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A one-night-only orchestral tribute to Jim Steinman delivers a cohesive and energetic evening, balancing his best-known hits with deeper cuts that rarely surface in live performance. Bat Out of Hell, which premiered in 2017, remains one of the more effective jukebox musicals, its loose Peter Pan-inspired narrative providing just enough structure to support Steinman’s characteristically […]
When Kinky Boots first stepped into the West End in 2015, it did so with swagger. This revival leans just as confidently into its camp sensibility, but reframes the story with a sharper, more reflective focus on masculinity and identity in a more volatile cultural moment. Based on the 2005 film, with a book by […]
I rarely begin a review by singling out the creatives, but Paul Willis’s set design alone makes a compelling case for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding to transfer to the West End—and to contend for Olivier recognition. That this production of Jocelyn Bioh’s 2023 play is currently staged off-West End feels surprising. Following its multiple Tony […]
A world-famous children’s author under threat. A battle of wills in the wake of scandal. And one chance to make amends…
There’s a trailer for an American version of Re-Animator The Musical that features a large cast, impressive songs and a heavy dose of blood and gore that makes it look like it’s a delight, at least if you’re fond of musical parodies of daft comedy horror films. As it goes they’re one of my favourite […]
George Takei proudly puts his name to this moving musical about the forced internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII isn’t an easy watch but it puts the heart and soul into a period of history rarely spoken about. Takei’s presence in London, in any other production, would no doubt be seen as stunt casting but his […]
A true home-grown sensation, Six has gone from strength to strength, with a Broadway run and Australian tour currently playing. Having started at the Edinburgh Fringe, its word of mouth success has led it to it reigning supreme at the Vaudeville Theatre. Six tells the story of the wives of Henry VIII – nowadays most […]
A plea for tolerance in an age of polarised politics. Timely or naive? Read on and find out!
After its debut in France in 2019 Jean-Paul Gaultier brings his fashion show cabaret to London. I have adored JPG since Eurotrash so I was very excited to see what this show had to offer. It is everything and more you would expect from the original Enfant Terrible of Fashion-gratuitous, bright, loud and a fantastic […]
Acclaimed screenwriter John Goldsmith brings his first play to Charing Cross Theatre this summer. It is set in 2002, the year of the Golden Jubilee, and imagines an encounter between a Republican school teacher Derek (Charlie Condou) and Queen Elizabeth II (Mary Roscoe) when they get stuck in a toilet together. Goldsmith’s comedy isn’t sure […]