Manuel Harlan

Review: THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS, Rose Theatre
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Feb 12, 2026

Today we are wearily familiar with the terms 'Stop the Boats' and the narrative that all refugees are coming to Britain to take 'our' jobs, scam us for benefits and prey upon young girls. Nick Ahad's adaptation of Onjali Q. Raúf's beautiful book, The Boy at the Back of the Class, takes much of the political heat out of the issue with a hopeful and very human production for all ages.

Photos: Rose Theatre and Children’s Theatre Partnership Present THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 11, 2026

THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS is now playing at Rose Theatre in a stage adaptation of Onjali Q. Raúf’s novel. Directed by Monique Touko and adapted by Nick Ahad. Check out photos of the show.

Review: MAN AND BOY, National Theatre
by Clementine Scott - Feb 11, 2026

If anyone still thought Terence Rattigan a staid drawing room playwright, his 1963 play Man and Boy ought to put an end to that. Anthony Lau’s version doesn’t always elevate the source material to its full potential, but it presents a case for giving the text another look.

Photos: First Look at Ben Daniels, Laurie Kynaston & More in MAN AND BOY at the National Theatre
by Nicole Rosky - Feb 6, 2026

The National Theatre today releases production images for Man and Boy, Terence Rattigan's tale of fatherhood and corruption, marking Director Anthony Lau’s (The Crucible) National Theatre debut. 

Review Roundup: Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA at The Old Vic
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Feb 5, 2026

Arcadia is set in April 1809 in a stately home in Derbyshire. Thomasina, a gifted pupil, proposes a startling theory, beyond her comprehension. All around her, the adults, including her tutor Septimus, are preoccupied with secret desires, illicit passions and professional rivalries. Two hundred years later, academic adversaries Hannah and Bernard are piecing together puzzling clues, curiously recalling those events of 1809, in their quest for an increasingly elusive truth.

Review: ARCADIA, The Old Vic
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Feb 5, 2026

Of all Tom Stoppard's work, Arcadia has always stood out. Touching on sex, Fermat's last theorum, the second law of thermodynamics, landscape gardening with a detective story thrown in, it is a mixture of subjects that few playwrights could attempt to combine. Does it matter if you don't understand the complex scientific and mathematical theories? Not at all. Carrie Cracknell's magnificent revival has huge amounts of humour and heart, which is not always a given with Stoppard's work.

TINA â€" THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL National Tour To Play Limited Engagement at King Center
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 3, 2026

The King Center, partnering with The American Theatre Guild, will present the North American tour of the Broadway smash hit, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL.

Interview: 'He's An Interesting One!': Actor Seamus Dillane on Playing Septimus Hodge And Making The Audience Work in ARCADIA
by Kat Mokrynski - Feb 3, 2026

Recently, we had the chance to speak with Seamus Dillane, who plays the role of Septimus Hodge in Arcadia. We discussed what made him want to be a part of the production, what interests him about his character and even what it has been like working with a play where the cast is divided between two timelines!

Interview: 'Everyone Carries Something Difficult': Actors Mark Addy and Jenna Russell on Joy and Bravery in THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY
by Christiana Rose - Jan 23, 2026

With a focus on the themes of redemption, resilience and second chances, BroadwayWorld UK sit down for an interview with Mark Addy and Jenna Russell for the upcoming West End Premiere of THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY.

Video: Max Harwood & Rob Rokicki Talk Bringing Percy Jackson Across the Pond
by Robert Bannon - Jan 21, 2026

Max Harwood (Percy Jackson) and Rob Rokicki (composer and lyricist) join The Roundtable for a BroadwayWorld exclusive to celebrate the release of the brand-new Percy Jackson and the Olympians West End Cast Album, now out everywhere. Watch in this video!

Photos: MAN AND BOY Rehearsals at The National Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 5, 2026

You can now get a first look at rehearsal photos of The National Theatre's Man and Boy, Terence Rattigan's tale of fatherhood and corruption, marking Director Anthony Lau’s (The Crucible) National Theatre debut.

London Theatre to See in 2026- What's Coming to the West End and Beyond
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Jan 5, 2026

2025 was a stellar year from theatre, but now the New Year has rolled in, we can put away the festive decorations, throw out the last bit of leftover turkey and look forward to an even better twelve months of theatrical goodies.

Critics’ Choice: Franco Milazzo's Best Theatre Of 2025
by Franco Milazzo - Dec 30, 2025

Looking back over 2025, it appears I sat in a dark room and wrote barely legible thoughts into a notebook on about 150-odd occasions. By the grace of God and the BroadwayWorld UK editor, I saw a real smörgåsbord of delights, everything from highly anticipated West End theatre to opera, dance, circus, cabaret, comedy and immersive theatre.

Critics' Choice: Gary Naylor's Best Theatre of 2025
by Gary Naylor - Dec 24, 2025

Theatre is, of course, a window on another world, often glitzier and brighter than our own, sometimes a reflection that can comfort or discomfit us and sometimes a portal into what it is to be human at all. It is an escape - and who can deny that we need such refuges more than ever - but it can be so much more than mere escapism. The best theatre of 2025 made those lofty promises - and kept them.

Photos: In Rehearsal For ARCADIA at the Old Vic
by Stephi Wild - Dec 22, 2025

All new photos have been released from rehearsals for Sir Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia at The Old Vic. Arcadia plays at The Old Vic from 24 Jan-21 Mar 2026. Check out the photos here!

Review Roundup: What Did the Critics Think of Cole Escola's OH, MARY!?
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Dec 19, 2025

Oh, Mary! is an uproariously dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this 80-minute one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln, through the lens of playwright Cole Escola. The production has now landed in the West End-but what did the critics think?

Review: OH, MARY!, Starring Mason Alexander Park
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Dec 19, 2025

There has been much hype about Cole Escola's comedy play, Oh, Mary!, spoofing the lives of a former US President and his wife Mary in the days leading up to his assassination. Its Off-Broadway run was extended twice, moved to Broadway where it is still playing and now lands in the West End. So does it merit the buzz? Yes, and no.

Review: HOW DOES SANTA GO DOWN THE CHIMNEY? Unicorn Theatre
by Christiana Rose - Dec 15, 2025

Unicorn Theatre’s festive offering this season is a wonderfully eccentric Santa-based delight. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? transforms Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s much loved picture book into a piece of bold physical theatre , which celebrates curiosity, imagination and joyful nonsense. In its first collaboration with Told by an Idiot, Unicorn Theatre delivers a Christmas show that feels mischievous inventive and refreshingly unpredictable.

Photos: Mason Alexander Park and the Cast of OH, MARY! in the West End
by Stephi Wild - Dec 12, 2025

All new photos have been released for the West End premiere of the smash hit comedy OH, MARY! at Trafalgar Theatre. Check out the photos and learn more about the show here!

Review: FALLEN ANGELS, Menier Chocolate Factory
by Laura Jones - Dec 3, 2025

The 2025 revival of Noel Coward's Fallen Angels at the Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by Christopher Luscombe, offers a polished, refined evening of comedy, one that reminds us why Coward's wit, even after a century, can still sparkle with mischief. This is the first London production in 25 years, and it arrives with a cast that honours the play’s flirtatious, farcical spirit while also ensuring the characters retain warmth and vulnerability.