Theatre Royal Stratford East

How Not to Drown review – a child asylum seeker’s brutal true story

Kosovan refugee Dritan Kastrati looks back at the struggles of his arduous journey and his troubling experiences in London

Arifa Akbar

03, Feb, 2023 @1:53 PM

The Wonderful World of Dissocia review – whimsical and brutal

At first, Anthony Neilson’s play is a bewildering affair, but its sombre aftermath imparts understanding with crushing effect

Arifa Akbar

23, Sep, 2022 @12:09 PM

Ballet Black review – powerful pairing from the trailblazing troupe

The rich abilities of the dancers are beautifully showcased in the double bill of Say It Loud and Black Sun

Lyndsey Winship

12, May, 2022 @10:32 AM

After the End review – violence, comedy and cliches in Dennis Kelly’s nuclear bunker

This dated two-hander about colleagues cowering in the wake of an explosion creates all-too-familiar disgust and fear

Miriam Gillinson

03, Mar, 2022 @3:00 PM

Red Riding Hood review – my, what weak jokes you have, grandma!

An eco-themed updating of the fairytale without any bite, this panto has clumsy storytelling and half-hearted smut

Arifa Akbar

05, Dec, 2021 @7:00 PM

The week in theatre: The Normal Heart; Shining City

Larry Kramer’s 1985 response to the Aids crisis resonates with new force. And Dublin ghost stories unfurl slowly in a fine Conor McPherson revival

Susannah Clapp

03, Oct, 2021 @9:30 AM

Shining City review – Conor McPherson’s study of resentment, rage and repression

Two brooding men are slowly sunk by their own narcissism in this subtle play about a counselling session

Miriam Gillinson

24, Sep, 2021 @1:21 PM

Extinct review – firenadoes, melting ice and one hour to halt apocalypse

Featuring plague and shootouts in M&S, XR supporter April De Angelis’s dystopic climate drama is a powerful, urgent polemic

Arifa Akbar

04, Jul, 2021 @12:04 PM

The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars review – grief, loss, fury: the legacy of a race hate crime

Kibong Tanji is outstanding as the sister of the victim in Dipo Baruwa-Etti’s play which is dynamic and gripping but lacks tonal variety

Arifa Akbar

06, Jun, 2021 @9:13 AM

From Hamlet to Hullabaloo: what to see as theatres and comedy clubs reopen

As stage shows return, we pick the best post-lockdown offerings – featuring Egyptian gods, rebelling vicars, dancing youths ... and Ian McKellen playing the Dane at 82

Arifa Akbar (theatre), Brian Logan (comedy), Lyndsey Winship (dance)

16, May, 2021 @2:00 PM

Oh what a lovely archive: British Library gets Joan Littlewood treasure trove

Theatre Royal Stratford East’s colourful history is documented in more than 100 boxes of material collected by actor Murray Melvin

Michael Billington

01, Feb, 2021 @10:00 AM

846 Live review – rousing shout-out keeps flame of activism alive

A basketball court becomes a stage to deliver short plays of protest over racial injustice, completing a fine festival embedded in its London community

Arifa Akbar

13, Sep, 2020 @11:58 AM