★★½

“delivers bounce and brightness, and Dame Lipman sparkles”

Olivier nominated Peter Quilter’s new comedy ‘Allegra’ closes its UK tour in the West End. Charming in spirit and championing the off beat, it’s a little too thin to make me shout “encore”.

Allegra’s always been different – her head’s so full of music it overflows without warning. The village finds her a nuisance and suddenly her gift could be trouble. Will the world be the same if she’s silenced?

Quilter’s latest work is sweet but rather safe. It aims to challenge social norms but could do with more bite – bursting into song never feels as scandalous as the play insists. There are glimmers of nuance but Act 2’s social commentary feels a little heavy handed. Allegra is richly drawn, but the other characters feel thin by comparison, especially Anna as the only other female character. Still, the refreshingly dry humour lands, even if the erection gag doesn’t, and Allegra herself is undeniably charming.

Stephen Mear’s direction and choreography brings plenty of colour but not necessarily cohesion. Allegra shines brightest, her world feeling full and warm, while the supporting characters feel less well fleshed out. The Vaudeville style musical interludes sometimes interrupt the flow, and the surreal, fourth wall breaking singalongs tip into fever dream territory. The scene movement flows, but the dance numbers are so simple they flirt with cheesy.

Allegra’s soundtrack is fittingly eclectic, ranging from classical to various decades of pop. It suits her quirky, music loving character, but as an audience member it can feel disjointed, especially when a single word triggers a full song. Paul Schofield keeps the orchestrations light, with a broad palette of musical colours.

Justin Williams’ set channels charming octogenarian maximalism, with clever little hideaways that feel wonderfully lived in. The hidden tulips are a joyfully eccentric touch. Russell Ditchfield’s sound is playfully eclectic, backed by tracks of varying complexity, though a few mic cues miss their moment. Sam Biondolillo’s lighting shifts from simple washes to bursts of colour when Allegra hits full flow, giving the stage a gently hallucinogenic glow. Ben Bull for Big Tele’s videos add playful extra layers, transforming set details like a row of plates and making the judge loom over us with unmistakable authority. Williams dresses Allegra in joyful colour, in contrast with her more muted companions. JJ Wigs gives Allegra a gloriously wild perm and pink rinse – a riot of colour and chaos against everyone else’s far more conventional hair.

National treasure Dame Maureen Lipman brings the idiosyncratic flair without losing an ounce of humanity. Her cuttingly dry humour and dazzling comedy timing anchors her fizzing energy with genuine weight. Her shimmering soprano head voice is gorgeous. John Middleton as Ronen, Elizabeth Bower as Anna and Bailey Patrick as Officer Rogers are an endearing trio to bounce off – but let’s be honest, it’s Lipman’s show.

‘Allegra’ delivers bounce and brightness, and Dame Lipman sparkles. Though if you’re looking for a show with more bite, you might be better off elsewhere.

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

Noël Coward Theatre

★★★★★

“Inevitably all eyes will be on Adrian Lester, who delivers a faultless and fearless performance”

Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play, “Cyrano de Bergerac”, has had many stage adaptations – as well as film, television, radio, opera and musical – but none so layered and emotionally engaging as Simon Evans’ and Debris Stevenson’s interpretation. The comic heart beats furiously throughout with its mix of poetry and prose; the rhythm never falters until it quivers with shockwaves of tragedy and pathos that shake the narrative, taking us quite by surprise. Set against the backdrop of the Thirty Years’ War between France and Spain, the action moves from Bohemian Paris, out onto the battlefields, and back again to a broken and wounded Paris fourteen years later.

The tale focuses on the (semi-fictional) nobleman, duellist, poet, playwright and over-zealous grammarian, Cyrano de Bergerac. Famous for his exaggeratedly large nose; his audacious and strong-willed nature is thrown into self-doubt by the unfortunate proboscis, especially where matters of the heart are concerned. Unable to express his love for the beautiful Roxanne, he relinquishes his happiness in order to help the witless and inarticulate Christian win her over instead. It is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both, and much of the play’s humour derives from Cyrano feeding Christian the words he so lacks. When the deceit is finally uncovered, however, it is difficult to keep a dry eye. Such gear shifts epitomise this adaptation, beautifully told by an astonishing company of actors.

Inevitably all eyes will be on Adrian Lester, who delivers a faultless and fearless performance. His character is equally fearless, yet his brash bravado knows exactly where the chinks in his armour lie. This self-awareness draws the audience closer to him, even at his most cynical. Susannah Fielding shows the same strength and vulnerability as Roxanne, with a playfulness and intelligence that lend her a magnetic power. Forget Cyrano and Christian – the whole audience will fall in love with her. Meanwhile, Levi Brown’s Christian adds surprising lyricism to his Brummie monosyllables in a role that embraces the joke rather than being the butt of it. Surrounded by a supporting cast of off-beats and eccentrics, every moment and every line of this production is a true delight.

Evans also sits in the director’s chair, dishing out neat theatrical devices like a mad-cap inventor. Cyrano (according to this version) won a six-piece travelling band in a bet, who now follow him around wherever he goes. Frequently crossing over into acting mode, the musicians are a constant presence, adding atmospheric and emotional depth to each scene with Alex Baranowski’s compositions. The inclusion of a young Cyrano is a stroke of genius, intermittently and silently shadowing Lester at pivotal moments. We speculate what this may represent, but the final symbolism – when revealed – is achingly devastating, and beautifully executed.

Grace Smart’s set and costume create a timeless sense of period in which we know where we are, while Joshie Harriette’s lighting throws fairytale elements into the mix, frequently shattered by Donato Wharton’s enveloping sound design. The performers wander the auditorium, straddle the balconies and heckle from the boxes; while music suddenly appears from unexpected places. Similarly, masked moments of social commentary pop up when we least expect them, yet so cleverly woven into the fabric they are almost invisible. We are constantly taken aback by the fusion of Evans’ and Stevenson’s writing with the performances, led by Adrian Lester in astounding form.

Cyrano de Bergerac has a pathological fear of the cliché. But fear not; this production is as far away from a cliché of the story as you can get. I could try to sum up with a tag line to match the eloquence, but I would only fail, and probably just come up with a cliché anyway. Like ‘unmissable’, for example. Yet that is what this show is. I’ll leave it to the Cyrano’s of the world to wax lyrical about it.

Tag Archives: Marc Brenner

ALLEGRA

★★½

Harold Pinter Theatre

ALLEGRA

Harold Pinter Theatre

★★½

“delivers bounce and brightness, and Dame Lipman sparkles”

ALLEGRA

Harold Pinter Theatre

Reviewed on 9th July 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Marc Brenner

Allegra

Allegra

Allegra

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

★★★★★

Noël Coward Theatre

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

Noël Coward Theatre

★★★★★

“Inevitably all eyes will be on Adrian Lester, who delivers a faultless and fearless performance”