RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING
THE BRIGHTENING AIR★★★★Old Vic
THE BRIGHTENING AIR Old Vic ★★★★ “a rich and entertaining family drama” “How are you doing?”, a priest asks jittery Dermot (Chris O’Dowd) midway through this fine new play. “I’m fine”, replies deadpan Dermot, although “the circumstances around me are challenging”. Dermot is not alone in his plight. In the
DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU★★★★Riverside Studios
DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU Riverside Studios ★★★★ “Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry” It’s a dangerous thing, walking out your front door. Especially for Sam — because there’s a ticking time bomb nestled in her brain. A
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK★★★★★Riverside Studios
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK Riverside Studios ★★★★★ “a beautiful representation of the power of live performance” I can confidently say that you do not need to have seen Star Wars to enjoy this show. I say that because, shamefully, I went to see this without having ever seen it. With
BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF★★★★UK Tour
BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF Theatre Royal Windsor ★★★★ “Tragedy and farce link arms and are not afraid to share the same lines of dialogue.” Although Alan Bleasdale wrote the original series of television plays before Margaret Thatcher came to power, it wasn’t first broadcast until 1982 and was consequently seen
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR★★★★Chichester Festival Theatre
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR Chichester Festival Theatre ★★★★ “brims with swearing, colloquialisms, double entendres, and joyful absurdity” Nikolai Gogol’s razor-sharp satire The Government Inspector gets a bawdy and riotous reimagining in this new adaptation by Phil Porter, directed with pantomimic glee by Gregory Doran in his Chichester debut. Fuelled by farcical
🎭 A TOP SHOW IN FEBRUARY 2024 🎭HADESTOWN★★★★★Lyric Theatre
HADESTOWN at the Lyric Theatre ★★★★★ “Hadestown is the West End musical you’ll want to see this year. And next year. And the year after.” Hadestown is that remarkable thing: an adaptation of a tragic Greek myth that isn’t an opera or a film, or a series of elegiac poems,
1536★★★★Almeida Theatre
1536 Almeida Theatre ★★★★ “Max Jones’ excellent design, complemented by an arresting use of lighting is striking” 1536 is definitely innovative: it uses the backdrop of Anne Boleyn’s defamation and execution to demonstrate the impossibility of existing as a woman and the power imbalance exploited by men. Ava Pickett’s debut
RETROGRADE★★★★Apollo Theatre
RETROGRADE Apollo Theatre ★★★★ “the tension is expertly paced, punctuated with sharp quips and well-timed barbs that keep the drama crackling” Ryan Calais Cameron’s Retrograde is a taut and electrifying drama that captures a pivotal moment in Sidney Poitier’s career and moral journey. It’s the mid-1950s, and Poitier is on
THE GANG OF THREE★★★★King’s Head Theatre
THE GANG OF THREE King’s Head Theatre ★★★★ “At the centre of director Kirsty Patrick Ward’s bitchy and erudite psychodrama are three rounded and convincing performances” The occasional soundtrack behind this formidable political drama tells of a nation undergoing change, from the raucous rock of the early ’70s to the
🎭 A TOP SHOW IN NOVEMBER 2024 🎭THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA★★★★★Dominion Theatre
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA at the Dominion Theatre ★★★★★ “Crisp, dazzling, bold and brash” Back in 2003 a young woman was hired as a personal assistant to a very well-known editor-in-chief for ‘Vogue’ magazine. When Dame Anna Wintour (for it was she) learned that a novel (reportedly earning its author
🎭 TOP TOURING SHOW 2024 🎭WAR HORSE ★★★★★UK Tour
WAR HORSE at The Lowry ★★★★★ “Every part is played with truth and passion, the cast make us feel, even cry at times” The National Theatre’s new production based on the well known, much loved book by author Michael Morpurgo, is compelling viewing. A powerful indictment of conflict and the
ROCKY HORROR SHOW★★★★UK Tour
ROCKY HORROR SHOW at the Dominion Theatre ★★★★ “pure anarchic campy joy” First produced at The Royal Court in 1973, Rocky Horror has been entrancing its cult fan base for over 50 years and this new production follows confidently in the show’s successful footsteps. The plot is incoherent, and broadly
QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT★★★★UK Tour
QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT London Palladium ★★★★ “stirring, faithful and poignant” Two questions immediately spring to mind. The first is: why candlelight? Why does the stage of the London Palladium have the appearance of a Guns N’ Roses video dressed as it is with hundreds of flickering (albeit artificial) flames. There
BLOOD WEDDING★★★★Omnibus Theatre
BLOOD WEDDING Omnibus Theatre ★★★★ “The dynamics are beautifully conveyed by the actors in wonderfully genuine performances” One of the most telling lines in Barney Norris’ adaptation of Lorca’s “Blood Wedding” is when the young bride, Georgie proclaims ‘I can’t remember what’s good about me’. The mix of fear and
FAYGELE★★★★★Marylebone Theatre
FAYGELE Marylebone Theatre ★★★★★ “allows us into a world that may be unfamiliar, and makes space for connection, truth, and healing” Faygele is a powerful and moving theatrical piece written by Shimmy Braun and directed with sensitivity by Hannah Chissick. It’s a work that gives voice to those so often
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG★★★★★Duchess Theatre
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at the Duchess Theatre ★★★★★ “May it enjoy 10 more years of destroyed sets and injured cast members!” The Play That Goes Wrong celebrates its 10th anniversary this year making it the 28th longest-running show on the West End. Conceived by the Mischief Theatre Company,
STILETTO★★★★Charing Cross Theatre
STILETTO Charing Cross Theatre ★★★★ “a luscious musical that intrigues and teases with, rather than pulls, our heartstring” The first thing you notice about the new musical, “Stiletto”, is the opulence of Ceci Calf’s set. Dimly lit in the pre-show, it depicts not so much a Venetian palazzo but something
MURDER, SHE DIDN’T WRITE★★★★Duchess Theatre
MURDER, SHE DIDN’T WRITE Duchess Theatre ★★★★ “The direction is astounding to maintain a delicate balance between a comedy and the central ‘whodunit.’” Over 13 years since its first performance, Murder, She Didn’t Write is still touring and delighting audiences more than ever as it embarks on a UK tour
AN INSPECTOR CALLS★★★★UK Tour
AN INSPECTOR CALLS at the Alexandra Palace Theatre ★★★★ “a magnificent spectacle of a classic play that continues to engage” J B Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ continues its over 30 year run on tour this year, and I was lucky enough to see it played at Alexandra Palace. Like most
MEAN GIRLS★★★★★Savoy Theatre
MEAN GIRLS at the Savoy Theatre ★★★★★ “The performances are rich and joyous. It’s hard to take a part that’s so familiar and make it your own, but this cast does it.” In case you’ve been living under a rock, this show is a Covid delayed U.K. premiere of the
MARIE AND ROSETTA★★★★★UK Tour
MARIE AND ROSETTA Rose Theatre ★★★★★ “soul-stirring, celebratory and foot-tappingly uplifting” It is sometimes extraordinary how a figure can fade into the back pages of history. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a huge star in the 1930s and 40s, who struck a chord with a white electric guitar slung around her
🎭 A TOP SHOW IN NOVEMBER 2024 🎭THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ★★★★★Ambassadors Theatre
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON at the Ambassadors Theatre ★★★★★ “every member of the ensemble cast is a vital cog in the intricate mechanism of this fine piece of theatre” Five years ago, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” unveiled itself to little fanfare at Southwark Playhouse. Jethro Compton’s
MAN IN THE MIRROR★★★★UK Tour
MAN IN THE MIRROR Golder’s Green Hippodrome ★★★★ “a fitting tribute indeed” Michael Jackson had hit after hit and Man In The Mirror is a great tribute show with song after song performed with the dazzling energy expected when paying tribute to The King of Pop. This is a show
THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES★★★★Noël Coward Theatre
THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES Noël Coward Theatre ★★★★ “another all-conquering crowd-pleasing triumph” There’s a reliable joy to a Mischief Company production – a blend of manic precision, cheerful chaos, and the comforting sense that, whatever happens – or doesn’t – you’re in safe hands. The writing team of Henry Lewis
MIDNIGHT DANCER★★★★UK Tour
MIDNIGHT DANCER Peacock Theatre ★★★★ “The night is Nikita’s, and it is a joy to see him on stage.” Nikita Kuzmin’s dancing dream came true tonight as he opened his own dance show Midnight Dancer at the Peacock Theatre, which will be dancing its way round the UK. Nikita thanks
IN OTHER WORDS★★★★Arcola Theatre
IN OTHER WORDS Arcola Theatre ★★★★ “Seager and White give astonishingly convincing performances, both fearless in displaying emotions most of us would like to keep buried” A little bit of trivia: “Fly Me to the Moon”, the popular standard made famous by Frank Sinatra in the 1960s, was originally titled
TESS★★★★UK Tour
TESS New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth ★★★★ “The direction is expertly crafted, ensuring that every movement and physical interaction serves a purpose” Ockham’s Razor has achieved something extraordinary with Tess, a bold and breath-taking adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles that fuses theatre, movement, and contemporary circus to re-imagine
THE FIFTH STEP★★★★@Sohoplace
THE FIFTH STEP @Sohoplace ★★★★ “the direction is slick and there’s always a sense that something is around the corner” About halfway through this bracing alcohol-and-redemption two-hander, James suddenly appears in a rabbit’s head. This is a call-back to a dream that Luka recounts, Luka being a newcomer to the
SABRAGE★★★★Lafayette
SABRAGE Lafayette ★★★★ “a stream of virtuosity, acrobatics, dancing, singing, burlesque, gravity-defying feats, sassiness, sexiness and humour is unleashed onto the stage” ‘Lafayette’ is a name that conjures exoticism, glamour, and a Parisienne ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’; mixed in with the ‘big-easy’ hedonism of New Orleans. But tucked away in London’s King’s Cross,
