RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING
A CHRISTMAS CAROL★★★★★Old Vic
A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Old Vic ★★★★★ “an evening of pure magic” You could argue (and many people do) that the run up to Christmas gets earlier and earlier each year. No sooner have the pumpkins rotted and the fake cobwebs blown away from the city’s hedgerows, than the
THE FORSYTE SAGA★★★★★Park Theatre
THE FORSYTE SAGA at Park Theatre ★★★★★ “flawlessly executed under Josh Roche’s stylish direction that adds a unique clarity to the sweeping story” John Galsworthy’s “The Forsyte Saga” earned him the Nobel Prize for literature. Its epic chronicle of the leading members of an extended upper-middle-class Victorian family has understandably
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
A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH)★★★★@Sohoplace
A CHRISTMAS CAROL(ISH) at @Sohoplace ★★★★ “a bumper pack of Christmas crackers – plenty of bangs, groan-worthy jokes, gimmicks and a squeaky toy” In Scrooge-like fashion, the gremlins struck the press night of Nick Mohammed’s madcap festive spectacular causing the performance to be curtailed. They struck again on this second
COLIN HOULT: COLIN★★★★UK Tour
COLIN HOULT: COLIN at the Soho Theatre ★★★★ “a beautifully constructed show, every chaotic choice pays off” Colin Hoult was named after his father, and so he grew up as little (likkle) Colin. This is the springboard for a warm and moving show that muses on the language of neurodiversity,
WAITING FOR GODOT★★★★Theatre Royal Haymarket
WAITING FOR GODOT at the Theatre Royal Haymarket ★★★★ “The partnership between Msamati and Whishaw is first rate” The setting (Rae Smith) is a desolate stony landscape with no discerning features bar one sad leafless tree. Despite time references of the afternoon and evening there is no discriminating change in
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
GWYNETH GOES SKIING★★★★UK Tour
GWYNETH GOES SKIING at Live Theatre ★★★★ “a masterfully silly and creative show” ‘Gwyneth Goes Skiing’ by Linus Karp and Joseph Martin is an inviting, fun, and creative dive into the oddities of a 2023 court case between actress Gwyneth Paltrow and optician…I mean, optometrist Terry Sanderson over a ski
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
CINDERELLA★★★★Festival Theatre
CINDERELLA at the Festival Theatre ★★★★ “a spectacular night out with family and friends in a familiar venue hosted by our favourite stars” If it’s glitz, glamour and banter performed by local talent, Edinburgh’s own Cinderella is the panto you’ve been looking for. The Crossroads Production of this much loved
THE SNOWMAN★★★★Peacock Theatre
THE SNOWMAN at the Peacock Theatre ★★★★ “playful, spectacular and touching” One Christmas Eve, a young boy’s snowman comes to life and takes him on a journey to the North Pole. The Snowman is a transfixing dance show for all ages in celebration of visual storytelling and Christmas enchantment. In
GOING FOR GOLD★★★★Park Theatre
GOING FOR GOLD at Park Theatre ★★★★ “A gripping and heartfelt true story” Based on a true story, Going for Gold is a moving retrospective about a British boxing champion’s greatest triumphs and losses, told from the ringside perspective of the woman who loved him. Yes, there is boxing onstage
THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH★★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
THE HAPPIEST MAN ON EARTH at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★★ “Storytelling at its very, very finest. And that is a rarity that ought to be treasured” To preface: if you can go see this, you must; you absolutely must. The Happiest Man on Earth is earth-shatteringly moving. It is Aristotelian
BARCELONA★★★★Duke of York’s Theatre
BARCELONA at the Duke of York’s Theatre ★★★★ “The performances are exceptionally strong. Collins is impressive as the loose cannon, unpredictable and unsure of herself.” Two characters, a world apart, are thrown together in Bess Wohl’s play, “Barcelona”. The cultural divide is as gaping as you can get but our
ALICE IN WONDERLAND★★★★★Brixton House
ALICE IN WONDERLAND at Brixton House ★★★★★ “a breath-taking instant classic for the London festive season” What is at the end of the Victoria line? Rap battles and the Jabberwocky. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a classic book beloved by children and adults alike. Finding a first
LA CLIQUE★★★★Christmas in Leicester Square
LA CLIQUE at Christmas in Leicester Square ★★★★ “the perfect Christmas treat” It was twenty years ago today (well, give or take a couple of months) that David Bates unveiled his alternative cabaret show at the Edinburgh Festival. Although it has grown in stature and reputation over the years it
FAWLTY TOWERS – THE PLAY★★★★★Apollo Theatre
FAWLTY TOWERS – THE PLAY at the Apollo Theatre ★★★★★ “Adam Jackson-Smith steps into Basil, embodying the neurotic hotelier with pin-point accuracy” The stage is set with the familiar interior of the eponymous Fawlty Towers with the reception, restaurant and a small guest room raised upstage above the lobby (Liz
NOBODADDY (TRÍD AN BPOLL GAN BUN) ★★★★Sadler’s Wells Theatre
NOBODADDY (TRÍD AN BPOLL GAN BUN) at Sadler’s Wells Theatre ★★★★ “Amongst all the chaos, there emerge moments of haunting beauty” Making its London début after a premiere in Belfast earlier this year, acclaimed choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan’s and company Taeċ-Daṁsa’s Nobodaddy (subtitled in Irish as Tríd an bpoll gan bun
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
THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION★★★★New Diorama Theatre
THE GLORIOUS FRENCH REVOLUTION at the New Diorama Theatre ★★★★ “The chaos is cut with emotion, and it’s carefully and cleverly structured” YesYesNoNo are one of the hottest new theatre companies on the current London scene. Following a sell-out run of Nation at the Edinburgh Fringe, which he wrote and
THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH★★★★★Pleasance Theatre
THE SIMPLE LIFE & DEATH at the Pleasance Theatre ★★★★★ “spot-on comedic timing delivers the infinite number of stunning one-liners” When Paris Hilton wrote the song Stars Are Blind, she was manifesting the divine power that brought the creators of The Simple Life & Death together. How do you create
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE★★★★UK Tour
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Wilton’s Music Hall ★★★★ “A new and mostly fresh-faced cast give their all to this hugely enjoyable show” At the highpoint of the Victorian era, WS Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan collaborated on 14 hugely successful comic operas, thanks to their being brought together by
KING JAMES★★★★Hampstead Theatre
KING JAMES at Hampstead Theatre ★★★★ “a pitch perfect dissection of male friendship, that tender bond painted in violent strokes” The saying (almost) goes, of all the unimportant things, sport is the most important. One reason: sport is the lingua franca of male friendship, all those off-the-shelf metaphors and handy
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
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,
THE UNSEEN★★★★Riverside Studios
THE UNSEEN at the Riverside Studios ★★★★ “Wright’s writing and Patarkatsishvili’s staging pitch the message just right” Orwell, Kafka and Beckett walk into a bar. Sounds like the premise for a joke, and indeed there is a perverse layer of humour that runs through Craig Wright’s “The Unseen”, but on
THE FLEA★★★★★Yard Theatre
THE FLEA at the Yard Theatre ★★★★★ “bold, innovative, interesting and risk-taking theatre” James Fritz’ ‘The Flea’ is a pleasurably innovative, hilarious and touching piece of theatre. It explores themes of systemic homophobia, the marginalisation of the working classes and the issues of criminalisation of sex workers, all within the
WHY AM I SO SINGLE?★★★★Garrick Theatre
WHY AM I SO SINGLE? at the Garrick Theatre ★★★★ “an incredibly fun, comedic and beautifully heart-warming show that everyone can enjoy” Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s ‘Why am I So Single?’ debuts in the West End, following the writers’ extremely successful ‘Six’. This new musical cleverly follows a meta
GUYS & DOLLS★★★★★Bridge Theatre
GUYS & DOLLS at the Bridge Theatre ★★★★★ “Hytner’s production is a thrilling experience full of surprises” Guys & Dolls has been playing at the Bridge Theatre since March 2023 in Nicholas Hytner’s reimagined production which turns the 1950s Broadway musical into full-on immersive production. Its final cast change before
THE LEHMAN TRILOGY★★★★★Gillian Lynne Theatre
THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at the Gillian Lynne Theatre ★★★★★ “a towering study of human drives, frailties, venality and, yes, exuberance” On September 15, 2008, something was stirring. I went to the window of my Canary Wharf office and peered down to see an ant trail of sacked Lehman Bros workers
NAPOLEON: UN PETIT PANTOMIME★★★★Jermyn Street Theatre
NAPOLEON: UN PETIT PANTOMIME at Jermyn Street Theatre ★★★★ “the performers put on an impressive show without a moment’s rest” As the festive season approaches, the time of pantomime comes without holding back. In this production co created by Jermyn Street Theatre and Charles Court Opera, who will be celebrating
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,
MAISIE ADAM – APPRAISAL★★★★UK Tour
MAISIE ADAM – APPRAISAL at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House ★★★★ “a welcomingly confrontational and awkward evening of stand-up with a bit of something for everyone” On the biggest night of her new tour, Maisie Adam presents a raucous night of heckling the audience right back, and journeying through
