Lucy Popescu’s theatre news brings a roundup of captivating performances across London venues, from avant-garde revivals to comedic musicals and thought-provoking dramas.
Nayatt School Redux at the Coronet Theatre
The Wooster Group, a New York theatre company celebrated for its avant-garde, multimedia style, presents Nayatt School Redux. This production reworks one of their most famous shows, blending classic texts, technology, and live performance. Directed by Elizabeth LeCompte and featuring autobiographical monologist Spalding Gray, the company reinvents scenes from the original, culminating in climactic sequences from T.S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party. The show runs at the Coronet Theatre until April 25. Visit thecoronettheatre.com for tickets.
JEEZUS! at the New Diorama
The comedy musical JEEZUS! merges Catholic guilt with Latin heat. Set in 1990s Peru during the brutal dictatorship of Alberto Fujimori, the story follows altar boy Jesús in the home of General José and his devoted wife María. As Jesús prepares for his first communion, the image of the crucified Christ stirs unexpected, unholy feelings. Performances continue at the New Diorama until May 9. More details at newdiorama.com.
Between the River and the Sea at the Royal Court
Written and performed by Yousef Sweid, with direction by Isabella Sedlak, Between the River and the Sea explores family, fear, and the challenge of imagining a future beyond borders. Sweid, a Christian-Arab-Palestinian-Israeli from Haifa, now raises two Jewish-Arab-Austrian children in Berlin while navigating a complex custody battle. The production is at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs until May 9. See royalcourttheatre.com for details.
Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs) at the Pleasance
Sam Wilson invites audiences on a nostalgic trip back to school in Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs). As the race to become Head Boy intensifies, the question arises: will Sam cause someone grievous bodily harm? This show combines PowerPoint, stand-up comedy, and the thrills of World Book Day. It runs at the Pleasance Theatre until May 9. Tickets at pleasance.co.uk.
Stickin’ Boy at the Etcetera Theatre
Martin Muscatt’s punk rock ’n’ roll musical Stickin’ Boy, with additional material by Mick Jones of The Clash, is set in late-1970s Soho. It portrays an underground world of vice, energy, and rebellion. The story follows Eddy, a 20-year-old aspiring musician burdened by a gambling habit, who seeks to escape his monotonous life. His encounter with Candy, a sex worker, draws him into becoming her “stickin’ boy,” posting calling cards in phone boxes to promote her services. Performances run from May 5 to 10 at the Etcetera Theatre. Visit etceteratheatrecamden.com.
Entertaining Murder at Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Chris Burgess’s musical Entertaining Murder is inspired by the true story of Edith Thompson and her young lover Freddy Bywaters. Their 1922 Old Bailey murder trial became a cause célèbre, with people queuing for days to witness the verdict. Did Edith truly collude with her lover to kill her husband? The show plays at Upstairs at the Gatehouse until May 10. More info at upstairsatthegatehouse.com.
Work While They Sleep at Camden People’s Theatre
Brazilian playwright Filipe Pereira presents Work While They Sleep, a feminist sci-fi play about a woman who accidentally conjures a sinister alter ego that works for her between midnight and six in the morning. Merging physical theatre and video art, this absurd tale exposes how late capitalism traps women and society in a continuous cycle of abuse. The production runs May 13–16 at Camden People’s Theatre. See cptheatre.co.uk.
The Waves at Jermyn Street Theatre
Adaptor Flora Wilson Brown and director Júlia Levai reimagine Virginia Woolf’s The Waves for the stage. The play follows six characters’ rites of passage from childhood to adulthood, beginning by the coast and moving through school, youth, terror, and joy—alone and together. Performances continue at Jermyn Street Theatre until May 23. Visit jermynstreettheatre.co.uk.
