By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? ****
WHEN? Wednesday 10 December, opens 17 December and runs through 7 February 2026
What would you do if you found out on your silver wedding anniversary that you weren’t actually legally married 25 years ago?
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? *****
WHEN? Sunday 7 December, opens 11 December and runs through 11 January 2026 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Bovvered? Christmas is a time of tradition and this year marks the 10th since the return of the pantomime to the boards of the London Palladium.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? ***1/2
WHEN? Friday 5 December, opens 11 December and runs through 28 February 2026 RUNTIME 135 minutes (including a 20 minute interval)
A young man walks into a bar, confesses to the murder of his father and charms his way into the hearts of the people of County Mayo in the early 1900s especially no-nonsense barmaid Pegeen played by Bridgerton‘s Nicola Coughlan.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? *****
WHEN? Thursday 4 December, opens 18 December and runs through 25 April 2026 RUNTIME 80 minutes (without interval)
There’s so much that’s troubling going on in the world right now that sometimes it’s easy to forget the importance of laughing daily.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? ****
WHEN? Saturday 22 November (matinee), opens 2 December and runs through 21 February 2026 RUNTIME 120 minutes (including interval)
This Noel Coward comedy about 2 married women admitting to premarital sex and contemplating adultery was 1st performed in London 100 years ago with the theatre censor initially recommending it shouldn’t be staged because the morals of the female leads ‘would cause too great a scandal’.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? *****
WHEN? Saturday 15 November, opens 21 November and runs through 7 March 2026 RUNTIME: 135 minutes (no interval)
Cranston (from TV’s Breaking Bad) plays under-fire US businessman Joe Keller post World War 2 in this Arthur Miller classic and occasionally sports a red baseball cap that can’t help but bring to mind the current US President.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? ****
WHEN? Friday 14 November, opens 1 December and runs through 25 October 2026 RUNTIME: 165 minutes (with a 20-minute interval)
They say the devil has the best tunes and this new musical’s showstopper is reserved for its taxidermist villainess – Pretty Little Dead Things (listen below).
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK? *****
WHEN? Tuesday 11 November, runs through 6 December 2025 RUNTIME: 100 minutes (no interval)
Conor McPherson (The Brightening Air, Old Vic) adapts The Hunger Games which opens this week in London and this won the Best New Play Olivier in 1999.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHEN? Saturday 18 October, runs through 19 September 2026 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
We reviewed this revival of the Mel Brooks-written classic at the Menier Chocolate Factory last year and brought friends who’d never seen it to its West End transfer.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN? Tuesday 14 October, tour runs through 16 May 2026 RUNTIME: 150 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
We catch this musical realisation of the Steps songbook shortly before the departure this week of its leading lady Rebecca Lock (Heathers, Other Palace) to musical Freaky Friday in Manchester.
