UK / WEST END THEATER REVIEWS

Jonathan Dove's music underpins and enhances the tale of a teen suddenly thrust into a world of corporate power and environmental exploitation...

How do mere mortals celebrate their 50th birthday? By having a midlife crisis? Not dance royalty Carlos Acosta, who seems to literally turn back time by making a return to the stage as a dancer - having retired from performing in 2016 - in Carlos at 50 at the Royal Opera House (with five, basically ...

Union is half love letter to a changing city and half harangue against the soulless destruction of local communities for the benefit of a coffee shop chain. Max Wilkinson offers an abundance of topical matters, slightly overdoing it, and better suited for a longer running time....

“The Enigma I will not explain – its 'dark saying' must be left unguessed... further, through and over the whole set another and larger theme 'goes', but is not played.' Prom 14 turned out to be something of an enigmatic night across the board, with the listener left to interpret or speculate ab...

In new British musical Ride, what begins as an small-scale story set in a small office expands into an adventure around the world. With only two women onstage and an intimate theatre space, we are taken on a vast journey encompassing themes of truth and identity....

I like my orchestral music organised around Northern talent. An evening of two halves, this BBC Proms event saw Nottingham (which is geographically more North than South, so let’s forget for a moment that it’s in the midlands) was repped by four-piece band Divorce. Then, Rotherham-born Self-Este...

Prom 11: Horrible Histories ‘Orrible Opera is a delightful show that will amuse audiences of all ages while making opera more approachable....

William Shakespeare famously wrote extensively about places which he had never visited, so why shouldn’t composers do the same? Of the four pieces performed in this Spain-themed Prom, only one of the composers was Spanish - the rest were French, and at least one of them (namely Claude Debussy) had...

Gillian Slovo brings the heart and soul of Grenfell to the Dorfman Theatre, honouring those who live and those who do not....

Almost as secretive and hidden away as the Batcave, Soho’s Park Row is a restaurant dedicated to the Caped Crusader. At its heart lies Monarch Theatre, an immersive dining experience which combines projections, magic and a sumptuous tasting menu....

Works by “the old Ludwig van” – as A Clockwork Orange’s Alex would say – remain popular as part of the BBC Proms series, with this performance of his fifth symphony the second of eight Beethoven compositions on the programme this year – and this is probably the most famous of the lot. It...

Tonight we're going to party like it's 1989...

Filled with gay panic and teenage crushes, Rachael Mailer’s new Doc Martin-wearing, U-Hauling, ex-girlfriend-dating new musical is a whole lot of fun. Coming in at under an hour, the show is packed with kick-ass performances, tongue-in-cheek jokes, and candid honesty, giving some much needed repre...

The annual CFT summer blockbuster delivers West End quality again at considerably more affordable prices - time to book a train or set the satnav...

It is not often that Fringe venues act as platforms for important narratives from the older generation. Based on tonight’s performance of After All These Years, I can only ask ‘Why not?’.  After winning the 2023 Outstanding Theatre Award at Brighton Fringe, After All These Years transfers to ...

Fairly outdated morals go hand in hand with a strikingly modern laddish attitude, while a melodramatic ending eagerly awaits. It’s a relatively wordy and stuffy production, but it celebrates a neglected, forgotten playwright who had quite the knack for a witty response....

The Lion King isn't an easy show to take on tour, but you needn't worry that this is a pared down version. The touring production brings with it more than 230 different puppets, around 50 cast members and 100 crew, and the same impressive sets that you'll see in London and on Broadway....

Old actors play young characters and find new nuances in familiar speeches...

As an audience member, there is something truly empowering about leaving the theatre knowing you are more educated than you were upon arrival. With this, Orisun Productions’ PlayFight truly delivers. Following a shorter run at The Pleasance Theatre, PlayFight has transferred to the Seven Dial’s ...

Disruption comes from a place of curiosity. It’s an intellectually provocative story, expertly woven into an absorbing piece of choral theatre....

Mercedes de Córdoba's work Sí, quiero (meaning ‘yes, I want’) looks at a group of women creating their own wedding ceremony. And as such occasions normally unfold, we’re promised “peace and passion, hope and madness”. ...

A mixed beast that roars when it comes to the music but is ultimately let down by issues surrounding the conception and dramaturgical realisation....

Olly Medlicott’s vision is crystal clear, but this iteration looks and sounds more like the workshop of an early draft. It lacks punch and falls short in atmosphere at this stage, but it can gain it, doubtlessly....

The process of bringing the works of the Bard to a modern stage is full of challenges, as director Bill Alexander explains in his new book, Exploring Shakespeare. A Director's Notes from the Rehearsal Room. In an absorbing glimpse into the rehearsal room, we are introduced to the choices which fac...

Blood is thicker than water and love is stronger than hate. There is a deep sentimental heart beating at the core of Michael Wynne’s new play that asks us what it means to connect as a family in our increasingly absurd lives. ...