By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Saturday 23 May, opens 27 May and runs through 4 July 2026 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)

Welcome to the best new musical of 2026 so far with a book, music and lyrics by Jordan Luke Gage who you may have seen leading musicals including Bonnie & Clyde.

• Read on for reasons including how we fell head over heels in love with the songs and even shed a few tears throughout

Redcliffe is the true story of footman William Critchard and sailor Richard Arnold who meet when Arnold is on shore leave and visiting the titular town near Bristol in 1752 where William lives.

There’s great work by the ensemble to establish a sense of community with early song A Pint Or Four giving the piece a real Benjamin Button feel ramping up the Westcountry folk vibes.

Tradition dominates the early scenes and Jess Douglas Welsh as William’s sister gives a fine London debut and her song The Girl From Redcliffe illuminates her wish to find the man for her as both she and her mother, the brilliant Rebecca Lock (Here And Now), explain their hopes for their brother/son.

William and the more experienced Richard, played by a sensitive Daniel Krikler, even have a meet-cute song where they try to outdo each other comparing unlikely facts during A Million Things I Know.

Gage shows his mastery of the musical form by hilariously shutting down A Million Things I Know (watch and listen below) early when it starts to reprise.

Listen to William’s devastation when he thinks he’s misunderstood the behaviour of Richard during Void Of Love (watch and listen further below).

Act 1 ends with the couple properly getting together during a storm and Never Getting Rid Of Me (watch and listen even further below) in the Redcliffe Caves, red sandstone cliffs honey-combed with tunnels constructed both to extract sand for the local glass making industry and to act as store houses for goods.

Gage writes in the programme: ‘As the safety and rights of LGBTQ+ people become increasingly fragile, I hope Redcliffe will serve as both a reflection on how far society has come and a reminder of how far there still is to go.’

We had a ticket to see an early workshop version of Redcliffe when it was part of MTFest but are delighted to see a preview of it in its fully realised form.

It’s astonishing to think that this is the 1st musical Gage has written and it’s brilliant that he’s surrounded by a strong ensemble including Melissa Jacques (I Should Be So Lucky) and Adrian Hansel (The Distance You Have Come) who can help get the best from the material.

We expected to like the subject matter of Redcliffe but weren’t expecting to fall head over heels in love with the songs and even shed a few tears throughout. Definitely deserves a West End transfer.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Southwark Playhouse Tickets
• Have you seen a Jordan Luke Gage show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
• Enjoyed this preview? Follow monstagigz on Twitter @NeilDurham, email neildurham3@gmail.com and check us out on Instagram and Facebook