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Arifa Akbar

Headshot of Arifa Akbar

Arifa Akbar is the Guardian's chief theatre critic. Her latest book is called Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night (Sceptre)

June 2026

  • Vulnerability and brittleness … Miriam Petche as Cecilia in Atonement in long green satin dress.

    Atonement review – guilt and love battle for an unhappy ending

  • Cast of High Society in colorful ball gowns dance on a grand staircase in a palatial theater setting

    High Society review – smooth musical hardly misbehaves but the songs are heavenly

  • Rufus Norris leans against a concrete wall with his arms crossed, looking into the distance

    ‘It’s a relief … I’m irrelevant!’: Rufus Norris on life after the National Theatre

  • Four performers interact with a large illuminated fabric on stage in a dimly lit theatre space

    Tomorrow Will Be a Palestinian Day review – work that finds a way out of Gaza’s ruins

May 2026

  • Lauren Jones and Glenn Adamson in Dark of the Moon.

    Dark of the Moon review – bluegrass girl meets emo witch boy and their songs soar

  • Kenneth Branagh as Prospero

    The Tempest review – Kenneth Branagh returns to the RSC in this enchanting production

  • Linda Bassett and Hayley Carmichael in Care

    Care review – this searing portrayal of dementia raises urgent questions for us all

  • Mother Courage holds a dead animal while sitting on steps beside a sign reading 'Courage's Mobile Meat'

    Mother Courage and her Children review – moving, funny and savage portrait of life during wartime

  • An Ideal Husband review – Oscar Wilde’s comedy gets the gleefully camp glow-up it deserves

  • Forgiveness of a Monster review – psychodrama jostles with standup in foggy autofiction

  • The Wasp review – tormented reunion with school bully lacks sting

  • Fourteen Again review – make a new musical out of Victoria Wood’s warmly witty songs? Let’s do it!

  • Kohlhaas review –Arinzé Kene thunders as a wronged resistance fighter speaking truth to power

April 2026

  • A man in a plaid shirt is shown speaking from behind while sitting at a table in front of a woman who is listening to him.

    Mass review – forgiveness doesn’t come easily in masterly school-shooter drama

  • Gerard Horan as Tim, front, and Charlie Beck as Marcus in Firewing at Hampstead theatre

    Firewing review – tale of two twitchers in a bird hide is funny and fascinating

  • Omar Sharif and Debbie Arnold in The Sleeping Prince in 1983.

    ‘Omar, what the hell are you doing in Chichester?’: when Doctor Zhivago star Sharif came to Sussex

  • Kathy Kiera Clarke (Cara) and Aden Gillett (Dr Jeffrey Longford) in Heartsink by Farine Clarke @ Riverside Studios. Directed by Farine Clarke and Sean Turner. (Opening 24-04-26) ©Tristram Kenton 04-26 (3 Raveley Street, LONDON NW5 2HX TEL 0207 267 5550 Mob 07973 617 355)email: tristram@tristramkenton.com

    Heartsink review – terminally ill doctor struggles to be a patient

  • The Price review – Henry Goodman leads another Arthur Miller revival that’s right on the money

  • ‘You have to reflect the language to capture people’s souls’: Martina Laird on calypso, patois and the RSC

  • The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui review – Mark Gatiss terrifies as Brecht’s fascistic cauliflower racketeer

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