Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Theater is alive and well across the pond: In LONDON, a healthy spread across musicals, plays, new works, and revivals

• By drediman
• August 25, 2026
• No Comments

Earlier this summer, I had the great opportunity to visit London to catch up with the latest theatrical offerings – spread across musicals, plays, new works, revivals – on tap in the capital. As always, read on for my thoughts on this rich array of productions from across the pond.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cole Porter musicals, redux

In terms of musical revivals, I was able to take in two large scale productions. First up over at the iconic London Palladium, there was the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar (RECOMMENDED). Originally seen at Regents Park, Timothy Sheader’s production confidently returns to London, this time headlined by Sam Ryder. Although the angelic-voiced Eurovision star gives a perfectly competent if somewhat underpowered performance in the title role, the most compelling aspect of the production remains Sheader’s staging, which organically weaves together Drew McOnie’s exciting contemporary choreography and the director’s potent overarching visual imagery, all the while embracing both the show’s rock concert vibe and musical theater pedigree. If you aren’t able to see it this summer at the Palladium, fear not – the production is slated to transfer to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane (where Disney’s Hercules is finishing up its run) later this year. Then there was the revival of High Society (RECOMMENDED), which completes the Barbican’s trifecta of Cole Porter musical revival presentations (in recent years, Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate were previously put on at the brutalist arts center). Although considered one of the lesser of the composer/lyricist’s musicals – the silly plot is nothing more than frothy fun and an excuse the characters and audiences to cavort with Porter’s diverting score – the production has been lavishly designed and boasts a full sized orchestra. To boot, the escapist revival has been solidly cast, starring the glamorous Helen George and dashing leading man Julian Ovenden.

The return of classics of the British Theatre

During my visit, I had the privilege of catching revivals of a few celebrated plays of the British Theatre. The first of these was Nick Stafford’s award-winning stage adaptation of War Horse (RECOMMENDED), which is based on Michael Morpurgo’s book of the same name (after the success of of the play, Steven Spielberg subsequently turned the material into a film). For its return to London, Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris’s iconic production has been remounted at the National Theatre’s Olivier Stage, the epic space where it all began. Although the current production doesn’t quite boast all the bells and whistles of the original, Handspring Puppet Company’s breathtaking and soulful puppetry – which form the heart and soul of the staging – has thankfully remained intact. Also coming back to the West End was the revival of Arcadia (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), the first major production of a Tom Stoppard play following the passing of the brilliant playwright. Brimming with insight and curiosity, the play is Stoppard’s finest work, a dazzling display of intellectualism and heart. Luckily, director Carrie Cracknel’s fluidly-staged in-the-round production – which has transferred to the former Duke of York’s Theatre after a limited run at the Old Vic – is rigorously acted and theatrically inspired. As a fitting homage to the Stoppard’s enduring legacy, the Duke of York was rechristened the Tom Stoppard Theatre upon the opening of the revival. Playwright Florian Zeller (The Father, The Mother) hasn’t found as much success stateside as he has in Europe and England. On the trip, I had the chance to see the West End revival of his early career play The Truth (RECOMMENDED) at the Apollo Theatre. The comedy of manners hilariously follows the extra-marital affairs of two couples, in the process providing an observant social critique of deception within marriage. As the sole comedy of the trip, the production served its purpose by balancing out the high stakes drama of the other plays on the docket, most notably via Christopher Hampton’s incisive — though still decidedly French — English translation.

Found in translation

Which brings us to a couple of new adaptations of classics of the western dramatic canon, which I was able to attend in addition to the aforementioned revivals. At the Bridge Theatre, there was Simon Stone’s simultaneously expansive yet claustrophobic new take on Aeschylus’s The Oresteia (RECOMMENDED). Just like Robert Icke’s well-received Broadway production of Oedipus starring Lesley Manville and Mark Strong last season, Stone’s adaptation is very much a new play, aggressively modernizing the sprawling Greek myth into a pungent domestic psychological drama. Spread across three acts over three-and-a-half-hours, the stylish production – which is staged on a revolving house set that calls to mind The Sims – charts the hard demise of a prominent political family. Anchored by a visceral performance by Mary-Louise Parker, the end product is totally captivating for about two-thirds of the play, which unfortunately loses steam in its unfocused (but arguably salvageable) third act. Perhaps the most satisfying production of my theater trip was the West End transfer of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s gorgeous production of Emond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) at the Noël Coward Theatre. Directed by Simon Evans, who has co-adapted the classic play with Debris Stevenson, the full-throated production brilliantly straddles period drama and contemporary sentiments. In the title role, veteran stage actor Adrian Lester is tremendous, giving an invigorating and heartbreaking performance that seethes with passion and a lust for life. Matching Lester’s rich performance is Susannah Fielding, whose Roxanne is a layered and vigorous creation. In their hands, the play’s famous final scene is rendered with exquisite sensitivity and feeling. One of the most wonderful touches of the production is the witty inclusion of a band of live musicians, whose sensational musical underscoring brings Evans and Stevenson’s rollicking take to life with satisfying flourish.

Intense new dramas

As for new dramas, I had the opportunity to see two intense ones. Of these, few have been buzzier than Ava Pickett’s 1536 (RECOMMENDED). Originally staged at the small but mighty Almeida Theatre, the play has successfully transferred to the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre, where it has been a solid sell out. Set in a small town far from the bustling streets of London, the play – in parade of snappy scenes of escalating tension – follows the stories of three young women, whose fates uncannily mirror the demise and execution of Queen Anne Boleyn. A ferocious dramatic statement on the repression of women and toxic masculinity, the efficiently plotted work is grippingly acted and has already been picked up to be adapted into a BBC series (like the RSC’s steller Cyrano, 1536 is a period piece with a boldly contemporary sensibility and point of view). I can easily seeing this compact drama being shipped for ready consumption on our side of the pond. The other new drama I caught was Care (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). Presented by the Young Vic Theatre in the South Bank, the creation is the latest entry in Alexander Zeldin’s series of clear-eyed plays depicting the harsh realities of life of those living on the fringes of society – stories that largely get swept under the rug (I had previously seen Zeldin’s Beyond Caring, Love, and The Other Place). Set in an underfunded home for the elderly, Zeldin’s intensely naturalistic play sheds exposing light on the experiences of those in various sates of physical and mental deterioration, as well as the inescapable process of dying. Although slow-burning, the acting throughout is gutsy and authentic, ultimately landing with devastating impact.

New musicals with familiar IPs

As for new musicals, the name on everybody’s lips is Paddington. Indeed, the smash hit stage adaptation of the popular Michael Bond children’s books has taken London by storm, whipping up quite the hype. In short, the show packing them in at the Savoy Theatre warrants it. Paddington The Musical (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) is a thoroughly charming musical concoction that has translated in winning fashion to the West End stage. Featuring a tuneful score by Tom Fletcher (of McFly), the production is performed with both tongue-in-cheek grin and genuine warmth. Ultimately, the musical is a testament to empathy, inclusion, and kindness – notions that are more pertinent than ever, and it was poignant to see those sentiments writ large in a big West End musical. Luke Sheppard’s eye-popping staging is also in many ways an infectious love letter to London and the British culture. Given this, it will be interesting to see how the production will be received by largely American audiences when it transfers across the pond to Broadway this coming spring. Lastly, over at the Aldwych Theatre, there’s Sinatra The Musical (RECOMMENDED), the inevitable jukebox musical that surely has the Great White Way on its mind. As seamlessly directed and choreographed by the once ubiquitous Kathleen Marshall – whose work in musical theater has been missed in recent years – the musical is in turn by-the-books and inspired. Led by the grounded yet dashing Joel Harper-Jackson in the title role, the production also features a distinguished turn by the gorgeous Ana Villafañe as film star Ava Gardner, arguably the love of Sinatra’s life.