Brick Lane Music Hall announces Autumn Season, including brand new Murder Mystery

WINNER: Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2026

WINNER: Best Food and Drink – Fringe Theatre Awards 2026

https://www.bricklanemusichall.co.uk/

Reviews for 2025 Christmas Show

 “a wonderful festive experience …I would return in a heartbeat” – ★★★★★ The Live Review 

 “A festive feast of music, laughter and cheeky holiday fun.” ★★★★★- Stage to Page 

 “a rip-roaring production full of variety, quality and cheeky laughs” ★★★★– Broadway World 

Reviews for 2026  January Panto 

 “An unequivocal five star triumph” ★★★★★ London Theatre Reviews
 “An absolutely triumph of a pantomime” ★★★★★ Fairy Powered Productions
 “An evening of theatrical bliss” ★★★★★ All That Dazzles 

Brick Lane Music Hall has announced its 2026 autumn season, led by an original immersive murder mystery production. Opening this October, quirkily titled The Pleasures of Fanny invites audiences to solve a mischievous musical whodunnit, reflecting the venue’s long-standing tradition of placing audiences at the heart of the action.

The autumn season also marks an exciting new chapter for Brick Lane Music Hall. Alongside the programme, the venue will introduce Sunday performances for the first time, launch a new website and refreshed branding, and unveil a new ticketing system as it begins the countdown to its 35th anniversary next year. 

The autumn programme includes the return of the venue’s much-loved Cockney Sing-Song, Rat Pack & Friends, Vincent’s Variety Showcase and wartime celebration There’ll Always Be An England, as well as family storytelling from Britain’s Got Talent star Mama G and a special Country Superstars Line Dance-Along event. 

Rooted in Britain’s rich theatrical heritage, Music Hall combines live music, comedy and variety entertainment in an informal, audience-focused setting, where food, drink and participation have always been part of the experience. Brick Lane Music Hall remains the UK’s only permanent venue dedicated exclusively to celebrating it year-round.

Leading the season is The Pleasures of Fanny… Set in the 1940s, the show  is a play-within-a-play performed by the fictional Silvertown Lovies Amateur Group (affectionately known as The SLAGS). As the company present their latest musical comedy, a shocking murder throws the production into chaos, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Each performance unfolds differently as audiences are invited to question the suspects, piece together the clues and uncover the killer. Indeed, audiences become sleuths themselves, banding together from the comfort of their seats to test their theories, sift the evidence and decide who they believe is guilty. 

The murder mystery marks a fresh direction for the venue while building on the audience interaction that has long been central to the Brick Lane Music Hall experience.  The Pleasures of Fanny stars Brick Lane stalwarts Vincent Hayes MBE who founded the venue in 1992, pantomime dame regular Andrew Robley, Music Hall veteran Lucy Reed and resident choreographer Jack Pallister.   Period dress for audiences is optional, but prizes are awarded for the best 1940s attire.

The autumn season also marks the next stage in Brick Lane Music Hall’s evolution ahead of its 35th Anniversary next year, with the introduction of Sunday performances for the first time, reflecting changing audience habits and creating more opportunities for people to experience Brick Lane Music Hall’s unique blend of live entertainment, dining and shared celebration.

Along with this comes a new website, refreshed branding, enhanced ticketing system and new creative partnerships all launching this autumn.  This, together with the Autumn programme celebrates Britain’s rich variety heritage while continuing to welcome new audiences to one of the country’s oldest forms of popular entertainment.

Lucy Hayes, Executive Director of Brick Lane Music Hall, said:

“When you step into our venue, you may think that you’ve wandered into a museum. However, Music Hall is a living, breathing art form. In a disconnected world, spaces of community are really important and Brick Lane Music Hall has always been rooted in bringing people together. We’re incredibly excited about our upcoming Autumn season.” 

Zara Kattan, Artistic Director of Brick Lane Music Hall, says:

“We’re always looking for ways to add variety and introduce new audiences to music hall. We want to ensure that our programme reflects what is known and loved about the genre while updating it and embracing the future: I feel our 2026 autumn programme strikes this balance”

Full Autumn Season Listings

Cockney Sing-Song
 17th – 19th September 2026

A right royal Cockney knees-up packed with laughter, music and East End charm!

Get ready to ‘ave a bananaand celebrate one of London’s finest traditions as the Brick Lane Music Hall Company takes you on a trip down memory lane with their legendary Cockney Sing-Song that really is the bees kneesfrom start to finish.

Ticket Options include either Afternoon tea or a three-course lunch. Tickets from £45

Carradine’s Cockney Sing-A-Long

20th September 2026

A wonderfully entertaining afternoon of music, memories and merriment as the incredible Tom Carradine and his fantastic 5-piece band, The China Plates, return with their much-loved Cockney Sing-A-Long! An afternoon of live music and nostalgia, this is a show full of warmth, character and the spirit of the traditional East End.This performance does not include food, but a bar with light refreshments will be available.
 Tickets from £20.00

Rat Pack & Friends

24th- 26th September 2026

Step into the glamour of Las Vegas with an unforgettable celebration of swing! Featuring hits made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Judy Garland, with the atmosphere of old-school Vegas. Led by the venue’s very own king of cool Vincent Hayes MBE. Full cast to be announced soon.  Ticket Options include either Afternoon Tea or fabulous three course lunch. From £45.

The Pleasures of Fanny – A Murder Mystery Musical

By Shannon Rewcroft & Jack Pallister

2nd – 6th October 2026

A mischievous musical mystery where YOU decide whodunnit!

The SLAGs – Silvertown Lovies Amateur Group – proudly present a special preview of their brand new show, The Pleasures of Fanny, a farcical musical bursting with comedy, music and mischievous twists. Sweet Fanny Hood, an innocent young woman, arrives in post-war 1940s London in search of a new life and fresh beginnings. Along the way, she encounters a colourful and chaotic band of characters who each lead her deeper into the heart of a city full of secrets. 

But this show is not quite what it seems. As the SLAGs take to the stage, fiction and reality begin to blur… and before long, a shocking murder turns the evening upside down. What begins as a light-hearted musical quickly becomes a riotous whodunnit, where suspicion falls on everyone and nothing is what it seems.

And in true interactive style, it’s up to you, the audience, to follow the clues, question the suspects, and ultimately decide who is responsible for the murder at the music hall. Period dress is optional, but prizes will be available for the best 1940s attire.

Cast includes: Shannon Rewcroft , Ross Tomlinson, Lucy Reed, Andrew Robley, Vincent Hayes , Jack Pallister   and Anabelle Fage

Ticket Options include eitherAfternoon Tea, three-course lunch or three-course dinner. From £45

NOTE: Extra date added by popular demand. Guests can now book for Sunday 4th October with full afternoon tea. 

Vincent’s Variety Showcase
 18th – 19th October 2026

An afternoon of classic variety entertainment as Vincent Hayes MBE and the Brick Lane Music Hall Company take to the stage, bringing together the very best of British showbusiness. Includes much-loved musical numbers made famous by legends such as Tommy Steele and Barbara Windsor,

Cast and special guest artists to be announced soon. Ticket Options include either Afternoon Tea or three course lunch. From £45.

This show will also be touring to The Mercury Theatre, Colchester on 13th October 2026 under the name A Little of What You Fancy! – Brick Lane Music Hall’s first ever touring production.

Story Time with Mama G 

15th October 2026 (Three shows across the day – 10am, 11.30am and 1.30pm) 

In her debut appearance at Brick Lane Music Hall, Britain’s Got Talent’s Mama G brings her trail-blazing, heart-warming stories for the whole family about being who you want to be and loving who you are. 

“Everyone’s favourite pantomime dame” (Metro)
“Mama G’s stories are sprinkled with tales of inclusivity and acceptance” (The Guardian) Tickets £5-£8

Country Superstars | Line Dance-Along
 29th October 2026

Brick Lane Music Hall joins forces with the internationally acclaimed touring hit show Country Superstars to present a unique celebration of country music. Sarah Jane and Andy Crust bring to life the music of four legendary icons, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline and John Denver- performing their greatest hits and timeless classics.

Tickets £45 per person which includes a line dancing class, show and afternoon tea.

There’ll Always Be An England – A Wartime Music Hall Show

4th – 6th November 2026 

A tribute in comedy and song to the remarkable spirit of the war years; this production celebrates the music and memories that unites generations.  Full casting to be announced.  Ticket Options include eitherAfternoon Tea or three course lunch. From £45.

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne – until 8 August 2026

Reviewed by Mike Linane

4****   

Operation Mincemeat is a musical comedy set during the Second World War.  In 1943, Naval intelligence officer Ewen Montagu welcomes the audience to MI5, where the “elite” of the British military contribute to the World War II effort. Colonel Johnny Bevan informs his subordinates that the British government requires a strategy to convince the Nazis that the Allied Forces are planning to invade Sardinia rather than their actual (and more obvious) target, Sicily; several officers, including Montagu and Ian Fleming, present their ideas, but despite their conviction of their own brilliance, Bevan dismisses them all as unrealistic and poorly planned. Sulking after his rejection, Montagu encounters Air Force officer and “amateur naturalist” Charles Cholmondeley, who has formulated a strategy code-named “Operation Mincemeat” but is convinced of its futility after being bullied out of line by Montagu and his colleagues. Montagu reads his plan, and despite declaring it “insane”, recognises its potential and convinces Charles that they should team up to pitch Mincemeat to Bevan, noting his own natural “flair for presentation” will bolster Charles’ lack of confidence.

Charles’s plan is taken up, and the show tells the story of how a small team put the plan into action and fret to see if it will work. As this is based on a true story the audience will most probably already know the answer to that but the script and cast combine so well that we really do sit on the edge of our seats wondering if they can pull it off.

The show received six Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning two for Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and garnered four Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, and won for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

A small cast of five play a multitude of different characters in this zany musical comedy (think a cross between Allo Allo and the Goes Wrong Show with songs). It is led by Sean Carey as Charles, a Spanish pathologist, Hitler and other characters, who played the same roles in the West End production and he shows just how versatile an actor he is to carry off all of these parts effortlessly. Holly Sumpton plays Ewan Montagu, Christian Andrews plays Hester Leggatt who has a very tender moment in the show as she writes a letter that the audience knows was like one she wrote to her gentleman friend in World War One whilst he was away fighting the enemy overseas with heartbreaking poignancy as we can tell he never came home again and Hester remained a spinster for the rest of her life …. or did she? Other cast members include Charlotte Hanna-Williams and Jamie-Rose Monk.

Besides the main plot of the show there are two interesting side plots to keep the audience entertained: is there a spy within MI5 passing on secrets to the enemy and will the young girl who mainly is used to make the tea manage to prove that she has got what it takes to become a spy herself?

Some people may find parts of the plot a bit upsetting but I can assume you that the memory of Glyndwr Michael, a Welsh homeless man, who played such a crucial part in this plot is properly honoured by the end of the show.

There wasn’t much laughter in the audience during the performance I attended and I wondered how well the show was being received but at the curtain call the entire auditorium rose as one to give this show and cast a rapturous standing ovation.

Operation Mincement plays at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne, until Saturday and then continues to tour.

CAST CONFIRMED FOR NEW INDIE MUSICAL

HOW SOON IS NOW?

Brand New Indie Musical, How Soon is Now? confirms a stellar cast line-up for the world premiere production by acclaimed playwright Siân Owen which opens this October in Salford ahead of a UK Tour.

Stuck in a life that feels too small BETHAN MCLEAN (The One That Got Away, BBC; A Visit, Paper trail Theatre Company) plays Jean, a Welsh outsider, who meets life and soul of the party Angie,played by KAITLYN AKINPELUMI (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; 10 Reasons Why, Arcola Theatre) and the warm and compassionate Polly, played by LAURA ROBINSON (making her professional debut having recently graduated from LIPA) in a 90’s Manchester nightclub.

DJ Spin Jim is played byactor musician DARRAGH COWLEY (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre; The Essex Serpent, Apple TV; Spring Awakening, Hope Mill Theatre) shaping the rhythm of the night through iconic 90’s tunes his ‘Puck-like’ master of ceremonies blurs the boundaries between memory, fantasy and reality.

Actor musicians THEO WOOLFORD (The Red Rogue of Bala, Theatr Clwyd; Dial M For Mayhem, UK Tour) plays Carl, Jean’s controlling boyfriend, and LJ WILLOW (Take Flight, Rebel Sparks: Live Odyssey, Camden Stables) completes the band ensemble.

“You open the door into this club. And the noise and the smell and the heat hit you. It smothers you. Jumps all over you. Gets right in.”

It’s New Year’s Eve, 1997. Manchester. The DJ’s in full flow, and as your favourite indie songs blast out into the smoke-filled air of the club, the whole place feels electric.

Three girls are on the dancefloor. Polly and Angie are up for a big night. Jean is lost and alone.  Change is in the air – New Labour, New Year, a new millennium. After decades of grey, this should be their time. But as darkness falls and midnight arrives, will they find their light?

Celebrating Northern voices and featuring top tunes, How Soon is Now? tells a story of mates, music and magic – finding your place and finding yourself. Featuring a live soundtrack of iconic 90’s indie anthems from the likes of The Stone Roses, Radiohead and The Smiths, it captures the highs and lows, darkness and light of a big night out on New Year’s Eve.

How Soon is Now? is presented by the Manchester-based Box of Tricks (Narvik, UK Theatre Award for Best New Play; SparkPlug, Sky Arts; The Last Quiz Night on Earth, Guardian Best of Culture 2020). It is written by award-winning playwright Siân Owen (Under Milk Wood, National Theatre; This Land, Pentabus/Salisbury Playhouse; Classic, Theatre503). It is directed by Adam Quayle for Box of Tricks, designed by Hannah Sibai with musical direction from Vidar Norheim, movement direction by Chris Brown.

Adam Quayle, Artistic Director, Box of Tricks said: “I’m so excited about working with this company to bring How Soon is Now? to life. With some serious talent in the room – actors with incredible voices, multi-talented multi-instrumentalist actor-musicians – this promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing theatrical experience. Total theatre.”

“Ten years in the making, How Soon is Now? is an electric story of female friendship and empowerment, driven by a live soundtrack of iconic indie classics. A reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is a light that never goes out”

Writer, Sian added: “I want audiences to feel like they’ve walked into the middle of a nightclub where a story is unfolding around them full of laughter, heartbreak, music and magic. But above all I hope people leave feeling lighter than when they arrived. It’s really a love song to music, friendship, courage and remembering that together we can all find glimmers of hope.”

Following its premiere at Lowry, the musical will also visit Bradford, Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Ipswich, Lancaster, Scarborough, Sheffield, Stockton and Wakefield.

Filled with heart, humour and hope, How Soon is Now? captures the magic of those nights that change us forever. An uplifting new musical about finding your tribe, it reminds us that even in our most difficult moments, these connections can bring light and hope to even the darkest of times.

Tickets are on sale now. Find out more at www.boxoftrickstheatre.co.uk

Follow @boxoftrickstheatre.

LISTINGS

Lowry, Salford                                               www.thelowry.com

01 – 03 October

Storyhouse, Chester                                    www.storyhouse.com                                    

06 – 07 October

The Dukes, Lancaster                                  www.dukeslancaster.org

08 – 10 October–

Theatre Royal Wakefield                              www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk

12 – 13 October

Loading Bay, Bradford                     www.bradfordculture.co.uk                        

15 – 16 October

Exeter Northcott                                           www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

21 October

Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol              www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com              

22 – 24 October

ARC, Stockton Arts Centre                          www.arconline.co.uk

27 – 28 October

New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich                     www.wolseytheatre.co.uk   

30 – 31 October

Sheffield Playhouse                                     www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

04 – 05 November

Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough     www.sjt.uk.com

06 – 07 November

ALLEGRA
ENTERS ITS FINAL WEEK AT THE HAROLD PINTER THEATRE,
CULMINATING IN ITS 100TH PERFORMANCE

Following a celebrated journey across the country and into London’s West End, Allegra, the brand-new play by Tony Award and two-time Olivier Award-nominated playwright Peter Quilter, enters its final week of performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

The production will play its 100th performance at its final show on Saturday 8 August 2026.

Led by Dame Maureen Lipman DBE, Allegra has now been seen by more than 20,000 people across the United Kingdom. The production began its life on 25 September 2025 and has grown from a new play into a major national production, touring some of the country’s leading theatres before transferring to the West End.

Described as “a triumphant celebration of joy,” “funny, inventive and full of heart” and “a joyous, up-tempo celebration of happiness,” Allegra has connected with audiences through its warmth, humour and life-affirming message.

Critics have called Dame Maureen Lipman “nothing short of electric” and “simply magnificent,” while the production has been praised as “funny, heartfelt and beautifully performed” and “one of the most uplifting theatrical experiences of the year.”

Although the West End season is coming to an end, the journey of Allegra is only beginning.

Two productions have already been confirmed in Germany for 2027, while Music Theatre International (MTI) will represent the play for professional and amateur licensing around the world. Plans are also in development for a further UK tour, taking Allegra to even more towns and cities and allowing audiences across the country to share in the love, laughter and joy the production has created.

Audiences now have just eight more chances to see Allegra at the Harold Pinter Theatre, with the final performance on Saturday marking the production’s landmark 100th show.

We cannot wait to welcome audiences throughout this final week to our beautifully air-conditioned West End home as we celebrate everything Allegra has brought to audiences across the UK.

Cast
Allegra Maureen Lipman
Ronen John Middleton
Anna Elizabeth Bower
Officer Rogers Bailey Patrick
Cover Allegra & Anna Helen Goldwyn
Cover Ronen & Officer Rogers Gareth Radcliffe

Creative team
Director & Choreographer Stephen Mear
Set & Costume Designer Justin Williams
Lighting Designer Sam Biondolillo
Sound Designer Russell Ditchfield
Video Designer Ben Bull for Big Tele
Wig Designer JJ Wigs
Orchestrator Paul Schofield
Music Director Livi Van Warmelo
Casting Director Rob Kelly
Illusion Consultant Chris Cox
Associate Director Joseph Winters
Associate Set Designer Christophe Eynde
Assistant Costume Designer Row Seward
Production Manager Adam Jefferys for Setting Line Production Management
General Management Thomas Hopkins Productions
Company Stage Manager Freya Bramble
Deputy Stage Manager Michael Clark
Assistant Stage Manager Helena Thompson
Accent Coach Zuzana Mikuleca

Dame Maureen Lipman DBE (Allegra)
At the start of a long and distinguished theatre career in theatre, Dame Maureen Lipman DBE spent three years with the National Theatre Company at The Old Vic led by Sir Laurence Olivier. Her acclaimed one-woman tribute to Joyce Grenfell, Re: Joyce, ran several times over five years in the West End. Other self-written one-woman shows include Live and Kidding (Duchess Theatre) and Up For It (Edinburgh Fringe and Purcell Room). Other theatre credits include: See How They Run (Shaftesbury Theatre): As You Like It (RSC); Outside Edge and Martin Sherman’s Messiah (Hampstead); Aunt Eller in the National Theatre’s Oklahoma!; Lost in Yonkers (Strand Theatre); Daytona (Park Theatre & Theatre Royal Haymarket); Harvey (Birmingham Rep & Theatre Royal Haymarket) and The Best Man (Playhouse Theatre). She has been nominated for seven Olivier Awards across categories commending acting in plays, musicals and comedy, winning in 1984 for See How They Run. Her film credits include: Oklahoma!, the Oscar-winning The Pianist and Educating Rita. Her extensive TV credits include playing agony aunt Jane Lucas in the groundbreaking series Agony (1979 – 81); playing Evelyn Plummer in Coronation Street since 1981 (winning seven TV awards including Best Soap Actress in the TV Choice Awards, and Celebrity Gogglebox alongside Gyles Brandreth.She was married for thirty-three years to the late writer Jack Rosenthal, appearing in three of his TV plays including the Emmy-winning The Evacuees. She was awarded a Damehood in 2021.

John Middleton (Ronen) is best known for playing Rev Ashley Thomas in ITV’s Emmerdale from 1996 to 2017. When John was given the story that Ashley would be diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, which played out over the subsequent two and a half years leading to the death of his character, Emmerdale won the Broadcast, Royal Television Society, National Television Award, BAFTA and British Soap Award for Best Soap, his story won Best Story and Best Episode and he won Best Male Dramatic Performance and Best Actor. At the Yorkshire Royal Television Society Awards, he won Best Actor and a Special Achievement award. After this he starred in a highly successful theatre tour of Strangers on a Train where he appeared as the American detective Arthur Gerard. In 2021, John played Frank in the one-man show Hull & High Water for Hull Truck Theatre. Throughout 2022 and 2023, he played Colonel Pickering in the UK Tour of My Fair Lady, directed by Bartlett Sher and he can currently be seen as resident baddie Fraser “Froggy” Black Sr. in Hollyoaks.

Elizabeth Bower (Anna) is best known for playing Anna in the TV supermarket comedy series Trollied. Her other TV appearances include Mammoth, The Secret Life of Boys, The Trouble With Maggie Cole and Miss Scarlett and the Duke.  She was a series regular on Doctors and Princess Mirror-Belle.

Bailey Patrick (PC) is best known on TV as Detective Rob Brady in all four seasons of London Kills. He was also in Bridgerton and Good Omens and played Amari in Andor. He played Vinnie alongside Danny Dyer in the recent film Marching Powder.  In the West End he played Trevor in Mischief’s Theatre’s Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Other stage roles include Hickey in The Country Girls (Chichester Festival Theatre).LISTINGS INFO

Thomas Hopkins, SAMS Entertainment,
Melissa & Bradford Coolidge, Trunfio McGill=
present

Dame Maureen Lipman
in
ALLEGRA
by Peter Quilter
Directed & Choreographed
by Stephen Mear

PINTER THEATRE
Panton Street
London WC2

to Saturday 8 August

Tickets:
www.allegraplay.com

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR RICHARD EYRE’S

GHOSTS AT JERMYN STREET THEATRE

Jermyn Street Theatre today announces the full cast for Richard Eyre’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’sGhosts. Carne Deputy Director Kwame Owusu directs Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Pastor Manders), Cecilia Appiah (Regina), Peter F. Gardiner (Jacob), Flora Montgomery (Helene), and Joe Pitts (Oswald) in Ibsen’s timeless masterpiece, which explores family secrets, inherited guilt, moral duty, and the pressures of social expectation. Eyre’s contemporary adaptation brings these enduring themes into sharp focus, interrogating morality and its place in today’s society.

The production opens on 14 October, with previews from 8 October, and runs until 14 November 2026 at Jermyn Street Theatre.

Kwame Owusu today said, “I’m so thrilled to be working with such an incredible cast of actors, as we stage this extraordinary modern classic this autumn. I’ve loved working with the brilliant Matthew Dewsbury to assemble this ensemble, and I’m so excited for us all to get started in rehearsals soon.”

Jermyn Street Theatre presents

GHOSTS

Written by Henrik Ibsen

Adapted by Richard Eyre

8 October – 14 November 2026

Cast: Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Pastor Manders), Cecilia Appiah (Regina), Peter F. Gardiner (Jacob), Flora Montgomery (Helene), Joe Pitts (Oswald)

Director: Kwame Owusu; Set Designer: Cara Evans; Costume Designer: Natalie Johnson;

Lighting Designer: Ben Ormerod; Composer & Sound Designer: Fran Amewudah-Rivers;

Casting Director: Matthew Dewsbury CDG; Assistant Director: Magnús Thorlacius

They don’t die. They don’t vanish. They walk the world again.Norway, 1890. Years ago, Helene sent her beloved son away from the family home. Today, Oswald returns. His arrival coincides with the grand opening of an orphanage to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his father’s death. But as mother and son reunite, long-buried secrets emerge – setting off a chain reaction that threatens to consume them both.Carne Deputy Director Kwame Owusu directs Richard Eyre’s powerful adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts. This family drama examines our hunger to be free – from our past, society, and destiny – and the cost on the people that we love the most.

Richard Eyre is a film, theatre, television and opera director. Eyre was the Director of the National Theatre and has received numerous accolades including three Olivier Awards as well as nominations for six BAFTA Awards and two Tony Awards. His stage directing credits at the National Theatre include Guys and Dolls, Hamlet, John Gabriel Borkman, King Lear, The Invention of Love, and Skylight. Other stage directing credits include Dance of Death (Orange Tree Theatre), Trumpets and Drums (Nottingham Playhouse), Racing Demon (Vivian Beaumont Theatre), The Judas Kiss, Hedda Gabler, The Dark Earth and the Light Sky, Little Eyolf (Almeida Theatre), Amy’s View (Ethel Barrymore Theatre), The Crucible (Virginia Theatre), Quartermaine’s Terms (Wyndham’s Theatre), Vincent in Brixton (Wyndham’s Theatre, National Theatre, John Golden Theatre), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre, New Amsterdam Theatre), Private Lives (Vaudeville Theatre, Music Box Theatre), Ghosts (Almeida Theatre), Ghosts (Almeida Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Wyndham’s Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music), My Name is Lucy Barton (Bridge Theatre, Samuel J. Friedman Theatre), The Bay at Nice (Menier Chocolate Factory), Blithe Spirit (Duke of York’s Theatre), and A Voyage Round My Father (Theatre Royal Bath). His television directing credits include Play for Today, The Cherry Orchard, Past Caring, Screen Two, Tumbledown, Great Episodes, Rockaby, Vincent in Brixton, 10 Minute Tales, The Hollow Crown, The Dresser, and King Lear. Eyre has also written and produced for various television projects, notably writing for Play for Today, The Dresser, and King Lear, while also producing multiple episodes of Play for Today. For film, his directing credits include The Ploughman’s Lunch, Loose Connections, Singleton’s Pluck, Iris, Stage Beauty, Notes on a Scandal, The Other Man, The Children Act, and Allelujah. He also served as writer on Richard III and Iris, and worked as executive producer on Stage Beauty, Atonement, and The Other Man.

Oliver Alvin-Wilson plays Pastor Manders. His theatre credits include Macbeth (Hull Truck Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, and Derby Theatre), Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare’s Globe), Dr Strangelove (Noël Coward Theatre), Now, I See, Antigone (Stratford East), Disruption (Park Theatre), All of Us, The Red Barn, Emperor and Galilean, All’s Well That Ends Well (National Theatre), Henry VI: Rebellion, War of the Roses (RSC), Samskara (Yard Theatre), The Doctor (Almeida Theatre), The Twilight Zone (Ambassadors Theatre and Almeida Theatre), Nine Night (Trafalgar Theatre and National Theatre), Genesis Inc (Hampstead Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Young Vic Theatre), Doctor Faustus (West Yorkshire Playhouse and Citizens Theatre); Blue/Orange, Romeo and Juliet, and To Kill a Mockingbird (Theatre Clwyd and UK tour). His television credits include Curfew, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, The Bay, Murder in Provence, Collateral, and Lovesick.

Cecilia Appiah plays Regina. Her theatre credits include Great Expectations (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester), Scandaltown (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), and The Long Song (Chichester Festival Theatre). Her television credits include Wolf Hall, The Mirror and the Light, Hijack, The Chelsea Detective, and Toast of Tinseltown.

Peter F. Gardiner plays Jacob. His theatre credits include Some Mother’s Do ‘Ave ‘Em (UK tour), The Railway Children (King’s Cross Theatre), Macbeth, Comedy of Errors, The Secret Garden (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester), A Little Hotel on the Side, Balmoral (Theatre Royal Bath), This House (National Theatre), Hapgood (Birmingham Rep and West Yorkshire Playhouse), A Trip to Scarborough (Stephen Joseph Theatre), and The Railway Children (King’s Head Theatre). His television credits include Coronation Street, Down Cemetery Road, Marriage, A Very English Scandal, Frankie, Days that Shook the World, and Breeders.

Award-winning actress Flora Montgomery plays Helene. Her theatre credits include Under the Black Rock (Arcola Theatre), Never Not Once (Park Theatre), Miss Julie (Lyric Theatre, Belfast – winner of Irish Times Best Actress Award), In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) (Theatre Royal Bath and The Other Palace), Good Grief, The Good Soldier (Theatre Royal Bath), Gaslight (Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto), Arcadia (UK tour), Robin Hood (RSC), Dinner (Wyndham’s Theatre), Taming of the Shrew (Bristol Old Vic), The Reckoning (Soho Theatre), Uncle Vanya (Birmingham Rep), Bash, The Shape of Things (Gate Theatre, Dublin), and Hamlet (Norwich Playhouse). Her television credits include Talamasca: The Secret Order, Dune Prophecy, The Crown, Patience, Professor T, Showtrial, Bloodlands, A Very English Scandal, Quirke, Monarch of the Glen, Murder in Provence, Endeavour, Midsomer Murders, and Poirot; and for film, Mother’s Milk, The Daisy Chain, Man to Man, The Discovery of Heaven, When Brendan Met Trudy (winner of Best Actress Award at the Las Palmas Film Festival), Basic Instinct 2, and Goldfish Memory.

Joe Pitts plays Oswald. His theatre credits include Blink (King’s Head Theatre), The Da Vinci Code (UK tour), The Wind and The Rain (Finborough Theatre), and Spring Awakening (Almeida Theatre). His television credits include FBI: International, The New Look, and Bodies.

Kwame Owusu is the Carne Deputy Director at Jermyn Street Theatre. His directing credits include Dreaming and Drowning (Bush Theatre – winner of the Mustapha Matura Award and RSC 37 Plays Competition, also writer), The Bacchae (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), and Titus Andronicus (RSC and Hampstead Theatre, as Revival Director).

LISTINGS 

GHOSTS
16B Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6ST
Box Office: 020 7287 2875
www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

A SLOW FIRE
20 August – 26 September 2026

Monday – Saturday, 7:30pm

3pm matinees on Tuesdays and Saturdays

Tickets from £20

GHOSTS
8 October – 14 November 2025

Monday – Saturday, 7:30pm

3pm matinees on Tuesdays and Saturdays

Tickets from £20

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

19 November – 3 January

Monday – Saturday, 7:30pm

3pm matinees on Tuesdays and Saturdays

FIRST TOUR CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE

BRAND-NEW PRODUCTION OF

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

MULTI-AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

MICHAEL HARRISON FOR LLOYD WEBBER HARRISON MUSICALS PRESENTS THE REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE PRODUCTION ACROSS A MAJOR UK AND IRELAND TOUR

PERFORMANCES BEGIN AT THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH ON 6 OCTOBER 2026 FOLLOWING A RECORD-BREAKING SEASON AT REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE, NOW PLAYING UNTIL 19 SEPTEMBER 2026

https://uktour.catsthemusical.com

Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals presents the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre productionof Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation, CATS, across a major UK and Ireland tour and is delighted to announce first casting for the forthcoming tour. The brand-new production of the multi-award-winning musical will open at Theatre Royal Plymouth, where it plays from 6 – 17 October 2026 and then tours through to June 2027.

The UK and Ireland tour will star: Fin Adams (Alonzo), Kalisha Amaris (Old Deuteronomy), Carla Bertran (Electra and Co-Dance Captain), Elliot Broadfoot (Bustopher Jones / Gus), Grace Burrows (Offstage Swing), Matthew Caputo (Skimbleshanks),         Josie Chambers-Sims (Syllabub), Briana Craig (Rumpleteazer), Katie Dunsden (Bombalurina), Joshua-Samuel Freeman (Tumblebrutus), Regan Garcia (Pouncival), Aaron Jenkins (Offstage Swing), Hannah Joseph (Victoria), Taziva-Faye Katsande (Tantomile), Diante Lodge (Macavity), Shona Mairi Masson (Offstage Swing), Owen McHugh (George), Danny Nattrass (Mungojerrie), Millie O’Connell (Demeter), Andrew Parfit (Coricopat), Dean Rickards (Offstage Swing), Nathan Rigg (Offstage Swing), Lucie-Mae Sumner (Jellylorum /Griddlebone), Laura Tyrer (Jennyanydots / Gumbie Cat), Jaydon Vijn (Rum Tum Tugger), Jack Wilcox (Munkustrap), Jet Yau (Mr. Mistoffelees), Taela Yeomans-Brown (Offstage Swing and Co-Dance Captain), and Patricia Zhou (Cassandra). 

Casting for Grizabella will be announced later this year.

The tour is directed and choreographed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Artistic Director, Drew McOnie and follows a record-breaking summer season now playing at the venue until 19 September 2026.

Drew McOnie said: ‘CATS has always celebrated the unique talents of its performers, and I can’t wait for audiences across the country to experience this company’s brilliance in this brand-new production. Each of these cast members will play their own special part in creating animalistic harmony under the Jellicle Moon. It’s going to be quite an adventure, and we look forward to welcoming you to join us.’

With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, this production of CATS after its Theatre Royal, Plymouth dates, will visit Hull, New Theatre (20 – 24 October 2026); Birmingham, Hippodrome (27 Oct -7 November 2026); Manchester, Palace Theatre (10 – 21 November 2026) Bristol,Hippodrome (24 – 28 November 2026); Llandudno,Venue Cymru (1 – 5 December 2026);  Glasgow, Theatre Royal (8 – 27 December 2026); Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall (6 – 16 January 2027); Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre (19 – 23 January 2027); Sunderland, Empire Theatre (26 – 30 January 2027); Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre (9 – 13 February 2027); Norwich, Theatre Royal (16 – 27 February 2027);  Belfast, Grand Opera House (2 – 13 March 2027); Dublin, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre(16 – 20 March 2027); Oxford, New Theatre (23 – 27 March 2027); Southampton, Mayflower Theatre (30 March – 10 April 2027); Edinburgh, Playhouse (20 – 24 April 2027); Bradford, Alhambra Theatre (27 April – 1 May 2027); Liverpool, Empire Theatre (5 – 15 May 2027); Woking, Woking Theatre Theatre (18 – 22 May 2027); Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre (25 – 29 May 2027); Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre (1 – 5 June 2027) and Newcastle, Theatre Royal (8 – 19 June 2027).

CATS at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is part of Drew McOnie’s second season as Artistic Director. It marks the third Andrew Lloyd Webber title produced by the venue in the last 10 years, following the Olivier Award-winning revival of Jesus Christ Superstar (directed by Tim Sheader and choreographed by Drew McOnie) in 2016, 2017 and 2020, and Evita (directed by Jamie Lloyd) in 2019.

Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison presents this Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production, by arrangement with LW Entertainment. Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals’ productions include this year’s smash-hit summer production at The London Palladium, Jesus Christ Superstar starring Sam Ryder, Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, the acclaimed, hit production of Evita at The London Palladium and the Olivier-Award and Tony-Award winning revival of SUNSET BLVD.

‘A new day has begun.’

From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one. And each of them asks, because each of them dares, who will it be?

Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, and with a legendary score which inspired generations featuring Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, Jellicle Ball and the chart-topping hit Memory, this brand-new production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie (Brigadoon, Jesus Christ Superstar), is a magical musical like no other.

CATS is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history. The show originally premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The ground-breaking production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards, including Best Musical. It ran for 18 years.

Since its world premiere, CATS has been presented in over 54 countries, has been translated into 23 languages and has been seen by more than 77 million people worldwide. The Broadway cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Cast Album. In 2026, CATS will also embark on 2 major international tours.

Joining Drew McOnie on the creative team are Sami Fendall, Set, Costume and Wigs Designer; Jessica Hung Han Yun, Lighting Designer; Adam Fisher, Sound Designer; Guy Common, Makeup Designer; Ingrid Mackinnon, Intimacy Director; Kev McCurdy, Fight Director; Will Burton, Casting Director and Alex Parker, Musical Supervisor.

CATS 2026 – 2027 UK TOUR DATES

Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals presents The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of CATS

Theatre Royal, Plymouth  

6 – 17 October 2026

www.theatreroyal.com

Hull, New Theatre   

20 – 24 October 2026

www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Birmingham, Hippodrome  

27 Oct -7 November 2026

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Manchester, Palace Theatre  

10 – 21 November 2026

www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester

Bristol Hippodrome   

24 – 28 November 2026

www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

Llandudno, Venue Cymru 

1 – 5 December 2026

www.venuecymru.co.uk

Glasgow, Theatre Royal   

8 – 27 December 2026

www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-glasgow

Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall         

6 – 16 January 2027

www.trch.co.uk

Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre                                  

19 – 23 January 2027

www.marlowetheatre.com

Sunderland, Empire Theatre  

26 – 30 January 2027

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire

Aberdeen, His Majesty‘s Theatre   

9 – 13 February 2027

www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

Norwich, Theatre Royal   

16 – 27 February 2027

www.norwichtheatre.org

Belfast, Grand Opera House    

2 – 13 March 2027

www.goh.co.uk

Dublin, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

16 – 20 March 2027

www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

Oxford, New Theatre   

23 – 27 March 2027

www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford

Southampton, Mayflower Theatre  

30 March – 10 April 2027

www.mayflower.org.uk

Edinburgh, Playhouse Theatre    

20 – 24 April 2027

www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

Bradford, Alhambra Theatre   

27 April – 1 May 2027

https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/alhambra-theatre

Liverpool, Empire Theatre   

5 – 15 May 2027

www.liverpooltheatres.com/whats-on/liverpool-empire-theatre_liverpool

Woking, Woking Theatre

18 – 22 May 2027

www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre  

25 – 29 May 2027

www.wmc.org.uk 

Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre  

1 – 5 June 2027

www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Newcastle, Theatre Royal   

8 – 19 June 2027 

www.theatreroyal.co.uk

The Troubadour Theatre, Wembley Park – until 27 September 2026

Reviewed by Rebecca Salveson 

5*****

I had the absolute pleasure of attending I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical at The Troubadour Theatre Wembley Park. The show is an Adrian Grant production in association with Chaka Khan, and it is a vibrant, heartfelt celebration of one of music’s greatest icons. More than a jukebox musical, it tells the inspiring story behind the legend, which took us through Chaka Khan’s remarkable journey with honesty, passion and incredible energy.

The show is written by Nia T. Hill and expertly directed by Racky Plews, with dynamic choreography by Ebony Clarke and musical supervision by Mark Crossland, the production perfectly balances powerful storytelling with electrifying musical performances. Every creative element works together to honour Chaka’s extraordinary life, from her activism and personal struggles to her phenomenal rise to global superstardom.

The cast is exceptional, led by the phenomenal Alexandra Burke as Chaka Khan, supported by Jordan Frazier, Chrissie Bhima, Ashley Stroud, Charlotte St Croix, Miles Anthony Daley, Jelani Munroe and a hugely talented ensemble who bring warmth, emotion and infectious energy to every scene. Their performances capture the strength, resilience and sisterhood at the heart of the story, celebrating powerful women who refuse to be defined by adversity.

Of course, the music is the show’s beating heart. Chaka Khan is a true legend, and hearing timeless anthems including I’m Every Woman, Ain’t Nobody, I Feel for You, Tell Me Something Good, Sweet Thing and Through the Fire performed live is an unforgettable experience. The audience is swept up in the joy, emotion and sheer brilliance of a catalogue that has inspired generations.

Alexandra Burke delivered a performance that truly embodies the spirit of Chaka Khan, capturing not only her unmistakable powerhouse vocals but also the confidence, charisma and stage presence that have defined Chakas legendary career. Burke brought authenticity and emotion to the role, which allowed us to connect with the passion and resilience behind the songs, she paid tribute to Chaka Khan whist showcasing her own exceptional talent as a performer. 

Alongside Alexander Burke the talented cast members portrayed some of the greatest stars in music history. Including  Prince, Whitney Houston, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Steve Windwood and Luther Vandross.  Each actor embraced the unique style, voice and personality of the artist they represented, celebrating the long-lasting influence of these performers. Together the cast recreated iconic moments that celebrated the timeless music and the artists that shaped it. 

This show is an uplifting, empowering and deeply moving production that celebrates not only an extraordinary artist but also the enduring strength of women. Packed with outstanding performances, compelling storytelling and iconic songs, I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical is a must-see and a fitting tribute to a true musical legend.

Stage@leeds, University of Leeds – until 31 July 2026

Edinburgh Fringe Festival – The Space on the Mile, Space Three from 17 August 2026

Reviewed by Lauren Fordham 

5*****

Fantasy World Adventures Mega Park The Musical (thereafter referred to as FWAMP) is an original show created by University of Leeds graduates Abbie Freeston, who is responsible for the book and lyrics, and Matthew Stanley, who wrote the music. It follows the (mis)fortunes of Teddy Mega (played by Owen Wardle), son of deceased FWAMP owner Carlos (Rhys Rogers) who is being pressured by his mother Susan (Charlotte Farthing) to take over as CEO so she can retire. Secretly, however, Teddy harbours a different ambition, to become the park’s mascot, Fwampy the rabbit.

I first reviewed FWAMP when it premiered at stage@leeds a year ago, but it has since been recast, and also shortened and streamlined to fit the requirements of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

Wardle’s Teddy has a somewhat grating, misogynistic attitude towards the female characters, particularly his mum, who he resents but also doesn’t want to disappoint, and his long-suffering best-friend-who’s-secretly-in-love-with-him, Pippa (Maeve Gallagher). This characterisation reminds me of modern male protagonists like Evan Hansen from ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and Jamie New from ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ , and I could definitely see Wardle playing Evan in the future. Charlotte Farthing would make an excellent Margaret New or Heidi Hansen, with her powerful vocals in Mummy Megan’s Lament competently conveying the same mixture of frustration, anxiety and pride that Margaret New does in ‘When I Met Myself Again.

Like ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ and ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ FWAMP is a show that, though it is led by a male protagonist,  is propped up by a galaxy of female stars. Gee Case-Watson still commands the stage and frankly, steals the show as Barb, the acerbic Hook-a-Duck seller and often-unsolicited advisor to Teddy, delivering her lines with precise comic timing and in a perfect Yorkshire accent that only makes her funnier. Charlotte Farthing is less likeable as Teddy’s mother, but as I mentioned above her talent is undeniable. 

Lilian Sztankov flexes her comedic muscles for a change as beautiful-but-bitchy princess Mabel (as well as playing one of the Designers), and her fellow Royal Castle members’ number about giving each other sexually transmitted infections is definitely memorable and would make anyone visiting Disneyland look at cast members differently. 

Eliza Mella plays Charlie, the principal designer of the phallic rollercoaster they are petitioning Teddy to let them make, and she and the other Designers deliver humorous lines with suggestive skill ‘we couldn’t get it up without bringing it down’ and also great physical theatre.

Credit is also due to David Bygraves as Jason, the work experience kid. He plays the awkward teenager well but it’s his Dragon’s den-style monologue with the Designers that he subverts his supposedly supporting role and shows his star quality, as well as humour when the maternal designers say ‘can we keep the little one’ and he smoulders with joy. He also multitasks well since he also plays one of the maintenance men who fashion themselves as James Bond, singing a Full-Monty-esque innuendo-ridden song about fixing things and apparently stripping for guests.

The only dimmer switch on this dazzling show was some of the lighting – the logo only lit up Fantasy Mega Park rather than its full title, and some of the signs were also difficult to read as they were only lit in the background, but I’m sure that’s easily rectified and I was too gripped by the show to care for long. It was a shame to lose some of the interactive pre-show games, too.

All in all though, this is a hilariously funny, fantastic show which thoroughly deserves to be a mega success, both at the Edinburgh Festival and beyond.

Cambridge Arts Theatre – until Saturday 8th August 2026

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

There’s a moment early in the second half of this touring production where Tamzin Outhwaite’s Beverly moves around her living room ordering her guests to eat, drink, dance, sit, smoke— and it becomes suddenly, grotesquely clear that she isn’t just hosting a terrible drinks party. She’s manipulating everyone at one. Guests are handled like puppets, strings pulled one at a time, and suddenly it’s not funny anymore.

That reframing is what makes this Beverly worth seeing, more than fifty years after Mike Leigh devised the piece with Alison Steadman and the original Hampstead Theatre cast. Steadman’s Beverly is a monster of bad taste who doesn’t quite know she’s monstrous — gauche, oblivious, and funny precisely because the gap between her self-image and the horror she’s inflicting on everyone else is so wide. Outhwaite’s Beverly is different. Somehow she is not only bad at reading the room but also manages to control it. It’s a such a different performance and not an impression of Steadman’s. The comedy is there in spades but it curdles faster, and the menace sits closer to the surface throughout.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the play’s most notorious sequence, when Beverly gropes Tony under Laurence and Angela’s noses. Play this moment as tipsy obliviousness and it’s excruciating comedy. Outhwaite plays it as calculation: her hands are on Tony, but her eyes are on the rest of the room, watching for the reaction she’s engineering. Tony isn’t the point. He’s the instrument. The seduction is aimed at Laurence and Angela, who dance with superb awkwardness, and it lands with real, uncomfortable heat.

Nadia Fall’s direction gives this version of Beverly room to develop and unfold. She is cruel and calculating but still shocked at the tragic outcome of the evening. The rest of the ensemble hold their own against Outhwaites’s Beverly: we dislike and feel sorry for Craig Hamilton’s Laurence in equal measure. Omar Malik’s stolid and sexy Tony is charismatic but we don’t know whether we should like him or not. This also goes for Lauren Patel’s irritating Angela, getting drunker and more annoying with each gin she swallows. Pandora Colin’s Sue provides a perfect contrast to them all. Nobody gets swallowed and each character has their moment.

It’s very funny. It’s also more disturbing than I expected a drinks party to be. At the end of the performance the whole audience erupted in cheers and applause which were very well deserved.

Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne – until 1 August 2026

Reviewed by Mike Linane

5*****

Everybody over the age of 35 will remember where they were when they first heard the news.

On the morning of 11 September 2001, the world changed forever.

As the United States closed its airspace for the first time in history, 38 international aircraft carrying almost 7,000 passengers and crew were unexpectedly diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland.

A community of just 9,000 people suddenly found itself welcoming thousands of strangers from every corner of the glove. What happened over the next five days became an extraordinary story of compassion, generosity and human connection.

Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of the people of Gander and the ‘place people’ whose lives became forever intertwined. Filled with humour, hope and unforgettable music, the show celebrates the kindness that can emerge in the face of uncertainty and reminds us that, even during the darkest times, humanity has an incredible capacity for goodness.

Come From Away is not a musical with lots of pretty costumes or big production numbers – it doesn’t need any of that as it is a simple story, told in a simple but compassionate way.

Don’t worry if you think the basis for this musical is a bit sombre and downbeat – this show is anything but that (although it doesn’t ignore what was actually happening in the world outside of Gander at the time either). This show is full of heart, emotion, love, kindness and lots of humour.  You will sit there with a big smile on your face for most of the time as your faith in your fellow man is restored in you.

The Rattonians who perform this musical have an incredible reputation in the theatre world already. They always put on shows that could easily transfer straight into the West End immediately and this musical is no exception. There isn’t a dud member amongst the cast of 21 all of whom play more than one role.

This is a true ensemble piece of theatre where everyone gets their chance to shine in the spotlight but special mention must be made of the vocal coach (name not given in the programme) as the harmonies that are achieved by this cast are incredible.

Director Alex Adams (who also appears as Kevin J and others) must be congratulated on producing a very tight production which involves a lot of moving of on-stage props all of which appeared to happen seamlessly, quickly and with no one getting hurt in the process.

It’s a pity this show has such a short run as I’m sure it would have been enjoyed enormously by all the visitors still to visit Eastbourne this summer.

Come From Away runs at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre until Saturday 1^st August and is a show you need to see whether you live locally or come from away.