the Butler Saw Harrogate Just the tonic for those extremely nice people at Harrogate Theatre. After a week of gloom and shell-shock regarding the funding crisis, they had gales of first night laughter with What the Butler Saw. There could hardly have been a better choice. Joe Orton's anarchic and blessedly intelligent farce is given the necessary exuberant treat ment, though a lack of ...