RENT - Review

The Tom Stoppard Theatre, London

****

Music, lyrics & book by Jonathan Larson

Directed by Luke Sheppard

Gaten Matarazzo

Marking 30 years since both the show’s opening in New York and, shortly before that premiere night the untimely death of its writer Jonathan Larson, RENT returns to the West End.

Centered around a group of impoverished NYC bohemians and their struggles with a rapacious landlord, Larson’s show tracks the devastation wreaked by AIDS as it was to scythe through so many young lives. Luke Sheppard has assembled a talented company to deliver a musical that is largely sung through. The evening’s energy is relentless - and in a show that lasts nigh on three hours, sometimes too relentless - with credit to Katy Richardson’s six-piece band for delivering an immaculate take on Larson’s score that itself reflects a multitude of musical styles and themes.

Young people coming to terms with their mortality – the show’s recurrent theme is famously “No day but today” – determines that the show’s arc is destined to be painfully poignant and it is a credit to Sheppard, himself no stranger to cityscape musicals having previously helmed In The Heights (that plays out in a New York barrio) and Paddington The Musical (London), that he can telescope the story’s massive human dimension into the tight confines of a derelict Manhattan loft.

While the heavily advertised Gaten Matarazzo is the lead character Mark, this show’s honours demand to be shared between the entire ensemble. The evening’s songs and multi-part harmonies are challenging, with the talent on stage representing musical theatre at its finest. Amidst the moments of bittersweet humour and devastation there is standout work from West End debutante Alexa Lopez as Mimi and Travis Ross as Roger. Jeevan Braich electrifies as the ultimately tragic Angel.

The creative power behind the show is equally impressive. David Woodhead’s designs place the action in the round, with the always brilliant Howard Hudson delivering sensational lighting plots. Tom Jackson Greaves’s choreography is tight and expressive, defining the show’s emotional passage in deeply moving dancework.

Loud and fast, there is a lot to keep up with in this classy production. Rentheads will love it!

Runs until 29th May 2027

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

Into The Woods - Review

Noel Coward Theatre, London

****

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by James Lapine

Directed by Jordan Fein

Gracie McGonigal

Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, revived last year at the Bridge Theatre, now transfers across the river to take up a West End residency at the Noel Coward Theatre. The genius of this show lies in its ability to strike an intriguing and often comic balance between fairy-tale whimsy and unsettling moral consequence. Whether this humour stems from directorial interpretation or is rooted more deeply in James Lapine’s book is open to debate, but either way, the result is an evening that proves unexpectedly entertaining.

While the story’s concept remains ingenious and innovative, the show is not without some minor flaws. Its opening sets the tone for the rest of the piece, introducing all of the (classically familiar) characters in such a way as to heighten the excitement felt by the audience. However, with a running time of close to three hours, this level of excitement is a challenge to sustain, particularly within the first act.  Another small note is the end of scenes – when the music draws to a sudden stop, the performers strike a pose and the lighting changes to envelop them in the most dramatic manner. While at first, thrilling, the repetition of this style leads to a blunting of its impact.  

The production’s visuals however are flawless. With much of the action unfolding within the eponymous woods, Tom Scutt’s arboreal sets sees the trees loom vast and threatening in one moment, before transforming into something almost magical in the next. Alongside Aideen Malone’s lighting plots, the staging creates a constantly shifting landscape, one that feels alive and reactive to the story being told. Paired with the exquisite costumes (Scutt again, complemented by Sam Cox’s wig designs), the overall aesthetic is so refined that this production could almost be frozen in time and displayed at the National Gallery without raising an eyebrow. 

At the centre of this world stands Kate Fleetwood as the Witch - anchoring the production with formidable authority. Commanding and deeply watchful, her Witch is at once terrifying and sharply funny, effortlessly balancing menace with wit. Fleetwood navigates her character’s volatility with control. Vocally assured and emotionally precise, she captures the complexity of one of Sondheim’s most demanding roles. Laura Pitt-Pulford is beautifully cast as the Baker's Wife, capturing her character's poignant complexities with an assured combination of vocal power and sensitivity.

An exciting casting choice is Gracie McGonigal as Little Red Ridinghood. Fierce, fearless and deliciously chaotic, McGonigal proves herself the smartest possible choice for the role. Grabbing attention effortlessly and wielding a single glare with remarkable authority. As the song rightly states, “scary is exciting”, and McGonigal leans into this with relish, every line landing exactly where it should.

Taking charge of the show’s comedic aspects are Lucas Koch as Rapunzel’s Prince and Matthew Seadon-Young as Cinderella’s Prince/The Wolf. Every jest and head movement had its own precise purpose – making the audience relish in the absurdity of a Prince ‘taught to be charming, not sincere.’

Jordan Fein's production succeeds in capturing the complexity of this musical that makes it so enduring. Embracing both darkness and humour, yet allowing neither to overpower the other, this production is elevated by striking design choices and performers who clearly understand the material. Confident and visually rich, it serves as a timely reminder that fairy tales are rarely simple - and that when told with care and intelligence, they still have plenty to say.

Reviewed by Emma Kaabachi

Runs until 9th January 2027

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Hay Fever - Review

Wyndham's Theatre, London

*****

Written by Noel Coward

Directed by Emily Burns

Richard E. Grant and Christine Baranski

Marking a trifecta of Noel Coward's work that has played on London's stages in recent weeks, Hay Fever has just opened a two-month residency at the Wyndham's Theatre. It speaks volumes for Coward’s writing that, when sublimely performed as in this instance, a farce that is firmly fixed in the Roaring Twenties can make for exceptional entertainment some 100 years later.

A wealthy household, headed by the eclectically appalling and bohemian Judith and David Bliss, and shared with their equally appalling adult children Simon and Sorel, sees each of that quartet having invited a guest to stay for the weekend. While romantic intentions may have inspired each of those four invitations, such is Coward’s genius that the carefully laid plans all go deliciously awry. Imagine if you will The Great Gatsby having been given a comic makeover, and you start to get close to how this classy confection of a play gloriously parodies England after the Great War.

The show’s star billing sees Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant sparking off each other as Judith and David, with Will Close and Ophelia Lovibond as their petulantly privileged offspring. The evening’s comedy however is driven not by its leads (gifted though they are) but rather by the entire company, in a show that offers possibly the finest ensemble work in town. Nancy Carroll, Charles Edwards, Ash Hunter and Lucy Karczewski complement the Bliss family as their respective paramours with the acting and interacting between the eight, combining  to create a production of comic excellence.

Fusing acid barbs with immaculately timed and withering silences - matched only by moments of excruciatingly brilliant awkwardness - each of Coward’s quips lands perfectly, Emily Burns having helmed a magnificent company. Credit too to Jo McInnes as the much put-upon housemaid/domestic, Clara. As with Still Life, Coward’s gimlet eye picking out the nuances of the English class system.

The show’s production values are equally sumptuous. Frankie Bradshaw has designed a stunning lounge for the Bliss residence where all the action takes place, lacing the room with sufficient doors to enable the proceedings to run like clockwork.

Frightfully fabulous five-star farce!

Runs until 12th December

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

Child - Review

***

Directed by Cyrus Neshvad

Certificate 18, 80 minutes (2026)

Child, Cyrus Neshvad’s debut full-length feature sets out to be an intriguing psychological horror. Filmed entirely in Luxembourg – and with much of the action set deep in eastern Europe, a decision that clearly taps into an American market that has long perceived central European locations as being full of horrific potential – Neshvad’s narrative explores the brutal, criminal amorality of organ harvesting.

Brigitte Urhausen and Malik Zidi are Anne and Greg, a married couple now estranged, whose son Leo is in intensive care awaiting a vital transplant. We follow their drive across the continent to collect the (unspecified) organ, from a mercenary mafia based deep in the forest. Neshvad also lobs into the plot an understandably vengeful mother played by Lydia Indjova whose child has been murdered by the organ harvesters. If his plot had remained there, exploring the potentially terrifying dynamic between these three parents, with also perhaps a deeper look at the medical professionals who are clearly complicit in this despicable trade, then the film would have made a far more satisfying view.

Neshvad chooses however to introduce a freakish monster into the tale, itself the victim of mutilation from years gone by, and what could have been a truly intriguing and terrifying narrative, descends into far shallower waters. Neshvad’s plot, and its action sequences defy credibility. Longlisted for the 2027 Oscars, the movie may be beautifully photographed and equally well acted, and with excellent sound and visual effects, it is ultimately a disappointing tale that could have been so much more.

In cinemas from 2nd October

Present Laughter - Review

Richmond Theatre, London

****

Written by Noel Coward

Directed by Lindsay Posner

Tracy-Ann Oberman

Noel Coward is in vogue right now. With Still Life having only recently played at Drury Lane, the tour of Tracy-Ann Oberman's reinterpretation of Present Laughter has just arrived in the London suburbs. This glorious translation of the Coward comedy sees his 1943 original being gender-swapped, given a transatlantic makeover and pivoted into 1970s New York in an evening of fabulous farce.

Oberman takes Coward’s leading character Gary Essendine, transforming him into Geri Essendine, an actress past her prime, but oozing narcissistic glamour and star quality from every pore. Under Lindsay Posner's direction, Oberman’s Essendine becomes an irresistibly intoxicating fusion of Joan Collins, Basil Fawlty and Max Bialystock. 

Coward’s plot flickers into a bonfire of vanities as Essendine’s secretary, estranged husband and various producers and admirers fawn around her - but even while the story may occasionally defy credibility, Oberman commands every scene, bestriding the stage like a Colossus.

There is glorious talent too amongst her supporting company. James Dreyfus as her secretary Monty is a wise, camp, inspired performance, while Adrian Lukis puts in an equally brilliant turn as Len, her aforementioned spouse.

The action plays out in Essendine's Manhattan loft apartment, an inspired design from Peter McKintosh of stripped-back steel and brick. McKintosh has also designed Oberman's stunning array of gowns (both the dressing and evening versions!).

Only on for the week at Richmond before returning to the road, Present Laughter makes for a great evening at the theatre. 

Runs until 26th September, then tours

Photo credit: Simon Annand

Kimberly Akimbo - Review

Hampstead Theatre, London

*****

Music by Jeanine Tesori

Book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire

Directed by Michael Longhurst

Maria Friedman

Arriving in London after a Tony-studded run on Broadway three years ago, Kimberly Akimbo from David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori is possibly their finest work to date. Offering the writers' signature approach of viewing life through an unconventional lens, Maria Friedman plays Kimberly, a teenage girl afflicted by an extremely rare condition that has seen her age at between four and five times faster than normal. We meet Kimberly around her 16th birthday - in what is to be, effectively, the last expected year of her life. This skewed concept of time’s passage drives the narrative with Soutra Gilmour’s revolving set, focussed upon a clock face, has its hands sweeping throughout the show at a tragically accelerated pace.

Naturally at the perfect stage of her own life to play the prematurely aged Kimberly, Friedman acts a 16-year with a heartbreaking sincerity that brings a kinetic credibility to the emotions of joy and profound sadness that her character experiences. As she relates to her family as well as to her own awkwardly adolescent high school peers, Friedman navigates Kimberly through perhaps the most nuanced and bittersweet journey to be found on a London stage.  Not only that, Friedman’s singing is heavenly too - a truly outstanding leading performance.   

Friedman is matched by a fine company with, on the night of this review, Rachel Flynn, one of the show's two swings, stepping up to the role of Pattie, Kimberly’s mother. Pattie is a complex creation of a character, in part a monster in how she treats her daughter, elsewhere a mother desperately trying to reconcile herself to Kimberly’s disability. Flynn’s cover work was sublime, and her powerful solo number Father Time, sensational. 

Peter Hannah puts in an equally fine shift as Buddy, Kimberly’s alcoholic father while Alice Fearn as the teenager’s errant aunt Debra offers the evening’s comic moments with her razor sharp acerbity.

As Seth, Kimberly’s closest school friend, Gilli Jones delivers thoughtful work, beautifully sung, that elegantly speaks of his love for his friend. His is a particularly challenging supporting role, with Jones flawless in his work.

In a show that is a homage both to the state of New Jersey and the ideal of the road trip that Kimberly dreams of before she dies, Tesori’s tunes prove to be a medley of well constructed Americana, perfectly conducted on the night by Nigel Lilley. Matt Cole’s choreography, best deployed amongst the quartet of Kimberly’s school friends is imaginative and immaculately drilled.

Fabulous new musical theatre!

Runs until 7th November 2026

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

Thelma & Louise - Review

Young Vic Theatre, London

****

Music and lyrics by Neko Case

Book bu Callie Khouri

Directed by Trip Cullman

Rachel Tucker and Amy Lennox

Thelma & Louise was one of the defining movies of the 1990s. With an Oscar winning script from Callie Khouri and Ridley Scott behind the camera, this unlikely road trip following two girlfriends on the run, tapped into a powerful condemnation of misogyny and a profound celebration of friendship.

Fast forward 35 years and Khouri has returned to her story, translating the fable from screen to musical theatre, with music and lyrics penned by Neko Case.

It’s a fair transformation of the tale that sees Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker playing the titular protagonists, and it is within their performances that much of Case’s songwriting shines. Lennox defines Thelma’s journey of sexual and emotional emancipation, while Tucker peels away the layers of Louise’s carapace to reveal a deeply damaged woman. As Tucker sings of her character’s back story beneath a starlit desert sky, the moment is profound and powerful.

But there are times when the stage show falls short of the brilliant original. While Lennox and Tucker are an inspired choice to replicate the movie’s Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, casting the (talented) Trevor Dion Nicolas as Hal, the cop on the women’s tail and a role originally played by Harvey Keitel, is less successful, not helped by a thinly written sub-narrative involving his wife and daughters.

Christine Jones and Brett J. Banakis have designed the show’s setting - that imaginatively suggests America's bars, motels and highway traffic. But one of the outstanding components of Scott’s stunning movie was its magnificent cinematography- and for all the best intentions of the musical’s producers, their attempts to recreate the film’s original vistas on stage, miss the mark. 

The show’s creative contributors are impressive. Choreographers Bobbie Jene Smith and Or Schraiber deliver some moments of impressive footwork, while straddling the stage atop the wings Kimberly Grigsby conducts her 9-piece band that is deliciously loaded with strings.

Female-focussed theatre.

Runs until 24th October

Photo credit: Helen Murray