Catherine Usher's reviews and features

26/08/2026

👏👏👏

21/08/2026

Had a fabulous time last night seeing Abigail’s Party at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Tamzin Outhwaite really embraces the role of Beverly, who is hosting a soirée for her Essex neighbours. Her flirtatious dance moves are particularly entertaining and she captures Beverly’s garish charm brilliantly. The whole cast is very strong. If you like this Mike Leigh play from 1977 (a suburban comedy drama all about snobbery, one-upmanship and the British obsession with class), this is a really enjoyable version of an awkwardly hilarious play… 🪩🎭👏

01/08/2026

Secrets Of The Simpsons… 👏👏👏👏

01/08/2026

I reviewed a fab show on Sunday - Mike Reiss who has been a longstanding writer on the Simpsons…

Secrets of the Simpsons By Mark Ritchie | July 31, 2026 - 10:00 am |July 31, 2026 News Secrets Of The Simpsons: Stories And Scandals From Springfield – An Evening With Mike ReissUpstairs At The Gatehouse, Highgate, LondonTouring until August 6. See ovation.comReviewer: Catherine Usher Mike Reiss h...

26/03/2026

Fantastic story about holding your nerve…

23/03/2026

Exciting news from Secret Cinema… especially for those of us who live in Greenwich! 🥳

14/03/2026

My travel feature about my trip to Troyes last autumn is in OK! this week. Definitely recommend it as a great place for a mini-break…

12/03/2026

This show is brilliant. Book tickets if you can. It’s a one-man show by Adrian Lukis, who played Wickham in the BBC’s 1995 version of P&P. I saw it a few years ago at Jermyn Street Theatre and it was fabulous.

Book official tickets for Being Mr Wickham at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End. Discover Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of George Wickham.

11/02/2026

💔

RIP James Van Der Beek (1977-2026)

11/02/2026

Shadowlands this evening starring Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Siff was pretty perfect. The first half was all about how two wildly different personalities bounce so nicely off each other and in the second half they spent time pondering faith and suffering, meaning and the afterlife. CS Lewis - Jack - describes himself as only just having started to live when he fell in love. So glad I got my £30 ticket up in the gods. I was in row A at the side and fortunately it turned out to be a really good view. It’s booking until May 9 and I highly recommend it 🎭