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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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.
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Review: ‘Moulin Rouge’ at the Piccadilly Theatre – ‘vibrant and bonkers’
Even way up in the dress circle, the set of Moulin Rouge looks amazing before the show even starts. Drapes, lights, and chandeliers extend out into the theatre. It sets up a show that never fades in its one thousand per cent commitment to absolute earnest, opulent batshittery, supported by high production values and an incredibly talented and rigorous cast.