JENNY FARRELL relishes an intimate memoir about growing up in the household of the great Irish communist and playwright Sean O’Casey
Wizardry in Peckham at the centre of the capital’s theatrical innovation
OSTENTATIOUS: (L to R) Amy Bianchi as Cyri, Ashleigh-Mae Schoburgh-Crooks as Efe and Khariis Ubiaro as Mane Man
[Lidia Crisafulli]
SIAN LEWIS relishes a comprehensive account of high rise social housing in Britain by prize-winning social and political historian Holly Smith
SIMON PARSONS feels a little overwhelmed by the joke count of an ebullient production that manages to convey Stoker’s Dracula without corpsing
SYLVIA HIKINS enjoys a varied Scouse alternative to traditional pantomimes
Rereleases from The Pentangle, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Cousins and Willoughby
ANDY HEDGECOCK picks out his cultural highlights of 2025
The Wonderful
Theatre Peckham, London SE5
THEATRE Peckham is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues for new shows; a community-based theatre in the heart of south-east London, giving a space to the independent, political voices and productions demanding social change. A place which “champions underrepresented voices and leads the change that is influencing our sector,” so its website says.
And what better way to celebrate the holiday season with a much-needed update on the firm family favourite, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? This time around this reimagined adaptation of L Frank Baum’s classic tale starts off in modern-day Peckham, the Tinman is a Cyborg and Toto the dog is called TikTok. I imagine that scriptwriter Geoff Aymer and director Suzann McLean had a lot of fun with this one.
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