Critics' Pick: Natalie O'Donoghue's Best of 2023

2023 marked my tenth year of reviewing for BroadwayWorld...and it was quite a year! After a lot of expense with London travel last year, I decided that 2023 would be my year of no West End shows. A friend asked me "but what will you do for entertainment?". 130+ shows reviewed in Scotland plus a bunch of shows seen for fun as well- I think I've managed OK.

This year saw a lot of highlights from A Play, A Pie and A Pint with the most standout shows being Write Off, Fleg, Meet Me at the Knob and a return to SCOTS (a show which I reviewed in 2022). 

In March of this year I was invited to join the Critics Award For Theatre in Scotland panel, focusing on the incredible theatre that we have here in Scotland. Our theatre scene is absolutely fantastic and my 2023 highlights include Kidnapped, Sean and Daro Flake It 'Til They Make It, Battery Park and a return to Moorcroft (for a second and third time, if we're being completely honest here. Obsessed.).

2023 was also a big year for BroadwayWorld. We turned 20 in May and I made the trip across the Atlantic for our celebration concert hosted by Chita Rivera and Richard Ridge . It was quite a night with the 22 May 2023 being declared BroadwayWorld Day by the mayor of NYC and I finally got to meet all the people I've been pestering over email for a decade. 

Although I had sworn off London theatre for the year, I did sneak across the border to Leeds Playhouse for the world premiere of In Dreams. As a massive Lena Hall fan, I wasn't missing her UK debut! 

2023 was also a brilliant year for touring shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ones I particularly loved were Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Wicked and Aladdin. It's brilliant to see these massive productions touring around the UK.

I also can't do an end of year roundup without mentioning the bane/highlight of my theatre-going year- The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. An endurance test where you'll see the best and worse theatre of your life, average 20,000 steps a day and have at least one major tantrum in George Square Gardens. The theatre highlights of my Fringe were Kieran Hurley's Adults, Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boyband Christmas Musical, What Girls Are Made Of (yes, again) and An Interrogation. 

Finally, my comedy highlights of 2023 came from Rachel Fairburn, Kieran Hodgson: Big In Scotland (I didn't review this but it was too good not to mention) and Garrett Millerick.

It's been a busy old year and I'd love to say that I've got a bit of a rest but things are kicking off pretty early theatre wise in 2024...!

Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic (Battery Park tour)

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