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Edinburgh Fringe 2025 Day 7 REVIEWS (Nerds, Level Up, I'm Ready to Talk Now, Ghost Light, and more)
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This August, Mickey-Jo once again returned to Edinburgh to see as much theatre as possible at the annual, world renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Check out Mickey-Jo's Day 7 reviews of:
I'm Ready To Talk Now at Traverse Theatre (****)
A Gambler's Guide to Dying at Traverse Theatre (****)
Nerds at Underbelly Bristo Square (***)
Level Up at Gilded Balloon Patter House (**)
Ghost Light at Pleasance Courtyard (****)
About Mickey-Jo:
As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: MickeyJoTheatre is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 95,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre
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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Theatre Royal Haymarket, West End) - ★★★★★ REVIEW
33:12|The West End's newest musical is THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY, based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Joyce.The show is adapted with a book by Joyce and an original score by the indie-folk somgwriter, Passenger, and stars Mark Addy and Jenna Russell.Check out Mickey-Jo's thoughts on the show, its material, and its design in this full review...•00:00 | introduction03:02 | synopsis / overview11:04 | the material18:23 | performances25:54 | creative choices (spoilers)31:53 | conclusionAll Is But Fantasy by Whitney White (The Other Place, RSC, Stratford-Upon-Avon) - 8★ REVIEW
23:42|Last Wednesday, Mickey-Jo spent all day at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon to see the two part play ALL IS BUT FANTASY.The piece, which is written, composed, directed and performed by Whitney White, extrapolates Shakespeare’s tragic heroines in order to study their arcs, empowerment and lasting social impact.Check out this full review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on both plays separately and together, as well as the creative choices and supporting cast...•00:00 | introduction02:37 | synopsis / overview08:11 | development15:36 | creatives / performances22:02 | conclusion•why is MOULIN ROUGE! closing? | the reason why the musical is ending its Broadway run after 7 years
27:14|A few days ago, it was announced that MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL would close on Broadway after 7 years at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.The stage musical, based on the Baz Luhrmann film of the same name, opened in July 2019 and earned multiple Tony Awards, before giving way to multiple international productions and a US national Tour.Is this a surprising announcement for Broadway, and does it tell us anything about the current theatrical landscape in New York? Or is this simply an example of a successful show reaching a natural end?•00:00 | introduction01:22 | the closing details08:08 | the show's success16:06 | why is it closing?20:58 | what comes next?what to see in the WEST END in 2026 | a guide to the best plays and musicals in London and the UK
38:23|Amidst an already exciting year of theatregoing in the United Kingdom, Mickey-Jo and his stagey fiancé @AeronJames are talking through some of their most anticipated plays and musicals in 2026.In and beyond the West End, from return engagements of Inter Alia and Cyrano de Bergerac, to new productions of The Greatest Showman and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry as well as regional revivals of My Fair Lady, Once, and more.Check out their respective recommendations and don't forget to share yours in the comments!•00:00 | introduction02:06 | Musicals in London10:21 | Plays in London18:26 | Off-West End shows26:44 | Regional Productions37:12 | conclusionMickey-Jo saw three iconic musicals in SPANISH! | reviews of Los Miserables, Wicked & The Book of Mormon in Madrid
40:16|Last month, Mickey-Jo travelled to Madrid in Spain to see major productions of some of the world's most iconic and well-loved musicals: Los Miserables, Wicked and The Book of Mormon.Two of these productions were non-replica stagings, with entirely new creative teams bringing their own vision to the story, and all were performed entirely in Spanish, by Spanish performers.Check out this triple bill review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on each of these musicals including his opinion on how they were received, translated and portrayed.•00:00 | introduction01:36 | Los Miserables13:56 | Wicked26:34 | The Book of Mormon29:04 | conclusioncheck out Mickey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.comCHICAGO on Broadway... was great?! | how casting can return this revival to its razzle-dazzle roots
27:04|During Mickey-Jo's most recent trip to New York City, he found himself with very limited options and time enough for an additional show in his schedule, which sent him (to his own surprise) back to CHICAGO.The last thing Mickey-Jo expected on his 3rd visit to the long-running Broadway revival was a startling glimpse at its former (and enduringly possible) glory, but thanks to the sublime principal cast that's what happened.Inspired by this joyous night at the theatre, Mickey-Jo is sharing some insights into the show's history and what about this lineup restored its razzle dazzle.•00:00 | introduction03:00 | the history08:32 | the casting shift13:59 | the recent stars19:29 | the supporting cast24:48 | conclusionBug starring Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway) - ★★★ REVIEW
23:56|One of Broadway's most recent new openings is BUG, a new production of The Tracy play which premiered in 1996.This production, first seen at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, stars Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of this apparently divisive play...•check out Mickey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com00:00 | introduction03:32 | overview (no spoilers)08:34 | synopsis / themes (light spoilers)14:36 | my thoughts (heavy spoilers)22:15 | conclusionAmerican Psycho (Almeida Theatre, London) - ★★★ REVIEW
23:11|This week, after considerable intrigue and massive demand for tickets, the musical adaptation of AMERICAN PSYCHO has returned to the London stage, with a revised production opening at the Almeida Theatre where it first premiered in 2013.The musical, which features a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and a score by Duncan Sheik, stars Arty Froushan as Patrick Bateman alongside a cast filled with the West End's most compelling rising stars, and marks the final production at the venue for outgoing artistic director Rupert Goold.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the musical when he revisited it after seeing its initial run as a teenager, his thoughts on how it fares as an adaptation, whether it belongs on stage at all, and how this production varies from its predecessors...•00:00 | introduction02:20 | synopsis / overview08:56 | the material / adaptation14:59 | creative choices / performances20:47 | conclusioncheck out Mcikey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.comOff West End Musicals Review Roundup (Cable Street, Beautiful Little Fool, Ballad Lines)
29:07|This week, Mickey-Jo spent three consecutive nights at Off West End Theatres reviewing new musicals.The shows were: Cable Street (Marylebone Theatre), Beautiful Little Fool (Southwark Playhouse Borough), and Ballad Lines (Southwark Playhouse Elephant).Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of each of these musicals in a triple bill review!•00:00 | introduction02:24 | Cable Street (★★★)12:11 | Beautiful Little Fool (★★)19:51 | Ballad Lines (★★★★)27:52 | conclusion