London theatre reviews from US entertainment publication Variety.
A round-up of reviews from US entertainment industry bible Variety, covering London theatre.
Variety’s chief theatre critic for London is David Benedict.
Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre (2023)
"Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Torpid, Semi-Forgotten Musical Gets an Unconvincing West End Revival" "... [For] the whole queasy, quasi-romantic story to…
Prima Facie at the Golden Theater, New York (2023)
"Jodie Comer Commands the Stage in Broadway Drama" "What’s good about this play is also what’s not so good about…
A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2023)
"Ivo Van Hove’s Production of Hanya Yanagihara’s Novel Is More Admirable Than Moving" "... there is plenty to admire in…
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York (2023)
"Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford Lead a Soaring but Remote Sondheim Revival on Broadway" "For its stars Josh Groban and…
Bad Cinderella at the Imperial Theatre in New York (2023)
"Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Muddled, Sexed-Up, Broadway Spin on the Fairy Tale Is True to Its Name" "To clear up the…
Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre (2023)
"An Explosively Thrilling Production of a Masterpiece in London" "Since Nicholas Hytner, former artistic director of the National Theatre, is…
A Doll's House at the Hudson Theatre, New York (2023)
"Jessica Chastain Shines in a Broadway Staging That Brings Sparkling Clarity to a Classic" "There are no props in director…
A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
"Paul Mescal Is Explosive in Rebecca Frecknall’s Staggering Revival" "Williams’s carefully detailed, literal two-room apartment is never shown. Instead, heralding…
Mandela at the The Young Vic (2022)
"New Musical Biography Drowns in Good Intentions" "Delivering songs demanding freedom not only for the characters but the whole country…
Orlando at the Garrick Theatre (2022)
"Emma Corrin Lights Up an Outstandingly Imaginative Look at Gender and Identity" "The entirely beguiling lightness of touch is remarkable.…
Matilda The Musical (2022)
"Kids Win the Day in This Perky Adaptation, but Emma Thompson’s Trunchbull Is the Real Triumph" "The stage hit makes…
Tammy Faye – A New Musical at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
"New Elton John Score Doesn’t Yet Live Up to a Terrifically Entertaining Production" "... composer Elton John, lyricist Jake Shears…
Local Hero at the Chichester Festival Theatre (2022)
"A Sweetly Delightful New Musical, Despite Lackluster Songs" "Charm, a sadly rare theatrical quality, is scarcely a fashionable theatrical virtue,…
My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican Theatre (2022)
"Inventive, Visually Thrilling Adaptation of the Studio Ghibli Favorite" "... adapting so revered an anime title posed a huge risk.…
Funny Girl at the August Wilson Theatre, New York (2022)
"A Star Is Reborn With Lea Michele Headlining Broadway Musical" "Take two, and not a moment too soon. Lea Michele…
Eureka Day at the The Old Vic (2022)
"Timing Is Almost Everything for This Vaccine Comedy Starring Helen Hunt in London" "... in its sharp U.K. premiere starring…
The Mousetrap (2022)
"Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell Team Up for a Snappy Retro-Kitsch Murder Comedy" "A performance of Agatha Christie's long-running stage…
The Devil Wears Prada at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, Chicago (2022)
"Broadway-Bound Musical Needs to Take a Cue From Miranda Priestly and Get Meaner" "Taking an overly respectful and frankly miscalculated…
Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre (2022)
"A Knockout New Comedy by the Writer of ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’" "As his stakes rise, so does the already…
Patriots at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
"Tom Hollander, Will Keen Crackle in Story of Russian Oligarch Who Tangled With Putin" "Revelling in his authority, Hollander has…
The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
"Emilia Clarke, Indira Varma Shine in a Production That Doesn’t Fly" "an uneven production more willful than wonderful." "On the…
Mad House at the The Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
"David Harbour, Bill Pullman Make Theresa Rebeck’s Chaotic Melodrama Seem Better Than It Is" "You can see why actors of…
The Southbury Child at the Chichester Festival Theatre (2022)
"‘Well-Meaning Production Can’t Cover a Schematic Script" "Beresford is attempting to put new wine into old bottles. Nicholas Hytner’s deft…
The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York's Theatre (2022)
"Underpowered Amy Adams Leads a Slow-Burn Rethink of Tennessee Williams’ Classic" "Director Jeremy Herrin is faithful to multiple elements of…
Macbeth at the Longacre Theatre (2022)
"Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga Star in a Broadway Production That’s All Smoke" "Craig has some strong moments but does not…
Funny Girl at the August Wilson Theatre (2022)
"An Underpowered Revival Brings Fanny Brice Back to Broadway" "The problem with this uninspired revival.. is the production’s inability to…
The 47th at the The Old Vic (2022)
" Bertie Carvel’s Transformation Into Shakespearean Trump Is Hypnotic" "Bartlett’s audacity — plus the fact that Tunie, Wilson and especially…
Straight Line Crazy at the Bridge Theatre (2022)
"‘Ralph Fiennes Plays Robert Moses in David Hare’s Talky New Play" "Everything is elegantly staged by Hytner on Crowley’s expansive…
Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
"Taron Egerton, Jonathan Bailey Lead a Blistering West End Production" "Without dropping a moment of the play’s seriousness, laughter is…
The Collaboration at the The Young Vic (2022)
"‘Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope Can’t Make Drama Out of This Bio" "From “The Theory of Everything” to “The Two…
The Music Man at the Winter Garden Theatre (2022)
"Hugh Jackman Shines in Smashing Broadway Revival" "Hugh Jackman dazzles as Professor Harold Hill, the charismatic con man who fires…
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre) (2021)
"Eddie Redmayne Dazzles in Triumphant West End Revival" "This is no directorial flourish. It’s typical of the production’s immense authority…
Best of Enemies at the The Young Vic (2021)
"Behind the Scenes of 1968’s Revolutionary TV Debates" "For so sophisticated a writer, there are surprising lapses in subtlety. He…
West Side Story (2021)
"West Side Story is a beautifully-mounted, impressive, emotion-ridden and violent musical which, in its stark approach to a raging social…
The Book of Dust at the Bridge Theatre (2021)
"‘His Dark Materials’ Prequel Is a Triumph of Theatrical Storytelling" "For such an episodic story, the surprise of the night…
Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre (2021)
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That, largely speaking, appears to be the mantra behind the London production of…
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at the Criterion Theatre (2021)
"A Smashingly Smart Austen Adaptation" "Adding karaoke to the 19th century’s blueprint rom-com may sound like a translation too far…
Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre (2021)
"West End Musical Is Lots of Fun Despite Flaws" "The pastiche songs work best, as when Lorraine falls for “Calvin”…
Jagged Little Pill at the Broadhurst Theatre (2019)
"This is a show you want to shout about" "Morissette’s youthful perspective and the rocking-good score make “Jagged Little Pill”…
& Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre (2019)
"Knockout vocals drive a camp revamp of “Romeo and Juliet," featuring the songs of Max Martin" "Silly and serious, “&…
Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (2019)
"Divinely decadent" "The luscious 2001 movie hit makes it successfully to the stage — elephant and all — in this…
The Cher Show at the Neil Simon Theatre (2018)
"Despite an icon with attitude, an armful of pop tunes and a can-do cast, the script never quite finds a…
Clueless - The Musical at the The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre (2018)
'Its lightweight narrative keeps it at the enjoyable-fluff level, even if its two-hour-plus length wears out its welcome just a…
Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre (2017)
""Hamilton" is "Hamilton" is "Hamilton" -- and it will blow us Brits away. Just." "“Hamilton” is going to be just…
Sister Act The Musical at the London Palladium (2009)
"Is "Sister Act" great theatrical art? No. Is it hit entertainment? Oh, yes"
Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre (2009)
"There's competition in London's current hit revival of another grand-scale, truly gay musical, "La Cage aux Folles." But judging by…
📷 Main photo: Variety
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