Jamie Lloyd is known for his trademark minimalistic style of direction, with bare staging which allows the performances to truly shine. Sunset Boulevard is no exception. Based on the 1950 film, Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s book follows a young writer, Joe Gillis (Tom Francis) as he tells us the story of meeting Norma Desmond … More SUNSET BOULEVARD – REVIEW – SAVOY THEATRE
A solid family favourite since the movie premiered in 2001, the musical adaptation soon followed, premiering on Broadway in 2008. Currently on a tour of the UK, stopping off in Wimbledon this week, whilst this production of Shrek The Musical may transport the younger members of the audience to a land Far Far Away, there’s … More SHREK THE MUSICAL – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
The National Youth Music Theatre revives a Sondheim classic, showcasing their boundless talent and energy; this young cast does an excellent job of tackling this notoriously difficult musical. Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of three friends as they grow up together and subsequently grow apart. The audience meets the characters at the end … More MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
Closing Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s summer season this year is the beloved La Cage aux Folles. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, La Cage is based on the play by Jean Poiret and won the 1984 Tony Award for Best Musical. It tells the tale of Georges and Albin, a gay couple and nightclub … More LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – REVIEW – REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
Hairspray is a feel-good musical with a lot of heart, and the production at Kilworth House Theatre is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. The set design, by Paul Farnsworth, for this open-air marquee theatre is stunning, with stylish pastels everywhere, retro signage, and cool polka dot-esque dividers that transition us through the daydreamy Baltimore … More HAIRSPRAY – REVIEW – KILWORTH HOUSE THEATRE
Crazy For You is a romantic comedy musical which premiered in 1992. The show is largely based on George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin’s 1930s musical Girl Crazy, but features music from multiple productions. The show’s plot focuses on Bobby Child the son of a wealthy banking family, who has been told by his mother to … More CRAZY FOR YOU – REVIEW – GILLIAN LYNNE THEATRE
The devil is alive at the Gielgud. After a run at The National Theatre, Arthur Miller’s controversial at the time but ultimate masterpiece has transferred to the West End for a second run. Directed by Lyndsey Turner, this classic play is, unfortunately, overall unimpressive and drags for an incredibly lengthy three hours (including interval). Water … More THE CRUCIBLE – REVIEW – GIELGUD THEATRE
Based on the 1993 film starring Bill Murray, Groundhog Day The Musical premiered in 2016 at the Old Vic. The musical garnered critical acclaim during its London and Broadway runs and received the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, the show is now back at the Old Vic for the summer. The plot focuses on … More GROUNDHOG DAY – REVIEW – OLD VIC
Gypsy is a musical fable with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The show is loosely based upon the memoir of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, focusing on her upbringing by her show business-obsessed mother Rose. The musical first premiered in 1959 on Broadway and is largely … More GYPSY – REVIEW – MILL AT SONNING
Philip Ridley’s Leaves of Glass is regarded as a modern classic; the show premiered at Soho Theatre in 2007 in a critically acclaimed run which starred the now BAFTA-awarded Ben Whishaw. Now, 16 years on, Lidless Theatre brings us a new thrilling production of this four-hander. Set in East London, Leaves of Glass centres around … More LEAVES OF GLASS – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE
Based on the novel My Love, My Love, or the Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy, Once on This Island is a one-act musical retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, set in the French Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean. The show premiered on Broadway in 1990, and the West End in 1994, where it won the … More ONCE ON THIS ISLAND – REVIEW – REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE
For a musical which won both the Tony award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for drama when it arrived on Broadway in 1961, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying doesn’t get revived much. It has never had a West End revival since its run here between 1963 and 1964, and whilst … More HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING – REVIEW – SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE
John Godber’s Teechers follows three Year 11 students putting on their end-of-term play, documenting the new Drama Teacher, Miss Nixon, during her first year at Whitewall School. Miss Nixon attempts to inspire her students to love drama, she also fights against the unfair system, and the temptation from local private schools. Salty, Gail, and Hobby, … More TEECHERS LEAVERS ‘22 – REVIEW – GREENWICH THEATRE
Joe DiPietro’s F**king Men first played at the King’s Head in 2009 and has been something of a staple show on the fringe scene in London since. It’s no wonder; DiPietro’s dialogue really shines in its pace and wit, even whilst dealing with difficult issues from HIV to closeted sexuality. Rarely do you hear an audience roar … More F**KING MEN – REVIEW – WATERLOO EAST THEATRE
The original Quality Street play, written by J. M Barrie (writer of Peter Pan) premiered in 1901. A sweet (pun intended) romantic comedy in which our heroine Phoebe (brilliantly played by Paula Lane) tries to survive when the love of her life leaves for the wars, only to return 10 years later and not recognise … More QUALITY STREET – REVIEW – RICHMOND THEATRE
It’s a delicious thing, to watch two grown adults tearing each other apart. Especially if they’re a heterosexual couple. Only if it’s not actually happening. Until it gets violent… Michael Longhurst’s revival of Noël Coward’s taut, flippant, and viciously dark divorce play effectively realises the threat and aggression inherent in the core relationship, carefully unpacking … More PRIVATE LIVES – REVIEW – DONMAR WAREHOUSE
The Union Theatre is an odd choice for this revival of Stiles and Drewe’s 2011 musical adaptation of Alan Bennett’s A Private Function. The cast of nineteen seems a similar size to what it would be in a West End theatre, yet the space is much smaller, and there are points where this does the show … More BETTY BLUE EYES – REVIEW – UNION THEATRE
Noël Coward’s Hay Fever first premiered in 1925 at the Ambassadors Theatre, to favourable reviews. The play is silly, comedic, and farcical, set over three acts we follow the Bliss family as they each entertain their guests. Michael Holt’s set aptly demonstrates the 1920s, with blueish green walls, bordered with white, and leopard print tablecloth, … More HAY FEVER – REVIEW – MILL AT SONNING
Eugenius! premiered in a concert production at the London Palladium in 2016, before a fully staged production of the show ran at The Other Palace in 2018. The show was due to transfer to the West End the same year, but unfortunately, this did not happen. Now, the show is back, this time at the … More EUGENIUS! – REVIEW – TURBINE THEATRE
Zinnie Harris’ play premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in 2000, where it won a Fringe First Award, and received critical acclaim. Twenty-three years on the show is back, in a new production at the Young Vic. Set on a remote island and based on real-life events on the island of Tristan da Cunha, Further Than … More FURTHER THAN THE FURTHEST THING – REVIEW – YOUNG VIC
