The Times 2 Arts - UK (2020-11-27)

4 1GT Friday November 27 2020 | the times

cover story

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

picture book from Tall Stories. Ages 3+

Alexandra Palace, London N

(tallstories.org.uk), Dec 5 to Jan 3

Stick Man

The director Sally Cookson has gone

on to wow with her more grown-up

takes on Jane Eyre, Peter Pan and A

Monster Calls, but this ever-touring

earlier show, a Scheffler-Donaldson

adaptation for younger audiences, is

an absolute delight too, full of songs

and imagination. All ages.

Rose Theatre, Kingston

(stickmanlive.com), Dec 10 to Jan 3

FILM

The Prom

A group of Broadway stars are down

COVER: TRISTRAM KENTON. BELOW: LAURENT LIOTARDO; DAVID LEE/NETFLIX

THEATRE

A Christmas Carol

Of all the stage versions of the classic

tale this season, this looks the most

promising. Nicholas Hytner — whose

Thames-side theatre has been putting

on a string of quality shows when

other venues have dimmed their lights

— directs Simon Russell Beale, Patsy

Ferran and Eben Figueiredo.

Bridge Theatre, London SE

(bridgetheatre.co.uk), Dec 3 to Jan 16

Death Drop

What happens when you put

a gaggle of drag queens into an

Agatha Christie-style murder

mystery? Claws will no doubt be

bared as the RuPaul’s Drag Race stars

Courtney Act and Monét X Change

supervise the proceedings.

Garrick Theatre, London WC

(nimaxtheatres.com), Dec 4 to Jan 17

Les Misérables: The Staged Concert

Back to the barricades, metaphorically

speaking anyway, as Michael Ball,

Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas revisit

the Boublil and Schönberg adaptation

of Victor Hugo’s tale of crime,

punishment and redemption.

Sondheim Theatre, London W

(sondheimtheatre.co.uk), Dec 5 to Jan 31

Six

Irreverent as ever, the musical about

Henry VIII’s wives moves into bigger

premises (it was previously running at

the pocket-sized Arts Theatre) as the

West End opens its doors again. Toby

Marlow and Lucy Moss’s show has

gathered an army of dedicated

followers since it started life as a

modest student production at the

Edinburgh Fringe in 2017. Forget

Hilary Mantel: this is Tudor history as

a madcap pop concert, Henry’s many

and varied consorts turning their

triumphs and woes into playful power

ballad material. If you liked Mamma

Mia! this is probably just the thing to

get you in the mood to party.

Lyric Theatre, London W

(nimaxtheatres.com), Dec 5 to April 18

A Christmas Carol — The Musical

Staged Concert

Dickens’s tale gets the grand West End

treatment with dollops of festive syrup.

Brian Conley turns on the humbug in

a staged concert version of the musical

adaptation by Alan Menken, Lynn

Ahrens and Mike Ockrent.

Dominion Theatre, London W

(nederlander.co.uk), Dec 7 to Jan 2

The Comeback

Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen —

alias the sketch comedy duo the Pin

— bring their backstage antics to a

bigger audience. They play two rival

double acts performing at the same

show. Can the ambitious newcomers

upstage the old hands? There will be

a celebrity guest each night.

Noël Coward Theatre, London WC

(noelcowardtheatre.co.uk), Dec 8 to Jan 3

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

The pandemic has pushed the release

of the film version back to 2021, but

Tom MacRae and Dan Gillespie Sells’s

miraculous stage musical about a

16-year-old drag queen in Sheffield,

based on a true story, is reopening

as planned in December, with new

references to Covid and, as before, a

cast of 25 and a nine-piece band.

Apollo Theatre, London W

(nimaxtheatres.com), Dec 12 to March 21

The Everyman Christmas Cabaret

With the punters sitting at tables

set out across the auditorium, the

pianist and musical director George

Francis conjures up some Big Apple

atmosphere with the help of Emma

Bispham, Gillian Hardie, Kelly

Sweeney and Kenny Thompson. There

will be some Sondheim as well as

Christmas favourites and songs by

Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell and the like.

The Everyman, Liverpool

(everymanplayhouse.com), Dec 17-

YOUNGER CHILDREN

The Gruffalo’s Child

Nope, it’s not the usual festive

bonanza for younger audiences, but

there are some fine shows, such as this

reliably enjoyable adaptation of the

The show will go on!

30 hot tickets for the

Christmas season

From Nutcrackers aplenty to Meryl Streep in The Prom:

the critics pick the best live theatre, cinema and concerts

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English National

Ballet’s Nutcracker.

Below: Adam Kay