Heartbreak Hotel draws on the wisdom of Céline Dion, Prince and Elvis, as well as a rich repository of literature about grief and broken heartsIn 1983, the Japanese doctor Hikaru Sato diagn…
The legendary composer warned theaters could soon meet the same fate as Hollywood’s ‘empty soundstages’Andrew Lloyd Webber has spoken out about the precarious state of Broadway in the …
The Kneebone Cadillac is about a sport in which community is fostered yet collisions are encouraged. Actors, audiences and drivers explain the rushLexi Crosbie was five days old when she wen…
Southwark Playhouse Borough, LondonA lesser-known selection from the composer and lyricist’s archive is full of heart and humour, swinging between cabaret blues and pop bangersHow do you m…
Da’ Gullah American Revolutionary Experience retells the revolutionary war from the perspective of former slavesA beam of white light illuminated actor Anita Singleton-Prather’s face. �…
Love’s Labour’s Lost offers a heady mix of passion and death – which makes the Spanish art form a perfect match, says director Indiana Lown-Collins. Our writer joins the theatre’s fl…
Tate Modern, LondonWith this work, the choreographer changed the course of dance – and on its 60th anniversary, viewed by babies, tourists and passers-by, it’s as beguiling and hypnotic …
In 2019 Eric Lampaert woke up unable to recognise his friends, his parents, even his own name. After decades of anxiety, abandonment and bullying, was his mind just trying to shield him from…
Royal Albert Hall, LondonShiny-suited and slick, the US standup fired off peppy and sometimes taboo-teasing gags about his cultural identity, married life and visits to a fertility clinicYou…
Nottingham PlayhouseThe camaraderie and eccentricities of some model railway enthusiasts make for an endearing group portrait in William Ivory’s well-gauged comedyBefore the play begins, a…
Royal Exchange, ManchesterA celebration of the cartoonist’s sexual awakening and queer identity as well as an investigation of darker family dynamics, this soulful show wears its heart on …
Braboeuf Manor, GuildfordElegantly stitching the plays into two parts of the same continuing story, Tom Littler’s sunny al fresco productions play every possible tragicomic noteTwo Shakesp…
Pitlochry Festival theatreMaureen Beattie leads a modern-dress version, which focuses on family dynamics rather than the decline of Shakespeare’s mighty rulerYou know when you walk into a …
The playwright has long been considered one of the country’s most famous exports, but not an ‘Irish writer’. An ambitious new season of plays explores his complex relationship with his…
Schwarzman Centre, OxfordHeadlong’s take on Karel Čapek’s 1920 tale of romance and robots is rife with timely debates about tech’s threat but at times the philosophical discussions dr…
The horny TV series has inspired a whopping four comedy shows this summer. Their makers explain why musical theatre and steamy action are such good bedfellows – and why there’s no rivalr…
Theatre503, LondonMixing naturalism and fantasy, Katie Đỗ’s debut is conceptually inventive but flawed by over-short scenes and scant emotive appealThis debut by Vietnamese-American pla…
Swansea Grand theatreSchool locker room banter has a sinister edge in Jonathan Houlston’s shrewd debut, which pairs the toxic tropes of Adolescence with the group dynamics of Laura Wade’…
The standup on bad gigs at motorway service station hotels, her nan’s reviews and the pressure to be ‘prize pig’ at the Edinburgh fringeWho did you admire when you were starting out?I …
London PalladiumThe Eurovision star leads a glittery production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s blockbuster but this booming show lacks context and clarityThis amped-up version of An…
After a run in Nashville, Dolly: A True Original Musical is set to open in New York in DecemberDolly Parton will celebrate turning 81 with the opening of a musical about her life on Broadway…
The dreaded bloodsucker will be getting his fangs into the Edinburgh fringe this year – in a deeply creepy, liberty-taking show with a sisterly twist. We meet its directorWho is your Dracu…
From returning comedy award winner Sam Nicoresti to Flo & Joan’s cheeky One Man Musical, these are surefire standouts at the fringeEdinburgh festival 2026 reviewsIt may contain a brief…
The formidable actor talks about the challenge of finding meaty characters, tough times in the US – and co-starring with her dad’s hero Kenneth Branagh in The Cherry OrchardIt’s luncht…
This late-night escapade became a word-of-mouth festival favourite. The show’s creators discuss the method behind its madness – and why you’ll laugh without knowing whyDeep within the …