London musicals

‘42nd Street’ the stage musical is something of a distant descendant of ‘42nd Street’ the classic movie…

If some jukebox musicals suffer from a flimsy plot, then Broadway import ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ has the opposite problem…

A modest hit at the tail end of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster ’80s, the original West End run starred a young Michael Ball, who returns in a new production – and presumably a different role – that’s directed by sturdy hitmaker Jonathan Kent…

This long-gestating musical version of ‘Back to the Future’ is so desperate to please that the producers would doubtless offer a free trip back in time with every ticket purchase if the laws of physics allowed…

Brace yourself for a shock: ‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Broadway-munching musical is a big-hearted affair that pays note-perfect homage to the sounds and spirit of Broadway’s golden age.

‘Crazy for You’ is a golden age musical comedy that’s actually from 1992: writer Ken Ludwig took a load of classic songs by George and Ira Gershwin – largely from the 1930 musical ‘Girl Crazy’ – and spun them into a shimmeringly delightful retro confection that’s almost indistinguishable from the era it’s paying homage to, the odd knowing flourish aside.

Michael Grandage’s musical version of Disney’s animated enormo-smash is darker and deeper than the cartoon.

A gritty version of ‘Grease’? Is such a thing even possible?Well, it’s all relative…

‘Groundhog Day’, Tim Minchin’s adaptation of the 1993 Bill Murray classic, is a musical about repetition. And also redemption.

Nicolas Hytner’s Bridge production of the classic musical is a staggering achievement, a more or less flawless take on traditional terms that’s turned into something transcendent by the staging, from Hytner and designer Bunny Christie.