"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." - James Taylor Theatrical legend Lorna Dallas takes to the stage once again to present a cabaret of her favourite songs from the show tune songbook. Dallas comes from a small town in Southern Illinois and dared to dream her way to the stage, despite her family's views on the life of an artist. Hearing her talk and sing, you can hear that Lorna lives and breathes for the stage. Having appeared in the Adelphi Theatre product

Shantify is not a show built on narrative - and it doesn't need to be. Much like the popular Choir of Man, it takes famous songs and turns them into sea shanties, and having heard a lot about it yet not being a fan of the former, I was sceptical going in. But from the minute they started singing, all of those apprehensions disappeared. The cast of six West End performers harmonise to perfection, entertaining a crowd who cannot help but clap, laugh and cheer. The story follows

Judges: Simon Lipkin (Oliver!), Georgina Castle (Mean Girls), Ben Forster (The Phantom of the Opera), Alexia Khadime (Wicked) This year, the competition at West End Calling is fierce as ever. It sounds cliché - but the talent up on that stage tonight was really something, and I was only present at one of the three finals of the day! West End Calling is a competition. There’s no doubt about that, but there is something about every interview and the energy in the room that mak

There are some composers whose music feels too big for an ordinary stage. Jim Steinman was one of them. And the London Coliseum, grand and sweeping as it is, felt like the only fitting venue for an evening dedicated to his work. From the opening number to the final bow, this was a concert that understood exactly what Steinman's music requires: scale, commitment, and the kind of voices that can match an orchestra at full cry. My journey with this music started years ago, but i

Recently, West End theatres have played host to a growing number of one-night-only concerts and musical premieres. These productions have received a wide range of responses—from standing ovations for last month’s revival of Once On This Island to more measured, and at times scathing, criticism for others. While the premiere of Rosie does not quite fall into the category of failure, it cannot comfortably be called a success either. This show follows the story of Miss Rosie B

All I want is a room somewhere I can listen to this music, all day, every day. Oh, wouldn’t that be loverly? Every theatre lover understands the deep affection for cinema — and more specifically, for movie musicals. From Bernstein’s iconic West Side Story to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel , or even Pasek and Paul’s La La Land , these are the stories where characters burst into song not out of realism, but out of emotional necessity. There is, one might argue, no feeling

Maury Yeston ’s 80th birthday was marked with a concert that served not merely as a celebration, but as a vivid reminder of the singular voice he has brought to musical theatre. Drawing on a selection of his most acclaimed and beloved works, the programme illuminated the breadth of a career defined by musical sophistication, lyrical clarity, and an unwavering commitment to storytelling. Eliza Wilmot Through a series of recorded interview segments, Yeston shared everything fr

The sell-out, Irish-inspired Christmas concert returns for another UK tour, bringing festive cheer to audiences nationwide. Blending pop favourites, classic carols, Irish dance, and Celtic hits, A Fairytale for Christmas promises an evening that’s hard to forget. Having previously reviewed Seven Drunken Nights: The Story of the Dubliners —created by the same team as this production—I was pleasantly surprised by how much effort had gone into making A Fairytale for Christmas a