By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN? Friday 19 June, runs through 21 June 2026 RUNTIME: 85 minutes (no interval)

The big draw of this workshop production of a new musical is the central role for the Olivier Award-nominated Jo Foster (Into The Woods, Bridge Theatre and Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre).

• Read on for reasons including how May Day has real potential with a little tender loving care to find and bare its West End legs

They play a water sprite turned human thrown onto Hampstead Heath and into an angry world they don’t understand and the most entertaining moment in this hit and miss musical is light-hearted number The Ladies Of The Lake which does a great job of establishing location.

Foster sings the catchy Cornetto to convey what it must be like to be given human form and to experience the joys of ice cream for the 1st time.

It’s the titular May Day and Foster’s sprite is named Rae by a likeable ensemble who hang about the heath played by a sparky Gracie McGonigal (Into The Woods, Bridge Theatre), a laidback hunky Dillon Scott-Lewis (& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre) and fiery Joni Ayton-Kent.

It’s when Rae meets Billy, a compelling Tylan Grant, who is so angry he literally wants to burn this idyllic paradise to the ground that the mood changes and the sprite starts to realise that queer love might be the only way to save this world under threat.

With music and lyrics by Sam Woof and book by Anna Fenton-Garvey and Barney Doran, the openness with which those involved in this workshop have encouraged the sharing of the audience response to what they’ve seen is refreshing.

It’s in the spirit of that that we’ll say that there is potential here and this cast really excels in getting the best from what is on offer.

It’s original title – Like A Rat – has thankfully been replaced and May Day is better but we would have preferred something more appropriate to what it’s trying to say.

We’ve mentioned the 2 most memorable songs but we would have loved Foster in particular to have some more affecting tunes they could really do justice to.

The story also felt a little meandering and would have benefitted from more focus and perhaps a cut to an hour in an attempt to crystallise exactly what it’s trying to say.

But May Day was a fun way to spend a Friday night when the World Cup was on and has real potential with a little tender loving care to find and bare its West End legs.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy King’s Head Theatre Tickets
• Have you seen a Jo Foster show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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