British Theatre Guide

“Jordan Fein's direction has injected humour and charm into the musical with a few necessary twists of the macabre.”

“Conviction and powerful authority are the hallmarks of every performance in this fizzing and compelling masterwork.”

“Emily Burns has directed a solid production that still needs time to bed in, which it will: the famous and talented cast is enough to pull punters in.”

“Measure for Measure shines a sharp, dramatic light on the abuse of women by the powerful.”

“So regardless of whether one has read the original text, this production can be seen on its own terms, and it is exciting and convincing.”

“This play may not offer anything new, but it is a star vehicle, and Ferguson does not disappoint.”

“BÉZNǍ Theatre helps in the process of chipping away at the silence preferred by Israel and the UK government on The First Year (of the Gaza Genocide in the Media).”

“Change, however, is not the same as betterment, and it is not yet enough of either.”

“Unfortunately, there isn't really much of a discussion beyond honouring the original Caterina as to why the killing will make any difference to the rise of fascism.”

“Deep-Heat Rivalry is a firecracker of an evening.”

“Sam Yates has pulled every nuance out of Golden Boy.”

“All four actors are excellent, but Ciaran O'Breen, with his fluid, Rowan Atkinson-esque physicality, is outstanding as the hapless Thomas.”

“Intense, this duet from Jamison’s 2005. Reminiscin’ sizzles.”

“The play illustrates, with believable characters, the way grief can turn into anger, which in turn can sometimes shift uneasily between taking protest action and despair.”

“The show, impressively performed by Tilda Swinton and directed by Stephen Unwin, moves intensely through different scenes, which can be easy to miss, but we still get the picture of a difficult world that is again ambling towards dangerous times.”

“This is a play that centres on women having agency and includes a very entertaining narrator, but the interesting dialogue and shades of gangster plot lack a focus and have a puzzling conclusion.”

“Smith’s performance as Gigi makes Wilkinson’s writing sparkle with humour.”

“With its excellent cast, outstanding vocals, atmospheric design and timeless romance, Jane Eyre the Musical offers London audiences a passionate and engaging journey into Charlotte Brontë’s unforgettable world.”

“With the exception of Shostakovich’s later debates with the imagined character Katya, the play can feel surprisingly underpowered, though it will prompt many of us to dig out his music and read up on his difficult artistic life in the repressive Stalinist regime.”

“The best Month in the Country I have seen is Frederick Ashton’s fifty-minute succinct ballet, which extracted the essence and heightened emotion without the tedium.”

“As a piece of theatre, Electra/Persona may not knit together, but it’s powerfully absorbing.”

“There are all sorts of interesting and thoughtful possibilities in Tracey Scott Wilson's play The Story, but very few of them are developed or explored in ways that give us a clear story, explore political issues or take some character on a believable journey.”

“Text niggles aside, this is a thoroughly enjoyable show.”

“A groan-worthy sitcom full of innuendo, a farcical comedy of manners and the absurd.”

“This is a little oasis in which to make new memories.”

“This needs seeing again and again.”

“Dense, profound, a lecture with stage play and comedy to help it go down, Tao of Glass is a delight, but you must stay alert.”

“It is a powerful experience in the theatre with beautiful music, fascinating choreography and outstanding performances from every member of the cast.”

“This crude Oresteia has none of the dramatic poetry of the original.”

“This important show demonstrates something of what the world lost when Jonathan Larson died in 1996 at the age of 35.”

“This fine piece of escapist entertainment doesn’t have much substance to say about the world but never loses our interest.”

“In a universally strong cast, Richard Coyle's Atticus is a beacon of goodness: a case-study in contained emotion, underpinned by an almost exhausting quest for moral virtue.”

“Maybe that’s the hazy message of this play, whose slight plot, superficial characters and bad comedy don’t seem to take us anywhere else.”

“He is tremendous, the thrilling centre of a raucous yet touching production.”

“Dazzling Sinatra the Musical is in the intimate Aldwych, this personal story so much better here than in a large arena.”

“A winding, precisely plotted script, with philosophical overtones, is laugh-out-loud funny.”

“Chelsea Walker pulls Hero out of the tragic shadows by switching a few lines and adding a scene in which Hero confronts the returned Don John.”

“Scenes are full of conversations without purpose or substance.”

“Though a bit of a tricky abstract start (a blank canvas on which to sketch, a drama school analysis), I can see where director Atri Banerjee is heading with his minimalist, stripped to bare bones version.”

“Zeldin skilfully avoids sentimentality and even weaves in some lightness, such as the residents’ rambling conversations.”

“Ambitious, intense and a little soapy, Driftwood is a promising debut.”

“This gripping, well-performed show conjures up a pessimistic vision of a world complicit in sexualised abuse where there is a lack of resistance.”

“This revival of Cole Porter's beloved musical comedy is a triumphant reminder that golden age musicals, when staged with this much flair and heart, remain impossible to resist.”

“The production remains as powerful and impactful as ever.”

“Valentine gives a powerful, unpredictably unhinged performance as Alan, robotically and sarcastically chanting TV commercial jingles one moment and showing flashes of vulnerability the next.”

“Exceptionally well-acted and taut, 1536 is a thought-provoking and emotionally engrossing experience.”

“The Globe’s outdoor space and tendency to incorporate music into the performance seem well-suited to this venue’s first production of a Brecht play.”

“A bit of silliness in a serious world of doom and gloom is a wonderful thing.”

“The result is one of the sharpest, funniest and most unsettling pieces of new writing currently on the London stage.”

“Although the show importantly illustrates the positive effects of a community-based focus on ways to grieve, heal and overcome trauma, it does so in a light manner that doesn't give much insight.”

“Together, they anchor a play that is by turns wickedly funny, surprisingly moving, and endlessly fascinating for anyone with even a passing love of theatre.”

“This is a production that demands your attention and rewards it generously.”

“All the same, this is a clear, accessible production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that entertained the numerous young children in its audience who were perhaps having their first taste of Shakespeare.”

“With Sadie Sink as Juliet and Noah Jupe as Romeo, this is a production that understands exactly what makes Shakespeare's tragedy work, and then finds ways to make it hit even harder.”

“It is gripping, urgent, and deeply humane, and it deserves the attention of anyone who cares about new writing in London.”

“This important play reminds us of what always happens when new technology created by workers reduces the labour time they need to deliver.”

“Kinky Boots more than delivers.”

“There is little depth or shading to the characters.”

“There appears to be no character depth or development, no serious issues explored and little insight into a fragment of a drunken subculture that has no sense of the world in which it is supposed to exist.”

“Consumed is a fast, thoughtful show with important things to say.”

“Loeb presents situations that can move quickly from joyful to icy and can sometimes be funny.”

“Confident performances deliver a clear production of the three half-hour plays, but the characters lack depth, and the storylines are slight.”

“The result is an engrossing, intriguing and highly entertaining show that steadily builds suspense and uses its narrator to balance plausibility and incredulity.”

“It makes for uncomfortable and distracting viewing.”

“The individual plays vary in style and content but give an intriguing and strong presentation of the situation for Ukraine and its people.”

“It is the bold confrontation by the performers that holds attention decidedly more than the gimmicks.”

“Although nearly three hours is decidedly long for something that I often could not properly understand and from the upper gallery with candelabra usually closer to me than faces, making it often difficult to see, I still enjoyed it.”

“The clear, confident performance with some fine puppetry held the audience’s attention.”

“Theatre Project draws on transcripts of interviews with real people connected to this album to create a well-performed, engaging documentary drama that gradually uncovers the names of those in the pictures and the horrific roles they played in the death camps.”

“Serious, playful, teasing, Arcadia is pure alchemy, turning erudition and research into theatrical gold.”

“The characters, the dialogue and the storyline are believable and entertaining.”

“There are moments of theatrical magic, but though the unevenness may be deliberate, it can be trying.”

“This is a play full of feeling with no phoney sentiment but movingly real, except perhaps for its final scene which could be both a remembered dream or one for the future.”

“Eric Roth’s version and Thea Sharrock’s direction have a similar relevance to the world in this time of Donald Trump.”

“Ostensibly a tragi-comedy, Woman in Mind falls between the two stools into that hyphen.”

“This is not Stoppard’s greatest play, but still a good one, and this production, especially in its final scene, is a fine and fitting remembrance as it looks back on his fictional poet’s life.”

“Into the Woods manages to be both very funny and moving, often at the same time.”

“A piece of music, in three acts or movements, played by a brilliant ensemble with vivacity, rhythm, fine timing and tone.”

“Many of them are well-acted, but the tone feels inconsistent and the invitation to invest emotionally half-hearted.”

“Arthur Miller’s play All My Sons gives us strong reasons why we need to change the system we live under.”

“This production could have been spectacular, and in fact I was wiling it to be so, but it is unfortunately style over substance with little atmosphere, missed opportunities and frustrating staging.”

“The Mary Page Marlowe you construct may change form as these scenes follow each other, but it can never be a complete picture and that is true to fact.”

“Francesca Mills presents an Ophelia like none I’ve ever seen.”

“The parallels between Jake and his forbear Clark don't resonate and feel pretentious. The sentimental ending doesn't ring true.”

“As is going to see this refreshed production: the venue suits it better this second time round.”

“This exciting production is fuelled by a bold theatricality, driven by DJ Wolde’s score and Kate Prince’s bold choreography.”

“A touching play, a timeless play played with perfect timing, The Weir is a must-see. Five-star quality all round.”

“It is fascinating to see the concentration with which performers turn fists to hooves.”

“The Producers is so totally tasteless but so funny.”

“Moving in its contemporary relevance, Deaf Republic also has a dramatic exuberance and a touching humanity.”

“Charismatic performances by actors who gained their star status on television make this two-hander a must see.”

“A rich tapestry of emotions, beautifully conceived and brilliantly performed.”

“It will send most people home joyful rather than brooding.”

“It makes a considerable impact, and its actors are excellent, especially Rosamund Pike’s performance, whether commandingly wielding her microphone or playing the paranoid mother.”

“In the hands of Alan Williams, the score sounds superb, and with such a talented cast delivering the goods, I have no doubt this version of Evita will become high flying adored.”

“It is a show scaled to the venue, a show to be treated as fun—don’t take it seriously!”

“After the Act bubbles with life while still being serious, both angry and funny, and hey!”

“Cooke has shortened a long play to well below two hours, played without interval, and his production proceeds at a smart pace with consistent performances from the whole cast.”

“A slight premise taken to amusing heights by performances that lift it to another level.”

“Their latest show, an espionage spoof, improvised and scripted, strong on wordplay, is as silly and as funny and as absurd as their past productions.”