London Archives - North West End UK

17Dec

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Indian Ink – Hampstead Theatre

The desire to see this Hampstead Theatre revival of Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink, was initially fuelled by the theatrical double whammy of Felicity Kendal, combined with one of the UK’s most celebrated living playwrights. This dramatic cocktail of talents is an established winner as the pair were once an item and their partnership garnered much critical acclaim. Kendal is often referred to as his muse and Stoppard wrote the character of Flora Crewe specifically for her. The original text is dedicated to her mother, Laura Kendal, who like her daughter, spent a childhood in India. Born in 1937, Sir Tom Stoppard died on 29 November 2025, during rehearsals for this production. In this show, Kendal was no longer playing a scandalous, spirited 1930s poet, but the matriarchal sister of Flora Crew...

17Dec

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Twelfth Night: RSC at the Barbican

Sometimes a director tries too hard to bring a novel or unusual interpretation to Shakespeare's work, producing a confused and ultimately unsatisfactory production. This unfortunately is the case with Prasanna Puwanarajah's version of Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company, recently transferred to the Barbican from Stratford. There is much to like about this production. The acting was universally good and used Shakespeare's words for the most part, only annotated with the occasional modernism, and the delivery of the lines made the story very easy to understand. Music is intrinsic to this play and the musical score produced by Matt Maltese was excellent. The costumes were eclectic, reflecting a modern era with one or two extraordinary exceptions such as Feste's initial costume,...

Prashasti Singh: Divine Feminine – Soho Theatre

17Dec

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Prashasti Singh: Divine Feminine – Soho Theatre

Over the course of a very entertaining hour, Prashasti Singh reckons with her relationship to femininity and womanhood, while discussing childhood, dating, aging, and self-help podcasts. Although it may seem like Singh is rehashing topics that have been covered to death in stand-up comedy, she brings an individual and hilarious flair. The content of the show is largely cynical and pessimistic but is delivered in an energetic and playful manner. From the very beginning, Singh’s biting but good-humoured crowd work reassures the audience that they are in safe hands and primes them for the sardonic humour to come. The show’s cynicism is tempered by descriptions of Singh’s (attempted) self-reflection and self-improvement, which is the source of some of the funniest material. From Sing...

17Dec

By Samantha CollettNo Comments

London

Top Hat the Musical – Southbank Centre

90 years after Irving Berlin’s 1935 classic film ‘Top Hat’, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers enthralled audiences, this latest musical adaptation by Matthew White and Howard Jacques is doing the same. The opening scene of ‘Putting on the Ritz’ kicks off the show with an energetic tapdancing routine readying the audience for a splendidly choreographed night that will thrill any ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ fan. The story is a simple love farce of mistaken identity. Jerry Travers (Phillip Attmore) is the big star of a new show Horace Hardwick (Clive Carter) is bankrolling. Jerry falls for the charms of Dale Tremont (Amara Okereke) and instantly love bombs her. Dale is at first unsure but then falls for him. Only to then erroneously think he is already married to her friend Madge Hard...

Christmas Carol Goes Wrong – Apollo Theatre

15Dec

By Gemma PrinceNo Comments

London

Christmas Carol Goes Wrong – Apollo Theatre

Mischief’s comedy crew are back and better than ever in their latest rendition of A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre. Directed by Matt DiCarlo, the story follows the fictional Cornley Drama Society in their attempt to re-create Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale, with hilariously chaotic consequences. In a style like Mischief’s other Goes Wrong shows, which have firmly cemented them as comedic geniuses, we see the original Mischief team reunited, including Nancy Zamit, Greg Tannahill, Chris Leask, Jonathan Hall, and Henry Lewis, joined by Sasha Frost, Daniel Fraser, and Matt Cavendish. We see some familiar characters from the Goes Wrong franchise return, including Chris, Robert, Nancy, and Dennis. Getting to see these characters in a different setting but as funny a...

Gawain and the Green Knight – Park Theatre

15Dec

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Gawain and the Green Knight – Park Theatre

Based on the medieval Arthurian poem, Gawain and the Green Knight is a new reinterpretation by Felix Grainger and Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson, that transposes the story to a modern-day corporate setting. Cybersecurity firm Camelot Corp is undergoing major restructuring and rebranding. The CEO Arthur (Cara Steele) has decided to adopt a new model that mimics stories of the heroic Knights of the Round Table. Gary (Felix Grainger) – redubbed Gawain – is being sacked (exiled) just before Christmas for being too boring and lacking “spark”. When a mysterious green stranger shows up at the office Christmas party and proposes a game, Gawain accepts the challenge, beheads the stranger, and wins the respect of his boss. One year later, Gawain must uphold his end of the game and journey by elevator t...

Revenge: After The Levoyah – Soho Theatre

14Dec

By Charles PipeNo Comments

London

Revenge: After The Levoyah – Soho Theatre

Following the death of their grandfather, in the midst of the 2019 allegations of antisemitism within the Labour Party, Jewish twins Lauren (Gemma Barnett) and Ben (Charlie Cassen) are recruited by Malcolm Spivak to “do something about it”. Malcolm’s plan is to kidnap Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Nick Cassenbaum’s hilarious script satirises the media’s frenzied attacks on Jeremy Corbyn in the lead up to the 2019 General Election. Although set in 2019, there are clear modern-day parallels; claims of antisemitism are frequently used to discount any criticism of the State of Israel and its actions in Gaza. As well as being a sharp satire, the play excels as a spoof of gangster, heist, and spy movies. The playful script, dynamic direction, and evocative sound and lighting design perfe...

14Dec

By Eleanor HallNo Comments

London

Evita Too – Southbank Centre

A joyously inventive dissection of Isabel Perón’s life, 'Evita Too' is an unforgettable piece of theatre. Questing to write a musical about Isabel - who is still alive, according to Wikipedia - Rebecca Biscuit and Louise Mothersole artfully interweave historical facts with the comic iconography of 'Evita'. Having already completed a run at Soho Theatre, this show was ambitious in its use of the Southbank’s more spacious Purcell Room to explore power dynamics with a playful approach. Clowning and music were the instruments of choice in this interrogation of the legacy of a woman forgotten, despite being the world’s first female president. Thrown to the wind was the invention of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, with Sh!t Theatre's original songs embargoing any familiar intrusions. ...

12Dec

By Dave SmithNo Comments

London

Kenrex – The Other Palace

A true crime story of a still unsolved crime in small town America, KENREX blends genres, true crime, western, music into something far, far greater than the sum of its parts. What begins as an almost true crime podcast style reconstruction of a murder turns into a study of how a small community shapes its own mythology, and how fear, loyalty and silence can outlast the truth. After acclaimed runs in Sheffield and Southwark Playhouse, this transfer to The Other Palace just confirms how brilliant KENREX is. Ken Rex McElroy was a violent bully who terrorised the small town of Skidmore, Missouri, for years. With no sheriff and no police within an hour's drive, the law was never able to stop him. A snake-oil lawyer (with a brilliant introduction that almost adds musical as a genre to ...

12Dec

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Robin Hood – New Wimbledon Theatre

Christmastime always brings with it the joyful traditions of British pantomime, and each year theatres across the country welcome new celebrity cast members to add sparkle to the season. This year, New Wimbledon Theatre presents a lively and colourful production of Robin Hood, made all the more exciting by the appearance of the hugely talented dance group Diversity. Their presence alone elevates this pantomime into something uniquely energetic and memorable. The show follows the familiar story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men as they steal from the rich to give to the poor, all while the villainous Sheriff plots to capture the hero. While the narrative remains classic panto fare, the production values make it feel fresh and engaging. The sets are beautifully designed, bursting with vibra...