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Helen Dallimore talks Wicked’s 20th anniversary in the West End: “The most effective comedy is always grounded in truth”
Following last month’s thrillifying celebrations as the hit musical enters its third decade, London’s original Glinda reflects on her journey with the show, chatting with Guillermo Nazara about its challenges, lessons, and what’s made it popular for good. How did it feel to reunite with the show that started your career in musical theatre? It…
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Review of ‘The Brown Suite’: “Colourful dance montage is still a little green”
It follows the right path; it just doesn’t take all the right steps. It’s hard not to see all the possibilities dancing around this high-octane montage, set to some of the greatest R&B classics of the 20th century. It does exploit its potential at times. So much so that it’d be fair to call it…
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In the rehearsal room of ‘From The Heart’
From legendary pop hits to some of the most iconic film and show tunes ever written, Don Black’s career has shaped the course of music by penning unforgettable words to timeless melodies. Join us as we sneak into the rehearsal room for this once-in-a-lifetime, star-studded concert celebrating the forever diamonds of his work. From The…
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Review of ‘Hay Fever’ (Wyndham’s Theatre, 2026): “Drowsy performances are something to sneeze at”
“Don’t be so theatrical”, cries Christine Baranski’s son (only in fiction) as her character engages in one of her overdramatic tantrums. A confused audience chuckles. The thing is that she isn’t as flamboyant as her family tries to paint her. In fact, you may say that she isn’t flamboyant at all. Those who know her,…
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Review of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ (Soho Place, 2026): “Billy Crudup and Gillian Anderson are the hottest hot mess in town”
She’s finally done it. She’s no longer flat and boring as when she portrayed the nagging nonbeliever Dana Scully. And she isn’t the inaccurate caricature she played as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown. I must say I am really shocked. Surprised might be the word. And I shall add “pleasantly” to the description. Here comes…
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Review of ‘Rhythm Riot’ (Sadler’s Wells, 2026): “Superb middle section and satisfying conclusion make up for clunky opening”
This is the kind of show that proves how important it is to return after the interval. It’s not that Act One was appalling. But it wasn’t awe-striking either. Not by the standards of what the English National Ballet has offered us in the past. You can breathe a sigh of relief, however. This is…
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Dame Evelyn Glennie talks upcoming new concert ‘Percussive Power’: “We ask the audience to simply be curious”
Following their latest collaboration at last summer’s BBC Proms, the world-acclaimed percussionist reunites with the Fantasia Orchestra for a special performance featuring an eclectic, innovative repertoire. Guillermo Nazara chats with the artist about the process of reimagining the classics, creating new work, and her quest to make music an unpredictable adventure. How does it feel…
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Review of ‘Darkling’: “Coming-of-age drama doesn’t reach maturity, and neither does the performance”
The pieces are all there. Some of them are properly assembled. Others (perhaps most) need further polishing for the whole thing to come together. Still, something pulsates about Darkling, a play that depicts the struggles of a disadvantaged Indian girl born into strict cultural traditions, culminating in the infamous Bhopal disaster that changed and, in…
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Review of ‘Table 17’: “Lacklustre rom-com isn’t out of date, but it isn’t flavourful either”
Maybe I’m just a cynic. Or maybe life has taught me well. But this isn’t the kind of story that melts my heart. Nor is it the type of humour that gets me. To be fair, I do enjoy a good romantic comedy. And this play features two of those three terms: there’s love (in…
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Review of ‘The Last Ship’: “Sting’s hulk of a musical sinks on its West End maiden voyage”
It flopped on Broadway. No wonder why. The reason has nothing to do with Americans not understanding the struggles of working-class Britons. The show is just bad. Terribly bad. From a sluggish plot devoid of grip and poignancy to a clueless, nondescript score, there are no redeeming features (or even a speck of adequacy) in…
