UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

'To promise nearly fifty million people truly universal health care - ‘cradle to the grave’ - is crackers.' Despite this quote featuring quite prominently in promotional material, and the poster image showing a pair of midwives, The Promise isn’t wholly about the founding of the NHS. Paul Unwi...

A lively, varied and yes, sassy night celebrating a groundbreaking artist. If only a few of the audience headed off to listen to Vaughan's original recordings, that is a bonus. As Sarah Vaughan 'married operatic grandeur with the coolness of jazz', so this concert digs deep to showcase her range, p...

At Rough Magic prepare to enter Shakespeare’s wondrous world to become a Guardian of Destiny. The audience interaction is aimed at children in the audience, who choose which department they wish to join. Options include Fairy, Ghost, Spirit or Witch. The playful atmosphere is instantly set at The ...

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World presents bold beats from HERstory's trailblazers with a catchy soundtrack, a message of belief in capability and ultimately finding your voice....

Shrek the Musical, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, has arrived in London. Directed by Samuel Holmes, this adaptation of the iconic 2001 movie stars Antony Lawrence as Shrek, a lonely ogre who ends up falling in love with the unusual Princess Fiona (Joanna Cl...

Namaste Bae, performed by Rob van Vuuren, a South African comedian, brings us into the world of the titular character who has gone viral around the world for his “power of comedic catharsis.” Being guided by the Mother Scoby, whom he claims to be an oracle of, “Namaste Bae is the guru you both...

There’s been a number of skill-based shows in London of late, and joining the current trend is Afrique en Cirque created by Yamoussa Bangoura, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. ...

New musical runs into familiar structural issues but has strong singing and pleasing songs...

Matthew Bourne brings sensational dance routines to the stage, adding a cherry to the cake of one of the greatest scores in musical theatre history...

Bangers, written by Danusia Samal was first performed at the Soho Theatre in 2022, and in Edinburgh in 2023. It returns for a third stint at the Arcola Theatre and one can understand why. ...

“I believe in nothing.” Listening to Verdi’s Requiem would certainly suggest otherwise, its 85-minute journey from “Introit and Kyrie” and “Dies irae” - via “Offertory”, “Sanctus”, “Agnus Dei” and “Lux aeterna” - to “Libera me” explores a wealth of emotions, and is ...

Australian smash hit Fangirls encapsulates everything it is to be a mega fan of something. A sequin-embellished crusade of obsession and desperation, Yve Blake’s musical stretches from euphoric highs to gutting lows, without ever losing its sense of fun....

The world of professional swimming has been dogged by stories of doping and Hnath's play seeks to explore the ethical aspects of this issue and how far someone will go to be a winner. So far, so intriguing, but Red Speedo feels unfinished and Hnath fails to either dig deep enough or offer any intere...

Never to shy away from embracing new genres, BBC Proms introduced its first ever Disco Prom at a glitter ball-bedecked Royal Albert Hall. Everybody Dance! The Sound of Disco was a heady mix of infectious grooves, slick vocals and dynamic floor-fillers that shook the venue to its very foundations....

It’s haunted by a script that’s as creaky as the house investigated by the characters, but it’s captivating enough here and there. After a fascinating lecture held by Professor Dubois, Erin sets off to find out why people keep disappearing at Torhill Wood. ...

Sam Wu Is NOT Afraid of Ghosts, directed by Emily Ling Williams, is an adaptation of the popular book of the same name. Written by Kevin and Katie Tsang and adapted for the stage by Julie Tsang, we are introduced to Sam Wu (Sam Liu), a young boy who insists that he is NOT afraid of ghosts....

Queer friendships and the end of the world. It’s an unusual, but exciting, premise that underscores Love Song Productions’ new show Seconds to Midnight. Both concepts hold challenging, complex, and interesting pathways for exploration. However, in only 50 minutes and despite the effort of its ca...

Opera Holland Park’s staging of Handel’s beloved Acis and Galatea is a smashing success that finds just the right balance between musical finesse and tongue-in-cheek comedy....

Unlike the Last Night of the Proms, which has developed its own mythology and status (thanks to the traditions that surround it), the First Night of the Proms is not bound by any particular structure or the need to play any specific pieces; there’s a freedom to it that spills out into the audience...

When food takes centre stage, it is usually as a conduit for humanity. Somewhere in the pseudo religiosity of ritual and the flurry of flavours we summon stories of cultures, families, histories across time and geography....

What did the critics think of Dominic Cooke's long-delayed production?...

Intricately weaving together a tapestry of different times and places, Nassim Soleimanpour’s ECHO is a feat of creative technology. Performed by a different celebrated actor each night, the performance offers a sharply intelligent take on immigration and national identity. ...

Opera Holland Park delivers two short pieces - an ideal introduction to the form's unique capacity to bring emotional weight to any story...

Friends with benefits. Casual lovers. Non-romantic sexual partners. They’re all terms that Google feeds you if you’re trying to define a relationship where one will undoubtedly end up catching feelings. Him and Her are attempting to circumnavigate the exact same situation(ship). She likes that h...

A gentler offering from Stephen Schwartz’s catalogue, this immersive show whisks you away to a time long past with a phenomenal ensemble who find the heart and soul in their characters. Perhaps the mistake made 50 years ago was attempting to bring The Baker’s Wife to a larger space. In the Menie...