Wild Swans reviews

The reviews are in for Wild Swans!

Read what the press thought of the production:

★★★★★
‘Jaw dropping visuals… a feast for the eyes… a triumph.’
Daily Express

★★★★ 
‘I can’t tell you how enormously refreshing – and vitally important – this evening is… superb.’
The Daily Telegraph

★★★★
‘The genius of Miriam Buether’s design… the stunning video work of Wang GongXin… the astonishing visuals will stay in the memory.’ 
The Guardian

★★★★
‘Constantly inventive and visually stunning.’ 
Sunday Express

★★★★
‘Alexandra Wood’s adaptation, vividly directed by Sacha Wares, captures [the book's] indomitable personal spirit… Unforgettable.’ 
Time Out

★★★★
‘Powerful, gripping… stunningly well staged.’
The Independent

★★★★
What’s On Stage 

‘I have just seen the best stage design of the year.’
The Observer

We always like to hear your thoughts – you can send in your reviews to us and we post a selection our website and our blog, read more here and send your reviews to reviews@youngvic.org 

David Lan on Isango Ensemble

I was born in Cape Town. I know it as a city full of surprises. One of the biggest is the extraordinary, multi award-winning Isango Ensemble.

We co-produced two shows with them in 2007 – A Christmas Carol and The Magic Flute which went on to play in the West End (it won an Olivier Award), in Paris (it won a major best musical award there too) and then in major theatres all over the world.

A Christmas Carol (2007), photo by Keith Pattison

Since then Isango have never stopped, playing to sold out houses and winning thousands of new friends, admirers and supporters.

The Magic Flute (2007), photo by Keith Pattison

In May, this terrific company return to London, this time to the Hackney Empire, with three remarkable new musical shows, none of them seen in London before: La Bohème, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and Aesop’s Fables.

A number of us who love their work – including Ian McKellen, Simon Rattle and Stephen Daldry – are proud to be members of Isango’s International Council. I have no doubt you will have a terrific time at each – or all! – of their new shows.

Isango draws the majority of its artists from what used to be called the ‘townships’ – the exclusively black suburbs – of South Africa. Their re-imaginings of classic tales within their own musical and theatrical language are at once moving and celebratory.

The Magic Flute (2007), photo by Keith Pattison

Their two shows with us sold out with speed. I wouldn’t risk waiting around this time either.

To find out more about Isango Ensemble, see here.

For show information and to book tickets for their upcoming shows at Hackney Empire, see here.

11 questions with the cast of Wild Swans: Orion Lee

Orion Lee (Shou Yu) with Isabelle Wang (Er-Hong as child)

First up in our Wild Swans cast series is Orion Lee, who plays Shou Yu, the male lead of the show.

Tell us about your character and about working on Wild Swans.
I play Shou Yu, an idealist. Working on Wild Swans has made me feel more in touch with my heritage. It is also very satisfying to hear of people’s personal connections to the play.

Favourite word?
‘Pachoinka’ as used by Ramin Gray of ATC.

Proudest moment?
Making people laugh at a play reading at LAMDA.

If you could have a room full of any one thing, what would it be?
£100 bills because then I could get anything else. Failing that… cakes.

If 28 hour days existed, what would you do with the extra four hours?
Play more computer games and meet more people. Antithetical, I know.

Favourite holiday?
Seeing my family.

Weirdest quirk?
Probably for others to say, but people tell me I’m always eating when they see me.

Favourite play?
All My Sons by Arthur Miller as done by Suchet and Wanamaker.

If you had one super power, what would it be?
To read minds.

Do you have any regrets?
Not so much regrets as a lack of surety that I’ve made the right choice.

Favourite midnight snack?
KFC – one thigh portion.

Wild Swans (part of World Stages London) plays at the Young Vic until 13 May. Tickets are sold out but we do get returns… call 020 7922 2922 on the day for availability.

Young Vic helps to give BABEL its voice

Groups from the Young Vic are working together with BAC, Lyric Hammersmith, Theatre Royal Stratford East and WildWorks to give a voice to BABEL – the epic and immersive theatrical experience that will fill Caledonian Park in Islington in May (8-20).

A re-working of the BABEL story, one of the key themes of the show is: with so many different backgrounds and languages in London, how can we communicate with each other? The cast of 300 have been looking at using music and song as a way to universally talk to people, finding a voice that anyone from anywhere where in the world can understand.

Have a listen to the harmony chorus clip here to hear the sound that runs through the heart of BABEL.

BABEL is part of World Stages London - a once-in-a-lifetime celebration through theatre of the exhilarating cosmopolitan diversity of London’s people and culture.

11 questions with the cast of After Miss Julie: Polly Frame

Next up in our After Miss Julie cast is Polly Frame.

Tell us about your character.
I play Christine, cook of the household and unofficially engaged to John. She does a mean kidneys on toast, can smoke and sleep for England and is as at home in church as trading on the black market. In the next life, she deserves better!

Favourite word?
Puddle (thanks to Patrick Marber for that one).

Proudest moment?
Every time anyone I love does something brilliant, which happily happens quite often.

If you could have a room full of any one thing, what would it be?
Either books for a bit of peace and quiet or my friends and I could call it a party.

If 28 hour days existed, what would you do with the extra four hours?
I’d like to sleep for the extra 4, seeing as I’m not much good at it in the standard 24 hour format.

Favourite holiday?
Mexico a few years ago.

Weirdest quirk?
Get funny about socks on inside out.

Favourite play?
The New Electric ballroom by Enda Walsh.

If you had one super power, what would it be?
Flying of course, who wouldn’t want to?

Do you have any regrets?
I’ve had a few….

Favourite midnight snack?
Kidneys on toast of course.

After Miss Julie ends in 3 days!

40 Facts: Fact #25

Did you know? The Maria is named after a real woman… The theatre designer Maria Björnson.

Maria Björnson was an acclaimed designer working in theatre and opera across the world. She was a Tony and Drama Desk award-winning designer and one of her most notable designs was The Phantom of the Opera in 1986.

Maria Björnson, as painted by her friend Yolanda Sonnabend

One of Maria’s sketches for Touissant L’Overture

Maria Björnson sadly passed away unexpectedly on 13 December 2002.

In 2006, after we refurbished the Young Vic – we decided to name our new space after Maria. Past shows in the Maria include The Changeling, In the Penal Colony, Kafka’s Monkey and The Brothers Size. 

Our current show in the Maria is After Miss Julie. 

Bingo Audience Reviews

The audience reviews for Bingo are in!  Read your fellow audience members’ thoughts on the production below, and email us your review at reviews@youngvic.org.

The play is very simply, but very engagingly produced. Set design is minimalist, which allows focus on the performance & clever in the final scene when the snow is shown to fall.

The thrust stage is elegantly used to allow the cast to enter & exit through the audience aisles & this brings the performance out into us as we watch.

Individual performances were terrific & we felt a real camaradie between the players, with Patrick Stewart being very generous in his inclusivity, not over egging his headline status at all – but joining with his fellows.

The theatre itself was a joy! What a great ambience you have created – & how wonderful to sit in comfort, have a brilliant view & have ones own space – fantastic!! As was the provision of a jug of tap water at the bar during the interval – very thoughtful, thank you!

—Stephen & Claire

It would be so easy to pick out Patrick Stewart but in truth it was a brilliant cast; he happened to be one of them!  Superbly acted;  fascinating scene design.  Strange play!

 —Marion McCrindle

I saw the original production at the Royal Court. I remember feeling detached and unmoved, disappointed. I am so pleased that I revisited the play; this production had the opposite effect. Patrick Stewart , even conveying the stillness of old age, was animated and movingly anguished. Catherine Cusack made me feel I might understand the family of a great writer through her intelligent portrayal of the domestic Judith. Richard McCabe provided well judged amusement as kindred ,yet contrasting, spirit Jonson.

Those for whom Shakespeare is a life-long fascination will find their knowledge and appreciation enhanced by this production.

I would like to extend my thanks to all involved.

—Tony Couldrey

Brilliant, enthralling, captivating, thought-provoking, unmissable.

—Mary Musker

Watched BINGO by Edward Bond with my friend at the Young Vic last night! Truly brilliant! It revived my thirst for more theatre… “Women with shopping bags stepping over puddles of blood”. A tragic and contradicting retiring Shakespeare portrayed superbly by Sir Patrick Stewart. A must watch!

—Barry Crisp

Although the reviews posted on the website were all 4 star, I did read a couple of reviews that were less enthustiastic, particularly one by a reviewer I’d normally trust who clearly didn’t enjoy Mr. Bond’s play. Well I did enjoy it, and I thought the production was excellent and the acting throughout the cast, not just the mighty Mr. Stewart, was of a very high order indeed.

—Chris Dearmun

Win a trip to Paris to see The Suit

The Young Vic, Time Out and World Stages London are hosting a competition to win a trip to Paris to see The Suit before it comes to London!

Winners will receive round-trip Eurostar tickets for two, a two-night stay in the luxurious 4 star Champs Elysees McMahon hotel, and tickets to see the world premiere of The Suit at the celebrated Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.  A new musical adapted and directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne, The Suit is based on Can Themba’s heartbreakingly beautiful South African story of lust, betrayal and retribution.

The competition is free to enter and closes 1 April – enter here now for your chance to win!

5 Stars for Sound&Fury’s Going Dark + Extra Performance Added!

Audience members and critics alike are raving about Going Dark, the story of an astronomer and single dad losing his sight.  Created by immersive theatre company Sound&Fury, don’t miss your chance to see this sold out show with the extra performance we’ve added. Book your tickets here.

★★★★★
‘Sound&Fury are going boldly where few companies have gone before… this is a dazzling achievement that deserves a rich scattering of critical stars’
The Telegraph (full review)

★★★★★
‘A pulse-quickening poem… a wonderful piece of theatre’
The Independent (full review)

★★★★
‘Exceptional… imaginative… a technical feat’
The Guardian (full review)

★★★★
‘The audio and visual trickery is first rate, but tellingly the play’s soul lies in Hattie Naylor’s beautifully understated text and actor Jon Mackay’s delicate, heartbreaking performance’
Time Out  (full review)

★★★★
The Times

★★★★
Financial Times (full review)

★★★★
Metro

11 questions with the cast of After Miss Julie: Kieran Bew

First up in our After Miss Julie  cast series is Kieran Bew. You may recognise him from the acclaimed Reasons to be Pretty (Almeida). He’s also been in Almeida’s The Knot of the Heart and Trevor Nunn’s production of Richard II at the Old Vic). Films he’s been in includes Green Street, Alien vs Predator, King Lear and recent British indie film 1-2-3-4.

Tell us about your character.
John is an ambitious, dedicated, butler and valet. He works on Miss Julie’s estate for her father.

Favourite word?
Crocodile

Proudest moment?
Winning the British cadet epee championship.

If you could have a room full of any one thing, what would it be?
Parsons Terrier puppies.

If 28 hour days existed, what would you do with the extra four hours?
Talk to my family.

Favourite holiday?
Greece with my lady.

Weirdest quirk?
I’m clumsy… I could trip over my feet in bed…

If you had one super power, what would it be?
To shape shift. I believe this will cover a wide range of abilities.

Do you have any regrets?
Piano… I should have learned to play the piano… (looks out of window wistfully).

Favourite midnight snack?
Roast potatoes with mature cheese.

Since working on After Miss Julie (Classics for a New Climate)…
I turn lights off when I leave rooms now – before the production I often left a room well-lit.

After Miss Julie starts tomorrow and we’ve added an extra week of performances so it now plays until 14 April. Buy your tickets now >>