Musicals
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‘Mothman: A Romance Musical’ ― breathlessly silly and fun
Mothman: A Romance Musical (a 2026 Fringe Fund recipient) is the brainchild of comedians Alex Franklin and Nikola McMurtrie, and follows three guileless teens in 1943 as they hunt for the mysterious Mothman, a folk legend who infamously appears just before someone dies. Our trio explore the woodland, with Anna (Alex Franklin) realising quickly that her celibate relationship with her boyfriend (Alex Prescot, also playing a French mole) of two years might not be as substantial as she had hoped, and contending with Natalie (Nikola McMurtrie) having him in her sights.
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‘Hooray for Hollywood’ at the Ustinov Studio review – ‘a testament to genuine passion for the form’
The last show I saw in the Ustinov was ‘The Last Five Years,’ by Jason Robert Brown, and it seems only right to return for a wider celebration of movie musicals – ‘Hooray for Hollywood,’ as performed by Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe, with the latter also playing the piano. The stage is set with appropriately Hollywood accessories – director’s chairs, big lights, and a double bass on its side.
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‘The Last Five Years’ at the Ustinov Studio review – ‘transcendent and beautiful’
The Last Five Years is the Ustinov Studio’s Christmas show for 2025. I was very excited to see it as a long-time fan of the 2015 film adaptation soundtrack, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. By Jason Robert Brown, it is the semi-autobiographical story of the relationship between Jamie, a newly successful writer, and Cathy, an aspiring actress, and won the 2002 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.
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‘This Is Your Musical’ ft. Chris Grace at The Bristol Improv Theatre review – ‘relentlessly good fun’
I would like to state for the record that I did not intend to pursue Chris Grace around Bristol. I was researching my review for his solo show ‘Sardines,’ absent-mindedly wondering why he happened to be in Bristol, and discovered he was here for a few days – performing ‘Sardines,’ but also teaching a musical theatre improv workshop and performing with ‘This Is Your Musical,’ one of the Bristol Improv Theatre’s in-house troupes.
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‘Wicked’ review: ‘an interesting riff on a stage classic’
This review is riddled with spoilers. On a dark autumn evening many moons ago, I walked into a local pub to attend a freshers’ social for my university’s musical theatre society. I bought a drink from the bar and sat down at one of the tables where the group was gathered. Finishing his conversation, an older member turned to me and said ‘So, what’s your favourite musical?’
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Review: ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ at the Dominion Theatre – ‘fun and flashy but ultimately disappointing’
A sequel to The Devil Wears Prada may be inching its way back to screens, as I wrote about here, but in the meantime a musical has made its way to the stage. An initial 2019 version was delayed several times due to the production needing more time and the pandemic, and following a poorly-reviewed 2022 Chicago run, returned to the rehearsal room to be further fine-tuned.
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Review: ‘A Chorus Line’ at Sadler’s Wells Theatre’ – ‘a feast of classic songs and pure talent’
This review contains spoilers. It wasn’t until after seeing A Chorus Line and doing some research for this review that I discovered exactly what an institution the show is, and its incredible level of success. Despite initial doubt that a minimalist show without a lead performer featuring the varied stories of an ensemble would attract audiences, the original 1975 Broadway production was the longest-running in its history until it was surpassed by Cats in 1997, winning nine Tony Awards and the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
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Review: ‘Two Strangers Carry A Cake Across New York’ at the Criterion Theatre – ‘tender and vivid’
This review contains mild spoilers. Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York is five years old; initially called The Season, it debuted in 2019, with a new production starting at The Kiln Theatre four years later. It then transferred to The Criterion at the beginning of 2024, with both runs having been extended due to demand.
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![Review: ‘Starter for Ten’ at the Bristol Old Vic – ‘enormous amounts of talent [but] needs tightening up’](https://toothpasteontoast.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/starter-for-ten-banner.webp)
Review: ‘Starter for Ten’ at the Bristol Old Vic – ‘enormous amounts of talent [but] needs tightening up’
This review contains spoilers for Starter for Ten. Thumbing through the student newspaper one afternoon in the lounge of my university’s 1960s arts library, I was caught by a sidebar. Five general knowledge questions. They were inscrutable. At the bottom there was a message: ‘If you’ve answered more than three of these questions correctly, consider getting in touch with us – you could be right for our University Challenge team!’
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Review: ‘Groundhog Day’ at the Old Vic – ‘brilliantly realised’
Like an idiot, I missed Groundhog Day when it initially premiered at the Old Vic in 2016. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, it had won several Olivier awards, left London, and transferred to Broadway – where it was nominated for seven Tonys but inexplicably didn’t win any before closing in 2017.