London Theatre Reviews

'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' review – a fun, inclusive take on a flawed satire

Joining the triumphant Guys & Dolls in London is another, lesser-known Frank Loesser musical from 1961, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Based on a humorous mock-instructional manual by Shepherd Mead, who, like the show’s protagonist, climbed the corporate ladder from the mail room to becoming vice-president of an advertising agency, it’s a too-gentle satire enlivened by Loesser’s bouncy songs. Other than a production back in the 60s, and a few fringe revivals since, like one at...

'Christina Bianco: In Divine Company' review — a musical revue honours a dizzying array of divas

Read our four-star review of Christina Bianco: In Divine Company at the Menier Chocolate Factory, running for 10 days through 20 May.

'Operation Mincemeat' review – this gem of a musical is a rip-roaring British success story

Read our five-star review of the West End transfer of SpitLip's Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre, with performances currently through 19 August.

'The Motive and the Cue' review – a deliciously entertaining account of the famous Burton/Gielgud 'Hamlet'

Read our four-star review of The Motive and the Cue starring Johnny Flynn and Mark Gatiss at the National Theatre, with performances currently through 15 July.

'Retrograde' review – Ivanno Jeremiah is riveting as a conflicted Sidney Poitier

Read our four-star review of Ryan Calais Cameron's Retrograde, a play about Hollywood actor Sidney Poitier, currently running at the Kiln Theatre through 27 May.

'Dixon and Daughters' review — Brid Brennan commands a visceral, hotheaded play

Read our three-star review of Deborah Bruce and Clean Break's collaboration, Dixon and Daughters, at the National Theatre, currently running through 10 June.

'The Secret Life of Bees' review — a buzzy adaptation isn't as sweet as honey

Read our three-star review of Lynn Nottage's The Secret Life of Bees, starring Eleanor Worthington-Cox, playing at the Almeida Theatre through 27 May.

'Ain't Too Proud' review – this Temptations musical has electrifying performances and smooth moves

Get ready, cause here they come! Read our review of the Temptations musical, Ain't Too Proud, currently playing at the Prince Edward Theatre through 2023.

'Dancing at Lughnasa' review – this remarkable family play mixes sparkling comedy with unbearable poignancy

Read our five-star review of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa starring Ardal O'Hanlon at the National Theatre, with performances currently through 27 May.

'Private Lives' review – this darker take on Noël Coward's warring exes is fascinating but flawed

Read our review of Noël Coward's Private Lives starring Stephen Mangan at the Donmar Warehouse this spring, with performances currently through 27 May.