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Arifa Akbar

Arifa Akbar is the Guardian's chief theatre critic

January 2025

  • Nicholas Burns in The Gift

    The Gift review – an existential ‘poo-dunnit’ that keeps on giving

  • Poetic … Five Lines at the Pit, Barbican.

    Five Lines review – mini dystopia projects maximum climate catastrophe

  • Elegant and sharp … Martina Laird as Cymbeline in Cymbeline.

    Cymbeline review – hip thrusts and gender inversions enliven this tricky romcom tragedy

  • Orlando James as Henry VIII and Martin Shaw as Thomas More in A Man for All Season’s at the Theatre Royal Bath.

    A Man for All Seasons review – creaky but moving portrait of quiet heroism

  • A Good House review – superb social satire about race, property and gentrification

  • Play On! review – a warm, elegant comedy that brings 1940s swing to Shakespeare

  • The Employees review – monumental event theatre with fragments from a far-flung world

  • Looking for Giants review – beautifully written erotic tales of fantasy and projection

  • Revenge: After the Levoyah review – five embark on a plot to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn

  • Tarantula review – extraordinary portrayal of the aftermath of senseless violence

  • The Maids review – Jean Genet’s chilling game of master and servant

  • ‘If you hear the siren, go to the shelter’: the wrenching play about the bombing of a theatre in Ukraine

  • Belly of the Beast review – harrowing moments in a trainee’s tale of school trauma

  • Titanique review – camp musical sails into silliness with Céline Dion onboard

  • Little Shop of Horrors review – classic rock musical gets exuberant modern-day treatment

  • 2025 culture preview
    Chills, chuckles and Cate Blanchett in Chekhov: the best theatre, dance and comedy coming in 2025

December 2024

  • Eloise Davies as Lucy in The Creakers.

    The Creakers review – McFly’s Tom Fletcher can’t make the rubbish-loving monsters take off

  • Paisley Billings and Max Harwood, centre, in The Lightning Thief.

    The Lightning Thief review – Percy Jackson demigod drama charms

  • Nick Danan in St Nicholas by Conor McPherson at Omnibus theatre.

    St Nicholas review – Conor McPherson’s vampire tale leaves you hungry for more

  • Stage crew … Treasure Island at the Orange Tree theatre

    Treasure Island review – dashing female pirates strike gold on high seas

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