RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING
MIND MANGLER★★★★Apollo Theatre
MIND MANGLER at the Apollo Theatre ★★★★ “The onstage chemistry is faultless, funny and occasionally emotional, without being mawkish” A little over a decade ago, three students fresh out of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art decided to make some mischief. So, with dead end day jobs and
CALENDAR GIRLS★★★★Mill at Sonning
CALENDAR GIRLS at the The Mill at Sonning ★★★★ “Innocently raunchy and with a feelgood factor as comforting as home-made plum jam” ‘We’re not naked… we are nude!’. This distinction is a playful leitmotif that runs through the charmingly English comedy-drama, “Calendar Girls”. That the debate can follow seamlessly from
GISELLE: REMIX★★★★★Pleasance Theatre
GISELLE: REMIX at the Pleasance Theatre ★★★★★ “a must-see – a piece of queer performance that is not to be missed” Adolphe Adam’s romantic ballet Giselle tells the story of a young peasant girl who falls in love with the disguised duke, Albrecht. Driven mad by the revelation of his
THE FAIRY QUEEN★★★★Jacksons Lane
THE FAIRY QUEEN at Jacksons Lane ★★★★ “the ensemble company of fourteen young opera singers work tirelessly well together, invested and focused throughout” There was a lot to like about HGO’s production of The Fairy Queen, including the twelve piece on stage Baroque HGOAntiqua Orchestra led by Seb Gillot, playing
MACHINAL ★★★★Old Vic
MACHINAL at the Old Vic ★★★★ “a brave and exciting revival that mixes gritty absurdism with precision-cut stylisation and outstanding performances” When Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal” premiered in 1928, the New York Times was so intrigued that it reviewed the production twice – calling it ‘a triumph of individual distinction, gleaming
FOR BLACK BOYS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE HUE GETS TOO HEAVY★★★★Garrick Theatre
FOR BLACK BOYS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE HUE GETS TOO HEAVY at the Garrick Theatre ★★★★ “a beautifully poetic and bold piece of theatre” For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, takes your brain and your heart. It is a rollercoaster party
BLUE BEARD★★★★Battersea Arts Centre
BLUE BEARD at the Battersea Arts Centre ★★★★ “A ricocheting trip through cabaret, musical, farce, drama, concert, pantomime, horror and fairground ride” If you’re familiar with Emma Rice’s way of working, whether with Knee High or her current Wise Children company, you will know what to expect when you wander
STREET SONGS: A BUSKER’S TALE ★★★★Golden Goose Theatre
STREET SONGS: A BUSKER’S TALE at the Golden Goose Theatre ★★★★ “a heart-warming show that gives many classic but over-played songs brilliant new meaning” Buskers have been performing in public spaces since public spaces were invented. They are the backdrop to society. Too often taken for granted and now highly
CRUEL INTENTIONS★★★★The Other Palace
CRUEL INTENTIONS at The Other Palace ★★★★ “an evening of unadulterated fun and escapism, with a fabulous soundtrack delivered with passion, right up to its climax” With a core cast of eight triple-threats, bolstered by an equally talented ensemble, “Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical” bursts onto the stage at The
THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA★★★★★Harold Pinter Theatre
THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA at the Harold Pinter Theatre ★★★★★ “It is, overall, a sharp-witted observation of life. And of death. And the precarious hold we have of memories that lie between.” Jez Butterworth’s highly anticipated new play, “The Hills of California” is a wondrously slow-burning affair that raises the
THE 39 STEPS★★★★★Richmond Theatre
THE 39 STEPS at Richmond Theatre ★★★★★ “Always tongue-in-cheek, the show is thrillingly funny and villainously clever” Sometimes a good – and fun – way of gauging a show’s reception is to listen in to people’s conversations at the interval. In the plush surroundings of Richmond Theatre’s bar, a recurring
THE DIVINE MRS S★★★★Hampstead Theatre
THE DIVINE MRS S at the Hampstead Theatre ★★★★ “A delightful mix of the traditional and the contemporary.” In her time, Sarah Siddons was known as the Queen of Drury Lane, renowned for her roles in Shakespeare tragedies – especially her Lady Macbeth. She hung out with the top dramatists
STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE★★★★★Gillian Lynne Theatre
STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE at the Gillian Lynne Theatre ★★★★★ “it is beautiful, and moving, and has real grit” Standing at the Sky’s Edge is an unabashed love letter to Sheffield. It follows three generations of residents in Park Hill, the infamous brutalist 1960s former housing estate which dominates
TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)★★★★★Criterion Theatre
TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at the Criterion Theatre ★★★★★ “the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism” The move from an off-West End theatre into the West End
GUYS & DOLLS★★★★★Bridge Theatre
GUYS & DOLLS at the Bridge Theatre ★★★★★ “a captivating, energetic show that you’d bet on to run and run.” The Bridge Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls opened a year ago to rave reviews and now a new cast continues the party. This show really does feel like a
BOYS ON THE VERGE OF TEARS ★★★★Soho Theatre
BOYS ON THE VERGE OF TEARS at the Soho Theatre ★★★★ “the ensemble takes the audience through violence, turmoil and tenderness” We open to a startling flash of light burnishing a grimy public lavatory as a small but mighty voice coming from a cubicle proclaims “I don’t need any help”
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,
WHY I STUCK A FLARE UP MY ARSE FOR ENGLAND★★★★★Southwark Playhouse Borough
WHY I STUCK A FLARE UP MY ARSE FOR ENGLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough ★★★★★ “Alex Hill is outstanding. He performs the role of Billy with such energy and dynamism it’s exhausting just to watch” Ever wondered what might cause a man to do something as reckless as sticking a
MOBY DICK★★★★★UK Tour
MOBY DICK at the Royal and Derngate Theatre ★★★★★ “It is one of the finest pieces of theatre I have seen” Simple8 present an ambitious adaptation (by Sebastian Armesto) of Herman Melville’s epic 1851 adventure, directed by Jesse Jones. There is a minimal set (designer Kate Bunce) of scaffolding on
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING★★★★Watermill Theatre
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at the Watermill Theatre ★★★★ “never a dull moment in this energetic and above all entertaining show” Tom Wentworth’s version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing promises a ‘sashay into the Golden Age of Hollywood’ but does the filmset backdrop stick in this brand new adaptation?
PRISCILLA THE PARTY!★★★★★HERE at Outernet
PRISCILLA THE PARTY! at HERE at Outernet ★★★★★ “An incredible night out.” “Priscilla The Party” is joyous, tremendous musical fun. Based on the 1994 Academy Award winner “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”, “Priscilla the Party” hails from Australia in 2006. It is a rip-roaring celebration of drag,
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR★★★★Theatre Royal Windsor
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR at the Theatre Royal Windsor ★★★★ “A multi-talented cast of Pierrot-style performers … give their all in this satirical rollercoaster of a show.” As one of the UK’s leading touring companies with a commitment to theatre that ‘entertains, provokes and inspires in equal measure’, Blackeyed