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Read the latest London theatre reviews on the newest openings across the West End and beyond. Discover more about the latest must-see West End shows, Off-West End productions, and why you need to see shows in London. Scroll through our full theatre reviews listings of London musicals, plays, and live events from our London Theatre critics.
Never saw the 1954 film: Bing Crosby was a bit passé even for my generation. But the song is inescapable, and in certain moods, dammit, can still stir the heart. The musical been done for a UK tour but astonishingly this is its first big West End outing.And a few times, especially in the first half, I could see why. Not to put too fine a point on it, its gentle aw-shucks goodwill and its ambling, I-feel-a-song-coming-on structure at times makes Top Hat o look as cutting-edge as Cabaret. But...
The anticipation of a new production of 'The Tempest' usually initiates in me a feeling of impending frustration. Why? Because the traditional view of this last of Shakespeare's triumphs is that it is a play about revenge. And a glance at the synopsis for this new version at the Globe Theatre, shows this idea has still not been eradicated. But even a brief skim-through of the first few pages of the text tells you that the main character in the play, Prospero, is only concerned about his...
Here's another chance to see this all-male version of Shakespeare's 'Twelfe Night' which previously had a run at the Globe over the past summer. It features Mark Rylance as Olivia and Stephen Fry as Malvolio, and is running alongside another of last summer's successes at the Globe, Richard III, again with Mark Rylance in the lead.Entering the auditorium, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Globe had been squashed and miraculously trundled indoors for the winter. Two small galleries made...
Based on a 1970 play by Christopher Bond, this retelling of the story of the 'Demon Barber of Fleet Street' first appeared in 1979 and boasts a book by Hugh Wheeler and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Coming from the prolific Chichester Festival Theatre, this is one of those productions that really is stunning both in its execution and in terms of the story and music, making it one of the must-see musicals of, perhaps, the decade.The story of Sweeney Todd emanates from the England of the...
Four successful films are sufficient credentials to warrant a stage appearance for the swamp-dwelling ogre, Shrek. And it has duly arrived with Nigel Lindsay as Shrek and Richard Blackwood as his side-kick, Donkey. As you might expect, the colour theme of the show is ... green! For the uninitiated, Shrek's skin is green, hence the choice of colour, or at least I presume that is the rationalisation for it. At the beginning, we're given a glimpse into Shrek's past in a scene where his parents push...
The National Theatre isn't one of those organisations that plays safe or shuns risk-taking. Of course, old favourites make regular appearances, but there's also lots of new and interesting things which pop up on quite a regular basis. Some, like the brilliant 'War Horse', are ideas which, at least on paper, might not have seemed potential hits. Try thinking how you might have reacted to the suggestion of having puppet horses made of see-through cane as the major feature of the show! So what's...
Give actors the chance to camp it up and/ or ham it up and it's like ducks taking to water after a prolonged drought. Not that I am suggesting that our hard-working thespians are all hams at heart, but I suppose it's a welcome change to have the chance to do something with no hidden meanings, or strident emotions to conjure up night after night, and to just, well, have a bit of a laugh. And that's the kind of opportunity the cast of this show have been offered and have taken up with vigorous...
What the popular press had to say when the show opened at the Noel Coward Theatre in 2006. (Note: The show is now playing at Gielgud Theatre) "It had delighted me sufficiently...Much of the show's charm lies in the easy interaction of people and puppets...There is more wit than whimsy in the delightful Lopez-Marx numbers." Michael Billington for The Guardian "What's appealing about the piece and Jason Moore's bouncy, enjoyable production is the total absence of jaded cynicism. What's less...
When I told a friend that I was seeing this play he said "I couldn't go to a play with a title like that!" Apparently, he's terrified of lizards and indeed reptiles of any kind. It just goes to show that titles can be very powerful, and arouse all kinds of undesirable reactions in those who read them. But my friend needn't have worried, because the iguana in question is seen only very briefly and, as far as I could tell, was not a live specimen.Written by Tennessee Williams in 1961, 'The Night...
NOTE: There have been cast changes since this reviewMary Poppins has finally opened at the Prince Edward Theatre and after all the pomp and excitement that has been generated around this much anticipated Disney and Cameron Macintosh stage version of Pamela Lyndon Travers inscrutable nanny, the show has generated exceptionally high expectations. Even before the curtain rises we are anticipating a stupendous Mary Poppins, who with the aid of a strong east wind will transport us into a magical...