Hi guys,

I wrote a blog post for the Guardian's Theatre Blog last week that looks at bilingual theatre and where NTW fits in. It was actually quite tough to write and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it - you can read and comment here.

Ben

Hi all,



My review of Love Steals Us is up at British Theatre Guide:



http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/NTWlovesteals-rev.htm



I wonder if my expectations were too high after the tremendous Persians, or whether I lost all heart when I moved to London last month... only I didn't enjoy it very… Continue

Hi all,

My review of The Persians is up over at British Theatre Guide. Take a look!

Ben

Hi everyone,



I'm heading to Edinburgh this year for just a week to see lots of shows and do lots and lots of writing. I've somehow managed to blag my way in as a sort of runner for Lyn Gardner at the Guardian, meaning that I will be spending every day seeing as much as I possibly can and then reporting back to Lyn on what she should go and see for review. There are obviously way too many shows for Lyn to see, let alone review, so she has entrusted me (god help her) with the… Continue

Sooo... how good was For Mountain Sand And Sea? Even though we very nearly didn't make it to Barmouth thanks to our crazy bus driver, it was worth the 9 hour excursion. I done wrote some words on it here:



http://www.buzzmag.co.uk/?p=3959



I was supposed to write this review on the drive back, but instead we performed a tribute to the show by drinking a few bottles of rum (nautical) and a crate of Stella (Tennessee Williams... okay,… Continue

This weekend I went to Hay Festival to spend my time with luminaries and wordsmiths so smart they made me feel like a sea monkey by comparison. I listened to all manner of people from environmentalists to politicians, some of which you can read about soon on this here blog, but I also caught up with National Theatre Wales who were doing a little session with Michael Billington from the Guardian (‘caught up with’ is actually a bit of an… Continue

I reviewed The Devil Inside Him in about 250 words for the latest issue of Buzz Magazine, out 1 June, but as part of the National Theatre Critics scheme I submitted a longer, more reflective piece on the play to my mentor Lyn Gardner, which I've posted below.… Continue

Press night at the New Theatre for The Devil Inside Him tonight, and I'm very excited. If you're going too, you might be interested in Iwan's reflections on playing Huw Prosser. I interviewed Iwan for Buzz a while back, and you can read the full version here (the one in print had to be cut back, sadly).

Hi everyone,



As one of the critics for National Theatre Wales, one of my duties is to thrust a load of reviews in your general direction and invite feedback. I hope that they're not torn apart too enthusiastically, in much the same way, I imagine, that others hope I don't slag off a play they've just spent months perfecting.



So here's a quick round-up:



A Kind Of Alaska had its first night at Chapter last night. I liked it… Continue

45 years ago yesterday, The New Theatre premiered Pinter's The Homecoming to a shocked audience. In yesterday's BBC Radio Wales broacast Benedict Nightingale, The Times's outgoing theatre critic, remembered the occasion.



It's short, but it's a nice little insight into a very important moment in Wales's theatrical past.



Go here: (24 minutes in)… Continue

A review of Give It A Name's performance of Heart Of Darkness over at buzzmag.co.uk.

Powerful and thrilling, but also flawed, I felt. Feel free to comment!