Title: Bush Theatre re-opens to unsolicited script submissions
Publication: The 5th Medium
Date: Monday 7th December 2009

Column description: Arts journalist Matt Boothman talks performance, playwriting and criticism from London's fringe, where theatre is both challenging and affordable.

Read the seventeenth instalment of my 5th Medium column here.

Production: The Author (Tim Crouch)
Venue: Royal Court Theatre
Review Date: Thursday 1st October 2009
Closing Date: Saturday 24th October 2009

Notable Crew: Karl James, a smith, Directors; Matt Drury, Lighting Designer; Ben & Max Ringham, Music & Sound Designers

Notable Cast: Tim Crouch, Adrian Howells, Vic Llewellyn, Esther Smith, Themselves

My review for the London Theatre Blog can be found here.

Dominic Cavendish's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Theo Bosanquet's review for What's On Stage can be found here.

Production: Mother Courage and Her Children (Bertolt Brecht, trans. Tony Kushner)
Venue: National Theatre
Review Date: Wednesday 16th September 2009
Closing Date: Tuesday 8th December 2009

Notable Crew: Deborah Warner, Director; Duke Special, Songs; Mel Mercier, Musicscape

Notable Cast: Stephen Kennedy, The Chaplain; Martin Marquez, The Cook; Harry Melling, Swiss Cheese; Charlotte Randle, Yvette; Clifford Samuel, Eilif; Fiona Shaw, Mother Courage; Sophie Stone, Kattrin

My review for the London Theatre Blog can be found here.

Michael Billington's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Benedict Nightingale's review for The Times can be found here.
Charles Spencer's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Fiona Mountford's review for the Evening Standard can be found here.
Heather Neill's review for The Stage can be found here.
Michael Coveney's review for What's On Stage can be found here.
Stephen Crowe's review for musicOMH.com can be found here.

Production: Power Plant - A Sound and Light Experience
Venue: Assembly @ Royal Botanic Gardens
Review Date: Wednesday 19th August 2009
Closing Date: Sunday 30th August 2009

Notable Exhibitors: Mark Anderson, Jony Easterby, Kirsten Reynolds

My review for the British Theatre Guide can be found here.

Elizabeth Kirkwood's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Joyce McMillan's review for The Scotsman can be found here.
Lizzie Mitchell's review for The List can be found here.

Production: Derren Brown: Enigma (Derren Brown and Andy Nyman)
Venue: Adelphi Theatre
Review Date: Thursday 18th June 2009
Closing Date: Saturday 18th July 2009

Notable Crew: Andy Nyman, Director

Notable Cast: Derren Brown

My review for the British Theatre Guide can be found here.

Brian Logan's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Benedict Nightingale's review for The Times can be found here.
Charles Spencer's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Dominic Martin's review for The Stage can be found here.
Terri Paddock's review for What's On Stage can be found here.
Natasha Tripney's review for Music OMH can be found here.

Production: The Contingency Plan double bill - On the Beach and Resilience (Steve Waters)
Venue: Bush Theatre
Review Date: Thursday 7th May 2009
Closing Date: Saturday 6th June 2009

Notable Crew: Tamara Harvey, Director (Resilience); Michael Longhurst, Director (On the Beach); Tom Scutt, Designer; Oliver Fenwick, Lighting Designer; Emma Laxton, Sound Designer

Notable Cast: David Bark-Jones, Chris; Susan Brown, Jenny (On the Beach)/Tessa (Resilience); Robin Soans, Robin (On the Beach)/Colin (Resilience); Geoffrey Streatfeild, Will; Stephanie Street, Sarika

My review for the London Theatre Blog can be found here.

Michael Billington's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Charles Spencer's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Fiona Mountford's review for the Evening Standard can be found here.
Aleks Sierz's review for The Stage can be found here.
Jane Edwardes's review for Time Out can be found here.
Michael Coveney's review for What's On Stage can be found here.
Philip Fisher's reviews for the British Theatre Guide can be found here and here.

Production: Hang On (Theatre-Rites and Ockham's Razor)
Venue: Lyric Hammersmith
Review Date: Friday 17th April 2009
Closing Date: Saturday 23 May 2009

Notable Crew: Sue Buckmaster, Director; Alex Broadie, Choreographer

Notable Cast: Stefano Di Renzo, Alex Harvey, Tina Koch, Eric MacLennan, Nao Masuda, Charlotte Mooney

My review for the British Theatre Guide can be found here.

Lyn Gardner's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Charles Spencer's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Liz Arratoon's review for The Stage can be found here.

Production: Touched (Zoe Lewis)
Venue: Trafalgar Studios
Review Date: Friday 13th February 2009
Closing Date: Saturday 14th March 2009

Notable Crew: Douglas Rintoul, Director; Colin Richmond, Set Designer; Jamie Bradley, Movement Director; Laura Thomas and Sian Jenkins, Costume

Notable Cast: Sadie Frost, Lesley

My review for the British Theatre Guide can be found here.

Lyn Gardner's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Alice Jones' review for The Independent can be found here.
Dominic Cavendish's review for The Telegraph can be found here.

Production: England People Very Nice (Richard Bean)
Venue: National Theatre
Review Date: Wednesday 11th February 2009
Closing Date: Thursday 30th April 2009

Notable Crew: Nicholas Hytner, Director; Mark Thompson, Designer; Pete Bishop, Director of Animation; Neil Austin, Lighting Designer; Grant Olding, Music; Scarlett Mackmin, Choreographer

Notable Cast: Olivia Colman, Philippa/Anne O'Neill/Camilla; Sacha Dhawan, Norfolk Danny/Carlo/Aaron/Mushi; Trevor Laird, Yayah/Rennie; Aaron Neil, Iqbal/De Gascoigne/John O'Neill/Chief Rabbi/Attar/Imam; Sophie Stanton, Sanya/Ida; Michelle Terry, Camille/Mary/Black Ruth/Deborah

My review for the London Theatre Blog can be found here.

Michael Billington's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Benedict Nightingale's review for The Times can be found here.
Charles Spencer's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Nicholas De Jongh's review for the Evening Standard can be found here.
William McEvoy's's review for The Stage can be found here.
Philip Fisher's review for the British Theatre Guide can be found here.
Michael Coveney's review for What's On Stage can be found here.
Natasha Tripney's review for musicOMH can be found here.

Production: Roaring Trade (Steve Thompson)
Venue: Soho Theatre
Review Date: Monday 12th January 2009
Closing Date: Saturday 7th February 2009

Notable Crew: Roxana Silbert, Director; Kandis Cook, Designer; Matt Kirby, IT and Media Designer; Wolfgang Goebbel, Lighting Designer; Matt McKenzie, Sound Designer

Notable Cast: Jack O'Connor, Sean; Christian Roe, Spoon; Andrew Scott, Donny; Nicolas Tennant, PJ; Susan Vidler, Sandy; Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jess

My first impression is recorded here.
My review for the London Theatre Blog can be found here.

Michael Billington's review for The Guardian can be found here.
Benedict Nightingale's review for The Times can be found here.
Charles Spencer's review for The Telegraph can be found here.
Alexs Sierz's review for The Stage can be found here.
Nicholas De Jongh's review for the Evening Standard can be found here.
Karen Fricker's review for Variety can be found here.
Philip Fisher's review for the British Theatre Guide can be found here.
Natasha Tripney's review for musicOMH.com can be found here.