Matt Wolf
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Articles by Matt Wolf
Triumph / Golden Boy, Almeida Theatre - the Almeida fires on multiple cylinders
We live in scary times, but perhaps it was ever thus. Or so you might think if you're lucky enough to take in the two plays running concurrently (albeit briefly) at the Almeida. The first - the artfully named Triumph (note the name embedded in the title) - comes from the ever-ferocious pen of Caryl Churchill, now 88, who will return to this address in the new year as a signature part of the opening tenure of its incoming artistic director, Dominic Cooke.
'Derren Brown: Only Human' review — a truly astonishing performance from the master showman
Read our review of Derren Brown: Only Human, now in performances at the Apollo Theatre to 30 January 2027. Summary Derren Brown brings his show Only Human to the Apollo Theatre The maverick entertainer uses incredible audience participation Matt Wolf22 October, 2026, 13:20 You may well regard the world with a renewed sense of disbelief upon exiting Only Human, the latest solo show – the audience are his castmates – from the superhuman mind of that maverick entertainer, Derren Brown.
The Cherry Orchard, Harold Pinter Theatre review - Chekhov at his most choice
To the list of theatrical special relationships, we can surely now add Ian Rickson and Kristin Scott Thomas (pictured below), who 19 years after their near-definitive Seagull have once again conjoined forces on a Chekhov production for the ages. That's possibly even more surprising this time out, given that this last play of Chekhov is in my experience also his slipperiest.
October on the London Stage: Christine Baranski, Gillian Anderson and Phantom at 40
The theatrical enticements are arriving thick and fast during the month ahead, which finds a beloved Broadway and TV name making her U.K. stage debut and the return of a scorching American classic. Add to that two intriguing plays from opposite sides of the Atlantic and a landmark birthday of the musical about the man with a mask, and there’s plenty to take us into the theatrical woods—the return of last year’s revival of Into the Woods included.
For the 'Phantom of the Opera' West End cast, life begins at 40
After four fantastic decades, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical is still shattering records. Now its stunning new cast are also breaking hearts.
Sierra Boggess is no prima donna in 'Phantom of the Opera'
Broadway star Sierra Boggess continues her journey with Phantom of the Opera, this time starring as the diva Carlotta.
'Table 17' review — the fantastic cast make a hearty meal out of this charming romcom
Read our review of Table 17, starring Marisha Wallace, now in performances at the Kiln Theatre to 24 October. Summary Table 17 has its UK premiere at the Kiln Theatre The romcom play sees two exes meet for dinner The fantastic cast features Marisha Wallace, Jamael Westman and Michael Rishawn Matt Wolf25 September, 2026, 14:10 You can’t go home again, romantically speaking, or can you?
'Darkling' review — Linnea Berthelsen makes a committed London stage debut in this catastrophic drama
Environmental calamity gets filtered through the lens of an unnamed south Asian female in Darkling, Titas Halder’s unsparing solo play that here marks the London stage debut of Linnea Berthelsen. The Indian-born Danish actress is best-known for playing Kali Prasad on Netflix’s Stranger Things. Traversing every corner on and around the raised platform of Simon Kenny’s set, Berthelsen pays witness to history of the most horrific kind.
Rent, Tom Stoppard Theatre review - roof-raising reappraisal
That sound you may be hearing most evenings toward the lower end of St Martin's Lane is likely to be the roof being blown off the Tom Stoppard Theatre (formerly the Duke of York's), where Luke Sheppard's altogether astonishing revival of Rent has taken up occupancy for a tenancy that, by rights, should be very long-lasting indeed, London has had a chequered history with this iconic Broadway title from 30 years ago, which famously saw its creator, Jonathan Larson, die age 35.
September on the London Stage: Skylar Astin, Mark Rylance, Maria Friedman & More
September always marks an uptick in activity in any theater capital and that is doubly true of London this year, with the advent of fall bringing to the stage numerous Tony and Olivier Award winners and nominees and even a bearer of an Oscar. For more on the abundance on offer during the month ahead, read on. Charlie Burn and Ashley Gilmour (Photo: c/o Bread and Butter PR) Bronte Beat Jane Eyre long ago entered the landscape as one of the most frequently adapted of all British novels.
'As You Like It' review — a raucously entertaining take on this surpassingly sweet comedy
Read our review of As You Like It, co-directed by Sean Holmes and Charlie Josephine, now in performances at Shakespeare's Globe to 25 October.
August on the London Stage: Christine Lahti, Cats , Death Note: The Musical & More
August is often a time for theatrical hibernation, but not in London. This summer finds the capital busier than ever, as it plays host to Oscar, Tony and Olivier Award winners across a range of enticing titles—some familiar, others brand new. For more on this late-summer superabundance, read on.
'Tender' review — this quietly astonishing thriller is tough-minded and terrific
Read our review of Tender, starring Francesca Amewudah-Rivers and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi, now in performances at the Bush Theatre to 1 August. Summary Tender returns to the Bush Theatre Eleanor Tindall's play features the intertwining lives of two women and morphs into a thriller Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers are a riveting duo A fleeting encounter outside a club prompts the action of Tender, Eleanor Tindall’s quietly astonishing two-hander that is actually written for a cast of four.
'Allegra' review — Maureen Lipman bursts into song in Peter Quilter's whimsical play
Read our review of Allegra, directed and choreographed by Stephen Mear, now in performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre to 8 August.
What's On in London Theaters This Summer
LONDON -- London's theater offerings this summer are as varied and invigorating as ever, from a frolicsome "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at -- where else? -- Shakespeare's Globe, to the multiple Olivier-winning music theater smash "Paddington." The long-running musicals are continuing apace, as are two Agatha Christie thrillers, "The Mousetrap" and "Witness for the Prosecution," alongside a clutch of newer titles that promise something for a wide variety of tastes.
July on the London Stage: Ben Platt in Midnight at the Never Get , Arcadia Returns & More
It’s been heat wave time in London, but playhouses for the most part have been welcoming and cool. Whatever the weather, July on the London stage promises its usual bounty, from a revival of a grimly pioneering play to the transfer of a beloved 1990s classic as well as fresh sightings of Atticus Finch and J. Edgar Hoover: the latter in, wait for it, a musical. For more on these offerings and others, read on.
Isis Hainsworth on mastering Stoppard's 'Arcadia'
Characters don’t come much brainier than the teenage prodigy Thomasina Coverly in the late, much-missed Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, which is being seen afresh this summer at the Duke of York’s. Age 13 at the play’s start, the adolescent genius is nearly 17 by its heartstopping end and has learned a lot about love to sit alongside knowledge of, among other topics, the laws of entropy and Fermat’s Last Theorem.
'Sinatra, The Musical': Regrets, We Have a Few
LONDON -- "Come fly with me," a young Frank Sinatra sings early in "Sinatra: The Musical." That's exactly what you expect from a show devoted to the crooner, who delivers this beloved standard while whisking Lana Turner into bed. And yet it's a surprise that the production containing this and countless other signature hits should seem so earthbound, especially with Broadway regulars such as director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall and book writer Joe DiPietro at the helm.
‘Sinatra, The Musical’: Regrets, We Have a Few
‘Sinatra, The Musical’: Regrets, We Have a Few A West End production has the hits, and Joel Harper-Jackson brings swagger and style to the leading role. But where’s the pizazz?
'Cyrano de Bergerac' review — Adrian Lester is remarkable in this absolute triumph of a show
Read our review of Cyrano de Bergerac, now in performances at the Noël Coward Theatre to 5 September. Summary Cyrano de Bergerac comes to the West End's Noël Coward Theatre Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson have adapted the play Adrian Lester is a superlative Cyrano The theatre’s most celebrated nose is back, this time tethered to the superlative Adrian Lester who has brought to London the RSC revival of Cyrano de Bergerac that won raves at the Swan in Stratford last autumn.
Cyrano de Bergerac tickets
Dive nose first into great wit and romance in Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand’s classic being reimagined with great vigor by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson. Book Cyrano de Bergerac tickets on London Theatre. Cyrano de Bergerac is a play centering Cyrano, who is a poet, soldier, philosopher, and an expert swordsman whose brilliance is only matched by his terrible self-esteem.
'The Truth' review — Florian Zeller's intricately plotted comedy is gorgeously acted
Read our review of The Truth, starring Stephen Mangan, Sarah Hadland, Ardal O'Hanlon and Janie Dee, now in performances at the Apollo Theatre to 12 September.
'Much Ado About Nothing' review — this glorious production is the Globe at its very best
Read our review of Much Ado About Nothing, starring Ken Nwosu and Pippa Nixon, now in performances at Shakespeare's Globe to 24 October. Summary Much Ado About Nothing plays at Shakespeare's Globe This joyful production is the Globe at its very best Ken Nwosu brings clarion delivery and physical dexterity to Benedick Pippa Nixon is truthful and winning as Beatrice There seems to be a particular alchemy between Much Ado About Nothing and Shakespeare’s Globe.
Glengarry Glen Ross, Old Vic review - ladies' night at odds with Mamet's machismo
O Glengarry, where is thy sting? That's likely to be one response to the bewildering Old Vic revival of David Mamet's defining (and remarkable) Glengarry Glen Ross, which I saw in its 1983 National Theatre world premiere production when I first moved to London and have loved ever since.
Much Ado About Nothing - Globe tickets
Sharp tongues and savage gossip fuel a messy, magnetic attraction in this new production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in the Globe Theatre. The war is over, but the battle for love is just beginning. Beatrice has sworn off men, but there’s something about Benedick she just can’t leave alone. Meanwhile, beneath Messina’s polished surface, secrets slip, gossip runs wild and reputations hang by a thread. Everyone’s saving face – and nobody’s doing it very well.
'Are You Watching?' review — this scalding new play examines sex, violence and the online world
Georgie Dettmer’s first play may prompt some to look away, notwithstanding the enticement to voyeurism – or, on a more fundamental level, the very reason for playgoing – promised in the title. Located within the grievous Venn diagram where sex, violence and cruelty overlap, Dettmer posits a world in which virtually anything is available for consumption, whether online or in real life, and no matter how grim.
Support for Sara Skrivanich
I am writing in support of Sara Skrivanich for the Camden Select Board. I served with Sara on the Camden Budget Committee, where she has chaired the last two budget cycles. The most recent budget cycle was the hardest since I joined the committee. We came in facing a large net increase, the fallout from the 2024 revaluation, and some genuinely contentious questions about how the town pays for the services people rely on. Not everyone agreed.
June on the London Stage: War Horse Returns, Cabaret Welcomes Joy Woods & More
It’s been hot outside and temperatures are keeping pace on London stages, as well, with a host of high-profile performers in productions to match, alongside a welcome newcomer or two to brighten the theater during June. For further insight into the shows here and to come, read on.
What’s On in London Theaters This Summer
What’s On in London Theaters This Summer Catherine Tate, Greek classics and plenty in between — here’s our selection of West End productions for Londoners and visitors to check out over the coming months. Noah Valentine, left, and Toby Stephens rehearsing for “Equus.”Credit...Manuel Harlan June 1, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET Here’s a look at some that have caught our eye.
Krapp's Last Tape/Godot's To-Do List, Royal Court review - Beckett pairing is a homecoming twice over
Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape had its world premiere in 1958, with Patrick Magee, at the Royal Court. That same venue happens to be the site of Gary Oldman's last stage appearance in Caryl Churchill's Serious Money in 1987 – which I saw back in the day. So it's a genuine occasion to welcome both the play and its current performer back to this address as part of a heavy-hitting lineup of work across the year to celebrate the Court's 70th year.
'Equus' review — this deeply impassioned revival of Peter Shaffer's play is a wild ride
Read our review of Equus, starring Toby Stephens and Noah Valentine, now in performances at the Menier Chocolate Factory to 4 July. Summary Peter Shaffer's Equus is revived at the Menier Chocolate Factory It's based on a real-life story of a teenage boy blinding horses Toby Stephens and Noah Valentine are a brilliant double act Lindsay Posner's production features astonishing athleticism Peter Shaffer was born nearly 100 years ago to the day of the opening of this revival of his play Equus.
'Stage Kiss' review — this American backstage comedy takes a wry look at intimacy
Read our review of Sarah Ruhl's play Stage Kiss, now in performances at the Hampstead Theatre to 13 June.
'I'm Not Being Funny' review — comedy is therapy in this intimate and heartfelt show
“It’s not funny; nothing’s funny” – or so we’re told near the start of I’m Not Being Funny, the Piers Black 90-minute (no interval) two-hander that delivers on the assertion of its title. At the start, you might well assume the opposite. A sweet-faced electrician called Peter (Jerome Yates) is seen trying out gags from the comfort of the family living room, occasionally breaking the fourth wall to rope in the audience.
Grace Pervades, Theatre Royal Haymarket review - Ralph Fiennes starrer seems like old times
This play inhabits notionally less troubled times in its story of two titans of the Victorian era, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, the latter of whom was the great-aunt of the legendary John Gielgud to whom Fiennes back in the day was often compared. (Both men were notable Hamlets in their day.) In essence, Grace Pervades is a modern-day equivalent of Ben Kingsley at this same address as Edmund Kean, which was playing at the Haymarket when I first moved to London.
May on the London Stage: 1536 , The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind , Jinkx Monsoon as Judy Garland & More
Spring is truly in the London air, and with it has come an uptick in openings big and small. The titles embrace the familiar and the unknown, adaptations of films alongside an off-Broadway play rooted in a love of the stage. For more on the offerings on view over the next month, read on.
'Between The River and The Sea' review — this thoughtful solo show reflects on identity and tolerance
Read our review of Isabella Sedlak and Yousef Sweid's Between The River and The Sea, now in performances at the Royal Court to 9 May.
As London Celebrates the Best of Theater, Musicals Are All the Rage
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Critics reflect on the 2026 Olivier Awards, which recognized homegrown British talent and some productions headed for New York.
Inside the 2026 Olivier Awards
Critic Matt Wolf goes behind the scenes at the biggest night in London theatre: the Olivier Awards, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
As London Celebrates the Best of Theater, Musicals Are All the Rage
LONDON -- It was a big year for musicals at Sunday night's Olivier Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Tonys, with "Paddington: The Musical," "Evita" and "Into the Woods" taking 11 prizes among them. kAmw@>68C@H? qC:E:D9 >FD:42= DF446DD6D @? E96 D42=6 @7 Q!255:?8E@?Q 4@>6 2=@?8 AC6EEJ :?7C6BF6?E=J E96D6 52JD[ 2?5 76H D9@HD 9:E 2 ?6CG6 =:<6 E9:D @?6[ H:E9 :ED 2AA62=D E@ E@=6C2?46[ :?4=FD:G:EJ 2?5 <:?5?6DD] W{:<6 Q!255:?8E@?[Q Q|2E:=52 E96 |FD:42=Q H@? D6G6? ~=:G:6CD[ 3FE E92E H2D 324< :?
'Copenhagen' review — fraught real-world events lend new power to Michael Frayn's play
Michael Frayn speaks up to his audience, and then some, in his demanding 1998 play Copenhagen, which against the odds was a commercial success back in the day in London and then again on Broadway and was adapted for a 2002 TV version starring Stephen Rea and Daniel Craig. Its current Hampstead Theatre iteration marks the historical drama's first reappearance in London, and it was heartening on press night to see its singular playwright in attendance, age 92.
April on the London Stage: The Producers , Inter Alia , Avenue Q & More
Spring is here, and with it an abundance of activity in and around the West End, from a hard-hitting film adapted for the stage to a starry takeover and on to the return of a beloved Broadway title. Factor in the anticipation surrounding the coming Olivier Awards, and Britain’s theater capital could hardly be buzzier.
'Jaja's African Hair Braiding' review — this exuberant play explores heritage, identity and sisterhood
Workplace plays don’t come more buoyant and bursting with heart than Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, which was nominated for five Tony Awards in 2024 and has arrived at the same west London venue that hosted author Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play almost three years ago. The director here, as then, is Monique Touko, though this production feels like more of a happening than the earlier one.
'Consumed' review — four generations of women assemble for this fiery, feral family showdown
The political and the personal conjoin in fiery fashion in Karis Kelly’s Consumed, a 2022 winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting which anatomises four generations of women brought together for – what else? – a birthday. The celebrant in this instant is the newly 90-year-old Eileen (Julia Dearden), a sweary, shrewd old bat with opinions on everything from soup (“too wet”) to appropriate language – the second of which is a bit rich given her, um, unbridled way with words.
Oscars 2026: one award after another at surprise-free, sluggish ceremony
There were scattered moments of genuine excitement during the 98th Academy Awards, which saw One Battle After Another emerge with six Oscars, best picture and director amongst them, followed by the 16-times-nominated Sinners with four, including Michael B Jordan as best actor, and Frankenstein with three.
'The Holy Rosenbergs' review — this pressure cooker of a drama is a sharp and timely revival
“Do the right thing,” a doctor and synagogue grandee says by way of an exit line well into the second act of The Holy Rosenbergs. But It’s to the credit of Ryan Craig’s commendably dense play that characters can rarely agree as to what exactly that “thing” is. Premiered in 2011 at the National Theatre, this pressure cooker of a domestic drama has returned – set as before in a Jewish household in Edgware, north London, but somewhat tweaked so as to reflect the ramped-up political landscape.
Romeo & Juliet, Harold Pinter Theatre review - time waits for no man (or woman)
Time is a terrifying force in Romeo & Juliet, and Robert Icke's headlong production never lets playgoers forget that fact. Returning to a tragedy he first directed for Headlong touring company 14 years ago, Icke reprises many of the conceits deployed first time round, this time wedded to a starry company headed by Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe that, in the first act at least, gives pride of place to his supporting players.
March on the London Stage: John Proctor Is the Villain, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass & More
Two Tony-nominated Broadway hits reach London, a 2025 Olivier Award winner directs his first London non-musical, and an early play from a now-venerable playwright gets a rare revival: These are among the treats in store for playgoers in the British capital during March. For more on these disparate offerings, as well as others, read on.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Theatre Royal Haymarket review - the title says it all
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'Bird Grove' review — quietly scorching play about writer George Eliot | London Theatre
Read our review of Bird Grove, now in performances at the Hampstead Theatre to 21 March.
GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE OPENS MEN’S SWIM SEASON WITH INVITE VICTORY
Huntington Beach, Calif. - On the campus of Golden West College this past Friday, amidst variable weather conditions, the Rustlers from host GWC finished their first meet of the season on top of the leaderboard. GWC with 605.5 points edged the always strong Riverside City team (581.5) and district rival Orange Coast 421.5. El Camino (364) and Southwestern College (250.5) rounded out the top five. The team was led by the trio of sophomore Ryan Novak and freshmen Avery Pellicano and Ryder Tonkovich.
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