WhatsOnStage

“It’s a bold, moving play of extraordinary impact.”

“From The Heart is a very pleasant 80 minutes, although it sometimes feels like a show mounted more for friends and family rather than West End audiences.”

“This revival – co-produced by the Mercury, Rose Theatre Kingston, Storyhouse Chester and Northern Stage in Newcastle – brings back one of literature’s great anti-heroes, Edward Rochester.”

“All in all, this is a hugely enjoyable revival of a musical that is standing the test of time, even as it conjures stories from the past.”

“A production that has lost none of its magic.”

“The frankly ludicrous sequencing of events thereafter undermines any attempt to develop a coherent theme.”

“For a first-time playwright, The Hungry Ghost is a confident and wonderfully original piece of writing, and one that leaves its audience hungry for whatever Yew serves up next.”

“At its best moments, this production of Hay Fever works like a well-oiled clock, each of its comedic elements clicking neatly into place.”

“It is a great night at the theatre.”

“This is art about the importance of art and is both uplifting and hopeful.”

“Tru delivers a beautifully realised evening in the company of one of the great wits of the last century, led by an understatedly magnetic Ferguson.”

“If you happen to be in the neighbourhood, be sure to take a seat at Table 17.”

“Following three friends and a dog as they take a calamitous boat trip up the Thames from Kingston to Oxford, Al Smith’s madcap new version is stupendously silly and full of frivolous fun.”

“Sting gives a spirited performance as the illness-riddled foreman Jackie White, bringing his real-life experience living in Wallsend and landing the show some-much needed heart.”

“But there’s an uncomfortable sense that by setting out to trigger a reaction, it is a little too sure of its own importance.”

“The doubling of Miles and Flora with the silent adult roles of Quint and Jessel was borne of necessity (as Lloyd Malcolm’s programme note explains) but it succeeds in complicating the disturbing relationships between the children and the deceased adults even further.”

“But it all feels meagre, slow-paced, stripped of excitement and crucially of that sense of liberation which powers the narrative even as it dips towards its inevitable close.”

“Technically, it’s striking and impressive but a fine production can’t quite compensate for the fact that, in turning three books into a fairly short play with only six actors, Reader’s adaptation sometimes feels like a symphony rescored for a sextet who can’t quite hit the right notes.”

“Ajufo is a firecracker on stage.”

“Frustrated by stunted writing, Darkling doesn’t penetrate beyond the surface level of its ideas.”

“But in a production as good as this one by Sam Yates and with a forceful central performance by Josh O’Connor as Joe Bonaparte, violinist turned boxer in Depression-era America, it makes its case as a powerful, admonitory slice of theatre noir.”

“The production works best when it embraces itself as an exuberant celebration of 1950s music: joyful, nostalgic and irresistible, but attempts to add greater historical or dramatic weight instead expose thin characterisation, particularly for Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.”

“What I expected to be a nice, sweet Friday-night post-work watch turned out to be funny, thought-provoking, unsettling and ultimately deeply moving.”

“A play written in the 1980s speaks loudly today and makes another fine addition to the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary season.”

“The tension and cleverness of its conception never falters, and the words rise like a sword taking on the world.”

“As a show, it’s as big of heart as it’s loud of mouth and, ultimately, just an awful lot of fun.”

“While the show does not always capture the full revolutionary spark, it’s still a moving revival of a groundbreaking piece of theatre.”

“However, although it doesn’t quite convince as an overlooked masterpiece, there is no doubt it has merits, together with some stonking central performances, and is one that musical aficionados won’t want to miss.”

“No wonder that it won five Tonys, including Best Musical, when it appeared on Broadway in 2022 (after an off-Broadway run the previous year).”

“Other than this, the evening is neither offensive nor intriguing, but largely forgettable, a shame given what it might have been.”

“Dyer’s direction is superbly confident, and beautifully realised as characters speak and argue in parallel scenes.”

“It’s a gloriously rich play, wonderfully realised in a production that holds its contradictions gently in its hands and just lets its subtleties reveal themselves.”

“It's an odd night of theatre, but their presence makes it a thrilling one.”

“So it is with As It, a perfect pageant to see us past the end of summer.”

“If ChatGPT were commissioned to write a play about Marilyn Monroe, it would probably look a lot like this.”

“Ultimately, the worst thing about Death Note: The Musical is the fact that it’s only at the Barbican for a mere five weeks.”

“A deliciously amusing exposure of class anxiety and gender politics, it is as relevant today as it was when written in 1969.”

“The oddest musical works its magic again.”

“This disappointing musical sounds less like an affair played on a jukebox and more a set of tunes assembled by someone learning to scratch.”

“However, if you’re just looking for some lo-fi family-friendly fun with a few good songs, I’d hold on for panto season.”

“This production understands that how a thing is lit is part of how a thing is done.”

“Bold, sexy, theatrical and thoroughly entertaining, The Car Man proves to remain a standout in the New Adventures repertoire.”

“It’s fantastical and disarming in a way that normally seems out of reach for adult theatre.”

“Performances are faultless; deeply unsettling and heartrending in equal measure, except Leo Bill’s Tinker, who is only the former.”

“What could have been a gimmick proves irresistible, with an abundance of creativity, energy, and heart.”

“A collector’s item for Wilde connoisseurs and a moderately entertaining evening for everyone else.”

“Ultimately it’s the ineptitude rather than the tricky subject matter that sinks Trainspotting The Musical.”

“This is a rare opportunity to see a singular talent at the top of his game giving full virtuoso flex to material that feels ripe with embryonic potential.”

“It’s the scrappy upstart to The Book of Mormon’s slick West End production; a winning combination of nerdy musical theatre and boundary-pushing obscenities.”

“Indeed, walking that line is the show’s biggest challenge.”

“The second act of Simon Stone’s The Oresteia is one of the most gripping, visceral and biting hours of drama you are ever likely to see on stage.”

“Darkly funny with a talented cast to boot, this cult classic will have you laughing when you shouldn’t and reflecting on your teenage years and the emotional rollercoaster of those raging hormones and the complexities of adolescent friendships.”

“The Jonathan Larson Project is a must for fans of his work – both fascinating and slightly melancholy.”

“This is a charming, intelligent evening of theatre that proves Shakespeare does not always need reinvention.”

“In Timothy Sheader’s immaculate production – first seen to Olivier-winning effect at Regent’s Park 10 years ago, and harnessing Drew McOnie’s pin-sharp choreography – this is a religious leader ensnared by his own cult.”

“I couldn’t suspend my disbelief, so I was always distanced from what is undoubtedly an extraordinarily gripping and clever piece.”

“But perhaps in an attempt to attract a less likely audience, Banerjee has drowned all of this in a wash of wholesomeness and uncomplicated joy, which might sound nice but makes for a boring production.”

“Relics is terrific entertainment that is also about something urgent and relatable.”

“But amidst the mayhem, it’s sometimes difficult to discern what the overall point is.”

“The euphoria of the show’s conclusion, marking an event that really did change people and perceptions, is impossible to resist.”

“Adrian Lester delivers his best performance in donkeys’ years as Cyrano, at times playfully camp, other times sardonically steely as the tragic hero.”

“It all makes for a smart piece of summer programming, a fun Parisian romp with an intriguing note of melancholy.”

“A hot, sexy and unexpectedly poignant musical that feels both entertaining and urgently relevant.”

“Dramatically inert but musically magnificent, this is a solid tribute to a singular talent, and will undoubtedly prove a glamorous summer hit.”

“Swithinbank is clearly talented, and there’s real richness, viscerality and compassion in her ideas and writing style, but greater attention to detail is needed in order to make the piece resonate without distraction.”

“This is a Misanthrope full of interesting ideas and fine effects, but not quite enough bite or fury.”

“And it is a delight on a summer’s evening: a delicately calibrated and confident treat.”

“This new production, directed by Patrick Marber, has an all-female cast and a shifted perspective that is bold and thought-provoking, if not always theatrically successful.”

“It can’t sustain the delicate balance it has created – but it is undoubtedly both original and enjoyable.”

“Lipman is a delight to watch in this nostalgic and touching play.”

“White Rabbit Red Rabbit is as interesting for its history and background as it is in its own right.”

“Jess Edwards’ intense, superbly acted production is a masterpiece of controlled chaos, balancing the artificial with raw anguish and gallows humour.”

“Happily, Rachel Kavanaugh’s production does almost everything right, matching Kiss Me, Kate and only fractionally short of Anything Goes, in being a lavish, big-hearted revival that never leaves its audience shortchanged: a swellegant, elegant party indeed.”

“It earns its tears honestly, which is rarer than it sounds; grown adults leave looking like they’ve taken a part-time job chopping onions.”

“It means the show is constantly an amusing ride, but never really flashes its teeth.”

“With over 21 songs, Luke Gage has created a masterpiece of a musical on queer love which uplifts, entertains and unites.”

“Her energy, commitment, and skills as a comic and mimic are tremendous, but ultimately this feels more like a highly accomplished impersonation than a fully rounded characterisation.”

“Its tender truthfulness makes Care a great play.”

“Together, they allow Equus once again to cast its spell as an outstanding and gripping piece of storytelling, a great leap of theatrical imagination.”

“Judged purely as a piece of musical theatre, on story, on song, on craft, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals is arguably a two-star show.”

“It’s playful but sincerely meditative.”

“That inconsistency is the main issue.”

“The design is indeed rather more subtle than some of the writing which has the obviousness of a hammer blow, and a plot that twists and turns bewilderingly before ending up where Holmes enthusiasts might always have guessed it would land.”

“Unfortunately even a fantastic performance can’t redeem a piece with no content.”

“It’s a bold, essential piece of theatre that the West End should always look to have on its stages.”

“He isn’t either as moving or as desperate as some of his predecessors in the role, adopting a richer voice for the recording and a reedy growl as the older Krapp querulously interjects about the younger man’s foolishness.”

“Miranda Raison brings her to wonderfully spirited, clever life, as the play examines her relationship with Henry Irving.”

“Tender is a wildly entertaining play that balances comedy with emotional depth, while sharing a unique exploration of masculinity.”

“This riveting tale is a promising start for Laird as a playwright.”

“Nobody strips bare carefully constructed characters and the downside of the American Dream like Arthur Miller, and if this isn’t one of his absolute best, it’s still a damn satisfying evening in the theatre, especially in as fine a production as this one.”

“Sweid is an extraordinarily engaging presence. He flirts with the audience, turning emotions this way and that, never losing the thread of the complexity of the ideas he wants to convey.”

“Decades on, Avenue Q remains a delight, the theatrical definition of naughty but nice.”

“Bold, precise and deeply affecting, it grips from first beat to final silence, powered by a company firing on every level.”

“Heart Wall is poignant and thought-provoking: with a tighter focus, it could deliver even more impact.”

“Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a sweet story full of wit and goodness and a sense that everything will be alright in the end.”

“These sections add less, and indeed it is the show’s space-escape premise that proves its biggest challenge.”

“Alex Kingston is simply superb as Margrethe, bringing a sardonic tone of reality to the men's endless debate.”

“Manville and Turner are simply superb, their performances deep and thoughtful.”

“If it isn’t quite up there with Icke’s best, that’s only because he has set the bar so high.”