WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Menier Chocolate Factory
WHEN: 25/11, press night 5/12, runs to 3/3/18
We’re leafing through the programme, the morning after the first preview of this revival, and brightly-coloured ticker tape thrown by the cast keeps falling out.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Greenwich Theatre
WHEN: 18/11, press night 24/11, runs to 7/1/18
Our heart sank when we discovered that Andrew Pollard (writer of this, his 12th pantomime at this venue) wasn’t going to be its dame as usual.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Arts Theatre
WHEN: 12/11 (matinee), runs to 3/12
The first thing that strikes us about this rock musical is how lavish its set appears: the band are situated on a walkway, level with the tops of gigantic vats of industrial waste and there’s even a sci-fi set of double doors which could be straight out of Flash Gordon.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Apollo Theatre
WHEN: 6/11, press night 22/11, booking to 21/4/18
It must have been tempting for the creative team behind this musical about a teenage drag queen-wannabe desperate to wear a dress to his prom to rest on its laurels.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Other Palace
WHEN: 1/11, press night 7/11, runs to 31/12
Kelsey Grammer is best known for playing Dr Frasier Crane in TV’s Cheers and Frasier and has a Tony, five Emmys and three Golden Globes to his name.
WORTH A LOOK?: (not enough seen to rate)
WHERE: Playhouse Theatre
WHEN: 28/10, press night 9/11, runs to 3/2/18
We’re at the fourth preview of this David Mamet classic when, 10 minutes in, actor Robert Glenister (pictured above) collapses clutching his chest saying: ‘Oh God!’ and the curtain comes down early.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Bridge Theatre
WHEN: 21/10, press night 27/10, runs until 31/12
‘Our repertoire will be mostly new plays, with an occasional musical and an occasional classic,’ writes Nicholas Hytner, co-founder of the West End’s first new theatre for 30 years.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
WHEN: 7/10, press night 11/10, runs until 4/11
Simon Stephens, who adapted this Chekhov classic, is an Artistic Associate at this venue and won an Olivier Award for his work on The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
WHERE: Vaudeville Theatre
WHEN: 6/10, press night 16/10, runs until 30/12
It was the casting of Eve Best which we were most excited by going into this show but it was the scene-stealing between act songs performed by Anne Reid (pictured above) which we came away from it talking about.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Garrick Theatre
WHEN: 30/9, press night 10/10, booking to 10/2/18
Creating a smash hit musical from a successful film is something which author Mel Brooks has much experience of.
