Johan Persson News

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.

All new production photos have been released for the World Premiere of the play HIGH NOON, starring Billy Crudup and Denise Gough. Check out the photos here of the show in London's West End!

Pinocchio at the Globe Theatre is a radiant and heartfelt triumph which transforms a much loved story into a richly imaginative new musical. The atmosphere is electric, with the standing audience filling the lower space, with a striking set emblazoned with giant letters spelling PINOCCHIO framed by grand red curtains, ensuring the sense of occasion is unmistakable.

As 2025 comes to a close, London's top theatre critics have been taking stock of this theatre season- deciding on their personal choices for their favorite productions of the year. The season has been full of so many stellar plays, musicals, revivals and new works. Be sure to check back later for new additions as they're released!

Perfect medicine for the winter blues

Twenty or so dancers parade before an oversized Art Deco clock, to the familiar strains of ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ from a brass band offstage. In other words, the stage is set for a reassuringly old-fashioned taste of the Golden Age of movie musicals.

Indian Ink is not among Tom Stoppard’s greatest plays. The tale of a literary darling moving to 1930s India is awkwardly structured and hamfisted in its messages about Indian identity. Yet this revival breathes new life into the lesser-known work.

James and Lou move from Chicago to London to escape their past, but they soon discover that places aren’t haunted, people are… Inspired by the iconic, terrifying film series, Paranormal Activity is a new story live on stage. What did the critics think?

London is a city built on ghosts. Romans, plague pits, abandoned Tube stations and the collective memory of audiences who still shudder about The Woman in Black. There’s even a theatre supposedly inhabited by a ghost dolphin called Flipper.

You can now get a first look at When We Are Married at the Donmar Warehouse. Three couples, highly respected pillars of the Yorkshire community, gather to celebrate their joint silver wedding anniversaries.

You can now get a first look at production photography for the West End run of Paranormal Activity. Patrick Heusinger and Melissa James reprise their Leeds Playhouse roles as ‘James’ and ‘Lou’.

What happens after Happily Ever After, after all? In Sondheim and Lapine’s beloved musical retelling of the Grimm classics, a parade of familiar folktale figures find their way “Into the Woods” and try to get home before dark—under the guidance of Mark Lamos, who dazzled us with A Little Night Music in 2008. What did the critics think of Jordan Fein's revival?

I couldn't help but get swept away by The Red Shoes. A rich blend of romantic storytelling and cinema, this production showcases the best Matthew Bourne has to offer as a love letter to ballet in its purest (and most haunting) form. If you're unable to find a production of The Nutcracker this holiday season, a trip to Sadler's Wells will more than suffice.

Having brought their extraordinary theatrical concepts to the all-conquering Fiddler on The Roof, director Jordan Fein and designer Tom Scutt reunite to bring lucky London audiences a gorgeously dark and heartfelt version of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods. 

You can now get a first look at photos of Bristol Old Vic's Christmas production of Treasure Island - A New Musical Adventure. This new musical adaptation is from Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary.

You can now get a first look at production photos of London Theatre Company's Into The Woods. The major new production is helmed by director Jordan Fein with set and costume design by Tom Scutt.

Rehearsal photos have been released for the World Premiere of the play HIGH NOON, starring Emmy and Tony Award-winner Billy Crudup as Will Kane and Olivier Award-winner Denise Gough as Amy Fowler.

Paddington the Musical is now officially open at the Savoy Theatre, and all new photos have been released from the show! Check out the photos of Paddington in action here!

Paddington the Musical arrives at the Savoy Theatre with a heart full of hope and a suitcase packed with marmalade flavoured charm, delivering a joyous celebration of inclusion, diversity and equality in every beat.

This is a tale exhilaratingly told, and if it fails it fails for being too inventive, rather than not inventive enough.