MickeyJoTheatre

The joyous, immersive revival of the classic musical comedy GUYS & DOLLS has recently entered its second year at London’s Bridge Theatre with some new additions to its cast. The production, which has recently been nominated for multiple Olivier Awards including best revival of a Musical, now stars Celinde Schoenmaker, George Ioannides, Timmika Ramsay and Owain Arthur. Mickey-Jo had the joy of...

In 2020, West End audiences were getting ready for a long awaited revival of the musical comedy HELLO, DOLLY! starring Olivier Award winning actress Imelda Staunton at London's Adelphi Theatre. One pandemic and four years later, the show is finally making its way to a stage, albeit a different one as the same production readies to begin its limited run this summer at the London Palladium. Chec...

At the weekend, the London Palladium in the West End hosted another concert, a 10th anniversary celebration of the short lived musical adaptation of MADE IN DAGENHAM.The show, which previously ran at the Adelphi Theatre starring Gemma Arterton, now featured Pixie Lott, Killian Donnelly, Bonnie Langford, and more. Check out the new review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on the show, this concert and i...

On Tuesday this week the 2024 Olivier Award Nominations were announced, with many shows, creatives and performers gaining recognition for their achievements. Alongside this, however, many talented performers and brilliant productions missed out on nominations and, like any announcement of this kind, there were definitely some surprises. From Doubtfire the Musical to The Motive and The Cue, stars l...

After two successful West End runs, the UK production of BONNIE & CLYDE has recently embarked on a UK Tour, and Mickey-Jo was lucky enough to be at the press night at the Wolverhampton Grand. The tour currently stars Alex James-Hatton, Katie Tonkinson, Sam Ferriday, Catherine Tyldesley and Jaz Ellington. Check out the new review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts about the show, this production and...

On Tuesday 12th March at 12pm, the nominations for the 2024 Olivier Awards will be announced, celebrating the best of West End Theatre. In today's episode, Mickey-Jo and his stagey fiancé Aeron James are predicting which shows, performers and creatives might be nominated amidst a hugely busy year. Check out today's new episode for their thoughts and make sure to comment down below with all...

Earlier this year, while Mickey-Jo was in New York, he got to catch the Broadway transfer of DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES.Based on a film of the same name, this musical is written by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas and stars Kelli O'Hara and Brian D'Arcy James. Check out the new review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on this show which has recently announced it will be closing at Studio 54 a month ear...

Mickey-Jo is hugely excited (and scared) to announce that later this year he will be producing his first ever live show: MickeyJoTheatre LIVE at the Phoenix Arts Club in London. Joined by musical theatre stars to be announced, the show will be 2 acts of song, chat and musical theatre trivia with plenty of surprises in store. Tickets are on sale immediately for YouTube channel members (password ava...

Around a year after Mickey-Jo last saw Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre in London, he returned to see the show's West End transfer at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. The musical, which combines a script by Chris Bush and the music of Richard Hawley, follows three generations living in the same flat of an iconic Sheffield housing estate, and won the 2023 Olivier Award for Best New...

This week, the multi-Olivier Award nominated revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA! arrived at the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End for its limited run in the West End. This bold reinterpretation of the classic musical, directed by Daniel Fish, stars Arthur Darvill, Anoushka Lucas, Patrick Vaill, Georgina Onuorah, Liza Sadovy and more! Check out the new review for Mickey-Jo's thou...

Last month saw the opening of HADESTOWN at the Lyric Theatre in West End, direct from Tony Award winning Broadway success and five years after it was last seen by London audiences, at the National Theatre. The show, whose Broadway run subsequently went on to win the 2019 Tony Award for Best New Musical, now stars Dónal Finn, Grace Hodgett-Young, Melanie La Barrie, Zachary James, Gloria Onitiri and...

The upcoming West End transfer of the hit Broadway play 'Slave Play' by Jeremy O'Harris has recently caught the attention of the British press (as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak) for planning two 'Black Out' performances during its 13 week run, to which entirely black-identifying audience members will be invited to attend. Though many have been quick to call this racist, th...

Mickey-Jo recently visited the Old Vic Theatre in London to see one of this year's most anticipated new shows, a jukebox musical telling the story of the historic Live Aid concert, 'Just For One Day'.The show depicts characters including Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and contains the music of Queen, Madonna, The Police, David Bowie, The Beatles, Bog Dylan, and more. Check out the new review...

Mickey-Jo recently attended the opening night of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, a new theatrical adaptation of the Oscar Wilde story, transferring to London from Australia. The play stars succession star Sarah Snook in a tour de force performance as each of the narrative's characters, aided by cutting edge deployment of live camera feeds and prerecorded footage. But how many cameras is too many?...

This week saw the opening of HADESTOWN at the Lyric Theatre in West End, direct from Tony Award winning Broadway success and five years after it was last seen by London audiences, at the National Theatre. But the show's critical reception left fans on both sides of the Atlantic frustrated, with many taking to social media to speak out against some of the negative commentary. Did the British pr...

Back in January Mickey-Jo flew to New York to see a bunch of shows, including the Encores presentation of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS at New York City Center. The show, which originally starred Carol Burnett in the 1960s, featured Sutton Foster, Michael Urie, J Harrison Ghee, Harriet Harris, and more! Check out the review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on the show, its star casting, and whether a Broadway...

Last week Mickey-Jo saw THE ADDAMS FAMILY in concert at the London Palladium. The musical, which had yet to be produced in the West End despite two UK Tours, starred Ramin Karimloo as Gomez and Michelle Visage as Morticia. Check out the new review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on this starry casting, the show itself, and whether it worked as a semi-staged concert... • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the...

Last night, Mickey-Jo was lucky enough to be invited to review a hugely anticipated new play - The Hills of California. The play, written by Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem, The Ferryman) and directed by Sam Mendes, has just opened at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End. Check out the new review for my many thoughts on this show, its revelations, and its powerful performances. • About Mickey-Jo:...

While Mickey-Jo was in New York, he was lucky enough to catch a performance of HARMONY, the musical by Bruce Sussman and Barry Manilow which sadly closed last weekend at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. The show, which followed the historic career of 1920s vocal group The Comedian Harmonists, was first seen by audiences in the late 1990s but has taken more than two decades to make it to Br...

This week has seen plenty of exciting theatre news about casting in the West End. Today it was announced that Director Jamie Lloyd's latest project would be a major revival of the popular Shakespeare tragedy Romeo & Juliet starring Hollywood actor Tom Holland. But we also recently learned that the latest actress to play the iconic Sally Bowles in Rebecca Frecknall's award-winning reviv...

When Shakespeare's Globe announced that Michelle Terry would play Richard III in an upcoming production of the play of the same name, backlash ensued. Terry, who is the venue's Artistic Director, is an able bodied actress, despite the character being disabled. In this episode Mickey-Jo explains what has happened, talking through statements and open letters and sharing his thoughts on this...

Mickey-Jo recently got back from a week in New York seeing as many Broadway shows as he could, and one of his most hotly anticipated was the new musical HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, currently running at the Belasco Theatre. The show, which is based on the 2015 documentary of the same name, depicts seven young adults with autism in a counselling group who are preparing for a spring formal dance amidst rom...

After sharing his recommendations for UK theatre in 2024, Mickey-Jo is sharing his thoughts on some of the most exciting announced, planned and rumoured shows for this year in the US.With new musicals, plus, revivals and regional productions there are plenty of intriguing and brilliant shows to consider including The Notebook, Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard, Uncle Vanya, and more! Check out the new epi...

Mickey-Jo was recently invited to The Other Palace Theatre in London to see Cruel Intentions: the 90s musical. Check out his new review for his thoughts on this show... • About Mickey-Jo: As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in t...

Right now, it feels as though more shows than ever are announcing early closure on Broadway and in the West End. With last season's Shucked, Some Like it Hot and Kimberly Akimbo all set to close before the 2024 Tony Awards, and The Time Traveller's Wife announcing an early West End departure, what are the reasons for these shows struggling to succeed? In fact, even as Mickey-Jo put this ep...