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Review of ‘The Children’ (Lyric Hammersmith, 2026): “Nuclear tragedy misses some of its core”
I can’t stop thinking that the whole premise, message, and even title of this show come across as if they’re honouring (or written by) Helen Lovejoy. Yes, I mean the one from The Simpsons. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with puritan morality but her determination to protect the younger. And the fact that the…
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Review of ‘Rope Drop’: “Disneyland cabaret homage is no E-ticket attraction, but it has a fast pass”
It’s become fashionable to hate on Disney adults. Some argue that their entertainment is aimed at kids and kids alone, and you should move on once they hit puberty. Others claim that grown-ups’ admiration for The Big Cheese and everything it manufactures is almost sectarian and requires psychological examination. And others (probably, the majority) are…
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Review of ‘Jane Eyre: A Musical’ (Southwark Playhouse, 2026): “Poor, obscure, plain, and little adaptation is also soulless and heartless”
From (half of) the directional team that brought you Les Misérables, here comes a show that won’t fail to let you down. Yes, I’m aware of what most critics said when the “unsellable French musical” premiered at the Barbican — and of how, 40 years later, it continues to prove them wrong. But as a…
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Review of ‘Crybabies: The Scaring’: “Horror parody show is frightfully hysterical”
There are three possible outcomes when making a horror story: it can be either terrible, terrific, or terrifying. This one happens to be the last two. Despite the humour (and trust me when I say that there’s A LOT of that), you’ll still find a few solid screamers in it; if you don’t believe me,…
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Writer and performer Derek Murphy talks new queer play ‘Mammy’s House’: “We’re only just starting to properly reckon with how much of this history was left undocumented”
Following a two-year research process featuring numerous conversations with its real-life protagonists, Upstairs at the Gatehouse welcomes this new play celebrating the lives, friendship, and resilience of Irish LGBT immigrants living in London during the AIDS crisis. Guillermo Nazara chats with its creator to learn more about the piece’s development and its uncanny resonance with…
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Review of ‘Holy Fool’: “Shostakovich-themed play brings no harmony — but it doesn’t conflict either”
It’s difficult enough to sit through a two-and-a-half-hour play following a first-thing flight from New York for writers Rosalind Adler and Lea Sellers to make things worse. And worse, they make them — to a point where the tedium becomes torturous. Bear in mind that the plot is set during Stalin’s oppressive regime. But ironically,…
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Writers and performers Jordan Li-Smith and Ayesha Patel talk upcoming musical comedy ‘Rope Drop’: “As adults, we don’t always give ourselves permission to play, be silly or get excited about things”
The happiest place on earth travels to the London stage through this musical tribute celebrating its attractions, shows, and the memories that have turned millions of guests into lifelong fans. Guillermo Nazara chats with the creative team about the piece’s development and the ride it will take audiences on. How does it feel to be…
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Review of ‘As You Like It’ (2026, Shakespeare’s Globe): “Boisterous production is nearly madness; and, I tell you, doesn’t deserve as well a dark house or a whip”
There comes a time in the life of every theatre critic when the journey back home isn’t accompanied by a sense of burning frustration or sadistic desire — because, for a change, you’ve genuinely enjoyed every minute of what you’ve seen. There’s no twist coming up now — in case you were expecting it. This…
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Review of ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’ (2026, BBC Proms): “On point delivery almost makes up for undistinguished libretto”
I am conflicted. That might be a good sign when discussing art, depending on how you see it. But the thing is, I’m not really sure how I feel about this piece. I’m aware some opera fanatics consider it one of Strauss’s best works. To some, it’s even the magnum opus of his operatic oeuvre.…
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Review of ‘Before We Forget’: “Memory-themed play is dramaturgically oblivious”
I think it’s frightening that science-fiction stories warning of the dangers of technology in the near future no longer come across as science fiction or the future. Sorry to sound apocalyptic, but the threat has become a reality by now. And so, a plot involving a company providing human memory storage services should serve as…
