The musical adaptation of Thelma & Louise, now running at the Young Vic in Waterloo, earns a three-out-of-five-star rating from Time Out. The production, which opened on 17 September 2026 and runs until 24 October 2026, features songs by alt-country singer Neko Case, a cast led by Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker, and a script by Callie Khouri, who wrote the 1991 Ridley Scott film. While it delivers some thrilling musical moments and strong performances, the show struggles to justify its existence as a stage musical, offering little beyond the film's plot with songs added.
A starry cast and standout songs
Amy Lennox delivers a "borderline sensational" performance as Thelma, the married woman who loosens up on the road, while Rachel Tucker is "very good" as Louise, the sensible one with a traumatic past. The pair's chemistry is strongest when the production focuses solely on them, according to Time Out theatre editor Andrzej Lukowski.
Neko Case's musical contributions are a highlight, with poetic country-rock songs that stand apart from typical show tunes. The live band, featuring booming drums and forceful guitars, gives the production an energised, obliquely melodic quality. The lyrics underscore the story's feminist side, which Lukowski notes is perhaps less overt in the original film than audiences might remember.
A plot that drags and a detective who distracts
The production largely follows the film's linear road-movie plot, slowed down by the frequent deployment of the ensemble in every scene. Time Out criticises the regular cutaways to Hal, a homicide detective played by Trevor Dion, who becomes involved after Louise shoots Thelma's would-be rapist in a roadside bar early in the story. Lukowski describes Hal as a "relatively superfluous figure."
While Trip Cullman's direction is stylish, with Christine Jones and Brett J Banakis's Americana-themed bar set and strobing lighting strips conveying velocity without showing a car, the show lacks "any great splashy setpieces." The pacing ambles rather than conveying the sense of events spinning out of control for the duo.
An American musical eyeing Broadway
Lukowski observes that this is "an American musical with an American creative team that has its eyes on Broadway," using London as a cheaper tryout venue. The Young Vic is likely not the intended final destination, and the run seems designed for learning and refinement. The critic hopes this happens, noting the show "has much to recommend it," but wishes it were less timid about "slamming its foot down on the accelerator."
The production includes some new elements: a fleshing out of backstories, a brief consideration of race in America, and a provocative opening scene that hints the duo may have survived the film's famous ending, though Lukowski advises taking that with a pinch of salt. As a feminist thriller, the show is lacking, but as a feelgood comedy about female friendship with bold feminist undertones, it does the job, albeit with tonal unevenness. Tickets range from £28 to £72, and the running time is 2 hours 15 minutes.
