WILDER!★★★½Etectera Theatre
WILDER! Etectera Theatre ★★★½ “delightfully absurd” Set in a town ruled by its housewives through their manic local Garden Club, Wilder! tells the story of Gloria and Gregory Wilder, whose flawless façade hides a deadly secret. This play started life five years ago as just a six-minute project by acting
I’M EVERY WOMAN – THE CHAKA KHAN MUSICAL★★★½Troubador Wembley Park
I’M EVERY WOMAN – THE CHAKA KHAN MUSICAL Troubador Wembley Park ★★★½ “a vibrant celebration of Black female strength” Legend Chaka Khan puts her story centre stage in ‘I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical’. As jukebox biopics go, it has real strengths even if some elements are still finding
NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE★★★★London Coliseum
NOW YOU SEE ME LIVE London Coliseum ★★★★ “packed with spectacular illusions and cinematic showmanship” From the producers of ‘The Illusionists’, ‘Now You See Me Live’ brings its hit international tour to London before heading to Las Vegas. Inspired by the Lionsgate film franchise, this slick mix of illusion, mind
TWELFTH NIGHT★★★★Kew Gardens
TWELFTH NIGHT Kew Gardens ★★★★ “a delight to watch, under the stars, where magic blends with mayhem” The Australian Shakespeare Company’s press release promises to bring an “eventful” (their quotation marks) production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” to the grounds of Kew Gardens this summer. For once, this is no mere
ASIAN PIRATE MUSICAL★★Upstairs at the Gatehouse
ASIAN PIRATE MUSICAL Upstairs at the Gatehouse ★★ “Individual songs show real promise and the design team delivers imaginative work” An early Camden Fringe entry, ‘Asian Pirate Musical’ is currently as nebulous as its title. Despite starting development in 2019, the piece is still finding its footing – though individual
WAVING★★★★★White Bear Theatre
WAVING White Bear Theatre ★★★★★ “Such a hard-hitting script is well-served by minimalism” Waving tells the story of an artist mother descending into Alzheimer’s, surrounded by her two adult children, each coping in their own way. The mother has no name. In the programme she is called only The Artist.
BRAINIAC LIVE★★★★Garrick Theatre
BRAINIAC LIVE Garrick Theatre ★★★★ “a mad scientist lair with an unexpectedly polished West End finish” As someone who grew up watching Brainiac on TV, I was curious to see how this explosive, cheeky science show would translate to the stage. But ‘Brainiac Live’ doesn’t disappoint – bursting with fun,
TRAINSPOTTING THE MUSICAL★UK Tour
TRAINSPOTTING THE MUSICAL Theatre Royal Haymarket ★ “It may be a perfect day for Renton, but sadly, not for us” There is always controversy, and also a certain predictability, when the counterculture becomes mainstream. The classic example of this is punk rock’s aggressive rejection of the music industry and society
ATLANTIS★★★★Minerva Theatre
ATLANTIS Minerva Theatre ★★★★ “Thought-provoking, moving and superbly acted” We often encounter climate change as data: rising temperatures, shifting predictions and alarming forecasts. Emily White’s Atlantis transforms those abstract figures into a deeply human story of loss and survival. Inspired by the true story of a North Welsh coastal community
HERE COMES J EDGAR!★★★★King’s Head Theatre
HERE COMES J EDGAR! King’s Head Theatre ★★★★ “As history, it’s candy-coated; as theatre, it’s a joy: an immaculately performed comedy” The all-singing, all-dancing Here Comes J. Edgar! lifts the veil on what secrets a man must keep to satiate the power of love and the love of power. J.
METAMORPHOSES★★★★Hammersmith Club
METAMORPHOSES Hammersmith Club ★★★★ “Theatrical gold may be a hyperbole too far, but they have certainly created a real gem” To say that Ovid’s epic, narrative “Metamorphoses” is old is an understatement. Written between 2 and 8 CE, the many myths that are recorded in his fifteen-book magnum opus were
DYSTOPIA 26: THE ROCK OPERA★½Leicester Square Theatre
DYSTOPIA 26: THE ROCK OPERA Leicester Square Theatre ★½ “the band’s musicianship is genuinely impressive” When asked why he’d moved away from writing political satire, Armando Iannucci — writer of The Thick of It and Veep — said the absurdity and self-satirising behaviour of modern politicians had made them impossible
MY FAIR LADY★★★★Chichester Festival Theatre
MY FAIR LADY Chichester Festival Theatre ★★★★ “a production full of theatrical confidence, energy and affection” The transformation of a Covent Garden flower seller into a society lady may be at the heart of My Fair Lady, but Lerner and Loewe’s celebrated musical has always been about more than manners
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTIME★★★★Bridewell Theatre
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTIME Bridewell Theatre ★★★★ “a memorable production which deserves its own accolades for retelling a world-famous play” This fresh interpretation by Sedos of the multi-award-winning play, that premiered in 2012 at the National Theatre, is playing for just five days. I can
HIT MACHINE★★★★Soho Theatre
HIT MACHINE Soho Theatre ★★★★ “the writing is witty and natural, delivered with authenticity by the actors” For a play that is not much longer than the average long playing record, playwright Jonathan Caren’s “Hit Machine” crackles with more energy and tension than any piece of vinyl could ever hope
THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
THE JONATHAN LARSON PROJECT Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★ “a tender tribute from a world still not over his loss” After its acclaimed Off-Broadway debut, ‘The Jonathan Larson Project’ arrives in London during the 30th anniversary year of Larson’s untimely death. Offering a rare glimpse into Larson’s early creative process, it
