SEASON ROUNDUP: July - September

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.

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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. Putting aside this extra element of immersion though, there was something profoundly human about this story of familial complexities, love, loss, and the long-lasting impact of government cutbacks, and the economic shift that happened as a consequence. The acting, direction, creative elements, and use of music, as well as a raw, gripping narrative, all combined for one of the finest new plays of the year.

(£20 on-stage ticket purchased on the day)

9. OLIVER!

Gielgud Theatre

He asked for more, and boy did he get it, over 14 years after he was last seen in the west end, everyone's favourite Dickensian orphan is back, in a new revival that was one of the hits of the 2024-25 season. Though I had performed in the orchestra pit for amateur productions in the past, this was my first time ever seeing a professional production, and it absolutely didn't disappoint, Matthew Bourne has given us a rip roaring, full bodied new staging that has well and truly thrown down the gauntlet as far as how to revive a beloved classic. There is little more to say, other than that this Dickens story, reimagined by Lionel Bart over 65 years ago, belongs in the west end.

8. A MANCHESTER ANTHEM

Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Individual theatre is arguably the most difficult to successfully translate, you are isolated, fully at the mercy of both your creative team and your audience, so consistency of delivery is of paramount importance. It's high risk, high reward, and it was a distinct joy to witness solo performer Tom Claxton manage to completely hold the audience. With his masterful storytelling, impressive character work, and winning personality, he guides us through a working class Mancunian lad's final night out before moving away to study at Oxford University, and the various misfortunes that befall him. Put simply, this was some of the best solo theatre I've seen in a long time.

(PR/Gifted tickets)

7. HOT MESS

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

From a one-man show to an intriguing two-hander written by one of the UK's most exciting up and coming musical theatre writers. Arguably one of the biggest hits of the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Jack Godfrey's newest musical "Hot Mess" told the story of earth's relationship with he human race from the early days to the present, with the physical embodiment of both the planet and humanity being portrayed as a human couple in a pretty intense, at times rather tumultuous relationship. Danielle Steers and Tobias Turley respectively brought these two entities to life with wonderful charm and wit, and their on-stage partnership was hugely endearing, plus Godfrey's hard rocking score was yet another musical triumph, after the success of "Babies" and "42 Balloons".

(PR/Gifted tickets)

6. QUADROPHENIA: A MOD BALLET

The Lowry, Salford

The only ballet to feature this year, and my goodness was it a good one. A new exponent of The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend, "Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet", named for both the 1973 album of the same name and the film which it later inspired, takes traditional ballet techniques, and blends it together with elements of 1960s mod culture for something truly unique and original. Whilst ballet, for me, in the past has been very much hit and miss, this was a simply extraordinary feat of modern dance, I was gripped from start to finish, not since Akram Khan's "Giselle" have I been this moved and drawn in by a ballet piece, for which Townshend and choreographer Paul Roberts deserve my endless adulation.

{PR/Gifted tickets}

5. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Leeds Playhouse

Aaron Sorkin's truly remarkable staging of Harper Lee's seminal work of literature commenced its current UK tour at the Leeds Playhouse, in a cast led masterfully by acting giant Richard Coyle as Atticus Finch. It is a testament to both the power of Lee's writing, and quality of direction by Bartlett Sher, that this adaptation managed to completely engross me, there was never a lull. This is sophisticated, hard-hitting storytelling, that addresses issues that, though prevalent at the time, still hold a devastating amount of relevance and weight today. And that's before we mention the exquisite acting performances to which we were treated, from Coyle's quietly stoic Atticus, to Anna Munden's beautifully measured, youthful yet wise depiction of Scout, and the ease with which the ensemble were able to incorporate themselves, this was by far one of the strongest casts I have seen all year.

(PR/Gifted tickets)

4. PENN & TELLER: 50 YEARS OF MAGIC

London Palladium

There is a very good reason why the magic partnership of Penn Jillette and Raymond Teller has stood the test of time, and in the year they celebrated half a century of triumph together, they finally, and rather surprisingly, made their west end debut with a run at the London Palladium during September. And with such a long lasting double act, one would expect the material to have become stale by now, but on the contrary, it is clear that the pair of them are committed to never resting on their laurels, with a host of brand new tricks never seen before last year. This was pure joy that reminded us why we enter a theatre in the first place, to experience that childlike wonder that is seldom seen elsewhere, and Penn & Teller, with the former's effortless charisma, and the latter's masterful misdirection and quiet confidence, are the foremost at what they do.

(purchased in part with TheatreTokens)

3. THE PRODUCERS

Garrick Theatre

Over 20 years later, we can finally say Mel Brooks' magnum opus "The Producers" is back in the west end, and my goodness was it worth the wait. Arguably to be one of the biggest contenders for best musical revival in the 2026 awards season, this Patrick Marber-directed revival, a direct transfer from the Menier Chocolate Factory, ticks all the right boxes and tickles all the required funny bones. The lead duo of Andy Nyman and Marc Antolin have boundless charisma and stage presence, and Johanna Woodward as Ulla was an absolute treat, deliciously funny and flirtatious, you always felt her presence when she was on stage. Though much of the humour was formulated over 60 years ago, Brooks' signature blend of wit, satire, slapstick and absurdity still fires on all cylinders, for an outrageous, uproariously hilarious time that has rightly become one of the hottest tickets.

(£30 rush ticket through TodayTix)

2. MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO

Gillian Lynne Theatre

My first Studio Ghibli experience was watching the film on which this new stage play is based mere weeks prior to attending it, and my big takeaway is this: why on earth did it take me so long to tune in to this stunning, whimsical world of endless imagination? Not only was this an absolutely sensational, riveting adaptation of the original Hayao Miyazaki animated feature from 1988, but the added theatre magic, including a phenomenally talented team behind both designing and manning the various puppets used in the play. The ability of the cast to disappear into these charming, beautifully designed items of puppetry was beyond impressive, but on top of a majestic array of visual treats, the play never loses the sense of imagination and wonder that is so brilliantly encapsulated in the film.

1. SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD (CONCERT)

Hammersmith (Eventim) Apollo

Put plainly, this was an experience that will live long in the memory, featuring not only a star-studded cast of broadway legends, but also the work's composer Jason Robert Brown directing from the piano. Being able to experience broadway behemoths Shoshana Bean, Titus Burgess, Jordan Fisher and Joy Woods performing this stunning score was a distinct pleasure, but it was a particular source of excitement to see Bean, who had previously performed in the show at New York City Center in 2018, reprise her role and perform songs such as "Just one step" and "Stars and moon", after I'd listened to said cast recording more or less on repeat for several years prior. What was the biggest, and most pleasant surprise though, was the first act ending with a brand new song, entitled "Invisible", a bold move from Brown that paid off in spades. There are moments in theatre that will live long, long in the memory, and this concert absolutely falls under that category.

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What were your favourite shows from July through September? Let me know below, or on my Instagram page.