London theatre and West End reviews from London publication Time Out.
Here’s a selection of reviews of London shows from the theatre and arts critics at Time Out.
The lead theatre critic at Time Out is Andrzej Lukowski.
Alice Saville also writes reviews for TimeOut.
See below for a full run-down of star ratings and theatre opinions about West End shows in London from Time Out.
Great Expectations at the Garrick Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Comedy legend Izzard’s one-woman version of the Dickens classic is great fun if a little conservative" "Eddie Izzard’s solo offering…
Rose at the Ambassadors Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Maureen Lipman gives a phenomenal performance in Martin Sherman’s powerful holocaust survivor monologue" "As her doctor points out, for someone…
Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Andrew Lloyd Webber’s breathtakingly inappropriate 1989 musical is a delight so long as you ignore basically the entire plot" "Even…
A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★
"This enjoyable if slightly incoherent ‘Dream’ is lifted by Michelle Terry’s brilliantly original folk horror Puck" "James Maloney’s demonic live…
The Comedy of Errors at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★★
"Globe deputy Sean Holmes offers a lean, thoughtful, funny take on Shakespeare’s dumbest comedy" "‘The Comedy’ is so fundamentally lacking…
Brokeback Mountain at the Soho Place Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Though impressively atmospheric, this stage version of Annie Proulx’s queer love story is totally overshadowed by the classic Ang Lee…
Once On This Island at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Ola Ince’s exuberant production does a fine job of papering over the cracks in this Caribbean-set musical curio" "Let’s be…
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Southwark Playhouse Borough (2023)
★★★
"This satirical musical is dated as hell, but Georgie Rankom’s deliciously queered-up production makes the best of it" "... UK…
Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"The glorious spoof musical about an eccentric real-life WWII finally operation makes it to the West End" "... though it’s…
August in England at the Bush Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Beguiling playwrighting debut from Lenny Henry, utterly winning as an affable Caribbean-born fruitseller ensnared by the Windrush scandal" "... Sir…
Blanket Ban at the Southwark Playhouse Borough (2023)
★★★★
"Hard-hitting docu play about Malta’s oppressive total ban on abortions" "‘Blanket Ban’ is a protest and incisive call to action."…
The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Dazzling performances from Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss and Tuppence Middleton power the NT’s Sam Mendes-directed Richard Burton drama" "Jack Thorne’s…
Richard III at the Liverpool Playhouse / Rose Theatre Kingston (2023)
★★
"Adjoa Andoh follows up her excellent Richard II with this messy, malfunctioning take on his diabolical namesake" (Rose Theatre Kingston)…
Retrograde at the Kiln Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Ivanno Jeremiah is tremendous as a poised young Sidney Poitier in the latest from rising star playwright Ryan Calais Cameron"…
No ID at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"Tatenda Shamiso’s brave, joyous autobiographical show about his life as a Black transgender immigrant" "What a gift of a show…
The Good Person of Szechwan at the Sheffield Theatres & Lyric Hammersmith (2023)
★★★★
"A thrillingly bold, high-energy new take on the classic Brecht play" (Lyric Hammersmith) "Nina Segal’s translation of Brecht is bold,…
Animal at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Hard-hitting but wildly entertaining comedy about the fraught dating life of David, a gay man with cerebral palsy" "Jon Bradfield’s…
Prima Facie at the Golden Theater, New York (2023)
★★★★
"Jodie Comer straddles defense in Suzie Miller's one-woman play about sexual assault." "Although it spends some time playing devil’s advocate…
Ain't Too Proud - The Life And Times Of The Temptations at the Prince Edward Theatre (2023)
★★★
"This competent Temptations jukebox musical never really makes a particularly strong case for the legendary group" "If some jukebox musicals…
The Secret Life of Bees at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Classy but ponderous musical adaptation of the smash hit Civil Rights-era novel" "Rich and sweet but slow as dripping honey,…
Dancing at Lughnasa at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Radiant revival of Brian Friel’s masterpiece about five sisters carving out their own defiant world in ’30s Ireland" "... the…
Private Lives at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★
"Rachael Stirling and Stephen Mangan star in a darkly original take on the Noël Coward classic" "With its gags about…
The Dry House at the Marylebone Theatre (2023)
★★
"Eugene O’Hare’s alcoholism drama is just numbingly miserable" "Opening just a couple of nights after ‘A Little Life’, the West…
A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2023)
★★★
"The story is horrible, but there’s no denying the brilliance of James Norton’s performance" "I really struggled to work out…
Accidental Death of an Anarchist at the Lyric Hammersmith (2023)
★★★★
"Daniel Rigby is terrific as The Maniac in Tom Basden’s wickedly funny contemporary remake of the Dario Fo classic" "If…
For Black Boys Who Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at the Apollo Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Ryan Calais Cameron’s Olivier-nominated sleeper smash is a gloriously un-West End hit" "All of its cast and most of its…
Bad Cinderella at the Imperial Theatre in New York (2023)
★★
"Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical fumbles the ball" "In fairness, this Cinderella is only half-bad, but its virtues are in…
Black Superhero at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Danny Lee Wynter writes and stars in this messy but very funny dark comedy about a man embarking on an…
The Way Old Friends Do at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Mark Gatiss directs his husband Ian Hallard’s extremely endearing comedy-drama about a group of queer ABBA superfans (Park Theatre)" "The…
Further than the Furthest Thing at the Young Vic Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Zinnie Harris’s dreamy drama about the evacuation of a remote volcanic island is a slow burner but gets there in…
Marjorie Prime at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2023)
★★★
"Prescient but excessively austere drama about a future in which deceased loved ones return as AI replicas" "It’s an aggressively…
Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"Nicholas Hytner and Bunny Christie’s game-changing immersive production of the classic musical is simply astonishing" "Nicolas Hytner’s Bridge production is…
After the Act at the New Diorama Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Messy but fantastically daring musical from Breach Theatre about the UK’s infamous Section 28 anti-gay law" "Through verbatim testimony, Parliamentary…
The Great British Bake Off Musical at the Noel Coward Theatre (2023)
★★
"A rich aroma of pointlessness wafts off this musical homage to the TV show" "Where most art forms strive for…
Sleepova at the Bush Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Bukky Bakray makes a tremendous stage debut in Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini’s exuberant drama about four Black teenage best friends" "Matilda…
Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York's Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Sheridan Smith is tremendous in Matthew Dunster’s skilled revival of Willy Russell’s monologue, equal parts uplifting and chilling" "Now she’s…
Oklahoma! at the Wyndham's Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Transferring to the West End, this radical take on Rodgers & Hammerstein is a dark, wild, sexy ride" "It turns…
The Winter's Tale at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★★
"Sean Holmes’s magical ‘Winter’s Tale’ totally pulls off its daring use of both Globe theatres" "For the first time, the…
The Walworth Farce at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant (2023)
★★★★
"The new Southwark Playhouse Elephant theatre opens with terrific revival of Enda Walsh’s twisted classic" "Like a lot of Walsh’s…
Grenfell: System Failure at the The Playground Theatre (2023)
★★★
"This second verbatim dramatisation of the Grenfell Inquiry is a grimly one-note symphony of establishment buck passing" "‘Grenfell: System Failure’…
Women, Beware The Devil at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A gleefully camp contemplation of the nature of evil" "Lulu Raczka’s Almeida debut manages to subvert so many things that…
Romeo and Julie at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Gary Owen’s Welsh working-class response to ‘Romeo & Juliet’ is thoughtful but muted" "Gary Owen’s down-to-earth ‘Romeo and Julie’ wears…
Trouble in Butetown at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★
"Diana Nneka Atouna’s gentle wartime thriller offers a snapshot of a diverse ’40s Cardiff" "Despite the thrillerish elements of the…
Sylvia at the The Old Vic Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Beverley Knight's formidable vocal talents aren't enough to rescue this staid suffragette musical" "In the wake of mega hits ‘Hamilton’…
Standing at the Sky's Edge at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★
"At its best Richard Hawley and Chris Bush’s musical love letter to Sheffield is a thing of elemental power" "Robert…
Winner's Curse at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Clive Anderson stars in this gripping and refreshingly original interactive show about international peace negotiations" "In his acting debut, Anderson…
Phaedra at the National Theatre (2023)
★★
"Janet McTeer does her best in Simon Stone’s indulgent melodrama rewrite of the Phaedra myth" "... even if you do…
The Lehman Trilogy at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Sam Mendes directs the return of this dazzling piece of storytelling about a family business that would define America" "‘The…
2:22 A Ghost Story at the Lyric Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Pop star Cheryl puts in a perfectly solid acting performance in the latest iteration of the durable West End chiller"…
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Jenna Coleman and Aidan Turner are a couple struggling in a language-rationed world in this inventive but bleak romcom" "...…
Sound of the Underground at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Vauxhall comes to Sloane Square as Travis Alabanza celebrates London’s underground drag culture in a gloriously sprawling Royal Court debut"…
The Unfriend at the Criterion Theatre (2023)
★★
"Steven Moffat’s debut play is a disappointingly bland comedy about an English couple who take in a possible serial killer"…
Cirque du Soleil: KURIOS at the Royal Albert Hall (2023)
★★★★
"The Canadian circus legends’ visually arresting steampunk-themed show takes a while to warm up, but it’s worth it" "‘Kurios –…
Alex Edelman: Just for Us at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2023)
★★★★
"Jewish comic Alex Edelman holds forth on the time he infiltrated a white nationalist meeting in this warm, witty stand-up…
George Takei's Allegiance at the Charing Cross Theatre (2023)
★★
"‘Star Trek’ legend Takei stars in this sadly underpowered musical inspired by his own childhood experiences of a Japanese internment…
A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Paul Mescal is terrifying and Patsy Ferran is unbelievably good in Rebecca Frecknall’s thrillingly dissonant revival of Tennessee Williams’s masterpiece"…
On The Ropes at the Park Theatre (2023)
"Moving autobiographical drama about Vernon Vanriel" "It is an unquestionably powerful drama, not least because it’s true. But stuffing someone’s…
Watch on the Rhine at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★★
"A terrific cast and a still-audacious second half gear change justify this rare revival of Lillian Hellman’s dramas" "Known for…
The Fir Tree at the Shakespeare's Globe (2022)
★★★
"The Globe’s outdoor Christmas show is a delightfully ramshackle riff on a pair of Hans Christian Andersen classics" "‘The Fir…
Derren Brown: SHOWMAN at the Apollo Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Only in person do you really experience how hypnotic he is. " "Brown’s unwavering poise and trademark gallows humour carry…
Hey Duggee at the Royal Festival Hall (2022)
★★★★
"Theatre badges all round for this ebullient first live outing for Duggee and the Squirrels" "While creator Grant Orchard isn’t…
As You Like It at the @sohoplace (2022)
★★★★
"‘Strictly’ winner Rose Ayling-Ellis heads up the cast of a populist but charming production of Shakespeare’s woodland romp" "I’m as…
Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium (2022)
★★★
"Julian Clary remorselessly steals the show – again – as London’s biggest panto returns" "For the love of god don't…
Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre (2022)
★★★
"The queen of country’s Jesus-y take on Dickens is fun but not the total blast we might have hoped for"…
Sons of the Prophet at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Stephen Karam’s eccentric comedy about two brothers struggling with their dad’s bizarre death is a real gem of a play"…
Paradise Now! at the Bush Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Margaret Perry’s corporate satire is meandering but hugely enjoyable" "Perry’s play is a thorough look into the highs and lows…
Merrily We Roll Along at the New York Theatre Workshop (2022)
★★★★
"Merrily We Roll Along is the femme fatale of Stephen Sondheim musicals, beautiful and troubled; people keep thinking they can…
Mandela at the The Young Vic (2022)
★★
"A technically thrilling production can’t conceal this Nelson Mandela musical’s baffling disinterest in its subject" "How did this happen? How…
Disney's Newsies at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Disney’s cult classic musical about striking finally hits the UK – and it’s a delight" "If you haven't yet heard…
Kerry Jackson at the National Theatre (2022)
★★
"Star Fay Ripley is the sole highlight of this bafflingly unambitious class comedy" "April de Angelis’s new play is a…
Hex at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Entertaining but somewhat baffling" "‘Sleeping Beauty’ is a love story. ‘Hex’ hasn't quite decided what it is. It's got a…
Orlando at the Garrick Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Emma Corrin is terrific as Virginia Woolf’s iconic androgyne" "... this adaptation by Neil Bartlett and directed by Michael Grandage…
Mother Goose at the Hackney Empire (2022)
★★★★
"Panto’s last superstar Clive Rowe electrifies the Hackney Empire once again" "Like the Rolling Stones, the Hackney Empire panto doesn’t…
Best of Enemies at the Noel Coward Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"James Graham’s monumental ’60s drama transfers, with tremendous performances from Zachary Quinto and David Harewood" "The great thing about a…
Henry V at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (2022)
★★★
"Henry V gets a Richard III makeover in this none-more-dark new take on the patriotic war play" "This darkly comic…
A Sherlock Carol at the Marylebone Theatre (2022)
★★
"Sherlock meets Scrooge in this misguided seasonal mash-up" "... you get the feeling that writer/director Mark Shanahan really likes Sherlock…
Elf The Musical at the Dominion Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"The stage adaptation of the beloved Will Ferrell film bounds joyously back into town" "This show lives or dies depending…
A Christmas Carol at the The Old Vic (2022)
★★★★
"Owen Teale’s Scrooge is a bit underpowered, but the Old Vic’s unstoppable annual show remains magical as ever" "Jack Thorne’s…
The Sex Party at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2022)
★★
"Bewilderingly disjointed comedy about an Islington sex party that gets awkward when trans woman Lucy arrives" "There is probably a…
Blackout Songs at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Joe White’s drama about an alcoholic couple spiralling out of control is best at its bleakest and weirdest" "Joe White’s…
Not One of These People at the Royal Court Theatre (2022)
★★★
"An out-there formal experiment" "Martin Crimp’s deepfake show is an out-there formal experiment that asks very hard questions about the…
Super High Resolution at the Soho Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Blanche McIntyre directs this impassioned new drama about NHS burnout" "Ellis's rave-reviewed previous play, 'work.txt', felt like a real moment:…
Mary at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Scottish diplomat James Melville is the focus of this understated installment of Rona Munro’s epic James Plays" "A chamber piece…
Tammy Faye – A New Musical at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Elton John’s new musical is a joyously camp tribute to the oddball US televangelist, with a storming book by James…
A Single Man at the Park Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Intriguing but somewhat distant stage version of Christopher Isherwood’s poignant novel" "n Simon Reade’s adaptation, directed by Philip Wilson, George’s…
My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) at the Garrick Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"Rob Madge celebrates a happy gay childhood in this quirky, joyous monologue" "You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more joyous,…
@sohoplace at the @sohoplace (2022)
"@sohoplace's intimate, bright, in-the-round auditorium is the perfect venue for 'Marvellous', filling a niche that more charming but less flexible…
Marvellous at the @sohoplace (2022)
★★★★
"New West End theatre @sohoplace opens with this charming bio-play about the irrepressible Neil Baldwin" "It's a pretty leftfield decision…
My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"In the RSC’s new blockbuster awe-inspiring puppets bring Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece to the stage flawlessly" "... the puppets – designed…
The Doctor at the Duke of York's Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Visionary director Robert Icke returns as Juliet Stevenson reprises her colossal 2019 performance" "... it’s bloody good to have ‘The…
The Band's Visit at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★★
"This bittersweet, idiosyncratic musical about a lost Egyptian band gets a gorgeous UK premiere" "For a moment, it looks like…
The Boy with Two Hearts at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Slick, moving adaptation of Afghan refugees Hamed and Hessam Amiri’s hit book" "Long before the Calais Jungle was forcibly dismantled,…
Dmitry at the Marylebone Theatre (2022)
★★★
"The brand-new Marylebone Theatre opens its doors with this gripping Schiller curio" "The Marylebone Theatre is an unexpected new addition…
Blues For An Alabama Sky at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Giles Terera and Samira Wiley are tremendous in this stylish revival of Pearl Cleage’s drama about the Harlem Renaissance" "'Orange…
Iphigenia in Splott at the Lyric Hammersmith (2022)
★★★★★
"Sophie Melville stuns all over again as Gary Owen’s volcanically powerful monologue returns" "Owen’s exquisite writing makes the scenes heartbreakingly…
John Gabriel Borkman at the Bridge Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Simon Russell Beale and Lia Williams are wonderful in Ibsen’s eccentric, elegiac late play" "Finally revived by Nicholas Hytner at…
The Crucible at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Brendan Cowell’s working-class hero John Proctor is tremendous in the National Theatre’s atmospheric Arthur Miller revival" "It doesn’t get much…
Eureka Day at the The Old Vic (2022)
★★★
"Helen Hunt is excellent in this smart US comedy about a liberal schoolboard that collapses into infighting over a vaccine…
The P Word at the Bush Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"Two very different gay Pakistani men cross paths in Waleed Akhtar’s tremendous new play" "Waleed Akhtar’s gorgeous, devastating new play…
The Snail House at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★
"An overblown generational satire" "There’s a weirdness at the heart of this play. While it presents that age-old dramatic trope…
The Clinic at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Faultlines in a fractious British-Nigerian family become catastrophically exposed when they take in a troubled young activist" "It’s pretty much…
Antigone at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Inua Ellams gives Sophocles‘s ancient tragedy a bracingly contemporary spin" "There are bolts of brilliance in Inua Ellams' twenty-first-century rewrite…
Silence at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★★
"Powerful docu-theatre show giving voice to those caught up in the chaos of the Partition of India" "These accounts of…
Gary Barlow - A Different Stage at the Duke of York's Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"The Take That frontman plays the hits – and the audience – beautifully in this slick one-man-show" "Barlow’s one-man show…
I, Joan at the Shakespeare's Globe (2022)
★★★
"Charlie Josephine’s play is a joyous celebration of non-binary identity told aa tongue in cheek take on the story of…
Stranger Things: The Experience at the Troubadour Brent Cross Studios Cricklewood (2022)
★★★
"After a wonky start, this official immersive show does a decent job of throwing you into the world of the…
The Trials at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★★
"Teenagers are given power of life or death in Dawn King’s gripping climate dystopia" "‘The Trials’ works both on an…
South Pacific at the Sadler's Wells (2022)
★★★★
"Smart revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s WW2-set jewel" "... Daniel Evans’s Chichester Festival Theatre revival of ‘South Pacific’ is affirmation…
The Tempest at the Shakespeare's Glob (2022)
★★★★
"Sean Holmes directs a super-fun production of Shakespeare’s magical final play" "... Holmes’s production is aware of the environmental and…
Chasing Hares at the Young Vic (2022)
★★★
"Sonali Bhattacharyya’s drama about the erosion of workers’ rights in Bengal and Britain is powerful once it hits its stride"…
Sister Act at the Eventim Apollo (2022)
★★★
"Despite Beverley Knight’s stupendous vocals, this big-budget musical revival misses intended star Whoopi Goldberg" " Beverly Knight makes a very…
101 Dalmatians at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Kate Fleetwood steals the show as an influencer Cruella de Vil in this uneven new family musical" "Adapted direct from…
Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Richard Bean and Oliver Chris’s WW2-set reworking of ‘The Rivals’ is very funny but not a lot more" "‘Jack Absolute…
Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Katherine Parkinson and John Heffernan are a blast in this luxuriously eccentric take on Shakespeare’s romcom" "If this production has…
Peaky Blinders: The Rise at the Camden Garrison (2022)
★
"This is comfortably the most tedious immersive theatre show I’ve seen in London in at least ten years." "if you…
Patriots at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Falls short of its ambitions" "It’s an interesting, informative play, with three great performances in Hollander’s brilliant, quicksilver Berezovsky, Keen’s…
The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Emilia Clarke is irresistible in Jamie Lloyd’s ultra-stripped back take on Chekhov’s masterpiece" "To say Lloyd’s production is boring would…
Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the London Palladium (2022)
★★★
"Disney’s spectacular-looking musical is a stunning exercise in vamping for time" "A song and dance sequence set in a tavern…
That Is Not Who I Am at the Royal Court Theatre (2022)
★★★
"A slippery thriller" "Davies and Kelly have a winning chemistry, their physical passion for each other glueing them together even…
A Dolls House, Part 2 at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★★
"A funny, sharp metasequel to Ibsen’s classic play" "If ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ has an obvious weakness it’s that…
Jitney at the Old Vic Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"A captivating revival" "Tinuke Craig’s exquisite revival peels back the walls of their crumbling workplace, allowing us to enter it…
The Gunpowder Plot at the Tower Vaults London (2022)
★★★★
"The Gunpowder Plot has set a new gold standard" "This lavish new immersive theatre attraction from the Tower of London…
Britannicus at the Lyric Hammersmith (2022)
★★★★
"Atri Banerjee’s production takes us to 'Succession' territory" "Like ancient Greek dramas, Racine's play has an arch, declamatory quality, its…
ABBA Voyage at the ABBA Arena (2022)
★★★★
"A spectacular vision of pop’s future" "This is art built for the fans: it’s about standing side-by-side in a euphoric…
Legally Blonde The Musical at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
★★★
"It’s weird, visually striking and basically pretty funny" "this revival of ‘Legally Blonde’ feels less like an update of the…
My Fair Lady (2022)
★★★
"This fractionally tweaked Broadway production of the classic musical is pleasant but won’t win over any doubters" "Amara Okereke plays…
Grease at the Dominion Theatre (2022)
★★★
"A harder, darker hornier version of the classic musical" "Nikolai Foster’s big West End revival isn’t an aggressively dramatic reappraisal,…
Oklahoma! at the Young Vic Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"This radical Rodgers & Hammerstein revival lives up to the thirsty hype" "I’m struggling to think of a hornier theatre…
Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"Mark Rylance lets the old magic flow once again as the stage performance of our lifetimes returns" "I doubt the…
Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Jodie Comer gives a tour de force performance in this slightly clunky sexual assault monologue" "It’s a personal triumph somewhat…
The Corn is Green at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Nicola Walker is tremendous as an inspirational schoolteacher in this classy revival for Emelyn Williams’s slightly dated Welsh classic" "Cooke’s…
Marys Seacole at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★
"The headspinning new play from the author of ‘Fairview’" "As it happens, ‘Marys Seacole’ is an altogether different affair, which…
Punchdrunk: The Burnt City at the One Cartridge Place (2022)
★★★★
"Immersive theatre legends Punchdrunk return with a jaw-dropping riff on Greek myth" "Punchdrunk has a very distinct aesthetic, and when…
Scandaltown at the Lyric Hammersmith (2022)
★★★
"Mike Bartlett’s faux-Restoration comedy is good fun but a bit weak as satire" "It takes guts to try and satirise…
The 47th at the The Old Vic (2022)
★★★★
"Bertie Carvel is astoundingly good as an anarchic Donald Trump in Mike Bartlett’s audacious blank verse drama" "Essentially, this Trump…
The Human Voice at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★
"Despite Ruth Wilson’s spirited performance, Cocteau’s 1930 phone monologue feels dated and sexist" "Van Hove has modernised the setting and…
Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Thirteen years on, Mike Bartlett’s ‘Cock’ stands up" "Welcome to the dawn of the Mike Bartlett supremacy. Always prolific, soon…
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Pure Sensory Overload" "It’s a very fun night out, guaranteed to push the buttons of anyone who grew up on…
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre) (2021)
★★★★
"Jessie Buckley gives the performance of the year and Eddie Redmayne is a bit much in this spectacular Kander &…
Best of Enemies at the The Young Vic (2021)
★★★★★
"David Harewood and Charles Edwards are phenomenal in James Graham’s love letter to America’s chaotic late ’60s" "Jeremy Herrin’s production…
The Book of Dust at the Bridge Theatre (2021)
★★★
"Nicholas Hytner directs a spirited stab at adapting Philip Pullman’s baffling ‘His Dark Materials’ prequel" "At least this fluent and…
Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"The musical witches of this 'Wizard of Oz' prequel are still casting a spell over the West End" "After its…
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre (2021)
★★★★★
"The National Theatre’s adaptation is even better in the West End" "The bottom line is, shows like this don’t come…
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at the Criterion Theatre (2021)
★★★
"Gleefully in-yer-face stage adaptation" "Stretched out over two-and-a-half hours it does wear itself thin. It’s brimming with energy, but ends…
Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre (2021)
★★★
"Great Scott! The DeLorean is amazing, but this bombastic musical of the classic film is A Lot" "I don’t want…
Frozen The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (2021)
★★★★
"The musical version of ‘Frozen’ is an awesome spectacle with more heart, depth and darkness than the film" "This isn’t…
Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre (2021)
★★★
"This Disney musical looks and sounds magical – even if it’s a few shades weirder than the much-loved movie"
The Phantom of the Opera at the Her Majesty's Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"Andrew Lloyd Webber's gothic spectacular is totally '80s in the best possible way"
Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"Sutton Foster blows off the roof in this sublime revival of the classic musical" "They don’t make ’em like this…
The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre (2020)
★★★
"A gorgeous festive ballet for families, based on Raymond Briggs' story" "the love and precision with which the Birmingham Repertory…
Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre (2020)
★★★★
"It’s been reworked, but ‘Les Misérables’ is still very much ‘Les Misérables’, in all its OTT glory" "I don’t think…
Cirque Du Soleil - Luzia at the Royal Albert Hall (2020)
★★★
"You always know what you’re getting with Cirque du Soleil, but this Mexico-themed show is one of the Montréal circus…
Magic Goes Wrong at the Vaudeville Theatre (2020)
★★★
"Magic Goes Wrong’ feels caught at a strange crossroads between Mischief’s bumbling Englishness and Penn & Teller’s edgier interjections." "The…
Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Lloyd and co have cooked up something pretty remarkable" “It’s Cyrano de Berger-rap. It’s James rap-Avoy. It’s… perhaps more accurate…
& Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Joyously daft musical riff on ‘Romeo & Juliet’, based on the hits of pop maestro Max Martin" "& Juliet is…
DEAR EVAN HANSEN at the Noel Coward Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"A fragile high schooler’s lie spins dizzyingly out of control as this smart Broadway musical smash finally hits the West…
Groan Ups at the Vaudeville Theatre (2019)
★★
“The folks behind ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ fall flat on their faces with this oft-cringey school-set comedy” Mischief Theatre...they're…
The Girl Who Fell at the Trafalgar Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Fiercely funny stuff"
Lungs at the The Old Vic (2019)
★★★★
"Their performances – hers in particular – grow immeasurably in stature" “Warchus’s revival is broader and more sitcommy than previous,…
Vassa at the Almeida Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Bartlett's adaptation is very, very funny" "Playing the title role (after Samantha Bond withdrew following injury), Siobhan Redmond squeezes her…
A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg at the Trafalgar Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Listless revival" “Listless revival of the late Peter Nichols’s black comedy about two parents and their disabled daughter” “There’s a…
Solaris at the Lyric Hammersmith (2019)
★★★★
"It’s a haunting trip, into inner and outer space" "I’d hope (Stanisław) Lem could acknowledge the boldness and, ultimately, the…
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Gorgeous, gaudy, spectacularly overstuffed" "Red alert! Red alert! If you’re the kind of person who frets that jukebox musicals are…
Jean Paul Gaultier Fashion Freak Show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (2019)
★★★
"Jean Paul Gaultier’s autobiographical cabaret is wobbly in places but looks stunning" "As a piece of catwalk spectacle, it’s a…
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium (2019)
★★★
"The show has the emotional heft of a beetroot" "Unfortunately the show has the emotional heft of a beetroot, and…
Wife at the Kiln Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"A quirky and clever homage to Ibsen's A Doll’s House" "Adamson explores changing ideas of desire, prejudice and equality by…
Wife at the Kiln Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Camp as Christmas" "Samuel Adamson’s new play grabs at big, enduring questions about gender and queerness through the ages. It’s…
The Starry Messenger at the Wyndham's Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Dramas don’t come more midlife crisis-y than ‘The Starry Messenger’. There is a smart, poignant existential drama somewhere inside The…
Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2019)
★★★★★
"The triumph here belongs to director Jamie Lloyd. Directing Betrayal as the culmination of his Pinter at the Pinter season…
Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre, (2019)
★★★
"This pie-tastic Broadway smash is big hearted but half-baked" "Most of the pies in Diane Paulus's Broadway-conquering show are allegorical:…
Come From Away at the Phoenix Theatre (2019)
★★★★★
"This 9/11-set musical is a gently miraculous masterpiece" "Musicals don’t come much more low-key, wholesome or Canadian than ‘Come from…
9 to 5 The Musical at the Savoy Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Dolly Parton's somewhat hallucinatory musical is a wilfully preposterous crowd-pleaser" "The plot, when it shows up, is about as ridiculous…
All About Eve at the Noel Coward Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Gillian Anderson gives an incredible turn as Broadway actress Margo Channing" [Gillian Andersons'] performance as ageing actress Margo Channing in…
True West at the Vaudeville Theatre (2018)
★★★
"Even as they’re trashing the room, smashing objects and downing whiskey, the whole thing has the feel of an undergrad…
The Cher Show at the Neil Simon Theatre (2018)
★★★
"It falls a bit shy, but it’s strong enough" 'Directed by Jason Moore, the show whirls through six decades at…
Fiddler On The Roof at the Meniere Chocolate Factory (2018)
★★★
"Trevor Nunn’s gloomy ‘Fiddler’ is classy but not always fun" ‘I realise there are some restrictions that apply when staging…
Hole at the Royal Court Theatre (2018)
★★★
‘Ellie Kendrick’s fiery feminist cabaret feels slightly overshadowed by its directors, RashDash’ ‘Generically speaking, we’re not exactly talking about a…
Hadestown at the National Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Gloriously offbeat musical" "‘Hadestown’ is not perfect, but it is really, really good. The wonderfully diverse songs of Mitchell’s expanded,…
Company at the Gielgud Theatre (2018)
★★★★★
"This production deserves to go down as a game-changer." Rosalie Craig and Patti LuPone star in Marianne Elliott’s tour de…
Translations at the National Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Colin Morgan and Ciarán Hinds star in an exquisitely brooding revival of Brian Friel’s masterpiece." "Rickson’s revival is awash with…
My Name Is Lucy Barton at the Bridge Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Laura Linney is brilliant in her UK stage debut." "I have not read Elizabeth Strout’s 2016 novel ‘My Name is…
Killer Joe at the Trafalgar Studios (2018)
★★★
"Orlando Bloom is a decent baddie in this lurid, uneven thriller" "Essentially a black comedy about the transactional nature of…
Julie at the National Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Vanessa Kirby is great as a disintegrating posh girl in this nightmarish production" "All the iconic/grim moments of the Strindberg…
Red at the Wyndham's Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Alfred Molina is a mighty Mark Rothko in this intense, visually stunning drama about the agony of art" "Michael Grandage’s…
An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre (2018)
★★★
"Fantastic Mr Foxes are an ideal match for Wilde’s comedy" "Freddie Fox is triumphant as the dandyish Lord Goring. There’s…
Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre (2018)
★★★
"Adrienne Warren is magnificent" "The tunes are great and Adrienne Warren is magnificent as Tina Turner, but is this too…
Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre (2017)
★★★★★
"Lin-Manuel Miranda’s visionary musical lives up to the hype" "Okay, let’s just get this out of the way. ‘Hamilton’ is…
Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre (2009)
★★★★
"Solid gold hits light up this loosely-plotted celebration of all things Jackson" "What really hits home in this jubilant jukebox…
📷 Main photo: TimeOut
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