THEATRE REVIEW: Aladdin starring Dean John-Wilson & Jade Ewen

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHERE: Prince Edward Theatre

WHEN: 6/6, press night 15/6 booking to 11/2/17

Summer’s biggest blockbuster shows are arguably this very panto remake of the 1992 Disney musical and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child which open within days and a stone’s throw of each other in London’s West End.

  • Read on for details of the two big moments in this musical of the year so far

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Deep Blue Sea starring Helen McCrory and Tom Burke

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE: National Theatre (Lyttelton Theatre)

WHEN: 4/6, press night 8/6 runs to 17/8

Written in 1952 the subject matter of Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea seems daring even now.

  • Read on for details of the play which examines the inspiration behind The Deep Blue Sea

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Spoils starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kunal Nayyar & Alfie Allen

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHERE: Trafalgar Studios

WHEN: 3/6, runs to 13/8

Standing ovations at the end of West End shows are nothing new but the enthusiasm with which this audience appreciated this play from the pen of Hollywood star Jesse Eisenberg and in which he also stars surprised even us.

  • Read on for more observations from the centre of the front row at the Trafalgar Studios

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THEATRE REVIEW: The Threepenny Opera starring Rory Kinnear and Rosalie Craig

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: National (Olivier Theatre)

WHEN: 21/5, runs to 1/9

Rory Kinnear must be a dream of an actor to work with. Instead of dominating this adaptation of Brecht and Weill’s classic as Captain Macheath he takes a step back to allow the entire cast to shine.

  • Read on for why Rosalie Craig is the real reason to see The Threepenny Opera

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THEATRE REVIEW: This Is Living starring Michael Socha & Tamla Kari

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Trafalgar Studios 2

WHEN: 17/5 runs to 11/6

Stage fright is the ailment one might normally associate with the theatre but here we were far more worried about the probability of trench foot affecting the cast.

  • Read on for why Michael Socha could follow in Jack O’Connell’s Hollywood steps

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THEATRE REVIEW: Elegy starring Zoe Wanamaker, Barbara Flynn & Nina Sosanya

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Donmar Warehouse

WHEN: 29/4, runs to 18/6

At just 75 minutes long Elegy feels like the obvious follow-up to author Nick Payne’s biggest hit Constellations, an exploration of free will and quantum physics, which opened on Broadway over a year ago starring Jake Gyllenhaal after a West End transfer.

  • Read on for which celebrity was in the audience for our performance

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THEATRE REVIEW: Dr Faustus starring Kit Harington

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

WHERE: Duke Of York’s

WHEN: 9/4, runs to 25/6

Kit Harington is onstage only in tight white boxer shorts showing off his muscles and reveals his bare bottom to whoops of delight from this audience at this first preview.

  • Read on for all the gossip from the 1st preview of Doctor Faustus

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THEATRE REVIEW: People, Places and Things starring Denise Gough

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: Wyndhams Theatre

WHEN: 11/4, runs to 18/6 Returns to Trafalgar Theatre 3 May through 10 August 2024 Tickets

Denise Gough’s electrifying performance as a recovering drug addict in this original production which debuted at the revitalised National Theatre deservedly won her a best actress Olivier Award this month.

  • Read on for reasons to catch Gough in this West End run

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THEATRE REVIEW: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Sharon D. Clarke

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHERE: National Theatre

WHEN: 16/4, runs to 18/5

A look of bemusement sweeps across our young waiter’s face as he asks us the title of the play we’ve just seen – and we tell him.

  • Read on for detail of how this Olivier Award-winning revival is still winning matinee standing ovations

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