In part derived from actor Richard L. Sterne’s rehearsal journal, Jack Thorne’s historical drama and ode to the ‘Mona Lisa of literature’ documents the fated, climactic and ultimately dazzling collision of Sir John Gielgud and Richard Burton (played here by Mark Gatiss and Johnny Flynn) in their infamous Broadway Hamlet of 1964. The image of … More THE MOTIVE AND THE CUE – REVIEW – NOËL COWARD THEATRE
It’s like watching an episode of Stranger Things on stage! Stranger Things: The First Shadow has, to say the least, many elements to it. For productions like these, it’s easy for the story to get lost among the special effects. Thankfully, this isn’t the case. With just as much charm and heart as the Netflix … More STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW – REVIEW – PHOENIX THEATRE
It’s fun, it’s silly, it’s camp, it’s sometimes a little bit inappropriate. But is it even about Ursula? Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch is a parody musical that promises to uncover the Disney villain’s backstory to show us how she became the bitter octopus, ruler of the “Dark Waters” she is … More UNFORTUNATE – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT
Broadway composer Mary Rodgers used to refer to the ‘Why’ musical, a term which referred to a show frequently, though not always, based on a popular intellectual property, that had absolutely no reason to be musicalised. These shows are arguably more common now than they were in Rodgers’s day, but if ever there was an … More YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN – REVIEW – UPSTAIRS AT THE GATEHOUSE
Australian drag cabaret extraordinaire, and the ‘award-winning cry for help’, Reuben Kaye is back! Fresh from a tour, The Butch is Back has stopped in London’s South Bank Centre. The show is around 2 hours of comedy which comes thick and fast, with musical numbers, including the likes of The Cure, The Rolling Stones, Stormzy, … More REUBEN KAYE: THE BUTCH IS BACK – REVIEW – LONDON SOUTHBANK CENTRE
A Christmas Gaiety at the Royal Albert Hall is a night of camp Christmas fun and frivolity. With the BBC Concert Orchestra on stage, and our hosts Peaches Christ and conductor Edwin Outwater, the evening consists of musical performances, a dance performance, and a story. Beginning the evening is RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Baga Chipz, … More A CHRISTMAS GAIETY – REVIEW – ROYAL ALBERT HALL
I don’t think either Jacob Lovick or Jack Robertson, the creative foundation of Medium Rare Productions, would object in the slightest to my describing their curdled pantomime as batshit crazy. In fact, the statement would most likely tickle and satisfy them to no end. This festive confection with a barbed kick is an awkward meet-the-parents … More MIDWYNTAR – REVIEW – OLD RED LION THEATRE
While Tom Stoppard’s play Rock ‘n’ Roll holds all the drama for a great production, it struggles with pace and clarity, making the story difficult to follow. The cast itself is incredible, starring Nancy Carroll, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd and Nathaniel Parker, however despite their brilliant characterisations, the script itself is structured in a way that limits how attached … More ROCK ‘N’ ROLL – REVIEW – HAMPSTEAD THEATRE
For most of us, the war in Ukraine is an awful, if distant, subject. Yes, many a displaced family have been given refuge by kind and sympathetic Western hosts, yet the torn psyches and psychological fallout of their horrific experiences under assault will remain forever unfathomable to the majority of those hosts, however embracing. Imagine … More NOSEBLEEDS – REVIEW – HOPE THEATRE
This Crossroads Pantomimes production of Cinderella, starring the iconic Strictly Come Dancingjudge Craig Revel Horwood, is nothing short of FAB-U-LOUS. Directed by Michael Gyngell, this production is currently playing at the New Wimbledon Theatre until Sunday 7th January, and is an absolute must see for all the family. The set design by Ian Westbrook encapsulates the traditional … More CINDERELLA – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
In the 70 years since her untimely death, the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón has become a conflicting figure of history, beloved by many and similarly scorned by the rest. The musical biopic of her life by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice began life in 1976 and has since then gone through numerous … More EVITA – REVIEW – LEICESTER CURVE
High Society centres around wealthy socialite Tracy who is to be married the next day to George. Her ex-husband Dexter appears and disrupts the proceedings. Cole Porter’s score is upbeat and jazzy, the show borrows songs from his previous productions and slots them in, but at times the songs make little sense to what is … More HIGH SOCIETY – REVIEW – MILL AT SONNING
Taking space is a radical act. Such feels to be the urge behind Wardrobe & Sons’ alternative festive ‘homecoming’ which unites four queer and neurodivergent artists to unpack what it means to perform oneself at Christmas. Locating the site of transformation firmly in the domestic, Frankie Thompson’s false-backed, chandelier-bedecked Wardrobe, designed by Em Tanner, acts … More A THEY IN A MANGER – REVIEW – CAMDEN PEOPLE’S THEATRE
Red Brick Theatre first staged Sour Milk for the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival in 2021. In this version, Aaron Shaw joins original cast members Abbey Hayes and playwright Jonathan Mitchell in a beautifully composed hour of theatre about unyielding friendship under dire circumstances. In a one-bedroom flat above a chippy, Mark (Mitchell) and his best … More SOUR MILK – REVIEW – KING’S ARMS SALFORD
Since its Broadway premiere in 1976, Pacific Overtures has become a surprising addition to the musical theatre canon. Telling the story of Japan’s isolationist foreign policy transformed in 1853 by the arrival of American forces was and is not traditional musical theatre fare. Nor is the manner of telling; writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, … More PACIFIC OVERTURES – REVIEW – MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Following on from a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, this boy band Christmas music has made its way to the Seven Dials Playhouse. With an obvious influence from Dickens’ classic Christmas story, Chris Kirkpatrick is visited by an Angel – Marky Mark and is allowed to make a wish. What follows is an hour … More CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS – REVIEW – SEVEN DIALS PLAYHOUSE
The infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
