THE EMPLOYEES★★★★★Queen Elizabeth Hall
THE EMPLOYEES Queen Elizabeth Hall ★★★★★ “a chance to see one of Europe’s edgiest directors bend time and space to his liking, and ours” The Employees, an immersive, promenade style production by acclaimed Polish director Łukasz Twarkowski, is now in London, playing in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South
THE LONELY LONDONERS★★★★Kiln Theatre
THE LONELY LONDONERS Kiln Theatre ★★★★ “a moving, funny and exhilarating play” Bristling with excellent performances from an outstanding ensemble class, The Lonely Londoners is a powerful tale of migration, adaptation and the struggles of getting by in a cold and unwelcoming city. Director Ebenezer Bamgboye brings Roy Williams’ critically
LOOKING FOR GIANTS★★★King’s Head Theatre
LOOKING FOR GIANTS King’s Head Theatre ★★★ “Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story” Looking for Giants is a show about obsessions, fantasies and pure thrill. Three different men invade the narrator’s life. The setting changes, but the situation doesn’t. Excitement, potential, inevitable
DUDLEY ROAD★★Union Theatre
DUDLEY ROAD Union Theatre ★★ “we are left with a mix of uncertainty and anticlimax” Paul Corcoran has a lot of kids. It’s hard to keep up – there are at least eight, possibly nine. We only meet four of them during the two hours of Cameron Corcoran’s new play,
THE MAIDS★★★Jermyn Street Theatre
THE MAIDS Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★ “Martin Crimp’s translation faithfully brings out the anarchic poetry of Genet’s language” Most crime dramas (not that Jean Genet’s “The Maids” can be specifically classified as one) these days tend to start with the crime – usually a murder – and work backwards. What
TARANTULA★★★★Arcola Theatre
TARANTULA Arcola Theatre ★★★★ “a magnificent and terrible thing to watch” Darkness descends into the carefree life of teenager Toni with such unexpected force that breath drains from her lungs. Then ours. Ever after in this heart-wrecking drama, we struggle to regain balance. Because, by the time this trauma strikes,
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE★★★½Chichester Festival Theatre
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Chichester Festival Theatre ★★★½ “a lively and enjoyable take on a beloved operetta” Donna Stirrup’s new production of The Pirates of Penzance offers a fresh perspective on Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved operetta. Produced by Pirates (Penzance) Ltd in association with Tarantara Productions Ltd, this staging features
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MARTIN LUTHER KING★★★Golden Goose Theatre
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MARTIN LUTHER KING Golden Goose Theatre ★★★ “Adrian Decosta plays a stellar Martin Luther King” The Life and Death of Martin Luther King by Paul Stebbings feels like an epic play forced into an intimate space. As the title suggests, it follows Martin Luther King’s
THE CREAKERS★★★★Queen Elizabeth Hall
THE CREAKERS Queen Elizabeth Hall ★★★★ “Gather up your kids and have a good time at The Creakers!” The Creakers is a musical version of Tom Fletcher’s much loved children’s book of the same name. It’s about a group of kids who have to rescue their parents from a sinister
🎭 A TOP SHOW IN DECEMBER 2024 🎭HERE YOU COME AGAIN★★★★Riverside Studios
HERE YOU COME AGAIN Riverside Studios ★★★★ “an unexpected gem (or should that be rhinestone) of a show” Should Dolly Parton ever fall on hard times, there is definitely a career for her as a self-help therapist. At least according to the feel-good musical “Here You Come Again”. The Country
DUCK POND★★★★Royal Festival Hall
DUCK POND Royal Festival Hall ★★★★ “It is a wonder, without a doubt, and delightfully potty” Australian company Circa has intertwined the myths of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling to create a muscular and gasp-inducing circus ballet that is rich in both beauty and spectacle. “D-u-c-k!” one is tempted
DECK THE STALLS★★★Riverside Studios
DECK THE STALLS Riverside Studios ★★★ “a joyful celebration that brings a smile to our faces” In today’s Google-driven society there are numerous sites on the internet that advise us on the dos and don’ts of that infamous English institution: the office Christmas party. In the past we would just
SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW★★★★Harold Pinter Theatre
SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW Harold Pinter Theatre ★★★★ “funny and innocent theatre” If you are looking for the most delightful, happy Festive show for everyone to enjoy then look no further – Slava’s Snow Show has arrived at the Harold Pinter Theatre, in a welcome return to the West End. Asissai the
🎭 A TOP SHOW IN DECEMBER 2024 🎭NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812★★★★★Donmar Warehouse
NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 Donmar Warehouse ★★★★★ “The performances are uniformly superb, the skin of each character ripped open by the flaming crossbow of passion” A major comet is visible from earth on average every five to ten years, while a great comet is visible every
CYRANO★★★Park Theatre
CYRANO Park Theatre ★★★ “an exciting adaptation of a classic text that leaves the audience wanting more” Before the start of Virginia Gay’s adaptation of Cyrano, the cast travel around the audience handing out poetry. A testament to the play’s dedication to words. By Cyrano’s own admission, such words should
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS★★★★Arcola Theatre
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS Arcola Theatre ★★★★ “Although lacking the traditional sleigh bells and Santa, it does have sufficient nostalgia, silliness and giggles to fill a panto-shaped hole” In case you’re wondering, “Hold on to your butts” is a line from Samuel L Jackson as he is about to
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST★★★★New Theatre Royal
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST New Theatre Royal ★★★★ “this show will leave you smiling, laughing and thoroughly entertained” The New Theatre Royal Portsmouth’s Beauty and the Beast is an enchanting pantomime that captures the magic of this cherished Christmas tradition. Created in association with Jordan Productions and directed by Hannah
A CHORAL CHRISTMAS★★★★Sinfonia Smith Square
A CHORAL CHRISTMAS Sinfonia Smith Square ★★★★ “a strong and heart-warming performance by all” There is nothing that heralds Christmas more than a joyous classical choral music concert, and A Choral Christmas, in the beautiful Smith Square Hall, was just that. Performed by the youthful emerging musicians of both Sinfonia
🎭 A TOP SHOW IN DECEMBER 2024 🎭BALL & BOE – FOR FOURTEEN NIGHTS ONLY★★★★Soho Theatre
BALL & BOE – FOR FOURTEEN NIGHTS ONLY Soho Theatre ★★★★ “clever, funny, and meticulously crafted” Adam Riches said of this show that the aim is for the audience to “walk into a room where you genuinely don’t know what it’s going to be” and as that, the show is
LADY MONTAGU UNVEILED★★★King’s Head Theatre
LADY MONTAGU UNVEILED King’s Head Theatre ★★★ “The dramatic flatness, occasionally cut through with histrionics, and amplified by dance and music, has a cumulative and hypnotic effect, given time.” Open the lid of this gem-speckled music box and you find a white-gowned Lady Montagu twirling like a punk ballerina. This
“Once glanced at by someone moderately famous”