New End Theatre

14-11-2008
Doris Dufus  0 

Full of Hampstead luvies but thats not a bad thing. For such a small place, its reputation across theatreland is impressive. If you fancy a slice of Berkoff this is the place.

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12-11-2007
June Sanders

Lotte's Journey - Nov 200I was surprised to "enjoy" this play as I found myself in tears at the end. I have thought about it for days.

05-11-2007
Ginny

Lotte's Journey - Nov 2007A wonderful play with an incredible ending.

23-10-2007
Christina Sanderson, MyVillage

Review: Retreat - October 07�I�ve come to disturb your peace...�These words, spoken by the nineteen year old Hannah (Alix-Wilton Regan) to her father�s best friend Harold(Gary MacKay), set the eerie, disquieting tone of the New End Theatre�s recent production, Retreat.When Hannah unexpectedly turns up at Harold�s remote Welsh cottage after over a year�s absence from his life, middle-age Harold, clad in his woollen cardigan, corduroy trousers and woollen slippers, appears to be the epitome of middle class contentment. But Hannah�s unwanted visit violently throws up the recent past from which he has tried so desperately to escape.It emerges that both Hannah�s parents were killed in a plane crash; Harold�s wife was killed in a car accident which also crippled his daughter (at times in the play we hear his daughter crying eerily in the background). As Hannah and Harold continue talking into the small hours, gradually emptying the whisky bottle, sordid and twisted truths emerge as it becomes clear how closely their lives are intertwined.Alix Wilton Regan plays the confused and outwardly tough Hannah with a powerful intensity, bringing real depth to a very challenging and, I�m sure, emotionally draining role. Gary Mackay initially plays Harold as a rather dull and straightforward journalist but gradually unveils his bitterness and the complex and peculiar depths of his character. Interestingly, Hannah reveals little of her true character during the course of the play although the scars of her harrowing experiences become vividly evident. The dialogue and warped but magnetic chemistry between these two characters of opposite sex and different generations is completely absorbing. Ultimately all barriers between them are broken down.A harrowing psychological drama that stays with you. I woke up the following morning with images from the play flooding into my thoughts. The young director Sophie Lifschutz deserves great credit for this gripping and thought provoking play�

06-05-2007
someguy99

Every time I go to this theatre there is a problem front of house. Either the ticket machine isn't working (so we are told to come another day!), or the staff talk throughout the performances, which can be heard from the auditorium. For a venue that claims to be "off west end' as opposed to "fringe", one would expect more.