MickeyJoTheatre

Yesterday, the West End production of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA announced the cast for their upcoming 40th Anniversary Celebrations.Broadway breakout star Jordan Donica will return to the musical, this time as the Phantom, with Beatrice Penny-Touré also returning as Christine Daaé and Rhys Whitfield as Raoul.They will be joined by new and familiar faces, including Joseph Millson and Sierra Boggess who were both among the principal cast of Love Never Dies and will each play new supporting roles.Check out why this cast is so exciting as well as...

This week, the United Kingdom has once again been experiencing soaring temperatures, and theatres around the country have had to adapt.Today, Mickey-Jo is reporting from his own heatwave-hit home to let you know what to expect when theatregoing during high temperatures, as well as sharing some recent stories of how shows have adapted both on and offstage.•00:00 | introduction02:11 | audience advice10:29 | onstage measures16:03 | conclusionAbout Mickey-Jo:As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a...

Mickey-Jo saw his most anticipated new show of the year - a musical adaptation of the film PRIDE.The show, which is set in the 1980s, tells the true story of LGSM, a group of Lesbians and Gay men from London who supported a community of miners during Thatcher era strikes.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the show, its material, and the extent to which it measured up to the extraordinary film upon which it is based...check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com<...

Following its world premiere production at Birmingham Rep, SINATRA the Musical has arrived in the West End.Playing at the Aldwych Theatre, the musical stars Joel Harper Jackson as Frank Sinatra, depicting a chapter of his career scored by some of his most recognisable hits.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the show and how it sits alongside other jukebox bio-musicals...check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com•00:00 | introduction02:43 | overview / material 11:48 | creative choices 18:27 | pe...

It was announced this week that WARRIORS, co-written by Lin Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, would begin performances in March 2027 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.The show, which is a stage adaptation of the film THE WARRIORS, began its life as a concept album which originally featured Amber Gray, Lauryn Hill, Kim Dracula Philippa Soo, and more.Check out my thoughts about the show, the detail released so far, and whether I think it will be a Tony Award winning success to rival Hamilton...check out Mickey's free substack...

This weekend, Mickey-Jo headed back to one of the most anticipated, and best attended events in the UK theatrical calendar: West End Live!This annual free performance featured almost all of the musicals in the West End including Hercules, The Lion King, Les Misérables, Hamilton, Six, Matilda, Paddington, Beetlejuice, Titanique and more as well as various upcoming, regional and off-West End shows!In today's new episode Mickey-Jo is reviewing almost all of the performances from the weekend, check it out to hear his thoughts on who was the most entertaining and gave t...

Mickey-Jo recently had the enormous privilege of sitting down with Ramin Karimloo, Meow Meow, and David Bedella from Birmingham Rep's upcoming revival of SWEENEY TODD.Check out what the stage stars had to say about this exciting new production, tackling Sondheim, and even their favourite kind of pie.You can still get tickets to see the production at Birmingham Rep between 4 July and 15 August.check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.comAbout Mickey-Jo:As one of the leading voices in theatre...

Earlier this week it was announced that the stage adaptation of the Traitors would be a 5 part cycle, offering different endings on each subsequent night of the week.The Traitors: Acts of Betrayal will begin performances in May 2027 at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End and will also allow audience members the opportunity to vote to affect the show on Saturdays.Check out Mickey-Jo's thoughts on how this will work and whether he's excited about it...check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com<...

Since its announcement last year, audiences have been eagerly anticipating THESPIANS, the first ever full stage musical from Mischief Theatre.Mischief are the award winning company behind hits such as The Play That Goes Wrong and the Goes Wrong Show, with their latest comedy play, The Comedy About Spies, returning to the West End this summer.Check out what Mickey-Jo thought about this latest offering, how well it measured up to their usual high standards, and which creative choices surprised him...check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www...

It was announced yesterday that PADDINGTON The Musical, the multi-Olivier Award winning West End smash hit, would officially transfer to Broadway, opening at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in Spring 2027.The stage adaptation of the Michael Bond story and the STUDIOCANAL films is directed by Luke Sheppard (The Little Big Things, Starlight Express) with Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale having written the score and book respectively. The West End production stars Arti Shah and James Hameed, who jointly perform the role of Paddington Bear, with a supporting cast including Adrian Der Gregorian, Amy Ellen Richardson, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt...

Last night Mickey-Jo finally caught the UK Tour of OPERATION MINCEMEAT, the award winning musical still running in the West End and on Broadway.The show, which included three of its co-writers among its cast for much of its early development, has recently welcomed many new cast members and thus the question, is it still brilliant without its original stars?Check out what Mickey-Jo thought of the show at Woking Theatre, its cast, and its ability to win over audiences nationwide...check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www...

Mickey-Jo was recently invited to attend a gala night at the West End production of CABARET, currently running at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre in London.The production, which has been directed by Rebecca Frecknall and originally starred Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley has recently welcomed new stars Jamie Muscato (The Great Gatsby, One Day, Heathers) and Joy Woods (Gypsy, The Notebook, Little Shop of Horrors) as The Emcee and Sally Bowles.Check out Mickey-Jo's thoughts on what the production is like with these brand new stars as well as...

Mickey-Jo recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jordan Luke Gage, the writer and star of the new musical REDCLIFFE, and Andrew Exeter, the show's set designer, to discuss its evolution. The original musical, based on a true, queer story, recently opened for a limited run at Southwark Playhouse Borough and is hosting unique Q+As after many of its Tuesday matinee performances.Check out what these brilliant creatives had to say about the show's development and its potential future...About Mickey-Jo:As one...

The arrival of Summer means that the start of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is looming, and after multiple requests I'm finally sharing my biggest guide to this year's plays and musicals ever!As well as sharing every production that caught me eye, and letting you know when and where you can find it, I'm affording a MickeyJo seal of approval both to shows I can already vouch for, and those I'm most confidently anticipating.Check out my picks for this year's Festival Fringe, stay tuned for my coverage, and share your own recommendations...

Last weekend, Mickey-Jo caught the new UK revival of the musical KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN at the Southampton Mayflower Studios.The production marked Mickey-Jo's first experience with the show despite years of curiosity and now he's excited to share his thoughts on not only this revival but also the show's material...check out Mickey-Jo's free substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com•00:00 | introduction02:44 | the material08:26 | this production15:04 | conclusionAbout Mickey-Jo:As on...

It was announced earlier this week that STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW would close both on Broadway and in the West End at the end of this year.The production, which has enjoyed inconsistent box office success amidst the release of the final season, is to be released via Netflix as a professional recording, and may never be subsequently seen on stage.Check out this theatre news recap to find out the real reasons why the play is ending both of its productions almost simultaneously...•00:00 | introduction...

This week, Mickey-Jo's theatregoing began with two new plays at off West End venues - We Had a World at the Hampstead Theatre, and Under the Shadow at the Almeida.We Had a World, which Mickey-Jo first saw off-Broadway at New York City Center, is an autobiographical memory play in which Joshua Harmon recalls his grandmother and re-examines her character through his mother's eyes.Under the Shadow is the stage adaptation of a 2016 Iranian-set horror film of the same name that depicts a woman living under the tension of the post revolution regime...

The Watermill Theatre in Newbury has just celebrated the opening of their annual summer musical, and this time it's a revival of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG!The uniquely charming regional British Theatre stages actor musician productions which increasingly include promenade elements that see the audience travelling outdoors during the show.Check out this full review to find out how exactly the creatives managed to fit this iconic flying car onto their intimate stage...check out Mickey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.com•<br...

Last night, Broadway celebrated the end of another season of new openings with the 2026 TONY Awards, hosted by recording artist P!nk.In a ceremony that saw Schmigadoon!, Death of a Salesman, Ragtime, Liberation, Cats the Jellicle Ball and the Lost Boys winning some of the night's biggest prizes, actors Joshua Henry, John Lithgow, Caissie Levy, Lesley Manville, Shoshana Bean, Ali Louis Bourzghui, Alden Ehrenreich, and Laurie Metcalf were recognised for their performances.A day later, Mickey-Jo is ready to discuss his thoughts on the ceremony itself, the evening's biggest winners, the impact...

Last weekend Mickey-Jo headed to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon to watch two strikingly different pieces of theatre in one day.These were: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, starring Mark Gatiss, and The Tempest starring Kenneth Branagh.Check out this double bill review to find out what Mickey-Jo thought of these two plays...• 00:00 | introduction01:46 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui 11:10 | The Tempest 23:59 | conclusion About Mickey-Jo:As one of the le...