London theatre reviews from UK newspaper The Evening Standard.
Here’s a selection of reviews of London shows from the theatre and arts critics at The Evening Standard.
The chief theatre critic at The Evening Standard is Nick Curtis.
See below for a full run-down of star ratings and theatre opinions about West End shows in London from The Evening Standard.
Close Up: The Twiggy Musical at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2023)
★★
"A fumbled opportunity to celebrate a phenomenon" "Ben Elton’s compilation musical is strident, obvious and enslaved to the punchline" "Ben…
Frank and Percy at the The Other Palace (2023)
★★★★
"Ian McKellen and Roger Allam in a radical odd-couple romance" (Theatre Royal Windsor) "If you want to hear Ian McKellen…
Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play at the Young Vic theatre (2023)
★★
"A gruelling watch" (Young Vic London) "The play is savagely funny as it nails damaging stereotypes, but the repetitions and…
Beautiful Thing at the Theatre Royal Stratford East (2023)
★★★★
"Gleefully of its time but more timeless than ever" "It is, indeed, a rather beautiful thing" "Thirty years later it’s…
Mlima’s Tale at the Kiln Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Lynn Nottage movingly exposes the corruption and cruelty of poaching" "There’s impatience for justice or accountability following a big reveal…
Vanya at the Duke of York's Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"An acting masterclass from the mercurial Andrew Scott" "This one-man take on Chekhov is no vanity project or gimmick: it’s…
Pygmalion at the The Old Vic Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Extraordinary central performances from Patsy Ferran and Bertie Carvel" "The two stars dominate amid a fine supporting cast, even if…
The Little Big Things at the @sohoplace Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"One of the most uplifting, heart-swelling shows in ages" "Based on the bestselling memoir of Henry Fraser this is exuberant,…
Private Lives at the Ambassadors Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Nigel Havers and Patricia Hodge on consummate form" "Veiled in comedy, the play discusses religion, morality and mortality" "Sometimes at…
God of Carnage at the Lyric Hammersmith (2023)
★★★
"Only comes alive in its final moments" "When it sparks into life, Reza’s play is more potent than ever: it’s…
As You Like It at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★★
"Not always subtle, but consistently delightful" "The Globe’s now-habitual gender-fluid approach to casting chimes perfectly with this story of disguise…
A Mirror at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★
"Thrilling and infuriating in equal measure" "Clever, thoughtful and tricksy, Sam Holcroft’s work about a playwright in an authoritarian regime…
Next to Normal at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★★
"Cassie Levy is terrific" "Wonderfully sung and staged, this show detailing the effects of grief and mental illness on an…
La Cage aux Folles at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2023)
★★★
"All lamé frock and no knickers" "The dance numbers are great but the ropey storyline and poor acting in Tim…
The Effect at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A mind-bending experience" "Jamie Lloyd’s production is a 100-minute emotional arc" "A play of ideas about the way our brains…
Jersey Boys at the Trafalgar Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Jersey Boys are back in the West End and it’s the show we need" (2021) "Jersey Boys is back in…
Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet at the Sadler's Wells Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A night of dance to give you goosebumps" "This thrilling revival boasts a terrific, detailed ensemble and some gorgeous choreography"…
The SpongeBob Musical at the Queen Elizabeth Hall London (2023)
★★
"Rarely gets above water" (Queen Elizabeth Hall, London) "This stage musical isn’t cynical, just thin" "It feels odd to give…
Macbeth at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★
"Radical, uneven and clumsy" "I really wanted to like this Macbeth more. Oh well: there’ll be another one along in…
Word-Play at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Playful, thoughtful, and deliciously up-to-the-minute" "Often hilarious, sometimes moving, this play about how words matter has a cumulative power" "Words…
Ride - A New Musical at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant / Charing Cross Theatre (2023)
★★
"A bouncy but muddled musical" (Southwark Playhouse Elephant) "The show is tighter than it was at the Charing Cross Theatre…
Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Moving, heartfelt and important" "The ensemble cast performs with a quietly furious intensity" "This powerful piece of verbatim theatre about…
Cuckoo at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★
"Amusing but aimless play fails to take flight" "Well acted and fluently directed but ultimately it’s all a bit baffling"…
Disruption at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"This witty, incisive AI play could hardly be more timely" "It’s great to see a play engage so aggressively with…
Dr Semmelweis at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Mark Rylance is magnetic in urgent tale of scientific discovery" "One of our finest actors is back where he belongs:…
Beneatha’s Place at the The Young Vic (2023)
★★★★
"This bracingly stimulating play has found its moment" "This work about race and the ownership of history could not feel…
The Wizard of Oz - UK & Ireland Tour at the London Palladium (2023)
★★★
"A relentlessly professional piece of entertainment" "In this time of stupid culture wars it’s good to see a ruthlessly commercial…
Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A joyous love letter to old school American showbiz" "The show has a delirious weightlessness: for 150 minutes, you’re lifted…
A Strange Loop at the Barbican Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"A thrillingly strange, playful and hilarious new musical" "Stuffed with catchy tunes, it’s messy, exhausting and spectacular" "This extraordinary musical"…
Mrs Doubtfire The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre (2023)
★★★
"This musical is well done, just don’t think too hard about it" "Fun farce and silly comedy make this perfect…
The Pillowman at the Duke of York's Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Lily Allen is compulsively watchable in this wickedly funny work" "Martin McDonagh’s swaggering play wrong-foots the audience throughout" "The 2003…
Dear England at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"James Graham scores again with this thrilling football drama" "The Nottingham playmaker takes on the England football team’s recent highs…
The Third Man - A Musical Thriller at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2023)
★★
"Please, not everything has to be turned into a musical" "The creative team has a record of turning unlikely subjects…
The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"A nigh-on perfect revival" "House of the Dragon breakout star Milly Alcock is a stunning replacement for Erin Doherty as…
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical at the Phoenix Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Shockingly funny" "I wasn’t expecting this to be so outrageously entertaining" "Maybe it was the dancing penis routine that won…
School Girls or The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith (2023)
★★★★
"That’s so fetch" "Bioh’s dialogue fizzes with both laugh-out-loud quips and savage insults" "As teenagers, we all knew a ‘mean…
Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Relentless retelling makes us see this familiar story with fresh eyes" "Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh as Romeo and Isis Hainsworth…
42nd Street at the Sadler's Wells Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"When its star is onstage this love letter to Broadway is pure pleasure" "There’s something about the sheer, silly exhilaration…
When Winston Went To War With The Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★★
"History repeats itself" "The feud between Conservative politicians and our national broadcaster is almost as old as the BBC itself,…
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant (2023)
★★★★
"A surprising delight" "This musical version of the well-loved tale is full of rich, lovely numbers" "A folkie musical adapted…
Groundhog Day at the The Old Vic (2023)
★★★★
"I could watch Tim Minchin and Danny Rubin’s show again and again" "If this show doesn’t quite escape the shadow…
We Will Rock You at the London Coliseum (2023)
★
"We will rob you, more like" "A lazy, exploitative piece of work" "This insultingly slapdash musical by Ben Elton and…
Patriots at the Noel Coward Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Tom Hollander is incandescent in this story of the fight for Russia’s soul" "This hectic, tragicomic tale has already gained…
The Shape of Things at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Neil LaBute’s 2003 classic is as finely engineered as a sports car" "Though slightly dated, the play is slick and…
Great Expectations at the Garrick Theatre (2023)
★★
"Eddie Izzard’s charm just about gets this thin piece over the line" "This adaptation of the Dickens classic is neither…
Rose at the Ambassadors Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Maureen Lipman gives a compelling performance in an uneven show" "Martin Sherman’s monologue for a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust…
Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre (2023)
★★
"Michael Ball twinkles but why revive this silly, creepy musical?" "The dislikeable characters and preposterous plot, despite the stylish staging,…
A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★★
"Elle While’s is a fresh take on the forest romp" "I’ve seen this play a hundred times, so it’s always…
The Comedy of Errors at the Shakespeare's Globe (2023)
★★★★
"Daft, bawdy and boisterous with magnificent codpieces" "Amid all the nonsense, you find yourself falling for the idiots in one…
Bleak Expectations at the Criterion Theatre (2023)
★★
"Mediocre Dickens parody chunters along" "To borrow one of the show’s parodic lines: please sir, could we have some less"…
Brokeback Mountain at the Soho Place Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"This stripped-back show is a potent, subtle piece of dramatic alchemy" "This is a gem of a show with star…
Once On This Island at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A Little Mermaid musical of real force and verve" "There are many stirring performances in this revival of the show…
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Southwark Playhouse Borough (2023)
★★
"Some lost musicals should stay lost" "This musical, with its dodgy sexual politics, has been justly neglected" "Time hasn’t been…
Biscuits for Breakfast at the Hampstead Theatre (2023)
★★
"Grim and remorseless" "After a promising start, this play ends up becoming increasingly repetitive" "Nobody expects a play about food…
Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"This gung-ho musical could be just what the West End needs" "Mincemeat the musical has wit, charm and a Eurobeat…
August in England at the Bush Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Lenny Henry’s Windrush play is passionate, funny and hugely affecting" "Henry can confidently add ‘playwright’ to his already polymathic CV"…
The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Sam Mendes’s elegant production is a love letter to theatre" "In this look at Richard Burton and Sir John Gielgud’s…
Retrograde at the Kiln Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Ryan Calais Cameron’s portrait of Sidney Poitier is electrifying" "Ivanno Jeremiah delivers a performance of great strength and delicacy as…
The Good Person of Szechwan at the Sheffield Theatres & Lyric Hammersmith (2023)
★★★★
"Slick, kitsch and buckets of fun" (Lyric Hammersmith) "There’s a distinctive feel to Lyric Hammersmith shows that’s like nothing you’ll…
Blue at the London Coliseum (2023)
"This production will gather momentum and intensity" "South London-born soprano Nadine Benjamin is particularly outstanding among the singers" "Tazewell Thompson’s…
Ain't Too Proud - The Life And Times Of The Temptations at the Prince Edward Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Temptations musical rolls out hit after Motown hit" "Compilation musicals have had a bad press, but this is a hugely…
The Secret Life of Bees at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★
"This musical adaptation is very odd, but you won’t be bored" "The Secret Life of Bees embraces many troubling tropes,…
Dancing at Lughnasa at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A powerfully moving family portrait at a moment of change" "Even if you missed all the subtext, this show would…
Private Lives at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★
"Despite Mangan and Stirling this largely joyless revival fails to spark" "This show was clearly planned as a crowd-pleaser, a…
A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"James Norton gives a towering performance" "Though relentlessly bleak, this is a superb piece of theatre" "Yes, it’s almost four…
For Black Boys Who Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy at the Apollo Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Pretty wonderful" "There’s a surprising amount of joy in Ryan Calais Cameron’s play about the experience of young British black…
Black Superhero at the Royal Court Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Debut play is flawed but audacious and inventive" "Actor Danny Lee Wynter’s debut play is lively, full of punchy dialogue…
Further than the Furthest Thing at the Young Vic Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"a fascinating exploration of the tides of change" "This revival of Zinnie Harris’ play that premiered in 2000 reveals much…
Marjorie Prime at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2023)
★★★
"Anne Reid is magnificent" "Marjorie Prime offers stimulating ideas and some great acting, but it’s not a great play" "Though…
Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre (2023)
★★★★★
"Marisha Wallace is a standout in this blissful and exhilarating revival" "This near-flawless revival boasts excellent leads, astonishing choreography and…
After the Act at the New Diorama Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Section 28 musical is engagingly scrappy and righteously angry" "It reminds us that hard-won liberties can be summarily rolled back"…
The Great British Bake Off Musical at the Noel Coward Theatre (2023)
★★
"Half-baked" "This is low-level entertainment for the undemanding, with brainless characters and unremarkable choreography" "Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary’s show…
Sleepova at the Bush Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"You can’t help but fall in love with this joyous, exuberant show" "A glorious young cast brings authentic energy to…
Shirley Valentine at the Duke of York's Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Superb Sheridan Smith breathes life into this dated play" "It’s great to see her back on stage" "Here’s a perfect…
Oklahoma! at the Wyndham's Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Remains a rip-snorting, foot-stamping triumph" "This reimagining of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1943 musical is utterly thrilling" "Believe the hype. Daniel…
Grenfell: System Failure at the The Playground Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Scenes from the Inquiry review: a show that fills you with rage" "This quietly devastating show feels real, and its…
Women, Beware The Devil at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★
"A wild, slippery ride" "The shape-shifting audacity of the play makes it exciting to watch, if ultimately baffling" "Well, I…
Romeo and Julie at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"An enthralling love story that asks big questions" "It’s a Sin’s Callum Scott Howells is intensely watchable in a performance…
Trouble in Butetown at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★
"An enjoyable piece of hokum" "The title, over-neat plot and overemphatic acting recall a charming postwar British B-movie" "An illegal…
The Rhinegold at the London Coliseum (2023)
★★★
"A feast for the eyes but the flavours don’t quite add up" "The blazing fusion of music and drama is…
Medea at the @sohoplace (2023)
★★★★
"A blazing Sophie Okonedo makes this spartan production a must-see" "Dominic Cooke’s staging of the Greek tragedy is gripping" "It’s…
Sylvia at the The Old Vic Theatre (2023)
★★★
"Beverley Knight is magnificent in mixed suffragette musical" "The sheer charisma and vocal power of the leads transcend the more…
Standing at the Sky's Edge at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"A stirring musical reinforced with Sheffield steel" "Defiantly wedded to Sheffield, this uplifting musical has a universal message about community…
Phaedra at the National Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Janet McTeer leads a fine cast in Simon Stone’s must-see show" "A high-spec, richly-textured chamber extravaganza" "How gobsmackingly audacious, to…
The Lehman Trilogy at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"The new cast shines in this tour de force production" "This story charting 160 years of US captialism still feels…
Linck & Mülhahn at the Hampstead Theatre (2023)
★★
"Gimmicky and self-conscious" "The story and ideas should be compelling but the arch tone keeps the audience at arms length"…
2:22 A Ghost Story at the Lyric Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Cheryl delivers a dose of pure star power" "This play still compels, entertains and unnerves despite occasionally off-key performances" "But…
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Aidan Turner and Jenna Coleman make this a bittersweet pleasure" "Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is a sad love story…
Noises Off at the Phoenix Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Meticulously plotted and as blissfully funny as ever" "This peerless farce-within-a-farce has lost none of its freshness" "Forty-one years on,…
The Unfriend at the Criterion Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat give us a riotous bit of fun" "An uproarious comedy of English embarrassment" "What a…
Cirque du Soleil: KURIOS at the Royal Albert Hall (2023)
★★★★
"A new earthier vibe" "This steampunk spectacular will have your jaw on the floor" "Colombia’s James Gonzalez offers true magic…
Alex Edelman: Just for Us at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2023)
★★★★
"Brilliantly, intricately funny" "Edelman is a compelling, super-energetic performer, witheringly smart and laceratingly self-critical, expertly cranking and relaxing the throttle…
George Takei's Allegiance at the Charing Cross Theatre (2023)
★★★
"It’s great to see the Star Trek icon in London" "The show throws light on a slice of neglected history"…
A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
★★★★
"Paul Mescal is horribly good and Patsy Ferran is astonishing" "With this revival Frecknall proves herself again to be a…
On The Ropes at the Park Theatre (2023)
★★★
"A story worth telling, but no knockout" "the stylistic flourishes of Anastasia Osei-Kuffour’s production – staged, naturally, in a boxing…
Watch on the Rhine at the Donmar Warehouse (2023)
★★★
"Movingly acted but the play feels like a museum piece" "A handsomly mounted production and Lillian Hellman’s play has a…
One Woman Show at the Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"The number one comedy of 2022" "It’s even better than last time: break a minor byelaw if it helps you…
As You Like It at the @sohoplace (2022)
★★★★
"A rich and beautiful staging full of music and charm" Rourke seems instinctively to have understood the demands and opportunities…
Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium (2022)
★★★★
"Uproarious panto packed with comic vulgarity" "Julian Clary shines in this camp and corny show packed with star names" "Panto…
Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre (2022)
★★★
"Carried with glee and gusto" "There are great numbers here, from the revivalist Hell to the sweetly simple Three Candles."…
Sons of the Prophet at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★
"This queasy tragicomedy drags" "The characters are self-consciously quirky, the situations forced, the wit overdone" "Sons of the Prophet is,…
The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House (2022)
★★★★
"A crisp, sweet treat that’s never cloying" "This isn’t the most overtly dramatic Nutcracker – but it’s 2022 and you…
Mandela at the The Young Vic (2022)
★★★★
"A storming celebration of the human spirit" "When the entire cast is in full, roaring voice it’s overwhelming" "This musical…
Disney's Newsies at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Bristles with infectious energy" "While the plotting is a bit formulaic, the message of this boisterous production couldn’t be more…
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty at the Sadler's Wells (2022)
★★★
"An entertaining ballet with a vampire’s bite" "Bourne’s regular creative team offer lavish delights, and Paule Constable’s lighting gives the…
Kerry Jackson at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Fay Ripley’s new show is a very odd but enjoyable romp" "Imagine the sitcom Miranda, but with prejudice, politics and…
Hex at the National Theatre (2022)
★★
"This chaotic Sleeping Beauty spin off is cursed" "The first half of Tanya Ronder’s book seems desperate to sanitise the…
Orlando at the Garrick Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Emma Corrin is captivating in this bold, tricksy experiment" "Corrin anchors the show but it never feels like the emotional…
Othello at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Giles Terera shines in this powerful, brutal staging" "Giles Terera is a superb and mercurial actor, one of our finest.…
Best of Enemies at the Noel Coward Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"James Graham’s play is as searingly insightful as ever" "This look at the corruption of modern political discourse is dynamic…
Henry V at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (2022)
★★★★
"Fresh, vivid and intense" "This stripped back production speaks with new and unusual clarity" "This drastically edited, dramatically stripped back…
Elf The Musical at the Dominion Theatre (2022)
★★
"Not good for the elf" "A disappointing start to London’s Christmas theatre season" "This is an Elf warning: Elf the…
Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial at the Wyndham's Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Hilarious and gripping" "An excellent take on a contemporary media circus" "Well, the team played a blinder. Writer Liv Hennessy…
Matilda The Musical (2022)
★★★★
"The best moments are extraordinary" "Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull will haunt your dreams" "... this adaptation of the mega-successful…
The Sex Party at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2022)
★★
"This scattershot comedy is a bad joke" "Terry Johnson’s play sounds like a bad joke and it is: a scattershot…
Blackout Songs at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★
"This exploration of alcoholism is a frustrating mixed bag" "The writing is intelligent, the performances strong, but the characters’ lack…
Super High Resolution at the Soho Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Hard hitting and important tale about the state of the NHS" "Jasmine Blackborow stands out in this story of a…
Mary at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★
"Rona Munro’s queen’s tale utterly fails to spark" "This play about Mary Stuart draws juicy contemporary parallels but this talky…
Elephant at the Bush Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"A teasing, provoking pleasure" "Anoushka Lucas packs a lot into her wittily probing show" "A coming-of-age drama, a critique of…
Tammy Faye – A New Musical at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Praise be, it’s a religious riot" "This musical is a carnivalesque takedown of something rotten" "Katie Brayben plays the titular…
My Son’s A Queer, (But What Can You Do?) at the Garrick Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"A joyful love letter to self-expression" "A charming work that strikes a deep chord" "It’s a joyful love letter to…
@sohoplace at the @sohoplace (2022)
"As for @sohoplace (still a terrible name), the auditorium is pristine and lovely, the building clearly user-friendly and porous in…
Marvellous at the @sohoplace (2022)
★★★★
"Anarchic and celebratory show is a bold opening for new West End theatre" "Exuberant production wins the audience over with…
Light of Passage at the Royal Opera House (2022)
★★★★
"Crystal Pite’s new work is deeply felt and long overdue" "This ballet, expanded from the 2017 award-winner Flight Pattern, is…
My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican Theatre (2022)
★★★
"It’s easier to admire this Studio Ghibli adaptation than love it" "This show transposes the off-key weirdness of the original,…
Good at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"David Tennant is chillingly plausible" "This stark play is an important rather than an enjoyable watch" "David Tennant is chillingly…
The Doctor at the Duke of York's Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Juliet Stevenson is at the top of her game" "A very potent evening in the theatre" "No play in the…
The Upstart Crow at the Apollo Theatre (2022)
★★★
"David Mitchell is the draw in this hectic sitcom spin-off" "A vehicle for panto acting and a machine-gun barrage of…
The Band's Visit at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★★
"The humane spirit of this show is irresistible" "The production thrillingly blends Middle Eastern and Western musical traditions" "Israeli townsfolk…
The Boy with Two Hearts at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Lively and warm refugee tale" "A story of humanity, humour and goodwill" "This account of one family’s escape from Afghanistan…
Blues For An Alabama Sky at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Deliciously funny and deeply affecting" "Lynette Linton’s beautiful, light-footed production is a bittersweet delight" "These characters’ dreams of freedom –…
Iphigenia in Splott at the Lyric Hammersmith (2022)
★★★★
"Sophie Melville is extraordinary" "The play, with its urgent message about deprivation, is made by Melville’s savagely moving performance" "Sophie…
John Gabriel Borkman at the Bridge Theatre (2022)
★★
"This unsympathetic Ibsen is hard going" "The three central performances are focused and intense, but even Simon Russell Beale can’t…
Jews. In Their Own Words at the Royal Court (2022)
★★
"No-one who needs to see this will actually go" "This muddled act of public atonement on the part of the…
The Crucible at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Erin Doherty lights up the stage in this fresh revival" "Lyndsey Turner’s production of a bona fide classic rolls over…
Eureka Day at the The Old Vic (2022)
★★★★
"Helen Hunt superbly is understated in her London debut" "The Oscar-winning actress has chosen a collegiate unstarry vehicle where the…
The Wonderful World of Dissocia at the Theatre Royal Stratford East (2022)
★★★★
"Deliciously free, bordering on random" "This play of two halves offers witty jokes and a profound second act" "A profane,…
The Two Popes at the The Rose Kingston & UK Tour (2022)
★★
"This tale of two pontiffs is decidedly undivine" "The script leaves little room for nuance in this old-fashioned piece of…
Handbagged at the Kiln Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"History repeats itself in this imagining of the Queen and Thatcher" "This long-planned revival finds itself carrying even more posthumous…
The Snail House at the Hampstead Theatre (2022)
★★
"Richard Eyre’s long-awaited debut play sorely disappoints" "Eyre is truly one of the great and the good, a shaper and…
Antigone at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
★★★
"A valuable message blunted by heavy-handedness" "This adaptation reflects our current political climate more than any other production on in…
Silence at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★
"A powerful and painful Partition drama" "The play is a welcome introduction to events that many would rather forget" "Although…
Who Killed My Father at the The Young Vic (2022)
★★★★
"Ivo van Hove’s Édouard Louis adaptation is bleak but loving" "Hans Kesting’s brilliant physical performance anchors this gripping one-man show"…
The Mousetrap (2022)
★★★★
"This meta-mystery showcases Saoirse’s comedy chops to perfection" "It’s a knowing joy" "Set in London’s West End, See How They…
I, Joan at the Shakespeare's Globe (2022)
★★★★
" Joyful and unifying, this could be something of a game-changer" "Charlie Josephine’s play is too subtle for a hot…
Stranger Things: The Experience at the Troubadour Brent Cross Studios Cricklewood (2022)
★★★
"Ups and downs in the Upside-Down" "Some genuinely creepy moments in the immersive show were undermined by the lack of…
The Trials at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★★
"Intriguing climate change drama with activism at its roots" "A courtroom drama with a difference, set in a not-so-distant dystopia…
Cruise at the Apollo Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
" Jack Holden’s ode to 80s queer culture is a one-man masterpiece" "Jack Holden’s Cruise is a celebration of queer…
All of Us at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★
"A compelling, rage-filled portrait of disabled life under austerity" "Illuminating and sporadically witty look at being disabled in Tory Britain"…
South Pacific at the Sadler's Wells (2022)
★★★★
"Barely puts a foot, or a note, wrong" "This revelatory production celebrates the lush score and clarifies the script’s attitude…
The Tempest at the Shakespeare's Glob (2022)
★★★★
"Some rough edges but a sunny delight" "Even Shakespeare is not immune to the Love Island aesthetic" "Though stylised throughout,…
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (2022)
★★
"Ponderously slow and woefully short on magic" "The charms of this small-stage production evaporate in the West End" "Samantha Womack…
Sister Act at the Eventim Apollo (2022)
★★★
"Beverley Knight’s star power lifts hodgepodge of a show" "This musical adaptation has warmth, joyous moments and flashes of wit,…
101 Dalmatians at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"You’d be barking to miss it" "Douglas Hodge’s version of the classic tale based on Zinnie Harris’s earlier adaptation is…
Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Uproarious mix of filth, derring-do and romance" "Updating Sheridan’s The Rivals to the Second World War brings the same ungoverned…
Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre (2022)
★★
"Sorely disappointing. It’s not a bad show, just ponderous and hollow" "Not even the combined talents of Katherine Parkinson and…
Cynthia Erivo: Legendary Voices at the Royal Albert Hall (2022)
★★★
"Big sounds kept the crowd happy" "The award-winning actor and singer was backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, not always…
Peaky Blinders: The Rise at the Camden Garrison (2022)
★★★★
"I don’t think I’ve ever before been to an event where I’ve wanted to go again immediately, but Peaky Blinders:…
Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"A glorious, glittering frippery of precision-tooled escapism" "Thank goodness: this scintillating, toe-tapping, wisecracking Cole Porter musical from 1934 is back…
Patriots at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Witty, thrilling battle of political wills" "Rupert Goold’s witty production about the oligarch who arguably created Putin and was then…
The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Emilia Clarke is charismatic in her West End debut" "Clarke is undeniably charismatic, but her presence is far from the…
Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the London Palladium (2022)
★★★★
"An extravagant, memorable update on a tale that’s as old as time, but as exhilarating as ever." "Director Matt West…
Mad House at the The Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"Both stars are brilliant" "Pullman as Daniel is sallow and sunken, frequently wiping gunk from the corners of his mouth,…
That Is Not Who I Am at the Royal Court Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"‘Dave Davidson’ play is enjoyably slippery" "Weird marketing ploys aside, this play on the ambiguity of truth is pleasingly hard…
Jitney at the Old Vic Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Tinuke Craig’s production of August Wilson’s classic fairly crackles" "Superb performances drive this thrilling slice of history that resonates powerfully…
The Gunpowder Plot at the Tower Vaults London (2022)
★★★★
"This VR/IRL show is pretty astonishing" "This isn’t a museum, so to any reserved Brits shy of getting involved, look…
Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] at the Park Theatre (2022)
★★
"Slapdash New Labour musical feels like a student drama group spoof" "Harry Hill’s musical spoof about Britain’s most successful –…
Britannicus at the Lyric Hammersmith (2022)
★★
"Rarely revived for evident good reason" "Some decent performances can’t drag any contemporary relevance out of this talky French classic"…
The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York's Theatre (2022)
★★
"Adams’ West End debut is muted and unconvincing" "Jeremy Herrin’s non-naturalistic staging emphasises the radicalism of Williams’s play when it…
ABBA Voyage at the ABBA Arena (2022)
★★★★★
"I literally could not believe my eyes" "Light years ahead of any of that hologram nonsense, this show really does…
Legally Blonde The Musical at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
★★★
"A fizzy, fun musical night out reinvented for 2022" "This fizzy, fun, candyfloss-pink musical night out carries a message of…
The House of Shades at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
★★
"Anne-Marie Duff can’t save this baggy production" "Beth Steel’s much-anticipated, much-delayed play is a confused mix of family saga, melodrama…
My Fair Lady (2022)
★★★★
"Fresh and sparky, with a bona fide star in Amara Okereke" "Bartlett Sher’s production repackages this witty, well-crafted piece of…
Grease at the Dominion Theatre (2022)
★★
"It’s not the one that I want" "Grim is the word. This version of the beloved 50s-set high school musical…
Oklahoma! at the Young Vic Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Stripped back version is the best revival yet" "After triumphing at the Tonys, this pared-back production comes to London" "A…
Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"13 years on, time has only deepened Jez Butterworth’s modern classic" "You could watch Rylance’s performance every night and still…
Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Jodie Comer is better than we’ve ever seen her in West End debut" "The Killing Eve star is what we’re…
Marys Seacole at the Donmar Warehouse (2022)
★★
"Muddled drama takes too long to make its point" "Jackie Sibblies Drury’s play has a compelling and topical premise -…
Punchdrunk: The Burnt City at the One Cartridge Place (2022)
★★★★
"Punchdrunk’s return is simply astonishing" "Punchdrunk’s first major venture in London for eight years, inspired by the Trojan War, will…
Scandaltown at the Lyric Hammersmith (2022)
★★
"Mike Bartlett’s social pastiche is showy but insubstantial" "This contemporary Restoration comedy is one of Bartlett’s sketchier works" "It’s laugh-out-loud…
Zorro The Musical at the Charing Cross Theatre (2022)
★
"Zorro? More like zero" "This spoofy, wrong-headed version of the story of dashing vigilante Zorro should never have got this…
The 47th at the The Old Vic (2022)
★★★
"A hideously transformative turn from Bertie Carvel as Trump" "Mike Bartlett’s blank-verse drama about Trump running for president (again) is…
Anyone Can Whistle at the Southwark Playhouse (2022)
★
"Oafish production justifies the neglect of this Sondheim musical" "Unless you’re a bereaved Sondheim completist, give this dud a full…
To Kill A Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre (2022)
★★★★★
"All rise for this powerfully uplifting theatrical event" "Rafe Spall brings a vitality to the role of Atticus Finch in…
Straight Line Crazy at the Bridge Theatre (2022)
★★★
"Ralph Fiennes taps into his inner Pacino" "David Hare’s play about New York city planner Robert Moses doesn’t represent the…
The Human Voice at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
★★
"Ruth Wilson shouldn’t have answered the phone to Ivo van Hove" "Not even Ruth Wilson’s limpid talent can breathe life…
Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
★★★★
"Taron Egerton and Jonathan Bailey star in stylish revival about sex and self-identity" "Mike Bartlett’s Cock gets the, um, sensitive…
The Collaboration at the The Young Vic (2022)
★★★★
"Gee, wow - Basquiat and Warhol play brings fireworks to the stage" "Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope match each other…
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre (2022)
★★★
"The big numbers are ravishing" "Alex Timbers’ production excels when it seduces the eye, not the mind or the heart:…
Bring It On: The Musical at the Queen Elizabeth Hall (2021)
★★★
"This cast are quadruple threats" "There’s a puppyish energy to this early musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda, with a brilliant performance…
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre) (2021)
★★★★★
"Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley dazzle in a transformative show" "Wow. Rebecca Frecknall’s new revival of Kander and Ebb’s musical…
Best of Enemies at the The Young Vic (2021)
★★★★
"Dynamic new play from James Graham deals in arresting ideas" "James Graham traces the culture wars back to a series…
West Side Story (2021)
★★★★★
"This glorious remake really sings... This loving homage to the original film is a dazzling triumph" "A brilliant cast, led…
The Book of Dust at the Bridge Theatre (2021)
★★★
"A galloping adventure of wonder and confusion" "Philip Pullman’s prequel to His Dark Materials makes for a breathlessly hectic jumble…
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York's Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"Magic in the West End" "It’s a lovely, heartfelt show with a surging narrative thrust, a macabre undertow and some…
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at the Criterion Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"This anarchic Austen reboot will make you happy" "This sweary, anarchic reboot of Pride and Prejudice by Scottish writer Isobel…
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"Arinzé Kene is a knockout. This is a joyful night out that also feels like an important cultural event" "'My…
Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre (2021)
"A near-seamless slice of escapist entertainment... Even the time machine’s a triumph in this larky musical version of the 1985…
Frozen The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (2021)
★★★
"This long-awaited West End stage version feels lukewarm" "The themes of empowerment and acceptance remain strong but the story was…
Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new take is a hilarious triumph" "Laurence Connor’s production mixes panto-style archness with professional West End glitz…
Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre (2021)
★★★★
"A spoonful of sugar is just what we need right now" "The blockbuster revival of the 2004 Mary Poppins musical…
The Phantom of the Opera at the Her Majesty's Theatre (2021)
"I take it all back - this West End spectacular more than deserves its classic status" "Phantom avoidant Katie Rosseinsky…
Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre (2021)
★★★★★
"You’ll get a kick out of this dazzling Cole Porter revival" "Tony Award winner Sutton Foster shines in this terrific…
Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre (2020)
★★★★
"Revamped musical opens at London's Sondheim Theatre with added grit" "All in all, Les Mis and the refurbished Sondheim feel…
Cirque Du Soleil - Luzia at the Royal Albert Hall (2020)
★★★★
"Cirque du Soleil’s ability to frame boggling physical feats against images of great beauty proves undimmed in their 30th year…
Magic Goes Wrong at the Vaudeville Theatre (2020)
★★★
"Forget subtlety — it’s all about the bants" "Many of the illusions remain deeply impressive even when exposed. Otherwise it’s…
Cyrano de Bergerac at the Playhouse Theatre (2019)
★★★★★
"James McAvoy gives a stunningly powerful performance in this piece of pure theatre, the most breathtakingly exciting show in London…
& Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Camp and unsubtle but this glittery fever dream of a musical shines" "The plot and message of female empowerment are…
DEAR EVAN HANSEN at the Noel Coward Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Sam Tutty shines in bold Broadway musical export that mines new terrain" "There’s a reason why Broadway critics and audiences…
Groan Ups at the Vaudeville Theatre (2019)
★★
"Overwhelmed by frantic histrionics and bawling, it felt like being in detention" “What’s worse than a stage full of screaming…
Lungs at the The Old Vic (2019)
★★★★
"Matt Smith and a luminous, mercurial Claire Foy give tour de force performances" “Duncan Macmillan’s play couldn’t be further from…
A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg at the Trafalgar Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Pin-sharp revival is as heartbreaking and funny as ever" "Peter Nichols’s play...remains heartbreaking and savagely funny today." "Simon Evans’s pin-sharp…
Solaris at the Lyric Hammersmith (2019)
★★★★
"Existential angst and visits from the dead in riveting sci-fi play" “Deeply thoughtful story of space exploration” “Greig and director…
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium (2019)
★★★★
"Laurence Connor breathes zesty new life into those potent, familiar songs" "Director Laurence Connor breathes zesty new life into those…
The Starry Messenger at the Wyndham's Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Broderick brings a mix of quizzical humour and gentle despair" But it's hard to be sure what the play is…
Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Tom Hiddleston's poise and sensitivity impress in elegant Pinter finale" "It's Tom Hiddleston's poise and sensitivity that impress the most.…
Come From Away - UK Tour at the Phoenix Theatre (2019)
★★★★
"Touching tale of kindness in face of terror" "The cosy glow of kindness isn’t a fashionable subject in theatre. But…
9 to 5 The Musical at the Savoy Theatre (2019)
★★
"It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it" " There’s not enough real firepower here or in Patricia…
All About Eve at the Noel Coward Theatre (2019)
★★★
"Gillian Anderson makes a cool, contained Margo Channing" "this reinterpretation misses a lot of its humour, charm and bite. It’s…
True West at the Vaudeville Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Kit Harington and Johnny Flynn electrify in tale of brothers grim" "Playing against type, Harington brings a neurotic intensity to…
Fiddler On The Roof at the Meniere Chocolate Factory (2018)
★★★★
"Nunn’s interpretation is thoughtful, warm and intimate" ‘In Trevor Nunn’s polished revival, which boasts a cast of nearly thirty and…
Hole at the Royal Court Theatre (2018)
★★★
‘The show doesn’t develop sufficiently from its initial premise, although it continues to burn with rage’ ‘The message of this…
Hadestown at the National Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Greek myth meets the Depression in haunting musical feast" "Musically it’s a feast — full of folksy melancholy and heartache,…
Company at the Gielgud Theatre (2018)
★★★★★
"It’s glorious" ”Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy dates from 1970, but in Marianne Elliott ’s production — not so much a…
Translations at the National Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"It’s a vision of the power of language" "It takes some time to tune into Friel’s particular brand of finely…
My Name Is Lucy Barton at the Bridge Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Impressive" "At first I feared I wouldn’t get along with Lucy Barton. This Lucy Barton, at least, as there is…
Killer Joe at the Trafalgar Studios (2018)
★★
"It’s the shallowness of this two-hour piece that poses greater problems" ”Although Bloom doesn’t exude enough danger in a role…
Julie at the National Theatre (2018)
★★
"Problematic take on Strindberg lacks danger" ”Carrie Cracknell’s production has a strong look, with Tom Scutt’s design revelling in the…
Red at the Wyndham's Theatre (2018)
★★
"Alfred Molina brilliantly captures energy and grandeur of Mark Rothko" "There are certainly moments when John Logan’s portrait of Mark…
An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre (2018)
★★★★
"Fantastic Foxes team up for a Wilde West End delight" "Jonathan Church’s production triumphs because it skilfully balances Wilde’s light…
Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre (2018)
★★★
"Who better to power a high-profile new show than the queen of rock and roll herself" "Warren is a livewire…
Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre (2017)
★★★★★
"Believe the hype – Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical is a knockout" "Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical makes 18th-century politics seem as explosively immediate…
Sister Act The Musical at the London Palladium (2009)
★★★★
"Take it away, sisters" "There can be no disputing the evening's main draw: 24-year-old Miller... her magnificent voice is rich,…
Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre (2009)
★★★★
"When these gender- illusionists have dragged up, faced bar-room violence and returned to their bus to find the words "f**k…
Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre (2009)
★★★★
""Thrilling, certainly, but empty, too.""
📷 Main photo: Evening Standard
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