TRADGE THE THEATRE GEEK

We are back with another top 10, and to help you shake the January blues, we have a selection of songs from musicals that can help you feel like you can take on the world, so here is my selection of up-beat songs to get you in the right mood for the new year. Oh and there will be major plot points discussed here, so a SPOILER ALERT is in place before we begin... (Click each photo to be taken to each respective song) ----- 10. "Put Your Mind To It" - Back To The Future Hugh C

A terrific year of theatre finished strongly with some of my favourite productions I’d seen during 2025, including 4 of my top 5 musicals for the year, and a flurry of broadway and off-broadway shows to finish off strong... ----- 10. WYLD WOMAN: THE LEGEND OF SHY GIRL Southwark Playhouse Borough Isabel Renner As someone who is a pretty major introvert at the best of times, this new play by Isabel Renner struck a pretty major chord with me. " Wyld Woman " is one severely socia

Summer into autumn saw concerts, fringe shows and more than one form of theatre magic, as we celebrated half a century of the world's most beloved duo of magicians. Here are my top 10 picks for the third quarter of 2025. ----- 10. TILL THE STARS COME DOWN Theatre Royal, Haymarket The first entry is a play that provided me with my first appearance on a west end stage, as this Beth Steel play, a transfer from the National Theatre , took the west end by storm during the summer.

Spring into summer this year saw plays and fringe theatre dominate the scene, and a healthy mix of west end, off-west end and regional theatre feature in part 2 of this 4 part annual roundup. This is the 10 best shows I saw during the second quarter of the year. ----- 10. TICK, TICK...BOOM! Theatr Clwyd, Mold After a major refurbishment funded in part by the Welsh government and the Arts Council of Wales, Theatr Clwyd finally reopened its doors in June this year after over 4

We are reaching that time where we say goodbye to the concluding year, and begin ringing in the next, so given that we have made it to almost 150 shows for the year, once again we are doing this quarterly. Here are my top 10 shows for the first three months of the year. ----- 10. KENREX Southwark Playhouse, London We start with not only a solo show, but one of the most gripping pieces of one-man theatre you're ever likely to see. Gripping, intense, and jam packed with terrifi

The bitter cold has begun to sting and nip at our noses, and there's arguably no better way to warm ourselves up that to spend the winter season enjoying some terrific theatre. Here are my picks for shows opening over the coming months that have presented plenty of cause for intrigue. ----- LONDON Into The Woods   (Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine) Bridge Theatre: opening 02/12 Tickets : book here " Why would you go into the woods? To sell the cow, To visit mother, To see the ki

Whilst it is always a marvellous joy to see new theatre being showcased on the biggest stages, I feel it is also important to remember the various shows that have been forgotten, neglected, or just not given their due care or attention over the years, and there will invariably be plays, musicals, even ballets and operas, that sadly will go unperformed for years on end. So with this in mind, here are a few of my picks for stage shows for which a revival is long overdue... ----

Lizzi Gee (director/choreographer) Earlier this week I had the chance to attend a press event for upcoming European premiere of “Ride The Cyclone” at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, during which I managed to sit down and chat with Lizzi Gee , director and choreographer for the production. Prior to this, the room was treated. to three sneak peek performances from the show, all of which can be viewed on my TikTok page . Additionally you can view rehearsal photos from Lyric Hammer

Winter's nigh, and summers oer, so to keep us occupied during the inevitable shift from warm summer days to long winter nights, we have a wonderful range of musicals, plays and more set to open this autumn around the UK, here are some of the highlight of what's coming up! ----- LONDON The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde) Noël Coward Theatre - opening 17/09 Tickets : book here "The National Theatre’ s sold-out production of The Importance of Being Earnest transfers

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe approaches, whilst there will always be far too many shows for one to be able to see everything, with an average of 3700 - 3800 different productions playing over the course of late July and through the entirety of August every year, so here is a roundup of just a taster of the various plays, musicals and more that are catching the eye so far for the 2025 festival. HOT MESS, 30.07 - 25.08 Pleasance Two at Pleasance Courtyard We kick things of