Aldwych Theatre

Aldwych Theatre

Today it's a haven for Tina Turner fans, but this West End theatre has catered to theatre lovers of every flavour
  • Theatre | Musicals
  • Aldwych
Advertising

Time Out says

Designed by WGR Sprague in Georgian style, the Aldwych opened in 1905. And since then, its 1,200 seater auditorium has staged work of pretty much every possible variety. It made contemporary dance history when Diaghilev and Nijinsky rehearsed their riot-inducing ‘Rites of Spring’ here in 1913. Then, from 1925 to 1933 the theatre housed Ben Travers’ hugely popular drawing room comedies of errors, which came to be known as the Aldwych Farces. Other notable productions included Laurence Olivier’s staging of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, starring his wife Vivien Leigh, in 1949.

In 1960, the Aldwych became the London home of the RSC, and was used as a base for the company for 22 years, until they decamped to the Barbican. Landmark productions included ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ and ‘The Wars of the Roses’ based on Shakespeare's histories. Between RSC productions, theatre impresario Peter Daubeny mounted annual World Theatre Seasons that brought overseas work to London in its original stagings.

But these days, Aldwych theatre means musicals, musicals, musicals. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ and ‘Fame’ played here, and it also hosted hen party favourite ‘Dirty Dancing’ and Carole King love-in 'Beautiful'. The latest show to be making a song and dance at the Aldwych is 'Tina: The Tina Turner Musical', which opened in 2018.

Details

Address
49
Aldwych
London
WC2B 4DF
Transport:
Tube: Covent Garden/Holborn; Rail/Tube: Charing Cross
Do you own this business?Sign in & claim business

What’s on

Mamma Mia!

3 out of 5 stars
This review is from 2012. Judy Craymer's bold idea of turning the insanely catchy songs of ABBA into a musical has paid off splendidly, in every sense – box office figures for 'Mamma Mia!' are as eye-watering as its outfits. This is largely because Catherine Johnson had the sense to weave the 1970s into her script, and director Phyllida Lloyd to cast accordingly. Heroine Donna Sheridan lived the free love dream (if only because her boyfriend ran out on her), wound up pregnant and survived to see her daughter, Sophie, reject all her principles in favour of a white wedding and the kind of certainty that comes from knowing which of your mother's three consecutive lovers ought to be walking you down the aisle. If you wanted to, you could see this as a conversation about feminism. But you'll look pretty silly debating patriarchal oppression while on your feet clapping to 'Dancing Queen'. Some of the songs are oddly static, but when the choreography does get going – for instance, when Donna's friend Tanya stylishly quashes a libidinous local puppy in 'Does Your Mother Know?' – it's terrific, and makes great use of props: I wonder if the producers can assure us that no electric drills or hairdryers were harmed in the making of this musical? The current cast appear to have been chosen more for their singing voices than their serious acting ability. But who needs dramatic conviction when you have purest pop to do the convincing for you? Given the songs, a story just about solid...
  • Musicals

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

3 out of 5 stars
This review is from 2018. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will close in September 2025 with a cast headed by June Karis Anderson and Fleur East, who alternate the title role.  Is a feelgood jukebox musical the absolute best medium to tell a story about domestic abuse? Put crudely, that is the problem at the heart of big-budget global premiere ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’. The erstwhile Anna Mae Bullock’s eventful life and beloved back catalogue are perfect subjects for adaptation. But too often Phyllida Lloyd’s production struggles to make a sensitive synthesis of the two.Where ‘Tina’ undoubtedly succeeds is in the casting of its lead. Broadway performer Adrienne Warren is virtually unknown over here, but it’s instantly apparent why she was tapped up for this. She doesn’t so much imitate Turner as channel her: her technically dazzling but achingly world-weary gale of a voice feels like it should be coming out of a woman decades, if not centuries, older. And while Warren doesn’t really look anything like Turner, she perfectly captures that leggy, rangy, in-charge physicality. From a musical standpoint, she virtually carries the show, singing nigh-on every song and even giving us an encore at the end.Almost as good is heavyweight Brit actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who brings a demonic charisma to the role of Ike Turner. Tina’s abusive bandleader and husband is monstrous in his self-pitying, manipulative rage, but it’s not hard to see the appeal of his raw wit and powerful...
  • Musicals
Advertising
London for less
    You may also like
    You may also like