My thoughts on The West End’s latest openings, plus reviews of Rent, Bull, and As You Like It at the RSC.
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.
In a quiet week for theatre news, as evidenced by the days-long furore surrounding Gillian Anderson’s entirely reasonable stage door remarks, the only thing to focus on was the opening night reception of Into the Woods and Rent, each back in the West End for the first time in years. Without betraying the surprise of my own reviews of each production (my updated thoughts on the Woods are already live online and will be linked in next week’s substack), I found myself a little frustrated by their disparate levels of praise.
It’s one thing, of course, to form and assert your opinion about a piece of theatre, and quite another to have such certainty in your convictions that you wish to see them shared by the nation’s critics. There is, though, perhaps something to the ease with which one can celebrate the victory lap of the already Olivier Award winning revival of a Sondheim-scored musical, whereas it may seem more like sticking ones neck out to hype up the latest attempt to re-stage the generation defining Rent in the wake of a fanbase which both deifies the original production and renders revivals review-proof. If you were to ask me which show boasts stronger material, I will come to a challenging conclusion but if you were to ask me which opening night performance stirred stronger emotions in me this week, my answer would be immediate.
Meanwhile, the headline-making 80-minute show stop during the press night performance of As You Like It at the Royal Shakespeare Company got me thinking about momentum and the best place to break a narrative. What are the chances, after all, that every play should be structured around a central 20 minute interval? As it happened, this unintentional pause pierced the comedy at the exact moment it was to be displaced, heading into the Forest of Arden, which arguably makes for a more authentically transporting experience. Incidentally, I never wish to hear anyone complain about an extended show-stop again, unless yours also robbed you of the chance to interview Jonathan Groff.
I dare say I’ll eventually find myself within spitting distance of the Tony Award winner, whereupon (a la Gillian Anderson, you understand) he may advise me not to sit in the front row, but for entirely different reasons.
Prefer to read on email? Subscribe to free weekly Substack newsletter
Why actors can’t always be perfect: My honest thoughts on the expectations of stage performances
Inspired by some recent social media discourse, I’ve been thinking about whether audience members have the right to expect perfection from stage performers.
Recent performances have come under intense scrutiny due to the propagation of bootleg recordings, but the truth is that onstage mishaps and mistakes are nothing new.
From Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd to Billy Porter in Cabaret, I’m taking a look at some documented imperfect performances in order to ascertain which we critique more heavily, and under what circumstances it’s truly fair to do so…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Is it gonna be a good year for Broadway? Early thoughts on the forthcoming season of new shows
The 2026-2027 Broadway season has officially commenced and is set to bring numerous exciting productions of plays and musicals.
The new and revived shows include the likes of Paddington the Musical, Evita, Inter Alia, Paranormal Activity, Dolly, Damn Yankees, Other Desert Cities, A Few Good Men, The Sound of Music, Much Ado about Nothing, and more.
Before I’ve seen any of this season’s shows on Broadway, check out my initial thoughts on all of these upcoming productions and some premature speculation as to which might win the Tony Awards…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
INTO THE WOODS cast on opening night: Interviews with the stars of the West End Revival
After Into The Woods opened at the Noel Coward Theatre, I had the chance to visit the show’s opening night party and interview the revival’s company.
Find out what Kate Fleetwood, Laura Pitt-Pulford, John Dagleish, and more had to say about their time in the production so far.
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
This Week’s Reviews
RENT at Tom Stoppard Theatre, West End, London
★★★★★ Review available YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts
As You Like It at Royal Shakespeare Theatre, RSC, Stratford-Upon-Avon
★★★★ Review available YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Bull at Park Theatre, London
★★★ Review available YouTube / Instagram / TikTok
I saw 4 plays in 4 days – Theatre vlog ft Hay Fever, The Standard of Living, Virginia Woolf & more
Check out another week in our life of seeing theatre around the UK!
This week, Aeron and I headed to the opening night performances of The Standard of Living and Hay Fever, and I also caught Deafinitely Theatre’s revival of Bull and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
We also checked out a pop up spot for The Lion King and the brand new Disney Villain themed afternoon tea at the Park Corner Brasserie…
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 looks set to bring me an eclectic assortment of theatre trips, including The Cherry Orchard in the West End, a visit to the new principal cast of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, and a celebration for the 15th Anniversary of Matilda the Musical. I’ll also be setting a new record for the shortest play I’ve ever seen, with Caryl Churchill’s Triumph (beating out the current record holder in my theatregoing, her previous 17 minute play What If If Only).
Stay tuned for more stagey content alongside, including a sequel to a popular and recently resurging video detailing some of my least favourite musical theatre lyrics…
Until next week, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey… week! – Mickey-Jo
Prefer to read on email? Subscribe to free weekly Substack newsletter
Leave a Reply