RECOMMENDED SHOWS CURRENTLY STILL PLAYING
🎭 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
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
THE RECKONING★★★★Arcola Theatre
THE RECKONING Arcola Theatre ★★★★ “a beautiful tribute to the lives of Ukrainian war survivors” Dash Arts has brought to life transcripts of Ukraine War survivors, creating a wonderful verbatim art piece that reminds us not to forget the people behind the numbers. Co-written by Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton
JUST FOR ONE DAY★★★★Shaftesbury Theatre
JUST FOR ONE DAY Shaftesbury Theatre ★★★★ “the sheer joy and exhilaration that this musical creates is off the scale” How many Rock Anthems can you fit under a proscenium arch? It could be the opening line of a bad dad joke, but it is a genuine question. The walls
BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL★★★★UK Tour
BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL Peacock Theatre ★★★★ “a non-stop blockbuster of a musical” Jim Steinman’s epic rock and roll masterpiece returns to London as part of its UK tour. Whispers of Meat Loaf’s original song greet the incoming audience, like hearing a ghost from the past. There are
LETTERS FROM MAX★★★★Hampstead Theatre
LETTERS FROM MAX Hampstead Theatre ★★★★ “The pair occupy the stage for two hours but there is rarely a moment that does not busy the mind or heart” The friendship of Sarah Ruhl and her student Max Ritvo was lyrical, beautiful and tragically – horrendously – short. Ruhl’s epistolary play,
MARIE AND ROSETTA★★★★★UK Tour
MARIE AND ROSETTA Rose Theatre ★★★★★ “soul-stirring, celebratory and foot-tappingly uplifting” It is sometimes extraordinary how a figure can fade into the back pages of history. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a huge star in the 1930s and 40s, who struck a chord with a white electric guitar slung around her
THE MOUNTAINTOP★★★★Royal Lyceum Theatre
THE MOUNTAINTOP Royal Lyceum Theatre ★★★★ “a powerful play with a satisfying, if unrealistic, ending” Katori Hall’s award winning play The Mountaintop is a timely revival at Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre, as the United States once again faces, in King’s words, “the urgency of the moment.” Directed by Rikki Henry, with
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF★★★★★Barbican
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Barbican ★★★★★ “Fein’s direction and Julia Cheng’s muscular choreography is marked by sublime precision” In its Barbican transfer, director Jordan Fein’s revelatory Fiddler on the Roof retains the elemental power that made it a five-star phenomenon in Regent’s Park. He strips the beloved 1964 musical of
🎭 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
MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION★★★★★Garrick Theatre
MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION Garrick Theatre ★★★★★ “A masterfully acted, visually exquisite and morally knotty production” Dominic Cooke’s production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession receives a thrillingly sharp and stylish revival that balances moral complexity, aesthetic beauty, and arresting performances. This production proves Shaw can still provoke and entertain,
QUADROPHENIA, A MOD BALLET★★★★UK Tour
QUADROPHENIA, A MOD BALLET Festival Theatre ★★★★ “This Quadrophenia is a feast for the eyes” Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia, A Mod Ballet, part of Sadler’s Wells On Tour, has reached Edinburgh. For fans of Pete Townshend and The Who; the album Quadrophenia (1973), and the film Quadrophenia (1979), this is welcome
HOUSE OF LIFE★★★★★UK Tour
HOUSE OF LIFE Soho Theatre ★★★★★ “this is how art can uplift and bring hope in trying times.” Sheep Soup’s Gospel Church inspired Rave brings joy to the heart of London with this wonderful hour’s worth of music, glitter and audience interaction. An experience that not only aims to bring
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK★★★★★Riverside Studios
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK Riverside Studios ★★★★★ “a beautiful representation of the power of live performance” I can confidently say that you do not need to have seen Star Wars to enjoy this show. I say that because, shamefully, I went to see this without having ever seen it. With
🎭 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,
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,
GIFFORDS CIRCUS: LAGUNA BAY★★★★★UK Tour
GIFFORDS CIRCUS: LAGUNA BAY Chiswick House and Gardens ★★★★★ “The drizzle is still hanging in the air, but the sunshine created by this extraordinary circus show is still blazing in our hearts” Giffords Circus is as old as the Millennium. Which makes it sound old, until you remember that this
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
THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES★★★★Noël Coward Theatre
THE COMEDY ABOUT SPIES Noël Coward Theatre ★★★★ “another all-conquering crowd-pleasing triumph” There’s a reliable joy to a Mischief Company production – a blend of manic precision, cheerful chaos, and the comforting sense that, whatever happens – or doesn’t – you’re in safe hands. The writing team of Henry Lewis
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTMARE!★★★★UK Tour
A MIDSUMMER NIGHTMARE! Keats House ★★★★ “a richly atmospheric experience that is at times unsettling, at times hilarious, and always captivating” A Midsummer Nightmare!, presented by Midnight Circle Productions and helmed by visionary director Cecilie Fray, is a bold, genre-defying reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic. Produced by the Broadway World award-winning
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,
NORTH BY NORTHWEST★★★★Alexandra Palace Theatre
NORTH BY NORTHWEST Alexandra Palace Theatre ★★★★ “It is testament to Rice’s stylish and ingenious staging that we never lose the plot.” The lights are dim, casting shadows on the revolving doors and liquor bottles, while silhouettes of shady figures move silently in the twilight, fedora’s tilted to shade the
THE FIFTH STEP★★★★@Sohoplace
THE FIFTH STEP @Sohoplace ★★★★ “the direction is slick and there’s always a sense that something is around the corner” About halfway through this bracing alcohol-and-redemption two-hander, James suddenly appears in a rabbit’s head. This is a call-back to a dream that Luka recounts, Luka being a newcomer to the
🎭 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
ELEPHANT★★★★Menier Chocolate Factory
ELEPHANT Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★ “We are fascinated by what Lucas has to say, but it’s the music that truly speaks for itself” As we sit round an upright piano, we are given an in-depth analysis of the aftereffects of striking a piano key. How the slim slab of ivory
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
