RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING
🎭 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,
OTHERLAND★★★★Almeida Theatre
OTHERLAND Almeida Theatre ★★★★ “This is a jaunty and compassionate production” The confetti thrown in good cheer remains on the stage long after the wedding is over and the marriage has fallen apart in writer Chris Bush’s personal exploration of otherness and identity. The reason for the break-up is not
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
🎭 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
MACBETH★★★★In Cinemas
MACBETH In Cinemas ★★★★ “For Tennant’s performance alone, it is worth seeing this production” After a critically acclaimed run at the Donmar Warehouse, Max Webster’s Macbeth is being brought to the screen. Filmed theatre is a tricky beast, on the one hand it provides accessibility and longevity, on the other
🎭 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
SON OF A BITCH★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
SON OF A BITCH Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★ “sharp and funny solo show that offers a refreshingly candid take on motherhood” Anna Morris’s darkly comic one-woman play Son of a Bitch arrives at Southwark Playhouse following a successful run at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. With a provocative title and
RICHARD II★★★★Bridge Theatre
RICHARD II Bridge Theatre ★★★★ “Hytner’s direction moves the action at a pace yet there is still time for reflection, and moments of humour too” ‘The Life and Death of King Richard II’, later shortened to “Richard II” is categorised as one of Shakespeare’s History Plays. Even though another early
UNICORN★★★★Garrick Theatre
UNICORN Garrick Theatre ★★★★ “Walker and Mangan are both wonderful in their roles, giving a natural performance that allows us to believe in everything they say” The trigger warning in the publicity for Mike Bartlett’s new play, “Unicorn”, states that it ‘contains explicit content and scenes of a sexual nature,
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
OUTLYING ISLANDS★★★★Jermyn Street Theatre
OUTLYING ISLANDS Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★★ “The subject matter never quite chills our bones, but the context is often unsettling” The atmosphere hits you like a bracing offshore wind as you descend into the depths of the small basement on Jermyn Street. Anna Lewis’ set: a semi-submerged, semi-derelict stone chapel,
🎭 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
ANIMAL FARM★★★★Stratford East
ANIMAL FARM Stratford East ★★★★ “some truly striking moments of grand theatricality” First things first, there is no farm. Not one that we would recognise anyway. Not the solace of a green field or a puffy cloud against an azure sky. This Animal Farm is a factory farm. A gutter
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
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
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,
THE PASSENGER★★★★Finborough Theatre
THE PASSENGER Finborough Theatre ★★★★ “a beautifully directed production that recreates the dark moodiness of the 1930” The Passenger, adapted by Nadya Menuhin from Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz’s novel Der Reisende, has just opened at the Finborough Theatre. It’s a story set in Germany just after the Kristallnacht in 1938. The
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS★★★★UK Tour
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
THE MAGIC FLUTE★★★★Wilton’s Music Hall
THE MAGIC FLUTE Wilton’s Music Hall ★★★★ “It is an ensemble piece, and the voices are all as fantastic as the libretto is fantastical” When February draws to a close and we’ve just about had enough of the relentless drops in temperature and dark nights, we inevitably start dreaming of
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