The London Theatre Review

This week Nick, Nick and Nancy review Alexander Zeldin's Care at the Young Vic - a compassionate, unflinching look at life in an elderly care facility, starring the magnificent Linda Bassett - and the RSC's new musical The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind @sohoplace, the extraordinary true story of a 13-year-old who built a windmill to save his Malawian village from famine. Plus Nancy talks to the brilliant Leila Farzad about her role in Under the Shadow at the Almeida, a supernatural thriller set during the Iran-Iraq War. And Liv Hill, one of the lead trio in 1536, answers our Five Questions. If you want to get in touch, email thelondontheatrereview@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @thelondontheatrereview.

It's only been a few weeks since we went away, but so much theatre has happened in the meantime...Nick Curtis, Nick Clark and Nancy Durrant are back to fill you in on all the goings on in London. And we kick off the season with a stellar episode: we review Gary Oldman's return to the stage for the first time in 40-odd years as he takes on Samuel Beckett's play Krapp's Last Tape at the Royal Court. The play we couldn't stop talking about all last year has transferred to the West End - Ava Pickett's blistering, hilarious Tudor drama 1536 - but does it live up to our memories of it first time round?And the star of Top Gun Maverick and A Complete Unknown, the fabulous Monica Barbaro, talks to Nick Curtis about her stage debut in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre alongside Aidan Turner and Lesley Manville. She talks about turning to the stage, how it feels to play difficult material eight times a week, and how you sprint in a lavishly designed ball gown. Plus artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe Michelle Terry answers five questions. Follow us on Instagram and watch us on YouTube @thelondontheatrereview.

Even though we are officially on a break, we couldn't resist gathering together some of our favourite people for a bonus episode to tide you over until the new season begins. The incredible Giles Terera, who has starred in the UK premieres of Hamilton and Avenue Q among many other musicals, but is just as well known for his Shakespearean performances, talks about Clint Dyer's production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which has just opened at the Old Vic. Gwyneth Keyworth was one of our favourite guests from the last season, so we asked her back to answer our five questions as she continues to perform in the National Theatre production of Maxim Gorky's Summerfolk. And Ryan Calais Cameron, the brilliant writer of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy and Retrograde, tells us what it means to him to be appointed the first patron of Camden People's Theatre. We will be back soon, but in the meantime you can keep up with our theatregoing thoughts on Instagram or watch us on YouTube @thelondontheatrereview.

Emergency episode alert! After last night's 50th Olivier Awards - broadcast on the BBC for the first time in decades - the gang give their verdict on the winners, the losers, the dramas and the dresses. Hint: the bear swept the board...

It's a big week. The fifth season comes to an end with no Nick Clark - he's on holiday - but instead a Nick, a Nancy, a producer Tim AND two big starry shows to round things off: two of the most exciting young actors around, Noah Jupe and Sadie Sink, play Shakespeare's star crossed lovers in Robert Icke's take on Romeo and Juliet at the Harold Pinter theatre, and Aidan Turner and the peerless Lesley Manville revive Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre under director Marianne Elliott. Plus Nick Curtis talks to veteran stage and screen actor Henry Goodman about his return to Arthur Miller for a revival of The Price - as well as what it was like to actually work with Miller. And Eleanor Worthington-Cox answers five questions including one of the best (or maybe worst) onstage mishaps we've heard so far. We'll be back soon for another season...in the meantime there may be some bonus content dropping into your feeds. And keep an eye on all the latest updates on Instagram and see what we look like on YouTube @thelondontheatrereview.

Self Esteem aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor returns to the stage for the second time: after playing a singer on the verge of a breakdown when she took on the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret in 2023, now she plays an alcoholic singer on the verge of a breakdown in David Hare's 1975 play Teeth 'n' Smiles - the gang give their verdict. They also review Kimberly Belflower's Tony-nominated hit US play John Proctor is the Villain currently at the Royal Court. Plus the delightful Gwyneth Keyworth chats to Nancy about starring in the National Theatre production of Summerfolk, which we all loved last week, and how when she grew up she originally wanted to be...a vampire. And stage legend Clive Rowe answers our five questions. Follow us on Instagram and watch us on YouTube @thelondontheatrereview.

This week Nancy and the Nicks head to Hampstead Theatre for Aaron Loeb’s ROI (Return on Investment), where cancer has potentially been cured, and there's lots of money to be made. Plus the gang are at the National Theatre for Summerfolk, Maxim Gorky’s caustic portrait of the pre-revolution Russian middle classes, eating, drinking and complaining their way towards a fairly inevitable reckoning.Theatre Royal Stratford East's artistic director Lisa Spirling talks to Nick Curtis about her debut season, which has already got off to a stunning start with the harrowing Here There Are Blueberries, and continues with Tarell Alvin McCraney's Choir Boy. Plus, Beatrice Penny-Touré, currently starring as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, answers our five questions. Follow us, watch us, chat to us @thelondontheatrereview on Insta and YouTube.

With Nancy in Mexico on the trail of Frida Kahlo, producer Tim steps in to join the Nicks as they discuss The Holy Rosenbergs at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Marie and Rosetta @sohoplace. Matt Willis from Busted chats to Nancy about taking on the role of the Emcee in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, and the Orange Tree Theatre's artistic director Tom Littler answers one listener's question about which plays are chosen for revivals and why. Follow us on Insta and watch us on YouTube @thelondontheatrereview.

Michael Sheen's first production for his new company Welsh National Theatre is Our Town, the classic American play by Thornton Wilder transposed to Wales. Nick, Nick and Nancy give their verdicts. They also visit the Young Vic for Broken Glass, one of Arthur Miller's late plays in which a woman becomes paralysed after reading about the horrors of Kristallnacht. Nick Curtis talks to director Monique Touko about having three plays on simultaneous: Marie and Rosetta, The Boy at the Back of the Class and Jaja's African Hair Braiding. And Bridgerton's Hazel, aka Gracie McGonigal, answers five questions as she stars in Into the Woods as a very bolshy Red Riding Hood. Find us on Instagram and YouTube @thelondontheatrereview.