The worst reviews of the year greet this ‘misconceived’ musical

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

The worst reviews of the year so far greeted this musical version of the Oscar-winning movie Midnight Cowboy. It’s to find any praise for Francis ‘Eg’ White‘s score, Bryony Lavery‘s book, or Nick Winston‘s direction of this story of two misfits in the dark world of 1980s New York.

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

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Paul Vale for The Stage summed up, ‘Lavery and White’s treatment brings very little that’s new to the table. Winston’s production is stylishly presented, with capable performances, but dramatically it tends to mirror the source works, rather than open them out and explore their themes.’ The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar gave one of the kinder reviews: ‘The pace of the production is choppy and it feels too long overall but it presents an unvarnished portrait of an urban underclass that still resonates.’ Nevertheless she tore into the music: ‘A few songs fly, such as Don’t Give Up on Me Now and Blue Is the Colour, but most feel wordy and generic.’

2 star ⭑⭑

Julia Rank for WhatsOnStage was critical for the score: ‘The music and lyrics by three-time Ivor Novello Award-winning pop songwriter Francis ‘Eg’ White (in his musical theatre debut) demonstrate a lack of theatrical understanding as the undistinguished, heavily synthesised soft-rock numbers lack any kind of trajectory and struggle to develop plot, character or atmosphere’ and Bryony Lavery’s book ‘which moves from scene to scene with little momentum and the characters remain caricatures.’

Franco Milazzo at BroadwayWorld listed the musical’s faults: ‘Chunky and clunky dialogue is smoothed out with the occasional zinger but it feels eternally rough around the edges…The score from Francis “Eg” White fares only slightly better…it is Nick Winston’s direction, though, that takes the biscuit and the tin it came in. The first half has stop-start pacing that distracts from any sense of forward motion and the sex scene between Joe and Cass is possibly the least erotic thing seen on a London stage for quite some time.’

Lindsay Johns writing for the Telegraph called it ‘disquieting, distasteful and at times even disgusting.’ (This last in reference to a sex scene.) She said the original songs: ‘feel banal, and occasionally descend into painful, atonal caterwauling.’ She concluded with another string of negative adjectives: ‘Notwithstanding a couple of strong performances, this curate’s egg of a production feels uneven, unsatisfying and wholly gratutitous.’

1 star ⭑

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis accused the musical of ‘ coarsely, slapping largely indifferent songs over the action seemingly at random.’ He found that ‘one smashes repeatedly up against the incongruity of score and subject matter, as Joe descends to turning gay tricks in movie theatres and fleapit hotels, Ratso gradually collapses, and Winston treats it all as a gaudy, carnivalesque entertainment.’ Gary Naylor at The ArtsDesk called it ‘misconceived’.

Critics’ Average Rating 1.86★

Midnight Cowboy can be seen at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 17 May 2025. Click here for tickets direct from the theatre. 

If you have seen Midnight Cowboy at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, please give your review and rating below