All stories by Chris Wiegand on BroadwayStars

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Filumena review – Felicity Kendal and Matthew Kelly go toe to toe in Naples by Chris Wiegand

Theatre Royal WindsorEduardo de Filippo’s ode to the family is revived with a stylish design but does not reach enough comical or emotional peaks A quirk of Eduardo de Filippo’s 1946 Nea…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:42PM

Foreverland review – dystopian drama probes ethics of life extension by Chris Wiegand

Southwark Playhouse Borough, LondonA thirtysomething couple try a biotech breakthrough in Emma Hemingford’s time capsule of hot button issues If you want to live longer, you could try exer…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:18AM
Wednesday, October 9, 2024

‘I was always the sexy tootsie’: Kelly Bishop on Broadway hits, Gilmore Girls – and how to do the Dirty Dancing lift by Chris Wiegand

She was a Broadway hoofer then she helped inspire – and found fame in – A Chorus Line. As she releases her memoir, the great ‘raconteuse’ recalls her Dirty Dancing fears – and the …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:55AM
Tuesday, October 8, 2024

The Cat and the Canary review – 1920s mystery stuffed with preposterous pleasures by Chris Wiegand

Minerva theatre, ChichesterColourful characters gather for a will reading in this horror-comedy, given a larky update with stylish sequences If walls could talk you’d want to hear the rock…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:12PM
Friday, October 4, 2024

The Little Prince review – twinkling spin on Saint-Exupéry’s flight of fantasy by Chris Wiegand

The Egg, BathPerformance poet Toby Thompson has a breezy rapport with the young audience as he retells the bittersweet novella with modern trimmings One of the pleasures of Toby Thompson’s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:32AM
Tuesday, October 1, 2024

The best theatre to stream this month: James Earl Jones drives Miss Daisy, Ed Harris takes on Sam Shepard by Chris Wiegand

The Hollywood giants are joined online by audio noir from Danny Krass, Nicole Scherzinger’s Norma Desmond and a one-woman 25th birthday party Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Pink, an insomnia…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:32AM
Monday, September 30, 2024

The Mystery of Little Angel Theatre review – Robin Stevens brings juicy intrigue in dynamic whodunnit by Chris Wiegand

Little Angel Studios, LondonAs you would expect from the queen of kids’ crime fiction, there’s a grisly murder to solve and a lineup of dubious suspects that leaves the audience abuzz wi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:18AM
Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Hamlet Hail to the Thief: Thom Yorke revisits Radiohead album for Shakespeare show by Chris Wiegand

Stage production in Manchester will orchestrate the band’s 2003 recording to ‘chime with the underlying grief and paranoia’ of the tragedy Thom Yorke is to rework Radiohead’s album H…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:42PM
Friday, September 20, 2024

Daisy Edgar-Jones to star in new production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Chris Wiegand

Rebecca Frecknall will direct Normal People actor in Tennessee Williams classic at Almeida theatre in London, opening in December Daisy Edgar-Jones is to star in a new production of Cat on a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:24AM
Thursday, September 19, 2024

The Truth About Harry Beck review – the tortuous journey behind the tube map by Chris Wiegand

London Transport MuseumThis fond bio-drama charts a draughtsman’s labour of love to create a comprehensible London Underground diagram He may not be a household name but, 50 years after hi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:42AM
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Dear Evan Hansen review – affecting account of teen torment embarks on UK tour by Chris Wiegand

Nottingham PlayhouseThe musical about a boy who fakes a friendship with a dead student is back, capturing the disconnect between the adult world and childhood reality Just in time for a fres…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:48PM
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Brie Larson to make her West End debut in revenge tragedy Elektra by Chris Wiegand

Oscar-winning actor will perform the lead role in Anne Carson’s adaptation of Sophocles’ play in London and Brighton next year Oscar winner Brie Larson is to appear on stage in Brighton …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:24AM
Monday, September 16, 2024

From Salt-N-Pepa to Romeo and Juliet: how rap sparked Sam White’s passion for Shakespeare by Chris Wiegand

The US director draws upon a brawl at her Detroit school, her love of opera and hiphop, and her time as a standup to deliver a fleet-footed version of the star-crossed lovers’ tale When sh…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:24AM
Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Dressed for success: Malmö launches Roxette jukebox musical Joyride steered by Brits by Chris Wiegand

Based on a Jane Fallon novel and directed by Guy Unsworth, a new show is powered by the Swedish pop duo’s songs. Co-founder Per Gessle reflects on Roxette’s arrival at the opera Greeting…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:12AM

‘Like a gig with your favourite 90s artists’: KT Tunstall composes Clueless musical by Chris Wiegand

Adaptation of Amy Heckerling’s classic 1995 comedy will open in London in February with a new score by the Scottish musician inspired by its soundtrack Mean Girls has become a West End hit…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM
Friday, August 23, 2024

Josh Glanc: Family Man review – fun and games with an avuncular oddball by Chris Wiegand

Monkey Barrel Comedy, Edinburgh The Australian standup, nominated for the Edinburgh comedy award, delivers a restlessly zany sequence of songs and thumbnail sketches Promising a set more mem…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:06AM
Thursday, August 22, 2024

Wankernomics: As Per My Last Email review – humdrum office hellscape by Chris Wiegand

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThese games lampooning business jargon and CV exaggeration are relatable and initially amusing but soon start to drag A grabby title and a clear concept sell ti…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:42PM

Show Pony review – what happens when the circus says goodbye to you? by Chris Wiegand

Summerhall, EdinburghIn a compelling collaboration with Bryony Kimmings, the German company Still Hungry deconstruct, satirise and celebrate the circus Three women are remembering their intr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:18AM
Wednesday, August 21, 2024

House of Life review – glittering benediction from a joyously funky double act by Chris Wiegand

Underbelly, Cowgate, Edinburgh A sequinned ‘RaveRend’ and his sidekick Trev help the audience banish sadness in this ebullient hour Anointed with glitter paint, taking our seats to a sco…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:48PM
Tuesday, August 20, 2024

The 39 Steps review – comic homage to Hitchcock thriller goes off the rails by Chris Wiegand

Trafalgar theatre, London With four actors playing 130 parts, this revival of Patrick Barlow’s take on the spy film is fitfully funny but ultimately frustrating ‘Think of the strain invo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:36AM
Sunday, August 18, 2024

A Jaffa Cake Musical and The Gummy Bears’ Great War: Edinburgh fringe stages battles with bite by Chris Wiegand

A zesty courtroom drama about cakes (or biscuits?) and a combat epic using dozens of jelly teddies offer sweet and sour clashes at the festival The sweet spot for Edinburgh fringe comedy is …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:14AM
Saturday, August 17, 2024

Playfight review – enthralling tale of the ascent to adulthood by Chris Wiegand

Roundabout @ Summerhall, EdinburghWith superb performances, Julia Grogan’s lyrical and often extremely funny play follows three young women’s friendship There are raucous teenage kicks i…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:46AM

Rollercoaster review – fizzy tricks and funky escapades from a master of juggling by Chris Wiegand

Assembly Roxy, EdinburghWes Peden shows off his skills with hoops, pins and balls, while his humble pleasure in performance sweetens the stunts If juggling follows breaking to become an Olym…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:55AM

I Am the Boss review – squabbling siblings’ hijinks at Edinburgh fringe by Chris Wiegand

Assembly George Square Gardens, EdinburghIn the Taiwan Season, a spirited trio deliver acrobatic antics – and their mischief spills into the audience ‘Don’t try this at home,” childr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:00AM
Friday, August 16, 2024

Sawdust Symphony review – a surreal circus where stagecraft meets woodcraft by Chris Wiegand

Zoo Southside, EdinburghAcrobatics, juggling and carpentry are fixed together in a humorous and lightly unsettling production in the Made in Germany showcase Power drill? Check. Hammers? Pr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:37AM

Burning Down the Horse review – entertaining ancient Greek antics by Chris Wiegand

Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh This comedy puts the audience inside the giant wooden ruse, alongside a cast who add fizz to a show with real interest in the classical age Here is an alternative t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:47AM
Wednesday, August 14, 2024

The Sex Lives of Puppets review – kaleidoscope of carnality with no strings attached by Chris Wiegand

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghBased on real interviews, these verbatim-style sketches are often candid and funny, with some emotional revelations Jeremy rubs his nipples and calls Meryl’s …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:11AM
Tuesday, August 13, 2024

How I Learned to Swim review – a dive into the deep waters of Black aquatic history by Chris Wiegand

Roundabout @ Summerhall, EdinburghLessons at the pool expand to take in slavery’s legacy, Olympic achievement and Afrofuturism in an assured play by Somebody Jones The depths plumbed by So…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:55AM
Monday, August 12, 2024

Lost Connection review – dance quartet in thrall to their smartphones by Chris Wiegand

Summerhall, EdinburghDoom-scrolling and dopamine hits take centre stage in this arresting show in the festival’s Taiwan Season You may not recognise the word but you will know the behaviou…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:59AM

Sisyphean Quick Fix review – affecting account of uphill family struggles by Chris Wiegand

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghBettina Paris and Tina Rizzo play sisters who care for their father from different countries in a sincere two-hander Bettina Paris’s play has a scenario that …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM
Sunday, August 11, 2024

Failure Project review – a reality check about being ‘booked, busy and blessed’ by Chris Wiegand

Summerhall, EdinburghIn an often raw performance that retains a light touch, Yolanda Mercy delivers a bittersweet and valuable reflection on the theatre industry Scroll through the listings …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:20AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 15, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
TBA: Titanic