Samuel West
Samuel West: 'On screen I mostly play evil members of the establishment or Victorian perverts'
The actor on his pandemic poetry jukebox, life lessons of the Moomins, the pros and cons of Twitter, and how to reboot regional theatre
Susannah Clapp
07, Mar, 2021 @9:30 AM
Gatecrash review – opaque auto-accident drama
A car crash provokes a torrent of toxic masculinity, but this strange film is neither surreal nor psychologically insightful enough
Leslie Felperin
24, Feb, 2021 @1:00 PM
Leading arts figures demand clarity over compensation for coronavirus closures
As majority of UK’s theatres close, industry bodies say government’s lack of outright ban on visiting venues leaves them unable to claim on insurance
Chris Wiegand and Lanre Bakare
17, Mar, 2020 @12:36 PM
Laura Wade: ‘Theatre has something important to offer in these dark times’
The playwright on picking up where Jane Austen left off, being overtaken by events – and working with her partner, Samuel West
Interview by Nick Curtis
10, Nov, 2018 @2:00 PM
The Watsons review – Austen heroine brought stunningly back to life
In Laura Wade’s bold and playful adaptation of Austen’s unfinished novel, the mutinous characters threaten to take control of the drama
Michael Billington
08, Nov, 2018 @10:30 PM
The week in theatre: The Writer; Absolute Hell – review
A thrillingly shifting feminist drama will send audiences out of the theatre arguing, but a plunge into postwar Soho is stifling
Susannah Clapp
29, Apr, 2018 @7:00 AM
The Writer review – Romola Garai blazes into the battlefield of desire
Almeida, London
Ella Hickson’s riveting play about a writer exploring the sexual revolution boasts a shining performance from Romola Garai
Ella Hickson’s riveting play about a writer exploring the sexual revolution boasts a shining performance from Romola Garai
Michael Billington
25, Apr, 2018 @11:03 AM
'Visionary, master diplomat – and absolute smoothie': stars pay tribute to Peter Hall
He gave Peter Brook his big break, helped Elaine Paige conquer her fear, showed Griff Rhys Jones the joy of farce and dazzled a teenage Samuel West. They celebrate the great director who has died aged 86
Interviews by Chris Wiegand and Imogen Tilden
12, Sep, 2017 @6:40 PM
Julius Caesar review – a powerful examination of rhetoric
Shakespeare is rooted in our era of fake news in artistic director Robert Hastie’s outstanding first production for the Crucible
Clare Brennan
04, Jun, 2017 @7:00 AM
Julius Caesar review – political thriller chimes with rise of populism
Robert Hastie’s electric staging, with Jonathan Hyde and Samuel West, offers a resonant take on the manipulative power of rhetoric
Catherine Love
25, May, 2017 @11:21 AM
Present Laughter review – Coward revival glosses over charmless snobbery
Sparkling bons mots and Samuel West’s fine performance as a self-obsessed matinee idol fail to disguise the deep unpleasantness of this farce
Lyn Gardner
30, Jun, 2016 @12:10 PM
Young Chekhov: The Birth of a Genius review – an exhilarating marathon
David Hare’s eight-hour reboot of early Chekhov adds up to more than the sum of its parts
Susannah Clapp
25, Oct, 2015 @8:00 AM
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