UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

Antony McDonald's production simply oozes glamour and matches perfectly the opera’s quintessentially Romantic music. Eerie forests cast in twilight, cluttered huts, and old-fashioned costumes mix and mingle to give audiences a feeling of watching something straight out of the 19th century....

How to Flirt: The Ted XXX-mas Edition, written and performed by Daisy Doris May, is a drag king show that brings audience members into a university-style seminar on how to properly flirt with women. The teacher? Steven Porters, a “self-taught feminist” who has seen the error of his ways and is d...

Play Inside’s Love, Conditionally ­– a new, immersive, series of short (around 15 minutes) audio recordings made in the UK and Palestine ­– is made with interactive listeners in mind....

When I first saw The Nutcracker around a quarter of a century ago, I became sure of one thing: either I was on drugs, the cast were on drugs or we both were. A far cry from the average ballets, this dream-like work still has the power to enthral the young and old....

Wonderfully warm show by the soi-disant 'Pod-Gods' taps into a desire for a gentler, more considerate politics. See what our critic thought of the podcast. ...

It would be interesting to see the show free from all the fancy listening gear so we can bask in the thrill of seeing Tennant and Jumbo grapple with their actions without a middleman. After all, isn’t part of the beauty of theatre that the audience isn’t separated from the story by a screen of a...

It’s very much a case of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The winning formula of gruesome body-horror thrills, teenage romance, and fuzzy edged nostalgia for the analogue age will feel familiar in this highly anticipated stage prequel. But if that formula is raking in millions who is complainin...

With an opening that couldn’t be more over the top if it was broadcast from the International Space Station, the never knowingly underdressed Reuben Kaye sweeps the entire room into his particular brand of cabaret. Coming on like a one-man Moulin Rouge floorshow, he spits out caustic one liners li...

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch, written by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx with music by Tim Gilvin, tells the “true” story of Ursula, starting from her childhood and ending with what happens after The Little Mermaid (both 1989 and 2023)....

No Sugarplum Fairy at Sadler’s Wells this Christmas…they've got Edward Scissorhands instead! Specifically Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures production running until 20 January. ...

During its original run, real life happenings threatened to overshadow the fictional: Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett - whose presence and music is felt throughout Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll - sadly died in Cambridge where he was born and where this epochal play of cultural and political revolution...

For this festive season, the team behind Tabard Theatre's production of Five Children and It have brought out their own take that will delight and captivate audiences of all ages....

It raised eyebrows when it was announced: Paweł Pawlikowski’s Oscar nominated Cold War is hardly five years old, not nearly enough time for it to have fallen off the cultural radar. If a stage adaptation isn’t rejuvenating a lost classic, what does it want to achieve?...

If you want a risque and bawdy production, it's best to look elsewhere for your panto entertainment this year, as Richmond Theatre has produced a safely charming, family-friendly show....

The “greatest spy movie never made” revolves around writer Ian Flemish and real-life spy, Jane Blonde. A group of villains known by EVIW is using the adventures of Flemish’s main character, spy Dick Hardwood, as inspiration for their own evil schemes, and Flemish and Blonde must stop them befo...

Were you one of the lucky few who managed to bag a ticket for the one-night-only, star-studded gala revue, StephenSondheim’s Old Friends, on May 3, 2022?...

The latest season of this immersive experience gives us the chance to jump aboard Operation Frostbite, drink some seasonal cocktails and find out about the jolly rotund fellow walking around who is definitely not being mysterious. And just what does this all have to do with the evil Dr Winter’s at...

Christmas can often be a time for reflection, be it unwanted or unexpected. For poor put-upon Tracy, the breathing space of the festive period allows her to consider life, pondering who and what is important truly at this point of her life....

From two associate directors of Punchdrunk, One Night, Long Ago is an evocative walk through a mind palace which reveals more and more as the journey continues. With an audience of only 15 for each show in the venue used for Swamp Motel’s immersive show Saint Jude earlier this year, it’s a setti...

Armando Iannucci’s name carries great clout; as well as comedy and Dickens, shows such as The Thick Of It and Veep have secured his status as one of our great political satirists, yet until now he has never written anything for the stage. If anyone can skewer the madness of the last few years, it...

It’s very much the time of year for seasonal silliness, and whilst run-of-the-mill pantomimes are a safe choice, they are also a predictable one. Theatre company Told by an Idiot’s Get Happy is anything but that....

As households around the country begin to plan their festive feasts, the delightful Mill at Sonning in Berkshire already has theirs well in hand. ...

The Hall knew what they were doing when choosing their festive programming. All decked out with shiny trees and classy wreaths, it welcomed young and old in their most cheery gear. The sparkliest, reddest crowd with the most interesting and creative jumpers were eager to watch their favourite elf. ...

Five opera singers are holding out for a hero...

Launching its latest UK tour, Wicked is casting its magical spell on audiences once again. The enchantment begins at the Edinburgh Playhouse, with a glorious 5-week run from Thursday, 7th December 2023, to Sunday, 14th January 2024, at this iconic Scottish theatre. This essential musical provides an...