- Ebony Scrooge, Sadlers Wells East ****Sadler’s Wells christens its new Stratford East home with a festive flourish, unwrapping a Christmas Carol remix that sails via the Caribbean (where our eponymous fashion doyenne, Ebony Scrooge, is born) to London’s cruel, style-soaked streets. Think Dickens, brushed in Devil-Wears-Prada cool, infused with… Read more: Ebony Scrooge, Sadlers Wells East ****
- Sunny Afternoon, (on tour), New Wimbledon Theatre, ***Now playing at New Wimbledon Theatre, Sunny Afternoon remains a real pleasure for Kinks fans and a reminder of why the show swept up a cluster of Olivier Awards when it first arrived in 2015, including Best New Musical, Outstanding Achievement in Music, and… Read more: Sunny Afternoon, (on tour), New Wimbledon Theatre, ***
- After Sunday, Bush Theatre **** Dreams, despair and fried dumplings: Caribbean roots and broken systems collide in this rich, heartfelt study of a psychological care system creaking at the seams. The Bush Theatre and Belgrade Theatre in Coventry are co-producers in the world premiere of After Sunday, the debut… Read more: After Sunday, Bush Theatre ****
- The Ecstasy of Hedy Lamarr, New Wimbledon Theatre, ****Written by Graham Warrener, The Ecstasy of Hedy Lamarr is currently playing at the New Wimbledon Theatre as part of its fifth New Premieres season. Billed as “a tale of beauty, brains and Bluetooth”, The Ecstasy of Hedy Lamarr is an accomplished two-hander that… Read more: The Ecstasy of Hedy Lamarr, New Wimbledon Theatre, ****
- Not your Superwoman, Bush Theatre **** 1/2The Bush Theatre has another hit on its hands with Not Your Superwoman, now playing to sell-out audiences at its Shepherd’s Bush home. Surely a West End transfer awaits, if the schedules of Bridgerton’s Golda Rosheuvel and Black Panther star Letitia Wright can be… Read more: Not your Superwoman, Bush Theatre **** 1/2
- Tentacle Tribe: PRISM, Sadlers Wells East ****1/2In Tentacle Tribe’s Prism, presented by Breakin’ Convention, currently playing at Sadler’s Wells East, five dancers turn light, colour, and motion into a mesmerising language of movement. The choreographers, Emmanuelle Lê Phan and Elon Höglund first met in Cirque du Soleil almost two decades… Read more: Tentacle Tribe: PRISM, Sadlers Wells East ****1/2
- The Gardening Club, New Wimbledon Theatre ****The Gardening Club is currently playing a sell out run at the New Wimbledon Theatre as part of its fifth New Premieres season. Stirring much excitement in Edinburgh, where Act One was launched, such is the interest that an additional one-off performance (with additional online option)… Read more: The Gardening Club, New Wimbledon Theatre ****
- Black Power Desk , Brixton House ****Black Power Desk, an original musical highlighting 1970s Black British protest, is making its world premiere at new South London venue, Brixton House. A sharp, soulful snapshot of its time, it is political yet deeply personal, with music that pulses with the heartbeat of… Read more: Black Power Desk , Brixton House ****
- How to be a Dancer in Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessons, Sadlers Wells East ****1/2How to Be a Dancer in 72,000 Easy Lessons, currently playing at Sadler’s Wells East is a semi-autobiographical piece examining choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan‘s life and career through a series of memories and vignettes. Each element in this carefully chosen collection of life and career… Read more: How to be a Dancer in Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessons, Sadlers Wells East ****1/2
- Make Me Feel, Bush Theatre (Young Company) *** The Bush Theatre in Shepherd’s Bush places reflecting the diversity of its community at the very heart of its work and does so with remarkable success. Each visit offers something new to learn and reflect upon, making every production a meaningful experience. Since the… Read more: Make Me Feel, Bush Theatre (Young Company) ***
- R.O.S.E., Sadlers Wells East ****Sadler’s Wells East transforms into a night club in this collaboration between boundary-blurring choreographer Sharon Eyal, creative partner Gai Behar, London dancers Young and club DJ Call Super. It offers a compelling fusion of nightlife and contemporary performance. Eyal and Behar met in a… Read more: R.O.S.E., Sadlers Wells East ****
- Inside Giovanni’s Room, Sadlers Wells East ****Founded over 40 years ago by three young Black British men, Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre presents Inside Giovanni’s Room at Sadler’s Wells East as part of a UK tour. The show is a sensual, mesmerisingly rhythmic and emotional retelling of the James Baldwin novel, Giovanni’s Room. American writer and civil… Read more: Inside Giovanni’s Room, Sadlers Wells East ****
- Just for one day, Shaftesbury ****Just For One Day transferring from the Old Vic and now playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre revisits the seminal Live Aid fundraising concert of 1985 as it approaches its 40th anniversary. It is a lively, loud look at Bob Geldof and the Live Aid… Read more: Just for one day, Shaftesbury ****
- Miss Myrtle’s Garden, Bush Theatre ****1/2 Diveen Henry is the Miss Myrtle in Miss Myrtle’s Garden and is the heart of this tender, witty and devastating play that explores the crumbling awareness that haunts many at the end of their lives, currently in its premiere run at the Bush Theatre.… Read more: Miss Myrtle’s Garden, Bush Theatre ****1/2
- Tending, Riverside Studios ****Based on over 70 interviews with nurses of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities, Tending at the Riverside Studios tenderly and powerfully gives true voice to the 40,000 nurses in the NHS. Written by El Blackwood and directed by John Livesey, this piece of theatre… Read more: Tending, Riverside Studios ****
- Kyoto, RSC / Soho Place ****It’s the 1980s and 1990s and as the terrifying impacts of global warming became ever more apparent, the United Nations summits on climate change are perhaps Earth’s only hope. Kyoto (premiering at the RSC and now in its second run at @SohoPlace) centres on… Read more: Kyoto, RSC / Soho Place ****
- A Brief Case Of Crazy, Riverside Studios ****A Brief Case of Crazy comes to the Riverside Studios after being called a “hidden gem” by the FringeReview at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Hidden gem is an apt description, as in this show the Skedaddle Company (Rowan , Lennie Longworth and Samuel Cunningham) deliver… Read more: A Brief Case Of Crazy, Riverside Studios ****
- NOW that’s What I Call A Musical, New Wimbledon Theatre ***Initially launched to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the ubiquitous NOW That’s What I Call Music compilation tapes, NOW That’s What I Call A Musical is a piece of fun and cheesy nostalgia. Set simultaneously in Birmingham in 1989 and 2009, this is unashamedly… Read more: NOW that’s What I Call A Musical, New Wimbledon Theatre ***
- Retrograde, Apollo Theatre **** Retrograde by Ryan Calais Cameron is a tense, thoughtful and compelling insight into the difficult intersection of McCarthyism and racism and its impact on the, then emerging, black actor Sidney Poitier (Ivanno Jeremiah). Transferring from the Kiln theatre to a West End run at… Read more: Retrograde, Apollo Theatre ****
- Dear England, National Theatre **** ½ The role of sport in the national psyche is a curious and culturally unique one. New Zealand has its love of All Blacks, America has the Super Bowl and England has football. Won once, in 1966, but with a constant expectation that it should… Read more: Dear England, National Theatre **** ½
- The Years, Harold Pinter **** ½ Based on Annie Ernaux’s 2008 historical memoir Les Années, The Years examines the life of one woman from 1941 through to 2006. Her personal milestones are portrayed alongside significant world events; reminding audiences that all of us living at the same time share experiences and… Read more: The Years, Harold Pinter **** ½
- Sisyphean Quick Fix, Riverside Studios ****1/2Sisyphean Quick Fix comes to the Riverside Studios after being Awarded BEST PLAY and Theatre Weekly’s Best of the Fest ’24 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024. Written by Bettina Paris, who also stars as Krista, it is based on her own lived… Read more: Sisyphean Quick Fix, Riverside Studios ****1/2
- My Fair Lady, The Questors Theatre ****Wouldn’t It Be Loverly if people outside Ealing realised just what a jewel the Questor’s Theatre is? While an amateur theatre, shows such as its recent My Fair Lady demonstrate that it is capable of producing shows which rival the West End for both… Read more: My Fair Lady, The Questors Theatre ****
- Dear Evan Hansen, New Wimbledon Theatre ****New research shows that Gen Z, those between 16 and 24, are ‘the loneliest generation’. Dear Evan Hansen (on tour, currently at New Wimbledon Theatre) humorously and poignantly explains the pitfalls and perils of a world ever more connected online but disconnected in real life.… Read more: Dear Evan Hansen, New Wimbledon Theatre ****
- Yankl And The Beanstalk, Pleasance **½Yankl and the Beanstalk, now playing at the Pleasance London, promises to be a queer, Jewish, socialist twist on the panto tradition. In this premise, playwright and Yiddishist, Tamara Micner carries on from the Haimisher pantomimes which became popular in Manchester in the post-war era.… Read more: Yankl And The Beanstalk, Pleasance **½
- Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew, Bush Theatre **** A founding member of the Bush Theatre’s Young Company, Coral Wylie is both writer and performer in Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew currently playing its World Premiere at the Bush Theatre. An emerging talent, their writing and acting skills bring sincerity and realism in this… Read more: Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew, Bush Theatre ****
- Kenrex, Southwark Playhouse ****½Kenrex at the Southwark Playhouse is part concert, part true crime podcast and part play. It is largely a one-man-show (Jack Holden), enhanced by on stage music (Jack Patrick Elliott) and sound recordings (Giles Thomas). Written by Holden and director Ed Stambollouian and subtitled… Read more: Kenrex, Southwark Playhouse ****½
- Mrs President, Charing Cross Theatre **A focused look at Mary Todd Lincoln, Mrs President, is currently playing at Charing Cross Theatre. Advertising promises an “intimate and politically charged portrait of America’s most misunderstood First Lady” but unfortunately this is a show which is also hard to understand due to… Read more: Mrs President, Charing Cross Theatre **
- Oedipus, Old Vic *** ½ Oedipus at the Old Vic is the second production of Oedipus in London this year. This portrayal is an exciting retelling of the ancient story but some of choices detract from the narrative and from the sense we are watching a piece of Greek… Read more: Oedipus, Old Vic *** ½
- Stalled, Kings Head Theatre *** Stalled (a “new musical about mothers, daughters and moving on”) is currently playing at the King’s Head Theatre with Olivier, Tony, and Drama Desk Awards nominee Lauren Ward leading the cast. Set in a classy Seattle ladies’ room, the different relationship woes of four mothers and… Read more: Stalled, Kings Head Theatre ***
- …blackbird hour, Bush Theatre (and on tour) ***½ …blackbird hour, by abirye bukilwa, was a finalist for the Women’s prize for playwriting, the Bruntwood prize and the Alfred Fagon award. In the hands of director malakaï sargeant, it is a powerful and disturbing look into mental illness and how difficult it is… Read more: …blackbird hour, Bush Theatre (and on tour) ***½
- Pig Heart Boy, Unicorn Theatre (and tour) ****Pig Heart Boy, currently playing at the Unicorn Theatre ahead of a national tour, is based on the best-selling book by former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman. The novel was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and adapted by the BBC into a Bafta award-winning TV series.… Read more: Pig Heart Boy, Unicorn Theatre (and tour) ****
- Mean Girls, Savoy ***½Mean Girls is a high school musical drama. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else and it does it very well, examining and exploring the desperate desire we all have to fit in. It does not have the same dark undertones and comedy as… Read more: Mean Girls, Savoy ***½
- Trash, Sadlers Wells ****Award-winning Spanish theatre company Yllana and Toom Pak are currently performing the UK premiere tour of TRASH! at the Peacock Theatre. Trash! is absolutely Stomp for the next generation. Set in a recycling centre, the workers create percussive magic – and comedy – with waste including propane tanks, umbrellas, balls, toolboxes, horns and… Read more: Trash, Sadlers Wells ****
- Here You Come Again, New Wimbledon Theatre ****Camp, colourful, covidy fun and with just the right amount of poignancy, Here You Come Again is a very appealing night out for both fans of Dolly Parton and non-fans alike. Cut off from the world, we all struggled with our mental health in… Read more: Here You Come Again, New Wimbledon Theatre ****
- Much Ado About Nothing, Jamie Lloyd ****½Jamie Lloyd has become known for a stark grey and black palette, so it is a relief to find that he has now discovered the colour pink. His last foray into Shakespeare, The Tempest with Sigourney Weaver, suffered from drabness and a lack of… Read more: Much Ado About Nothing, Jamie Lloyd ****½
- Scissorhandz, Southwark Playhouse ***Scissorhandz at the Southwark Playhouse presents a musical take on a much-loved story, raising the question of whether a tale that has already been so effectively told actually needs another re-invention. There are some real strengths and flair in this production but it felt… Read more: Scissorhandz, Southwark Playhouse ***
- Ghost, New Wimbledon Theatre ***With stars Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in the lead, Ghost was the highest grossing film of 1990 and the iconic pottery scene remains legendary and much-loved. Premiering in Manchester in 2011, Ghost the musical brings the beloved film back to life… Read more: Ghost, New Wimbledon Theatre ***
- Play On, Lyric Hammersmith ****Infused with 20 fabulous songs from Duke Ellington, Play On! at the Lyric Hammersmith reimagines Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in a 1940s Harlem jazz club. It is a thoroughly energetic and enjoyable show which, equally, does not shy away from exposing issues of race and… Read more: Play On, Lyric Hammersmith ****
- &Juliet, New Wimbledon Theatre *****With three Olivier Awards and six WhatsOnStage Awards it is only right that &Juliet has another outing for the sake of both new and faithful audiences . The New Wimbledon Theatre is currently hosting the London leg of a touring version which loses none of what made… Read more: &Juliet, New Wimbledon Theatre *****
- Matthew Bourne’s Oliver ****Please sir, can I have some more? We all know the words, but do we all really need any more Oliver? So many of us will have been exposed to this production in school. I was an orphan in Oliver as a child, my… Read more: Matthew Bourne’s Oliver ****
- Jack and the Beanstalk, New Wimbledon Theatre ****The New Wimbledon Theatre played host to Jack and the Beanstalk this year, one of the 23 pantomimes producing by Crossroads pantomimes (who are also responsible for the pantomime at the London Palladium). Being part of such a large production stable, means that a… Read more: Jack and the Beanstalk, New Wimbledon Theatre ****
- Hijinks and Caviar, New Wimbledon Theatre **The New Wimbledon Theatre is currently championing a season of brand new plays, including Hijinks and Caviar. From the writing duo Moody & Moody, Hijinks and Caviar is billed as a comedy musical which will offer a night of murder mystery fun with a side… Read more: Hijinks and Caviar, New Wimbledon Theatre **
- Hairspray, New Wimbledon Theatre ***½The New Wimbledon Theatre currently plays host to a touring version of Hairspray. Based on John Water’s 1988 film of the same name, Hairspray is a staple feel-good musical. The musical’s first iteration on Broadway won 8 Tony Awards and then went on to win… Read more: Hairspray, New Wimbledon Theatre ***½
- Jesus Christ Superstar, New Wimbledon Theatre ****The New Wimbledon Theatre currently plays host to the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar. With strong vocals, a stark and simple staging and stunning choreography (which earned an Olivier nomination in its first iteration), there is much to enjoy… Read more: Jesus Christ Superstar, New Wimbledon Theatre ****
- Blizzard, Soho Theatre ****In Blizzard, now at the Soho Theatre, writer and director Emily Woof has created a one-woman poignant and at times both physical and philosophical comedy that taps into the midlife neuroses and daydreams we all ponder. Middle-aged, married and muddled, Dotty (Emily Woof) and… Read more: Blizzard, Soho Theatre ****
- King Lear, Riverside Studios ****How many words do you need to tell a story? Do words get in the way of story? Can you tell a story without them? Director Shu-wing Tang explores just this with his King Lear, which has had its European Premiere at the Riverside… Read more: King Lear, Riverside Studios ****
- Madagascar, New Wimbledon Theatre ****Based on the popular DreamWorks Animation film, Madagascar the Musical follows four animal friends who escape from New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to Madagascar. The production is a co-production between Selladoor Worldwide and the Theatre Royal Plymouth.… Read more: Madagascar, New Wimbledon Theatre ****
- The Cord, Bush Theatre ***The early days of parenthood are exhausting, destabilising and throw every relationship into a starker relief than previously. Too often in theatre and TV, these days are presented for either their comedy value or through an idealistic lens of the love which new parents… Read more: The Cord, Bush Theatre ***
- Agathe, Playground Theatre ****Thirty years since the Rwandan Genocide, Agathe at the Playground Theatre is a powerful piece of theatre storytelling, casting a research-informed gaze on a little known (and, as it turns out, short-lived) Rwandan leader, Agathe Uwilingiyimana. Playwright Angela J. Davis researched many testimonies and… Read more: Agathe, Playground Theatre ****
- Minority Report, Lyric Hammersmith****Based on the short story by American science fiction writer Philip K Dick, Minority Report in an adaptation by David Haig (on tour, currently at Lyric Hammersmith) explores the age old debate between pre-destiny and free will. Absolutely extraordinary staging places the action firmly… Read more: Minority Report, Lyric Hammersmith****
- In Clay, Upstairs at the Gatehouse *****Based on the true story of Marie-Berthe Cazin, a ceramic artist in 1930s Paris, In Clay (most recently at Upstairs at the Gatehouse) is a tender and moving one-woman musical. As she waits for her friend – fellow artist Henrietta Tirman – Cazin tells… Read more: In Clay, Upstairs at the Gatehouse *****
- Don’t.Make.Tea., Soho Theatre ***Birds of Paradise theatre are a Scottish touring group with disabled and non-disabled actors and a disability-led managing team. This structure brings a backdrop of authenticity to Don’t.Make.Tea. at the Soho Theatre which, while it is a farce, touches on some very real modern… Read more: Don’t.Make.Tea., Soho Theatre ***
- Shifters, Bush Theatre ****Tender love story Shifters by Benedict Lombe has been a sell-out success at the Bush Theatre and it seems hard to believe we might not see it in another incarnation soon. The Bush, under the artistic direction of Lynette Linton is going from strength… Read more: Shifters, Bush Theatre ****
- Power of Sail, Menier Chocolate Factory ***Power of Sail at the Menier Chocolate Factory examines and explores the limits of free speech. Even if we have the right to say anything do we have the right to say it anywhere? And what are the implications of that choice? Former protégé… Read more: Power of Sail, Menier Chocolate Factory ***
- Just for one day, Old Vic ****Just For One Day at the Old Vic revisits the seminal Geldof fundraising concert of 1985, the events that led up to it and all that came after. It is estimated that Live Aid was shown live in 150 countries and although I managed… Read more: Just for one day, Old Vic ****
- The King and I, Dominion Theatre ***The King and I (touring) is now playing at the Dominion Theatre where it offers a traditional staging of this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Led by Helen George (of Call the Midwife fame) and Darren Lee (an experienced “King”), the performance ably presents the… Read more: The King and I, Dominion Theatre ***
- Metamorphosis, Lyric Hammersmith **Lemn Sissay, Lyric Hammersmith, Frantic Assembly, Kafka: this play had excellent credentials and there was every reason to hope for a profound and interesting show. Unfortunately, directorial choices had the cast hollering and the audience left feeling battered by the one-note performances. Any nuance… Read more: Metamorphosis, Lyric Hammersmith **
- Bronco Billy, Charing Cross Theatre ***Light, colourful, clean cowboy musical Bronco Billy is now playing at Charing Cross Theatre. A musical version of the 1980 Clint Eastwood western, we follow the antics of a wild west stage troupe as they “follow their dreams” to California. The ensemble work, lighting… Read more: Bronco Billy, Charing Cross Theatre ***
- Spymonkey’s The Frogs, Kiln Theatre ***Spymonkey’s The Frogs, now running at the Kiln Theatre is a return after some years for the Spymonkey troupe. If you love physical theatre and are a Spymonkey fan who wants to see the next step on their journey, you will be in for… Read more: Spymonkey’s The Frogs, Kiln Theatre ***
- Before After, Southwark Playhouse ***Before After, now running at the Southwark Playhouse started life in workshops in 2014 and most famously was livestreamed from the Southwark in 2020. It is now a two-part musical with live band. Its start in life will no doubt draw in the curious as… Read more: Before After, Southwark Playhouse ***
- Abba Voyage: tips and thoughtsAbba Voyage is a ground-breaking spectacle and it would be remiss of me to suggest any less. The use of technology to recreate an Abba concert experience is nothing short of ground-breaking and almost impossible to wrap your head around. There are some changes… Read more: Abba Voyage: tips and thoughts
- My neighbour Totoro, Barbican *****My Neighbour Totoro, now running at the Barbican is the return of the award-winning adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s anime masterpiece. A feast of music, puppetry and fine-acting, Totoro transports audiences into a magical, gentle fantasy world. Totoro is a true fusion of styles, making… Read more: My neighbour Totoro, Barbican *****
- Kim’s Convenience, Park Theatre ****Kim’s Convenience, now running at the Park Theatre is the play that preceded the Netflix sitcom. Playwright Ins Choi (who played Mr Kim’s son in the original stage play) stars as the eponymous Mr Kim and presents a warm-hearted but funny insight into both… Read more: Kim’s Convenience, Park Theatre ****
- Cowbois, Royal Court ***Cowbois, now running at the Royal Court is a West End transfer of a new RSC play which played to great acclaim in Stratford. The first half, set in a small Western town where the men are long since departed to the gold rush,… Read more: Cowbois, Royal Court ***
- God of Carnage, Lyric Hammersmith **The God of Carnage, now running at the Lyric Hammersmith is a re-staging of the award-winning play by Yasmina Reza. The play explores the tensions and undertones at a meeting between two sets of parents after one son has hurt the other. A strong… Read more: God of Carnage, Lyric Hammersmith **
- The little big things, Soho Place ****The Little Big Things is a new British musical which has just opened at @sohoplace. It is dividing critics and audiences, newspaper reviews have hovered around the 3 star marks while audiences are rapturous, crying and already coming for repeat viewings. My prediction is… Read more: The little big things, Soho Place ****
- Patriots, Noel Coward Theatre ****Patriots returns to the West End, playing at the Noel Coward Theatre. Patriots, through the lens of a key set of oligarchs takes us through the 1991 collapse of Russia. Some win, some lose in this massive jostling for reward and the play follows… Read more: Patriots, Noel Coward Theatre ****
- Tarantino Live, Riverside Studios ***Tarantino Live is an immersive (but not interactive) musical montage of Tarantino films played in a cabaret setting at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. It has played to sell-out crowds in the US and is playing in London for much of the summer. Show… Read more: Tarantino Live, Riverside Studios ***
- August in England, Bush Theatre *****Lenny Henry’s self-penned play is a witty, moving and hugely important in this year of the Windrush 75th anniversary staged at the Bush Theatre for six weeks only. That elderly Caribbean residents of the UK who had lived here since their childhoods had to… Read more: August in England, Bush Theatre *****
- Re-Member Me, Hampstead Theatre ****Dickie Beau’s self-penned play is a unique and thought-provoking piece of theatre. This is not a good choice for those who like a straightforward, traditionally staged narrative. It is a most unconventional part documentary, part mime, part memoir written and performed by a lip… Read more: Re-Member Me, Hampstead Theatre ****
- Invisible, Bush Theatre ***What stories do we tell? Whose stories? Who chooses? These are important questions asked in Invisible, a one man show featuring Nikhil Parmar, currently playing at the Bush Theatre and shortly due to travel to New York as part of the 59E59’s Brits Off… Read more: Invisible, Bush Theatre ***
- Oubliette (Volume Club) ****Oubliette, at the Other Palace, is a new musical written by Tom Barr-Forrest under the auspices of The Volume Club, a group of early career professionals founded in 2021 to support new writing. Barr-Forrest, a third year East 15 student, takes the lead role… Read more: Oubliette (Volume Club) ****
- Bleak expectations **, Criterion TheatreBleak Expectations, by Mark Evans, is based on the award-winning BBC Comedy. It is a pastiche of Dickens and, having seen the incredible Pride & Prejudice (sort of) at the same venue, we had high hopes. Unfortunately, Bleak Expectations does not live up to… Read more: Bleak expectations **, Criterion Theatre
- Candy Gigi – Friday Night Sinner ***Candy Gigi’s show, Friday Night Sinner, is unapologetically crude and defiantly over-the-top. There are signs warning of the explicit and interactive nature of the show before you go in (and content warnings on the website). If this is not your thing, it is not… Read more: Candy Gigi – Friday Night Sinner ***
- Christina Bianco – In Divine Company ****Christina Bianco delights, captivates and amuses audiences at the Menier Chocolate Factory in this funny one woman impressions show. A combination of set pieces (one song by multiple divas) and more improvised numbers in response to audience choices, it is a relaxing and diverting… Read more: Christina Bianco – In Divine Company ****
- Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] ***Authored by Harry Hill and Steve Brown, Tony! is a noisy musical look back at the Blair era. For those who lived through the era, it is a rousing (perhaps nostalgic) piece of fun. Younger members of the audience did find some elements hard… Read more: Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] ***
- Blanket Ban: Maltese Abortion Rights ***The issue of abortion rights in Malta is a hugely important and topical one and is one which Marta Valetta and Davinia Hamilton clearly are hugely impassioned by. The story of US woman, Andrea Prudente, stuck in Malta with a non-viable pregnancy in 2022… Read more: Blanket Ban: Maltese Abortion Rights ***
- It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure ****While I might have been too embarrassed to name the show at the Box Office once my tickets were in hand, this show was well worth it. Disability-led theatre company FlawBored have produced an irreverent, exposing and hilarious exploration of the complexities of being… Read more: It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure ****
- Berlusconi a new musical: “Evita on acid” ***The Southwark Playhouse, venue to Berlusconi, liken this new musical to Evita on acid and watching it does feel like being inside someone else’s feverish dream. The musical is closest in style to the cult classic Jerry Springer the Opera. (Incidentally, a thought I… Read more: Berlusconi a new musical: “Evita on acid” ***
- The Meaning of Zong ****Olaudah Equiano should be a household name, so it is fantastic that, in this play, Giles Terera brings his pivotal story to a wider audience. The deaths on the Zong are a story so important and disgraceful that that story should be heard, too.… Read more: The Meaning of Zong ****
- Black Superhero ***I enjoyed my outing to Black Superhero at the Royal Court today and it proved the kind of play that makes one want to talk to those around in the interval – much that resonates and much to chew over. The core group of… Read more: Black Superhero ***
- Ain’t Too Proud *****Ain’t Too Proud has everything you want in a jukebox musical (cracking songs, sizzling choreography) but so much more: a profound and moving story tied to American Black music history. The choreography is fantastic. Sergio Trujillo has produced some innovative and empathetic movement all… Read more: Ain’t Too Proud *****
- Lehman Trilogy *****We all loved this sweeping family saga which gave insights into the development (and fall) of investment banks, particularly Lehman Brothers. It is long and has only three cast members, so is not the show for you if you struggle with you struggle with… Read more: Lehman Trilogy *****
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