Never So Good - TNT

Socialist playwright Howard Brenton's unexpectedly sympathetic account of "Supermac" — Conservative Prime Minister (1957-1963) Harold Macmillan — reaches back even further than the four decades of his political career to touch on the suspicion of a schoolboy affair at Eton and dramatise his courage in World War I. He shows Macmillan as a shrewd politician and intelligent negotiator who, by the time the Profumo scandal forced him from office, found himself way out of step with Britain in the swinging '60s. Jeremy Irons conveys the isolated, work-driven diffidence of the older Macmillan, diplomatically turning a blind eye to his wife's lifelong affair, while his younger self (Pip Carter in military uniform) doggedly feeds his insecurities from the sidelines in this ambitious portrayal of a gentleman from another era.
Lyttelton at the National South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000) Until August 14. £41-£10

War and Peace - TNT

Adaptor Helen Edmundson has done a fine job of filleting the 1400+ pages of Tolstoy's 1860's epic novel into the two 3-hour episodes of Shared Experience's lucid and atmospheric production. Like ghostly shadows, the characters emerge from the tarnished mirrors of the Hermitage where Des McAleer's old attendant keeps watch in the present day. But they quickly burst into flesh-and-blood nineteenth century life as the paths of wealthy Pierre (Barnaby Kay giving an excellent portrayal of a man not quite at ease in his own skin) and the families of his disillusioned friend Prince Andreiand of carefree young aristocrat Natasha cross and recross whilst the Napoleonic invasion progresses.
With simple props (a scattering of gilt frames, some chairs, a piano) and swift costume changes, the 15-strong cast create a contrasting world of love and loss, balls and battles during this troubled period of Russian history. Louise Ford's luminous Natasha (her girlish vivacity tempered by life's cruelty and disappointments) and Katie Wimpenny's devout Princess Maria, longing for love and escape from her cantankerous tyrant of a father (Jeffrey Kissoon) are amongst those who impress in this fluid and (for the most part) engrossing adaptation.
Hampstead, Eton Avenue, NW3 (020-7722 9301). Until May 11. £23-£20 double bill £36-£30.

The Black and White Ball - TNT

At least part of the enjoyment of this charmingly old-fashioned but likeable new musical mystery comes from the vastly improved seating at this popular pub theatre. The tables have been removed and, at last, you can sit back onthe functional but adequately padded bench seating and concentrate on what's happening on stage.
Not that one needs to pay too much attention to work out who, back in the late 40's at a masked Manhattan ball, shot Chris Ellis-Stanton's successful hick novelist Jay on the very night he intended to reveal his next manuscript. But there's a stylish period feel to the whole enterprise – the vintage high society costumes. the careful hair styles, and the noirish construction as Leah (herself now a writer) revisits the scene of the crime and, twenty years after the event, tries to remember exactly what it was she witnessed when she was only a child.
I didn't believe a word of it, but Cole Porter's songs are nicely integrated into the narrative and (as the drag queen befriended by the troubled Jay) Mark McGee throws a hissy fit and dances the can-can with equal panache.
Kings Head Theatre, Upper Street, NI. (0844-890 0149). Until May 4. £20- £25 (concessions available).

Jersey Boys - TNT

A mega success on Broadway, this hit-crammed musical follows the rags-to-riches story of The Four Seasons, the working class guys from New Jersey who made it big in the '60s with sing-a-long numbers such as Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry and Walk Like A Man. Each member gets a turn to tell his side of the story — the early days of petty crime, the disagreements, the dubious (and, as portrayed here, fairly benign) Mafia connections, the broken marriages and endless touring.The show doesn't delve too deeply, but the cast do the songs proud — with Ryan Molloy eerily reproducing Frankie Valli's distinctive falsetto as he joins harmonious forces with Glenn Carter's Tommy DeVito, Philip Bulcock's Nick Massi and Stephen Ashfield's precocious Bob Gaudio.
Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton St, W1 (0844-482 5151). Until October 18. £20-£60

Into the Hoods - TNT

Inspired by Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" ZooNation and their director Kate Prince have updated his basic premise to give his combination of well known fairytales an excitingly streetwise transformation in which two young school kids play truant and find themselves in the urban ghetto of a high-rise council housing estate.Here they cross paths with drug dealers and a DJ, an irresponsible baby father and a two-timing lothario as the tower block landlord sends them in search of birthday presents for his daughter Rap-on-Zel's birthday.
On the list are "a hoodie as red as blood" (worn by wannabe singer Lil Red), "an iPod as white as milk", corn yellow hair extensions and pure gold trainers - which will, of course, only fit the feet of Teneisha Bonner's toned Spinderella, but most definitely not those of her Ugly Sisters (glaringly, incongruously male in their oversized wigs and undersized dresses).
It's tremendous fun as they all street dance their way through this hip-hop fairytale remix, body-popping, break-dancing and literally bouncing off the walls to the eclectic precorded soundtrack which adds Barry White, Prince and James Brown to Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers. The whole amazing cast, including the kids, performs with an irresistibly infectious exuberance, but it's tiny Annie Edwards' Fairy Gee, clad in gold from top to toe, who almost steals the show as she helps vinyl-spinning Spinderella get ready for her big night.
Novello. Aldwych, WC2. (0844-482 5170). Extended to June 7. Tickets £39.50-£15

Testing the Echo - TNT

David Edgar's well-researched and entertaining new play makes a mockery of the idea of citizenship in Matthew Dunster's rapid production for Out of Joint. The cast of eight switches personalities and nationalities with the swift addition of an ethnic headdress or change of hairstyle as Teresa Banham's Emma (white, educated, middleclass and discreetly Jewish) tries to inculcate the idiosyncrasies of the English language and of Britishness in her diverse immigrant class. Illustrating the ludicrous elements of the test they'll be required to take with questions that even those born and bred in this country would find virtually impossible to answer, Edgar points up the difficulty of defining the essence of what has already become a multicultural nation.And, ironically, none of the would-be Brits want to gain citizenship for love of queen and country. An unhappily married Ukrainian is desperate to ensure she won't be deported if she leaves her strictly Muslim spouse, ex-junkie Mahmood wants to impress his father, and modestly dressed Egyptian Nasim takes serious offence when asked to discuss a full English breakfast – pork sausage and all. Tolerance, it seems, can sometimes be a one-sided commodity.
Tricycle. Kilburn High Road, NW6. (020-7328 1000). Until May 3. Tickets £20-£10.

God of Carnage - TNT

Like her huge hit Art, Yasmina Reza's new play is 90 minutes long and portrays apparently civilised middle-class protagonists falling out big time. Alain and Annette's son has knocked out a couple of another 11-year-old's teeth and his parents have summoned them to their blood-red living room to resolve the matter amicably. But it's not just their offspring who have behaviour problems. A starry cast impresses — Ralph Fiennes' supercilious, mobile-fixated lawyer Alain; Tamsin Greig's Annette projectile vomiting all over her hosts' coffee table; Janet McTeer's sanctimonious Veronique and Ken Stott's defiantly uncouth Michel. But, in essence, this is little more than a mildly diverting comedy of antisocial manners — bolstered by accomplished performances and awkwardly garnished with a hint of social conscience.
Gielgud, Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (0844-482 5130). Until June 14. £12.50-£47.50

Visiting Mr Green - TNT

Jeff Baron's first play has been seen all over the world – from Mexico to Serbia and from Japan to South Africa - since it first surfaced in Massachusetts in 1996. It's not a great piece of work – and the basic scenario is familiar - but this sympathetic two-hander will touch a nerve with anyone who has ever had to deal with a cantankerous elderly relative who desperately needs help but refuses to accept it.
Octogenarian Warren Mitchell (who previously played the part in Australia) reprises the role of 86 year old Mr Green, a Jewish New Yorker who (since the recent death of his beloved wife of almost six decades) has ignored the post and barely bothered to eat. So when smart young corporate executive Ross arrives in his apartment (bearing soup and ready to tidy up) he's none too welcoming - especially when he realises that Ross is only there because he's been sentenced to 6 months' community service for almost running him over. Predictably, over the weeks, chinks appear in the crotchety widower's armour, skeletons are prised out of cupboards and closet doors are opened to reveal areas of both similarity and seemingly irreconcilable difference.
Gideon Turner charms as the reluctantly solitary Ross (who has fallen out with his own family because of his sexual orientation) and Mitchell (doddery on his pins but with perfect timing and nuanced delivery) embodies all the frailties and belligerent resilience of old age in a gentle but sentimental production.
Trafalgar Studios, Whitehall, SW1. 0870-060 6632. Until May 10. Tickets £42.50 - £20

Seven Deadly Sins - TNT

Love 'em or loathe 'em, the once seen, never to be forgotten Tiger Lillies are quite unlike anything else around. Their macabre contribution to the award-winning "Shockheaded Peter" brought them to the attention of a wider, theatre-going audience but it's done nothing to temper the deranged seediness of their decadent and sleazy lyrics. For their latest work, they've joined forces with performer Nathan Evans and burlesque artist Ophelia Bitz to illustrate the troubled path from paradise to hell by way of the seven deadly sins. The result is a disconcerting mixture of obscenePunch & Jude puppet show (in which she is now a he), fire-eating and otherworldly songs which sometimes meander but exert a gruesome fascination all the same. To illustrate Gluttony, the voluptuous Bitz scoffs a banana whilst percussionist Adrian Huge reaches down into the toilet he's sitting on, extricates the shitty contents and (to a chorus of amplified fart noises) chucks turds into the stalls. There are songs about sex and drugs and a big black dildo accompanied by Adrian Stout creating eerie sounds on bass and musical saw. A rubber baby doll doubles as a drumstick. Not one for the faint-hearted, then, or the prim and proper. But lead vocalist Martyn Jacques (apparently a trained opera singer who spent years living above a Soho brothel) is extraordinary. With his face painted white and his mouth a stitched, black gash, his voice ranges from the gravelly depths of a twisted Tom Waits to a screeching, accusatory falsetto and, as he squeezes his bright green accordion, there's a mesmerising fusion of gypsy, pre-war Berlin and sheer bad taste which proves irresistible.
New Players, The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2. 0870-429 6883. Until April 26. Tickets £19.50-15.

Maria Friedman: Re-arranged - TNT

Even on a Sunday matinee, award-winning Maria Friedman gave it all she's got - and certainly made one elderly gentleman's day – in her new solo show. Summoned from the front row, he was roped into dancing with the versatile songstress – and certainly fared better than another chap plucked from the audience to taste one of Mrs Lovett's gruesome, pussycat-filled pies in a comic song from Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Backed by an eleven-strong band, Friedman's expressive voice floods the intimate auditorium with an eclectic range from Purcell to Suzanne Vega, by way of Randy Newman, Leonard Bernstein and Irving Berlin. Sometimes the "rearranging" goes a step too far – You Are My Sunshine sounds almost miserable. But Kate Bush's The Man With A Child In His Eyes is a heartfelt treat and, even in a whirlwind rendition of Jacques Brel's Play The Song Again, every word is crystal clear. Friedman has, apparently, selected the songs from among her favourites, and (though her links sometimes irritate and her choices might not all be to your taste) you can't help but admire her range – dramatically, vocally and (as she moves easily from comedy to heartbreak) emotionally.
Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, SE1 (020-7907 7060). Until May 4. £20 (meal deals available).

Major Barbara - TNT

George Bernard Shaw displays his social conscience in this century-old depiction of a father and daughter with opposing beliefs. What begins as an old-fashioned drawing room comedy develops into a strong dialectical drama in which the views of a dedicated young Salvation Army major are challenged by the reappearance of her estranged millionaire father. Simon Russell Beale is mesmerising as the thoughtful but manipulative munitions manufacturer Undershaft who hasn't forgotten his foundling roots and forces Barbara (Hayley Atwell) to face up to the uncomfortable fact that philanthropy comes in different guises. And, while Nicholas Hytner's production makes it clear that weapons are a deadly curse, his capitalist venture proves far more effective in helping the poor than her tea, teetotalism and sympathy.
Olivier at the National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 (020-7452 3000). Until July 3. £10-£30 (part of the Travelex £10 season)

Bliss -TNT

French-Canadian playwright Olivier Choinière's one act play (translated by Caryl Churchill and originally entitled "Félicité") is certainly unusual. But the behaviour of the audience was perhaps even more revealing. As weentered the auditorium, everyone was handed a blue Wal-Mart jacket with a smiley yellow face on the back and the instruction that it had to be worn during the performance. Surprisingly, just about everyone complied, no questions asked.
Presumably the idea was to turn us into mirror images of the on-stage characters – four Wal-Mart employees who, on a suitably drab washroom set, speak to us through a frame. Fascinated by tawdry gossip magazines, theyrecount, first, the farewell performance and subsequent pregnancy of Celine (by implication, Celine Dion) then enter more nightmarish territory as they interweave her story with that of Isabelle, an abused, bed-ridden fan. Only later does it become apparent that these are the warped fantasies of Hayley Carmichael's Caro, a strange, solitary girl whom her colleagues dislike and who believes she emanated from the spewed insides of Isabelle. Nasty.
It makes for an uncomfortable if well-acted evening which, though self-consciously clever, still struggles unsuccessfully to engage.
Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, SW1. (020-7565 5000). Until April 26. £15 (£10 on Mondays).

THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK - This is London

Watching Sean Holmes' fine production of this early play by Arthur Miller, it's hard to believe that it ran for only a handful of performances when it premiered in New York in 1944. As in his later works, Miller raises issues about the elusiveness of the American dream, damaging father son relationships and the unpredictable unfairness of life. Subtitled ‘A Fable’,it follows the uncannily good fortunes of David, a young Midwest car mechanic who thinks he has no special talent but somehow always comes out on top.

Whilst his father obsessively grooms his younger brother Amos for baseball stardom, David, through a series of unlikely events, gets the girl (his childhood sweetheart Hester), builds several successful businesses and sets up home. Over and over, David appears to flounder, then miraculously floats – a tricky repair has him foxed until Shaun Dingwall's Gustav appears like a highlyskilled angel who lets him take the credit; Hester's dad (having threatened to shoot him if he so much as set foot on his land) dies suddenly in a freak accident. But all around him he sees others suffering and, each time he makes good, he becomes more and more frightened that his run of luck is about to break and a major catastrophe will follow.
There isn't a weak performance in this excellent and engrossing revival which keeps you constantly on tenterhooks. Andrew Buchan's David progresses from carefree lad to increasingly troubled husband, Michelle Terry's loving Hester leaves her girlishness behind as she watches her husband's mental disintegration, and Felix Scott's Amos, forced to face a cruel reality, weeps for a wasted youth he can never recapture.
Donmar Theatre