Fiona Mountford

Fiona Mountford reviews Rebecca Frecknall’s revival of Sarah Kane’s Cleansed at London’s Almeida Theatre. Although Kane’s reputation has grown since her death, Mountford finds the play’s extreme depictions of torture, rape and mutilation excessive and emotionally numbing. She argues that the theme of love enduring through suffering does not justify the production’s cruelty, and recommends 4.48 Psychosis instead as a more compelling expression of Kane’s poetic anguish.

A selection of family‑friendly theatre productions across the UK highlights major summer offerings, ranging from outdoor musicals in Regent’s Park to classic revivals in Chichester and the West End. Shows include new stagings of Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, My Fair Lady and Operation Mincemeat, alongside outdoor Robin Hood and long‑running hits Six and War Horse. Productions are praised for their accessibility, inventive staging and appeal to audiences of all ages.