RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING
THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY★★★★Park Theatre
THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY at Park Theatre ★★★★ “Genevieve Gaunt captures the mannerisms and the breathy vocals without resorting to cliché” Vicki McKellar and Guy Masterson’s “The Marilyn Conspiracy” is an intricately structured new drama, that undulates chronologically. Like a pendulum, swinging between the ‘before’ and ‘after’; in the centre of
CLOSER TO HEAVEN★★★★Turbine Theatre
CLOSER TO HEAVEN at the Turbine Theatre ★★★★ “unashamed fun, energised performances and a true, light-hearted celebration of decadence” Nearly a quarter of a century on from its premiere at The Arts Theatre, Jonathan Harvey’s “Closer to Heaven”, with music from the Pet Shop Boys, is having another stab at
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
THE TAILOR-MADE MAN★★★★Stage Door Theatre
THE TAILOR-MADE MAN at the Stage Door Theatre ★★★★ “Pilcher magnificently captures Haines’ free spirit and rebelliousness” In 1930, William Haines was listed as the top box-office attraction in Hollywood. Just three years later, however, having made the successful transition to ‘talkies’, Haines’ contract was torn up by studio chief
KISS ME, KATE★★★★Barbican
KISS ME, KATE at the Barbican ★★★★ “This is a blazing production, burning with wit and charm, song and dance, and with a feelgood finale that is far hotter than a British summer” We are officially in summer in a couple of days’ time, although it might not necessarily feel
THE GIANT KILLERS★★★★UK Tour
THE GIANT KILLERS at Wilton’s Music Hall ★★★★ “This is a story of flat cap versus top hat, the salt of the earth against the posh and toffee-nosed and it’s firmly on the side of the underdog” Falling firmly in the middle of the off-season with only the European Championships
WUTHERING HEIGHTS★★★★Crossrail Place Roof Garden
WUTHERING HEIGHTS at the Crossrail Place Roof Garden ★★★★ “almost Shakespearian at times in the rhythm of the language yet peppered with modern profanities and anachronisms” One always admires companies who tackle outdoor shows in the UK. They are always risky undertakings, what Oscar Wilde would describe as a ‘triumph
SKELETON CREW★★★★Donmar Warehouse
SKELETON CREW at the Donmar Warehouse ★★★★ “a subtle and quiet portrayal of people who feel real and vivid” Not a lot happens in this play but that’s the crux of its genius. It elevates the everyday. It’s about everything and nothing. Written in 2014 and first performed in New
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
SH!T-FACED A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM★★★★Leicester Square Theatre
SH!T-FACED A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Leicester Square Theatre ★★★★ “With the actors all multi-rolling throughout the run, each performance feels fresh – packed with improv and lightning quick reactions” Sh!tfaced Shakespeare is, by now, a well-known commodity. This year marks their eleventh year at Edinburgh Fringe, their fourteenth year
BARNUM★★★★Watermill Theatre
BARNUM at the Watermill Theatre ★★★★ “it’s the songs and the thrill of the circus big top that makes this production sing” Cy Coleman’s Barnum is a big, big-top musical in the small Watermill Theatre proving that size doesn’t matter, as this is a big bold production. The skillset of
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
PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS★★★★★Trafalgar Theatre
PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS at the Trafalgar Theatre ★★★★★ “a gripping performance that shoots up right into our bloodstream” In Duncan Macmillan’s unsettling play, “People, Places and Things”, we are taken headlong into the mind of an addict in forensic detail. Without the need of a surgeon’s eye glass or
HELLO, DOLLY!★★★★London Palladium
HELLO, DOLLY! at the London Palladium ★★★★ “Nothing seems out of place in Dominic Cooke’s staging of this revival” By interval, while slowly making my way through the bottleneck towards the bar, I’m feeling a bit like the child from ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ folk tale. Only the joke is
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
GIFFORDS CIRCUS – AVALON★★★★UK Tour
GIFFORDS CIRCUS – AVALON at Chiswick House and Gardens ★★★★ “the performers, the musicians and the magic soon bring us back into a wonderland that Nell Gifford would be proud of” Nell Gifford ran away with the circus when she was eighteen. “I held the jewel of my childhood up
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 39 STEPS★★★★★UK Tour
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 IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST★★★★Reading Abbey Ruins
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at Reading Abbey Ruins ★★★★ “a wonderful adaptation of the Wilde Classic in a uniquely atmospheric setting” The wit of the famed Irish playwright sparkled in the evening sun in this outdoor production by Progress Theatre. In the shadow of the gaol in which he
NEXT TO NORMAL★★★★★Wyndham’s Theatre
NEXT TO NORMAL at Wyndham’s Theatre ★★★★★ “as close to extraordinary as is physically possible” Many years ago, as a young father, I often interrupted my children’s playtime by asking what they were doing. They never thought it an intrusion – always happy to answer. One particular day, in response
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
RACHEL PARRIS: POISE★★★★UK Tour
RACHEL PARRIS: POISE at Leicester Square Theatre ★★★★ “a clever and entertaining evening” Rachel Parris hits a lot of classic millennial comedy topics: home ownership, tackling anxiety, the pressures of female perfection. But she does so with a slick confidence, and a consistency which makes her stand up shine. Her
