Birmingham Rep – until Saturday 18th April 2026

Reviewed by Nadia Dodd

5*****

Last night’s production of Small Island at the Birmingham Rep proved to be an absorbing and deeply affecting piece of theatre, one that held our attention unwaveringly across its substantial three hours and twenty minutes, interval included. Adapted by Helen Edmundson from Andrea Levy’s celebrated novel, the production succeeds in translating an expansive, multi-layered narrative into a vivid and emotionally resonant stage experience.

Set against the backdrop of the Second World War and its aftermath, the story traces the lives of Jamaican and British characters, exploring themes of migration, identity, prejudice and hope. The adaptation moves fluidly between Jamaica and Britain, past and present, allowing each perspective to emerge with clarity while maintaining a strong narrative drive.

Central to the production’s success are its richly drawn performances. Bronte Barbe’s Queenie is warm, open and quietly complex, capturing both her kindness and her underlying loneliness. Mark Arends presents Bernard with a convincing rigidity that gradually gives way to vulnerability, revealing the psychological scars left by war. Anna Chrichlow is nothing short of remarkable as Hortense, embodying her character’s pride, ambition and eventual disillusionment with striking precision; her performance anchors much of the emotional weight of the piece.

Rhys Stephenson brings charisma and charm to the role of Michael, making his presence felt even in a relatively limited stage time. His portrayal of the “dashing” Michael adds both energy and poignancy to the narrative. Meanwhile, Daniel Ward’s Gilbert is a standout, offering a layered and evolving performance that reveals many sides of his personality. From optimism and humour to frustration and resilience, Ward ensures Gilbert feels fully realised and deeply human.

The staging is inventive and fluid, relying on minimal set pieces enhanced by effective lighting and choreography to transition between locations. This lends the production a cinematic quality, ensuring that momentum is rarely lost despite the lengthy runtime. The pacing is impressively controlled, maintaining engagement throughout and never allowing the story to stagnate.

What is particularly striking is the balance between humour and gravity. Moments of levity arise naturally from character interactions, providing relief without detracting from the serious themes of racism and displacement. These heavier moments are handled with sensitivity and honesty, never feeling overstated but always impactful.

Given its duration, one might expect the production to feel overlong, yet the richness of the storytelling and the strength of the performances ensure sustained engagement. By the final act, there is a palpable sense of emotional investment in the audience, a testament to how effectively the production draws viewers into its world.

It was only after the performance that I realised Small Island had previously been adapted as a BBC drama—something I am now keen to seek out. Nevertheless, this stage adaptation stands firmly on its own merits, offering an immediacy and intimacy that feels uniquely theatrical.

In sum, Birmingham Rep’s Small Island is a powerful and rewarding production. It is undeniably a long evening, but one that feels entirely justified by the depth and breadth of the story being told. We left the theatre not only moved but reflective, having been truly gripped from beginning to end.

Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York – until 4 April 2026

Reviewed by Lauren Fordham

5*****

Parade is a musical first produced in 1998 by Jason Robert Brown, based on a book by Alfred Uhry. It dramatises the case of Leo Frank, a Jewish American factory superintendent living in Marietta, Georgia, who was falsely convicted in 1913 of murdering one of his child workers, 13 year old Mary Phagan, for which he was lynched in 1915. This production has been developed by Black Sheep Theatre Productions, and is directed by Matthew Peter Clare.

The musical opens on Confederate Memorial Day, an era that the residents of Marietta look back on with pride and nostalgia as they reflect on the role of the Confederacy in the American Civil War, in which the southern states seceded from the north in order to preserve slavery, which northern states such as New York (from which Leo Frank hailed) wanted to abolish. 

The level of resentment and bitterness that the people of Marietta feel over this war is vehemently portrayed through the lyrics of Parade’s opening number, ‘The Old Red Hills of Home: ‘Let all the blood of the North spill upon them, till they’ve paid for what they’ve wrought.’ 

The song is first sung from the perspective of a young soldier (Oskar Nuttall) bidding farewell to his girlfriend, Lila, as he goes to war waving the Confederate flag. Nuttall’s youthful demeanour and optimistic, patriotic loyalty to his love and his state is redolent of Gavroche in Les Misérables as he fights amongst the students at the barricades. The proud yet ominous Confederate flag that Nuttall waves evokes images of swathes of swastikas from Nazi-era musicals like Cabaret and The Sound of Music, and it is a sobering irony to note how the same murderous anti-Semitism the Nazis espoused was happening in the US (and the world) well before Hitler gained power, this is especially ironic because the US likes to share credit for deposing him and would probably rather attention not to be paid to their own glass house, as it were.

Nuttall elaborates on that impish endearing persona when he switches roles to play Frankie Epps, the adolescent would-be suitor of young Mary Phagan, whom he wants to take to ‘The Picture Show’. But he also has a darker side which is seen when he is the mob member to actually lynch Frank at the end of the play, intoning, ‘This is for Mary.’ In that way, he evokes more of a Javert-esque personality as his profound anti-Semitism blinds him to the idea that Frank could be innocent, so I do think he would suit a role such as Javert in later years.

Phagan, played by Eloise Shneck, is unfazed by Epps’ attempts to charm her and has an endearing bond with her friends Iola Stover (Georgina Burt) Essie (Sophia Razak) and Monteen (Sarah Rudd) which makes the trio’s mourning song at her funeral, ‘It Don’t Make Sense’ and their haunting harmonies all the more poignant. 

Dan Poppitt, who plays Leo Frank, takes the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions. At first he is unlikeable, thinking himself morally distanced from and superior to the residents of Georgia, ‘I’m a Yankee with a college education’, saying, ‘these people belong in zoos, it’s like they never joined civilisation.

Frank is portrayed at first as a peevish workaholic who denies wife Lucille’s (Molly Whitehouse) simple request for a picnic, pushing her away even as she publicly defends him in court, saying ‘You Don’t Know This Man.’ ‘You don’t have the right to know a man this wise and good.’ 

Frank is portrayed as a salacious sex offender in court through the fantasy song ‘The Factory Girls/Come up to My Office’ a song based on Frankie Epps’ lie that ‘Leo ‘looked at her funny’, which prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (Jack Hooper) runs with. In this scene, Frank attempts to bribe and seduce Mary and her friends and this is jarring in its jocularity. 

To a post-Me Too audience in which most girls and women have been subject to such catcalling, Frank’s behaviour and intentions are as relevant and resonant as they are ribald, and the poor children are paralysed and powerless. ‘He calls my name, I turn my head. He got no words to say. His eyes get big. My face gets red. And I want to run away.’ 

But Poppitt’s Leo and Whitehouse’s Lucille are at their best and most sympathetic when they are at their most emotional, for Leo, in the song ‘It’s Hard to Speak My Heart’ where he pleads that ‘I never touched that child, I never raised a hand’. Their spirits and vocals soar in the visceral virtuosic song that is ‘This Is Not Over Yet’, proclaiming ‘you shouldn’t underestimate Lucille and Leo Frank.’ Safe behind the fourth wall, however, I winced at the painfully ironic resonance of the words ‘hope, loud as a mortar,’ in this song given the current US-Israeli war with Iran.

As well as Epps’ lie, Frank’s trial is heavily influenced by Britt Craig, an anti-Semitic journalist who delights in propagating familiar tropes in defamatory articles that vilify Frank and advance Craig’s career: ‘Big news! My career’s been revived, give him fangs, give him horns, check those bug-out creepy eyes.’ Craig is played with skill and Gentile glee by Richard Bayton.

The increasingly angry atmosphere in Marietta that Craig capitalises on is also subtly and subversively expressed and enhanced through Adam Kirkwood’s lighting design. His use of misty red lighting as a backdrop evokes not only the literal Old Red Hills but also acts as a  powerful metaphor for the ‘red mist’ of anger, resentment and racism that has arguably descended over their residents’ lives. Ollie Nash’s sound design using drums also creates a portentous sense of foreshadowing.

Although Parade centres an anti-Semitic murder, no piece about prejudice in the Deep South can be separated from racism, as Newt Lee and Jim Conley, black men under suspicion on the case prior to Leo’s conviction (both played by a cynical Reggie Challenor) observe. ‘There’s a black man swinging in every tree but they don’t never pay attention! If a Yankee boy flies, surprise surprise, they gonna pay attention. I can tell you this, as a matter of fact, the local hotels wouldn’t be so packed if a little black girl had gotten attacked.’ 

Racism and anti-Semitism might be considered both sides of the same coin, and neither should be legal tender. 

It’s awkward to say one ‘enjoys’ a musical about such a horrible snapshot of history but I was educated and moved by it, and its themes are painfully still relevant and resonant today.

PHIL DAVIES’ FIREBIRD

TO RECEIVE FIRST REVIVAL AT

SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH

Double Telling, the team behind the multi-award-winning London premiere of Run Sister Run,today announces the first revival of Firebird by Phil Davies.Directed by Double Telling’s Artistic Director Marlie Haco, the play returns to the London stage following its premiere in 2015.

A powerful exploration of an ongoing national scandal, Firebird opens at Southwark Playhouse Borough on 15 July, with previews from 9 July, and runs until 1August.

Playwright, Phil Davies said today, “I’m excited by the vision that Marlie has for this production and can’t wait to see it realised. When I wrote Firebird, I hoped its subject matter would quickly become obsolete. The sad fact is that, ten years on, it’s arguably even more urgent an issue than ever.”

Double Telling’s Artistic Director Marlie Haco added, “Firebird confronts unthinkable realities with extraordinary compassion. Over a decade on from its first production, the play’s exploration of grooming and exploitation is unfortunately more relevant than ever. To counter that, I intend to direct this revival as a celebration of the redemptive power of female friendship in the face of male violence. Above all, I would love the production to offer a sense of recognition – and hope – to the survivors it seeks to represent. I feel incredibly lucky to be bringing such an accomplished and important drama back to the stage.”

For this production, Double Telling is consulting with journalist Anna Hall (maker of 2025 documentary Groomed: A National Scandal) and partnering with charities including One in Four, Lasting Support, and Together (Southwark Wellbeing Hub) to raise awareness and forge connections with survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE).

Double Telling Presents

FIREBIRD

By Phil Davies

Director: Marlie Haco; Set Design: Tomás Palmer; Costume Design: Sarah Mercadé;

Composer & Sound Design: Ákos Lustyik;Lighting Design: Ben Jacobs;

Casting Directors: Gabriella Shimeld-Fenn and Annelie Powell

9 July – 1 August 2026

“You’ve got these twinkling eyes, all bright and dancey… They will love taking that from you.”

When two teenage girls meet at a local youth centre, an unexpected friendship begins to take shape. But as one of them is drawn into the orbit of an older man, their bond is tested in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Funny and tender, Phil Davies’ “remarkably potent” drama (The Times) exposes the devastating realities of grooming gangs with “rare eloquence” (Londonist) and asks what it takes to be believed.

Marlie Haco’s unflinching revival combines Davies’ scorching text with movement and an original score to shine a light on an ongoing national scandal.

This production reunites OFFIE nominees Marlie Haco (Director) and Tomás Palmer (Set Design), with Oliver Award-winner Ben Jacobs (Lighting Design), to offer a fresh lens on Phil Davies’ “blisteringly intense” (The Stage) debut drama.

Phil Davies is a playwright and screenwriter.His debut play Firebird premiered at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs in 2015 and then transferred to Trafalgar Studios. His other plays include Landmines, How to Not Murder, Up the Dale, Come to Where I’m From, Adjusted and The Makings. His screenwriting credits include Rockets, Dolly Making Soap with a Serial Killer, Best Before, The Few and The Loss Adjusters; and for radio, The B Towns: The Punjab.

Marlie Haco is a theatre director and dramaturg. Her directing credits include the award-winning Run Sister Run (Arcola Theatre), Proud (Kings Head Theatre), Knife on The Table (The Cockpit Theatre), Good Day (VAULT Festival), Vengeance (Pleasance Theatre), Lovesick (Hope Theatre), Words Without Consent (Brighton Fringe, Southwark Playhouse Borough) and Chinese Boxing (Playground Theatre, Norwich Fringe). As Assistant Director, her credits include Mary, Anthropology (Hampstead Theatre) and Coram Boy (Chichester Festival Theatre, The Lowry). Haco trained on the National Theatre Directors Course in 2025 and was Resident Director at Hampstead Theatre 2022-2023. She is also a reader for Soho Theatre, as well as for playwriting prizes including the Bruntwood and the Verity Bargate Award.

FIREBIRD

Listings

Southwark Playhouse Borough

77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

Box Office: 020 7407 0234/ boxoffice@southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Book now: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/ productions/firebird

Find out more: https://www.doubletelling.com/work/firebird

How To Get To Borough Venue: The nearest stations are Elephant & Castle and Borough 

FIREBIRD

9 July – 1 August 2026

Press Night: Wednesday 15 July at 7.30pm

Monday – Saturday: 7.30pm

Tuesday and Saturday Matinees: 3pm

Ticket Prices: Standard £28 | Concessions £22.50 | Previews £16 | Pioneers’ Preview (9 July) £10

Age Guidance: 16+

DOUBLE TELLING

Double Telling is a theatre company led by director & dramaturg Marlie Haco and producer Toby Mather. They create precise, impactful productions of contemporary plays that ask urgent social and psychological questions. Their bold, experimental work integrates multiple forms of storytelling to move, thrill, and engage audiences in provocative ways.

“Director Marlie Haco’s new production is fast-paced and impactful… electrifying, yet tender”

– The Stage (Run Sister Run, Arcola Theatre)

“Slick and highly entertaining…remarkably high production values”

– The Guardian (Good Day, VAULT Festival)

www.doubletelling.com

Twitter/ Instagram: @DoubleTelling @MarlieHC

SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

Southwark Playhouse is a registered charity that delivers a year-round programme of entertaining and enriching work. Southwark Playhouse operates two separate venues ‘Southwark Playhouse Borough’ and its newest theatre ‘Southwark Playhouse Elephant’ which opened in January 2023. Southwark Playhouse has always prided itself in telling stories and inspiring the next generation of storytellers and theatre makers, where support for the community has been rooted at the core of the organisation.

www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

BlueSky: @swkplay.bsky.social

Facebook: @SouthwarkPlayhouse

Instagram: @swkplay

TikTok: @swkplay

YouTube: @southwarkplayhouse

Darlington Hippodrome – until Saturday 4 April 2026

3***

There’s plenty going on in Murder at Midnight at Darlington Hippodrome, arguably a little too much. Torben Betts’ darkly comic thriller aims to blend farce, family drama and a high-stakes whodunnit, and while it often entertains, it doesn’t always fully land.

Set over the course of a chaotic New Year’s Eve, the play follows a dysfunctional family gathering that quickly spirals into violence, secrets and suspicion. The script is packed with twists and sharp one-liners, and there’s a clear ambition to keep the audience constantly off balance. At its best, it’s genuinely funny and engaging; at its most cluttered, it feels like it’s trying to juggle too many ideas at once.

The cast commit fully to the mayhem. Jason Durr brings a controlled menace to Jonny ‘The Cyclops’, grounding the production with a sense of real danger, while Susie Blake steals scenes with impeccable comic timing as his delightfully eccentric mother. Max Bowden and Katie McGlynn inject energy and emotional tension into the central relationships, even when the narrative becomes tangled.

Director Philip Franks keeps the action moving at pace, leaning into the farcical elements without losing sight of the darker undertones. The creative team support this well: Colin Falconer’s multi-level set is particularly effective, allowing scenes to overlap and unfold with a cinematic fluidity, while lighting and sound design heighten the sense of unease as the night descends further into chaos.

That said, the sheer volume of plot twists and tonal shifts can make it hard to stay fully invested. Just as the tension begins to build, it’s often undercut by another comic beat or narrative detour. The result is entertaining, but occasionally exhausting.

Ultimately, Murder at Midnight is a solid night out – funny, stylish and performed with conviction – but it falls just short of being truly gripping. A lively crowd-pleaser with flashes of brilliance, even if it doesn’t quite come together as cleanly as it might.

FURTHER VOCALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR

‘TOTAL ECLIPSE’

AN EVENING CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF

JIM STEINMAN

AT THE LONDON COLISEUM

ON SUNDAY 3 MAY 2026

Producer Tyce Green with Executive Producers Darren Bell and Sam Quested are delighted to announce further vocalists for TOTAL ECLIPSE – a one-night gala event celebrating the work of Jim Steinman at the London Coliseum on Sunday 3 May 2026. Guest vocalists will perform alongside the award-winning Orchestra of English National Opera (ENO).

Joining previously announced Glenn Adamson and Danielle Steers will be Christina Bianco (The Ballad of Johnny & June, UK & Ireland tour; The Wizard Of Oz, London Palladium), Zoe Birkett (TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, West End; The Witches, National Theatre), Tyce Green (Jesus Christ Superstar, North American Tour; vocalist who has worked withJim Steinman, Heart, Air Supply), Karine Hannah (Billboard Top 10 vocalist who has worked with Jim Steinman & Celine Dion), Natalie May Paris (Six, Original Cast – West End, US Tour, Hampton Court; Pretty Woman, UK & Ireland tour)and RED (vocalist who has worked alongside Diana Ross, Ed Sheeran, Alecia Keys and more).

Steinman wrote songs built for scale: dramatic, relentless, and unapologetically theatrical. TOTAL ECLIPSE is a new orchestral concert bringing his greatest hits catalogue to the London Coliseum in a full symphonic and rock hybrid, with the Orchestra of ENO on the iconic Coliseum stage, fused with a live rock band for one night only. 

Across the night, the set features Steinman’s most celebrated work, including Bat Out of Hell, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Holding Out for a Hero, I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That), and It’s All Coming Back to Me Now, and many more. Orchestral power meets amplified rock, with guest vocalists drawn from Steinman’s stage world, including several artists connected to Bat Out of Hell. 

Featuring all-new orchestrations, the show is musically directed and conducted by Jack Bennett (Here & Now, Birmingham/UK & Ireland tour) and directed by Chris Clegg (The Diana MixTape, founder of TuckShop).

The concert is produced by Tony Award nominee Tyce Green, who recorded with Steinman and remains closely associated with his work. It is executive produced by Darren Bell and Sam Quested, the team behind the WhatsOnStage Award-winning concert productions of Love Never Dies and Something Rotten!, the filmed concert production of Bonnie and Clyde, and, more recently, Patti LuPone at the London Coliseum. 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

TOTAL ECLIPSE

Sunday 3 May 2026

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London

WC2N 4ES

Box Office: 020 3925 2998

Website: www.londoncoliseum.org

Instagram: @londoncoliseum

BRADLEY GIBSON TO MAKE HIS WEST END DEBUT

AS HERCULES AT THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE

Disney Theatrical Group today announces that Broadway’s Bradley Gibson will lead the company of Hercules as is completes its run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Gibson will reprise the role of Hercules from 29 June – the role which he originated in the world premiere production in New Jersey in 2023. The full company for the show’s final extension will be announced shortly.

Bradley Gibson said today, “What an honour to step back into the role of Hercules which I had the enormous privilege of originating back home. To come full circle with this epic production, and make my West End debut at the glorious Theatre Royal Drury Lane is an absolute dream come true.”

With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, and a brand-new book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah, Casey Nicholaw’s production of Hercules, co-choreographed with Tanisha Scott, is inspired by the 1997 animated film of the same name from Walt Disney Studios. The feature film, directed by The Little Mermaid filmmakers John Musker and Ron Clements, and written by Clements, Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw and Irene Mecchi, won Best Animation Feature at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards and was nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Original Song for Go the Distance.

Bradley Gibson plays Hercules. His other theatre credits include Fremont Ave. (Arena Stage and South Coast Rep), The Lion King, A Bronx Tale, Rocky (Broadway), Love’s Labour’s Lost (NY Public Theatre), and The School for Scandal (Red Bull Theater). For television, his work includes Mid-Century Modern, The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl, Disney 100th at Royal Variety, Partner Track, Power Book II: GHOST, Kung Fu (CW), and Mozart in the Jungle; and for film, Fire Island.

The musical, inspired by the animated film, based on the ancient myth.

It’s what classical civilisation would have wanted.

Ancient Greece. A time of gods, mortals… and Hercules, who isn’t quite either. But if he’s not a god, how can he possibly save the world from Hades? It’s one thing flexing those pecs, but going from zero to hero requires a different kind of strength. 

Get ready for a wise-cracking, column-shaking, underworld-rocking ride of adventure, self-discovery, and love. In tunics. 

The cast album is currently available for digital download, as well as on CD and vinyl.

Director and Choreographer: Casey Nicholaw; Co-Choreographer: Tanisha Scott;

Scenic and Additional Video Design: Dane Laffrey; Costume Design: Gregg Barnes, Sky Switser;

Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter; Sound Design: Adam Fisher; Video Design: George Reeve;

Special Effects Design: Jeremy Chernick; Dance Music Arrangements: David Chase;

Hair and Wig Design: Mia M. Neal; Make-Up Design: Kirk Cambridge- Del Pesche;

Music supervisor and Arranger: Michael Kosarin; Orchestrations: Danny Troob and Joseph Joubert;

Dance Arrangements: David Chase; Casting: Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting

Facebook /HerculesOnStage

Instagram @herculesonstage

www.herculesthemusical.co.uk

LISTINGS

HERCULES

Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5JF

www.herculesthemusical.co.uk

From £29.50

Group rates and education rates are available – please see the website

PERFORMANCES:

Monday to Saturday 7:30pm

Thursday and Saturday matinees 2:30pm

On the following dates the 7:30pm performance will be replaced with a 2:30pm performance:

• Tuesday 7 April
• Tuesday 26 May
• Tuesday 21 July
• Tuesday 28 July
• Tuesday 4 August
• Tuesday 11 August
• Tuesday 18 August
• Tuesday 25 August

ACCESS PERFORMANCES: 020 3925 2998 or access@lwtheatres.co.uk

Audio Described                            7.30pm on 15 May

Captioned Performance               7.30pm on 20 April

‘WICKED’ ANNOUNCES 20^th ANNIVERSARY WEST END COMPANY AND OPENS SIGN-UP FOR CELEBRATION PERFORMANCES

EMMA KINGSTON (ELPHABA) AND ZIZI STRALLEN (GLINDA) CONTINUE TO LEAD THE COMPANY

JORDAN LITZ TO MAKE HIS WEST END DEBUT

JOINING FROM THE BROADWAY COMPANY

AS FIYERO

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP NOW OPEN FOR 20^th ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCES

www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

WICKED, the award-winning musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is proud to announce its 20^th Anniversary West End company who will begin performances at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.

The new company will lead the celebrations over its landmark anniversary weekend on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026, with sign-up now open for priority access to tickets. First release will be available exclusively to registered audiences ahead of general sale: www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/wicked20

In its celebration year, the company continues to be led by Emma Kingston as Elphaba, recently awarded ‘Best Takeover Performance’ by theatre audiences at the 2026 WhatsonStage Awards, starring opposite celebrated West End star, Zizi Strallen as Glinda. Joining them is Jordan Litz* as Fiyero,arriving from the United States to make his West End debut. Litz has previously performed the role on both the national US tour and Broadway, and joined the company of the New York production in its 20th-anniversary year. Litz has completed more than 1,700 performances in the role — making him the longest-running Fiyero in the production’s history.

Also joining the principal company is Olivier Award nominee Claire Machin, taking on the role of Madame Morrible. Machin is recognised for her acclaimed performance as Cora in The Girls and widely celebrated for her portrayal of Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables. Completing the new principal casting is Yara Fabricante, who makes her West End debut as Nessarose.

Other continuing members of the principal company include: Michael Matus (known for his Olivier Award-winning relationship with the RSC and musicals including Singin’ in the Rain and Stephen Schwartz’s The Baker’s Wife) as The Wizard, David McKechnie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge) as Doctor Dillamond and Ross Carpenter (Book of Mormon) as Boq. Laura Emmitt (Frozen: The Musical) returned to Wicked London last year as Alternate Elphaba, having previously covered the role in the West End alongside Lydia Gerrard (The Phantom of the Opera, UK & Ireland Tour), who last year joined as Standby for Glinda, having previously covered the role on the 2023 – 2025 tour.

Thecompany is completed by Leo Abad, Iroy Abesamis, Elizabeth Armstrong, Steph Asamoah, Meg Astin, Rebecca Bowden, Shaun Chambers, Erin Gisele Chapman, Lauren Chia, Charles Croysdill, Oraine Frater, Emily Goodenough, Katy Hanna, Nat Ingham, Samuel John-Humphreys, Holly Lawrence, Jemima Loddy, Ellie Ann Lowe, Jamel Matthias, Marcus May, Conor O’Hara, Tom Oliver, Abbie Quinnen, Harry Robinson, Jeanie Ryan, Jessica Saisang-Rowe, Jonah Sercombe, Chris Tarsey, Hannah Taylor and Karen Wilkinson.

The current 2025 / 26 company’s final performance will take place on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s celebrated stage musical is based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire and imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming ‘Glinda The Good’ and the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’.

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi-Oscar® and Grammy® Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted). It is based on the multimillion-copy best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and written by Emmy® and Tony Award® nominee Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series ‘My So-Called Life’). Musical staging is by Tony Award® winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award® winner Joe Mantello.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman collaborated on the blockbuster two-part film version of WICKED. WICKED opened on November 22, 2024, and is the highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical in history. The second film, WICKED: FOR GOOD, opened on November 21, 2025, and is currently the third highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical. Both films, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, were directed by Jon M. Chu and produced by Marc Platt and David Stone.

Performances continue Tuesday – Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:30pm. The following extra shows are also on sale: Thursday, 2 April 2:30pm, Thursday, 9 April 2:30pm,  Thursday, 6 August 2:30pm, Thursday, 20 August 2:30pm, Thursday, 29 October 2:30pm, Friday, 18 December 2:30pm, Monday, 21 December 7:30pm, Tuesday, 22 December 2:30pm, Sunday, 27 December 7:30pm, Monday, 28 December 7:30pm and Tuesday, 29 December 2:30pm 2026.

The stage musical Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone.

*Jordan Litz is appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG 

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Education programme: www.WickedActiveLearning.co.uk

TikTok: @WickedUK  |  Facebook: /WickedUK  |  Instagram: @WickedUK | ‘X’ (Twitter): @WickedUK

“MAMMA MIA!” ANNOUNCES NEW BOOKING PERIOD

TO SATURDAY 13 MARCH 2027

AHEAD OF THE MUSICAL’S 27^TH BIRTHDAY IN LONDON’S WEST END

Global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! is extending its booking period to Saturday 13 March 2027 at London’s Novello Theatre, a Delfont Mackintosh Theatre, with tickets on sale now.

MAMMA MIA! will be celebrating its 27^th birthday on 6 April 2026 and is the third longest running West End musical of all time.

Since premiering in London’s West End in 1999, the exhilarating smash-hit has become a global phenomenon, with over 70 million people having seen it worldwide. The musical returned to Broadway, at the musical’s original home, the Winter Garden Theatre, on 2 August 2025 for a highly successful limited six-month run until 1 February 2026.  Originally opening in New York in 2001, the production played for a record-breaking 14 years at the Winter Garden and then at the Broadhurst Theatre, making it Broadway’s ninth longest-running show of all time.  A new UK Tour began on 24 October 2025 and will run through to 30 January 2027.

The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island idyll, all unfolding to the magic of ABBA’s timeless pop masterpieces, has been seen in over 50 productions in 16 different languages, grossing more than £4.5 billion at the box office, and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again.

The London cast stars Sara Poyzer as Donna, Kate Graham as Tanya, Nicky Swift as Rosie, Richard Standing as Sam, Daniel Crowder as Harry, Tamlyn Henderson as Bill, Ellie Kingdon as Sophie, George Maddison as Sky, Chloe Gentles as Ali, Foxy Valentine as Lisa, Joshua de La-Garde as Eddie and Benjamin Dawson as Pepper, with Emma Odell playing Donna at certain performances.  Also in the cast are Franky Attard, Matthew Barrow, Ella Beaumont, Jack Bromage, Maddy Cameron, Dennis Cousins, Joseph Craig, Josh Crowther, Andrew Gallo, Lawrence Guntert, George Hinson, Genevieve Jameson, Laura Jayne-Hardie, Deena Kapadia, Matthew Mori, Tom Parsons, Meghan Peploe-Williams, Emily Squibb, Ria Turner and Maisie Waller. 

MAMMA MIA! originally opened in London at the Prince Edward Theatre on 6 April 1999, before transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2004, and then to the Novello Theatre in 2012.  The London production of MAMMA MIA! has been seen by over 11 million people, played over 10,000 performances and has broken box office records in all three of its London homes.  In February 2024, it set a new record for the highest ever weekly gross in the musical’s London history and, on 28 December 2024, achieved the production’s highest ever grossing performance.  As part of MAMMA MIA!’s 25^th year celebrations, Judy Craymer was Executive Producer of ITV’s MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, which searched for new young talent to join the stage musical.  One of the finalists, Maisie Waller, joined the London company in 2024 and has now been promoted to first cover for Sophie.

Produced by Judy Craymer, MAMMA MIA! The Movie became the highest grossing live action musical film of all time upon its release in 2008.  A second film, MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again, opened in 2018 and is the most successful live musical movie sequel of all time. Both films starred Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper, with Lily James, Andy Garcia and Cher joining them in the second film.

With music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. The production is designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch.

MAMMA MIA! is produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal Music Group.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Novello Theatre

Aldwych

London WC2B 4LD

Ticket Prices: from £17.50*

*Tickets priced £50 and under will include a £2.50 booking fee and tickets over £50 will include a £3.50 booking fee, with all ticket prices including a £1.90 restoration levy.

Early Bird Pricing – anyone booking 12 weeks or more in advance of the performance they are attending (Monday to Thursday performances only) will save £20 on Band B, Band A and Premium tickets, but only through Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, either online or by calling the Novello Theatre Box Office.

Family Ticket Rate – £199 for a group of four on Band B or Band A tickets (up to a saving of £151), OR £99 for a group of four on Band D and Band C tickets (up to a saving of £111), for Monday to Thursday performances, excluding peak performances, but only through Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, either online or by calling the Novello Theatre Box Office.

Seniors Ticket Rate – people aged 60 and above can purchase tickets up to £98.50 each reduced to £37.50 (including booking fee) for valid Thursday matinees.  Exclusions: 30 March – 11 April, 25-30 May, 20 July – 31 August and 26-31 October 2026, 21 December 2026 – 2 January 2027 and 15-20 February 2027.

Group Rate for groups of 10+: Band A £80, Band A £95, Band B £65, Band B £75, Band C £50, Band C £60 (Stalls, Dress Circle and Gand Circle) all priced at £42.50 each, valid on Monday to Friday performances.  Exclusions apply.

Group Rate for groups of 20+: Band A £80, Band A £95, Band B £65, Band B £75, Band C £50, Band C £60 (Stalls, Dress Circle and Gand Circle) all priced at £39.50 each, valid on Monday to Friday performances.  Exclusions apply.

Performance Times:

Monday – Saturday 7.30pm

Matinees – Thursdays & Saturdays 3.00pm*

*Extra Tuesday 3.00pm matinees on 7 April, 30 June, 11 August, 27 October 2026 and 16 February 2027.

Captioned performance (StageText): 3.00pm, 16 January 2027

Audio described performance (and touch tour) (VocalEyes): 3.00pm, 23 January 2027

Christmas 2026/27 Performance Schedule

Monday 21 December                         3.00pm and 7.30pm

Tuesday 22 December                        7.30pm

Wednesday 23 December                   3.00pm and 7.30pm

Thursday 24 December                       NO PERFORMANCE

Friday 25 December                            NO PERFORMANCE

Saturday 26 December                        7.30pm

Sunday 27 December                          3.00pm and 7.30pm

Monday 28 December                         NO PERFORMANCE

Tuesday 29 December                        3.00pm and 7.30pm

Wednesday 30 December                   3.00pm and 7.30pm

Thursday 31 December                       2.00pm

Friday 1 January 2027                         3.00pm and 7.30pm

Saturday 2 January                             3.00pm and 7.30pm

Sunday 3 January                               NO PERFORMANCE

Booking to 13 March 2027

The performance lasts 2 hours and 35 minutes (including a 15-minute interval)

Box Office: 0344 482 5151

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The Watermill Theatre, Newbury – until 9 May 2026

Reviewed by Marcia Spiers

4****

A Fresh Perspective on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

This remarkable new play, written by Daisy Goodwin and directed by Sophie Drake, casts fresh light on the dynamic between Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. Historians have often described Victoria as deeply enamored with Albert throughout their marriage and utterly heartbroken by his death at the age of forty-two. Later portraits of her depict a woman bereft of joy, despite being surrounded by her nine children and numerous grandchildren.

The play delves into the contrast between the relationship described in Victoria’s renowned diaries and the true nature of her marriage. Albert is shown exerting significant control over Victoria, from selecting her hats and scrutinizing her papers to dictating what she should sign and taking on many of her responsibilities. He often traveled and made decisions on her behalf, justifying his actions by claiming that Victoria, with nine children to care for and emotional instability, needed someone to take the reins. The narrative suggests that Victoria may have found more happiness after Albert’s passing than she revealed, especially after beginning her relationship with John Brown, which brought her a renewed sense of enjoyment and freedom.

Jessica Rhodes delivers a heartfelt portrayal of the young, spirited Victoria, passionately in love and reveling in her new marriage. As the play progresses, she transforms into a woman given to intense emotional outbursts, gradually realizing the extent of Albert’s control and manipulation.

Amanda Boxer offers an outstanding performance as the widowed Victoria, presenting a stark contrast to her youthful counterpart. She captures the iconic mannerisms and expressions of the older Queen, and the reflective exchanges between her and her younger self are especially poignant.

Rowan Polonski embodies Prince Albert with competence and composure, portraying a caring exterior that masks an underlying need for control. His depiction of the German Prince skillfully balances both understanding and coercion.

Stephen Fewell takes on the role of Victoria’s eldest son, “Bertie,” the future King Edward VII. His performance highlights Bertie’s already controversial reputation for indulgence and high living.

Lydia Bakelmun gives an impressive performance as Beatrice, Victoria’s youngest daughter, who remains by the Queen’s side after becoming a widow herself. The play depicts the relationship between Victoria and Beatrice as one founded on trust and respect, even in the face of their differences, challenging the notion of Victoria’s supposed dislike for her children.

Steve Chusak delivers a polished portrayal of Dr. Reid, the Queen’s physician. As the keeper of secrets and custodian of Victoria’s final wishes, he represents the confidant she relied on when trust was scarce.

The set design makes clever use of the stage space, with the library and the reflective scenes between the younger and older Victoria standing out as highlights. Period-appropriate costumes contribute to the authenticity, and the production maintains its momentum and emotional intensity from beginning to end.

The play captivated me from start to finish, offering a fresh perspective on the world of royalty. Its approach invites audiences to reconsider what lies beneath the surface of the monarchy, a theme relevant to other royal families around the globe. Congratulations to everyone involved in this production. See! A great production in lovely surroundings.

Cambridge Arts Theatre – until Saturday 4th April 2026

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

I’ll be honest with you: I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect walking into Cambridge Arts Theatre last night. A show set in a pub, a cast of men singing well-known songs — it sounded fun enough, but I had no idea what a purely joyful evening of live performance it was going to be, and just how talented the men on stage were going to be.

Created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay, The Choir of Man is, on the surface, a simple concept. A pub. A group of lads. Some brilliant songs. But scratch beneath that surface and you find something genuinely moving — a show that’s really about home, companionship, community and belonging. It’s a love letter to the communal spaces we gather in, the friendships forged over shared experiences, and the universal human need to feel welcomed and known. Yes, there’s beer — quite a lot of it, actually — but this show has a great deal of heart beneath the froth.

The songs are all familiar favourites, and Musical Supervisor, Vocal Arranger and Orchestrator Jack Blume has shaped them into something extraordinary. I found myself thinking, more than once, that several of these tracks were being performed better here than by the original artists. That’s a bold claim, I know, but the vocal skill, energy and charm this cast brings to every number simply elevates the material.

The movement, choreographed by Freddie Huddleston is inventive and thrilling throughout — but special mention must go to Jack Skelton, whose tap dancing was nothing short of superb.

Vocally, the entire cast is outstanding, but Joshua Lloyd deserves to be singled out. His voice is simply beautiful. Equally memorable was Nimi, who delivered the show’s monologues with a touching, understated charm. He had the whole audience in the palm of his hand; those quieter moments landed just as powerfully as the big musical numbers.

Gustav Melbardis proved himself a genuinely talented maestro with excellent comedic timing — his contributions drew some of the biggest laughs of the evening. And I must give a special nod to our very own local lad, Rob Godfrey, whose guitar playing kept the whole show moving with warmth and infectious energy. Cambridge claimed him proudly last night, that’s for sure.

Audience participation is woven throughout, and it’s handled with such style and charm. It never descends into something that makes you cringe and some of those who went up on stage really stole the show! By the finale, the entire house was on its feet — singing, clapping, cheering. A standing ovation that felt completely spontaneous and utterly deserved.

The Choir of Man is a joyful, generous, life-affirming blast of a show. Don’t miss it.