KATE MCGREGOR
Theatre Director
Reviews
Reviews for Jane Austen's Persuasion (No.1 UK Tour) 2018
★★★★★“Persuasion is a timeless story of love, relationships and social etiquette and this adaptation tells the story brilliantly” What’s Good To Do
★★★★★“Captivating. Full of emotion and drama” Windsor Express
★★★★“Joyous, poignant, lively and very funny” Wirral Globe
★★★★★“Breathtaking, bold, beautiful” Slough Observer
“The small cast perform with impressive dexterity” Liverpool ECHO
★★★★“Fantastic…featuring some wonderfully gifted actor-musicians, a solid script, and well-planned and paced direction, Persuasion does not disappoint.’” London Theatre
★★★★★“Polished, relentlessly appealing & brimming with talent” Broadway Baby
“There should be no need to persuade anyone to go to the Playhouse Theatre, Persuasion is its own reward” Liverpool Sound and Vision
★★★★“Very impressive” Upper Circle
“Stephanie Dale’s adaptation is faithful, reverential in all the right ways and puts the comedy of manners, etiquette and romantic procedure front and centre.” Liverpool Underlined
★★★★★“uniformly excellent cast…a play to put a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart. Jane Austen would be proud of this adaptation…” Carns Theatre Passion
“Perfectly pleasant” Northern Soul
“Persuasion is an absolute gem of theatre production.”The Sphinx
Reviews for Gabriel (No.1 UK Tour) 2017
British Theatre Guide "Every aspect of this production is outstanding and a spellbound audience are given ample reminders about the darker side of human nature, and a chilling insight of the impact of war on ordinary people."
4 Stars "A rewarding, haunting evening" The Telegraph
4 Stars "Thought-provoking" The Times
4 Stars "Superbly acted. A joy to watch." Mail on Sunday
5 Stars "Extraordinary piece of storytelling" Echo
5 Stars "Gripping from start to finish. Utterly brilliant." Wirral Globe
4 Stars Broadway World
4 Stars Good News Liverpool
5 Stars North West End
5 Stars Lowdown Magazine
5 Stars "Kate McGregor has masterfully crafted this brilliant piece of writing into a humorous and harrowing evening of entertainment. Her approach is subtle and personable, focusing on the lengths people will go to in war to get what they need. To paraphrase one of Buffini’s many truisms in the play’s text, in war we are not governed by the law but by force; and this powerful display of feminine strength is a real force to be reckoned with." The Reviews Hub
4 Stars "Kate McGregor’s smooth direction exploits the drama to its fullest, creating a genuinely exciting piece of storytelling" The Stage
"The taut direction" Liverpool Underlined
"Gabriel is a spellbinding play" Liverpool Sound and Vision
Reviews for The Lost Boy (Theatre in the Quarter, Chester) 2017
4 Stars Chester Chronicle
"The play, written by Stephanie Dale and directed by Kate McGregor, has the effect of lulling you in to a comfort zone of Christmas carols, choir practice and cheesy pasta at the same time as questioning your own attitudes to strangers, your suspicions, your values."
4 Stars Reviews Hub
"a production of courage and integrity", "The Lost Boy successfully retains an emotionally charged and human story at its core" "a timely and compelling piece", "the use of multi-media which provides some particularly heart-wrenching verbatim accounts of real-life refugee experiences".
4 Stars The Stage
"A beautifully crafted and pertinent new play featuring testimony from real asylum seekers"
Reviews for Honest (UK Tour) 2014
“Truly stunning show that kept the audience gripped throughout with an emotional rollercoaster that mirrored the reality of teenage life.” Honest reviewed by Salisbury Journal *****
Link to full review: http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/11522506.Honest_thought_provoking_drama/
“Hats off to writer and director Alice Nicholas and Kate McGregor…proof that this nationwide cross-fertilization of talent can bring exceptional projects to fruition.” Honest reviewed by Female Arts ****
Link to full review: http://www.femalearts.com/node/1467
Reviews for The Water Engine & Mr Happiness (Old Vic Tunnels) 2011
“A hauntingly detailed creation myth for modern capitalist American…McGregor and cast tell this elegiac fable with impressive clarity.” Mr. Happiness & The Water Engine, reviewed by Andrzej Lukowski/ Time Out ****
Link to full review: http://www.timeout.com/london/sport-and-fitness/mr-happiness-the-water-engine
“Kate McGregor’s frequently bewitching production does full justice to the power of Mamet’s writing.” Mr. Happiness & The Water Engine, reviewed by James Waygood/ Exeunt Magazine ****
“McGregor directs both plays with amazing skill…superb performances in this genuine ensemble piece with a stunning performance by David Burt.” Mr. Happiness & The Water Engine, reviewed by Alan Curfew / View London *****
Reviews for The Double (White Bear Theatre) 2010
“This is an ensemble triumph…McGregor deserves high praise for her skillful management of such a muti-sensory, textually rich and ambitious production.” The Double, reviewed by Dominic Di Nezza/ Remote Goat ****
Link to full review: http://www.remotegoat.com/uk/review/5017/make-yours-a-double-now/
“McGregor’s production is stylish and confident, there are excellent set pieces – scenes performed in fast forwards; flashes of the nightmarish interior of Golyadkin’s mind…” The Double, reviewed by Brian Logan / Time Out ****
Reviews for The Devil Is An Ass (White Bear Theatre) 2010
“The whole play was a living breathing entity, from busy London Street, to Georgian circus and ending up as a Victorian freak show - a treat for the senses!” The Devil Is An Ass, reviewed by Jo Foster / Remote Goat *****
Reviews for Never Any Fruit (Pleasance Theatre, Islington) 2010
Link to full review: http://www.remotegoat.com/uk/review/6272/slick-entertaining-hilarious-colourful-gorgeous/
“McGregor has sensitively brought a good script to life, paying attention to the details that help to make their relationship more believable. The themes of space and infinity are imaginatively explored...Baksh's performance is riveting…” Never Any Fruit, reviewed by James Buxton / Extra! Extra!
“[Jack’s] touchingly vulnerable confession as the play nears its end reduces more than a few audience members to tears, myself included…a tender and moving delight. “ Never Any Fruit, reviewed by Sarah Kendall / Spoonfed ****
Reviews for Quango 193 (site specific) 2010
“Kate McGregor's direction is sharp in the early stages and clever in later scenes of barely-contained chaos.”
Quango 193, reviewed by Sheila Cornelius / Remote Goat ****
Link to full review here: http://www.remotegoat.com/uk/review/6748/its-about-to-get-apocalyptic/
“This is an office from Hell…I admired the exquisite choreography of the violence, so well executed that I feared I might be next.” Quango 193, reviewed by Fabian Acker/ London Festival Fringe ****