Olivier Awards 2023

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Olivier Award Nominated Shows of 2023

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Age guidance: 6+. This production is not suitable for children under 4 years of age, including babes in arms. Younger children and babes in arms are welcome at our relaxed performances only.

My Neighbour Totoro - LON

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My Neighbour Totoro

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The best entrance you’ll see in a theatre this year belongs to the title character in this feverishly anticipated stage version of Studio Ghibli’s 1988 anime film. Behind the curtains, a giant silhouette gradually appears, and when those curtains swing open, we finally see him: a huge shaggy mass, so enormous, so peculiar and so utterly beguiling that the audience breaks into rapturous applause. It’s the moment that we know, behind doubt, that the RSC has got this exactly right: *[My Neighbour Totoro](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25389-my-neighbour-totoro-tickets)* is going to be a massive hit.

In fact, the production was a record-breaker before it even opened. It’s the fastest-selling ticket in Barbican history – beating the previous holder, Benedict Cumberbatch’s *Hamlet*. The Japanese [Studio Ghibli](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/studio-ghibli-my-neighbour-totoro-on-stage-world-premiere) has a passionate international following thanks to work like the Oscar-winning *Spirited Away*, *Howl’s Moving Castle* and *My Neighbour Totoro*. But could the studio’s very specific aesthetic and tone really be translated to the stage? 

Absolutely. Tom Morton-Smith’s adaptation strikes a perfect balance of honouring Hayao Miyazaki’s creation and seeking a new theatrical language, brilliantly realised in Phelim McDermott’s exquisite production. The 1950s-set story is a fairly simple one: 10-year-old Satsuki and four-year-old Mei move with their father from Tokyo to the countryside, so they can be nearer to their hospitalised mother, who has tuberculosis. There they encounter the extraordinary spirits of the forest, like Totoro. That leaves plenty of room for flights of imagination, and for beautiful detail in the world-building and relationships.

Most effectively, the production keeps us in that child’s-eye view. McDermott plays cleverly with scale: the goat is larger than usual, because it’s being viewed by an alarmed – and petite – Mei. We only hear snippets of adult conversations, particularly about the mother’s health crisis. But we’re fully immersed in that childlike awe at each discovery: the city girls’ pleasure at collecting acorns, watching tomatoes ripen on the vine, seeing a clear moon, and then finding that extra wonder in the sprites. You could interpret it as animism or a modern climate change message, or just a love of nature.

Likewise, the show itself takes great delight in each creative solution to telling this wild and wonderful fairy tale. The black-clad ensemble of skilful puppeteers brings the soot sprites to life by dancing them around on wires, until they fly up into the sky on what looks like a nursery mobile. One side of a bus is whisked on – with the lead performer, holding up the driver, deliberately overshooting it to give the audience a knowing chuckle. They weave between being invisible and visible, filling that liminal space and suggesting that there are ever-present spirits supporting us: an extremely comforting notion right now.

Of course, the most important element here is the puppets representing Totoro and his clan. Designed by Basil Twist, and built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, they are simply spectacular. Totoro has to be big enough that Mei can clamber onto his belly – and he is. 

He’s also a mad mix of bunny, owl and fuzzy washcloth, with wiggling ears, a rubber tongue in his Muppet-like mouth and a gleaming Cheshire cat grin (Lewis Carroll is a definite comparison point here), who communicates in whale noises and the occasional roar. He’s ancient, unhurried, strange. His smaller pals have waddling chicken feet and googly eyes. And wait until you see the Catbus: lit like a beacon, gambolling on its improbable 12 legs.

Tom Pye’s set also has real wow factor. The family’s home, with distinctive sliding screens, comes apart and reforms in different configurations, in harmony with the giant trees with curling branches that glide into view. The band, who play film composer Joe Hisaishi’s evocative score live, are perched up on wooden platforms, part of the forest. The paddy farmers slide onto the stage, plants in rows attached to their feet like skis. Amidst the greenery, the girls’ dresses are pops of colour, pink and yellow. 

That lead pair are wonderfully played by Ami Okumura Jones, whose perceptive Satsuki lurks somewhere between innocence and adulthood, and Mei Mac, who hilariously embodies the fearless ball of energy that is Mei. Both have convincingly youthful physicality, bouncing up and down on their toes in excitement, pleating the front of their dresses when nervous, or puffing themselves up to look fierce. (Superb movement direction throughout from You-Ri Yamanaka.) There’s lovely support too from Nino Furuhata as local boy Kanta, who gets tongue-tied around girls, and Jacqueline Tate as the kindly Granny.

In fact kindness is all around in a tender piece that prizes generosity, community and patience; even Jessica Hung Han Yun’s ravishing lighting feels like a rush of warmth. The film’s most famous scene is an absolute stunner here: as the girls wait at the bus stop for their father, in the rain, Totoro slowly lumbers up to them. Satsuki lends him an umbrella, and this wise creature is utterly charmed by the sound of the raindrops pinging off his new covering. It’s a reminder to take time to savour our surroundings, and to find joy even in the toughest times. Theatre at its most magical.

*My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican to 21 January 2023. Book tickets to My Neighbour Totoro on London Theatre.*

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=25389&content_product_id=25389&venue_id=788)

*Photo credit: The cast of My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican. (Photo by Manuel Harlan)*

'My Neighbour Totoro' review – this Studio Ghibli adaptation is theatre at its most magical

Find your spirit with the return of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi’s “awe-inspiring” (Time Out) and “dazzling” (Guardian) production of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV. This five-star, Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation, written by Tom Moton-Smith (Oppenheimer) was the most anticipated theatrical event of 2022 and returns to London’s Barbican for a strictly limited 18-week season from 21 November 2023.

After the Barbican site was destroyed by the blitz in World War Two, Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the renovated Barbican Centre on 3 Mar. 1982. The Barbican Centre contains a concert hall, two theatres, three cinemas, two art galleries, a public lending library and conversatory.

The Barbican was voted "London's ugliest building" in 2003. But its stand-out architectural design makes it an integral part of London's skyline. The largest venue inside the Barbican Centre is the Barbican Hall. The Barbican Hall seats 1,943 people, followed by the Barbican Theatre which seats 1,156. 

Barbican Theatre - LON

Barbican Centre

Age guidance 14+ For all performances anyone aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult over 18.

A Streetcar Named Desire - LON

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A Streetcar Named Desire

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The Phoenix Theatre opened on 24 Sept. 1930. It was built on the site of the Alcazar Music Hall, a performance space that had fallen from grace into a casino.

Noël Coward’s *Private Lives* opened the Phoenix Theatre, starring Noel Coward and Laurence Olivier. On Coward's 70th birthday, the bar in the foyer of the theatre was given the name the Noël Coward Bar in his honour.

The theatre’s greatest success arrived in November 1991 in the form of *Blood Brothers*, Willy Russell’s musical. It ran for 21 years, finally closing on 10 Nov. 2012. The Phoenix Theatre was also home to the West End premiere of *Come From Away.*

## Phoenix Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels – Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle.

The seats in the Stalls offer very good views of the stage, with a light rake in the seating helping seats further back. 

The view from the Dress Circle is generally very good, though the rake of the seating is not as noticeable as in other theatres. 

The Grand Circle is surprisingly close to the stage, which is great for feeling involved in the show.


Phoenix Theatre - LON

Phoenix Theatre

14+. Everyone, regardless of age, must have their own ticket to enter the theatre. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by and sat next to a ticketholder who is at least 18 years old. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.

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All references to "app" in these promotional terms refer to the "TodayTix – West End Tickets" mobile application which is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android devices and can be downloaded from Apple's App Store (either iPhone or iPad version) or Google Play (Android version). Each participant must open a registered account via the app in order to participate in the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion – please see here [insert hyperlink] to open a registered account via the app.

Please note that in order to unlock and access the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app, you will on each occasion first be invited (but not required) to post content about it to your registered account with Twitter or Facebook from within the app. Although such content will never involve your endorsement of a third party product or service (other than the then-current musical/theatrical performance featured on the locked screen of the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app) please do not proceed to post such content unless you agree with all of it. Your decision to post content will not affect the ticket(s) available to you in the 'Rush' section of the app and/or their price. Regardless of whether or not you post content, the app will display a payment page to pay for the discounted price ticket(s). You must then pay for the ticket(s) without delay to secure them.

Please note that the discounted price tickets sold through the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app are for the stated performance time of the featured musical/theatrical performance which will always be later on the same date. The discounted price tickets are very limited in quantity and subject to availability sold on a 'first come first served basis'. If either there is:

less that 1 hour until the featured musical/theatrical performance; or all the discounted price tickets have been sold for it, then the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app shall not be able to be unlocked from such point until the following date on which discounted price tickets are available for purchase through the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app – either for the same or a different musical/theatrical performance.

PROMOTION PERIOD. You may purchase up 2 discounted price tickets for the featured musical/theatrical performance from as soon as these are marketed within the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app. The closing time/deadline for the purchase of such tickets is either: 1 hour until the featured musical/theatrical performance; or all the discounted price tickets have been sold. In either case the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app shall not be able to be unlocked from such point until the following date on which discounted price tickets are available for purchase through the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app.

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ELIGIBILITY. This sales promotion is open to anyone aged 18 years or over resident in the UK only, who selects the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app, excluding employees of the Promoter and their families, the Promoter's service providers, agents and anyone professionally associated with this sales promotion.

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All instructions within the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app will form part of these promotional terms.

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I unlocked £25 Rush tickets for Patriots on @TodayTixUK! https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/26955?share=unlock

Patriots - LON 

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Patriots

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Peter Morgan, our well-established chronicler of modern history – from TV dramas *The Crown* and *The Deal* to plays like *Frost/Nixon* and *The Audience* – now turns his shrewd gaze on Vladimir Putin. Or rather onto the man who claims that he “made” Putin, billionaire oligarch Boris Berezovsky, and who, in the exhilarating [*Patriots*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25592-patriots), then battles the President for the soul of Russia.

Morgan’s version of events has something of the tragic arc of *Frankenstein*: the brilliant but arrogant man who rejects his creation in horror and is destroyed by it. There’s also a fascinating thread running through the piece about the dangers of pursuing the infinite – whether limitless fortune or power – which ties into Berezovsky’s origins as a child maths genius.

Such meaty ideas help us stick with this epic biographical play, which is otherwise a fairly straightforward zip through Berezovsky’s eventful life. We meet him in mid-1990s Moscow where he’s juggling multiple phone calls – a smug spider in the centre of his web. He’s set to profit handsomely from the Soviet Union’s plunge into capitalism, but he has loftier ambitions than money-making: he also wants to buy the main TV channel and shape opinion, to help fuel this second Russian revolution.

Into this free-for-all shuffles a beige figure, a young Putin, at this stage just the deputy mayor of St Petersburg. Immediately he’s an awkward fit in Berezovsky’s world, refusing to be bribed with a flashy new car (Berezovsky divines that he values the car his hard-working Soviet parents saved up for). But Putin will later call in that favour, asking for a job in Yeltsin’s administration. 

Here we see perhaps the greatest political miscalculation in history. Berezovsky (who, ironically, has a PhD in decision-making theory) thinks Putin is a little nobody, a charisma vacuum with a side parting who is good at taking orders – the perfect puppet Prime Minister. Yeltsin’s daughter hesitates: “Little is dangerous.” Little people want to be perceived as big. But Berezovsky is sure that he knows best. So Putin becomes PM, and Berezovsky’s TV coverage makes him a star.

From there, we see the Putin playbook gradually take shape. There’s the instinct to cover up a submarine disaster and spin a positive story in the press, the muddying of fact and opinion, the false-flag terrorist attacks and authoritarian crackdown, and the terrible icy vengeance unleashed when he feels disrespected or betrayed. Loyalty is all – but loyalty to him, not to Russia.

For Berezovsky, the two soon diverge. The dramatic irony is laid on thick by Morgan’s frequently humorous script: initially, this complacent kingmaker thinks Putin shares his passion to liberalise the mother country. By the time he realises that Putin actually wants to return to Soviet-era state control, it’s too late. But we’re guilty of complacency as well, accuses Morgan; it’s chilling to hear Berezovsky, in a 2003 speech, warning the West that Putin would threaten our world order. 

A barnstorming performance from Tom Hollander makes this a gripping human duel, as well as an ideological one. His Berezovsky is gleeful, wired and relentless, barely phased by an assassination attempt, and drunk on his own strategic brilliance. Putin’s heel turn is therefore a humiliating personal failure. Hollander is monstrously entertaining throughout, and wrings real pathos out of his eventual lonely exile.

Excellent, too, is Will Keen as the grey man lurking in the shadows: the deceptively menacing, and uncompromising, Putin. There's good support from Luke Thallon as Roman Abramovich - here a shuffling, awkward wunderkind - Ronald Guttman as a philosophical maths professor, and Jamael Westman and Yolanda Kettle as Alexander and Marina Litvinenko.

However, the Litvinenkos get rather lost in the mix. Their story is far better explored in Lucy Prebble’s 2019 play *A Very Expensive Poison*, which also employed  more formal inventiveness to depict Putin’s truth-bending. Morgan, in contrast, plays it safe here with his chronological sweep, although Rupert Goold’s dynamic production adds theatrical fizz. 

It makes great use of Miriam Buether’s thrust stage, which, with bold lighting shifts from Jack Knowles, takes the gleaming catwalk from a noisy capitalist nightclub to the imposing grandeur of the Kremlin. Russian songs and ballroom dancing have thematic significant, too, while giving us the odd break from expository speeches. Even so, the piece could use a few trims: it tends to skim the surface of established facts, rather than digging for new discoveries.

But Morgan has inarguably produced a work that speaks to the moment – not just in terms of the war in Ukraine, but our own political squabbles. My audience groaned in recognition as Berezovsky fumed about “mediocre people worming their way into office, then failing the minute they get there”, and at Putin’s retort that we should also beware “a colourful [person] who loves only themselves.” How do we separate pride, ambition and greed from genuine patriotism? British voters, as well as Russian, urgently need to answer that question.

*[Patriots is at the Almeida Theatre to 20 August.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25592-patriots)*

*Photo credit: Tom Hollander in Patriots. (Photo by Marc Brenner)*

'Patriots' review — a monstrously entertaining account of Vladimir Putin's kingmaker

The Noël Coward Theatre opened as the New Theatre on 12 Mar. 1903. In 1973, the theatre’s name was changed from the New Theatre to the Albery Theatre, as a tribute to the theatre’s long-serving manager Sir Bronson Albery. Sir Cameron Mackintosh acquired the theatre through his company, Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, in 2005 and renamed the theatre in memory of the famous playwright, Noel Coward.

The theatre famously played host to two theatre companies whose theatres were destroyed during the Blitz – the [Old Vic](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/old-vic-theatre) and [Sadler’s Wells](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/sadlers-wells) both performed at the theatre until their new theatres were built in the 1950s. 

The theatre also played host to the premiere of Lionel Bart’s world famous musical *Oliver!* The show was a huge success, running for 2,618 performances.

Several notable actors have appeared in productions at the theatre, including [Judi Dench](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/judi-dench), [Helen Mirren](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/helen-mirren) and [Patrick Stewart](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/patrick-stewart). 

## Noël Coward Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has four levels - Stalls, Royal Circle, Grand Circle and Balcony.

The Stalls offers excellent views throughout. The high setting of the stage allows for good views.

The view from the Royal Circle is completely unobstructed and the seating is well raked.

The Grand Circle is set fairly high, but again offers unobstructed views of the stage. 

Whilst the Balcony is high, the seats are well raked and comfortable with a good amount of legroom.

Noël Coward Theatre - LON

Noël Coward Theatre

Recommended 12+. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by and sat next to a ticket holder who is at least 18 years old. Children under the age of 4 will not be admitted. 

Oklahoma! Rush 

Unlock Rush for a chance to purchase £27.50 tickets.

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Promotional terms for participants in the UK (any person who resides elsewhere is not eligible to participate in the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion).

The promoter of the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion is TodayTix, Ltd (the "Promoter"). This sales promotion is neither endorsed by nor in any way associated with: (i) Apple Inc.; (ii) Google Inc.; (iii) Facebook Inc.; (iv) Twitter Inc.; (v) any owner/licensor of any musical or theatrical performance for which tickets are available to purchase under the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion and/or (vi) the theatre in which it is performed.

By participating in the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion, a participant will be deemed to accept these promotional terms and the Promoter's UK Privacy Policy (which can be accessed here) and agrees that the decision of the Promoter is final and binding in all matters relating to the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion.

All references to "app" in these promotional terms refer to the "TodayTix – West End Tickets" mobile application which is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android devices and can be downloaded from Apple's App Store (either iPhone or iPad version) or Google Play (Android version). Each participant must open a registered account via the app in order to participate in the 'TodayTix Rush' sales promotion – please see here [insert hyperlink] to open a registered account via the app.

Please note that in order to unlock and access the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app, you will on each occasion first be invited (but not required) to post content about it to your registered account with Twitter or Facebook from within the app. Although such content will never involve your endorsement of a third party product or service (other than the then-current musical/theatrical performance featured on the locked screen of the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app) please do not proceed to post such content unless you agree with all of it. Your decision to post content will not affect the ticket(s) available to you in the 'Rush' section of the app and/or their price. Regardless of whether or not you post content, the app will display a payment page to pay for the discounted price ticket(s). You must then pay for the ticket(s) without delay to secure them.

Please note that the discounted price tickets sold through the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app are for the stated performance time of the featured musical/theatrical performance which will always be later on the same date. The discounted price tickets are very limited in quantity and subject to availability sold on a 'first come first served basis'. If either there is:

less that 1 hour until the featured musical/theatrical performance; or all the discounted price tickets have been sold for it, then the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app shall not be able to be unlocked from such point until the following date on which discounted price tickets are available for purchase through the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app – either for the same or a different musical/theatrical performance.

PROMOTION PERIOD. You may purchase 2 discounted price tickets for the featured musical/theatrical performance from as soon as these are marketed within the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app. The closing time/deadline for the purchase of such tickets is either: 1 hour until the featured musical/theatrical performance; or all the discounted price tickets have been sold. In either case the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app shall not be able to be unlocked from such point until the following date on which discounted price tickets are available for purchase through the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app.

Only 2 tickets may be purchased for any particular performance per person.

ELIGIBILITY. This sales promotion is open to anyone aged 18 years or over resident in the UK only, who selects the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app, excluding employees of the Promoter and their families, the Promoter's service providers, agents and anyone professionally associated with this sales promotion.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SALES PROMOTION. To participate, please select the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app and post the proposed content about this sales promotion to your registered account with Twitter or Facebook from within the app. If you decide to proceed and post such content then the app will then display a payment page to pay for the discounted price ticket(s). You must then pay for the ticket(s) without delay and always within 1 hour of the relevant performance to secure them (otherwise you will lose the opportunity to purchase them).

All instructions within the 'TodayTix Rush' section of the app will form part of these promotional terms.

THE PROMOTER'S LIABILITY. Except that the Promoter does not exclude or limit its liability for personal injury or death caused by its negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation or any other liability that may not, by law, be limited or excluded, the Promoter accepts no liability in relation to a participant's participation (or inability to participate) in this sales promotion, including without limitation any use made by a participant of (or inability to use) the purchased ticket(s).

If this sales promotion cannot be executed as planned due to technical problems or circumstances beyond the Promoter's control, the Promoter shall not incur any liability and no payment or ticket(s) of any kind will be awarded.

The Promoter's determination and decision on all matters will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Any dispute or situation not covered by these promotional terms will be resolved by the Promoter's management in a manner it deems to be the fairest to all concerned and, subject to the following section, that decision will be binding on all participants.

APPLICABLE LAWS AND JURISDICTION. This sales promotion and these promotional terms shall be governed by English law, and a participant agrees that any dispute between him/her and the Promoter regarding this sales promotion or these promotional terms will only be dealt with by the English courts, provided that, if a participant lives in a part of the United Kingdom other than England, the applicable law of that part of the United Kingdom will govern and any dispute will only be dealt with by the courts there.

If any part of these promotional terms is found to be unenforceable as a matter of law, all other parts of these promotional terms shall be unaffected and shall remain in force.

Any queries and comments concerning this sales promotion should be directed in writing to "TodayTix Rush", TodayTix Ltd, UK Limited, 5 New Street Square, London, EC4A 3TW United Kingdom

I unlocked £27.50 Rush tickets for Oklahoma! on @TodayTixUK! https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/26450?share=unlock

OKLAHOMA! - LON [26450]

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OKLAHOMA!

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The Wyndham’s Theatre opened on 16 Nov. 1899. The theatre was commissioned by Charles Wyndham who also managed the [Criterion Theatre.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/criterion-theatre) 

The Wyndham’s welcomed its first long-running production – Sandy Wilson’s musical *The Boyfriend* which opened on 14 Jan. 1959 and ran for over 2,000 performances. Another successful musical came to the theatre in 1972, the Roundhouse’s production of Stephen Schwartz’s *Godspell*, which ran for three years. The theatre has seen many notable actors grace the stage, including Alec Guinness, [Vanessa Redgrave](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/vanessa-redgrave), Diana Rigg and Madonna.

In May 2005, the Wyndham’s Theatre was bought by Cameron Mackintosh through his company Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. The theatre was renovated in 2008 and plays regularly run for limited engagements at the Wyndham's Theatre.

## Wyndham's Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has four levels - Stalls, Royal Circle, Grand Circle and Balcony.

In the Stalls, the front four rows of seating are not raked, but other than that the seats in the Stalls offer excellent views of the stage.

Only the seats in Row G of the Royal Circle are affected by the overhang of the Grand Circle. Seats are well raked, offering great views of the stage.

The Grand Circle is set very high in this theatre.

The Balcony is set behind and above the Grand Circle, so does feel far from the stage, but the view is unobstructed.

Wyndham's Theatre - LON

Wyndham's Theatre

Newsies Rush

I unlocked £25 Rush tickets for Newsies on @TodayTixUK! https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/24908?share=unlock

Newsies - LON [24908]

Newsies Header LON

Newsies

Newsies poster LON

Extra, extra! Read all about it! Disney musical *[Newsies](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24908-newsies-tickets)*, which began life as a notorious film flop starring Christian Bale and was miraculously reborn as a Tony-winning Broadway show, is finally making its UK premiere at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Based on the [real-life Newsboys’ Strike](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/learn-about-the-real-newsboys-strike-that-inspired-the-newsies-musical) of 1899, its tale of unionising and campaigning for workers’ rights comes at a particularly apt time, as we see industrial action on multiple fronts.

That’s an added element to what is already a thrillingly immersive show, with the audience seated on three sides and the “newsies” (kids who sell newspapers) making great use of all the gangways and staircases. They’re constantly dashing into the crowd, either fleeing from the corrupt authorities or furthering their revolution - which kicks off when venal publisher Joseph Pulitzer unfairly raises the price of their bundles of papers in order to increase profits for himself.

Leading the strike is veteran newsie and natural leader Jack Kelly, played with a pitch-perfect combination of street-smart charisma and a vulnerable yearning to belong and be valued by rising star [Michael Ahomka-Lindsay](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/interviews/newsies-star-michael-ahomka-lindsay-anything-is-possible) (also a standout in this summer’s *[Legally Blonde](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/legally-blonde-review-regents-park-open-air-theatre)*). Jack voices his dreams in the show’s breakout ballad “Santa Fe”, which Ahomka-Lindsay delivers with spine-tingling conviction.

The score, by Disney’s beloved composer [Alan Menken](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/a-complete-guide-to-alan-menken-musicals) and lyricist Jack Feldman, is otherwise on the generic side, but its many stirring anthems (like “Carrying the Banner”, “The World Will Know”, “Seize the Day”) do the job of conveying a gathering storm. It’s a bit like a junior *[Les Mis](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/300-les-miserables-tickets)*. And while that musical was famously built on the barricades, Morgan Large’s monumental set revolves around a giant scaffolding structure that houses the newsies, evokes New York fire escapes, and opens out to reveal singer Medda’s club.

Not only that, but set pieces whoosh down from the ceiling or are whisked on by the dynamite ensemble, who turn every scene change into a mini dance number. As for the big numbers, director/choreographer Matt Cole (building on Mark Hummel’s original dance arrangements) has put together a simply jaw-dropping series of routines - the most propulsive, skilful and genuinely surprising that you’ll see anywhere this Christmas. 

Cole uses an astonishing mix of styles and vocabulary on top of a classical base (à la Jerome Robbins) to convey the toughness of the newsies, but also their youthful enthusiasm: they’re still just kids at heart. Jump rope and leapfrog meet one-handed cartwheels, split leaps, jetés, breakdance moves like whirling windmills, even cheerleading stunts. 

When they’re in the fight of their lives, they add kicks, stomps and punches too, and when they’re celebrating in the buoyant “King of New York”, we get glorious tap-dancing on tabletops and actual swinging from the light fixtures - aerial work to rival [Cirque du Soleil](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26120-cirque-du-soleil-kurios-tickets). When the whole ensemble moves as one, it’s a force to be reckoned with, and a fantastic physical expression of the show’s themes: we are stronger together.

But I must just pick out one individual to praise. Mark Samaras, who has worked with Matthew Bourne and Crystal Pite, supplies almost otherworldly pirouettes - turn after glorious turn without moving an inch. He leads the seriously impressive balletic sections, but, like the whole fantastic company, adds cheeky rambunctiousness as well.

The scale of Cole’s numbers make phenomenal use of the cavernous Wembley Park Troubadour. The more intimate moments of the show are less well served here, and the lyrics often fall victim to an uneven sound balance and the sheer exuberance of the accompanying movement. But then the musical itself is better on generalised feeling than nuance, with Harvey Fierstein’s book telling this David and Goliath tale in big, bold brushstrokes.

The romance between Jack and pioneering, quick-witted female reporter Katherine is rather undercooked, but Ahomka-Lindsay and Bronté Barbé add heft to it, making it a real meeting of minds as well as hearts. Barbé also makes her solo number, where she wrestles with how best to write this important story (obviously, I felt seen), a real highlight thanks to her thoughtful character work and pristine, clearly projected vocals.

There’s also good work from Moya Angela as the brassy Medda, Matthew Buckett as Jack’s plucky pal Crutchie, Ryan Kobel as thoughtful newcomer Davey, and Cameron Blakely as a sharkish, steely Pulitzer. Plus it’s heartening to see the female ensemble given more to do in the second half. 

Natalie Pryce’s striking period costumes should spark a rise in flat caps (if they ever went out of style post-*[Peaky Blinders](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25895-peaky-blinders-the-rise-tickets?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1sucBhDgARIsAFoytUt8mnzR5m_ocOhC13TvzMPYbXbGpKkGOmEI61YXY-rhUd3odT6tMu8aAiMLEALw_wcB&utm_campaignid=11060757766&utm_adgroupid=140567314064&utm_adid=623318585033&utm_term=peaky%20blinders%20london&utm_matchtype=e&utm_campaign=TTG_LT_g_uk_acq_search_shows&utm_adgroup=Shows_Peaky_Blinders_All&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1sucBhDgARIsAFoytUt8mnzR5m_ocOhC13TvzMPYbXbGpKkGOmEI61YXY-rhUd3odT6tMu8aAiMLEALw_wcB)*), and Mark Henderson’s lighting directs our attention in this mighty arena and changes the mood superbly - from vast dramatic shafts of light to an evocative sequence with lanterns.

While this underdog tale doesn’t have the most sophisticated of narratives, I can absolutely see its themes resonating with audiences, particularly its inspiring message that the next generation of social justice warriors can change the world. We could do with that hope right now - and with a huge, spectacular show which proves, once and for all, that musical theatre is good for the soul. Seize the day and get your tickets while you can: *Newsies* is going to be hitting the headlines for all the right reasons.

*Newsies is at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre through 16 April. Book Newsies tickets on London Theatre.*

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=24908&content_product_id=24908&venue_id=15)

*Photo credit: Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre (Photo by Johan Persson)*

'Newsies' review – the inspirational Disney musical has the most thrilling dancing in town

The Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre is an off-West End theatre that has a seating capacity of 2,000. The theatre is located on the former site of Fountain Studios. Fountain Studios formerly hosted *The X Factor* and *Pop Idol*. 

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Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

10+. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

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The Company in Sylvia at The Old Vic 2023 (1)

Sylvia

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Kate Prince’s hip-hop take on the [Suffragettes](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/a-complete-guide-to-sylvia-starring-beverley-knight) has the cheer-worthy aim of ensuring we all understand how long and how hard these incredible women fought to secure our rights. In fact, it’s also been something of a battle to get this new work to the stage: originally a dance show, *[Sylvia](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/26524-sylvia)* was meant to premiere in 2018 as a musical, wound up semi-opening as a work-in-progress, and is now finally ready to bring us those “first steps of a revolution”.

As per the title, the focus is mainly on Sylvia, daughter of the almighty Emmeline Pankhurst. Unlike her more biddable older sister Christabel, Sylvia diverged from her mother’s approach: while Emmeline focussed on securing votes for women, an increasingly socialist Sylvia wanted to expand to the working-class. Emmeline grew militant when diplomacy failed; Sylvia grew more enamoured of pacifism.

It’s a fascinating dynamic, placing conflict over how to achieve change (so debating the merits of direct action, message discipline and intersectional solidarity – although, oddly, race is never mentioned) at the heart of a family. You could parallel that with any number of current issues, whether it’s environmental protest or Brexit dividing families.

Prince’s use of contemporary dialogue, music (Josh Cohen and DJ Walde's enjoyable mix of hip-hop, funk, soul and R&B) and infectiously fun, propulsive movement also helps bridge that gap. However, there’s a large elephant in the room, and its name is *[Hamilton](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/20561-hamilton-tickets)*, to which this inevitably invites comparisons.

But, while Lin-Manuel Miranda made very deliberate and thoughtful choices about paralleling his Founding Fathers with modern rappers, and where to deploy diverse casting (crucially, George III is played by a white actors), *Sylvia* feels conceptually muddled.

Prince (who co-wrote the book with Priya Parmar, and also directs and choreographs) has spoken about hip-hop culture being rooted in oppression. Yet all of its characters sound and move in the same way, whether the Suffragettes or their male opponents. In fact, the most dynamic performance comes from a “Braap!”-roaring, show-stealing Jade Hackett – as Winston Churchill’s fiercely anti-suffrage mother. So what are we meant to take from that? 

Churchill is also played by a black actor, but is a foppish, hen-pecked cartoon villain. The tone generally skews light-hearted, which makes the material engaging, but it’s challenging to switch tack for horrifying moments like the hunger-striking Suffragettes being force-fed in prison, or a vicious beating by the police (although Prince does find an expressive movement language for both). If we can’t take the opposition seriously, we’re in danger of underestimating our heroines. 

*Sylvia* also zips through the years, giving us little time to really dig into the lead characters’ lives and motivations. I wished we could have seen the Pankhursts interacting as a family, rather than just spouting slogans at one another, so we could feel the weight of what is sacrificed here – or that Christabel’s queerness could be characterised as more than just a potential PR problem. 

Charming though Alex Gaumond makes him, there’s too much time devoted to Sylvia’s romance with Labour Party founder Keir Hardie instead. It’s also a shame to see the argument weighted so heavily in Sylvia’s favour in the latter stages: she’s painted as a peace-loving, saintly martyr, adored by the working class (who we only actually meet briefly), while Emmeline becomes an elitist monster. 

And yet: one phenomenal number, in which Sylvia and Emmeline finally spill their fear, anger, resentment, desires and shared trauma, demonstrates what this show could be. With roof-raising vocals and diva riffs, [Beverley Knight](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/beverley-knight) shows how Emmeline’s courage, passion and determination is calcifying into dictatorial intransigence, while Sharon Rose’s Sylvia finally breaks free with a rush of innovative rapping. It’s emotionally revealing as well as a fraught political fight, and it’s given space to fully land.

That’s not the case elsewhere in a show that is often highly entertaining and inspiring, thanks to a committed company and creative elements like Andrzej Goulding’s lively video projections. Yet ultimately it feels overstuffed – too much telling, not enough dramatising. Prince might take a cue from the Suffragettes: “deeds, not words.”

*Sylvia is at the Old Vic through 1 April. Book Sylvia tickets on London Theatre.*

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=26524&content_product_id=26524&venue_id=191)

*Photo credit: The cast of Sylvia at the Old Vic (Photo by Manuel Harlan)*

'Sylvia' review – Beverley Knight leads an inspiring but overstuffed hip-hop Suffragette musical 

Read our review of Beverley Knight in the hip-hop musical *Sylvia*, now playing at the Old Vic through 1 April. Get *Sylvia* tickets on London Theatre.

The Old Vic, originally named the Royal Coburg Theatre, was designed in 1818 by Rudolph Cabanel. Its name was later changed to the Royal Victoria Theatre, then the Royal Victoria Hall, before it took on its nickname of 'The Old Vic' as its official name in 1925. 

The Old Vic has housed acclaimed performances with such celebrated actors as John Gielgud’s *Hamlet*, Laurence Olivier’s *Macbeth* and *Othello* in 1937, and Judi Dench’s Juliet in *Romeo and Juliet*, which was privately performed for The Queen in 1957.

In 1963, the Old Vic became the home base of the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre) of Great Britain during its formation under Laurence Olivier. The theatre continued to host the National Theatre until the move to South Bank in 1976. 

There are two entrances to the Old Vic: one on The Cut and the other on Waterloo Road, which is an accessible entrance. In 2019, 'Penny', an accessible basement cafe and bar was opened, offering drinks, sandwiches and snacks. 

## Old Vic Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels - Stalls, Dress Circle, and the Lilian Baylis Circle.

Despite the Dress Circle overhang, this doesn’t affect the view due to pillars. There is also a staggered rake that will be noticeable from row J to allow better viewing.

The Lilian Baylis Circle is high above the ground and overhangs the Dress Circle at row C meaning row E will miss the top of the stage. There are also standing seats available at the sides of this circle.

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Old Vic

For Black Boys Rush

I unlocked £25 Rush tickets for For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy on @TodayTixUK! https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/27460?share=unlock

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy - LON 

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For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy

For Black Boys Poster

[*For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27460-for-black-boys-who-have-considered-suicide-when-the-hue-gets-too-heavy) may bear a dark title, but this isn’t a depressing play. It’s an uplifting reflection of 21st-century life that celebrates modern British, Black men.

After a world premiere at New Diorama Theatre in 2021 and a unanimously praised Royal Court transfer, *For Black Boys* screams its messages of acceptance, love, and endurance in the West End, with a six-week run at the [Apollo Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/apollo-theatre) and two Olivier nominations under its belt. 

Inspired by Ntozake Shange’s seminal work *for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf*, playwright Ryan Calais Cameron’s *For Black Boys* centres around six Black British men (played by Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh, and Kaine Lawrence) who meet in a support group. 

As they unpack deep-rooted issues — racism at school, microaggressions in the workplace, gang culture, run-ins with the police — they discover what it means to be Black in 21st-century Britain. With its slick mix of poetry, storytelling, hip-hop, and R&B music (the Ghost Town DJs get a special callout), Cameron’s play thrusts “blackness” under a microscope.

Given the palpably thick energy throughout the theatre and the vocal responses of "mm-hmms", clicking fingers, and spontaneous applauses and calls of appreciation, the audience clearly resonated with the play. This production is like group therapy for the characters on stage, as well as the audience.

The cast incorporates choreographer Theophilus O. Bailey’s impressive physical moments, strengthening the central themes. After the curtain comes up, in an almost dream-like ethereal movement montage, we immediately see the men move in unison with their writhing bodies intertwined. A lone man takes the stage, before being joined by his peers to become one being; a visual display of the connection they share. 

We then transition from darkness to light as the sombre moodiness of the stage turns into a bright, blinding light revealing Anna Reid's minimalist-yet-vibrant pink, blue, and green pop-colour set. This juxtaposition between dark and light runs through the play; after every sobering story comes a moment of comic relief,  echoing the ability of the Black men to endure tough moments and find light in the dark.

Despite the tough subject matter, *For Black Boys* is also surprisingly joyful. In many ways the play is a celebration — it reflects a sense of joy and relief of getting to the brink of giving up, staring death itself right in the eyes, and pulling back and healing. 

Due to Cameron’s fast-paced writing — a series of non-linear character monologues bounce between characters — the play’s themes initially feel surface-level in the opening stories. Pacy storytelling and short scenes with actors interjecting over each other prematurely reach the punchline before we can think; the audience is left with little time to truly marinate in points made about topics like internalised shame and mental health. 

While there was no single unified plot tying the various individual storylines together, the collective storytelling, told by an Olivier-nominated cast, became a vehicle to explore the overarching premise of Black masculinity. 

So, by the moment we reached the heartbreakingly beautiful curtain call, the cast looked exhausted and emotionally spent as they huddled together in a group hug, with a rapturous standing ovation. This is a powerful production, and one that will stay with many for a long time. 

*For Black Boys is at the Apollo Theatre through 7 May. Book For Black Boys tickets on London Theatre today.*

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=27460&content_product_id=27460&venue_id=120)

*Photo credit: For Black Boys (Photo courtesy of production)*

'For Black Boys' review — a cathartic exploration of Blackness in 21st-century Britain

Read our four-star review of Ryan Calais Cameron's Olivier-nominated play, *For Black Boys*, currently running at the Apollo Theatre through 7 May.

The Apollo Theatre opened on 21 Feb. 1901. The theatre is named after the Greek god of the arts, and was built to house musical theatre productions.

The late 20th-century saw many plays at the Apollo Theatre, including *Separate Tables* starring John Mills, *Mrs Klein* starring [Zoe Wanamaker](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/zoe-wanamaker), and *A Madhouse in God* starring [Vanessa Redgrave](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/vanessa-redgrave).

During a performance of the Olivier Award winning play [*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time) on 19 Dec. 2013, a large section of the ceiling collapsed, potentially caused by the heavy rain London had experienced that week, and 88 people were injured. 

Recent shows at the Apollo Theatre include *Jerusalem* starring Mark Rylance, and the West End premiere of *Everybody's Talking About Jamie.*

## Apollo Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels – Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle. The Stalls seats offer excellent views of the stage. Views in the outer seats are hindered by the overhang of the Dress Circle.

The Dress Circle seats may offer little legroom and little raking in the seating. The last two rows of seats sit on a higher level and offer better views than those in front.

The Grand Circle has a shallow ranke. The last two rows of seats are also built up higher.

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Apollo Theatre

Recommended for ages 12+. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by and sat next to a ticket holder who is at least 18 years old.

To Kill a Mockingbird Rush

I purchased £25 Rush tickets for To Kill a Mockingbird on @TodayTixUK! #TodayTixRush https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/20130?share=unlock

To Kill A Mockingbird [20130] - LON

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To Kill A Mockingbird

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A time-honoured title, not least against expectation in the UK, gets a vigorous new lease on life in this West End reboot of [*To Kill A Mockingbird*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/20130-to-kill-a-mockingbird), a London transplant of the 2018 New York iteration that made headlines as the most commercially successful straight play in Broadway history. 

Judging by its visceral appeal to a British audience, Harper Lee’s story of racial injustice in 1930s Alabama should resonate no less galvanically here, not least as refashioned by playwright Aaron Sorkin and director Bartlett Sher, and with a tremendous performance from [Rafe Spall](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/rafe-spall) inheriting Gregory Peck’s screen role as Atticus Finch. (This novel has long been a stage mainstay in Britain, albeit in a separate adaptation that brought Robert Sean Leonard to London to play Atticus in 2013.)

Times have changed rather significantly since Jeff Daniels opened in this production Stateside, and Sorkin has cannily adjusted his script to capture the changing zeitgeist and a necessarily heightened awareness of racism and societal injustice. 

The result more amply foregrounds the widower Atticus’s relationship with the family housekeeper Calpurnia (Pamela Nomvete) and, on this occasion anyway, rather side lines the narrative potential of Atticus’s daughter Scout, not least because Gwyneth Keyworth is still finding her footing in the role that brought Celia Keenan-Bolger a Tony Award. 

Keyworth looks perfect for the child-woman required of an adult playing a young girl, but may perhaps be held back by accent issues that on this occasion are shared among one or two others in the cast. 

I very much exclude from that line-up the pitch-perfect Spall and Nomvete – and, for that matter, recent drama school graduate Harry Redding, here making an impressive stage debut as Scout’s older brother, Jem (short for Jeremy, just as Scout is short for Jean-Louise). 

And whereas Lee’s 1960 novel takes its sweet time getting to the trial, the courtroom exists at the thematic and physical centre of a production that shifts multiple locales with ease as Miriam Buether’s restless set slides this way and that to accommodate the domestic requirements of the material as well as its legal aspects. 

Scout sets the scene, landing us in the rape trial of Tom Robinson (Jude Owusu), a 25-year-old Black man with three children who is put on the stand with Atticus in his corner and a hunched Mayella Ewell (Poppy Lee Friar) as the accused. Mayella’s father, Bob, is a snarling bigot played with full-throttle fury by the excellent Patrick O’Kane who, it’s intriguing to note, is also the cover for Atticus – which here gives new meaning to playing both sides of the fence.

“Conscience can be exhausting,” says Atticus, in one of the play’s key takeaway lines, and Spall’s great achievement is to locate a rumpled, creased authority within a potentially saintly character who is rescued here from unimpeachable rectitude, not least in a faceoff with Calpurnia that exposes even this upstanding lawyer’s limitations. 

Speaking of “hasten(ing) the change,” Atticus here sounds at times like someone running for office, and it’s no surprise when mention is made near the start of a possible gubernatorial role for this character. I’m not sure Bob Ewell needs on this occasion to be classed as anti-Semitic amongst his other hateful characteristics: that feels in context like a step too far. 

But Spall handles moral outrage with an understated command that invites empathy for this man on all fronts: a small-c crusader who puts decency first whilst acknowledging that no one, himself included, is without flaw.
A cast the size of many a musical includes the award-winning David Moorst as Dill Harris, who fairly blatantly figures as comic relief, and the invaluable Jim Norton (himself a Tony and Olivier winner) in robust form as a notably keen-witted judge. 

That nearly 90 years have passed between the era in which the play is set and today, with arguably very little having fundamentally changed, may give sorrowful pause: how are we to achieve that change which Atticus so movingly anticipates? As a richly emotional evening closes on the rending hymn “Joy Cometh in the Morning,” all one can and must do is look toward a better tomorrow and to those new and more just mornings that, with any luck, lie in wait.

[*To Kill a Mockingbird* is at the Gielgud Theatre to Nov. 19. Book *To Kill a Mockingbird* tickets on London Theatre.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/20130-to-kill-a-mockingbird)

*Rafe Spall in To Kill a Mockingbird. (Photo by Marc Brenner)*

'To Kill a Mockingbird' review: Rafe Spall shines in Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation

*To Kill a Mockingbird* is at the Gielgud Theatre to 19 November. 

★★★★★ - Evening Standard
★★★★★ - Daily Telegraph

__Matthew Modine__ plays Atticus Finch in *To Kill a Mockingbird*, __Aaron Sorkin's__ new play based on __Harper Lee's__ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, directed by __Bartlett Sher__, now open at the Gielgud Theatre.

Harper Lee's enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence has sold 45 million copies worldwide. In New York, the production has become the most successful American play in Broadway history.


The Gielgud Theatre opened on 27 Dec. 1906, and was built for Seymour Hicks. The Gielgud was built as a pair with the [Sondheim Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/sondheim-theatre).

The house was renamed the Globe Theatre in 1909 by its new manager, Charles Frohman from America. It was known as the Globe Theatre for the next 85 years until a 1994 name change to avoid confusion with [Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/shakespeares-globe-theatre) on the South Bank. It was then that the theatre received its current name, the Gielgud.

Hit shows at the Gielgud Theatre include Simon Stephens' [*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time), Jez Butterworth's *The Ferryman* and a gender-swapped revival of Stephen Sondheim's *Company*.  Delfont Mackintosh Theatres own the Gielgud Theatre.

## Gielgud Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has three levels – Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle.

The Stalls offers very good sightlines with each row being offset from the one in front. The overhang of the Dress Circle becomes apparent from Row R onwards.

The Dress Circle doesn’t have a strong rake. The stage is not obstructed by the overhang of the Upper Circle.

The Upper Circle seats offer good legroom. The seats curve inwards towards the stage.

## Where is *To Kill a Mockingbird* in the West End? 

*To Kill a Mockingbird* is at the Gielgud Theatre. The Gielgud Theatre is located on Shaftesbury Avenue, and is one of six theatres on the West End road.

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Gielgud Theatre

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Phaedra

Phaedra Poster

The uber-talented Australian writer/director Simon Stone, who brought us a shattering modernised *Yerma* with [Billie Piper](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/billie-piper) in 2016, is back with another gripping contemporary reworking (and another glass box set). This time he’s wrestled the story of [*Phaedra*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27667-phaedra) from Euripides, Seneca and Racine, and changed the title character from monstrous antiheroine to fascinatingly flawed modern woman – creating a blistering showcase for Janet McTeer in the process.

The seeds of the original story are still there, but instead of Phaedra falling in love with her stepson, Hippolytus, and then falsely accusing him of rape, this version is a British politician called Helen who has far more agency. And yet she’s still felled by desire, and with complicated feelings bound up in her past – including just a hint of incest. Or, as one character memorably puts it: “some pretty fucking kinky Lazarus shit.”

The bombshell that explodes her comfortable middle-class family life is the surprise appearance of Sofiane, son of Helen’s Moroccan lover Achraf, who left his family for her and then tragically died in a car crash. Immediately, the articulate, composed Helen is tongue-tied and flustered: Sofiane looks so much like his father. It’s confusing for him, too: Helen was part of his sexual awakening, yet he resents her for tempting his artist, activist father into a hard-partying, decadent lifestyle.

Not only that, but Helen’s daughter Isolde looks very like a young Helen. “I’m older than you, but I look at you and feel like a child,” Sofiane confesses. As for Isolde, she sees a passionate possibility in Sofiane that’s lacking in her marriage to the nice-to-a-fault Eric (in a great running gag, her family all seem to like Eric more than her), while for Helen, it’s a chance to get back in touch with her liberated younger self, or to have a second chance at inhabiting that powerful sexual being. 

Stone and McTeer have spoken about wanting to address how society renders women invisible post-menopause (and that’s referenced in the script, amusingly, with Helen snapping that she’s not interested in being a *Guardian* headline). But her headlong rush into self-destructive behaviour, her blinding by desire, feels pretty universal here, and I'm not sure the play's attitudes to youth and gender are really all that enlightened.

Additionally, the set roles of this privileged clan are rather too schematic. Isolde, the most embarrassed by their status, works for an NGO, and possibly punishes herself by staying in a dull marriage in which they can’t conceive children. Helen’s husband, the self-effacing, eternal peacemaker Hugo, is – of course – a diplomat. Sofiane is a principled journalist who had to flee Morocco after criticising the government. And Helen has a Black politician friend who is basically only there to call her out on her blinkered self-pity (although Akiya Henry does that with relish).

But Stone brilliantly captures the way that families behave: the lightning-fast cross-talk, the mixture of love and needling, the well-worn references and in-jokes, the festering resentments. Of the latter, Isolde is still angry that her parents never let them be children; her teenage brother (a very funny Archie Barnes) is indeed wildly precocious, and had to sort out his own school fees when his dad forgot to pay them. Is it selfish of Helen to further abandon them, as she becomes consumed by her feelings for Sofiane? Or does she have a right to reclaim her lost self?

McTeer’s committed performance gives us all the shades of Helen, including the unflattering ones: from her fierce intelligence and extraordinary sexual rebirth to her ruthless egotism and occasional pure savagery. She leads an excellent company: Paul Chahidi’s tragic clown Hugo, finally pushed to his breaking point; Mackenzie Davis’s Isolde, terrified by ungovernable feelings that don’t match her principles; Assaad Bouab’s traumatised, elusive Sofiane, who is in turn exoticised and used; and John MacMillan’s poor, sweet, crumpled Eric.

Chloe Lamford’s slowly rotating glass box adds to the painfully tense claustrophobia of the situation, but there are sightline issues with its black bars, and although the actors are miked, we feel too distanced from them (it would work better if this was staged in the round). But different locations are brilliantly evoked: the family’s luxurious London pad, complete with requisite kitchen island; the Suffolk reed beds, so tall they swallow up the actors; and an achingly hip restaurant for an excruciating birthday dinner. 

That latter scene perfectly mixes big, bold emotions with sizzling black comedy; it reminded me of that similarly fraught dinner in [Mike Bartlett](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/mike-bartlett-plays)’s *Doctor Foster*, and some of Stone’s delicious skewering of the elite (along with a lingering threat of violence) recalls *The White Lotus*. But he sometimes loses that crucial balance – particularly in the final scenes, which, frustratingly, hurl too much previously withheld information at us and sink into clichéd melodrama. 

Ultimately, there’s too much going on here: stabs at a fate versus personal responsibility argument; multiple languages, nations and causes; conflicting political, moral and religious stances; plus a thriller element egged on by the use of tapes left by Achraf (which we hear in voiceover). But this is meaty, pugilistic, wrenching drama, anchored by an unmissable performance by McTeer.

*Phaedra is at the Lyttelton Theatre through 8 April. Book Phaedra tickets on London Theatre.*

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=27667&content_product_id=27667&venue_id=154)

*Photo credit: Janet McTeer and Assaad Bouab in Phaedra (Photo by Johan Persson)*

'Phaedra' review – Janet McTeer gives a unmissable performance in this blistering modern update

Read our four-star review of Janet McTeer in *Phaedra*, now playing at the National Theatre through 8 April.

The Lyttelton Theatre takes its name from the first board chairman of the National Theatre, Oliver Lyttelton. It is one of three auditoriums in the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre):  the [Olivier Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/olivier-theatre-national) and the [Dorfman Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/dorfman-theatre-national). The 890-seat theatre is smaller than most West End houses, and offers a very intimate theatrical experience.

The theatre was designed with a traditional proscenium arch. The proscenium arch may be adjusted to create different stage spaces, as well as accommodating an orchestra pit. 

## Lyttelton Theatre Seating Information

The auditorium has two levels, Stalls and Circle, both of which are raked, offering exceptional views from all seats. The space offers exceptional acoustics and sightlines for the audience — there are no restricted view seats.

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Hampstead Theatre first opened as a Scout Hall in 1959. It wasn't until 2003 that a purpose-built Hampstead Theatre opened. With two venues, it's now a London home for new writing and groundbreaking productions.

Harold Pinter's *The Dumb Waiter* premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in 1960. Writers whose works premiered at the Hampstead Theatre include Mike Leigh, Michael Frayn, Debbie Tucker Green and Roy Williams.

The Hampstead Theatre has a seating capacity of 325, but its intimate, cosy theatre has attracted some of the world's greatest stars. Over the years, actors including [Jude Law](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/jude-law), [John Malkovich](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/john-malkovich), [Felicity Kendal](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/felicity-kendal) [Tamsin Greig](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/tamsin-greig) have appeared in Hampstead Theatre shows.

Shows from the Hampstead Theatre have also transferred to the West End, including *Caroline, or Change* and *The Moderate Soprano.*

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