Selected reviews by Matt Wolf, London theatre critic for The New York Times.
Matt Wolf is an American theatre critic who has been based in London for his entire professional life.
Matt read English at Yale and was co-arts editor of the Yale Daily News, before graduating and moving to London.
He started his career at the Associated Press, and stayed for 21 years before moving to the Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter, and then became London theatre critic for Variety from 1992 to 2005. He was then London theatre critic for the The International Herald Tribune / International New York Times, and now writes for the New York Times as their London-based theatre critic.
In 2009 Matt was involved in starting The Arts Desk, and is theatre editor at that site and contributes reviews. He has also written a number of books including about Guys and Dolls and Les Miserables.
Matt sits on the panel of the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and is on the faculty of NYU/London and the V&A. He also writes for all major news outlets including The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, and contributes to the BBC.
More about Matt Wolf:
The New York Times Bio & Articles | MuckRack
Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre (2023)
"A Mobile Audience for a Moving ‘Guys and Dolls’" "Nicholas Hytner’s heartbreaking ambulatory staging, at the Bridge Theater in London,…
The New York Times
The Great British Bake Off Musical at the Noel Coward Theatre (2023)
"‘The Great British Bake Off Musical’ Is Sweet but Underbaked" "In London, a stage show based on the popular TV…
The New York Times
Sylvia at the The Old Vic Theatre (2023)
"She [Sylvia Pankhurst] is at the impassioned center of this well-meaning, if dramatically sketchy, musical from the director-choreographer Kate Prince.…
The New York Times
Standing at the Sky's Edge at the National Theatre (2023)
"Ben Stones’s imposing concrete set includes the signature graffito, “I love you, will u marry me,” that was painted on…
The New York Times
A Streetcar Named Desire at the Almeida Theatre (2023)
"Paul Mescal Electrifies in a Revelatory ‘Streetcar’" "In London, the Irish actor stars as Stanley Kowalski in a deeply empathic…
The New York Times
Orlando at the Garrick Theatre (2022)
"In ‘Orlando,’ Emma Corrin Straddles Genders and Centuries" "In a freewheeling London adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel, Corrin plays…
The New York Times
Tammy Faye – A New Musical at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
"Praise the Lord for ‘Tammy Faye’" "A new musical about the life of the televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, composed by…
The New York Times
All of Us at the National Theatre (2022)
"“All of Us,” the first play from the performer Francesca Martinez, opens our eyes to the hardships of disabled people…
The New York Times
Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre (2022)
"Simon Godwin’s production relocates the action to the Italian Riviera in the 1930s, which allows for an onstage band to…
The New York Times
Patriots at the Almeida Theatre (2022)
"Gripping production" "In one of the performances of the year, Will Keen, as the Russian leader, astonishes throughout, bringing his…
The New York Times
The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
"Performed barefoot and in modern dress, Jamie Lloyd’s enthralling production, at the Harold Pinter Theater through Sept. 10, furthers the…
The New York Times
Mad House at the The Ambassadors Theatre (2022)
"... what can I say beyond noting that I didn’t believe a single word of the fractiousness on view?" "The…
The New York Times
The Southbury Child at the Chichester Festival Theatre (2022)
"... a lively if uneven new play from Stephen Beresford" "Nicholas Hytner’s characteristically adroit production is on firmest footing when…
The New York Times
The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York's Theatre (2022)
"Amy Adams in a Too-Fragile ‘Glass Menagerie’" "In a rare stage outing for the actor, in London, she plays the…
The New York Times
Legally Blonde The Musical at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2022)
"The updated musical version of the popular film challenges preconceived notions about the protagonist’s appearance" "Bowman, as might be expected,…
The New York Times
Oklahoma! at the Young Vic Theatre (2022)
"The London iteration is even more impressive than the performance I saw at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn." "A particular…
The New York Times
Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre (2022)
"In ‘Jerusalem,’ a Once-in-a-Lifetime Performance, Again" "Mark Rylance is back in a role that won him a Tony more than…
The New York Times
Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2022)
"A Theatrical Neophyte With the Know-How of a Pro" "Comer is cool and commanding as a defense lawyer named Tessa"…
The New York Times
The Corn is Green at the National Theatre (2022)
"Cooke enlivens a time-honored tale by involving Williams directly as his play’s narrator (played by Gareth David-Lloyd), setting the scene…
The New York Times
Punchdrunk: The Burnt City at the One Cartridge Place (2022)
"The Carnage of War, in Punchdrunk’s New London Show" "In contrast to previous Punchdrunk shows — like the company’s signature…
The New York Times
The 47th at the The Old Vic (2022)
"Donald J. Trump won’t surrender the spotlight easily. But few could have guessed that he would find renewed life on…
The New York Times
Straight Line Crazy at the Bridge Theatre (2022)
"Written by the English playwright David Hare, this exposition-heavy drama brings Ralph Fiennes roaring back to the stage as Moses"…
The New York Times
Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (2021)
"‘Cinderella’ Is Worth the Wait" "This 1934 show is Depression-era escapism fit for post-Covid times. If you want to remove…
The New York Times
Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre (2021)
"An explosion of joy. Sutton Foster makes a sensational London stage debut" "This is the third Anything Goes I've seen…
The Arts Desk
Vassa at the Almeida Theatre (2019)
"Delayed opening doesn't land" "Gorky play suffers an identity crisis in uneasily-pitched revival" "Tinuke Craig...has trouble locating the elusive gallows…
The Arts Desk
The Starry Messenger at the Wyndham's Theatre (2019)
"Sam Yates's production is equal parts intriguing and irritating, and Broderick's singular theatrical deadpan may alienate as many people as…
The Arts Desk
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