REVIEWS Archives - Page 2 of 636

15Oct

By Shivangi NigamNo Comments

London

Pretty Ugly – Camden People’s Theatre

We all wrestle with existential questions, but what makes a performer an artist of those questions is worth experiencing firsthand. Theo Chen’s Pretty Ugly at Camden People’s Theatre is a bold, coming-of-age solo show that captures a personal journey from being a bullied child to a performer who ultimately brings the entire audience onto their feet. It is a daring live memoir blending song and story, even if the emotional resonance doesn't fully reach every corner of the auditorium. The performance shines brightest in its moments of raw vulnerability—particularly during Theo's realization of what once made him feel "ugly" and his process of letting it go. As a storyteller, Theo possesses a natural grace and physical ease that immediately bridges the gap between performer and spectat...

15Oct

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Who Are We? – Southbank Centre

Baro d’evel’s Who Are We? is a uniquely multidisciplinary spectacle, combining dance, music, acrobatics, ceramics, and clowning to bring a modern-day circus to the iconic Southbank Centre. Rather than a distinct plot, the show comprises individual moments loosely tied together by overarching themes such as identity, fear, and hope. Through movement, sound, and the clever manipulation of clay, Baro d’evel connects with the audience without many words – and much of the script isn’t in English anyway. The action on stage interacts with Lluc Castells’s fluid and earthy set design to also draw on the connection between humanity and the natural world, as well as the devastating damage we’re doing to it. I found the moments in which this connection was emphasised to be particularly emotiona...

15Oct

By Naina SidhuNo Comments

London

Jane Eyre – Rose Theatre

Jane Eyre has always been on my to-read list but quite honestly, it has always seemed just out of reach. Like many of the classics, its prestige is intimidating and whether its 19th century-isms hold up across time, was a question I wasn’t sure that I wanted the answer to. However, this riveting production breaks down all temporal barriers and imbues a timelessness, reconciling visions of hope and resilience. Charlotte Bronte’s magnum opus is colourised beautifully in Lily Dyble’s production. Photo: Johan Persson The gripping story explores a young woman’s tumultuous life, hardship cascading from her neglected childhood to her adult life as a love-torn governess. Its striking representations of endurance is vulnerable in all the right places. Anna Yates’ set design in conjunction wit...

The Notion of Recompense – Old Red Lion Theatre

15Oct

By Naina SidhuNo Comments

London

The Notion of Recompense – Old Red Lion Theatre

It’s clear that English Gothic folklore is defining the horror genre as of this minute and its newest addition is a well-crafted production with a lot of heart. Nestled upstairs in the playhouse of the Old Red Lion, Kat Munroe’s and Eleanor Dunlop’s The Notion of Recompense feels like a secret kept from the outside world. This folkloric production crafts a small but haunting world that is bound to appeal to anyone who resonates with the films of Robert Eggers. Set in a medieval village, the story follows a woman navigating her return to domestic life after having been transformed into an owl by a witch. Tragedy and grief gradually embroil the rest of the village, particularly its young girls. The play grapples with a lot of material, wrestling between generational trauma, witchcraft...

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – Liverpool Playhouse

14Oct

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) – Liverpool Playhouse

Pride, Prejudice and a party like no other. Isobel McArthur’s interpretation of the Austen classic is equal parts ingenious and impressive; taking the fan-favourite story and giving it a life of its own with a clever, impactful spin on things. It’s no surprise that this production is delighting audiences all over the country, after an Olivier award winning run in London’s West End. Whether a passionate Janeite or someone who’s only seen the infamous “Wet Shirt Lake Scene” (no judgement here), you are guaranteed to have a jolly, good evening at the theatre. From the get-go, the maids of the house run around the auditorium causing mayhem, joking with the audience and setting the tone - you’re here to have a good time. Writer and Director McArthur, establishes the piece very well; i...

14Oct

By Natalia PrucnalNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Waitress – Sheffield Lyceum

The sugar and flour the cast were sprinkling on stage must’ve gotten in my eye during the performance of “Waitress” at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, because I couldn’t stop the tears from running throughout the entire performance. The entire production is meticulous and crisp, and the production team have somehow managed to find a really witty cast with the warmest and smoothest tones I’ve ever heard live. With 2026 being Waitress’ 10th anniversary, it’s no surprise that the hit Sara Bareilles songs and book by Jessie Nelson bring back the fire to theatres, alongside direction by Diane Paulus, beautiful restaging by Abbey O’Brien and diverse choreography by Lorin Latarro. “Waitress” is a musical set in the American South, about a waitress named Jenna who accidentally falls pregnant with...

Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody – Underbelly Boulevard Soho

14Oct

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody – Underbelly Boulevard Soho

Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is exactly what it promises to be: a gloriously outrageous send-up of the hit book and television series Heated Rivalry. From the moment the opening number, ‘What We Want’, begins, the production plunges us into Susan’s world, where women’s entertainment fantasies are summed up as “gay hockey players, with big butts having sex”. It immediately establishes the show’s unapologetically campy sense of humour and sets the tone for what follows: a whirlwind of innuendo, ridiculous scenarios and plenty of laughs. The music is one of the production’s biggest strengths. The catchy numbers do more than simply deliver punchlines; they help drive the storyline forward, introduce us to the characters and offer hilarious commentary on the world of He...

14Oct

By Max EdenNo Comments

North West

The Choir of Man – The Lowry

Every so often, a show comes along which reminds you that theatre doesn’t need elaborate scenery, spectacular special effects or a complicated storyline to leave an audience completely captivated. Sometimes all it takes is nine incredibly talented performers, a few pints and some fantastic music. The Choir of Man, currently playing at The Lowry as part of its first UK tour, delivers exactly that; an uplifting, energetic and surprisingly moving celebration of music, friendship and the importance of having somewhere to belong. Set inside a working pub called The Jungle, the show welcomes the audience into a world where everybody knows your name, the beer flows freely and the regulars just happen to possess extraordinary musical talent. From the moment the cast take to the stage, the...

14Oct

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Sylvia – Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

This is some show! Having watched Jersey Boys at the Edinburgh Playhouse the previous evening, I thought I had witnessed musical theatre at its most polished and professional. Twenty-four hours later, Sylvia at the Festival Theatre took the whole business to another level. The comparison is fascinating. Jersey Boys has the considerable advantage of being built around songs that generations already know and love. Recognition and nostalgia do much of the heavy lifting. Sylvia has no such luxury. We arrived knowing none of its songs, yet for two hours and forty-five minutes this extraordinary production held our attention almost without respite. That is no small achievement. Written by Kate Prince and Priya Parmar, with music by Josh Cohen and ...

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man – Birmingham Hippodrome

14Oct

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man – Birmingham Hippodrome

The sultry, slinky melodies of Carmen have been sliding across our collective consciousnesses since they slipped from George Bizet’s quill back in 1875 with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy in turn plundered from the novella by the gloriously named Prosper Merimee. I wonder if he ever did. At the time it was a ground-breaking and shocking presentation scandalising the good folk of Paris and within only 33 performances the composer was dead unaware of what a world-renowned classic he had given birth to. Commercials, movies, samplings, parodies, concerts and even the occasional ice dance all gleaned inspiration and clips from dear George. Opera houses across the globe rely on its crowd pleasing sauce and sex to light up the box-office which is does with relentless ease year aft...