Tom Stoppard’s play Hapgood opened at the Hampstead Theatre last night (9th December) so here is a selection of reviews that have come in so far.
The Evening Standard: *** Fiona Mountford said: “I have not been so bewildered in a theatre for a long time as here. And that’s not a nice feeling.”
Whatsonstage: *** Mark Valencia commented: “As a whole it spills too far into a parody to be genuinely tense, but it’s often fun.”
The Stage: *** Natasha Tripney found that: “While there’s much to admire about it and its smarts are evident, it’s a chilly piece of theatre.”
Monkey Matters Theatre: Shyama Perera said: “Lisa Dillon leads a good cast, but there’s no tension. One listens rather than watches. The particles never quite blur into waves.”
Culture Whisper: **** “it might not be as heart-hammeringly tense as a spy movie, but this slick, eloquent production exhibits all that is powerful about a Stoppard play.”
Theatre Cat: “a thoroughly enjoyable espionage comedy-thriller.”
The Telegraph: **** Claire Allfree said: “Davies’s warm, witty production has the tight, close-up feel of a TV mini series.”
The Guardian: **** Michael Billington summed it up saying: “In their vivid sharpness both Ashley Martin-Davis’s sets and Ian William Galloway’s video designs ensure, like Davies’s production, that we end up illumined rather than blinded by science.”
Time Out: **** Tim Bano commented: “This is the first London revival of ‘Hapgood’ since its premiere in 1988. It was a flop back then, but Howard Davies’ production erases all trace of that disaster.”
Hapgood is on at the Hampstead Theatre until the 23rd January. To book tickets visit: Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk and Discount Theatre.com .