Recommended Shows

RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING

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

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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

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SUPERSONIC MAN

★★★★

Southwark Playhouse Borough

SUPERSONIC MAN Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★ “entertains with a heartwarming tale of courage in the face of adversity” Just to get a couple of things out of the way to begin with. The title of Chris Burgess’ new musical, “Supersonic Man”, is misleading. So is the Marvel comic styled publicity

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SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

★★★★

In Cinemas

SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE In Cinemas ★★★★ “captures all the magic of a live show, while also allowing the audience to view all of the incredible detail that’s gone into making Six what it is” It’s the pipeline that every young, Fringe theatre-maker in the country dreams about — from

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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

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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

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ORDINARY DAYS

★★★★

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

ORDINARY DAYS Upstairs at the Gatehouse ★★★★ “The simple sincerity is heartwarming” When asked to pick out his favourite exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Warren (played by the suitably kooky but charismatic Aidan Cutler) selects a very ordinary still life. ‘It’s a little bit boring’ counters Dora

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THE GUEST

★★★★★

Omnibus Theatre

THE GUEST Omnibus Theatre ★★★★★ “powerful, provocative, and resonant” Behind the ivy-covered walls of their quaint English cottage, Ricky and Joe – a middle-aged couple – live a quiet life, enjoying the fruits of their labour, both tangible and intangible. Their days are filled with gardening and tender conversations, the

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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

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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

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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

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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

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MANHUNT

★★★★

Royal Court

MANHUNT Royal Court ★★★★ “Samuel Edward-Cook’s performance is a tour-de-force” Behind a metallic, gauze curtain a figure paces back and forth. Shaven headed. His shadow follows him across the vertical wall of the translucent screen – a projected alter ego pursuing its prey, fuelling the claustrophobic motions of the man’s

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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,

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THE RISE AND FALL OF VINNIE & PAUL

★★★★

The Glitch

THE RISE AND FALL OF VINNIE & PAUL The Glitch ★★★★ “Both actors possess exceptional singing voices — expressive, versatile, and emotionally charged” The Rise & Fall of Vinnie & Paul explores one of art history’s most infamous fallouts — the brief but intense period when, in the autumn/winter of

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DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS

★★★★

Menier Chocolate Factory

DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★ “the air is thick with mischief and the sense of fun that this insanely talented troupe bring to the stage is enough to win us over” ‘Transsexual Transylvaniaaa-a-a!’ comes to mind the moment James Daly’s lace-and-leather-clad, midriff-baring Dracula makes his flamboyant

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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

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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

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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,

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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,

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THE GLASS MENAGERIE

★★★★

The Yard Theatre

THE GLASS MENAGERIE The Yard Theatre ★★★★ “a gorgeous revival that succeeds in bringing a fresh perspective on a classic play” Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is an iconic play that will always divide critical opinion. Many claim it to be Williams’ best work so it can be hard to

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GHOSTS

★★★★★

Lyric Hammersmith

GHOSTS Lyric Hammersmith ★★★★★ “A breathtaking new adaptation that should not be missed” As Gary Owen mentions, adapting a classic play is a challenging process. Numerous things need to be considered, the time the play was originally written, the audience the specific production is destined for, to change or not

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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

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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

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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

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PIAF

★★★★

Watermill Theatre

PIAF Watermill Theatre ★★★★ “Audrey Brisson’s portrayal of Piaf is magnificent” Piaf is a play by Pam Gems that focuses on the life and career of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, revered as much for her exceptional voice as for her extraordinary life. It is a biographical drama with music and

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RHINOCEROS

★★★★

Almeida Theatre

RHINOCEROS Almeida Theatre ★★★★ “an appeal to the senses, an experience as peculiar and nonsensical as a fit of the giggles” Director Omar Elerian’s electrifying interpretation of the absurdist classic Rhinoceros is as much about theatre as it is about marauding pachyderms. In his vision of French Romanian writer Eugene

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