Mood piece: James Varney paints the violent, lustful landscape of Wuthering Heights in seven panels
James Varney

Articles by James Varney
24 January 2020
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Oreo at HOME, Manchester
23-25 January, then touring
By James Varney
Shedding and putting on layers: James Varney on the process of reshaping oneself in Tania Camara’s messy, physical performance piece.
22 January 2020
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Sound Cistem at HOME, Manchester
By James Varney
‘How do you look?’: James Varney writes on the act of witnessing in Plaster Cast Theatre’s verbatim piece about trans and non-binary bodies.
15 January 2020
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Cuttin’ It at Royal Exchange Manchester
9 Jan - 1 Feb
By James Varney
Learning to care: James Varney writes on the complicated friendship at the heart of Charlene James’ play about FGM in Britain.
7 December 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Gypsy at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
30 November - 1 February
By James Varney
Successful parenting: James Varney writes on the obsessive drive of Rose, the vaudeville troupe manager-mother of Gypsy.
3 December 2019
Reviews • Manchester
Review: Plant Fetish at HOME, Manchester
27-30 November
By James Varney
Real plastic trees: James Varney writes on Chanje Kunda’s conversational, autobiographical show about trying to move past trauma.
31 October 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Light Falls at Royal Exchange Manchester
24 October - 16 November
By James Varney
A storm about to break: James Varney on the intricate relationships in Simon Stephens’ melancholic drama, which marks the end of Sarah Frankcom’s tenure at the Royal Exchange.
15 July 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Maggie the Cat at Manchester International Festival
By James Varney
Maggie who?: James Varney writes on character, community and the ghost of Tennessee Williams in American choreographer Trajal Harrell’s new piece for MIF.
6 July 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Wrestling the Walrus at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
28 June - 6 July, then touring
By James Varney
(En)acting care: James Varney writes on relaxed environments, care and memory in 154 Collective’s Hodgkiss Award-winning multimedia show.
11 June 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Hobson’s Choice at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
31 May - 6 July
By James Varney
‘A carrot of prosperity’: James Varney writes on property, production and paternalism in Tanika Gupta’s reinterpretation of Harold Brighouse’s play.
10 May 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: ONE at HOME, Manchester
8-10 May
By James Varney
Power play: James Varney writes on the dangerous games of Bert Lesca and Nasi Voutsas’ trilogy-ending follow-up to Eurohouse and Palmyra.
8 May 2019
Features • Festivals • Performance
Transform 2019: Geographical Accidents
By James Varney
James Varney writes on live art festival Transform, and explores how its line-up intertwines with the Leeds streets that surround it.
16 April 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Kingdom at HOME, Manchester
9-13 April
By James Varney
Ambiguous advertising: James Varney asks what Señor Serrano’s banana-filled multimedia production is selling, and paying for.
21 February 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: SparkPlug at HOME, Manchester
13-23 February, then touring
By James Varney
Bad parenting: James Varney writes on the ambiguous critical outlook of David Judge’s autobiographical monologue on race and fatherhood.
29 January 2019
Reviews • Manchester • National
Review: Come Closer at PUSH Festival, Manchester
24 January
By James Varney
‘Queer politic as positive philosophy’: James Varney on how Gareth Cutter’s solo show fits in a wider culture of Queerness and performance.