Rachel Zegler, Diego Andres Rodriguez, James Olivas & Bella Brown lead the charge
Jamie Lloyd’s high‑octane re‑imagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita at the London Palladium has exploded onto the West End stage to near‑unanimous five‑star acclaim, with reviewers hailing Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler’s Eva Perón as “enthralling”, “astonishing” and “perfection”.
The Independent, Evening Standard, Financial Times, Telegraph, The Stage, Daily Express, What’s On Stage and Daily Mail have all awarded the production the maximum five stars, praising Lloyd’s arena‑style staging, Fabian Aloise’s muscular choreography and a roof‑raising band under musical director Alan Williams. Several critics singled out the nightly “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” balcony sequence—performed to crowds in Argyll Street—as a coup de théâtre that blurs the line between showbiz spectacle and political rally.
Not every critic was swept away. The Times found Lloyd’s stripped‑back concert aesthetic left newcomers “without a clue what’s going on”, The Guardian felt the sensory bombardment “drowns out the story”, and Variety dismissed the evening as “flashy but empty”. Yet even these outliers agreed Zegler’s vocals are “phenomenal” and the production’s scale “dazzling”.
With a current cumulative average of 4.5 stars across 11 national reviews, Evita already looks set to be the blockbuster musical event of the summer.
Read a round-up of EVITA reviews here.
Critics’ verdicts
“Rachel Zegler is enthralling… this gorgeous sensory overload of a show is its own comment on the rising tide of fascism.” – The Independent
“Ignore the haters, Rachel Zegler is an absolute smash… a bravura piece of social commentary from Jamie Lloyd.” – Evening Standard
“Rachel Zegler is a stunning Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s pulsating new Evita.” – Financial Times
“Jamie Lloyd’s scantily‑clad take delivers the oomph of a rock gig and the fervour of a political rally… an all‑time great revival.” – The Telegraph
“Rachel Zegler is astonishing… a staggeringly exciting reinvention of the popular musical.” – The Stage
EVITA is playing at the London Palladium until 6 September 2025.
Book tickets to EVITA at the London Palladium in London.
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