Richard II

This is London

Artistic director Michael Grandage ends his critically acclaimed reign at the Donmar with Shakespeare’s history play about a king who relinquishes his crown. Both their successors may be worthy, but there the similarity ends. After almost a decade, Grandage leaves with a deservedly enhanced reputation and a string of high profile successes, whilst Richard II is a once powerful monarch who is ultimately left with no choice but to hand over the symbols of his royal office.
Initially seated contemplatively on his throne, framed by the tarnished gilded arches of Richard Kent’s Gothic, incense filled set, Eddie Redmayne’s slight but apparently assured Richard is soon revealed as too twitchy, too fragile and insecure a sovereign to rest easy on the throne. From his position of absolute power, a series of misjudged decision render him vulnerable to the growing strength of his cousin – and future King Henry IV – (Andrew Buchan’s contrastingly solid, misleadingly straightforward Bolingbroke).
Pippa Bennett-Warner is both touching and dignified as his devoted Queen, and, in Grandage’s swift, atmospheric production, there’s strong support from Ron Cook’s Duke of York, putting duty to his country before filial affection, and Michael Hadley’s dying Gaunt delivering the famous ‘sceptred isle’ speech with an intensity which pleads for England.

Donmar

A Christmas Carol

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At the end of a hectic week of theatregoing, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing yet another adaptation of Charles Dickens’ famous novella, but an evening in the company of Simon Callow proved to be a real pleasure.

With his rich voice, persuasive physical presence and, most of all, his love of Dickens’ work, Callow proves the perfect narrator of this cautionary Christmas tale.

There’s some unnecessarily distracting business with a pile of chairs but, that apart, Tom Cairns’ simple staging (inspired by Dickens’ own performing version) effectively conjures the joyful festivities of the Fezziwigs’ party, the grimy gloom of London streets and the cheerless abode where super stingy Ebenezer Scrooge encounters the ghost of Jacob Marley, his long dead business partner and fellow skinflint.

Callow brings each character to life – not just a curmudgeonly Scrooge begrudgingly granting Bob Cratchit a single day off, but also those who make the briefest of appearances: his kindly sister, the young woman who ditched him in his youth as his love of money grew greater than his affection for her, the little lad sent to buy a massive turkey when, transformed, he grabs his chance for a better future, and cheerful Tiny Tim whose life hangs precariously in the balance until Scrooge sees the error of his penny-pinching ways.

Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JB (020 7907 7092) artstheatrewestend.com Tube: Leicester Square Until 14th Jan (£15-£37.50)

Haunted Child

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It’s not a ghost that’s upsetting young Thomas in Joe Penhall’s superbly acted three-hander, but the unannounced reappearance of his father, an engineer who vanished without trace.

Now Douglas is back – but he’s a changed man, wild-haired, dishevelled and seduced by a bizarre esoteric cult which (as well as advocating downing a bucketful of salt water to “align the brain waves”) is after his money.

Sophie Okonedo imbues Julie with a troubled warmth as she tries to protect her little boy and win back her husband, a raw Ben Daniels invests Douglas’s extreme mid-life crisis with an evangelical intensity as he loses touch with reality, and Jack Boulter more than holds his own as their vulnerable son fascinated by his dad’s new ways. 

Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Tube: Sloane Square until 14th Jan (£10-£28) royalcourttheatre.com

Dublin Carol

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Although it's set on Christmas Eve, Conor McPherson’s short, emotionally intense three-hander (the second offering in the Donmar’s current season showcasing the work of its Resident Assistant Directors) is far from festive.

Meagre decorations and an advent calendar barely soften the soullessness of the undertakers’ parlour where, in a trio of alcohol-fuelled encounters, middle-aged John is forced to confront the damage that his drinking and irresponsible behaviour have wrought over the years. Even now, between slugs of neat whisky, he refuses to admit that he’s still as drink dependent as he was, many years ago, when he cheated on his wife and abandoned his family.

His long estranged daughter (Pauline Hutton’s saddened but hopeful Mary) turns up, like Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Past, begging him to visit her terminally ill mother before she dies. In the two framing scenes, John delivers advice and near monologues to his temporary assistant Mark (Rory Keenan), an aimless young man who might just end up going the same way.

In this intimate space, Abbey Wright’s revival captures the gloomy limitations of a life which, but for the kindness of Mark’s mortician uncle, could easily have ended in the gutter and Gary Lydon’s John - rumpled, sweaty and scared of the dying - makes one hope that, for him, the final glimmer of possible redemption proves more than a seasonal illusion.

Trafalgar Studios (2), Whitehall, SW1A 2DY Tube: Charing Cross till 31st Dec (£17.50 - £22)
donmarwarehouse.com

Pippin

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Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and Roger O Hirson’s 1972 musical portrayal of Pippin (son of the Emperor Charlemagne) and his search for an extraordinary life originally ran for years on Broadway, but just a few weeks over here.

In an attempt to make it appeal to a modern London audience, Mitch Sebastian’s revival yanks it into the 21st century and the world of video gaming where Matt Rawle’s charismatic Leading Player guides Harry Hepple’s attractively-voiced, if somewhat anaemic Pippin through the various levels of his journey.

But although it’s blasted by laser lighting and CGI, punctuated by recreations of Bob Fosse’s original sinuously angular choreography, and dressed in Lycra, the production fails to generate much interest in the fate of its laptop-addicted Pippin. Ironically, the highlight of this high concept reworking turns out to be his happy clappy granny (Louise Gold) dishing out words of wisdom and encouraging the audience to sing along in traditional seasonal style.

Menier Chocolate Factory , 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU Tube: London Bridge Until 25th February (£33.50 & Meal Deals available £40.00) menierchocolatefactory.com

The Comedy of Errors

It’s more a case of “Two Men, Two Guvnors” in this busy interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy of doubly muddled identity.

Lenny Henry may have been a late starter when it comes to the Bard, but he’s on great form as the increasingly irate and perplexed Antipholus of Syracuse who (despite a West African accent) is continually mistaken for his long lost twin brother when he arrives in Ephesus.

Lucian Msamati is equally good value as his beleaguered and superstitious servant Dromio (who also lost his twin in the same shipwreck) whilst Claudie Blakley and Michelle Terry turn the wife and sister-in-law of Antipholus of Ephesus into teetering, miniskirted Essex girls.

Bunny Christie’s impressive design twists and rotates to conjure a multifaceted and often sleazy city as well as an airborne sea rescue, and Dominic Cooke’s lively production rarely blows off course.

Olivier at the National, South Bank, SE1 9PX (020 7452 3000) Tube: Waterloo Until April 1 2012 (£12-£45) nationaltheatre.org.uk

Burlesque

Blacklisted Johnny Reno may have talent but his career isn’t going anywhere unless he names names in Adam Meggido and Roy Smiles’ new musical, set in early 50’s America during the McCarthyite era.

Whether Jon-Paul Hevey’s Johnny will opt to preserve his moral integrity or to clear his name for the sake of his pregnant fiancée and the future of his comic double act (with Chris Hollands' alcoholic Rags Ryan) is potentially the stuff of serious drama, counterpointed here by its burlesque setting in the failing Palace Theatre.

The plot takes a while to find focus, but with pastiche vaudeville numbers, a lecherous theatre owner, and stripping showgirls filling the tiny stage (plus nifty lyrics which combine entertainment with political comment) this enjoyable show – with just a bit of trimming- deserves a longer life.

Jermyn Street Theatre SW1Y 6ST (020 7287 2875)Tube: Piccadilly Circus Until December 18 (£20)ticketweb.co.uk