UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

In the new Sadler's Wells East venue, we are invited to observe and then enter the world of Club Groove in a pulsing, energetic, modern dance piece allowing the audience to mingle on the dance floor. The story is slight but the vibe is unmistakable. This production opens with a half-hour of powerhou...

Katsiaryna Snytsina, the eponymous KS6, tells an often warm and witty tale of her own empowerment, with a burning ambition to do the same for her country...

How would life have turned out if you had stayed with your first love? Where would you be if you had gone against social convention? Eugene O'Brien's deftly crafted play, HEAVEN, asks us these questions and many more in this captivating and bittersweet two-hander....

An evening of expressive and emotional music from three great modernist composers is hard to fault as the LSO perform pieces by Walker, Bernstein, and Walton in a powerful Anglo-American programme....

The road to the perfect commemorative photograph is anything but smooth with their two unruly personalities. Written by historian playwright John Ransom-Phillips and directed by Bronagh Lagan, Mrs President lives suspended between the lenses of history and fiction....

Starring Brie Larson, Daniel Fish directs the first major revival in over a decade of Sophokles’ electrifying and timeless play, Elektra, with a translation by poet Anne Carson, at the Duke Of York’s Theatre....

So why is Daniel Fish’s Elektra such a droning dud?...

Joe Hill-Gibbins’s new production of The Marriage of Figaro for English National Opera opened back in March 2020 for a single performance before Covid struck. Thankfully, nearly five years on it has been given a second life at the London Coliseum and it is a riotous delight from start to finish....

It’s a meticulously organised ten-track album. The songs are famous, but not so excessively that the line-up comes off as a redundant rehashing of standards or a vanity project. The piece has a consistent cohesion to it - sonically but also narratively, with the numbers living inside a bubble of m...

In his new production at King’s Head Theatre, Keelan Kember explores the seemingly alluring, yet constantly perplexing concept of casual dating in a sitcom-inspired production that will have you giggling in your seat....

Classics like Animal Farm are tough to stage, partly because they’re produced so often. To make a lasting impact, a production needs to bring something truly exciting and relevant to the table. Unfortunately, this production never fully justifies why this adaptation, and why now?...

In this masterfully crafted one-hour solo performance, Vanya is Alive presents a universal tale of state oppression through the intimate lens of maternal grief. Currently running at the Omnibus Theatre, this English translation of Natalia Lizorkina's work transcends its Russian origins to illuminate...

Ella Hickson’s epic and revelatory version of Sophocles’ transcendent tragedy, Oedipus, co-directed by Hofesh Shechter and Matthew Warchus has now opened at The Old Vic....

Let's get it out of the way: if you have no interest in the material, if you're averse to fantasy fun, or if you're not willing to buy into a style that's far removed from western realism, this is not for you. Directed by Kaori Miura, this is Sailor Moon J-pop version: OTT, kawaii, delectably silly,...

​​​​​​​It’s difficult to imagine anyone watching Oedipus without having prior knowledge of the story’s brutal twist - especially the case given that a rival production of the same play has just closed in the West End to critical acclaim....

The prizes continue at Sadler’s Wells with both a Bloom and Rose contender showing their work....

Ray O’Leary: Your Laughter Is Just Making Me Stronger is a classic kind of stand-up show with no real story throughout, but this also leads to several bits going on for too long as O’Leary appears to find his footing. Whether that’s a true struggle or if it's O’Leary simply putting on a show...

If you wander down to the junction of ventriloquism and improv, there’s a chance you’ll meet Nina Conti standing there with her new show....

The human psyche is something so easily disturbed, and Barney Norris’s newest play-adaptation is a prime example of that. Based on the novel by David Foenkinos, Second Best tells of Martin Hill - the boy who felt he never fully lived....

It's a shame that Figaro: An Original Musical’s debut is a disappointing one because there's much potential to find in its intriguing concept and gorgeous score. However, more work in the writing room needs to be done if it wants to become a fully staged production....

Family Folk Show With Megson is part of artsdepot's 20th anniversary festival year, bringing together highly acclaimed artistry in a family friendly venue, concerned with true talent and pure entertainment. ...

Sophocles is the blueprint for an interactive exploration of the public opinion of extremism in Alexander Raptotasios Antigone [on strike]. The piece is highly charged with political intent, bringing to light the experiences of many women who became so-called ‘ISIS Brides’. ...

After Gandini Jugglers went all retro on us last year by bringing back their classic outing Smashed, the sine qua non of British circus return with a brand new show Heka....

Three years in the making, Dimanche comes to London as part of MimeLondon 2025 and tackles the climate crisis with savage mockery and tender tragedy using life-size puppets, exquisite clowning and heartfelt writing. ...

During these dark and cold nights, something magical is happening on stage at the Lyric Hammersmith. Play On! was originally created by director Sheldon Epps and writer Cheryl L. West back in 1997, transferring from San Diego to Broadway. Talawa theatre company have stripped the show back and have...