The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham – Thursday 5 November 2026

Reviewed by Emma Millward

4****

Birmingham’s first ever Drag and Burlesque Festival has arrived, bringing together artists from all over the globe to celebrate drag, burlesque and cabaret. The festival is the brainchild of multi-award-winning producer and performer Dominus Von Vexo. One of the festival’s events, The Producer Panel, brought together a group of experienced producers for an evening of conversation, audience questions and live entertainment. Hosted by Stage Door Johnny, the panel featured Dominus Von Vexo, Tempest Rose, Sadie Sinner, Will Power and Demi Noir, who stepped in for the absent Lilly Snatchdragon.

There was plenty to talk about, from the creative freedom of producing your own shows to the less glamorous side of making them happen. The panellists were open about the satisfaction they get from bringing ideas to life, but also the financial pressures and occasional loneliness that the job can bring. It was a stark reminder that producing isn’t simply putting performers on a stage. There are budgets, insurance, health and safety, marketing and lots of behind-the-scenes work to consider.

The conversation also included diversity and representation, with an emphasis on creating genuine opportunities for under-represented performers rather than simply filling a quota or resorting to tokenism. They also spoke about taking creative risks and making cabaret fun. While shows can deal with political issues and challenge perceptions, sometimes audiences simply want to dress up, have a laugh and enjoy an entertaining night out. The relationship between drag and burlesque was also discussed, with the panellists comparing their different histories and approaches to performance. The importance of professionalism when working in an industry where clear boundaries and mutual respect are really important was highlighted.

For anyone looking to get into producing or performing, there were many useful pointers. These included doing your research before approaching a producer, being prepared, and remembering that how you behave backstage matters just as much as what happens on stage. Questions from the audience also brought up the realities of finding funding, marketing shows and persuading people to take a chance on something new.

The discussion was followed by four live performances. Lena Love gave a beautifully ethereal performance as she took to the stage wearing enormous white butterfly-like wings. Drag King Manly Mannington brought a playful R&B boy band feel, performing to familiar tracks including Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe and getting the audience involved (and rather excited!). Dominus Von Vexo performed a hilarious dating app-inspired routine, while Me The Drag Queen channelled Sue Sylvester from Glee, mixing the character’s attitude with Meredith Brooks’ song Bitch for a bold, tongue-in-cheek act.

The Producer Panel offered an interesting glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes of the cabaret world. There was plenty to take away from the conversation, although some of the topics were naturally more relevant to those working in the industry or aspiring to. For an audience member, it was an opportunity to hear a different perspective on the shows we enjoy watching. The outstanding live performances were the perfect way to close an enjoyable evening that was a great first taste of Birmingham’s Drag and Burlesque Festival.

Candid, insightful and entertaining.

THEATRE BOOK PRIZE NAMES JOINT WINNERS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Martin Sherman’s On the Boardwalk and Matthew McFrederick’s
Staging Beckett in London share the 2026 award

The Society for Theatre Research has named joint winners of its Theatre Book Prize for the first time in the award’s history.

The 2026 prize, for books with a 2025 copyright, is shared by On the Boardwalk: A Memoir by Martin Sherman, published by Inkandescent, and Staging Beckett in London, by Matthew McFrederick, published by Methuen Drama.

The winners were announced by Michael Burden, Chair of the Society for Theatre Research, at a ceremony at Jermyn Street Theatre in London on Thursday 5 November.
Mr Sherman’s award was collected in his absence by his book editor, Nathan Evans, of publisher Inkandescent.

This year’s judging panel comprised playwright and director Dr John Godber OBE, theatre critic Maryam Philpott and Tony Award-winning theatre producer Thomas Hopkins.

The six shortlisted books were:
Vagabond by Tim Curry (Century)
The Methuen Drama Handbook of Women in Contemporary British Theatre, edited by Marissia Fragkou and Rebecca Benzie (Methuen Drama)
Richard Burbage and the Shakespearean Stage by Siobhan Keenan (The Arden Shakespeare)
Staging Beckett in London by Matthew McFrederick (Methuen Drama)
Modernism after the Ballets Russes: Movement in the British Theatre by Gabriela Minden (Oxford University Press) On the Boardwalk: A Memoir by Martin Sherman (Inkandescent)

Established in 1998 to celebrate the Society for Theatre Research’s Golden Jubilee, the Theatre Book Prize encourages the writing and publication of books on British and British-related theatre history and practice. It recognises work that brings the theatre of the past to life and records contemporary theatre for future generations.

The prize is awarded annually to the book an independent judging panel considers the best published during the previous year. It was first awarded for books published in 1997.
The ceremony also paid tribute to Howard Loxton and his 25-year contribution to the prize. Howard, a much-loved and respected member of the Society for Theatre Research for many years, died on 22 June 2026.

It was also announced that the judging panel for the 2027 prize, covering books published in 2026, comprises Aliya Al-Hassan, Susan Elkin and James Martin Charlton. 

The deadline for submissions of books with a 2026 copyright date is 29 January 2027.

Stage and Screen Star Bonnie Langford Becomes the New Patron of the Richmond Theatre Trust

Bonnie Langford becomes the new Patron of the Richmond Theatre Trust as she takes the role of Mrs Blunderbore in Jack and the Beanstalk at Richmond Theatre this Christmas.

Speaking about her new role as Patron, Bonnie Langford says:

“I am absolutely delighted to become a Patron of Richmond Theatre Trust.

Theatre has been a huge part of my life from a very young age, and I know first-hand the confidence and sense of belonging it can inspire.

I admire the Richmond Theatre Trust for its long-term commitment to opening doors, ensuring that more young people can discover their potential through the arts.

I’m incredibly proud to support the work of the Trust and champion greater access to creative experiences for the next generation.”

Karin Gartzke, Chair of Richmond Theatre Trust says:

“Richmond Theatre Trust warmly welcomes Bonnie Langford as our new patron. Her prolific career on stage and screen is an inspiration to the young people who take part in our programmes.

Bonnie’s support comes at a crucial time for the Trust as we seek to double the number of projects we fund each year, creating even more opportunities for young people to experience the excitement of live theatre and to learn new skills.”

Siobhan Thompson Presents

Denouement 

An Improvised Murder Mystery

Tour from 29^th May – 5^th June 2027

Tickets on sale 4^th September 2026

Following a sold-out run in Los Angeles, British comedian, writer and actor Siobhan Thompson (Dimension 20) is bringing her murder mystery improv show Denouement to the UK for the very first time, touring Glasgow, Newcastle, Bristol, Birmingham, Brighton and London from 29th May to 5th June 2027.

Created through improvisation, each performance sees the cast construct a new murder mystery live on stage, with a new detective, suspects and story that’s never been seen before, and will never be seen again.

Siobhan will be joined by a cast of leading names from the US improv and comedy scene, including Very Important People host and Dimension 20 regular Vic Michaelis, and writer, director and improviser Alex Fernie, whose credits include Last Week Tonight, Reno 911! and Key & Peele. The cast also includes Dhruv Uday Singh (Good Trouble, On the Verge), Kimia Behpoornia (Abbott Elementary, Atypical), Dropout regular Grant O’Brien (Dirty Laundry, Breaking News), former Saturday Night Live cast member John Milhiser, Crowd Control host Jacquis Neal, Smosh’s Angela Giarratana, Cathryn Mudon (Broad City, Dollface) and CollegeHumor and Dropout performer Ele Woods.

Denouement is developed by Siobhan Thompson and Alex Fernie and directed by Alex Fernie.

Cast Biographies

Siobhan Thompson is a British comedian, writer and actor best known as a core Dimension 20 player and longtime Dropout/CollegeHumor performer, with writing credits across television and digital comedy. 

Alex Fernie is a writer, director and improviser whose credits include Childrens Hospital, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Last Week Tonight, Reno 911! and Key & Peele, with deep roots at UCB. 

Dhruv Uday Singh is an Indian-American actor, writer and improviser known for Good Trouble, On the Verge and the Los Angeles improv scene, including UCB and Asian AF. 

Kimia Behpoornia is an actor, comedian and improviser known for Abbott Elementary, Atypical, Lucifer and numerous Dropout appearances, including Dimension 20. 

Grant O’Brien is a comedian, writer and performer closely associated with Dropout, best known for Dirty Laundry, Breaking News and his many years as a CollegeHumor cast member. 

John Milhiser is an actor and comedian known as a former Saturday Night Live cast member and an experienced sketch and improv performer. 

Jacquis Neal is a Chicago-born comedian, actor and improviser who hosts Dropout’s crowd-work comedy series Crowd Control and created the live game show Comedian Clash. 

Angela Giarratana is an actor, comedian and singer best known as a core Smosh cast member, Team StarKid performer and increasingly frequent Dropout guest, including Very Important People. 

Cathryn Mudon is an actor, improviser and sketch comedian whose credits include Broad City, Dollface, Tales of the City and years performing at UCB. 

Ele Woods is an actor, comedian and writer known for CollegeHumor and Dropout appearances including Game Changer, Dirty Laundry, Breaking News and Nobody Asked.

Listings information. Tickets on sale from 10AM on Friday 4 September at www.livenation.co.uk

Sat 29 May 2027 – SEC Armadillo, Glasgow

Sun 30 May 2027 – Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle

Tue 1 June 2027 – Bristol Beacon, Bristol

Wed 2 June 2027 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Thu 3 June 2027 – Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Brighton

Sat 5 June 2027 – Eventim Apollo, London

Soho Theatre, London – until 21 November 2026

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

4****

Fresh off a fantastic run at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, Temi Wilkey brings her funny, bold, and heartwarming show Lover Girl to the Soho Theatre and it could not be a more perfect tonic for the cold and dark November nights. It is a funny exploration of queer identity, modern dating and the ever lasting complicated search for love (self included) seen through the lens of a young bisexual black woman. Wilkey describes herself at the outset as a “Lover Girl” but cannot work out why she is single, and it is this questioning that sets in motion some of the funniest and most poignant conversations with herself and specifically and more importantly her body. The performance is 60 mins but it whistles by with WIlkey’s infectious energy and you can’t help but be carried along.

Wilkey begins the performance with song and dance, flirting with the audience and pondering whether the love of her life might be there, before introducing the concept of the “infinity pussy”. This interaction with WIlkey’s inner monologue (infinity pussy) provides plenty of opportunity for storytelling and physical comedy, and the pink dress which is part of her transformation, looks gloriously sumptuous against the draped red set. Her ability to swiftly move through the narrative, changing character and accent demonstrates Wilkey’s versatility and skill. She uses music to visit various autobiographical scenes, exploring loves lost and found, and in particular her relationship to her own self worth and ultimately leads her to empowerment.

With direction by Ragevan Vasan, Lover Girl is full of interesting ideas and is jam packed with laugh out loud moments, however the comedy does give way to vulnerability. It is in these quieter, more meaningful moments that the message of self-discovery comes through loud and clear. Temi Wilkey’s Lover Girl is a refreshingly honest yet celebratory portrayal of modern life and is a lovely way to spend a November evening.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 5th November 2026

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

5*****

The Important of Being Earnest is very familiar – some would say it’s Wilde’s masterpiece. Being so familiar it runs the risk of becoming commonplace. Which is a shame as it’s a wonderful story and deserves to be presented in an exciting way. Tonight gave us just that!

The story revolves around a brace of women who both fall in love with men they believe are called Earnest. Unbeknownst to them, neither are. This causes confusion, mountains of misunderstandings and misdirection all over the town and countryside and, of course, a lot of memorable one liners.

The art deco set testified to the fact this story had been transplanted from the late Victorian era to the 1920’s. Not a million years apart and yet it felt very different, though still surprisingly natural.

The second of the surprises – and first major one – was the live band on stage playing classic pop tunes in a vaguely jazzy style. I’ve not sold how good it was – because I loved it. The tunes really supported the story arc and the performers looked like they were enjoying themselves enormously too.

I’ve never seen Algernon Moncrief played quite so flamboyantly and it was a credit to Charlie Clee for pulling this off so perfectly. A joyous portrayal that made one fall in love with this charming rogue. The other male lead, John Worthing (aka Earnest), was ably overplayed (in the best possible way) by Lyle Fulton. His exasperation overflowed in all directions but he also gave us pathos and a character we could root for.

Their two leading ladies, Gwendolen and Cecily perfectly complimented each other, their partners and each had their moments in the spotlight to shine. Grace Bassett (Gwendolen) was fabulous but Hannah Brownlie as Cecily was the big revelation – she really sparkled! A sensational performance.

Lady Bracknell must be a scream to play and Anna MacLeod Franklin gave us a commanding performance. A perfectly pitched portrayal which stole almost every scene she graced.

Canon Chasuble and Miss Prism made a very likely unlikely couple and Charlotte Ware (as Prism) really made the most of her stage time. I would like to praise the actor who played the Canon but, unfortunately, there was no programme and printed the cast list didn’t include him.

Last, but not least, the butler Lane (brought to technicolour life by Lachlan McCall) was the star comedy turn – with a lovely deadpan, lugubrious way about him. But also the other characters he played – mostly the staff of the country and town house of Mr Worthing. It was like watching a dynasty of familial servitude; each new character sporting a rather familiar face. Hilarious.

The script kept pretty faithfully to the original (apart from the pop songs) and why not? It’s a home run waiting to be hit. And a home run it was as all concerned gave us a fabulous night’s entertainment. The only disappointment was that the run was so short – leaving me longing for their return! When they do, I implore you to catch this marvellous company – I loved it. One of the best Earnest’s I have ever seen.

MaryleboneTheatre – until 17th January 2027

Reviewed by Phil Brown

4****

Another day, another Torben Betts play to review.

And quite a contrast to The Other Side of Murder although untimely death is at the heart of both…

Here we are, over 50 years since the 1960s but the events of that transformative decade still seem to linger large in our collective consciousness.  Possibly because a world experienced in black and white suddenly discovered colour – a mass coming of age of post war youth unleashed a surge of radical change at the same time as the rapid expansion of the media industry.    I grew up in the sixties and remember the events covered in this play well.  They seemed absolutely earth shaking.   Torben Betts is two decades younger but still feels compelled to write about them to produce a thoroughly engrossing slice of historical fiction.

To use its full title – Speculations.…on the Unexpected Deaths of Several American Icons – is Torben Betts’ most recent work which opened at the Marylebone Theatre on 4th November.  It’s hard to see exactly where the playwright’s work finished and the director (Sir Trevor Nunn) started to shape the end product.  The richly informative programme contains an interview with Torben Betts describing the gestation of this work which goes back to 2023 at least, and it seems we should thank lead actor Janie Dee and Trevor Nunn for helping get it over the line and onto the stage.  

There is a distinct and pleasing cinematic, big screen quality to this production which involves switching between three separate two handed scenes through the course of two 1 hour acts, each neatly linked to the preceding one.  There are around 10 or 11 of such scenes in each part.  On occasion, the Act 1 scenes can drag on, but the overall approach certainly imparts an energy and momentum to the narrative and is key in building intrigue. 

Scene 1 (Kilgallen’s New York City apartment) features Pulitzer nominated investigative journalist Dorothy Kilgallen (Janie Dee) welcoming new baby sitter Flo Jackson (Gloria Obianyo) into her home.  Flo is a fictional character who happens to be an aspiring journalist herself.  She’s a keen supporter of Robert Kennedy who she sees as someone working to improve the position of black Americans.  Kilgallen has made a name for herself on What’s My Line and knows Sinatra but is on a mission to investigate perceived disconnects in the glibly official accounts of the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald.  Kilgallen confides in a still idealistic and sceptical Flo her suspicions and shows her a draft of her book in progress.  The incendiary nature of which means Kilgallen fears for her life but nevertheless convinces Flo to buy into her world view.

Scene 2 (Monroe’s Los Angeles home) features Monroe/Norma Jean Mortenson (Natalie Dunne) “entertaining” Robert Kennedy (Jolyon Coy) at home.  Monroe is a wounded, spiralling but defiant wreck “who doesn’t want to take any more crap from the men who think they own her”.  At a party, drunk, she threatens to expose them all.  At this point Robert is conflicted between his lust for Monroe and his concern for the Kennedy reputation and position.  He desperately wants to get hold of Monroe’s diaries by any means possible.

Scene 3 (Marcello’s New Orleans club) features gang boss Carlos Marcello (Ferdy Roberts) and communist sympathiser and sharp-shooter Lee Harvey Oswald (Joseph Potter) who has just returned from Moscow and allegedly came to Marcello’s attention by working with Dallas night club owner Jack Ruby.  Marcello, previously deported to Guatemala as a result of Robert Kennedy’s crime crusade targets JFK for retribution.  Why JFK?  “Because if you want to kill a dog, you don’t cut off its tail”.  Oswald admires Fidel Castro and dreams of relocating to Cuba.  He desperately wants to be a somebody.  Marcello is sounding out Oswald because he is employed in the high rise Texas School Book Depository.

I think this excellent production flirts with the limits of audience attention span in the context of spoken drama (although the reception at the end was very enthusiastic).  Torben Betts brings in a reasonable amount of contemporary US history which is something of a double edged sword.  It provides useful context and richness, but can also elongate some scenes – mainly those featuring Kilgallen/Flo.  The Monroe/Kennedy scenes are really well done but are a touch repetitive and so could be trimmed.   For me, the Marcello/Oswald scenes are possibly the most effective.  Ferdy Roberts as Carlos Marcello, channelling Tony Soprano (?), is the embodiment of a Sicilian gang boss.  This play is 100% dialogue and there’s no doubt that Torben Betts has a real gift for authentic dialogue which was superbly delivered by the cast.

One of the key elements in the cinematic switching of scenes is the brilliantly effective set (designer Lee Newby), the use of lighting (Johanna Town) and the use of sound (Gregory Clarke).  Two revolving side walls transform Kilgallen’s New York elegant apartment lounge into Monroe’s luxuriously modern LA pad.  Whilst the revolving back wall transforms the set into a New Orleans night club.  I particularly liked the thoughtful selection of music clips played at the switching moments ranging from Sinatra, through Monroe herself, New Orleans style jazz to various moody modern jazz. 

Overall, a very glossy production, superbly performed with seriously intriguing content that will grip you all the way through.  Without doubt, a worthwhile addition to the catalogue of historical fiction drama.

Cambridge Arts Theatre – until Saturday 7th November 2026

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

Three middle-aged men arguing about the future of the Labour Party does not sound like a gripping night out. Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky’s The Gang of Three proves otherwise. It is sharp, witty and, most surprisingly, deeply human: a play about friendship and ambition that happens to be set in Westminster.

The story follows Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey and Tony Crosland, three gifted figures from the Labour Party. Each believed he should lead the party, and none of them ever did. On paper it is a niche slice of political history. On stage it becomes a study of three friends who need each other and can’t stop competing.

Crudely put, Crosland was the thinker, Jenkins the liberal reformer and Healey the political bruiser. History knows how it ended. Crosland died suddenly in 1977, aged 58, while serving as Foreign Secretary. Jenkins left Labour to co-found the SDP in 1981, while Healey stayed to fight from within. Knowing all this gives the play’s lighter moments an undertow of sadness.

Khan and Salinsky wisely keep policy detail in the background. You don’t need to know your revisionism from your IMF loan to follow it. What drives the play is personality: the jokes, the jabs, the old loyalties and the moments when ambition wins out over friendship.

The dialogue is quick and often very funny, but the laughs come with a sting and a taint. There is a shimmer of sadness throughout it all as we know how it all ended isn’t how they hoped.

The writers have said they set out to write about the 1970s and 1980s and found they had written about the present. With Labour once again fighting itself in public, that echo is hard to miss.

A three-hander lives or dies on its cast, and this one is strong across the board. Alan Cox gives Tony Crosland a charismatic charm, all restlessness and swagger. Hywel Morgan’s Roy Jenkins is a beautifully nuanced portrayal: he captures Jenkins’s grandeur, famous manner of speech and ambition, and shows how the man changes over the years. Colin Tierney sparkles as Denis Healey, and his bluntness and combative energy bounce off the other two. Together they make the friendship believable, which is what gives the rivalry its bite.

Kirsty Patrick Ward directs with a light touch, letting the writing and the actors carry the evening. Libby Watson designs the set and costumes, with lighting by Jamie Platt and sound by Dominic Brennan, using spotlight and freeze to excellent effect. The set is simple and sufficient to provide the backdrop to the Westminster setting but doesn’t get in the way of the star of the show which is the fantastic dialogue and the superb delivery by the cast.

The Gang of Three takes a footnote of political history and turns it into a smart, funny and touching drama about what ambition does to friendship. You don’t need to be a politics obsessive to enjoy it, though if you are, it’s a treat.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

 FRESH FROM THE 40th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS,

CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S PRODUCTION

WELCOMES NEW PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

BOOKING EXTENDED AT HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE,

LONDON THROUGH TO OCTOBER 2027

phantomoftheopera.com

Cameron Mackintosh announces today that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenally successful PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will welcome three new principal cast members.

From Monday 23 November 2026, Kimberly Blake will join the production as Carlotta, Kate Graham as Madame Giry and Luke Kempner as Monsieur André. Ashley Gilmour returns as Raoul alongside the current company who have recently celebrated the legendary show’s landmark 40^th Anniversary.

This extraordinary anniversary milestone was marked with a special gala performance on Friday 9 October 2026 at its original London home, His Majesty’s Theatre, during which Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman and a host of other celebrated alumni artists from the last four decades joined the current company on stage for a special curtain call.

Kimberly Blake, Kate Graham and Luke Kempner join the current, sensational cast including Jordan Donica as the Phantom and Beatrice Penny-Touré as Christine Daaé, Matt Bateman as Piangi, Ian Pirie as Monsieur Firmin and Millie Lyon as Meg. Ashley Gilmour returns as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. At certain performances the role of Christine will be played by Colleen Rose Curran.

The cast is completed by Harry Apps, George Arvidson, Michael Baxter, Embla Bishop, David Burilin, Polly Clarke, Leonard Cook, Hywel Dowsell, Connor Ewing, Lila Falce-Bass, Florence Fowler, James Gant, Emily George, Melanie Gowie, Molly Hall, Will Hawksworth, Matt Hayden, Nino Hepher, Mandy Kwan, Verity Marlow, Tim Morgan, Inguna Morozova, Skye November, Taylor Pardell, Johnny Randall, Rachel Spurrell, Jasmine Wallis, Victoria Ward, and Alicia Wong. 

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the haunting story of Christine Daaé, a young soprano whose extraordinary voice enchants a mysterious masked figure known as the Phantom. A brilliant yet tormented musical genius, the Phantom dwells in the depths of the Paris Opera House, casting fear over all who inhabit it.

Drawn to Christine’s sensational talent, the Phantom becomes her mentor, believing she alone can truly bring his music to life, and as he guides her from the shadows, he falls deeply and dangerously in love. When Christine is reunited with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, now the young patron of the Opera House, she must wrestle with the unpredictable nature of a powerful love triangle. The Phantom’s obsession with his new star sets off a dramatic turn of events where devotion, jealousy and passions collide.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is widely considered one of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular musicals. Since 1986, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has become a global phenomenon with productions playing to 160 million people in 229 cities, 54 territories and in 23 languages. Lloyd Webber’s celebrated romantic and soaring score includes The Music of the Night, All I Ask of You, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Masquerade and the iconic title song. 

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has won over 70 major awards all over the world. In 1988, the Broadway production was nominated for twelve Tony Awards and won seven including Best Musical. The original London production in its 1986 debut won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical and two Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. The original cast recording was the first in British musical history to enter the charts at Number One.

In 2012 Cameron Mackintosh put together an equally spectacular new production of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, with a completely new creative team, while retaining Maria Bjornson’s iconic costume designs. This acclaimed production has played continuously over the last 14 years touring across the UK, the US, Australia and Austria. It will have its German premiere in Cologne tonight.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA – Produced by Cameron Mackintosh, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by Charles Hart, and Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the novel ‘Le Fantôme de l’Opera’ by Gaston Leroux, with Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Musical Supervision is by Simon Lee. The Production Design is by Maria Björnson and the Set Design is adapted by Matt Kinley with Associate Costume Design by Jill Parker, Lighting is by Andrew Bridge with Associate Lighting Design by Warren Letton, Sound is by Mick Potter. The Musical Staging and Choreography is by Dame Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright. Originally Directed by Harold Prince, this production is Directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a Cameron Mackintosh and LW Entertainment production.

MATTHEW BOURNE’S

DOUBLE OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING

PLAY WITHOUT WORDS

RETURNS FOR ITS 25^TH ANNIVERSARY

WITH A LIMITED LONDON SEASON

AT SADLER’S WELLS

27 JULY – 21 AUGUST 2027

AND TWO EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCES

AT CURVE, LEICESTER

23 – 24 JULY 2027

New Adventures, in association with the National Theatre, is delighted to announce that Matthew Bourne’s PLAY WITHOUT WORDS will return for its 25^th anniversary with a limited 4-week season at Sadler’s Wells from 27 July until 21 August 2027. It will also play two exclusive performances at Curve, Leicester on 23 and 24 July 2027. Casting is to be announced.

PLAY WITHOUT WORDS,inspired by the 1963 film classic The Servant and the new-wave British cinema of the 1960s, is set to a jazz-influenced original score by Terry Davies played live onstage.   It was an instant hit with audiences and critics alike when it was first produced by the National Theatre in 2002 and was subsequently nominated for five Olivier Awards, winning two for Best Entertainment and Best Theatre Choreographer. It was included in The Guardian’s best dance of the 21^st Century, and David Benedict recently included the production in his highlights of the past 60 years of the National Theatre, for The Stage.

Matthew Bourne said today:

“When Trevor Nunn asked me if I would like to make a devised piece of theatre for his farewell Transformations season at the NT in 2002, I jumped at the opportunity, telling him that I would like to try and make ‘a play without words’. This was more of a description than a title, but the title stuck and became one of the most adventurous and unique pieces I have ever made. Trevor asked all directors in the season to choose a key word as a starting point for their work, mine was ‘seduction’. Not only did we do away with words, but we added to the intrigue by casting each character two or three times over, identically dressed by Lez Brotherston, each giving a variation on the story. Inspiration came from the cultural revolution and changing times as seen through the lens of the new wave British cinema of the 1960s and most specifically one of my favourite movies of that time, Joseph Losey’s The Servant, with its brilliantly ambiguous screenplay by Harold Pinter, full of dual meanings which directly inspired the central staging idea with its multiple possibilities. I’m delighted that the show, or should I say ‘play’, is not only returning for its 25^th Anniversary but also, rightly, as the centrepiece of my company’s 40th Anniversary in 2027.”

Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, said today:

“Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words premiered at the National Theatre in 2002 as part of Trevor Nunn’s Transformations season dedicated to showcasing newly devised work.  A deeply original piece of dance theatre, Play Without Words showcases Matthew’s extraordinary gift for storytelling through movement.  We are delighted that this remarkable production will be returning for its 25th anniversary and will be seen by a new generation of audiences at Curve in Leicester, and at Sadler’s Wells in London, as well as being enjoyed by those who remember its extraordinary original run.”

Set in London, 1965, in a suave Chelsea house, an urbane master and his beautiful fiancée welcome their new manservant, Prentice. But behind the privileged façade of domestic social order lies a struggle for power and sexual domination. What follows will change their lives forever. 

Devised by Matthew Bourne with music by Terry Davies, the production has Olivier nominated designs by Lez Brotherston and Olivier nominated lighting design by Paule Constable.