Selected reviews by Dominic Cavendish, lead theatre critic of The Telegraph.
Dominic Cavendish is the lead theatre and comedy critic for The Daily Telegraph.
Dominic is also the founding editor of the audio archive Theatrevoice.
As a creative writer, in 2008 he adapted Orwell’s Coming Up For Air for the stage, which transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in London following its Edinburgh debut, retitled as Orwell: A Celebration. He also conceived and contributed to COALITION, a season of short plays about the new government at Theatre503 in late 2010.
More about Dominic Cavendish:
The Telegraph Bio & Articles | Twitter
The Cherry Orchard at the The Harold Pinter (2026)
★★★★
"Displaying her gift for clenched emotion (winningly evident as MI5 boss Diana Taverner in Apple TV’s Slow Horses), [Scott Thomas]…
The Telegraph
Hay Fever at the Wyndham's Theatre (2026)
★★★
"It’s all enjoyable enough, and there are laughs to be had" "The play still amuses, but it’s a patchy evening"…
The Telegraph
The Standard of Living at the Theatre Royal Haymarket (2026)
★★★★
"With slick direction from Nicholas Hytner, a winningly clipped but charismatic star turn from Rory Kinnear as the suited and…
The Telegraph
The Last Ship at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (2026)
★★★
"The evening, directed by Leo Warner, nails its gritty colours to the mast early on: simulated sparks fly as welders…
The Telegraph
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at the The Yard Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“The Yard reopens with a thrilling, stripped-back revival that proves bricks and mortar matter less than what happens on stage”…
The Telegraph
Game of Thrones: The Mad King at the Royal Shakespeare Company (2026)
★★★★
“The Mad King has a propulsive energy redolent of Shakespeare’s history plays – only here there are puppeteered dragons too.”…
The Telegraph
Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Shakespeare's Globe (2026)
★★★
"A fun, warm, flamenco-soaked account of Love's Labour's Lost." "The cast's labours aren't in vain. It works, but more clarity…
The Telegraph
Jesus Christ Superstar - London Palladium at the London Palladium (2026)
★★★★★
"Sam Ryder is divine in a fabulous Jesus Christ Superstar." "When Ryder applies his falsetto and lung-busting heft to Gethsemane,…
The Telegraph
PRIDE The Musical at the National Theatre (2026)
★★
“It hasn’t yet found the right sound or dramatic depth to do full justice to its subject matter.” “Sadly, nothing…
The Telegraph
The Truth at the Apollo Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“It’s flimsier fare, but this classy revival, led by Stephen Mangan as an adulterous businessman, elicits loud yelps of incredulous…
The Telegraph
The Misanthrope at the National Theatre (2026)
★★★
“The Canadian actress commands attention, effortlessly.” “Whether Martin Crimp’s witty but underpowered new version affords the best showcase for Oh’s…
The Telegraph
Much Ado About Nothing at the Shakespeare's Globe (2026)
★★★★
"When Shakespeare's Globe is in its element, there's no more magical spot." "The emphasis on much-needed fun continues with a…
The Telegraph
Glengarry Glen Ross at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★
"This all-female revival at the Old Vic makes an intelligent case for itself, yet never fully captures what made the…
The Telegraph
High Society at the Barbican Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"Felicity Kendal steals the show in this delightfully frothy High Society" “Bolstered by star turns – including an impish Felicity…
The Telegraph
War Horse at the National Theatre - Olivier Theatre (2026)
★★★★★
"Wondrous puppetry, perfect casting and Adrian Sutton’s wistful music make for a beautiful staging of this devastating First World War…
The Telegraph
Beetlejuice at the Prince Edward Theatre (2026)
★★★
"Fresh from Broadway, the stage version of Tim Burton’s comedy-horror is full of swearing, smut and local in-jokes. It’s overkill."…
The Telegraph
Equus at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2026)
★★★★
"A teenage boy’s perverted obsession with horses once again proves thrilling to watch" "This raw, stripped-back revival of Equus at…
The Telegraph
Sherlock Holmes at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2026)
★★
“Involving a case of “cursed” treasure, and hurtling from imperial India to Victorian London, it has all the ingredients of…
The Telegraph
1536 at the Ambassadors Theatre (2026)
★★★★★
"It moves apace from some of the freshest, funniest writing around to some of the most devastating, with nuanced performances…
The Telegraph
Sign-up for news and booking alerts about these shows and more:
Related What's On guides
See all
29 October 2023
Dominic Maxwell – The Times and Sunday Times Theatre Critic
14 May 2023
Sarah Hemming – The Financial Times | London Theatre Critic
14 May 2023
Susannah Clapp – The Observer | London Theatre Critic
14 May 2023
Andrzej Lukowski – TimeOut | London Theatre Critic
Latest News
See all
13 November 2026
A jaunt through the history of panto: how a flexible theatre form transformed Britain’s Christmas theatre scene
13 November 2026
Everything you need to know about West Side Story at the National Theatre
13 November 2026
10 reasons we can’t wait for West Side Story
13 November 2026