Last updated: 15 November 2026, when I added White Rabbit Red Rabbit at the Duchess Theatre to my London theatre reviews.

By Tristan · Arts, exhibitions and creative culture

Theatre / LondonEvery review

London theatre reviews: every show I have seen, scored

These are all my London theatre reviews in one place, from the West End and the National Theatre to the Barbican, the Royal Court and Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. Every one carries a Cool Factor out of 5, so you can see at a glance which nights were worth it and which one I walked out of.

These are opinion pieces. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

Section 01 / Book it

The London shows worth booking

Four and five out of five.

Pride, National Theatre, 5/5 The musical about Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, in the Dorfman, ending in a roaring standing ovation. Tom at the Farm, Barbican, 5/5 Armando Babaioff's mud-soaked Brazilian thriller, swinging from menace to humour. Dracula, Noël Coward Theatre, 5/5 Cynthia Erivo plays all 23 characters on her own in the West End.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Duchess Theatre, 5/5 Joe Lycett opens a sealed script live on stage, and an hour of humour turns to pathos and coercion. Full review publishes on 16 November.

Oh, Mary!, Trafalgar Theatre, 4/5 Jinkx Monsoon as Mary Todd Lincoln: ninety minutes of physical comedy with no interval.

Section 02 / Mixed nights

Good in parts

Three out of five: in each case a great set or great staging, but let down somewhere else.

Archduke, Royal Court, 3/5 Es Devlin's set and Janice Connolly stand out, but the comedy never bites. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre, 3/5 Stunning effects and staging, held back by weak writing and pacing.

Section 03 / Save your money

The ones I would skip

One and two out of five.

Sherlock Holmes, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, 2/5 A glorious setting for a campy, overlong and derivative show. The Pianist, Park Theatre, 1/5 Szpilman's memoir as a musical, with songs too light for the subject. I left at the interval.

Section 04 / From the sofa

Theatre at home

Meanwhile, for nights when a ticket into town is not on the cards, there is streaming.

National Theatre at Home What the streaming service costs, how the free trial works and whether it makes a good gift.

London theatre reviews at a glance

Show	Venue	Cool Factor
Pride	National Theatre, Dorfman	5/5 Ice cold
Tom at the Farm	Barbican Theatre	5/5 Ice cold
Dracula	Noël Coward Theatre	5/5 Ice cold
White Rabbit Red Rabbit	Duchess Theatre	5/5 Ice cold
Oh, Mary!	Trafalgar Theatre	4/5 Stone cold
Archduke	Royal Court Theatre	3/5 Cool
Stranger Things: The First Shadow	Phoenix Theatre	3/5 Cool
Sherlock Holmes	Regent's Park Open Air Theatre	2/5 Lukewarm
The Pianist	Park Theatre	1/5 Lame

How I score London theatre

Every review uses the CoolCuration Cool Factor. For example, a 5/5 is Ice cold, as good as it gets and a must-see. A 4/5 is Stone cold, properly impressive and worth your money. By contrast, a 3/5 is Cool, solid but not remarkable. A 2/5 is Lukewarm, with some merit but hard to recommend, and a 1/5 is Lame, not worth your time.

However, runs end and casts change, so check the venue's own page before you book. For what is on across the West End right now, Official London Theatre lists every show.

London theatre reviews: your questions

Which London shows scored five out of five?

Pride at the National Theatre, Tom at the Farm at the Barbican and Dracula with Cynthia Erivo at the Noël Coward Theatre all scored 5/5.

Do you review fringe theatre as well as the West End?

Yes. In addition to the West End and the big subsidised houses, I review smaller venues such as Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, where I saw The Pianist.

Are these reviews still current?

In short, each review describes the production I saw, on the date given in the review. Casts change and runs close, so check the theatre's own listing for dates and prices before you book.

What does the Cool Factor mean?

It is my score out of 5, from Lame at 1/5 to Ice cold at 5/5. In other words, it reflects the whole night: the performances, the staging, value for money and whether I would go again.