This broke me a bit, but in a good way

Call me Scrooge, but it’s time for the Old Vic Christmas Carol’s final bow, writes Holly O'Mahony 👇

Had a fair bit more I wanted to say on this than I could in 450 words but in short I thought it grew into a very interesting play, especially once some politics was on the table - would recommend

Heard many an interesting tale for this one - a deep-ish dive into the current state of actors’ digs

As a fan of West End Girl but not (yet) of Lily Allen on stage I’m morbidly curious to see this come to fruition (if it does!) www.theguardian.com/music/2025/d...

From January 2026, The Stage will no longer appear as a weekly newspaper but rather as a monthly magazine designed for deeper reading, says Alistair Smith. Read more 👉 www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/...

Gave The Hunger Games a 4* review that reads like a 3* review but my sentiment is 4* and here it is

I’m looking to speak to #actors who have camped while touring with a production to save money on digs. Is that you? And are you up for sharing your experiences for a feature? Get in touch: [email protected] #journorequest

There’s cowardice at work with theatres eyeing each other to see who does and doesn’t host before they commit. But what message does that send about creative freedom when organisations act so timidly arguing what is said from a theatre’s stages has no connection to how that organisation operates?

Living it up in Salisbury this evening, with not one but two drinks vouchers tucked into an envelope with my name in beautiful golden calligraphy. Might be returning to London with notions…

Constellations will always and forever be a tough act for Nick Payne to follow IMO but there’s plenty to admire in this and Nicola Walker is a marvel www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/the-...

I always feel a bit apprehensive sitting down to watch a show by a person or company whose previous work I’ve adored. Bog Witch felt lighter than her other shows, and i found it q light touch on the climate stuff too, but fortunately it’s a hoot

I also spoke to their fellow Emmy nominee Sharon Horgan all about Bad Sisters Season 2 (and came away with a massive girl crush obviously) www.backstage.com/video/sharon...

Using the fact Adolescence won big at the Emmys on Sunday to belatedly share a couple of interviews I did - first with the show’s creator, writer and star Stephen Graham(!) www.backstage.com/video/stephe...

A family drama with not enough drama IMO, but all round solid performances www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/the-...

Well, I fell under the charms of Brigadoon

Today's newsletter is our first roundup from the Edinburgh fringe - featuring reviews of OHIO, CONSUMED, RED LIKE FRUIT, and FUSELAGE exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/edinburgh-...

Bit late sharing this but still plenty of time to see them all. My round up of @edfringe.bsky.social highlights for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

I spoke to some buskers for the i!

And for the i, some practical measures and blue-sky thinking on ways to improve the Edinburgh Fringe inews.co.uk/culture/arts...

Got all excited about this one - it’s the most inventive and entertaining production (or duo of productions) I’ve seen in ages

Had a lovely chat with Till the Stars Come Down cast members Sinead Matthews and Julian Kostov ahead of its West End opening ✨ www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news...

Like everyone, I found this really charming! And Samira Wiley is so SO good

I wasn’t sold on the production as a whole, but Ruth Wilson gave hands down one of the best performances I’ve seen this year www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/a-mo...

4.48 Psychosis was more calmly pensive - even muted - than I expected (I’d only seen clips of BFF’s far more confronting take before this) but still think it’s very cool to get to watch basically the original production of such a monumental work 25 years on. www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/4-48...

I found this profoundly moving www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/miss...

A real honour to speak to The Freedom Theatre’s general manager Mustafa Sheta for this

Great to speak to @hollyomahony.bsky.social of @thestage.co.uk about developments in theatre accessibility, including my recent visit to Sydney to see a live demonstration of Bluetooth’s Auracast technology, and the beauty of creative captioning.

I had some fascinating conversations for this 👇 very grateful to everyone who spoke to me for it.

A v promising debut!

I really liked Ola Ince’s take on The Crucible and similarly to her Romeo and Juliet a few years back, I think it’s an ideal production for schools. Clear, compelling storytelling, and great use of the whole theatre space www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/the-...

Enjoyed this for the sharp, ping-ponging dialogue and the chemistry between Freeman and Lowden who are both on fine form www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/the-...

As someone who has struggled with Richard Bean’s brand of comedy in the past, I was pleasantly surprised by this production! www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/to-h...

Thought this was really slickly staged, with plenty of fine-tuned buffoonery, even if its gags were ridiculously overegged www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/the-...

I loved Lindsay Posner’s The Deep Blue Sea when I saw it last year, but a line cut from my 5* review (understandably, as no transfer had been announced) made the point it would struggle upsize from the intimate Ustinov Studio. Still, I’m kinda sad it’s not resonating so strongly on the West End

Ahead of Regent’s Park OAT reopening its doors to the public tonight, I had a genuinely lovely time backstage chatting to new AD Drew McOnie about his first season 🌽 www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news...

Thoroughly enjoyed listening(!) to this 👇

A solid, trad production that trusts its audience to make the parallels between its characters and certain current leaders

Not sure it’s a great idea to have original songs jostling for attention against ABBA mega hits, but there are some winning performances. And it’s fun!

Whoa!

Some great reads in the first issue of the Guardian-severed Observer!

Thought Gary Oldman was a devastatingly stoic Krapp. It was quite a subtle (filmic?) performance - would love to have watched it in a smaller venue, as ridiculous as that would be www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/krap...

A cracking debut play www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/pers...

With its frustratingly cyclical arguments and a story that doesn’t reveal enough about its characters, this one isn’t as moving (or clever) as it might have been (or thinks it is), but it’s still a chance to watch LaBute wrestle with a hot topic www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/how-...

It’s been an icky year for incest on the London stage! www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/ghos...

Diligently filling this out like I might have cause to flash it somewhere and wondering about the number bit - what number?

Last for March www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/this...

Hamlet on the Titanic. A rap Romeo & Juliet. Love’s Labour’s Lost in 90s Ibiza... Recent Shakespeare productions have taken some pretty big swings - but do they unlock or obscure the plays?

The productions I least like having to star rate are the ones that are largely really good and enjoyable, but do one major thing that’s so bonkers in a bad way that it kind of needs to be reflected in the overall rating…..?! And this IMO was one of those www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/nort...

In what is shaping up to be a bit of a season for dramatisations of real crime cases, I spoke to James Graham (well, asked him questions in an email) about the process