UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

An apt look the ways in which success and failure intermingle....

A production full of laughter and promise....

A NASA press conference goes off the rails as the probe, and the probing, goes awry...

Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels and Council Depot Blues writer Dave Kirby is back at Liverpool’s Royal Court with Lost Soul 2....

It’s not every show that hands out party poppers as you go in. Aimed at young audiences, Mr Punch At The Opera whips together the iconic hand-puppets with a musical amuse-bouche....

Since 2005, Aurora Orchestra have been performing classical pieces from memory with no score and free movement around the stage. Their passion for their craft is wonderful, and extends to all those who are lucky enough to see them work. This was an inclusive and accessible Prom, vibrant and vivaciou...

An eloquent and very funny depiction of two young black British people, navigating their way through a waxing and waning relationship. It is a bittersweet, intelligent and exciting piece of theatre....

Oh, what a beautiful evening indeed! Oklahoma! In Concert is a triumphant celebration of the musical's 80-year legacy and lasting impact over musical theatre. With a star-studded cast who bring freshness to the iconic roles with an edge of familiarity, there’s no better way for Oklahoma! to return...

Patrick Barlow’s parody The 39 Steps creaks and groans in places but still has plenty of laughs. Wrapped around the central character of Richard Hannay, the story unfurls as we see him accused of murder, run from the police and then defeat a foreign cabal of spies. ...

For Wambaugh’s debut hour at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024, the shows premise is the offering of a top 17 set of ideas for beginning a comedy show. This provides a light-hearted exploration of varied comedic styles, of which all work superbly....

I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical by Alexander S. Bermange, directed and choreographed by Matthew Parker, features four sublimely talented performers; Luke Harley, Sev Keoshgerian, Jessi O’Donnell and Julie Yammanee....

Even if this summer has been a bit of a washout, there's much sunshine to be had at Open Bar Theatre's touring production of Much Ado About Nothing....

Fairburn fulfils the show’s title by appearing in a fabulous sequin jumpsuit and fluorescent tassels, entering to warm and rapturous applause. The set begins and the laughs are instantaneous in response to Fairburn’s winning, vibrant personality and blunt outlook of no-nonsense social commentary...

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland brings Tasha Gordon-Solomon and Faye Chiao's new play Fountain of You to the Fringe, diving deep into the perils of female ageism. The plot follows Kristen (Matrya Wróbel), a once-thriving actress deemed 'too old' for Hollywood after her 35th birthday. In a de...

With the inclusion of several beloved all-time classics and an exceptional new cello concerto by Spanish composer Francisco Coll, the 38th 2024 BBC Prom marks a tremendous success for conductor Tianyi Lu....

With Far Right terrorism and toxic masculinity defacing the summer, this 2015 play's UK premiere could no be more timely...

A laugh-out loud riot perfect for anyone who’s put up with the London Underground, Cockfosters captures the love-hate relationship we’ve all had with it over the last 160 years. With a cast who nail the comedy and are having the time of their lives, I urge you to get the next train to Battersea ...

A venue that champions queer stories in an extraordinary way is The King's Head Theatre, now home to James Hogan’s new queer comedy, Northbound Boy. With a fantastic cast at its helm, Northbound Boy has the makings of a fascinating insight into the queer experience, however, it falls short in its ...

Two giants of the jazz world and one composer who has had vast influence on modern music made up a mixed, but interesting, evening at the BBC Prom 35 in the ever-majestic Royal Albert Hall....

Robert Ames leads a superb performance from the London Contemporary Orchestra....

Peanut Butter and Blueberries is original, sweet, touching and vibrant. It is extremely refreshing to see a play about the British Muslim experience where trauma and tradition are, of course, acknowledged, but are not the main focus of the drama. As this is Manzoor-Khan's first play, it will be fasc...

'Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety.' Aside from a couple of Horrible Histories songs, most people probably know Cleopatra for her unique manner of death - almost certainly an apocryphal story (it's far more likely that she simply poisoned herself), but that and her ill-fat...

There has always been much conjecture over what it really means to be British – most recently, a group of self-proclaimed “patriots” got together and trashed libraries, independent businesses, and community hubs across the country in the name of supposedly getting their country back. This, of ...

Katherine Hoar's debut play makes a seamless and well-deserved transition to a major West End venue to challenge and intrigue a public who have enjoyed Oppenheimer at the cinema...

What is there to be said about the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra that hasn’t already been said? For twenty-five years it has united Arab and Israeli musicians under the baton of Jewish co-founder Daniel Barenboim (late Palestinian Critical Theorist Edward Said is the other co-founder); their decl...