In 2024 we will have seen over 100 professional productions in Theatres across the South of England and enjoyed every visit for the joy of being part of the shared experience of a live audience watching a production. The sector may be under threat from rising costs and reduced support from some Local Authorities but creatively it has been a pretty good year, and we have generally been part of well filled auditorium so there are grounds for optimism. We need to see more new plays of the quality that many of the revivals below have achieved but the risks are higher and Producers need more support to undertake the shows.
Our top productions for 2024 are grouped by West End Productions seen in the year, Productions at Regional Theatres and Regional Touring Productions seen at one of the regional receiving houses.
West End Productions
My top five were:
The Motive and the Cue . This was a brilliant piece of writing by Jack Thorne that feels like it based on solid research, beautifully directed by Sam Mendes, and superbly played by the whole cast. The play follows the twenty-eight-day rehearsal period in which Gielgud tries to assist Burton in finding “My Hamlet”. Mark Gattis was superb as Sir John and Johnny Flynn matched him punch for punch as the charismatic but flawed Burton.
Oedipus Robert Icke’s adaptation reimagines the story in a modern setting where Oedipus is awaiting the result of an election campaign supported by his wife, Jocasta, her brother Creon, the loyal family servant Corin and their three children Antigone, Eteocles and Polyneices. Mark Strong is magnificent as Oedipus; Lesley Manville is wonderful as the powerful loving wife and June Watson impressive as his mother Merope.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child This magical show opened in July 2016 and has had sold out notices outside the Palace Theatre ever since and on 15th October 2024 launched its eighth cast. It remains one of the best productions in the West End at every level, the central story arc is strong and emotionally engaging, the characterisations are superb and honour the originals in the film franchise, and the illusions that bring the magic to the stage are sensational with brilliant lighting and sound create the magical world.
Kiss me Kate A wonderful new production at the Barbican, and captured for Cinema, with amazing Cole Porter arrangements, stunning theatrical setting on a large revolve, wonderful energy and precision of the choreography and the charismatic performances of Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J Block as Fred Graham and his former wife Lilli Vanessa.
People places and things. The return of the highly acclaimed play by Duncan Macmillan. It was a very modern play dealing with mental health, alcoholism and drug addiction and the need to avoid the people, places and things that trigger that addiction with a completely compelling central performance from Denise Gough.
Regional Theatre
There are around the South of England some regional Theatre who produce some remarkably high-quality productions on relatively tight budgets every bit as good as West End Productions and they deserve the support of all Theatre going communities. My top five that deserve to be seen by a wider audience in 2025 are:
Play On at Salisbury Playhouse. This new musical which intermingles the fabulous Jazz music of Edward “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) with four amusing love stories is set in the famous Cotton Club in Harlem where the composer found fame in the 1920’s. The characters from Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night becoming composers, singers and staff at the club .This wonderful production directed by Michael Buffong is a joyous uplifting show.
The Kings Speech at the Watermill Theatre . This fascinating play deals with a unique historical event, personal relationships of a family who we only glimpse through a public duty eye and a disability that we are familiar with but don’t really understand. The story is known from the wonderful 2010 film that starred Colin Firth. Both are written by David Seidler . But the intimacy of the Watermill Theatre, the quality of the actors’ performances and the creativity of the direction brings it to life with more depth and feeling than the gloss of a Hollywood movie.
Child of Science at Bristol Old Vic This is an engaging retelling of a momentous medical break though as Steptoe, Edwards and Purdy developed the techniques to create “Test Tube” babies and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). It is told in a cinematic episodic fast paced narrative covering locations in London, Cambridge and Oldham from 1958 to that famous birth of Louise Brown. It explains the science and development of the technique in a clear and accessible way while still focusing on the personal stories behind it with power and emotion.
Oliver at Chichester Festival Theatre. The new staging surpassed all our expectations and made a glorious virtue of the venues huge thrust stage. Lez Brotherton’s magical fluid setting with glorious projections provides a brilliant platform for Matthew Bourne’s beautiful movement and choreography and brilliantly lit by Paule Constable’s exquisite lighting. The show was dominated by the performances of Simon Lipkin as the notorious Fagin and Shanay Holmes as Nancy who virtually stop the show with applause at every song.
Barnum at Watermill Theatre Newbury This wonderful 200 seat venue staged another marvellous summer musical directed by Jonathan O’Boyle with choreography by Oti Mabuse creating a delightful circus spectacle. Matt Rawle brought great charm to the central role of PT Barnum with Monique Young perfect opposite him as his wife Charity. The underrated Cy Coleman score includes “There is a sucker born ev’ry minute” , “Love makes such as fools of us all“ and “come follow the band”.
Regional Touring Production
Of course, most regional venues depend on Producers bringing their shows to the venues and there is no doubt that the enhanced Theatre Tax Relief has sustained the critical product flow to these important venues that serve so well their local communities.
My top five touring shows were:
Edwards Scissorhands Sir Matthew Bourne and his company produce extraordinary productions that open up ballet and dance to whole new audiences with their beautifully staged, exquisitely danced and creatively delightful story telling. Edward Scissorhands, based on the 1990 Tim Burton film is a visual treat, beautifully lit, painting delightful pictures of this community and their interactions. Whether Dance is your thing or not this is a production that is accessible to all, charming in its execution and a lovely escapist entertainment with a simple message of acceptance and tolerance to all in your community.
Murder on the Orient Express. Agatha Christie’s greatest Poirot story, Murder on the Orient Express has been presented in many forms since its publication in 1934. Lucy Bailey’s direction and Mike Britton’s design have elevated the play adapted by Ken Ludwig’s to a new level which is simply a joy to see. The wonderful set design which sees eight stage trucks slickly manoeuvred around the raised stage with a revolve, and stagehands to create the train’s exterior, the train corridor, the cabins, the dining car, the last carriage and a telegraph room creates a real sense of location and a constantly changing picture as we follow Poirot’s investigation.
And then there were none. Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery was first published in 1939 under another title and is one of the best-selling books of all time. She adapted it herself for the stage. It has a wonderful twist, now much copied over the years and a haunting chilling undercurrent about justice. The secret of the play’s success is the guessing game of “who dunnit it” as the field of suspects shrinks as each is killed. It is a thoroughly entertaining thriller.
Stones in their Pockets The twenty-fifth anniversary production of this beautifully written and conceived play saw it lovingly restaged with wonderful integrated video elements which create a succession of delightful pictures from the filming of the Quiet Valley in Ireland. The writing is brilliantly theatrical, but the staging is wonderfully cinematic. This is theatre at its very best and most entertaining . A Comic delight. A master class in character acting , A joyous celebration of Irish rural culture . An uplifting evening of fun that calls on us to never give up on our dreams.
History Boys. Another 25th anniversary revival, set firmly in the Eighties, with a soundtrack to match including such wonderful songs as “Tainted Love”, “West End Girls” and “Everybody wants to rule the world”. The tale follows eight teenage boys from their A level results day at Cutlers Grammer school as they prepare for the Oxbridge Entrance exam under the guidance of teachers Hector and Irwin. It is an exploration of the British Education system and questions whether the schooling should be about guiding them to pass or about preparing them to be functioning thinking human beings in their lives. It is an extraordinary reminder of Alan Bennett’s glorious writing packed with wit, cutting insight and full of literary allusions and provokes thought and reflection on society but most of all engages and entertain an audience.
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