January 2025
2024 was an exciting year for theatre, with plenty of home grown and touring talent to enjoy – here’s the run-down of 2024’s five star hits according to Always Time for Theatre…
The stage adaptation of Life of Pi is a stunning piece of theatre, a spectacle-driven piece which is as visually rich as it is emotionally compelling. Much like watching War Horse or The Lion King, this show is a glowing example of why puppetry can be such a gift to a production, and it’s little wonder that this show snagged no less than five Olivier awards – and made history when a team of puppeteers were rightfully recognised as Best Supporting Actors.
Mischief Comedy strike gold yet again with the hilarious Peter Pan Goes Wrong, a top notch farce full of surprises led by an excellent cast. It’s exactly what it says on the tin, this show: “Cornley Youth Theatre” are putting on a production of J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan (which may or may not be a panto), and things go very wrong, leading to a fantastic parade of ever-escalating chaos.
Based on real events- which you can hardly believe actually happened- Awkward Productions’ Gwyneth Goes Skiing is a deliciously campy drag/comedy that, despite the occasional hiccup, will leave any audience member (in the words of Linus Karp’s Gwyneth) “gooped and gagged” for more.
It’s a rarity in theatre I think, but Wise Children (like Kneehigh before them) can always be trusted to totally cut us off from the outside world for a few hours. The worlds created don’t play by the rules, offering escapism through a characteristic richness of theatricality and music. This time though, Emma Rice allows her theatrical worlds and the darkness of the real world to collide in Blue Beard, tapping into the disturbingly relevant dangers facing women just trying to live life, embrace love and make it home safely. So while this show delivers on the Wise Children magic, it ends on an unusually stark note of devastation and fury.
Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Julietis one of the most popular choices for adaptations across art forms. The tale of “star-crossed lovers” captures imaginations in ways that few other stories have – and Sergei Prokofiev’s music is a glowing example. Shakespeare’s central threads of romance, comedy, drama and tragedy translate well into all kinds of expressive arts and in Northern Ballet’s revival, directed and devised by Christopher Gable and choreographed by Massimo Moricone, those component parts come together beautifully through dance.
Jane Austen’s women are some of the most entertaining characters to be found within the pages of classic novels, and the wit and intelligence of her writing shines brightly in Dyad Productions’ Lady Susan. Drawing on key missives from Austen’s epistolary novel and playing every role in later interactions, Rebecca Vaughan triumphs in this one woman show.
Five vivacious drag queens rule the roost in this lively and cheeky show with one clear intention: give the audience a top night out. Queenz – The Show with Balls, directed by David Griego and Kieran Powell, feels celebratory and uplifting, bringing the best of drag culture to the stage to provide cracking entertainment for the masses. Taking shape as a fun-filled concert rather than any particular story, Queenz packs in plenty: cheeky comedy, fabulous costuming and choreography, saucy ad-libs, crowd-pleasing anthems, and in this case, no lip syncing; these queens are proudly belting live.
Drop the Dead Donkey, the award-winning 1990s satirical comedy has been reimagined for a 2024 audience in the stage play Drop the Dead Donkey: The Reawakening! Old enough to remember the original show, I went with my Gen Z daughter, unsure whether the play would offer enough appeal to a cynical teenager. It doesn’t disappoint.
Come From Away is an extraordinary true story told with style and humour in this big-hearted and award-winning musical. Hearing that 9/11 provides the backdrop for this tale may seem a bit jarring (that was certainly my reaction before seeing it in the West End many years ago), but this story is one of unity and goodness in the face of great tragedy. On that day in 2001, Gander, Newfoundland found its population inflating to almost twice its usual size when 38 planes were forced to land unexpectedly. And when almost 7,000 strangers arrived, locals set to work to make their unexpected visitors feel welcome…
How do you turn just over 400 pages of dense, rich prose into two hours of theatre while preserving the heart and soul of the piece? Especially when a certain clutch of classics inspire such connection with their readers? This particular adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s incredibly moving tragedy – Tess of the D’Urbervilles – comes from a fantastic contemporary circus company and frankly, the Ockham’s Razor team should be giving masterclasses.
Once again Leeds Playhouse have given us the gift of experiencing a large-scale classic in all its glory, giving the opportunity to see iconic musical theatre songs that have stood the test of time within their original context. As with Oliver! and A Little Night Music, Brining demonstrates a real affinity with his musical source material, taking audiences back in time in productions which are altogether enveloping and charming, and smoothly developing stories of old for current audiences. As a “Golden Age” musical with a very modern sense of empowerment, I’d say My Fair Lady does not fail to deliver on its reputation – and this production provides a glowing display of its many merits.
This big fancy new musical navigates the minefield of modern dating by dissecting the age-old question: Why Am I So Single? The much-anticipated musical from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (who also directs), the duo behind cult-favourite SIX, proves lightening can in fact strike twice. On the surface Why Am I So Single? boasts a colourful set with an up-beat, contemporary sound that would delight any theatregoer. Yet it is Marlow and Moss’ ability to maintain this joy while tackling wider societal issues and flawed characters that really creates the magic of this show.
It must be wishful thinking, but I consistently hope against hope that there will be a day when far-right, Neo-Nazi terrorism will cease to be relevant. And even though it depicts events that occurred nearly 15 years ago, against the backdrop of the recent far riot riots across the UK- riots that bear direct threats against people of colour, migrants, and other marked peoples- Edoardo Erba’s Utoya feels more than urgent and necessary.
Dear Evan Hansen is a very impressive show. It’s not difficult to see how the Hansen craze took hold – not just because of the musical brilliance of those now-iconic songs, but also because it reminds us to take a real look at those around us and to consider the silent struggles we might be overlooking, particularly in our young people. It’s an emotional ride full of beauty – and it’s absolutely worth a trip for anyone musing on the notion of connection in our hyper-connected yet woefully disconnected world.
Based on Dodie Smith’s novel and stage adapatation by Zinnie Harris, this show takes on a much beloved story and delivers all kinds of charm and fun and loveliness. It’s all fast-paced adventure under direction of Bill Buckhurst, and as far as family shows go, this one is pretty top notch!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Based on C.S Lewis’ hugely popular novel, this production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (based on the original production by Sally Cookson) is a theatrical feast for all the family… At times thrillingly threatening, often spectacular and frequently charming, this is a richly satisfying show. It’s as much of a hit in its current revised form as it was back in 2017 when it first played the Playhouse, and it’s not one to miss!
Once again I find myself championing this team for their wide appeal – and for all they achieve with this small but mighty show. It’s maybe not as dramatically brilliant as Beauty and the Beast from a few years ago, but there’s everything you could want for the wee ones here, and the Varieties shows remain uniquely brilliant in the way they cater so gleefully to the grown-ups in the audience too. This is a proper, bona fide something-for-everyone Panto, and it’s well worth a trip.
Beauty and the Beast is of course a “tale as old as time”, but it gets quite a cheeky make-over in this panto production from the Grand Theatre and Opera House in York, offering plenty of laughs and a great night out for young and old(er) alike.
So there you have it: 2024 theatrical treats in a nutshell. Here’s to another cracking year of theatre in 2025!
Always Time For Theatre 
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