Category Theatre Reviews

Kira Malou & Michael O’Reilly in DIRTY DANCING: THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE. Photo Credit: Alastair Muir

Loyally sticking to the film, DIRTY DANCING: THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE dazzles thanks to its stunning choreography and ingenious staging

As a child of the 80s, I’m not ashamed to say that DIRTY DANCING is one of my favourite films of all time...

Niall Sheehy as Sam and Rebekah Lowings as Molly in GHOST THE MUSICAL. Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

Translating well from film to stage, GHOST THE MUSICAL remains true to the original but falters in its musical numbers

Few films are as much loved as GHOST. Released in 1990, the Oscar-winning love story is classed as one of cinema’s biggest all-time hits, becoming the highest grossing film of the year and winning screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin an Oscar for his efforts...

Gabriela Garcia and Andy Coxon in WEST SIDE STORY. Photo: Richard Davenport of The Other Richard

Punchy, fresh and more relevant than ever before, Sarah Frankcom’s WEST SIDE STORY brings a whole new energy to the bona fide Broadway classic

Over the past few years, the Royal Exchange has been making a speciality out of reshaping classic musicals. From LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and SWEET CHARITY to GUYS AND DOLLS and THE PRODUCERS, the theatre has gained somewhat of a reputation for its fresh takes ...

While this latest touring production may not be as polished as previous incarnations, BLOOD BROTHERS still packs a hefty punch

Few musicals can boast as much acclaim as the multi-award-winning BLOOD BROTHERS. Running for more than 24 years in London’s West End, Bill Kenwright’s production has played more than 10,000 performances to become the third longest-running musical production in West End history. It also continues to see great success on tour as fans packed out The Lowry’s Lyric The...

The cast of HAIR THE MUSICAL UK Tour 2019. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

While HAIR THE MUSICAL may not pack the punch it did back in 1967, this psychedelic and electric production is a joy to watch

It’s fair to say that many musicals are based on events that happened in the past but the 1967 phenomenon HAIR took the world by storm, tackling the Vietnam war as it was happening...

Jodie Prenger as Beverly and Calum Callaghan as Tony in ABIGAIL’S PARTY.

Sarah Esdaile squeezes every bit of humour out of Mike Leigh’s bitter comedy ABIGAIL’S PARTY but ultimately undercuts the emotional impact of the ending

As someone who never lived through the 1970s, I always imagine the era to be a mix of bell-bottomed flares, big afros, disco music and dodgy moustaches. These very thoughts were confirmed as the curtain was raised for Mike Leigh’s iconic ABIGAIL’S PARTY at Manchester’...

The cast of AMERICAN IDIOT UK Tour 2019. Photo Credit: Mark Dawson

Expanding on Green Day’s 2004 concept album, AMERICAN IDIOT is an attention-grabbing and entertaining two-hour theatrical rock concert

Sex, drugs and rock and roll take centre stage this week at the Palace Theatre as AMERICAN IDIOT’s spirited rock opera is back in Manchester to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Merging the dingiest Crayola coloured set pieces, confetti canons and a compelling soundtrack, AMERICAN IDIOT expands o...

Adam Jackson Smith and Samantha Womack in THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

Despite its slow start, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN successfully transfers from page to stage thanks to a powerful and convincing performance from Samantha Womack

When British author Paula Hawkins released her debut novel THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN back in 2015 it took the world by storm, selling an estimated 20 million copies worldwide and resulting in a major film starring Emily Blunt...

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS is an acute, revealing piece but Sam Yates’ touring production doesn’t quite close the deal as successfully as it should

It’s fair to say that the salesman has become almost an archetypal figure in America, embodying the American dream and taking a central role in works of art and literature such as in Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN...

With its spellbinding transformations, wild waltzes and visually striking set, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s dark and haunting rendition of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is wonderfully magical

The story of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST may be a tale as old as time but Birmingham Royal Ballet’s rendition of this classic fairy tale is certainly a lot darker than the enchanting tale we all remember.

Based on the French fairy tale of the same name, BEAUTY AND BEAST tells the story of a cruel Prince cursed to spend...