Reviews for London Theatre and West End shows from theatre industry publication The Stage.
Here’s a selection of reviews of London shows from the theatre and arts critics at The Stage newspaper.
The chief theatre critic at The Stage is Sam Marlowe. Freelance critics include Dave Fargnoli and Paul Vale. Anya Ryan also contributes to The Stage reviews.
See below for a full run-down of star ratings and theatre opinions about West End shows in London from The Stage.
Cloud 9 at the National Theatre Lyttelton (2026)
★★★★
"Extraordinary and brilliantly provocative." "Dominic Cooke directs a quicksilver staging of Caryl Churchill's dazzling 1979 gender-political drama."
The Lives of Others at the Adelphi Theatre (2026)
★★★
"Slickly staged but emotionally subdued." "This largely faithful stage version, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, is an absorbing, if…
Girls at the Young Vic (2026)
★★★★
"An astute and affecting production" "A production from Ewa Dina – winner of the JMK award for emerging directors –…
High School Musical at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“This all-new, non-replica production, directed by Hope Mill founders Joseph Houston and William Whelton, celebrates the movie’s 20th anniversary in…
Martin Guerre at the Old Vic (2026)
★★★
"Impossible not to be moved by Liv Andrusier’s performance." The significant change to the story in this version is that…
Rent at the Tom Stoppard Theatre (Formerly Duke of York's) (2026)
★★★
"There’s much to enjoy here, sharpened by Sheppard’s revival" "Matarazzo is the big name, but Mark’s role as quasi-narrator often…
Into the Woods at the Noël Coward Theatre (2026)
★★★★★
"Jordan Fein’s award-winning revival of Sondheim’s cautionary modern musical fairytale transfers to the West End with even greater wit, poignancy…
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the @sohoplace (2026)
★★★★
"Vicious repartee absolutely crackles." "Explosive performances animate this entertaining, high-energy take on Albee's portrait of co-dependent cruelty."
The Standard of Living at the Theatre Royal Haymarket (2026)
★★
"A colossal yawn." "James Graham is notoriously unafraid of big, gristly subject matter – yet his new work about the…
Tru at Menier Chocolate Factory at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2026)
★★★
"Tyler Ferguson impeccably catches Capote’s fluting delivery and expansive style" "the play itself – largely an hour and a half…
The Last Ship at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (2026)
"Sting is nimble and charismatic; his striking stage presence makes him a convincingly authoritative leader, but never overwhelms the story."…
Fences at the Leeds Playhouse and Lyric Hammersmith (2026)
★★★★
"In Daniel Bailey’s revival, Lily Arnold’s handsome design sets the family home against dusky backdrops. Occasionally, the house’s exterior swings…
Thelma & Louise: The Musical at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★★
“This movie adaptation has a book by the film’s screenwriter – in this case, Callie Khouri; but mercifully the songs…
Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy at the Stratford East (2026)
★★★★
“In its unflinching refusal to take refuge in the obvious and its darkly funny reworking of the tragic form, it’s…
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at the The Yard Theatre (2026)
★★★
“No story is oversimplified – nor, sadly, have they become any less relevant half a century on.” “The sufferer in…
Tartuffe (Remixed) at the Marylebone Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"With a set of protuberant false teeth and an oleaginous manner that crosses Alec Guinness with Derek Nimmo, Rylance’s pastor…
The Children at the Lyric Hammersmith (2026)
★★★
"Kirkwood has a superb ear for believable, stingingly witty dialogue, but rather than grounding the play’s apocalyptic events in recognisable…
Kimberly Akimbo at the Hampstead Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"Hampstead Theatre has a winner here" "David Lindsay-Abaire’s Tony award-winning 2021 adaptation of his own 2001 play, with a gorgeous…
The Story at the National Theatre (2026)
★★★
“This twisty, thought-provoking thriller grapples with themes of race, loyalty and journalistic integrity.” “There are big, compelling ideas here, but…
Electra/Persona at the National Theatre (2026)
★★★
“Benedict Andrews’ stitching of the ancient Greek play and Swedish film is slickly staged and persuasively performed, but clinically intellectual.”…
Abigail's Party at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“This is Outhwaite’s show." “As for Beverly, she is gloriously embodied here by Tamzin Outhwaite, who gives her a brand…
Death Note The Musical at the Barbican Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“Kinetically powerful and atmospheric.” “It elegantly reworks elements of the original graphic novels into a propulsive tale of law versus…
How the Other Half Loves at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★
"it also feels overlong and occasionally laborious, the comic engine taking time to grind into gear and the broadly drawn…
CATS at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2026)
★★★
"McOnie leans most heavily into the show’s potential for spectacle, which is as much about movement as music. " "Sami…
Now You See Me Live at the London Coliseum (2026)
★★★★★
“A slick, smart, superbly paced show.” “There’s also an unexpected abundance of human heart.” “There’s muscly Italian escapologist Andrew Basso,…
Tao of Glass at the @sohoplace (2026)
★★★★★
"An absolute one-off, and a vividly theatrical one." "Studies of the art of making art are usually best left to…
Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Shakespeare's Globe (2026)
★★★
"Director Indiana Lown-Collins – who grew up in Spain – gives the piece authentic Iberian flair, packing in all sorts…
The Oresteia at the Bridge Theatre (2026)
★★★
“Acclaimed Australian writer-director Simon Stone brings his signature style to the timeless story of a family destroyed by an obsessive…
Jesus Christ Superstar - London Palladium at the London Palladium (2026)
★★★
"Ryder cuts a suitably rock-star figure throughout, entirely apt and at home in this environment." "As an actor, Ryder doesn't…
PRIDE The Musical at the National Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“In a year when gay rights have come under renewed attack by regressive regimes around the world, this frothy musical,…
Cyrano de Bergerac at the Noël Coward Theatre (2026)
★★★★
“Edmond Rostand’s classic 1897 play sweeps into the West End in an intoxicating rush of romance and with a giddy…
Sinatra The Musical at the Aldwych Theatre (2026)
★★★
"Fails to fully capture Sinatra’s achievements." “Joel Harper-Jackson is cooly in command as the man himself, with a voice that…
The Misanthrope at the National Theatre (2026)
★★★
“In this new version of Molière’s 17th century classic, playwright Martin Crimp amusingly updates its biting comedy of courtly manners,…
Glengarry Glen Ross at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★★
“Crack all-female cast make scintillating work of David Mamet’s motormouthed 1980s drama.” “The text hasn’t been changed, so the actors…
High Society at the Barbican Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"Upbeat and feel-good" "Star-studded revival of the Cole Porter classic musical is a swell party" "Following the success of Cole…
War Horse at the National Theatre - Olivier Theatre (2026)
★★★★★
"Nick Stafford’s stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel has lost none of its propulsive simplicity" “At the heart of it…
Beetlejuice at the Prince Edward Theatre (2026)
★★
"Relentlessly arch." “Alex Timbers’ production – which had a Broadway run bedevilled by Covid-related closures – looks cheap and feels…
Equus at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2026)
★★★★
"Excellent revival" "Powerful and precise revival of Peter Shaffer’s equine psychodrama" "The chance to see a huge star strip naked…
Mother Courage and Her Children at the Shakespeare's Globe (2026)
★★★★
"Michelle Terry is winning in the title role in this canny, timely production of Brecht’s anti-war play." “Anna Jordan’s adaptation…
Sherlock Holmes at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre (2026)
★★★
“After a rattling but unfocused first half, it all comes together neatly. And despite Horwood’s insistence on shoehorning in an…
An Ideal Husband at the Lyric Hammersmith (2026)
★★★★
"La Barrie marshals his cast with supreme assurance, allowing Wilde’s arguments and attacks on Victorian hypocrisy great clarity. "La Barrie…
1536 at the Ambassadors Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"Director Lyndsey Turner’s production is brisk, without ever feeling hurried: as morsels of news – carried on foot from London…
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