Oliver Chris

Twelfth Night review: Tamsin Grieg is brilliant

Simon Godwin's well-cast production has a rich sense of fun, writes Henry Hitchings.

Twelfth Night at The National Theatre - review

At a running time of around three hours including interval, there is nothing left out of this version of Twelfth Night but it's surprising how the time flies. This is a fun production with the emphasis on the many comedic elements of the story rather than dwelling on the melodramatic side. Everyone plays their part to produce a really great evening's entertainment and present the Bard at his absolute best.

Twelfth Night review

Director Simon Godwin and his doughty cast do not put a foot wrong in what must be the National Theatre's best Shakespearean production since Sir Nicholas Hytner's glorious Much Ado About Nothing, 10 years ago.

Oliver Chris interview

'I've spent my whole life with people asking me when I'm going to play Prince William'

Motherland review

Sharon Horgan and Graham Linehan's slapstick sitcom shows the fullblown apocalypse of child-rearing.

Fracked! review

Anne Reid stars as a reluctant activist, but the plum role goes to the fracking company's 'horribly recognisable' PR man.

Fracked! - stage show review

There are numerous nice turns, including James Bolam as her long-suffering husband, whose glorious line 'Oh, God, another aromatherapist has set up in the village!' could easily have been uttered by the show's director Richard Wilson when he was playing Victor Meldrew on TV.

Green Wing reunion for the junior doctors strike

The cast of the Channel 4 comedy Green Wing have reunited after 10 years on the picket line of the junior doctors strike.

Oliver Chris bows out of Bluestone 42

Tonight's episode of the Afghanistan-set BBC Three comedy saw the introduction of Laura Aikman's ATO Ellen Best after Nick Medhurst lost his leg in an explosion.

Radio Times review

It's very hard to describe Bluestone 42's return without using phrases such as "back with a bang" or "an explosive episode" - but such are the pitfalls of setting a workplace comedy in an Afghanistan bomb disposal unit. Still, reviewing issues aside, this opening story is a roaring return for the BBC Three hit that sees our irresponsible unit pinned down in a firefight with one of their number injured.

Not that the battle will stop Captain Nick (Oliver Chris) rushing back to base to hit on the attractive female padre, or the moronic Rocket (Scott Hoatson) playing a fun new game that mainly involves punching his fellow soldiers in the face...

As ever, the series combines dramatic beats, impressive stunts and a genuine sense of danger with bucketloads of puerile and gallows humour, and a cast at the top of their comedy game. In short, you'd be a fool to miss it - it's a blast.