TOP 10 TUESDAY: Plays With Music
- James Tradgett
- Jul 22
- 8 min read
How to distinguish between a musical and a play with music/songs has been a topic of some contention in recent years, but it seems to be generally accepted that the storytelling is key; if the story still makes sense if you remove the music, then it is a play, as the storytelling through song is where the distinction is made. Here are my picks for the top 10 plays that utilise(d) music, but not as a means of advancing the narrative.
10. ANIMAL FARM
Leeds Playhouse/Stratford East Production (2025)
To start things off, how about a reimagined George Orwell classic. Whilst there have been a number of stage adaptations of "Animal Farm", the latest exponent of up and coming playwright Tatty Hennessy is perhaps the most dark, visceral, and authentically Stalinesque iteration of Orwell's original allegory, in that the animals in question, as in the novel, exhibit characteristics of both human and beast, in a dark, dirty and harrowing expression of the message of this Russian revolutionary satire.
There are various bits and pieces of music, but the main one that really packs a punch is "Beasts of England", the adopted revolutionary anthem of Animal Farm. Originally described as being an upbeat piece of music in the novella, a combination of "La cucaracha" and "Oh my darling Clementine", Hennessy instead opts for a more brooding, atmospheric musical direction for this refrain, and though it is a departure from the book, this new musical interpretation is remarkably haunting, and entirely in keeping with the darker tone of the play.
9. STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW
West end (2023)
Next up we have the 2023 play based on the critically acclaimed Netflix series by the Duffer Brothers who, along with Kate Trefry and Jack Thorne, devised this staged prequel based on the same town, people and lore. "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" contains a whole host of adult characters we become acquainted with on the TV series, many portrayed as teenagers attending Hawkins High School, and although much of the action is focussed on the various occult, supernatural phenomena that befall the town of Hawkins, there is a subplot that centres around both music and theatre.
First we have a church choir sequence early in act 1, then later there are various audition and rehearsal scenes for Joyce Maldonado's school musical production, featuring singing in various guises from the company. The play is a wonderful balance of being fun, frivolous and frightening, as interspersing the scares and intense scenes are these moments of musical levity, making for an enthralling, engrossing piece of theatre that you often forget is three hours long.
8. KENREX
Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse (2024)
If there's one thing British audiences collectively love, it's a good crime thriller, as evidenced by the success of TV shows like Line of Duty and Broadchurch, as well as the stage success of Agatha Christie, with two of her plays running open ended in the west end. Based on a true story, Kenrex is a one-man play based on the life of Ken McElroy, a brute of a man who terrorised the small USA town of Skidmore, Missouri, infamous for dozens of accusations and indictments, but facing little to no justice for his crimes.
The accompanying Americana music soundtrack was all performed live by John Patrick Elliott (known professionally as "The Little Unsaid"), and was primarily a means of building and maintaining the atmosphere of intensity, fear and dread, reflecting the collective chagrin of the long-suffering townspeople. It features prominently, and it's a brilliant collective effort between actor and musician, that rightly received an almost universally positive critical response.
7. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
Leeds Playhouse (2017)
C. S. Lewis's revered book series "The Chronicles of Narnia" has been charming readers for generations, and with the initial volume of the series celebrating its 75th birthday this year, it felt pertinent to include its recent stage adaptation in this list, especially given the incorporation of music by Benji Bower and Barnaby Race. Adapted to the stage by Adam Peck, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" tells the story of the Pevensie siblings, who are evacuated to the countryside during the war, and stumble upon a magical world via a wardrobe they find in the house they find themselves inhabiting.
In a 2021 reimagining by director Michael Fentiman, the show employed an actor-musician cast, which made better sense of the incorporation of music into the play, and added considerably to the feel of whimsy and fantasy. The magic of C. S. Lewis translates beautifully to the stage, Peck, Bower and Race have really created something beautiful.
6. THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA
West end (2024)
The second of four plays on this list that opened in London but later transferred to broadway, Jez Butterworth's "The Hills of California" was critically revered across both cities, including gaining a New York Times critics' pick and being nominated for seven Tony awards. Set in alternating time periods at Blackpool's "Sea View Guest House and Spa", the play tells the story of the Webb sisters, their early musical careers overlooked by their domineering mother, and the subsequent respective trajectories we later learn their lives took after going their separate ways.
Though the present setting of the play is 1976, much of the musical action takes place during a series of flashbacks to the 1950s, as we see the Webb sisters (Joan, Jill, Gloria and Ruby) forming a four piece eponymously named vocal group, with distinct similarities being drawn to the Andrews Sisters, especially with regard to the jazz influenced repertoire, such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", that they performed. There are plenty of fun, upbeat songs performed, however the most moving is the adult women's rendition of "Dream A Little Dream" in the play's finale, beautifully rounding off an emotional rollercoaster of music and familial contention.
5. BALLET SHOES
National Theatre (2024)
Taking bronze medal in this list are the Fossil siblings, their distinctly individual aspirations, and their unbreakable sibling bond. Written by Kendall Fever, and with a score by Asaf Zohar, "Ballet Shoes" is based on a beloved children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, and much of the music is to accompany the dance material, with particular focus on Posy Fossil and her dreams of becoming a ballerina. The play features some exquisite dance numbers, especially the solo ballet set pieces, with a stunning cohesion between Zohar's music and choreography by Ellen Kane.
There is a delightful mix of genres of both music and dance, from the ballet accompanied by traditional classical piano and orchestral music, to the 1930s jazz providing a backdrop to the dizzying Charleston style choreography we often adopted during the larger ensemble numbers. Though the individual ambitions of the three sisters differ greatly, they are often united in song and dance, and it's a wonderfully magical experience.
4. AMADEUS
National Theatre (1979)
Before he was being figuratively "rocked" by Austrian musician Falco, he was the titular figure in the Peter Shaffer play "Amadeus" at the National Theatre, followed by runs at Her Majesty's Theatre in the west end, and the Broadhurst Theatre on broadway. The latter production is arguably the show's most notable staging, starring Ian McKellen and Tim Curry as Salieri and Mozart respectively, it yielded 5 Tony Awards from seven nominations, including best new play, and was later adapted into the 8-time Oscar winning 1984 film.
Historical accuracy notwithstanding, the play brilliantly depicts the implied rivalry between Salieri and Mozart, the former being hugely envious of the latter due to his early career success. Naturally with a story about one of the world's finest composers and pianists, classical music has featured heavily in productions of Amadeus, with the most ambitious staging being the 2016 National Theatre revival, featuring accompaniment by the Southbank Sinfonia orchestra.
3. MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO
Barbican Centre (2022)
Given the rising popularity of Studio Ghibli material over the past five years or so, it is no surprise that one of their oldest and most beloved properties has become such a hit on stage, following its theatrical adaptation by Tom Morton-Smith. Most famous for the titular forest spirit, depicted as a huge, looming creature, that has been described as a "result of an experimental breeding programme involving a chinchilla, a barn owl and a bean-bag sofa, the play also contains some fun, whimsical pieces of music that enhance the storytelling without necessarily driving it forward.
The show first performed at the Barbican Theatre in 2022, smashing the daily ticket sales record previously held by the Benedict Cumberbatch-led production of Hamlet. It opened in October 2022, and ran for three months, then returned to the Barbican a year or so later. It currently plays at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, opening on the 8th of March, with a current run into spring 2026.
2. WAR HORSE
National Theatre (2007)
Though largely focussed on the exploits of a young man and his horse, this award-winning Michael Morpurgo play also happens to contain some truly beautiful, haunting choral interludes, showcasing the truly multi-talented range of the play's ensemble performers. Taking inspiration from the suffering often experienced by the horses used in battle during the first world war, "War Horse" primarily follows the exploits of Albert Narracott, who attempts to purchase a horse foal in an auction, and though he is outbid, said horse is sold to him by the winner after he sees the bond between Albert and the animal, whom he names Joey.
It is another play that uses the music for atmospheric purposes, and these incidental musical moments enhance the emotional impact, often representing the bonds between characters, especially between the Albert and Joey. Adrian Sutton's gorgeous score adds a marvellous sense of catharsis in the face of such an emotionally dense narrative.
1. STEREOPHONIC
Off-Broadway (2023)
Taking our top pick is London's latest new play to transfer directly from broadway, a three hour long hard rocking, drug and alcohol fuelled deep dive into life in the recording studio, where tempers are frayed and relationships strained to the max. Stereophonic is the brainchild of David Adjmi and Will Butler, and follows a fictional five-piece band in the mid 1970s in the quest to stardom, of which they are on the precipice, and will likely hinge on this new album they are working on over the course of a year.
Whilst not crucial to the storytelling, the music gives us a terrific amount of insight into the creative process of a recording band, especially with reference to the far more limited, pre-digital recording technology being used at the time, which prevented them from doing unlimited takes. This aside though, the music itself is terrifically written, and performed with great aplomb, which gives the play a remarkably authentic feel, as with the combination of the authenticity of Will Butler's score, and the pacing of the dialogue that's steeped in realism, there wasn't really any other choice for my top pick.
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