With the question of whether Shakespeare should be staged out of its original time period being one of contention, it is refreshing to see Matthew Dunster’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream merge beautifully with the humour and baseness of channel 4’s Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, resonating with stories of the traveling community trafficking and enslaving vulnerable men. All this mixed up with the wonderful, magical and mysterious world of fairies and the things that go bump in the … [Read more...]
London Theatre Reviews - West End & Off West End
Latest London Theatre Reviews
Read our latest theatre reviews and find out what our team of reviewers thought of London's latest productions of plays, musicals and shows. Browse our website for London Theatre Tickets for London West End Theatres. Book tickets for shows, musicals, plays, drama, opera, dance, comedy & more!
Review of Saint Joan at The Rose Bankside
Constanza Hola has created with ingenious direction a production where St Joan lives out her dramatic tale in the 21st Century. With a modern soundtrack, an appearance of an ipad, and Joan entering chewing gum dressed as a gothic rock chick listening to her iPod, we know this will be no ordinary revival. The Rose Theatre, Bankside, steeped in history is the perfect setting for Saint Joan. Bernard Shaw wrote St Joan soon after Joan of Arc's canonisation by the Roman Catholic Church. We … [Read more...]
Ghost The Musical Review Piccadilly Theatre London
I hadn't gone to see Ghost The Musical primarily because I'm a bit old-fashioned and prefer my musicals pop-free! However, off I went with my pre-conceptions and cynical demeanour to the Piccadilly Theatre. And while I have to admit I was wrong to assume a new musical based on a film with a pop music composer would be bad, I wasn't as pleasantly surprised as I thought I would be. The one thing that did not disappoint was that the book stayed as close to the plot of the film as possible. As a … [Read more...]
All New People review
All New People, following an evening in the company of four mismatched no-hopers, is set in the dead of winter on a deserted Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Zach Braff's dark comedy, directed by Peter DuBois, is an onslaught of wit, awkward humour and dim-witted farce. This was my first visit to the Duke of York's Theatre since Phantom of the Opera several years ago, and the atmosphere on entering could not have been more different. The broken chandelier had been replaced with a vintage record … [Read more...]
The Houdini Experience Review Peacock Theatre
Are you ready, London? Last night, sat in the Sadler's Wells Peacock Theatre, I was nervous for two reasons. One, because I was on a third date, and two - because I adore magic. When a show is titled 'The Houdini Experience' you are, naturally, filled with high expectations. Houdini is still considered the greatest. Nothing about the theatre particularly screamed 'magic show' but I suppose that is where the magic really begins and it represented, instantly, the element of surprise. Hans … [Read more...]
Singin’ In The Rain Review The Palace Theatre
Singin’ In The Rain The Palace Theatre Don Lockwood - Adam Cooper Cosmo Brown - Daniel Crossley Kathy Selden - Scarlett Strallen Lina Lamont - Katherine Kinglsey Based on the popular 1952 MGM film, Singin’ In The Rain is a title that is synonymous with Gene Kelly and the style of the era. Before the curtain even rose, as an audience member, I already had my own preconceptions of how the show should appear based on my knowledge of the film, and I expect the majority of the audience had … [Read more...]
Oliver! UK Tour at Manchester Review
First time I've ever been to a Sunday matinee... and The Palace Theatre on Manchester's Oxford Road is a suitably impressive place to start. This is the venue for the current leg of the Oliver! UK Tour, and there seems to be a real sense of excitement and anticipation in the packed foyer pre-show. It's easy to understand why - this show is a an absolute classic, much loved by young and old, and mostly anyone in between. So how does the latest incarnation of Lionel Bart's masterpiece stack up? … [Read more...]