Monday, December 15

London

Bill – Omnibus Theatre
London

Bill – Omnibus Theatre

In the age of disinformation, Red Fox Theatre has put together a musical comedy to tell the story of the man who started it all: Milton William ‘Bill’ Cooper. I must admit, I wasn’t actually familiar with Cooper myself before watching Bill, so I was looking forward to learning something new — and about such an incredibly timely subject. Bill isn’t a straightforward autobiographical show. Describing themselves as practitioners of ‘Chaos Theatre’, Red Fox Theatre bring us a suitably bonkers retelling of one of America’s most notorious conspiracy theorists. There’s music, puppetry, physical comedy, parodies and more — it’s a ‘kitchen sink’ style approach to storytelling that I am pretty much always a fan of. Sometimes the chaos can make it tricky to follow the thread of the stor...
Homo Alone – The Other Palace
London

Homo Alone – The Other Palace

Homo Alone is an uproariously entertaining musical parody of the beloved Christmas classic Home Alone, but with a twist that injects fresh humour, unexpected plot turns, and a ton of campy fun. From its inventive storyline to its clever performances, the show breathes new life into the familiar tale of Kevin McCallister—a young boy who is accidentally left behind when his family goes on a holiday trip to Paris. While staying true to the core premise of Home Alone, Homo Alone spices things up with a series of delightful additions and twists. The show not only follows Kevin’s mischievous antics but also enriches the narrative with cheeky references to iconic pop culture moments. From nods to The Wizard of Oz and Wicked to Celine Dion tributes, the humour is fresh, sharp, and bursting ...
The Devil Wears Prada – Dominion Theatre
London

The Devil Wears Prada – Dominion Theatre

Gird your loins and dust off your chicest cerulean garb: The Devil Wears Prada has strutted its way onto the West End. The 2006 comedy-drama movie retains a legion of fans nearly twenty years on, with a sequel reportedly on the horizon. This leaves the musical — with a book by Kate Wetherhead, lyrics by Shaina Taub & Mark Sonnenblick, and music by Elton John — with big stilettos to fill. Its first iteration in Chicago back in 2022 received middling reviews, which begs the question: has its London premiere had enough of a glow up to earn a place amongst the theatre A-list? If you’ve seen the movie, I don’t need to summarise the plot — little has changed. If you haven’t seen the movie (in which case, fix that immediately), here’s the gist. In the bustling metropolis of New York we ...
A Trojan Woman – Kings Head Theatre
London

A Trojan Woman – Kings Head Theatre

Sara Farrington’s A Trojan Woman simplifies and condenses Euripides’ The Trojan Women into a one woman hour long epic. With domestically inspired costumes and props reminiscent of a STOMP special, solo performer Drita Kabashi bends and billows her way through the performance of a panoply of (bicycle) helmeted soldiers, uncrowned queens, and childless mothers “in the chaos of modern warfare”. The lack of specificity in the setting and the generic dressing of the set unfortunately undercut the tragedy of the story being told under the shadow of horrific and unique atrocities very much at the forefront of viewers’ engagement with any war focused media today. Meghan Finn’s direction makes good use of the theatrical space but frequent transitions between broad comedy, reflective dance...
Stranger Than the Moon – Coronet Theatre
London

Stranger Than the Moon – Coronet Theatre

The Coronet Theatre’s Stranger Than the Moon offers a poetic and contemplative exploration of Bertolt Brecht’s restless mind, one of the giants of 20th-century theatre. Directed by Oliver Reese, the production dives headfirst into the fractured psyche of the German soul—seduced by its own intellectual sharpness yet shattered by the horrors and absurdities of the human race. The show opens with the haunting refrain, “I live in dark times,” establishing a tone of existential unease. From there, it weaves a musical tapestry of Brecht’s own poems, songs, biographical notes, and video, exploring themes of absurdity and survival. This reflective approach, while intellectually engaging, sometimes falters, leaning into cerebral abstraction at the expense of theatrical dynamism. Brecht’s cha...
A Very Naughty Christmas – Southwark Playhouse
London

A Very Naughty Christmas – Southwark Playhouse

The ‘naughty set’ has arrived, fresh onto the London theatre scene from down under ready to shake up Christmas. Hold on to your hats as there are not many clothes featured in this Australian production, billed as a comedy concert for strictly adult members only. This one and half hours contains skits, dancing and burlesque whilst showcasing a musical feast of popular music to traditional Christmas tunes spiced up, reworded in a way you have never heard before or may never hear again. It’s rogue it’s risqué with tantalising moments of indulgence which hits the funny bone and very suited the mood and ambience of ‘A Very Naughty Christmas’ indeed, ‘Santa Loves You Less Because You’re poor’ ‘Jingle ball’s’ maybe not one to sing out loud; yes you get the idea. Photo: Mark Senior There are...
Expendable – The Royal Court
London

Expendable – The Royal Court

Emteaz Hussain's ‘Expendable’ bravely tackles the harrowing realities of fear, misogyny, and the fractures within communities targeted by media and public hysteria. Inspired by the devastating fallout from child-grooming scandals in the North of England, the play presents a gripping exploration of these themes through the lens of one British-Pakistani family. The story unfolds entirely within the intimate confines of a kitchen-diner, meticulously designed by Natasha Jenkins. The set is more than a backdrop, it’s a character in itself, immersing the audience in domestic chaos with its scents of chopped onions, cooking pizza and antiseptic, and the hum of boiling kettles. Immersing the audience on both sensory and emotional level, this setting reinforces the play’s focus on a very pri...
Jack and the Beanstalk: What A Whopper! – Charing Cross Theatre
London

Jack and the Beanstalk: What A Whopper! – Charing Cross Theatre

For those who think pantomime is merely a children’s festive pastime, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk: What a Whopper!’ gleefully shatters all expectations with its unapologetically adult spin on the classic theatre genre. Written by Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper and directed by Andrew Beckett, this production isn’t just sprinkled with innuendo, it’s flooded in wickedly clever humour and deliciously naughty smut, which keeps the audience roaring with laughter throughout. Photo: Steve Gregson From the moment the curtains rise it is clear that this is not your typical Christmas show. The plot, centered on Jack Trott’s (Keanu Adolphus Johnson) quest for something “truly giant”. Jack is poor, gay, and very horny, living 10 miles from the nearest Grindr user in the quaint Yorkshire Village of U...
A Christmas Carol (Ish) – Soho Place
London

A Christmas Carol (Ish) – Soho Place

A new Christmas themed show is in town! Written by and starring Nick Mohammed alongside Martha Howe Douglas, Kieran Hodgson and David Elms. Come for the stars, stay for the foot tapping music, earnest performances and imaginative set and expertise of the ensemble. Ten years in the making, Nick Mohammed in the avatar of Mr. Swallow/ Mr. Scrooge/ Santa Claus is a talented actor subverting all our understandings, memories and assumptions around Christmas. One need not be familiar with the character Mr Swallow to enjoy his quirks. They are able to incorporate Pantomime elements of repetition with crowd work, choreography and musical extravaganza. Complete with their shiny costumes, references to present events it is a laugh riot. Nick Mohammed, most popular for his portrayal of Na...
All’s Well That Ends Well – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
London

All’s Well That Ends Well – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

All's Well is a tricky play for both performers and audience as the plot is rather implausible, and the characters can be interpreted in numerous different ways. It has never been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and is performed relatively infrequently. Director Chelsea Walker and the cast are to be congratulated on a lively and comprehensible new production in the Sam Wanamaker's beautiful candle lit theatre. The director chose to present the play on entirely bare stage with no stage furniture or scenery and minimal props. The costumes were modern and simple but appropriate with colour coordination to indicate the location of the scenes. It was accompanied by beautiful musical interludes under the direction of Louise Duggan, with Angela Hicks as the soprano whose voice provided...