MickeyJoTheatre

With theatre fans once again talking about stunt casting, it's finally time to have a robust conversation about the controversial topic. From Whitney Leavitt in Chicago on Broadway to Natalie Bassingthwaite in the Australian premiere of Waitress, there are plenty of current examples of the practice which have been come under criticism. check out Mickey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter: www.micke...

Mickey-Jo is sharing reviews of four plays he's seen in the last couple of weeks in London: • Shadowlands, by William Nicholson at the Aldwych Theatre • Deep Azure, by Chadwick Boseman at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe • Guess How Much I Love You?, by Luke Norris at the Royal Court Theatre • Man and Boy, by Terence Rattigan at the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre Check o...

It was recently announced that Jamie Lloyd's acclaimed production of William Shakespeare’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING will transfer to Broadway in the next season later this year. The production, which will once again star Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, will play at an as yet unannounced theatre, and is rumoured to be a precursor to the much talked about Broadway transfer of Evita starring Rachel Z...

Mickey-Jo was recently invited to attend a gala night at the West End production of CABARET, currently running at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre in London. The production, which has been directed by Rebecca Frecknall and originally starred Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley has recently welcomed new stars Matt Willis (Waitress, Little Shop of Horrors) and Katie Hall (Les Misérables, The...

It was announced yesterday that a stage play based on the stories by George RR Martin, a prequel to Game of Thrones, would receive its world premiere this Summer at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The play, titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King, will debut in Stratford Upon Avon, with full details to be confirmed, and will be written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke. Check out Micke...

One of the most anticipated West End productions of 2026 has finally arrived, as Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo opened last night at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. The production, which has already been seen in Australia, has been adapted and directed by Kip Williams and comes on the heels of his previous staging of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook. The production has divided cr...

One of the most anticipated West End productions of 2026 has finally arrived, as Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo opens tonight at the Noel Coward Theatre in London. The production, which has already been seen in Australia, will be adapted and directed by Kip Williams and comes on the heels of his previous staging of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook. Check out this full review to find...

There has recently been a lot of online conversation about a couple of new stage productions in the UK, both of which were, at the time, in previews. The online criticism of early performances of Dracula starring Cynthia Erivo, and curtain call footage of Legally Blonde on tour starring Amber Davies has reignited the debate about whether or not a show's earliest performances should be criticised....

One of the most celebrated plays of the 20th century, and perhaps the finest work of Tom Stoppard, Arcadia, has recently returned to the stage in a new production at the Old Vic Theatre. This revival, opening only a few months after the celebrated playwright's passing, is directed by Carrie Cracknell. Check out Mickey-Jo's thoughts on the lauded play, its mathematical complexities, and this new pr...

Less than a year after it arrived in the West End, it has been announced that Disney's HERCULES will conclude its run in London. This perhaps surprising news has invited speculation as to why the popular show is ending so soon, and which show might be next at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane? Is this the soon to be announced West End home of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, or is Broadway going to be that musical's...

The West End's newest musical is THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY, based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Joyce. The show is adapted with a book by Joyce and an original score by the indie-folk somgwriter, Passenger, and stars Mark Addy and Jenna Russell. Check out Mickey-Jo's thoughts on the show, its material, and its design in this full review... • 00:00 | introduction 03:02 | synop...

Last Wednesday, Mickey-Jo spent all day at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon to see the two part play ALL IS BUT FANTASY. The piece, which is written, composed, directed and performed by Whitney White, extrapolates Shakespeare’s tragic heroines in order to study their arcs, empowerment and lasting social impact. Check out this full review for Mickey-Jo's thoughts on both plays s...

A few days ago, it was announced that MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL would close on Broadway after 7 years at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The stage musical, based on the Baz Luhrmann film of the same name, opened in July 2019 and earned multiple Tony Awards, before giving way to multiple international productions and a US national Tour. Is this a surprising announcement for Broadway, and does it tell us...

Amidst an already exciting year of theatregoing in the United Kingdom, Mickey-Jo and his stagey fiancé  @AeronJames are talking through some of their most anticipated plays and musicals in 2026. In and beyond the West End, from return engagements of Inter Alia and Cyrano de Bergerac, to new productions of The Greatest Showman and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry as well as regional reviv...

Last month, Mickey-Jo travelled to Madrid in Spain to see major productions of some of the world's most iconic and well-loved musicals: Los Miserables, Wicked and The Book of Mormon. Two of these productions were non-replica stagings, with entirely new creative teams bringing their own vision to the story, and all were performed entirely in Spanish, by Spanish performers. Check out this triple bil...

During Mickey-Jo's most recent trip to New York City, he found himself with very limited options and time enough for an additional show in his schedule, which sent him (to his own surprise) back to CHICAGO. The last thing Mickey-Jo expected on his 3rd visit to the long-running Broadway revival was a startling glimpse at its former (and enduringly possible) glory, but thanks to the sublime principa...

One of Broadway's most recent new openings is BUG, a new production of The Tracy play which premiered in 1996. This production, first seen at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, stars Carrie Coon and Namir Smallwood. Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of this apparently divisive play... • check out Mickey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter: www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com 00:00 | introduction 03:32 | over...

This week, after considerable intrigue and massive demand for tickets, the musical adaptation of AMERICAN PSYCHO has returned to the London stage, with a revised production opening at the Almeida Theatre where it first premiered in 2013. The musical, which features a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and a score by Duncan Sheik, stars Arty Froushan as Patrick Bateman alongside a cast filled with the...

This week, Mickey-Jo spent three consecutive nights at Off West End Theatres reviewing new musicals. The shows were: Cable Street (Marylebone Theatre), Beautiful Little Fool (Southwark Playhouse Borough), and Ballad Lines (Southwark Playhouse Elephant). Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of each of these musicals in a triple bill review! • 00:00 | introduction 02:24 | Cable Street (★★★) 12:11 | Beau...

In surprising news, it was announced earlier today that the popular (and controversial) stage musical adaptation of BURLESQUE would return to London later this year following a cancelled Japanese run. The show, which ran last year at the Savoy Theatre and sparked an equity investigation, will run concurrently at a new West End venue in Marble Arch and on tour around the UK, with creatives to be an...

Earlier this month Mickey-Jo flew to Madrid to see four musicals in Spanish, in spite of the fact that he does not speak the language. Among the most intriguing was an original production of CABARET, one which again transformed the auditorium (of Teatro Albéniz at the UMusic Hotel) into the Kit Kat Club. Check out Mickey-Jo's full review to find out why it was so shocking, which characters were af...

Earlier this week it was announced that THE TRAITORS, the global television phenomenon, was being developed for a London stage launch in 2027. While, at this time, it remains unclear exactly what this production will be - a live version of the game, or a narrative play based on it, we can certainly expect that it will prove to be popular. Ahead of further details being announced, Mickey-Jo is taki...

As January draws to a close, Mickey-Jo and his stagey fiancé  @AeronJames  are once more talking through their theatrical resolutions for the coming year. By taking a look at the goals they set this time last year, Mickey-Jo and Aeron are refocusing their priorities for theatregoing, content creation and travel. These include theatres they'd like to visit, countries they're eager to retu...

It was recently announced that actor and social media personality, Dylan Mulvaney, would join the Broadway cast of SIX the Musical alongside other new cast members including Abigail Barlow and returning members of the original Broadway company. In an increasingly dangerous climate for the trans community, this news has unearthed criticism, with the show's X account becoming temporarily private in...

After reported rumours, it has now been confirmed that a major new revival of the musical SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE will open at the Barbican in London in Summer 2027. The musical, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985, was written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, and will star Wicked stars Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande. In this theatrical news recap, Mickey-Jo is sharing al...