theatreguidelondon

What we do . . .
We offer authoritative, independent London theatre reviews. We also cover London's fringe and some theatre outside London, notably the annual Edinburgh Festival. We list upcoming shows and offer insiders' hints on saving money on theatre tickets.

Whether you go to the theatre every evening or are planning a single night out, whether you already know what you like or want help choosing a show, TheatreguideLondon's reviews of past and current London shows are for you!

What we don't do . . .
We don't sell tickets. We don't take ads from shows. And we have no tie-ins with producers or ticket brokers.

So if a show is bad, we'll say so. And therefore if we say it's good, you can believe us. Click on one of the categories to the left to read our reviews of current London shows.

Who we are . . .
Our reviewers are not just fans, but experienced professional theatre critics. Our lead reviewers have almost 50 years' experience between them:

• Veteran theatre critic GERALD BERKOWITZ has written five bestselling books on drama and theatre including American Drama of the Twentieth Century and New Broadways: Theatre Across America. His theatre reviews have appeared in The Stage newspaper, InTheater Magazine, Shakespeare Quarterly and other publications for over 30 years, and in 2006 he was elected to London's prestigious Critics Circle.
• NICK AWDE has written more than 40 books and dramatic works, including the musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber The Musical and I've Seen That Movie Too. He is co-author with Chris Bartlett of the comedies Pete and Dud - Come Again (Edinburgh 2005, West End 2006, national tour 2007) and Unnatural Acts (Edinburgh 2007) and author of the drama Blood Confession (Edinburgh 2007). His latest book is Mellotron - The Machine and Musicians that Revolutionised Rock . He frequently writes for The Stage and has been a regular theatre critic for over 15 years.

Save your money. . .
Here's something ticket brokers won't tell you. Click on our Buying Tickets page for insiders' hints for saving money on London theatre tickets.

WHAT'S NEW . . . . KIDS WEEK - three weeks, actually, August 11 - September 3 - offers free tickets and other special features. CLICK HERE for more. . . . Whoopi Goldberg joins SISTER ACT in August, playing the Mother Superior . . . . Anglo-American Bridge Project, currently at the Old Vic, to skip next year and not return until 2012 . . . . London to see three productions of LES MISERABLES this autumn - the original, the touring production at the Barbican, and an arena staging at the O2 . . . . 2009 was another record-breaking year for the West End, with over 14 million tickets sold . . . . Travelex signs to underwrite another three summers of National Theatre £10 seats . . . . TKTS office now sells discount tickets in advance . . . .FREE THEATRE TICKETS for those under 25 - CLICK HERE for details . . . . Many London theatres have 'secret' discount deals - CLICK HERE for a list and other guides to saving money. . . .

LATEST REVIEWS . . . . HOUSE OF BILQUIS BIBI, SPUR OF THE MOMENT, DANTON'S DEATH, THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

LAST CHANCES . . .Closing notices up for SUCKER PUNCH July 31, THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY July 31, AFTER THE DANCE August 11, ENRON August 14, SPUR OF THE MOMENT August 21, AS YOU LIKE IT August 21, THE TEMPEST August 21, LA BETE August 28, HAIR September 4, BURN THE FLOOR September 4, TAP DOGS September 5, ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR September 5, SHERLOCK HOLMES September 11, WELCOME TO THEBES September 12, THE HABIT OF ART September 21, EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON September 22, PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE September 25, SISTER ACT September 30, ALL MY SONS October 2, DANTON'S DEATH October 14, AVENUE Q October 30, EDUCATING RITA October 30, SHIRLEY VALENTINE October 30, GHOST STORIES November 7, OLIVER January 8.

Just Ask
Have any questions about London theatre? We can't promise that we'll have the answers at our fingertips, but we'll do our best to find them. Just CLICK HERE to send your query

From the archives . . .
Our file of past reviews covers more than 2000 shows that played London, Edinburgh and elsewhere in Britain since 1999.

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Stay up to date . . .
TheatreguideLondon reviews are original and exclusive to this site, and updated regularly. Our critics are constantly reviewing new shows and revisiting old ones, so check back frequently .

Top Five - Classic

If you haven't seen them yet, we suggest you begin your London theatre experience with these classics

Phantom of the Opera

Les Miserables

Chicago

Mamma Mia

Billy Elliot

And Also....

A few more long-running shows we've particularly liked

War Horse

Jersey Boys

Wicked