Category Archives: 2025

2025

“Lost Watches” at the Park Theatre

There are plenty of ideas and nice touches of absurdity in Lorenzo Allchurch’s new play. Overall, both cast and crew have bitten off more than they can chew – there are too many scenes that need to be expanded or abandoned, too many themes thrown in and not elaborated. But if the play seems a little lost at times, it is one that wins for its efforts and a production I felt warm towards.

Our hero, Allen, is in mourning for his mother. Allchurch, who takes the part, doesn’t ground his play enough in this grief nor, despite his appealing stage presence, establish the central character sufficiently. Allen’s family relationships are complicated (and dramatically interesting) but we only get to see his brother and father briefly, and that they are both played by Gabriella Moran does not help. It’s all directed just a little too fast by Alex Helfrecht.

The play’s crazy twist is good, though. Allen’s mother was a sculptor, her favourite piece a portrait of Beat icon William S Burroughs. And the artwork, voiced by Jason Isaacs, starts to talk! Allchurch pulls off the tricky interaction with a recording very well. Borough’s sense of mischief and anarchy is convincing, though I wonder if it could have been taken further, made darker? Exactly how much of his sanity Allen has lost is left nicely open.

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Lorenzo Allchurch and Leah Aspden

Moran, who is a busy woman, also appears as the mother, a stronger role with a nice line in enigmatic and glitter in her pockets that proves effective. And there’s a neat comic part for Leah Aspden as a policewoman who meets, but doesn’t quite help, our hero. It’s too easy to speculate that the show might have focused on this duo more – suggesting Alan’s past and, perhaps, his future.

Not everything needs to be tied down, but it is annoying that so little is made of the watch that gives the play its title. It’s another loose end that leaves a sense of having missed something. Lost Watches aims at balancing a sense of magic with the absurd. It’s a task that’s harder than it sounds and, regrettably, not accomplished despite moments of potential along the way.

Until 23 August 2025

www.parktheatre.co.uk

Photos by Mark Senior

2025

“Inter Alia” at the National Theatre

Following the huge success of the play Prima Facie, the pressure must have been on for writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin. So, what does the audience want next? More of the same is tempting – a contemporary, character-driven drama, with a star lead, and lots of after-show conversation. But something different, too, right? What might be called development? Much to Inter Alia’s credit, and new leading lady Rosamund Pike, both demands are delivered.

Inter Alia is – another – legal drama. And a fine one. This time our heroine, Jessica Parks, is a judge. She’s good at her job, too, compassionate and skilled at listening. She is aware of her privilege, appalled by rape myths, in charge and inspirational. The commitment Pike brings to the role is tremendous. Parks is a kind of rock star at work, microphone in hand, music backing her up. And there’s just as much energy at home and at play. She bounds around the stage and over the furniture. 

Inter-Alia-credit-Manuel-Harlan

If what happens next is a little too obvious, the character is strong enough to forgive it. Because the other thing Parks is very much amongst is being a wife and a mother. Miller has a keen, often amusing, take on the problems of juggling a career and parenting. Parks is, by default, the “primary carer” (groans of recognition from the audience). Despite her fears and funny blunders, she’s a good mum, too. Flashback scenes to her boy’s early years are highlights.

Unlike Prima Facie, this isn’t a solo show. We get to meet father and son, capably played by Jamie Glover and Jasper Talbot, respectively, and well-written, although the point is very much how Parks has to juggle these men’s egos. When it comes to multi-tasking, Pyke excels. Parks runs an internal dialogue and addresses the audience at the same time as playing against other characters. The delivery must be exhausting – it’s intense enough for a viewer – but the rewards are huge as we observe her getting close to the character and the complexity of her problems.

With Martin’s strong direction, the action and Miller’s insights are clear. The dilemma worked towards is a painful one. If exploration around what happens feels rushed, let’s call it a mark of how involved we’ve become with all the characters. To watch Park’s perfect – if frantic – life collapse isn’t easy. Any hope Miller allows is, I fear, too close to wish fulfilment. But that’s something to discuss after the show. In all, it’s an elaborate, nuanced and powerful play. 

Until 13 September 2025

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan

2025

“The Daughter of Time” at the Charing Cross Theatre

Imprisoned in a hospital bed, the detective in Josephine Tey’s 1951 novel decides to investigate the ultimate cold case – Richard III’s murder of his nephews in 1483. The history is fascinating. Tay, and this stage version adapted by M Kilburg Reedy, present the case in detail with a sense of excitement. But while the book was groundbreaking, its stage version is an unhappy affair. 

Thanks in part to Tay’s success, the idea of Shakespeare as a Tudor apologist is well established. We know Will did Rich dirty. So, it’s not a bad idea to add something new and Kilburg Reedy’s idea seems, roughly, to be a rom-com. It’s not a terrible notion, as it allows excuses for old-fashioned attitudes, leaning into a sweet spot of nostalgia. But for it to work, the love story needs to convince and the comedy make you laugh. The script and Jenny Eastop’s direction deliver neither.

With our hero, Inspector Grant, in bed for most of the show there’s an understandable concern about how to deal with such a static scenario – but it becomes an obsession for Eastop that has dire consequences. While Bob Sterrett’s set helps (and the idea of seeing some Shakespeare is good), the show has nurses and visitors coming and going for little reason and nobody arrives or leaves quickly enough. It all becomes tiresome. 

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Harrison Sharpe

A lot of effort is taken to plump out secondary characters but the results, and some of the performances, are poor. The three nurses are a case in point, being sketchy roles that only Janna Fox comes close to making work. The researcher Grant enlists to help him is lamentable, and the efforts to inject humour from notes on scraps of paper is poor from the start. As Harrison Sharpe, who takes the role, repeats the gag, I just felt sorry for him. There’s another poor effort that Noah Huntley has to deal with as the third in a faux love triangle (it’s a plot to make Grant announce his feelings), burdened by the unnecessary and heavy-handed suggestion that his character is gay.

A lot of this might be excused if the love story worked. While the casting of Rob Pomfret in the lead is sound, and his performance suggesting Grant’s depression has subtlety, Grant’s affection for actress Marta does not convince. Taking this role, Rachel Pickup has glamour – and her character’s hopes for respect as well as romance are a nice touch – but the chemistry and tension are weak. With the adaptation adding so little, you might as well stay home and read the book.

Until 13 September 2025

www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

Photo by Manuel Harlan

2025

“Sing Street” at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Given the pedigree behind this new musical, the result is, regrettably, disappointing. The idea isn’t a bad one. As with the smash hit show Once, it is based on a film by John Carney and the book is by Enda Walsh. Schoolboy Conor forming a band to impress a girl provides a sweet enough coming-of-age story with plenty of 1980s pop music that introduces new songs and has nostalgic appeal. But the show is slow, and director Rebecca Taichman does the energy on stage a disservice.

The new songs, by Carney with Gary Clark, are good and the format brings some coherence. Indeed, favourable comparisons can be made with ones from the period, which are interspersed in a tiresome fashion that slows down the action. Maybe some of the best sound a little like those from Once with the same sincere lyrics and homespun wisdom, but that’s OK. The bold move of making the schoolboy band’s first effort deliberately poor – and plenty of appealing humour (the influence of The Cure is very funny) – is all winning.

The romance between the lead singer Conor and his muse, Raphina, is good. Performed by Sheridan Townsley and Grace Collender with a sense of excitement, they both bring charm and energy using Bob Crowley’s minimal set well. Townsley and Collender sound like stars already and it’s impossible not to wish them the best. So, why my reservations about the show as a whole?

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Adam Hunter

There are big problems for the rest of the cast. The other schoolboys don’t stand out – a pity as that clearly wasn’t the intention and a shame as there’s plenty of talent (note Jack James Ryan’s bully Barry). Even worse, Conor’s parents, who are divorcing, his agoraphobic brother and under-pressure sister are too easy to forget and hard to care about. And it isn’t for lack of time spent on the additional storylines, which are drawn out. Brother Brendan’s song is a tiresome case in point, despite a powerful effort from Adam Hunter in delivering it. 

The time spent away from the kids’ story gets messy, culminating in another brother, Brother Baxter, Conor’s school teacher at his religious school. Lloyd Hutchinson, who takes the part, must shoulder any resentment towards the Catholic Church solo. And, not surprisingly, it’s too much for one man. The effort to make his character complicated is so tokenistic that it is close to insulting.

Staying close to the original film is important in a project like this – it’s what a lot of the audience wants. And plenty of the movie’s charm is preserved through the sounds and the central characters. But the result here is bloated and delivers far less than the considerable effort on offer might have produced.

Until 23 August 2025

www.lyric.co.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan

2025

“That Bastard, Puccini!” at the Park Theatre

A music critic as well as a playwright, James Inverne’s knowledge benefits his new play. The story of ‘the battle of the Bohèmes’ – rival operas by Giacomo Puccini and Ruggerio Leoncavallo – that captivated Italy in 1893 is full of facts and insight into the music of the time. Inverne packs the story with juicy anecdotes, making it entertaining throughout.

The clever move theatrically is to have the three main characters (Leoncavallo is joined by his wife Berthe) all fully aware they are on stage and telling the story. The idea is tackled well by director Daniel Slater, adding humour and enabling the cast to shine. As Berthe accuses Puccini of “taking advantage of the mise-en-scène” it’s clear what a great device this is to show how close the rivals were.

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Sebastien Torkia

Puccini takes the lead in narration. He’s the one saying which scenes they should show the audience, morphing into different characters (his Mahler is a hoot) if needed. In the role, Alasdair Buchan has the maestro’s confidence down pat, alongside an unattractive wish for the next “rush” that propels the show. Sebastien Torkia is just as strong as Leoncavallo, with comic skills bringing out the character’s dramatic side – he could be in an opera let alone write one.

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Alasdair Buchan

In a nice touch, Inverne allows Lisa-Anne Wood to steal the show. She also appears as Puccini’s long-suffering wife, and other characters if corralled – but always with an eye on her primary role as Berthe, creating a fine layered effect. And to top it all, she sings!

That Bastard Puccini! gets more emotional as we come to focus on the price paid in pursuit of fame and art. A composer’s lot is not a happy one. A melancholy conclusion could be pacier, but Inverne succeeds in making us care about all his characters. It’s all enjoyable and well done, but you might want it to grow a little more. Some plays about artists manage to appeal to the broadest of audiences. (Amadeus, a play ‘about’ much more than Mozart, is the obvious example.) Creativity may be the theme here, but this story still feels like a footnote in history. Inverne gives his characters some lovely passages about music and his own passion for opera is clear, but sadly it is not quite contagious.

Until 9 August 2025

www.parktheatre.co.uk

Photos by David Monteith-Hodge

2025

“Till The Stars Come Down” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

If you put three sisters at the heart of your play, as Beth Steel does, then your audience is likely to think of Chekhov. Add a community in some kind of decline (in this case, a former mining town) and a new group on the rise (here, Polish immigrants) and more bells ring. The comparisons prove interesting but might not be complimentary. Steel’s play is funny, but its humour isn’t subtle. There’s a lot of drama, but it often approaches soap opera. What impresses, though, is that the trio of siblings prove strong enough to stand on their own – powerful characterisation and excellent performances make the show.

We join Hazel, Maggie and Sylvia on the latter’s wedding day. There’s a lot of stress as well as fun, and it’s clear from the start these are fine roles for Lucy Black, Aisling Loftus and Sinéad Matthews, who all do a great job. Tensions in the family are skilfully revealed, with the women’s father, a cheating husband and a frustrated groom providing more strong turns from Alan Williams, Adrian Bower and Julian Kostov. The men aren’t as well written but, with trouble brewing because of the new groom being Polish and Hazel’s marriage breaking down, the play is action packed.

Steel has a lot of interests. It’s a shame that a sense of community, and its problems, aren’t conveyed in more depth. The sisters’ grief for their recently deceased mother is hazy, too, although Williams helps here. Much better is a concern for time and memory, highlighting the joys that make life worth living – a child playing with a toy, a recollection of shopping as a family or a moment in the rain. Director Bijan Sheibani stages these impeccably (with help from lighting designer Paule Constable), creating theatrical moments that lead to goosebumps.

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Dorothy Atkinson

Steel has further success with another character, the sisters’ aunt, a terrific comic creation that Dorothy Atkinson excels in – full of wit, wisdom and convincing depth. This wedding day is not a happy one as the final moment shows the family breaking up. If the plot here isn’t exactly a surprise, it’s handled with sensitivity and an impressively even hand. There are sensational touches including, perhaps, too many shouting matches. Yet Steel and Atkinson manage to get laughs in the darkest moments, balance excesses and shows the skill of all involved in a play that is interesting and entertaining.

Until 27 September 2025

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Photos by Manuel Harlan

2025

“Hercules” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

This stage adaptation from Disney, of their 1997 movie, is a surprising disappointment. While The Lion King continues as a perennial favourite, and Aladin and Frozen were credible successes, this latest effort is not of the same standard.

Yes, people want the film replicated – there’s no use complaining about that. But the book, from Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah, makes little effort to introduce any theatricality and director Casey Nicholaw follows suit.

Showing special effects, including super-strength, on stage, is hard. But there aren’t any new ideas about how to do it here. The result is a feeling of being a bit cheated. The puppetry and video are OK… but nothing special. The set is too minimal, with lots of Greek columns coming and going. Except for excellent costumes, from Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser, it all looks a bit cheap. 

The cast is professional and clearly working hard (Zeus is very athletic). Luke Brady, who takes the title role, sounds lovely and his romantic interest Meg, played by Mae Ann Jorolan, has a super voice. There isn’t quite enough of the music, from Alan Menken and David Zippel, to make them shine or the show substantial. It’s clear someone knew this was a problem, but additional numbers are sub-standard.

The highlight of Hercules is the quintet of fabulously dressed Muses recast as Gospel singers. Candace Furbert, Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo, Malinda Parris and Robyn Rose-Li sound stunning… even if what they are singing is no big shakes. Credit to Stephen Carlile as well, in his role as Hades, who has thought seriously about his character’s physicality and as a result makes the most successful move (literally) from a cartoon to real life. But Carlile also points out the production’s biggest problem. He is the only character who is funny.

The conspicuous lack of humour in the show must be considered a flaw. The film was funny, no? But the effort not to take itself, or its characters, too seriously, isn’t consistent or successful. There isn’t a funny song either. And it really needs one. The lack of laughs is noticeable for all the roles but three suffer most. The excellent Trevor Dion Nicholas, as trainer Phil, has a tough time; the effort to give him some backstory is pitiful. Even worse, Craig Gallivan and Lee Zarrett, who play Hades’ helpers, get seriously shortchanged with a number shoe-horned too close to the end of the show. 

Hercules is a long way from awful; there’s a lot of professionalism after all. But what few ideas the show has, are made to go too far, making the whole thing stretched and thin.

Booking until March 2025

www.herculesmusical.co.uk

Photo by Johan Persson

2025

“Evita” at the London Palladium

Star director Jamie Lloyd has provided many golden theatrical moments, from a brutal production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome many years ago to his work on Harold Pinter’s plays. And he is an expert at musicals, with brave productions of Stephen Sondheim’s work and an exciting appreciation of Andrew Lloyd Webber, including a smash-hit production of Sunset Boulevard. Lloyd’s productions are always daring, with a ‘takeaway’ to remember after the show. But this time, with the balcony scene in this latest revival of Lloyd Webber’s Eva Peron musical, Lloyd tops them all.

The rendition of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’, staged outside the auditorium and relayed to those watching inside, is a great stunt as crowds show up to watch it at nine each night. It’s also brilliant – goosebump brilliant. Lloyd has staged the show before, a superb production at Regent’s Park, but this grand venue works even better. It’s not a question of pimping up the production – the staging is still minimal, although Jon Clark’s lighting design is advanced. It’s the effort to bring out the politics of the show that is, arguably, more urgent than ever – a genuine rage about social divides that provides a vital, angry feel.

“screw the middle classes”

The passion is projected by Lloyd’s star, Rachel Zeigler, who takes the title role in her West End debut. I’d suggest it’s this spirit that makes her performance so great, even though she sings superbly. When she screams “screw the middle classes” it’s the only time Zeigler’s voice isn’t beautiful. She has identified the kernel to her character and does not let go. There’s a vicious sense of humour to this Evita. She is bored by weakness, ambitious, unscrupulous and not very nice! Her powerful voice, which is also remarkably clear, sounds strangely old-fashioned and is utterly compelling. 

Evita at the London Palladium

Zeigler is also, like a lot of Lloyd’s leads, a big star. It’s perfect casting and cleverly leaned into. Much of the show feels like a pop concert, with Evita as the performer, her name, literally, written large. The response is fanatical (especially to ‘Buenos Aires’). Fabian Aloise’s work as choreographer and the amazing cast come to the fore. The dancing is terrific. Filled with humour and danger, acrobatic and at times otherworldly, many movements are robotic, or should that be puppet like? Because what sympathy we have for Evita is about the chances she didn’t have, how she had to exploit others to avoid being exploited. The moving moments in the show feed into the anger that powers it.

“star quality”

Aloise and Lloyd show such rigid control that it could cause problems. Take the interactions between characters. For most of the time, the cast looks out towards the audience, rather than at each other: Evita always has her eye on public perception, on her legacy. There’s only one person she is really interested in; the show also belongs to Che Guevara, and it brings us to yet another stellar performance.

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Diego Andres Rodriguez

Diego Andres Rodriguez, who takes the role as the Communist rebel, is fantastic. His voice is flexible, his physicality astounding, and to say he is a match for Zeigler is to award the highest praise. Again, he makes the politics of the piece clear – a rebel filled with rage. Rodriguez is another West End debut we feel very lucky to see – in a production so full of “star quality” that it could well go down in history. 

Until 6 September 2025

www.evitathemusical.com

Photos by Marc Brenner

2025

“This Bitter Earth” at the Soho Theatre

Harrison David Rivers’ play sees an interracial couple react to the Black Lives Matter movement. The twist is that Waspy Neil is the activist. The tension is that his African American boyfriend, Jesse, is accused of apathy. There’s intelligence and detail here, both emphasised by director Billy Porter. But there’s also disappointment, as the topic isn’t explored in depth and the romance doesn’t move as much as it might.

There are a lot of references, many of them American, showing Rivers’ careful research, which situates his play firmly in a time and place. From the title, based on a song by Dinah Washington, to the poet Essex Hemphill (who I confess I’m keen to learn more about), the quotes, songs and people mentioned don’t necessarily have to be explained. But might the references be elaborated on? In a short play (less than 90 minutes), ideas bombard the audience and the work is weighed down by its erudition rather than the substance of what is being said.

Neil and Jesse speak in hashtags and slogans. I don’t doubt this is accurate and, again, the dialogue situates us in a specific context well. But do people talk like this all the time? The little bit of flirting we see is sweet, but much of the everyday is lost in talk of privilege and activism. So, the play’s tragic conclusion isn’t as emotional as it should be. Rivers’ efforts to tug at heartstrings come across as forced. More seriously – surely in opposition to his aims – there isn’t enough debate. Argument is lost among signalling. That’s a shame and it leaves the play feeling… not bad, but thin.

The structure of the piece, though, is exciting. Action goes back and forth, with conversations repeated to good effect. Big moments in the relationship are shown out of sync. Some scenes are very short, punctuated by robust sound and lighting design, from Julian Starr and Lee Curran respectively, and aided by the video work so integral to Morgan Large’s efficient set. Porter and the cast deal with all this impeccably, not only avoiding potential confusion but creating an energy that matches the script. For all that, the action, while thought-provoking, contributes to a distance from the characters. Rivers treats growth and development of the men and his story in a novel manner. I just don’t think it works.

Despite these reservations, the performances from Omari Douglas and Alexander Lincoln are an undoubted success. Their accents are superb, the chemistry between them fantastic and they bring out the script’s sexiness and humour wonderfully. Douglas makes the super-smart, if self-obsessed, Jesse appealing, showing a self-knowledge that is inspiring. Moments of explosive rage or grief are compelling. Lincoln allows Neil’s wealthy background to be a genuine cause of concern – and his guilt is contagious. Clearly, the cast, and Porter, see a lot in This Bitter Earth and it is their conviction that carries the day.

Until 26 July 2025

www.sohotheatre.com

Photo by Tristram Kenton

2025

“Pop Off, Michelangelo!” at the Underbelly Boulevard Soho

As success at last year’s Edinburgh Festival, and an eight-week run in London shows, Dylan MarcAurele’s musical is a solid fringe hit. It’s a high-camp romp about Renaissance artists Michelangelo and Leonardo, with a lot of laughs, catchy songs and plenty of fun.

Reframing the Renaissance has been fashionable for a long time, with contemporary references and viewpoints adding an edge. It’s easy to think of connections to Six, and the opening number here enforces that impression. But Pop Off, Michelangelo! is aimed at an adult crowd. And, it seems fair to say, a crowd of gay men. So many of the references are about (one kind of) gay culture that the show starts to parody itself. Jokes about RuPaul’s Drag Race and ‘internet boyfriends’ abound. But MarcAurele knows his market and delivers… or should that be slays?

There is a message, or rather a statement, about how painful homophobia can be. Our heroes, played by Max Eade and Aidan MacColl, meet when they’re young and scared about being gay. Their sexuality threatens their lives and careers. What passes as a plot is their plan of working for the Pope and then persuading him to save them from hell. Written down, it’s sad as well as silly. So, credit to director Joe McNeice and his cast for keeping the energy and the atmosphere up, up, up.

There are reservations around the show. It’s not that the jokes are rude, but that that they don’t all land. Nor are the songs and lyrics bad, but the quality is inconsistent. MarcAurele appreciates the need for a good villain and gives us Sixtus, Savonarola and Machiavelli. But despite the efforts of Michael Marouli, Laura Sillett and Sev Keoshgerian, who all work very hard, these baddies need more time and more depth.

More heartfelt moments make a neat contrast with all the foolery. Leonardo’s romance with a fellow pupil at the Platonic Academy (a role Kurran Dhand gets a lot from) is sweet, and there’s good song for the two of them. Putting an emphasis on friendship, rather than romance, gives the show potential standout. Eade and MacColl make their characters endearing and have good chemistry.

There are crazy touches, too, often welcome in a musical, including Leonardo’s vision of Marisa Tomei (leading to number that allows Maiya Quansah-Breed to shine). Surprises sustain the madcap energy but, at just over an hour long, it’s hard not to find it all a bit slight (short musicals are a tough ask). Maybe the show should be viewed as part of a bigger night out – something that sets the mood for fun? Pop Off, Michelangelo! returns to Edinburgh this year, and could well be around again soon.

Until 13 July 2025

www.popoffmichelangelo.com