JCS is back but is Sam Ryder the true Messiah?

London Palladium, then Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The 10 year old Regents Park Open Air Theatre production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice‘s early hit musical has finally made it to the West End. It was accompanied by the same team of creatives- Timothy Sheader (director), Drew McConie (choreographer) and Tom Scutt (designer), and some of the same cast including Tyrone Huntley as Judas. The star attraction newcomer is Sam Ryder as Jesus. A string of celebrities take turns to play Herod. Any hope that this production might emulate the success of Evita which made a similar journey from Regents Park to the Palladium last year was dashed by the contrasting mix of enthusiastic and lukewarm reviews. While Ryder’s ‘inherent niceness’ had some critics reaching for superlatives, others found him characterless. Many critics came down hard on the basic story. While most thought the music held up, some criticised its loudness. However, they were unanimous in their praise of Tyrone Huntley.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

5 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Not every critic had a downer on the star. Marianka Swain for LondonTheatre reported: ‘Ryder is also a canny choice given that Sheader’s revival rousingly honours the show’s original 1970 concept album. This rock gig ethos is embedded into every purposeful creative choice, such as the handheld microphone that people tussle over; later, Jesus is bound with electrical cords. It connects us, too, with one of the major ideas: the unwieldy might of celebrity (…) This Jesus’s totemic power fuels delirious worshippers, alarms his detractors, and becomes a burden for the increasingly lonely man himself. Ryder beautifully conveys that anxiety, and is very affecting in the show’s harrowing final stages.’

In contrast to some reviewers who found that the music drowned the drama and that Ryder’s Jesus was too nice, WhatsOnStage‘s Sarah Hemming embraced these aspects of the show: ‘Sheader’s approach is to re-emphasise the boldness, to let the music carry the drama, and to let character emerge. The approach pays dividends in Ryder’s Jesus, a performance defined by his popstar presence and by the soar of his voice in that falsetto register. People respond to him because he seems genuine and nice; he brings both those qualities to his portrayal in his West End debut, but also finds true drama as the show reaches its un-triumphal conclusion of sacrifice and suffering.’

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish concentrated on Sam Ryder ‘The key to his success is that he plays JC with sincerity, not starriness (…) For a moment, you worry that Ryder is too meek and mild a hero, even anodyne. But daring us to be disappointed tallies with the show’s accusatory argument about the pressures of showbiz expectation. And that achieves a blistering pay-off in the climactic title number, its infectious gospel energy offset by the visceral spectacle of a bloodied Christ being assaulted. It’s as if we are implicated in the mob brutality and betrayal. The humble sight of Christ roped to a makeshift cross beneath a giant suspended crucifix shames us with its simplicity; less is transcendently more.’

4 stars

BroadwayWorld‘s Aliya Al-Hussan pointed out: ‘It takes a talented director to create a show from a soundtrack that retains huge appeal, but sometimes lacks personal story arcs. Sheader’s engaging staging and a hugely talented cast bring the album powerfully to life.’ She praised the star: ‘Ryder’s West End debut brings raw vulnerability and real passion to the role. His vocal range and control are highly impressive’. She wasn’t sure about the sound: ‘Musical director Tom Deering goes big on volume, driving the electrifying live orchestra with huge energy. This comes at the cost of some of the vocals at the start and indeed the second half throbs with intent more than the first.’

The Independent‘s Alice Saville was a Ryder fan: ‘As Jesus, Ryder looks the part, and more than sounds it, too – without having the acting experience to show us this monumental figure’s inner struggles. But perhaps that’s fitting for a story that leaves the details of Jesus’s fate deliberately ambiguous, and that unfolds with its own logic, like a lucid dream. Just follow Mary Magdalene’s advice – “Close your eyes, and relax” – and you’ll sink into the glorious sounds of a voice that’s achieved divine status.’

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis began: ‘The through-sung score features one belter after another … But there’s little narrative (fair enough, we all know the plot), or character. We hear about Jesus’s charisma from others’ say-so but he’s an oddly passive, disgruntled central figure. This flaw is exacerbated in Tim Sheader’s otherwise thrilling, high-octane, concert-style production by the casting of Sam Ryder. The plucky Eurovision yodeller’s octave-hopping voice could strip paint when it comes to the impassioned high notes but he swallows the quieter passages of songs and his nice-guy disposition sits ill with Jesus’ grumpiness.’  He ended: ‘All together this is an OTT, aorta-pumping rollick through one of Lloyd Webber and Rice’s strongest musical collaborations, by a team who know that the score and the feel of it are all that matter. Jesus? Schmeesus.’

3 stars⭑⭑⭑

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe declared: ‘it’s now not only conspicuously dated, but also often downright daft.’ Having dispatched the musical, she considered the star: ‘as an actor, Ryder doesn’t quite convince; there’s a posturing, presentational flavour to his performance. And vocally, while he unsurprisingly has no difficulty soaring to the falsetto heights of the role, he’s less comfortable in the lower register’. She preferred Tyrone Huntley’s Judas: ’His portrayal of this most notorious of traitors is rivetingly full-throttle – pained, impassioned, perplexed, furious, guilt-stricken and distraught by turns … And his voice is a marvel, endlessly elastic yet impeccably controlled, sweetness and abrasiveness deftly deployed.’

The evening passed pleasantly for Dominic Maxwell of The Times: ‘It lacks emotion but I never found it remotely dull either.’ He warned: ‘amid Drew McOnie’s pleasing but impressionistic choreography on Tom Scutt’s ancient-meets-modern set you may lose track of which imposing fella is which’. He picked out two of the cast for special mention: ‘Huntley is a highlight, making real human complexity poke its face out of this megawatt machine. Desmonda Cathabel is an easy presence as Mary Magdalene: Everything’s Alright flows like water.’

Time Out’s Andrzej Lukowski laid into the star, beginning with: ‘Sam Ryder is not the Messiah.’ He said he ‘looks like a mildly perturbed middle manager distracted by some tricky mental arithmetic (…) he is at best okay in a lead role that demands greatness (…) He’s a pop star – but we needed a superstar.’ It wasn’t all bad for Andrzej: ‘elsewhere it’s a pretty damn good production. Sheader’s cast look like sexy apocalypse survivors as they lock into Drew McOnie’s deliciously weird and angular choreography. Tom Scutt’s scaffold set is stark but ominously symbolic’.

The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar noted: ‘the first thing that hits you here is the sound, which contains Greek levels of melodrama. It’s a shame it stays at a single, fever-pitched high, flattening the emotional drama. Still, there is the glory of the signature song, Superstar, and the vocal blast of both Ryder and Huntley is a sound to behold.’ ‘But the characterisation is far less satisfying’ she continued: ‘Ryder’s portrayal is so woolly that you don’t know what Jesus stands for. So it becomes difficult to pinpoint what, exactly, Judas dislikes: is it that Jesus has gone too far, as Judas repeats, or not far enough?’

Fiona Mountford posts a rare review in the i (assumed 3 stars). She didn’t like the sound: ‘[Jesus] and Judas (a blazing Tyrone Huntley) prowl the stage with rock-star-style, hand-held microphones; occasionally, the amplification blurs the clarity of the lyrics, which causes problems for a show where all the storytelling is done through song.’

Critics’ average rating 3.9⭑

Value rating 31 (Combination of critics’ rating and typical ticket price)

Jesus Christ Superstar can be seen at the London Palladium until 5 September 2026 before moving on to Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 16 October 2026 to 9 January 2027. After that there is a tour. Buy tickets directly from www.andrewlloydwebber.com/show/jesus-christ-superstar

If you’ve seen Jesus Christ Superstar at The Palladium, please leave your review and/or rating below

Great songs don’t save shallow musical bio

Aldwych Theatre

The critics liked the music in Sinatra The Musical but were not so keen on the book. They mostly felt Joel Harper-Jackson sounded the part but didn’t look it.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Marianka Swain for The Telegraph called it ‘a turbulent experience, boasting more than 20 Sinatra hits and sleek, glossy staging, but is let down by poor writing that never quite gets under the legendary artist’s skin.’ She went on: ‘Thankfully, the terrific performances elevate the material. Joel Harper-Jackson is an effortlessly charismatic, if aptly obnoxious, young Sinatra, and his singing is impressively close to the real thing: soaring musicality, immaculate phrasing and soulful delivery. But it’s the formidable women who really dominate: Phoebe Panaretos’s fiercely uncompromising Nancy, Ana Villafañe’s worldly-wise Ava, Jenna Russell’s ball-busting Italian mamma, and Melissa Nettleford, as Billie Holiday, nailing the smoky torch song One for My Baby.’

Emma John for The Guardian noted: ‘the script often feels less three-dimensional than the video-assisted set design. Happily, Kathleen Marshall’s production, complete with a fine ensemble and some joyful choreography, doesn’t stint on the big hits’.

Franco Milazzo for BroadwayWorld said: ‘the emotionally vacant storyline boils down to a run-of-the-mill tale of a man haunted by his carnal desires and the women left to pick up the pieces after him (…) DiPietro has deliberately chosen to illustrate his subject from a palate based on a small but crucial period of his career. By narrowing the musical’s scope to his early years, though, the production finishes well short of the better known chapters of his life, leaving the narrative feeling frustratingly incomplete.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming articulated ‘the show’s central concern: the tensions between love, artistic integrity and fame’ but ‘We never get under the skin of these fascinating characters, or of the real human dilemmas here.’ She liked the star: ‘Harper-Jackson is vocally great: he has a sumptuous voice and soaring delivery — close your eyes, and you might imagine he was the real thing — and he suggests something of the charisma and volatility of his character. But he’s hampered by a script that never gets more than skin-deep.’

Alun Hood at WhatsOnStage sang from same songbook: ‘Dramatically inert but musically magnificent, this is a solid tribute to a singular talent’.

2 stars ⭑⭑

Maddy Mussen for The Standard did it her way: ‘Teams of archaeologists could labour for decades without unearthing the point of this show. Lavishly mounted but lamely written and characterised, it imperfectly hammers hits from Frank Sinatra’s back catalogue into a misconceived triumph-over-adversity narrative that covers nine years of his life. Why? For whom?’ The songs prompted more questions: ‘These remain, mostly, great songs. But who wants to hear them in a rickety, partial and hagiographic stage musical that whitewashes a complicated and frankly unpleasant individual? Frankly Unpleasant: now that’s the Sinatra musical I might pay to see.’

Critics’ average rating 2.8⭑

Value rating 28 (Critics’ rating combined with typical ticket price)

Sinatra The Musical can be seen at The Aldwych until 10 April 2027. Buy tickets directly from the producers

If you’ve seen Sinatra The Musical at The Aldwych, please leave your review and/or rating below

Russell Tovey commanding in theatrical thriller

Donmar Warehouse

None of the critics went so far as to give it five stars, citing plot weaknesses, but the almost unanimous 4 star reviews spoke of the tenseness of this thriller which is told in real time. They all agreed that Russell Tovey gave a powerful performance as a cop on the edge handling emergency calls, and desperately trying to prevent a tragedy. Chloe Moss’ script adapted from the film played its part in creating a stressful hour, as did the direction by Felix Barrett, who directed Paranormal Activity.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish summed up: ‘in a taut stage adaptation … Russell Tovey delivers a solo tour de force as Joe, answering calls on a shift fraught with life-and-death decisions.’ He went on: ‘We picture the unfolding scene with him, and are taken inside a kind of labyrinth. It’s a twisty tale, but as it elicits one satisfying surprise after another, it probes something existential and timely: how thin the line is between those who protect us and those who threaten us, and how narrow the gap is, too, between cool certainty and wild conjecture. It’s a gripping portrait of one man in extremis, but, with adrenal force, it inculpates us all, too.’

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar called it ‘a fantastically theatrical experience, part crime thriller and part ghost story…with the kind of razor suspense that fills you with dread and leaves you palpitating.’ She continued: ‘this is the most thrilling and visceral drama. Not a minute wasted, not a beat missed. No less than a white knuckle ride.’ She observed: ‘Moss manages to add the desperation and helplessness of those suffering extreme mental states and the sense of desertion they feel from wider systems. It is subtle social commentary but also feels human and utterly tragic.’

Dominic Maxwell of The Times enthused: ‘The Guilty is a delight, fast-moving and genuinely theatrical in the way it puts you in its hero’s head. Tovey is exceptional: a huge stage presence, yes, but one who always looks driven by events rather than any desire to impress.’ He concluded: ‘an ending of Greek dramatic proportions teeters into melodrama. No matter: the ride is what matters, the ride delivers.’

‘Adaptor Chloë Moss and director Felix Barrett have created a wholly theatrical, palm-sweating marvel’ said Anya Ryan for LondonTheatre. She ended: ‘Supported by an ever-varied, tremendous, unseen voice cast, the four walls of the call room expand out. We hear children, distressed neighbours, Joe’s laddish mates, and another policeman on trial, all through a phone line. But so strong is the acting, we can picture them, too. In the final section, the twists arrive fast and furious, with the final set-breaking-apart image being one of pure dramatic gold.’

The Stage‘s Sam Marlowe pointed out: ‘alongside the play’s nail-biting tension is a preoccupation with the gaps between what we see and what we assume, and the ways in which our minds can play tricks on us when we only know half the story. The production is directed by Felix Barrett – who … is adept at springing surprises and subverting expectations. He and Moss have plenty of impish fun shredding our nerves and leading us down narrative rabbit holes, aided by a superlative, sweatily intense solo onstage performance by Russell Tovey.’

Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski considered elements of the production: ‘Subtle shifts in light and the crackly strangeness of the calls he receives take on a feverish, nocturnal quality, only growing stranger as the show wears on.’ He decided: ‘Barrett’s direction provides an alluring air of ambiguity, but at the same time it’s mostly a bloody good real-time thriller. Running to just an hour, some of the plot twists are a touch melodramatic, but they have a rollercoaster momentum that means there’s no pause to be cynical, as Tovey’s character makes one fateful decision after the other, in the moment.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming was another critic impressed by the director: ‘Barrett skilfully uses the power of the onstage monologue and the electricity of live theatre to depict Joe’s isolation and to fuse his critical dependence on phones with the fear of voices in his head and his disintegrating mental state. Gareth Fry’s superb sound design throbs, crackles, creates a range of both realistic and disturbing offstage scenarios down the line, and plays its part in a revealing coup de théâtre at the end. There’s a slightly queasy mismatch between the thriller format and the gravity of the issues it covers (post-partum psychosis, for example), some plot twists grate, and there’s a streak of melodrama to the ending. But then we are never sure what is real and what is not: how much of it is in Joe’s head; how much of it is in our own.’

Commenting on director Felix Barrett, The Standard‘s Nick Curtis declared: ‘There is surely no more effective manipulator of mood and pace working in British theatre today. I can feel my scalp tightening, thinking again about the chilling surprises The Guilty meticulously springs in both plot and staging.’

BroadwayWorld‘s Aliya Al-Hassan was impressed by the star: ‘Russell Tovey is utterly compelling as Joe: quick to anger with a caller ringing about a neighbour’s loud party, tender with his own daughter and increasingly frantic as he tries everything within his restricted power to help Emily. Tovey carries conviction into every action, from the mundane dropping of an antacid into a glass of water to his panicky pacing liked a caged animal.’ She paid tribute to the creative team: ‘Gareth Fry’s sound design is simply exceptional, creating stark clarity between the multiple callers and Joe’s own voice. As a clock ticks ominously in the windowless space, down the various lines, sirens blare out, rain steadily falls and muffled background sounds all create a highly realistic reflection of the world outside. This is all aided beautifully by lighting designer Anna Watson who creates a flat and airless space which occasionally shifts into something completely different.’

3 stars

WhatsOnStage‘s Sarah Crompton found much to admire : ‘Tovey is superb, commanding the stage, his reactions – a fractional raise of the eyebrows when someone annoys him, a rising sense of involvement and concern when he realises he truly is in the midst of an emergency, a flash of anger when his wife tries to cut him off – always readable, always convincing (…) It is a brilliantly contrived and executed theatrical experience.’ However:  ‘My problem was that I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t buy the idea that a man in Joe’s position would be entrusted – alone – with such a job, or that he would react in quite the ways he does. I couldn’t suspend my disbelief, so I was always distanced from what is undoubtedly an extraordinarily gripping and clever piece.’

Critics’ average rating 3.9⭑

The Guilty can be seen at The Donmar Warehouse until 15 August 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre 

Click here to read Paul Seven’s review here

If you’ve seen The Guilty at The Donmar, please leave your review and/or rating below

 

 

Four fabulous fibbing performers

Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

Florian Zeller’s comedy about adultery, deceit and the dangers of truth features twist after twist. Comedy is so often a matter of taste, so it was either ‘seat-shakingly funny’ (Guardian 5⭑) or ‘ponderous’ (Stage 2⭑).Most of the critics praised the cast of Stephen Mangan (‘fantastically enjoyable’ Time Out), Ardal O’Hanlan, Sarah Hadland and Janie Dee.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

5 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Mark Lawson for The Guardian defined it as ‘a modern French farce that adds to the form’s physical comedy a metaphysical dimension about whether accuracy and veracity are possible or even sensible. Across seven scenes, each featuring two characters, alibis overlap and contradict. Lies may be a tactic to expose truth and vice versa until the plot twists into a double helix of deceit.’ The play, he said, ‘is made seat-shakingly funny by four fabulously fibbing performers.’

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish called it ‘a spiralling comedy of infidelity and duplicity.’ He thought the star was well cast: ‘Mangan makes this brazen liar sheepishly appealing even when he’s being frankly appalling.’ He discovered: ‘There’s an underlying truth here to the way lies make the world go round, and an old-fashioned theatrical pleasure emerges from seeing yarns being frantically spun (…) there’s ample fun to be had and a surprisingly satisfying sting to the froth.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming noted: ‘It’s nowhere near as deep or moving as The Father, and the characters are supremely self-obsessed, but still there is something very sad about their predicament. And this clever, elusive comedy touches on profound questions about the meaning and malleability of truth.’

Caroline McGinn for Time Out declared: ‘Mangan fans won’t be disappointed, his performance is more than worth the entry fee. He is fantastically enjoyable as Michel, bringing irresistible hangdog charm and ageing himbo vibes to the character who believes he is successfully deceiving everyone around him. His epic tantrum on discovering that he is the more deceived is hilarious: utterly hypocritical, and heartfelt. Michel’s arc is the driving force of the story and when Mangan commits to his outrage, it lifts the comedy to the next level and really makes it grip.’

The Standard‘s Nicjk Curtis called the play ‘a manically effervescent, farcical comedy of manners in Lindsay Posner’s starry, polished revival (…) This is a glossy, old-fashioned West End night out, and none the worse for that.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

The Times’ Clive Davis found it ‘breezes along with a wry, occasionally self-satisfied grin on its face (…) The director Lindsay Posner keeps the complications and deceptions bubbling along.’ He seemed to have left the theatre inmoved: ‘Designer Lizzie Clachan’s hotel and domestic interiors are self-consciously sterile. The psychological asides may be quintessentially French, but they’re not particularly profound.’

Matt Wolf at LondonTheatre noted: ‘The problem is that shows constructed with this sort of Swiss watch precision aren’t quite so revelatory upon renewed dissection. As someone already familiar with The Truth, I admit to sometimes feeling that I was watching a well-oiled theatrical machine cranking into gear: the play on second viewing has a faintly mechanical aspect, though the skill of the cast – led by Mangan in superlative overdrive – is never in doubt (…) Posner’s cast navigates the changes in tone and knows how to downplay the gathering reliance on contrivance and coincidence.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

For Dave Fargnoli of The Stage stated:’the action feels ponderous, the script strangely flat-footed. Here, every conversation eventually becomes trapped in repetitive rhetorical loops as the characters bat the same lines back and forth between them, systematically draining them of impact (…) Posner sets such a rattling pace, and encourages such big, explosive deliveries where more subtle responses might be more effective, that many of the text’s nuances are lost.’

Critics’ average rating 3.6⭑

Value for money 40 (Typical price combined with average rating)

The Truth can be seen at the Apollo Theatre until 12 September 2026. Buy tickets from the producers www.thetruthplay.com

Read Paul Seven’s review here

If you’ve seen The Truth at the Apollo Theatre, please leave your review and/or rating below

Not even Sandra Oh can save this toothless satire

Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre

Martin Crimp‘s latest adaptation of The Misanthrope moves Molière’s satirical classic to the present day and makes its protagonist a female novelist. It fires at too many targets without really scoring any hits, said most of the reviewers. Quite a few liked Sandra Oh as the gender-flipped people-hater.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Sunday Times’ Dominic Maxwell found: ‘You almost don’t notice how good Oh is because she makes you simply believe in the forever disgruntled, forever rhyming Alice.’ He was more appreciative of the adaptation than others: ‘It’s a story about trust, or the lack of it, and the shiny surfaces that some of us — most of us? — choose in preference to gnarly reality. Even before its surprisingly spectacular finale, it’s stranger, more raggedy and harder to fathom than the slick satire as which it first presents. And it makes its own gloriously off-kilter kind of sense.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

WhatsOnStage‘s Sarah Crompton seemed to sum up everybody else’s reaction: ‘This is a Misanthrope full of interesting ideas and fine effects, but not quite enough bite or fury.’

Dave Fargnoli for The Stage said much the same: ‘Although the dialogue is snappy, the satire feels unfocused. Crimp mocks those who pay lip service to ideals of inclusivity, takes aim at the vanity of public figures and laments the myriad harms caused by the internet, but never lands a really shattering blow.’ On the other hand, he praised the director: ‘Indira Rubasingham’s judicious direction makes the piece feel lively and natural, despite all the intricate verbal artifice, with sparky sparring matches breaking out and conversations frequently descending into overlapping arguments.’ And the star: ‘Sandra Oh makes a brilliantly bitter Alice. By turns analytical, angry, cold and cruel, she tears strips off anyone who tries to sideline her, resolutely refusing to be ignored.’

Holly O’Mahony for LondonTheatre decided that Sandra Oh ‘brings great conviction and amusing bolshiness to the role. Like a kettle that’s just about to whistle, she practically vibrates under the effort of bottling up her disdain for other people. More often, of course, she insists on speaking her mind, even when her views are unpopular.’ But she too was disappointed with the adaptation: ‘if there are plenty of current, provocative references here, they’re flimsily addressed and leave little to chew over once the story peters out.’

The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar agreed: ‘With sprawling ideas and OTT satire, it is stuffed full of the debates of our time around female empowerment, patriarchy, digital rage, misinformation and the hollow language of “acceptance” with plenty of pops at theatre and bad writing. Not all of these issues seem to belong to a single play; they are bitten off but barely chewed.’ She continued: ‘The satirical elements are hard to anchor. Who is being satirised and why?’ And yet: ‘In the best dramatic moments it contains some riveting acting from Oh, who brings heart, fire, vulnerability and comic timing.’

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis sounded exasperated: ‘Too many scenes feature two people arguing, and many of them end abruptly. Crimp’s play and Rubasingham’s production are half in love with the rarefied world they are satirising. There are too many knowing asides for the cognoscenti, too many debates about the importance of writing.’

Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski was kind enough to open his review by saying: ‘Sandra Oh makes a very decent UK stage debut as Alice’. He then took the adaptation apart but ended by noting: ‘Anyway, after 90 minutes of feeling slightly less than the sum of its parts, Indhu Rubasingham’s production and Crimp’s text finally go gloriously mad for the final furlong, switching to Molière-style rhyming verse and leaving any sense of naturalism behind as Robert Jones’ hitherto realist set suddenly becomes… very strange. It’s a weird final sequence, but without unduly spoiling exactly what happens, it worked for me because it felt like Crimp was finally actually making a point.’

Annabel Nugent at The Independent found: ‘Crimp, … like a kid in a candy store, can’t decide and so takes one of everything. The result is a broad satire filled with platitudes and generalised debates about female empowerment, the patriarchy and trolls on the internet. Crimp aims his satire like a fine spritz rather than the firehose jet of Molière’s original.’ She said of the star: ‘Oh is decent enough at the protesting and proclaiming and denouncing and ranting that her role requires, but the actor is best in the play’s quieter moments, her fangs retracted and her soft underbelly exposed’.

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish was underwhelmed by the star: ‘It too often feels like there’s an Oh-shaped hole in the production. The supporting performances are accomplished, with especially enjoyable work from Paul Chahidi as Alice’s gay playwright pal, and Rina Fatania as her insufferable reputation manager. But they crowd out the star attraction. The star strives to show us what she can do – eyes sealed in pent-up frustration, sorrow lurking in her insouciance. But she’s never really scary, and never makes us care, fully. Not her fault: she’s subject to killing even-handedness.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming was frustrated: ‘there are so many rolling plots and lines of attack that the narrative becomes overloaded and confusing, and Alice’s central predicament — conform or rebel — gets rather lost, together with the questions it poses to us all. Even so, Oh is riveting — waspishly funny, whilst suggesting her character’s despair and loneliness — and she’s supported by a very fine cast.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

Like his Times colleague Dominic Maxwell, Clive Davis was the only one of our chosen critics to break the 3-star consensus, except he went for one less. For him, not even Sandra Oh could save it: ‘I’m not sure anyone else could have salvaged a fatally cluttered romp that resembles an extended episode of Absolutely Fabulous with most of the wit surgically removed.’ He explained:’Part of the problem with this production, directed at a frenetic tempo by the National’s new boss Indhu Rubasingham … is that Oh’s delivery lacks nuance. We get disdainful snarls, but not much more.’ ‘By the time the piece stumbles towards its meta conclusion at a baroque-themed costume party, we’ve long ceased to care about the outcome. The wardrobe department comes up trumps, though.’

Critics’ average rating 3.0⭑

Value for money 33 (typical price vs average rating)

The Misanthrope can be seen at the Lyttelton Theatre until 1 August 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre Molière’s

If you’ve seen The Misanthrope at the National theatre, please leave your review and/or rating below

Adrian Lester is ‘magnificent’ in great night of theatre

Noel Coward Theatre

Following rave reviews for its opening in Stratford, the RSC production of Cyrano de Bergerac is greeted in the West End with even more acclaim. The critics loved the funny and heartbreaking modern verse adaptation (‘terrific’ LondonTheatre) by director Simon Evans and poet Debris Stevenson and praised the cast led by Adrian Lester (‘emotional depth’ Times), Susannah Fielding (‘charisma’ Stage) and Levi Brown (‘winning charm’ WhatsOnStage). All the reviewers had a good night out watching the witty, poetic, self-loathing Cyrano woo the woman he loves on behalf of someone more handsome than himself.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

5 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Matt Wolf for LondonTheatre found: ‘I’m here to report that Lester is the best warrior-wooer I’ve come across since Derek Jacobi brought this same character to the Barbican late in 1983’. More than that: ‘One of the abiding strengths of the production from Simon Evans – working from a terrific new script that he has fashioned with the poet-activist Debris Stevenson – is how generously it sees all this play’s characters in the round. Susannah Fielding’s Roxane – the object of Cyrano’s passion not to mention this wordsmith’s celebrated pen – is no simpering bystander, but a woman possessed of agency and vibrancy’.

Holly O’Mahony, reviewing for Time Out, was entranced by Adrian Lester: ‘Rarely does limerence sound as achingly beautiful as when he describes his feelings for Roxane – and rarely do rhyming couplets sound as sexy as when coming from his mouth.’ She noted: ‘It’s a clever trick of Evans’ production that, after we’ve heard the overwhelming swell of Cyrano’s feelings for her, Susannah Fielding’s Roxane is in fact quite different to his description: sardonically chipper, with girl-next-door energy. And in not giving us Roxane as seen through her admirer’s eyes, we understand just how emphatically Cyrano has romanticised her.’

Alex Wood for WhatsOnStage said of the scriptwriters: ‘like their protagonist, the pair produce an effortlessly disarming and fleet-footed script with far more bubbling beneath the surface than initially meets the eye. Set against the backdrop of the bloody Franco-Spanish War, it is a meditation on mortality, of life lost and love never relinquished, even after death.’ He turned to the cast: ‘Susannah Fielding bringing tireless wit and refreshing verve to Roxane, a woman stung by the memory of a shackling marriage and now desperately seeking liberation. Her howling final monologue as she reveals the truth underneath her forfeited life is chill-inducing. Levi Brown has winning charm as the provincial heartthrob Christian (…) Any show has to live or die by the nose-sporting poet, and Adrian Lester delivers his best performance in donkeys’ years as Cyrano, at times playfully camp, other times sardonically steely as the tragic hero.’

Claire Allfree for the Telegraph observed: ‘Lester, who wears a prosthetic nose, in keeping with the production’s flirtation with pantomime, is in his element here. His verse-speaking is a delight: he is entirely at home with the cut and thrust of Rostand’s serrated lyricism. Everywhere he subtly reveals the disconnect between public and private self – a feared and lauded warrior, in the flesh he moves almost clumsily; positively obnoxious and sneering towards his fellow soldiers, he is consumed with ugly self-loathing.’

Ben Dowell for The Times described Adrian Lester: ‘Combining astonishing physicality (he’s 57) with emotional depth, he is cocky and agile, but his agonies about his physical ugliness feel wholly sincere and build relentlessly towards a devastating denouement. Even as he struts around at the start, fencing with both words and sword, you still sense a man closely guarding acute vulnerabilities.’ He concluded with the conclusion of the play (spoiler alert): ‘the ticket price is worth it for the tragic final 20 minutes alone, when Cyrano becomes unstuck and Roxane realises too late who penned those words of love. His speech becomes halting and words fail him while she speaks with exquisite transcendence before he disappears into a garden of soft pastel hues, taken to the unknown by his boyhood self. Stripped away, the pain dissolves to nothing. I’ve rarely seen anything as heartbreaking.’

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis declared: ‘Adrian Lester is magnificent as the big-nosed, big-hearted soldier-bard in this witty and unbearably moving (play) … Director Simon Evans and writer Debris Stevenson … embrace the theatricality of the drama and also warmly embrace the audience in way that’s light years away from the National’s current, self-consciously “meta” Misanthrope. Their lyrical, music-laced adaptation cleverly but unobtrusively gives each major character a different poetic metre to speak. It also addresses and partially redresses the misogyny of the original’. Why not five stars? ‘The only serious flaw is a certain bagginess and stateliness of pace.’

Cindy Marcolina for BroadwayWorld pointed out: ‘Evans grounds it back to its roots in an open-hearted celebration of emotion, language, and empathy.’ She was pleased with the adaptation: ‘The poetic rhythm of the play is simply exquisite, seamlessly flowing from verse to prose. The visuals are as much of a treat. Evans spreads the action, using up the vastness of the Noël Coward stage with a stout set design by Grace Smart.’ She concluded: ‘The performances are notable, the writing is stunning, and the direction is tight. What’s not to love?’

Tom Wicker for The Stage said: ‘(the) play sweeps into the West End in an intoxicating rush of romance and with a giddy love of language that spills off the stage.’ He described Adrian Lester as ‘magnificent’ and said Susannah Fielding ‘has charisma to spare’.

Critics’ average rating 4.6⭑

Value score 49 (typical price vs average rating)

Cyrano de Bergerac can be seen at the Noel Coward theatre until 5 September 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre 

Read Paul Seven’s 5-star review of Cyrano de Bergerac here

If you’ve seen this production of Cyrano de Bergerac, please leave your review and/or rating below

Women excel as macho salesmen, but what was the point?

The Old Vic Theatre

The decision, apparently taken by the playwright David Mamet, to cast all women as the real estate salesmen in Patrick Marber‘s production of Glengarry Glen Ross had the critics scratching their heads. Nearly all found the acting excellent, especially that of Indira Varma and Rosa Salazar, but most were not sure that the experiment worked (‘the purpose of the gender reversal here feels unresolved’ Guardian). Some saw a point (‘the purpose of the gender reversal here feels unresolved’ Time Out).  Rob Howell‘s sparse set in the current in-the-round configuration at The Old Vic was generally felt to add to the claustrophobia of a ‘boiler room’ but some thought there was not enough detail.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe liked it a lot: ‘the focus here is unquestionably the ferocious performances. And they do not disappoint. This is true ensemble work by some of the finest actors working in British theatre, but if there is a standout, it’s Rosa Salazar’s Roma – costumed by Howell in a pair of mean shades and a sinister long leather coat.’ She ended: ‘Together, they are all so absorbing, and the pace and intensity of Marber’s direction so thrilling, that you almost forget the lack of substance at the play’s centre. It is, in its way, itself an elaborate, flashy theatrical con. But when it’s executed as scintillatingly as this, you don’t mind falling for the grift.’

The Standard’s Nick Curtis was conflicted: ‘Even as Mamet’s machine-tooled, combative dialogue locks in your attention, the casting throws a light on the deliberate shallowness of his characterisation. It’s an arresting but oddly distancing experience, as if you’re watching two plays at once, your brain constantly trying to unpick them.’ He described it as: ‘an experiment in perception and the artifice of acting. We simultaneously believe and don’t believe that these women are men. The casting accentuates the testosterone of Mamet’s writing rather than finding anything new in it. We are always aware we are watching a performance.’

Time Out’s Andrzej Lukowski in a presumed 4 stars review opined: ‘in stripping away the more preposterous layers of machismo and offering a more empathetic take, C.’ He concluded: ‘It’s a fascinating idea, and while it would be odd to see this without at least having seen the film for reference, I’d say it’s an experiment that works.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Marianka Swain for LondonTheatre picked out two members of the cast for special mention: ‘Varma is by turn blustering, wheedling, and furiously indignant, barrelling between emotional and physical extremes – from a shining moment of triumph, her whole frame suddenly animated, to quiet despair, her body collapsing in on itself (…) Excellent too is Rosa Salazar, giving us a fascinatingly seductive version of sleazy hustler Ricky Roma.’

Lucinda Everett for WhatsOnStage felt: ‘the production’s biggest challenge lies in Mamet’s insistence on the character’s names and pronouns remaining unchanged, leaving the spectre of masculinity hovering above the stage. A sudden shout of “John!” can momentarily break the illusion of the gender switch, make the more “masculine” performances suddenly feel like male impersonations, and scupper the chance to truly imagine how the play’s events, and its heart-breaking conclusion, would feel for a group of women.’

The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish acknowledged: ‘The female cast doesn’t have much room for manoeuvre. Adhere to the gender fixity of the roles and risk pale imitation. Counteract the template, dig beneath the pugilistic exteriors, and you can lessen the impact. It’s a tribute to the company that they walk this tightrope so well, combining ruthlessness and vulnerability.’ He conceded: ‘I feared we’d get toe-curling macho impersonation. Patrick Marber’s in-the-round Old Vic staging is better than that. Even so, it feels like a synthetic, vaguely modish experiment. The play still works, but why mess with perfection?’

The Independent’s Alice Saville described the simplicity of the set and concluded: ‘This minimalism might be efficient, but it doesn’t always serve the play, and makes it harder to create the claustrophobic, cigarette smoke-saturated feel of a tiny office that’s full of caged corporate beasts.’ She felt the production couldn’t make its mind up: ‘Maybe we’re socially conditioned to empathise more with women, however monstrous their roles are. Or maybe there’s just a lack of specificity to this staging, which keeps the male names of the original, without making it clear what gender each individual character is. By keeping things vague, the production loses its bite.’

Alexander Cohen at BroadwayWorld found: ‘the production lacks an electricity that should have been supercharged in Rob Howell’s claustrophobia-inducing in the round staging. The casting reframes the play’s masculinity but keeps it on a lead, not giving enough airtime to let the play’s testosterone fuelled heart bleed.’ He expanded : ‘We are too busy trying to sus out the commentary on gender dynamics and office politics to savour the play’s brutality. It’s like watching a philosophical thought experiment rather than a no bars hold bust up.’

The Times’ Clive Davis was not convinced: ‘Does it work? I’m not convinced. Salazar, wearing a long leather coat, her hair tied in a ponytail, struts around like an authentic Chicago hustler. But, collectively, this reinvention has the aura of a rehearsal room exercise in which accomplished actors sketch personalities without, for the most part, getting to the heart of the characters. Or grabbing them by the balls, as the salesmen would say.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

What’s the point? asked The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar: ‘You wonder why these women are playing at being men rather than performing as female versions of Mamet’s capitalists, especially in the era of Margaret Thatcher.’ (…) ‘Gender-switched productions are motivated by different reasons … Some are done for gender parity, some are political and others simply arbitrary, he says. For all its promise, the purpose of the gender reversal here feels unresolved.’

Critics’ average rating 3.2

Value score based on rating versus price: 42

Glengarry Glen Ross can be seen at The Old Vic Theatre until 18 July 2026. Buy tickets directly from theatre www.oldvictheatre.com

If you’ve seen this production, please leave a review and/or rating below

Maureen Lipman rises above disappointing play

Orange Tree Theatre Richmond

The critics loved Maureen Lipman. They were not so keen on Peter Quilter‘s play (‘Maureen Lipman, 80, deserves a hit play. This isn’t it’ Times headline). After a short tour, it will reside in the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre from 8 July for a month. More reviews may follow.

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming loved the star: ‘Lipman gives a virtuoso performance, deftly pitched between comedy and pathos. She brings great comic timing to Allegra’s sharp wit and spry energy to her routines, but she also reveals flashes of vulnerability and anxiety.’ She called the play: ‘a rather old-fashioned comedy with a surreal edge that suggests the fantastical arena of her imagination.’ She continued: ‘There’s wit and compassion to the piece, which celebrates the uniqueness of this generous, eccentric person and touches on some probing questions about society’s response to those who are different in any way. Stephen Mear’s production embraces the joy of the musical breaks while also quietly underscoring the difficulties for those who care for fragile people.’

Aliya Al-Hussan, usually to be found on BroadwayWorld, popped up at WhatsOnStage: ‘Lipman carries the show in the titular role. Resplendent in wild, purple-tinged hair and brightly coloured clothes, she bursts with irrepressible joy and enthusiasm for life. Her comic timing is impeccable, gradually showing cracks of vulnerability developing in the character, even as she delivers waspish one-liners.’ As to the play: ‘Quilter’s writing has a gentle rhythm and there is a well-written sitcom-like feel to the comedy, but it never gets quite to the sharp nub of the issue that the public has a problem with those who do not quite fit in and that the happiness of others can be uncomfortable.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish didn’t hold back: ‘Not even Maureen Lipman can salvage Peter Quilter’s disappointing, sluggish comedy about a dotty lady deemed a local nuisance for singing in public.’

The Times’ Clive Davis agreed: ‘(Maureen Lipman) is a force of nature. But even she can’t redeem this weirdly lacklustre new comedy about a relentlessly upbeat woman who has the urge to burst into song at inappropriate moments. There might well be a cheerful musical buried somewhere here, but Peter Quilter’s script limps from punchline to punchline like some misbegotten 1970s sitcom.’ He continued: ‘Limp puns are piled high, and Stephen Mear’s direction suffers from a fatal lack of pace.’

Emma John for The Guardian added to the agony: ‘in a production by Stephen Mear that’s heavy on the whimsy and light on everything else. Allegra presents like one of Alan Bennett’s lovable, spirited eccentrics, but we learn nothing about her beyond her unworldliness.’

Critics’ average rating 2.4⭑

After a short tour, Allegra will transfer to Harold Pinter Theatre 8 July to 8 August. Buy tickets directly from www.allegraplay.com

If you’ve seen Allegra with Maureen Lipman, please leave a review and/or rating below

The horror of war

Almeida Theatre

Horror is all the rage in the world of entertainment. Frightening films dominate the cinema box office and on stage Paranormal Activity and A Ghost in your Ear has been followed by Under The Shadow, a play adapted by Carmen Nasr from a film. The action takes place in Iran during the country’s war with Iraq (although just as relevant today, as many critics pointed out). A mother spends much of the time in a room with her daughter. The fear of bombs is raised to horror level by the presence of a spooky, initially unseen, monster (known as a djin). The performances were praised, especially that of Leila Farzad (‘powerful but understated’ CityAM) in the lead role of Shideh. The critics liked Ben Stones’ claustrophobic set (‘richly detailed’ Financial Times) but many didn’t think the explicit horror in the second act worked in such an intimate venue. The reviews complimented Nadia Latif’s production (‘suspenseful, fluidly directed’ Guardian) but a number said the original film worked better (‘grips you tighter, moves faster’ Sunday Times).

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish wrote: ‘Nadia Latif’s stylish, well-acted production …maximises the thrill of us being in the same space, as lights flicker, furniture moves of its own accord and… what the hell is that claw-fingered creature in black hanging off the wall? At the same time, it doesn’t diminish Shideh as an overwhelmed woman alone, reaping the whirlwind of her non-conformity. The happenings embody forces beyond her control. And the end reflects both hard-won fortitude and a lingering anguish.’

Ryan for The Guardian said: ‘the strength of Nadia Latif’s suspenseful, fluidly directed production lies in its interlocking relationship between action and metaphor. Even as we interpret the djinn as a manifestation of Shideh’s internalised anger from her lifetime of oppression, that doesn’t make it any less terrifying’.

Steve Dineen at CityAM thought: ‘for the most part, this is a taut psychological thriller held together by a string of powerful but understated performances, especially Leila Farzad in the lead and her terrified daughter, with the young Erin Jemmotte (on press night, at least – there’s a rotating cast for the role) trusted to be the emotional crux of the play.’

The Independent’s Alice Saville reported: ‘There’s something so moving and so real about the quiet equations that the structure of this play makes. The forbidding, hate-filled university officials are somehow just as terrifying as the merciless supernatural beings who accost this family at night. And motherhood is a waking nightmare all of its own, as Shideh’s care for Dorsa traps her in terrible danger. This is a pacy, intense, and refreshingly unusual kind of thriller – one that reminds us that the scariest things in life aren’t the ones that go bump in the night.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming began: ‘It’s unusual to step into London’s Almeida Theatre and see a naturalistic set. Productions often embrace the graceful beauty of the bare brick wall with minimal designs. But Ben Stones, designing for Under the Shadow, gives us a richly detailed interior: an ordinary, middle-class family apartment in Tehran, 1988. And it’s partly in that detail — not just in the set but in the emotionally precise performances — that the power of this piece lies.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Crompton found: ‘There’s something compelling about how unexpectedly Under the Shadow twists and turns, and its portrait of people living with terror has strong contemporary resonance as war once more rips through the Middle East.’ However, ‘As the djinn becomes embodied, the play’s shocks begin to stray into Woman in Black territory, and its shifts in tone become too jarring. It can’t sustain the delicate balance it has created – but it is undoubtedly both original and enjoyable.’

The Standard’s Nick Curtis asked rhetorically: ‘Does the stage adaptation justify itself, though? Yes and no. An Iranian story has been brought to the stage by a British-Lebanese writer and a British-Sudanese director. It works as an effective chiller with some moments of genuine startlement. It also blunts the subtlety of the source material. This is heresy for a theatre devotee but… maybe just watch the film instead.’

Holly O’Mahony for LondonTheatre compared the play unfavourably with the film but liked the set: ‘Ben Stones’s design uses the stage effectively too: a naturalistic open-plan living space decorated with warm walls and midcentury furnishings centres the drama in the family home, while there’s room at the front for scenes that take place in the bunker, where the residents huddle together during bomb raids. As a missile strikes the building’s roof, its smoking girth appears to pierce the top of the stage like a dagger into skin.’

The Times’ Clive Davis concluded: ‘It’s in the use of shock tactics that the drama falls a little short. In a venue as intimate as this, it’s not going to be easy to sustain the illusion that a spectral presence is drifting here and there. Jump scares are used liberally in the second half of the evening, but the results aren’t entirely convincing: some special effects really work best in a multiplex. Still, Nasr succeeds in taking us into an unsettling realm, one where ideology, rather than a ghost, is the enemy.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe commented: ‘in a production by Nadia Latif, Carmen Nasr’s adaptation is oddly flat. There’s little atmosphere, either of a city under attack or of a home in the grip of uncanny forces. The build-up lacks tension, so that it feels more humdrum than slow burn. And the shocks and jump scares, when they arrive, often look slightly silly.’

The Sunday Times’ Dominic Maxwell compared it unfavourably to the film: ‘I can see the logic of Nasr’s changes. Mostly though, they lessen tension, spell things out and shine an unwelcome light on how much more cumbersome the grammar of theatre can be than that of film. The film makes its points better, grips you tighter, moves faster.’

Critics’ average rating 3.3⭑

Under The Shadow can be seen at The Almeida Theatre until 4 July 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre almeida.co.uk

If you’ve seen Under The Shadow at The Almeida, please leave a review and/or rating below

Highest praise for return of National’s hit show

Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre

Some of the most moving and insightful reviews for some time greeted the return of War Horse to the National Theatre. There was praise for the concept of using puppetry and the execution. All paid tribute to the quality of the production and its effectiveness in conveying the horror of war through the story of a young man and his horse. Its average rating of 4.9 stars is the highest given to a production since this website began its reviews roundups two-and-a-half years ago.

5 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Holly O’Mahony for LondonTheatre described: ‘Through unrivalled stagecraft that pours care into every tiny detail, it tells the irresistibly moving story of a boy and his horse, and a bond that takes them from rural Devon to the battlefield of World War I in France.’

Time Out’s Andrzej Lukowski reported: ‘It turns out War Horse is still incredible. Number one, the puppets are astonishing. Made by the South African company Handspring, it’s not just that individual puppets are good, but that there are so damn many of them, from horses to birds to a tank (…) and the standard of the puppetry and puppet direction (originally by Handspring’s Adrian Kohler, now by Matthew Forbes) is second to none (…) Number two: (…) It’s sturdy, unfussy storytelling, but this gives it a purity and timelessness’.

Maygan Forbes at WhatsOnStage extoled the virtues of this production: ‘Coleridge may ask us to suspend disbelief but War Horse simply confiscates it (…)Within 90 seconds the brain files “those are puppets” under irrelevant. Joey breathes, flinches, swivels an ear toward a voice. Toby Sedgwick’s choreography and Matthew Forbes’ puppetry direction make three people vanish into one creature, and the seam never shows. The horses don’t trot, they dance.’ Her eulogy ended: ‘In an age teaching machines to counterfeit feeling, here is the opposite: four people, a heap of cane, breathing together. As long as War Horse exists, the National will be fine. Bring tissues. You’ll think you’re above it. You are not.’

Rachel Halliburton at The Arts Desk gave us a detail: ‘In this production – for which Morris is now the director, and Katie Henry the revival director – the extraordinary detail of the way the horse is animated captures you from the start. Joey the foal, who – like the adult Joey – is made from cane, aluminium, stretch net and a synthetic material called Tyvek, lurches unevenly after he is born, before taking off at an experimental gallop. The puppeteers – Jordan Paris, Eloise Beaumont Wood and Anita Adam Gaby – manipulate him to show every twitch of fear, uncertainty, hope, and exhilaration.’

BroadwayWorld‘s Aliya Al-Hussan was not alone in praising the human contribution: ‘Tom Sturgess makes a spirited and sympathetic Albert, with good development between being a younger boy, moving into becoming a man.’ She ended with a heartfelt response to its iumpact:  ‘The fact that most of the audience are wiping away tears at the end shows the extent of emotion this production illicits. But the distress is intrinsic to the impact: this is no melodramatic pull-on-the-heartstrings. The Great War really happened and many hundreds of thousands of Joeys and Alberts lay where poppies now grow. This is theatre and theatrical invention at its finest.’

Tom Wicker for The Stage reminded us: ‘the design and operation of its stunning rod puppetry has proven so influential that it’s easy to overlook the production’s most powerful feature: its nightmarish vision of the brutality of war. That’s something Morris and this revival’s co-director Katie Henry make forcefully clear, as Joey returns to his home theatre.’

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish also ruminated on the tragedy of the story: ‘The huge risk taken by the show’s creative team – led by directors Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris (who now oversees this fresh iteration) – was to flip the conceit of Morpurgo’s 1982 novel. Instead of the action being narrated by the horse (Joey), our equine hero is placed centre-stage, but mute – in its own world. That could have resulted in a dramatic deficit; instead, owing to the ingenuity of the puppetry (by Handspring) and our own imaginations, this wondrous creature becomes the emblem of innocent suffering in the face of indescribable horror.’

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The only major reviewer not to award five stars was The Times’ Dominic Maxwell. His reservations were: ‘It’s not flawless. The pace can be stately — more trot than canter sometimes (…) the second half leans into more filmic animations of cavalry charges, tank battles and giant explosions. It’s too busy; it distracts from what’s on stage.’ However, he still gave four stars: ‘The directors throw a lot at Nick Stafford’s script to get it on its legs: Adrian Sutton’s filmic soundtrack, John Tams’s folk songs. Most of it works a treat. And yet, for all that characters note the sentimentality of Albert’s love of Joey while surrounded by copious human suffering, it’s the severed link between a lonely boy and his beloved thoroughbred that still cuts through. Sob. And hooray.’

Critics’ average rating 4.9⭑

Value rating 53 (A combination of average rating and typical ticket price)

War Horse can be seen at the National Theatre until 30 July 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre

If you’ve seen War Horse, please leave your review and/or rating below