Thoughts on the Sunday in the Park with George news as well as my review of Kimberly Akimbo
OHMYGOD HEY!
Welcome back to my weekly collation of the various reviews, opinion pieces and theatre news updates I’ve shared across multiple social media platforms.
As it turns out, leaving my job in education didn’t spare me from the early September back-to-school gear shift, as last week brought a jam packed schedule of opening nights and daytime press events. On Tuesday I raced between a media event for Into the Woods, soon opening at the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, and a press night performance at the recently reopened Yard Theatre, complete with a tour of its dynamic, characterful and sustainable new building, equipped for the needs of its audiences and local community.
As the week continued thus, I quizzed the cast of Million Dollar Quartet on their own dream lineups of entertainers and shared my highlights from a newly announced season of shows at the National Theatre – finally I can see a production of West Side Story!
The show I won’t necessarily tick off my wishlist as soon is the Pulitzer Prize winning Sunday in the Park with George, which conspicuously announced this week (as many had anticipated) that it would postpone its scheduled 2027 run at the Barbican and opt for a 2028 opening instead at a theatre to be revealed. Perhaps it can play in rep with the similarly rescheduled London run of Burlesque, though they would admittedly struggle to share a set.
The trio of shows that concluded my week were Kimberly Akimbo, arrived in a non-replica London production that proved quite the tearjerker, Bloodsport: after Helen of Troy at Stratford East from rising star playwright Ava Pickett, and a particularly hot ticket – Man To Man at the Royal Court, with Tilda Swinton returning to a role she played decades back to help celebrate the venue’s 70th anniversary.
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why SUNDAY IN THE PARK got cancelled: the real reasons why the revival at the Barbican is postponed
The much-talked about upcoming West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George has officially been postponed and will not run next summer at the Barbican.
The musical, written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, was set to star Wicked movie alums Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, who have both departed the production this Summer as ticket sales have been delayed.
Find out why the show’s Barbican run is cancelled, whether we can expect to see the production go ahead at all and why it feels like this musical is cursed in London…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Why & JULIET is closing on Broadway: Why the jukebox musical is ending and thoughts on its legacy…
Yet another Broadway show has announced it will close in the first week of 2027, and this time it’s the long running jukebox musical, & Juliet.
The show, which expands on Shakespeare’s most famous romantic tragedy with the songbook of Max Martin, has been playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York since late 2022.
Here are my thoughts on why the show will end, as well as why this represents a success story, and why its New York run exceeded the time that it spent in London…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Meet the cast of INTO THE WOODS: West End Revival launch interviews and performances
As the award winning Bridge Theatre revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into The Woods readies to transfer to the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End, I had the opportunity to attend its London relaunch.
The launch event featured a Q&A (hosted by The Stage editor Matt Hemley) as well as performances and the chance for further interviews.
Check out what the show’s new and returning cast members had to say about its lessons and its challenges as they prepare to open this new run…
This Week’s Reviews
Kimberly Akimbo at Hampstead Theatre, London
★★★★★ Review available YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts
We went to Cardiff to see BURLESQUE – Theatre vlog ft Oh, Mary!, Hadestown, Electra/Persona
Check out another week in our life of seeing theatre around the UK!
This week, either side of our recent trip to Germany, was spent seeing shows in London, including Electra/Persona at the National Theatre and the gala night performance of Oh, Mary! starring Jinkx Monsoon.
In the midst of this we also travelled to Cardiff to see the much talked about new UK Tour of Burlesque, and our first experience of Welsh theatregoing…
Join us vicariously in this brand new vlog to find out what a week in our lives looks like!
What’s coming up this week?
This week I’m heading to the opening night performance of Million Dollar Quartet at The Arts at Marble Arch, as well as Thelma & Louise at the Young Vic. I chatted with the latter’s leading ladies (Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker) last week and will be sharing our conversation imminently – stay tuned.
I’ll also be hosting a post show Q&A after the evening performance of Jane Eyre at Southwark Playhouse on Thursday 17th September. You can grab tickets HERE and join the chat about it afterwards!
Until next week, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey… week! – Mickey-Jo
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