My thoughts on the 2026 Olivier Awards ceremony, plus Glee stars on Broadway, curtain call drama, and reviews of Waitress and John Proctor is the Villain.
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.
This week has been all about the Olivier Awards, the biggest celebration of London Theatre, where Paddington the Musical continued its campaign towards long-running West End history. I look forward to recalling its early milestones when its an inevitable multi-decade mainstay, including the release of its original cast recording which I recently celebrated on a London bus.
Bear aside, the ceremony was a glistening success, as the Awards celebrated their 50th Anniversary, with The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked also performing in acknowledgment of their 2026 birthdays (more from each, I expect, in the coming months). Revivals including Into the Woods, Evita, and All My Sons also picked up statuettes as well as new plays including Punch, Inter Alia, and Kenrex, with Jack Holden’s underdog win for Best Actor in a Play one of the more satisfying upsets we’ve seen in years.
Outside of the Oliviers, I’ve been wading into polarising discourse (if you can imagine such a thing from me), with discussions of evolving curtain call culture and which character from The Last Five Years is the most toxic. For the sake of balance, I also donned a ruff and shared the news of Something Rotten’s fully staged UK premiere in my own unique fashion.
I also shared a personal moment this week, as recognition arrived from YouTube of the 100,000 subscriber milestone I recently (and staggeringly) reached.
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This Week’s Videos
My reaction to the OLIVIER AWARDS: What I thought of the 2026 winners, performances, and more…
Last night, the 2026 Olivier Awards were held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, celebrating an outstanding year of achievement in the theatre industry.
The winners include Paddington the Musical, which picked up the most awards as well as the revivals of Into the Woods, Evita, and All My Sons and the new plays Punch, Kenrex, and Inter Alia.
Check out my reactions to this year’s winners, my thoughts from inside the ceremony about its performances and presentation, and what we can expect about the future of the Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Is it wrong to film the bows? Thoughts on Lesley Manville’s theatre curtain call comments…
The award winning actress Lesley Manville has sparked debate after sharing her distaste towards being photographed or filmed during curtain calls.
The actress, currently seen on stage at the National Theatre in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, recalled performing recently in Oedipus on Broadway and being insulted by the use of cameras during the show’s bows.
As someone who frequently films curtain calls, I’m sharing my thoughts and insights on this topic…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
How GLEE saved Broadway: the stars who found stage success in the decade since the hit TV show
Right now, it seems like there are more Glee alumni on stage in New York than ever before, and it made me wonder about the impact of the TV show on the theatre industry in the years since it debuted.
From Lea Michele in Funny Girl to Matthew Morrison in Just in Time, plenty of Glee cast members have either made their stage debut or returned to Broadway after finding fame on screen, and it has often afforded these productions a significant box office boost.
Check out the full video essay for a recap of all of the stage careers that arose after Glee, as well as my thoughts on how the TV show has helped Broadway during a challenging chapter, and why audiences are showing up for the former members of New Directions…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Who is the villain in THE LAST 5 YEARS? My thoughts on the toxic relationship in the musical…
In the 25 years since it premiered, audiences have been debating which of the characters in The Last Five Years is at fault for the end of their relationship.
The musical, written by Jason Robert Brown, follows the dual perspectives of Cathy Hyatt, an aspiring actress, and Jamie Wellerstein, a successful novelists, on their 5 year relationship.
Productions have previously starred Norbert Leo Butz, Sherie Rene Scott, Nick Jonas, Adrienne Warren, Rachel Zegler, Ben Platt, Jonathan Bailey, Samantha Barks, and more.
While many are quickly to denounce Jamie for his shortcomings, I’m finally sharing my perhaps controversial thoughts about the musical’s true villain…
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
This Week’s Reviews
John Proctor is the Villain at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court, London
★★★★★ Review available YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Waitress at New Wimbledon Theatre, London (UK Tour)
★★★★ Review available YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Flyby at The Large, Southwark Playhouse Borough, Off West End, London
★★★ Review available YouTube / Instagram / TikTok
We saw theatre every day for 10 days – Part 1!
Check out another week in our life of seeing theatre almost every day!
This week, we continued 10 consecutive days of London Theatregoing, with a splashy gala opening for Kinky Boots, as well as performances of In Pieces, Choir Boy, John Proctor is the Villain, and the new UK Tour of Waitress.
Check out this brand new vlog to find out what a week in our lives looks like!
What’s coming up this week?
By the end of this week I will be Broadway bound, on a transatlantic flight towards two weeks of newly opening plays and musicals including some hugely exciting new shows and some thrilling revivals.
Before then, I’m looking forward to attending the UK Musical Theatre conference for the second time as well as opening night performances of Avenue Q and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Old Vic. Stay tuned for my thoughts on recent London play openings too, including A Doll’s House at the Almeida and the West End transfer of Inter Alia.
Until next week, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey… week! – Mickey-Jo
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