UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

Beauty pageants and bus boycotts seldom belong on the same page, but in Chinonyerem Odimba's joyously playful and beautifully played Princess & the Hustler, they're brought together by Princess James, a flamboyant young girl who is black, beautiful, and brilliantly funny....

Paul Taylor-Mills hosted a conversation with Mark Shenton, one of a series at The Other Palace's MT Fest. Here are some of the key points that emerged....

'Isn't that the problem with political theater, too much directness?' queries one of Anne Washburn's characters in her new play - which, in meta fashion, and over a leisurely three hours, not only addresses Trump head on, but also painstakingly analyses our responses to the President and the present...

When it was announced that Trotters Independent Traders' three-wheeled 'yellow peril' was heading direct to London's West End in the form of a new musical, a few eyebrows were raised. Only Fools and Horses - The Musical was the brainchild of TV series creator John Sullivan, though it has been realis...

Cyprus Avenue is a blistering black comedy illuminated by a sensational performance from Stephen Rea as Eric, a man adrift in a world that is changing too quickly for him, feeding a psychosis about to explode....

If there are golden voices, the instrument of Elina Garanca isn't among them. Dusky like a claret, the mezzo-soprano's pervasive, pure timbre emerges with the strength of a tree bark; equally, the luscious lilt of gently pouring molten bronze....

The Paper Man starts off with the story of Austria's 1930s football hero Matthias Sindelar but swiftly dummies the Nazis and nutmegs for a narrative about the construction of narratives - and becomes rather dull as a consequence....

The Print Room at The Coronet is hosting a slick and melancholic bilingual revival of Henrik Ibsen's The Lady From The Sea produced by the venue in their first collaboration with The Norwegian Ibsen Company....

A remarkable true story birthed this modest Canadian musical, which went on to storm Broadway in 2017, and now makes it West End debut at a time when its heartfelt message seems more necessary than ever. In these murky, cynical times, Irene Sankoff and David Hein's show feels like coming up for air....

As Editor and Lead Cartoonist of Private Eye, Ian Hislop and Nick Newman are certainly not immune to the issue of libel. In Trial By Laughter they expand what was a Radio 4 afternoon drama to a full length play, focusing on the trials of satirist and forgotten hero of free speech, William Hone, in 1...

School is where most of us are introduced to William Shakespeare and the nature of this introduction will often impact on how much we love or loath The Bard in later life. In their series Shakespeare Up Close, Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre continues its quest to bring Shakespeare's plays to life...

In a programme interview, Patricia Resnick - writer of both the original 1980 film and this 2008 musical adaptation - notes that Jane Fonda wanted to convey a political message about workplace sexism, but realised couching it in comedy would make it more palatable. Like composer Dolly Parton herself...

Flat 4 Theatre make their debut as a company with Butterflies, a quite jarring account of the relationship between Generation Z and technology....

Carlos Acosta's vibrant production of Don Quixote offers an all-thriller, no-filler evening complete with exuberant staging, grand and detailed sets fit for a West End musical, luxurious costuming, and a stellar cast in which there is not a single weak link....

It's the 1970s and British sound designer Gilderoy is stepping well out of his comfort zone to create the soundscape for Italian horror-thriller director Santini's latest movie. Berberian Sound Studio is a slightly curious play, but a really beautifully styled piece of theatrical craft, and also an ...

It's the Roaring Twenties in London. The Great War is over, having killed millions of people with it; citizens are going back to their disheveled lives and organised crime thrives in a city that's getting back up on its feet....

Jermyn Street Theatre open the celebrations for their 25th anniversary with a world premiere aged 120. Harley Granville Barker's Agnes Colander: An Attempt At Life was found by the British Library about a century after the Edwardian director wrote it in 1900 and was immediately hailed as a masterpie...

Phil Willmott tries to rescue two shows with the plot of a third, but his show also never quite coheres, for all the energy expended by the hard-working cast....

After winning People's Choice Award in last year's edition of the VAULT Festival, Out Of The Forest Theatre are back with Call Me Fury to tell the stories of unjustly condemned women throughout the centuries....

Christopher Marlowe's Edward II is one of the earliest English history plays, and tells the story of the title character, his infatuation with his favourites and the dissent of his disapproving peers. It is a tragedy, replete with violence, gore and death....

In a rare piece of programming from the Royal Opera House, audiences have the opportunity, for a limited run, to watch the Royal Ballet School's talent of tomorrow and the main company's talent of today together in a mixed programme of animal-based stories. It features new work from Artist in Reside...

This new production of Arthur Miller's rarely-produced play, on now at the Old Vic, offers some emotional and aesthetic rewards, but misses more often than it hits....

BBC Writers Room's Hayley Wareham and Flux Theatre present bottled, a jarring original play about domestic abuse....

The King's Head pulls off another re-imagining of a classic opera that packs plenty of punch and is a joy for newbies and old hands alike....

Sheffield Theatres' revival of Githa Sowerby's play skillfully balances drama and humour....