Selected reviews by Clive Davis, chief theatre critic of The Times.
Clive was appointed chief theatre critic of The Times in 2020, taking over from Ann Treneman. He works alongside Dominic Maxwell, deputy theatre critic and theatre commissioning editor of The Times.
He has more than thirty years of journalism experience, having been a regular freelance writer for The Times, The Sunday Times, The Independent, Daily Express, New Statesman and Weekly Standard, covering music, radio, theatre and comedy. He started his career as a reporter and editor at West Indian World newspaper in Haringey, before joining the BBC as a news trainee.
Clive Davis is a media fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
More about Clive Davis:
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The Cherry Orchard at the The Harold Pinter (2026)
★★★
As the wayward landowner Ranevskaya, Scott Thomas conveys a persuasive portrait of a woman who is driven by her own…
The Times
Rent at the Tom Stoppard Theatre (Formerly Duke of York's) (2026)
★★★★
"This musical still burns brightly. " "Rent is an imperfect show with a tangle of storylines, but the score still…
The Times
Thelma & Louise: The Musical at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★
“Callie Khouri, who wrote the original screenplay, has now provided the book for Trip Cullman’s production at the Young Vic,…
The Times
Kimberly Akimbo at the Hampstead Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori — the duo behind Shrek the Musical — blend themes of illness and mortality with an unabashed…
The Times
The Story at the National Theatre (2026)
★★
“The convoluted storyline flits from one improbable twist to another without adding much to the conversation.” “All the restless activity…
The Times
Electra/Persona at the National Theatre (2026)
★★★
“Blanchett remains such an icily charismatic presence that you’re reluctant to look away even when the pace sags.” “Still, as…
The Times
Who Killed Marilyn? at the Emerald Theatre (2026)
★
“The writer Sharleen Cooper Cohen — whose credits include An Officer and a Gentleman: The Musical — rummages through no…
The Times
Abigail's Party at the Harold Pinter Theatre (2026)
★★★★
A skilful revival of the suburban classic at the Harold Pinter Theatre makes Mike Leigh’s dialogue sound freshly minted.“ "Abigail’s…
The Times
How the Other Half Loves at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★★
" Allam delivers a masterclass in comic timing. Every pause, every hesitation, every bumbled phrase is a delight. " "…
The Times
Game of Thrones: The Mad King at the Royal Shakespeare Company (2026)
★★★
“This family-friendly pagan venture has War Horse-style puppetry and stylised battle sequences that hint at mayhem without resorting to oceans…
The Times
I’m Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre (2026)
★★★
"the music lifts the spirits. Burke is in commanding form on the vocals, and the songs from Khan’s years with…
The Times
Sinatra The Musical at the Aldwych Theatre (2026)
★★★
"A brassy band and a star with swagger." “Joel Harper-Jackson captures the swagger of the young crooner from Hoboken and…
The Times
The Truth at the Apollo Theatre (2026)
★★★
“The French playwright has assembled a polished piece of machinery which, as it unfolds at the Apollo, resembles an old-fashioned…
The Times
The Misanthrope at the National Theatre (2026)
★★
“Sandra Oh struggles, but so would anyone in the fatally cluttered romp that is Martin Crimp’s revision of a revision…
The Times
Glengarry Glen Ross at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★
"Indira Varma and the American actress Rosa Salazar lead an all-female cast through the barrage of testosterone-charged profanities and racial…
The Times
High Society at the Barbican Theatre (2026)
★★★★★
"This is the show of the summer" “Helen George, Freddie Fox and Felicity Kendal dazzle in a show of pure…
The Times
Beetlejuice at the Prince Edward Theatre (2026)
★★★
“Prepare to be pummelled. The stage version of Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s 1980s gothic comedy about spooky goings-on in a big…
The Times
Equus at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2026)
★★★
"Toby Stephens shines in an intense and balletic revival" "Lindsay Posner’s staging of Peter Shaffer’s drama at the Menier Chocolate…
The Times
Mother Courage and Her Children at the Shakespeare's Globe (2026)
★★
“The lumbering version of Mother Courage and Her Children at Shakespeare’s Globe in London is not going to do much…
The Times
Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre (2026)
★★★★
"Deliciously louche humour with smart lyrics" "Jason Moore’s production looks like an adult version of Sesame Street or The Muppets,…
The Times
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the The Old Vic (2026)
★★★★
“As Randle P. McMurphy, the wily, self-destructive rebel who breaks every rule in a psychiatric hospital, Pierre — best known…
The Times
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