Donmar new season: New play Mass by Fran Kranz with Adeel Akhtar & Monica Dolan; Russell Tovey in new play The Guilty by Chloë Moss, dir by Felix Barrett; revival of Brian Friel’s A Month in the Country, dir Lindsey Turner; premiere of Danny Lee Wynter’s Ilford Boy, dir by Tim Sheader. On sale 6 Feb

Summer at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre opens on 2 May with Sherlock Holmes, a new mystery by Joel Horwood. Then A Life in Four Seasons, Vivaldi’s classic reimagined in contemporary dance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and finally CATS directed by Drew McOnie. On sale 5 Feb

Adrian Lester will return to the West End in The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Cyrano de Bergerac. Debris Stevenson’s acclaimed new version transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre 13 June – 5 Sept. Tickets on sale 6 Feb at cyranowestend.co.uk

The great Henry Goodman will star in Arthur Miller’s family drama The Price at Marylebone Theatre 17 April to 7 June

The UK premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s Tony Award-winning play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, widely reviewed as hilarious, is at the Lyric Hammersmith from 18 March – 25 April

Theatre reviews roundup: Beautiful Little Fool (Southwark)- 3⭐️WhatsOnStage: frustratingly inconsistent. 2⭐️BroadwayWorld: shallow and unsatisfying; Standard: unsubtle and trivialising; Guardian; Stage; ArtsDesk. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

The National Theatre’s 2026 season now includes Sandra Oh in The Misanthrope, Cate Blanchett in a new fusion of Electra/Persona, plus a new production of The Rise And Fall of Little Voice, and the return of War Horse. Find out more at www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/whats-on/

Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s award-winning adaptation of Yentl receives its international premiere at Marylebone Theatre from 6 Mar to 12 Apr. Director Gary Abrahams said the production reconnects Isaac Bashevis Singer's original story with its darker and more transgressive roots.

Described as an Irish folk horror story, Alice (Sluts With Consoles) Flynn’s new play Little Sister will run at The Glitch in Waterloo 18 Feb - 1 March. A bloodied and disoriented woman appears. Does she hold the answer to what happened to Bridget and Sally’s sister years ago?

Theatre reviews roundup: Guess How Much I Love You?- 5⭐️Guardian: a tear-jerker. 4⭐️Standard: harrowingly powerful; LondonTheatre: Sheehy is nothing short of extraordinary; Indy; Stage; WhatsOnStage; Times; TimeOut; BroadwayWorld; ArtsDesk. 2⭐️Telegraph theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

The Traitors is coming to the London stage. The theatrical adaptation will be written by John Finnemore (Cabin Pressure) and directed by Robert Hastie. Keep informed by signing up to www.thetraitorsonstage.com

Flyby, a new musical by Theo Jamieson directed and co-created by Adam Lenson, is an intimate love story in the vast loneliness of space. Poppy Gilbert and Stuart Thompson star. It will have its world premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough on 3 April.

Theatre reviews roundup: A Ghost in your Ear - 4⭐️ Guardian: good, old-fashioned ghost-train of a story; BroadwayWorld: very scary; TimeOut: a proper scary little gem; FT: gets under the skin; Times; ArtsDesk; WhatsOnStage; Standard; Stage. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Jonathan Bailey & Ariane Grande will star in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday In The Park With George at The Barbican in summer 2027. The production will be directed by Marianne Elliot, with design by Tom Scutt. Tickets on sale in May. sundayintheparkmusical.com

Ballad Lines is a new musical by Finn Anderson & Tania Azevedo about inherited stories and the choices each generation makes to break, reshape, or carry them forward. The story features original songs based on traditional ballads played by an all-female band. Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 23 Jan

Theatre reviews roundup: High Noon - 5⭐️BroadwayWorld: I was moved. 4⭐️Guardian: moving moments. 3⭐️WhatsOnStage: enjoyable but lacks that emotional punch; Times; Indy; LondonTheatre; TimeOut. 2⭐️Telegraph: less high noon, more morning elevenses. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Former boss of Theatre Royal Stratford East, Kerry Kyriacos Michael, will direct The Ophiolite by Philip de Voni in his inaugural season as Creative Director of Theatro Technis (located in Camden). The play explores themes of belonging, family and duty. It runs 29 Jan to 22 Feb.

Sorry. I prematurely announced the launch of my ‘Angry Yorkshireman’ review of When We Are Married at the Donmar. It is now online at youtu.be/djhVvepIo4M

Here’s my review of When We Are Married, at the Donmar. The cast are hilarious, far too good for this dated play. theatre.reviews/review/when-... and this is the angry Yorkshireman YouTube version youtu.be/djhVvepIo4M

Theatre reviews roundup: Sheridan Smith in Woman In Mind: 4⭐️Times: so cheering to see the West End can still take risks; Telegraph; LondonTheatre. 3⭐️Standard: (Smith) uniquely vivid physical presence; WhatsOnStage; Guardian, Stage, TimeOut; Indy. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Gary Wilmot (aka the nicest man in show biz) has written a play and will star in it alongside Steve Furst. While They Were Waiting can be seen Upstairs At The Gatehouse from 26 Feb to 22 March

Congratulations to Dame Meera Syal, Cynthia Erivo OBE and Paule Constable OBE for services to theatre and charity.

The next highest rating of 4.5⭐️ went to Fiddler on The Roof, The Producers, All My Sons and Ballet Shoes. The year's lowest scores went to Sigourney Weaver in The Tempest and My Master Builder with Ewan McGregor (2.6⭐️), and Elektra with Brie Larson (2.5⭐️). theatre.reviews 2/2

The top two West End shows of 2025, according to reviews rounded up at theatre.reviews , were Much Ado About Nothing with Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, and Paddington The Musical. Both achieved an average 4.7⭐️. 1/2

Theatre reviews roundup: Oh Mary! - 4⭐️Telegraph: a riot; Standard: an absolute hoot; Indy; LondonTheatre; Stage. 3⭐️TimeOut: broad dated humour; BroadwayWorld. 2⭐️Guardian: I felt cheated of story, character, wit or wonder; Times. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

The Jonathan Larson Project, celebrating the life and music of the composer of Rent, already a success in New York, will make its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Borough 9 July - 22 August. Tickets on sale here jonathanlarson.co.uk

Theatre reviews roundup: When We Are Married (Donmar)- 5⭐️BroadwayWorld: laugh-a-minute. 4⭐️Telegraph: an absolute blast; WhatsOnStage: a hoot; i: I haven’t laughed so much at a play in a long time; TimeOut; Stage; Standard; Times; More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Congratulations Martha Loader, winner of this year’s George Devine Prize for her play The Town. She is indeed ‘a playwright of promise’.

Am I wrong to find #Strictly censoring the lyrics of Chicago offensive?

The Barbican continues its summer romance with Cole Porter. Following Anything Goes and Kiss Me Kate comes High Society with Helen George and Felicity Kendal in May 26. Tickets on sale Monday

Theatre reviews roundup: Paddington- 5⭐️Guardian: utterly winning; i: every detail is exquisite; LondonTheatre: pure theatre magic; Indy; Mail; Standard; WhatsOnStage. 4⭐️Stage: resistance..is futile; Telegraph: funny, feel-good; TimeOut; CityAM. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Tom Stoppard has died. From being a Jewish child refugee, he became one of Britain’s greatest playwrights. We’ll miss his wit, intellect and theatricality

More great reviews for Ballet Shoes at the National Theatre. Straight to the top of the list of Best Value Limited Run Shows. Round up (combined with last year’s) is here theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

📽️ HEDDA is streaming tonight on OT On Screen! Missed it, or want to relive it at home? Watch the full recording until Friday night 👇 orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/hed... 📷 Helen Murray

All My Sons: The finest acting by Bryan Cranston, Marianna Jean-Baptiste and Paapa Essiedu, a powerful production from Ivo van Hove and Jan Versweyveld, and a superb play by Arthur Miller, so why not 5 stars? Read my review theatre.reviews/review/all-m... or watch youtu.be/9wbkdXaafYs

I admire the optimism of the producers of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage in announcing that performances will begin on 16 October 2026, when right now the Capital Theatre at Westfield London is still being built. Tickets will be on sale from 1 December at dirtydancingonstage.co.uk

Theatre reviews roundup: All My Sons- 5⭐️TimeOut: Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiedu..offer two of the best stage performances of 2025; Guardian; Standard; BroadwayWorld; Indy; i. 4⭐️Times: seriously well staged; Stage; WhatsOnStage; Mail; Telegraph. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Celebrity Traitors go see The Importance of Being Earnest and meet up with Stephen Fry who plays Lady Bracknell. Photo: Piers Allardyce

Following his success with Oedipus, Robert Icke will be directing Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe in Romeo & Juliet from 16 March at Harold Pinter Theatre.

Theatre reviews roundup: Porn Play with Ambika Mod- 4⭐️Guardian: ambitious..tragedy, horror and comedy; Standard:harrowing central performance; Indy; LondonTheatre. 3⭐️Telegraph:uncompromising, uncomfortable..unsubtle; Stage:dialogue zings; Times;TimeOut; BroadwayWorld. theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Porn Play at Royal Court theatre features an extraordinary performance by Ambika Mod as a woman addicted to violent pornography. My review is in writing here theatre.reviews/review/porn-... and on YouTube youtu.be/bGH7ypgVvXY

Theatre reviews roundup: Hunger Games- 4⭐️Stage: plenty to impress. 3⭐️Indy: dazzling; Guardian: spectacle above emotion; BroadwayWorld: soulless incarnation; Mail; TimeOut; WhatsOnStage. 2⭐️LondonTheatre: damp squib; i: underwhelming trudge; Telegraph; Times. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Five stars from me for Othello at Theatre Royal Haymarket. David Harewood conveys his character’s contradictions with subtlety and passion. Toby Jones plays a convincing chilling Iago. Caitlin Fitzgerald is a refreshingly strong Desdemona. Here’s my YouTube review youtu.be/-CRh16NfZFM

I normally avoid horror stories but I’m tempted to make an exception for Paranormal Activity directed by Felix Barrett, the genius behind Punchdrunk productions like The Burnt City and Sleep No More. It opens at The Ambassadors on 5 December and the run has just been extended to 28 March.

Nicola Walker gives a powerful performance in The Unbelievers but Nick Payne’s play left me dissatisfied. My review is on YouTube youtu.be/CR4g9aOhjgU

Theatre reviews roundup: Othello- 4⭐️Telegraph: (David Harewood) a great under-sung Shakespearean; Mail. 3⭐️TimeOut: (Toby Jones) thoroughly entertaining; Standard: humdrum; Guardian; Indy; LondonTheatre; Times. 2⭐️WhatsOnStage: superficial. More at theatre.reviews/reviews-roun...

Funny, deep, dazzling. Here’s my 5 star review of The Maids at Donmar Warehouse. youtu.be/pckybBtz22w

The Old Vic will revive Tom Stoppard’s masterpiece Arcadia 24 Jan-21 March. On sale noon Friday

For the whole of 2026, the Royal Court Theatre will be celebrating its 70th birthday with plays from past present and future. Treats include Gary Oldman in Krapp's Last Tape, Tilda Swinton in Man To Man, and a new play from Ryan Calais Cameron. On sale 4 November

Alexandra Burke will be playing Chaka Khan in I’m Every Woman. The musical tells the life story of the music great. 5-28 March at the Peacock Theatre.