I’m a believer in the power of theatre to inspire youth and a quick trip to the Churchill Theatre in Bromley reinforced my thoughts as the curtain was raised on the Summer Youth Production of Jeanine Tesori & David Lindsay-Abaire’s Shrek the Musical. In a swamp in a forest lives an ogre by the name of Shrek (Daniel Pratten, Benedict King and Ben Salter). He … [Read more...]
London Musical Reviews for West End and Off West End
If you are planning to visit London to see a musical on stage at one of the West End theatres, or a musical in one of the many Off West End or Fringe venues, then maybe our London musical reviews section can be of help? Read one of the latest reviews or use the search button to find and view one of our previous reviews. We use a star rating system on our site.
Six: ‘something about the feistiness, the sassiness, the riotousness of it all’
There’s a good mix of musical styles amongst the ten musical numbers, though most of the melodies are firmly in the style of what I call ‘minicab music’ – the sort of chart music tunes I would only listen to if I were being driven home and the driver just so happened to have the radio on. But there’s something about the feistiness, the sassiness, the riotousness of it all. I liked the music so much I bought the cast recording on the way out. It only leaves me to wish Six a long and glorious reign.
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Parade by The National Youth Music Theatre at The Other Palace
The National Youth Music Theatre have been training and inspiring young people in that discipline for over forty years. Their alumni include Idris Elba, Kerry Ellis, Michael Jibson and Jasper Britton. These are big boots to fill but the class of 2019 are doing them proud as they showcase their talents in Parade at The Other Palace. First performed on Broadway in … [Read more...]
My Son Pinocchio Jr. at Southwark Playhouse | Review
In My Son Pinocchio Jr, the classic tale of toymaker Geppetto’s little wooden puppet is given new life. The musical, which retells the classic story from Geppetto’s perspective, features the beloved immortal songs “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “I’ve Got No Strings” from the 1940 Disney animated classic Pinocchio, alongside a number of new songs by Oscar and Grammy … [Read more...]
Review of Blues in the Night at the Kiln Theatre
Mark Dickman at the piano leads a five-piece band, called ‘Oscar and The Strollers’, through twenty-seven musical numbers in Blues in the Night, more of a revue than a musical. There is some dialogue, but not a huge amount, and if you’re after those things called ‘plot’ and ‘character development’, then frankly your evening (or indeed matinee) is best spent elsewhere. … [Read more...]
Review of The View UpStairs at Soho Theatre
Inspired by the true story of the 1973 arson attack which was the largest single attack against the LGBTQ+ community until the Pulse Nightclub shootings in Florida in 2016, The View UpStairs is a musical about 'friendship, community, how far we’ve come and how far we still have yet to go'. Following Wes, a millennial fashion designer who has just brought an … [Read more...]
The Bridges of Madison County at the Menier Chocolate Factory
“When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around / Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?” So asks the title character in Dear Evan Hansen in the musical number ‘Waving Through A Window’. In The Bridges of Madison County, a broadly similar scenario is presented to Francesca Johnson (Jenna Russell), an Italian who started a new life in the United … [Read more...]
Review of Parenthood at The Space
The flyer says, ‘Not an Instagram version of parenting’ and Emily & Pete Moody’s musical is exactly that. On the hottest evening ever we needed some refreshing entertainment, and this we were given by the barrow load. From the laddish testosterone-fuelled bragging blokes and the naïve girls who definitely “won’t be having an epidural”, to the grandparents … [Read more...]
Review of Avenue Q at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
In 1969 Sesame Street hit public television, it took the world by storm and for many years was the absolute king when anyone talked of puppetry. Jim Henson - one of the main contributors to Sesame Street - branched off and produced The Muppets, who (along with Sesame Street), reigned supreme as puppetry masters of the entertainment world. That was until 2003, when … [Read more...]
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! | Festival Theatre, Chichester
Put it this way: the last summer musical that transferred from the Chichester Festival Theatre to the West End (Festival 2016’s Half A Sixpence, for those who need a memory jog) also ended with a newly married couple getting into a motorcar and driving off while very nearly all the other characters wave them goodbye. Oklahoma!, unlike that other show, is as American … [Read more...]