MickeyJoTheatre

A video has recently resurfaced which Mickey-Jo originally shared in September 2020, detailing some of the musical theatre lyrics with which he took issue. Today, he is adding to that list with more lyrics from great and popular musicals that he thinks ought to be better. Don't forget to share some of your own examples in the comments below and feel free to fight Mickey-Jo about his! check out...

This week, Mickey-Jo headed back Into the Woods, this time to see the Bridge Theatre revival's production in its new home, transferred to the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End. This production of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine written musical, directed by Jordan Fein, stars Kate Fleetwood, Gracie McGonigal, Laura Pitt-Pulford, John Dagleish, Simbi Akande, Keith Ramsay, and more in a d...

After INTO THE WOODS opened at the Noel Coward Theatre, Mickey-Jo had the chance to visit the show's opening night party and interview the revival's company. Find out what Kate Fleetwood, Laura Pitt-Pulford, John Dagleish, and more had to say about their time in the production so far. sign up to Mickey-Jo's weekly substack newsletter: www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com About Mickey-Jo: A...

A new production of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical RENT has just opened at the Tom Stoppard Theatre in the West End. The musical stars Gaten Matarazzo alongside Travis Ross, Alexa Lopez, Jeevan Braich, Danielle Fiamanya, Billy Nevers, Lazy Violet, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, and more. 30 years on from the landmark original production in New York, find out why Mickey-...

Earlier this week, the hotly anticipated new production of William Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT opened at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon. The comedy stars Tony Award winning Broadway actor Jonathan Groff as Rosalind in an all-male production directed by Daniel Evans. Check out the full review to find out what Mickey-Jo thought of this production's concept, performances, a...

The 2026-2027 Broadway season has officially commenced and is set to bring numerous exciting productions of plays and musicals. The new and revived shows include the likes of Paddington the Musical, Evita, Inter Alia, Paranormal Activity, Dolly, Damn Yankees, Other Desert Cities, A Few Good Men, The Sound of Music, Much Ado about Nothing, and more. Before Mickey-Jo has seen any of this season'...

Inspired by some recent social media discourse, Mickey-Jo has been thinking about whether audience members have the right to expect perfection from stage performers. Recent performances have come under intense scrutiny due to the propagation of bootleg recordings, but the truth is that onstage mishaps and mistakes are nothing new. From Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd to Billy Porter in Cabaret, Mi...

Among the plays Mickey-Jo saw this week were the latest from James Graham: "The Standard of Living" at Theatre Royal Haymarket and a new revival of Noel Coward's "Hay Fever" at the Wyndham's Theatre. Find out what Mickey-Jo thought of each of these productions, including their creative choices, material, and performances... sign up to Mickey-Jo's weekly substack new...

Last night, Mickey-Jo saw a new production of one of his favourite plays: Edward Albee's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? This new London production at @SohoPlace stars Gillian Anderson and Billy Crudup aa feuding spouses Martha and George and has already sold out the duration of its limited run. Find out whether this production lived up to Mickey-Jo's expectations and what these centra...

The hugely anticipated West End revival of the Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT opened last weekend at the Tom Stoppard Theatre in London. The production stands to be the biggest major revival of the show since it was originally staged. The cast includes Gaten Matarazzo as Mark, Travis Ross as Roger, Alexa Lopez as Mimi, Billy Nevers as Collins, Lazy Violet as Maureen, Olivier Award nominee Dan...

Ahead of WICKED's 20th anniversary celebrations this weekend in London, Mickey-Jo met the West End production's very first Glinda - Helen Dallimore. Having seen Helen and Idina lead the show, which was the first West End musical Mickey-Jo ever saw, it was hugely special to ask her about her memories of the audition process, rehearsals and opening night performance. Mickey-Jo also spoke wit...

Having been heavily revised since it first premiered more than a decade ago, the musical THE LAST SHIP is back in an international tour that has just reached London. The show, which features a score from recording artist Sting, who also appears in the production, is currently playing a brief run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End after travelling to the Netherlands, New York and Australia...

This week Mickey-Jo headed to Woking Theatre to see the new production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This revival of the play, adapted by Simon Stephens from the acclaimed book by Mark Haddon, began at the Birmingham Rep ahead of a UK Tour. Find out what Mickey-Jo thought of the new production including the different design and the choice to gender-swap the central characte...

More than two decades after its short-lived original Broadway run, the musical adaptation of JANE EYRE has finally received its UK professional premiere. Starring Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour, the production is running for a limited time at Southwark Playhouse Elephant and is co-directed by John Caird and Megan McGinnis. Check out what Mickey-Jo's thoughts of the newly intimate staging, the...

Over the past 25 years, more and more original scores for stage musicals have been written by recording artists turned first time composers. From Sir Elton John and Dolly Parton to Hadestown and Spring Awakening, find out which Mickey-Jo thinks are the best (and worst) popstar penned original scores... check out Mickey-Jo's weekly substack newsletter: www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com • 00:00 | int...

The stage musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre premiered on Broadway more than 25 years ago, and has finally received its UK professional premiere. The show is playing at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, under the co-direction of John Caird and Megan McGinnis, with Charlie Burn starring as Jane alongside Ashley Gilmour as Rochester. On Thursday 17th September, Mickey-Jo joined producer...

It has been announced that a musical based on the NANNY MCPHEE films is coming to the West End next year. A world-class creative team has been assembled to bring Nanny McPhee to the stage including book by Academy Award®, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor and writer Emma Thompson (who won an Academy Award® for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility), music by singer-songw...

One of London's latest theatrical openings is a new musical adaptation of the Award-winning 1991 film THELMA & LOUISE. Playing at the Young Vic, the world premiere production stars Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker in the leading roles. In this full review, find out what Mickey-Jo enjoyed about the show, how a road movie is realised onstage, and whether you should check it out for yourself... check...

In what is beginning to feel like a Broadway bloodbath, another musical has announced that it will soon be closing - the Tony-nominated original Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). The show, previously seen in London at the Criterion Theatre, will have run for a year of performances at the Longacre Theatre in New York and is soon to be soon around the US on its first National Tour. With...

Over the last week or so, Mickey-Jo has seen a handful of different plays at four different theatres across London. They were: • Electra / Persona at the National Theatre • for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at the Yard Theatre • Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy at Stratford East • Man To Man at the Royal Court Today Mickey-Jo is sharing his reviews of each of...

Ahead of its opening night, Mickey-Jo had the chance to sit down with the two leading ladies of the new musical adaptation of the award winning film, THELMA AND LOUISE. Amy Lennox (Cabaret, Kinky Boots) and Rachel Tucker (Wicked, Come From Away) are both established stage stars who have brought powerful performances to the stage and are no strangers to developing material. Check out what they had...

The much-talked about upcoming West End revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE has officially been postponed and will not run next summer at the Barbican. The musical, written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, was set to star Wicked movie alums Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey, who have both departed the production this Summer as ticket sales have been delayed. Find out why the show's Barb...

Yet another Broadway show has announced it will close in the first week of 2027, and this time it's the long running jukebox musical, & JULIET. The show, which expands on Shakespeare's most famous romantic tragedy with the songbook of Max Martin, has been playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York since late 2022. Here are Mickey-Jo's thoughts on why the show will end, as well as why...

The musical KIMBERLY AKIMBO is making its UK Premiere at the Hampstead Theatre in London, starring Maria Friedman. The show, written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori, was previously seen on Broadway where it won awards including the Tony for Best New Musical. Find out what Mickey-Jo thought of the show which he saw thrice across the Atlantic, and how he felt about the creative choices of...

After missing out on the chance to see it during its since cancelled run in Woking, Mickey-Jo headed to Cardiff earlier this week to watch the new UK Touring production of Burlesque. The musical adaptation, seen previously under different creative teams in Manchester and London, is based on the film of the same name starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. Amidst alleged backstage chaos, here are Mic...