★★★★☆ Nottingham Playhouse's new play for 3- to 8-year-olds takes us beneath the waves to the home of Marina, a young mermaid eager to explore the world above the sea.

★★★★☆ Derby Theatre’s Christmas play takes us back to Dickensian times for Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation of “Oliver Twist”. Featuring a mix of nursery rhymes, Christmas carols, and original musical numbers, this heartwarming tale is brought to life by director Sarah Brigham and a talented cast of actor-musicians who take on multiple roles throughout the story. 

There are few annual traditions as delightfully British as a Christmas pantomime, and Nottingham Theatre Royal’s Cinderella arrives with all the flourish, glitter, and nonsense an audience could hope for. But here’s the question: with such a media-saturated star at the helm, can this production deliver more than a celebrity cameo? Does this Cinderella truly sparkle, or does it rely too heavily on sequins and Strictly lingo?

★★★★☆ Every Christmas, Leicester’s Curve Theatre forgoes the glitter-drenched world of pantomime in favour of something a little warmer and more substantial: the annual Christmas musical.

★★★★☆ Lace Market Theatre brings Arthur Miller's The Crucible, an intricate tale of humanity and desperation, to life, as the accused discover the lengths they will go to survive.

★★★★☆ If you’ve ever found yourself doing the Tragedy dance in your kitchen, harmonising to One for Sorrow, or secretly believe that glitter counts as an accessory, then Here & Now: The Steps Musical is the night out you’ve been waiting for. 

★★★★☆ Set in a liberal Californian private school that prides itself on tolerance, inclusivity, and community, Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day has lost none of its relevance since its 2018 debut. Vaccines are still a hot topic, and misinformation, virtue signalling, and the search for moral high ground are certainly as prevalent as ever.

★★★★☆ There’s something irresistibly charming about the idea of escaping modern life to live out the fantasy of the 1950s — A world of starched collars, freshly baked cakes, and the comforting sound of a cocktail shaker at five o’clock sharp.

★★★★☆ Mary Whitehouse spent her life battling what she saw as filth on stage and screen, so what happens when she becomes the star of a play herself? The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse asks whether this self-styled crusader is remembered as a beacon for decency or as a meddling censor whose grip on the arts destroyed creativity.

★★★★☆ The Colin McIntyre Classic Thriller Season is back at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal, serving up a summer of suspense, intrigue and edge-of-your-seat drama. After opening with Death By Fatal Murder in week one, the company returned just days later with their second production, Ira Levin’s Deathtrap.

★★★★☆ After a critically acclaimed run at Regent’s Park, Fiddler on the Roof is now on a UK tour. But in 2025, as audiences gather to watch this story retold once again, a question lingers: should we continue to revive classics, or leave them in the past where they belong?

Perched neatly between being a charming comedy and clever farce, the RSC’s revival of The Constant Wife at the Swan Theatre delivers a consistently playful and self-aware comedy. It’s light on its feet and full of wicked wit—but as the minutes tick on, you might find yourself wondering: haven’t they made this point three times already?

Amanda Whittington’s Kiss Me Quickstep sweeps audiences into the glittering world of competitive ballroom. It’s fun, uplifting, and beautifully danced! This Made in Derby production is a show tailor-made for its audience and is relentlessly entertaining.

Experience the irreverent charm and musical brilliance of The Book of Mormon, a show that challenges conventions while delivering unforgettable entertainment.

★★★★☆ A Thousand Splendid Suns delivers a powerful and emotionally charged performance. Set over three decades of political turmoil in Kabul, the play explores the intertwined lives of Mariam and Laila, two women brought together by circumstance and bound by an unbreakable bond.

★★★★☆ Alan Ayckbourn’s Just Between Ourselves is a darkly comic exploration of domestic dysfunction and emotional manipulation, set in the seemingly mundane world of suburban life. London Classic Theatre’s 25th-anniversary production, directed by Michael Cabot, brings the classic to life at Derby Theatre with a performance that is both hilariously entertaining and deeply unsettling.

★★★★☆ Clueless: The Musical brings a blast of '90s nostalgia to the Trafalgar Theatre in London’s West End. Written by Amy Heckerling and featuring a brand-new original soundtrack by KT Tunstall, this bright and witty adaptation of the iconic 1995 film proves that, even with the West End becoming increasingly saturated with jukebox musicals and movie adaptations, there is always room for more.

★★★★☆ You think you know The Importance of Being Earnest? Think again. Say It Again, Sorry?'s riotous meta-theatrical explosion, …Earnest?, is an uproarious and joyously unpredictable celebration of all things theatrical, silly, and gloriously human.

★★★★☆ "Four legs good, two legs bad." This is the iconic chant from George Orwell's 1945 classic Animal Farm. The animals rebel against...

★★★★☆ Should theatre always be boundary-pushing, or is there value in simply putting a sitcom on stage for easy entertainment?