I saw 54 shows this year; these were my favourites.

Exceptional

A Streetcar Named Desire — Worth it purely for Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s exceptional performances.

Richard II – Likewise, a standout due to Jonathan Bailey, who delivered a perfectly legible and heartfelt Shakespearean performance (no easy feat!).

The Seagull — Come for Cate Blanchett, stay for Thomas Ostermeier’s spectacular direction.

Scenes from a Repatriation — The Royal Court’s been firing on all cylinders this year, but this was the highlight.

An Interview — A very intimate experience from Deadweight that once again redefines what theatre could or should be. Magnificent.

Showmanism — A tour de force performance from Dickie Beau paired with really excellent staging and direction.

Till The Stars Come Down — Populist, yes, but very funny and rather moving at points, and also willing to take risks that shows of this sort rarely do!

Tom at the Farm — The highlight of this year’s Fringe, and an all-round spectacular production. I’m still thinking about it months later: a deeply visceral, agonising show.

A Gambler’s Guide to Dying — The other Fringe highlight.

Horse of Jenin — A work about atrocities that is also uproariously funny, using a structure that perfectly captures the dissonance of life under occupation.

ROHTKO — On-stage cameras and screens are getting very dull, so thank god for Łukasz Twarkowski, who brings cinematography worthy of a Wong-Kar Wei film into the theatre.

We Should Never Have Walked On The Moon — A joyous, full-throttled takeover of the Southbank Centre, this featured some of the best dance I’ve seen in years.

Deaf Republic — The other Royal Court highlight. A highly innovative show, where the formal experimentation actually complemented the text rather than just being a gimmick.

Other very good shows

Weather Girl, The Shop for Mortals and Fools, Oedipus, Bacchanalia, Elektra, The Brightening Air, Evita, Girl From The North Country, My Neighbour Totoro, Echo, Kanpur: 1857, Undersigned, The Weir, The Line of Beauty, Romans, The Lady From The Sea, Christmas Day, The Red Shoes, Lander 23

Rather average stuff

Otherland, The Tempest, Hedda Gabler (Deadweight), Dealer’s Choice, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Wild Thing, Eulogy, Journey to the West, Intimate Apparel, The Maids, The Pitchfork Disney, Born With Teeth, Inter Alia

Skippable

A Knock on the Roof, Unicorn, Punch, Make It Happen, My Name is Rachel Corrie, Hamlet: Wakefulness