top of page
Theatre Reviews
Welcome to Elemental Theatre, your trusted source for professional West End reviews, UK theatre reviews, and musical theatre criticism.
We review the latest West End productions, UK touring musicals, regional theatre, and standout live entertainment with honest, insightful critiques from an industry professional. From major London premieres to hidden theatrical gems, our reviews go beyond opinion to explore performance, direction, design, storytelling, and audience impact.
Whether you're deciding what to book next, discovering new productions, or looking for thoughtful theatre criticism, Elemental Theatre delivers expert reviews for theatre lovers, performers, and industry professionals alike.
Till the Stars Come Down, Nottingham Playhouse Review
Till the Stars Come Down at Nottingham Playhouse is filthy, funny and fiercely local. A brilliant family drama with a few tonal cracks. ★★★★☆
The Nightmare Room - Theatre Royal, Nottingham Review
The Nightmare Room at Nottingham Theatre Royal is a gripping psychological thriller with striking design and two performances that occasionally oversell the tension.
Anybody For Murder - Theatre Royal Review
Anybody for Murder at Nottingham Theatre Royal is a gleeful farcical murder comedy with terrific comic performances, despite a slow start and soft landing.
Waitress at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall - Review
Waitress at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall reviewed: Carrie Hope Fletcher shines, but sound issues and muted energy leave Sara Bareilles’ score underpowered.
Impromptunes - Fringe Review
Improvised musical Impromptunes delivers big laughs, impressive musicianship and inventive storytelling, though its mechanics occasionally show at Edinburgh Fringe.
Right Before I Go - Fringe Review
Right Before I Go at Pleasance Dome is a powerful verbatim play using real suicide notes to challenge stigma with compassion, honesty and hope.
Bliss - Fringe Review
Bliss at Pleasance Courtyard boasts stunning production values and powerhouse vocals, but its familiar storytelling and heavy-handed messaging disappoint.
199 Jokes Before Lunchtime - Fringe Review
199 Jokes at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall delivers exactly what it promises, but its relentless stream of one-liners struggles to build memorable laughs.
The Hunger - Fringe Review
The Hunger at theSpace @ Niddry Street is a gripping post-apocalyptic thriller with outstanding performances and razor-sharp writing.
Escape Room The Musical - Fringe Review
Escape Room: The Musical at Just the Tonic blends catchy songs, clever puzzles and heartfelt friendships, though its ambitious story needs a tighter structure.
Jack Off The Beanstalk - Fringe Review
Jack Off the Beanstalk at Just the Tonic Nucleus delivers flashes of clever adult panto comedy, but its relentless chaos and crude humour undermine the strongest jokes.
Dogberry and Verges Are Scared - Fringe Review
Dogberry and Verges Are Scared is a hilarious Shakespeare spin-off at C ARTS C Aurora, blending slapstick, heart and literary wit into Fringe gold.
The Past - Fringe Review
The Past at Underbelly Bristo Square is a brilliantly inventive sketch comedy packed with history, audience interaction and relentless laughs. ★★★★★
Blackbox - Fringe Review
Blackbox at Underbelly Cowgate tells Henry "Box" Brown's remarkable story through theatre and illusion. A powerful performance outweighs an uneven concept. ★★★☆☆
FLIGHT - Fringe Review
FLIGHT at Assembly George Square is an immersive audio experience with astonishing binaural sound design that makes headphone theatre impossible to ignore. ★★★★☆
Hole! - Fringe Review
Hole! at Underbelly Bristo Square is a wildly inventive queer musical packed with brilliant songs, ingenious live Foley and outrageous comedy. ★★★★☆
Shamilton! - Fringe Review
Shamilton! at Assembly George Square Studios is a breathtaking improvised hip-hop musical that brilliantly parodies Hamilton while creating something entirely its own. ★★★★★
Cleo: The Last Queen of Egypt - Fringe Review
Our review of Cleo at Temple at C Arts, Edinburgh Fringe: an ambitious new musical with dazzling lyrics and a compelling lead, but an underpowered dramatic arc.
The Bloopers! - Fringe Review
The Bloopers at C Arts C Aquila is a brilliantly improvised musical biopic packed with quick wit, catchy songs and a deep understanding of the genre. ★★★★☆
Aarushi Agni: Emoji - Fringe Review
Emoji at C Arts C Aquila is packed with fascinating ideas and a charismatic performer, but its ambitious mix of comedy, lecture and musical never finds a clear voice. ★☆☆☆☆
Cowards! - Fringe Review
Cowards! at C Arts C Aquila blends Shakespeare, kitchen-sink drama and metatheatre into an ambitious but uneven Fringe debut. ★★★☆☆
Waiting For Wonka - Fringe Review
Waiting for Wonka at Gilded Balloon Patter House is a hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt parody sequel that gives Roald Dahl's characters the ending they deserve. ★★★★★
Shakespeare for Breakfast - Fringe Review
Shakespeare for Breakfast at C Arts C Aurora cleverly reimagines King Lear through The Traitors, but confusing storytelling leaves newcomers behind. ★★☆☆☆
Ryan Cullen: Cullen Me Softly - Fringe Review
Ryan Cullen's Cullen Me Softly at Monkey Barrel Comedy delivers expertly crafted dark comedy, even if its relentless style loses momentum. ★★★☆
Sean Morley: Backchannel - Fringe Review
Sean Morley's Backchannel at Monkey Barrel Comedy is a fearless, hilarious deconstruction of audience interaction and modern stand-up. ★★★★★
Ed Night: We'll Be Alright Darling - Fringe Review
★★★☆☆ With the reputation of one of stand-up's sharpest emerging voices, Ed Night’s We’ll Be Alright, Darling opens at Monkey Barrel Comedy. The good news is that reputation remains intact. The frustrating part is that this hour never quite decides what it wants to be, giving moments of brilliance scattered through a show that feels more like a compilation than a complete work. Night begins by explaining he has broken the same bone in his foot as David Beckham, before teasing
Chris Forbes: Father Christmas - Fringe Review
Chris Forbes: Father Christmas review from Monkey Barrel Comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe. A heartfelt, funny stand-up show full of festive nostalgia and brilliant storytelling.
Operation Mincemeat - Nottingham Theatre Royal Review
Operation Mincemeat review from Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. A witty, heartfelt UK tour with unforgettable performances and theatrical ingenuity.
The Bodyguard UK Tour - Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall
The Bodyguard UK Tour at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall delivers powerhouse Whitney Houston classics despite uneven pacing and a dramatically inconsistent first act.
The Market Deeping Model Railway Club Review - Nottingham Playhouse
William Ivory's ★★★★★ The Market Deeping Model Railway Club at Nottingham Playhouse is a funny, heartfelt new play packed with unforgettable characters and warmth.
Jersey Boys UK Tour, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall Review.
Jersey Boys review at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Pitch-perfect performances and iconic songs can't quite overcome uneven storytelling and distracting technical choices.
The Sex Lives of Puppets, Nottingham Theatre Royal review.
The Sex Lives of Puppets review at Nottingham Theatre Royal – Blind Summit's hilarious, moving puppet show proves far more thoughtful than its title suggests.
Something Rotten! Review – Manchester Opera House
Something Rotten! at Manchester Opera House is a riotously funny UK premiere packed with brilliant performances, dazzling spectacle and razor-sharp comedy.
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, UK Tour, Nottingham Theatre Royal Review.
Ralf Little leads a gripping, ★★★★☆ noir-infused adaptation of John le Carré's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold at Nottingham Theatre Royal.
The Choir Of Man - UK Tour, Nottingham Theatre Royal
★★★★☆ The Choir of Man at Nottingham Theatre Royal is a high-energy celebration of music, community and connection. Read our 4-star review.
PUBLIC: The Musical, Curve Leicester Review
PUBLIC – The Musical at Curve Leicester is a witty, pop-rock character study packed with heart, humour and a stunning set. Read our 4-star review.
Little Shop of Horrors - Derby Theatre Review
★★★★☆ Little Shop of Horrors review: Derby Theatre’s vibrant revival delivers stunning design, remarkable puppetry and a standout Seymour.
Bank of Dave: A Musical Celebration of Community and Spirit
Review: Bank of Dave: The Musical at Curve Leicester is warm, funny and crowd-pleasing, but its emotional depth struggles to match its energy.
Scenes From a Friendship - Nottingham Playhouse, Review
Review: Jane Upton’s Scenes from a Friendship at Nottingham Playhouse is a funny, deeply human two-hander packed with warmth and emotional honesty.
Legally Blonde - Nottingham Theatre Royal - UK Tour Review
Review: Legally Blonde at Nottingham Theatre Royal is a dazzling, hilarious five-star revival led by a sensational Amber Davies.
The Duchess of Malfi - Lace Market Theatre, Review
Review: Lace Market Theatre’s The Duchess of Malfi delivers striking visuals and committed performances in a heavy, uneven Jacobean tragedy.
Gentleman Jack - Nottingham Theatre Royal, Review
Northern Ballet’s Gentleman Jack at Nottingham's Theatre Royal is a stylish, sensual four-star ballet led by bold choreography and a magnetic central performance.
Frankie Goes To Bollywood - Derby Theatre, Review
★★★★☆ Frankie Goes to Bollywood review at Derby Theatre. Dazzling choreography, camp spectacle, and a bold Bollywood musical with heart. Four Stars!
Flyology, Union Theatre, Southwark - Review
Flyology at the Union Theatre is a bold, funny feminist musical with a thrilling score and standout performances. Read our 5-star review.
Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty - Derby Theatre Review
Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty review at Derby Theatre – a fast-paced, visually inventive Holmes mystery with gripping momentum.
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the RSC review
★★★☆☆ The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at the RSC review – Mark Gatiss leads a bold, Brechtian spectacle that impresses intellectually but struggles to fully engage.
Small Island - Nottingham Playhouse Review
Small Island Nottingham Playhouse review: a bold, emotionally charged adaptation with standout performances and urgent political resonance.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Nottingham Theatre Royal, Tour Review
Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Nottingham Theatre Royal dazzles with spectacle, standout performances, and camp energy in this 4-star review.
Hansard - Lace Market Theatre Review
Explore a captivating review of Hansard at Lace Market Theatre. Discover how Hansard's political drama unfolds in this Nottingham performance.
2:22 A Ghost Story - UK Tour, Nottingham Theatre Royal Review.
★★★☆☆ 2:22 A Ghost Story UK Tour review is a polished, performance-driven thriller that entertains but struggles to surprise.
bottom of page