UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

I can't imagine a world without the music of Scott Alan. I first discovered his work by following Stephanie J. Block. Her recording of "Never Neverland (Fly Away)" led to me purchase DREAMING WIDE AWAKE, and I have personally been a fan of Scott Alan's charismatic brand of pop songs infused with Bro...

J.B. Priestley's most iconic play is notably An Inspector Calls. However, before this, there was Dangerous Corner, which premiered in 1932 and is currently touring the UK. The play centres on a dinner party being thrown by Freda and Robert Caplan. Along with Caplan's business partners and other gu...

Robert Holman's Jonah and Otto was first performed at Manchester's Royal Exchange in 2008 and this revival at the Park Theatre is directed by Tim Stark and stars Alex Waldmann and Peter Egan as Jonah and Otto....

Well, that was rather lovely. But then anything that features light mockery of John Barrowman, time-travel arms and a cease and desist letter from Steven Moffat (amongst other things) in just over an hour is always going to be an enjoyable experience....

Having missed the opportunity to see Sunny Afternoon during its run at the Hampstead Theatre, I was thrilled (and not at all surprised) when it was announced earlier this year that it would be transferring to the West End. The biographical show detailing the history of Ray Davies and The Kinks, is d...

There's a popular theory that, in order to have a good chance at success, a new West End musical must be based either on a well-known film or on the back catalogue of a well-known music act - or in the case of The Bodyguard, both - and indeed, if you were to cast your eye over a list of hits and flo...

Following a successful run at Chichester, Tim Firth's Neville's Island has transferred to the Duke of York's theatre, twenty years after it last appeared in the West End. Featuring four well-loved British comics in Neil Morrissey, Robert Webb, Ade Edmondson and Miles Jupp, Firth tells the story of a...

Carrie Dunn reviews the West End transfer of the Tony Award-nominated hit musical as it opens at the Garrick Theatre......

Gary Naylor sees a revival of one of the 90s classic comedies that retains plenty of punch, nearly twenty years on...

John Steinbeck published the epic Of Mice and Men in 1937. It was an instant success and in the same year, the novel was picked up by George S Kaufman who immediately bought the stage rights. Steinbeck and Kaufman worked together to create the stage play and it was soon on Broadway where it played f...

Uncle Vanya follows on from Anya Reiss' two previous modernisations of Chekhov, Three Sisters and The Seagull, both of which were performed at Southwark Playhouse. This third attempt to bring Chekhov into the 21st century is a fair effort thanks to strong performances from the cast....

In May 2013 Kerry Ellis performed a one-woman show at the London Palladium, a year later and with a new solo album behind her, she embarks on a intimate tour to recreate that concert....

Domestic violence is a tough yet important topic for theatre to tackle. Iris, a new play by young writer Rebecca-Clare Evans, is the latest attempt to try and shine a light on the problem - but doesn't quite hit the mark....

Not well known in the UK, the "secret show" finally revealed itself at the St James Theatre, and now it's opened for a run at the Apollo Theatre in the West End....

The NYT REP theatre was launched in 2012 as an affordable response to the rise in tuition fees. It offers 15 of Britain's most talented young actors eight months of free training and mentoring, culminating in a 10 week residency at the Ambassadors Theatre. This year the young stars of tomorrow perfo...

David Mamet's Tony Award-winning Hollywood satire Speed The Plow is no stranger to stunt casting. Madonna played Karen, the temporary secretary with a dream of making a new kind of movie. So it is perhaps no surprise that producers cast troubled film star Lindsay Lohan in the role - but while it may...

Recognized as one of the best American novels of the 20th century, it is no surprise that From Here to Eternity has continued to stay present in cultural consciousness. The only true surprise is that it took over 60 years for a musical adaptation to become reality. Recently, Omniverse Vision Product...

Gary Naylor sees a fine cabaret that jumps in and out of French and English language songs before finishing with a classic in any language. You'll regret it if you miss it!...

Stephen Edwards' TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES, a musical adaption of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel, is a musical that never found its proper footing. Prior to opening on the West End, the UK tour was met with positive reviews, but poor critical reception at London's Savoy Theatre saw the musical shutter fa...

The best of the West End and the Armed Forces come together for a spectacular evening of musical entertainment at the Dominion Theatre London, all in aid of Help for Heroes....

It seems odd to go to the Dominion Theatre and not see that giant golden statue of Freddie Mercury looking down on you. After this limited run of Evita, one wonders if they'll use the space to honour Madalena Alberto, who gives a simply astonishing performance as Eva Peron....

Gary Naylor sees a brilliant new play about new media's impact on traditional news values and on the men and women caught at the sharp end of an industry hurtling ever more quickly towards an ever more uncertain future....

ON THE TOWN is poised to have the best year ever. A big budget Broadway revival is set to begin previews on September 20, and Masterworks Broadway has just released the remastered ON THE TOWN (Original London Cast Recording). With zesty spunk, lively pizzazz, and indefatigable energy, this recording...

As you'd probably expect, Forbidden Broadway pokes fun at itself from the outset, before anybody else can get a jab in, pointing out its swift (and perhaps a little surprising) transfer and its less-than-prime location....

King Charles III is the latest production to transfer from the Almeida to the West End. Set after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, it focuses on the weeks between the former monarch's death and the new monarch's official crowning at their coronation ceremony. The production raises questions that h...