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Wallflower at the Orgy

This week, a letter arrived from Reed Smith LLP, acting for the producers of Burlesque the Musical. “You have been engaged in a damaging and vicious campaign of denigrating our client, the production and the producers Adam Paulden and Steven Antin,” it said. “Much of what you have written is untrue or misleading.”

Wow. I want to sit with that for a second, because theatre is a town of middlemen, and I am not a hobby journalist. I just found my way into this story of a crazy musical and wanted to tell it as clearly as possible, with as much understanding as possible: or, as Nora Ephron used to say, as a wallflower at the orgy.


Call it old school: cultivating a network of well-placed, anonymous sources and telling the inside story. That approach means I’ve been sucked into this story myself. And everything I’ve heard (from literally everybody connected to this show, past, present and beyond) paints a portrait of a musical in disarray, with incompetent producers at its centre. This was a company that was, in a real sense, shattered from day one of operation.

Let’s stick to facts. The show has taken £1,287,306 in Glasgow, £1,530,912 and £3,029,501 across two Manchester runs, and £5,451,592.90 at the Savoy — £11.3m across two years. Not one penny has gone back to investors. Zero. A box office advance is not production capital, and it is not profit. It’s money sitting in escrow from people who’ve bought tickets for shows that haven’t happened yet — a liability, not a windfall, until the performance is delivered and the sale matures. Treating it as a win is either a category error or a convenient one.

The company’s own filed accounts record net current liabilities of £9,444,685 as at 31 July 2025, and state plainly that the going-concern basis rests entirely on an unnamed investor’s continued willingness not to call in what’s owed.

Still, a lawyer I know put it to me this way: “It looks like Tough Love Ltd is the new producing entity, on the back of finance from RS24 Investments Limited against a debenture dated 22 July 2026 on the business’s assets. The actual finances of Tough Love are a mystery, since it’s a new company and no accounts have been filed yet. TR Heels is hopelessly insolvent, and I suspect any creditors still owed money, if any, will have to whistle for it.”


Well, quite. It’s almost like a real-life staging of The Producers: concoct the cost, raise the money, engineer a flop, stay rich. I’m not going to speculate on the motives of my sources here, only to say they are very, very good ones, and that everything in this blog is something I’ve concluded is accurate and true.

Anyway: developments. People didn’t want to touch this story. Some felt tainted by it, others too frightened to go near something this toxic. It took a reporter at the Sunday Times 12 months and the spectacular derailment, sorry “postponement” of the UK tour and Marble Arch London run last week to. As of tonight, The Daily Telegraph is investigating reprobate Paulden and Antin’s financial affairs.


Needless to say, if you’re in power, you don’t get to threaten writers and journalists just because they don’t like what’s being said about them. F— that.
This is not producing live theatre on impulse or whim. There is no method to the madness.


So yes, thank you for reading. And thank you to those of you who have reached out with messages of support.
In terms of what happens next, the train will hit the wall.

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Here’s Your Definitive Guide to Edinburgh Fringe 2026 (you’re welcome)

Right: Edinburgh Fringe.

Chichester Festival Theatre, Curve in Leicester and Belfast’s Lyric Theatre are all bringing shows to this year’s Fringe as part of Pleasance’s Edinburgh National Partnerships scheme, but best of the bunch is Badgers.

Sherman Theatre is backing something equally compelling in Amnesia, a one-woman show about a care worker living in Rhyl, written and performed by Kimberly Hart-Simpson, directed by Kate Wasseberh and produced by Hat Trick Productions with Theatr Clwyd.


Shedinburgh is back too, this time at Assembly Checkpoint from 7–30 August. Bryony Kimmings’ brilliant one-woman show Sex Idiot — inspired by her discovery that she’d contracted chlamydia — is a highlight, and the purpose-built venue will also host work-in-progress shows from Rosie Jones, Sara Pascoe, Lorna Rose Treen, Mischief, Sabrina Mahfouz, Nick Helm and Sh!t Theatre.

At The Space on Niddry Street, two shows sit well together: Without Compromise Theatre’s Collateral Damage follows three women trying to reconnect after trauma tears their family apart, confronting grief, silence and whether some wounds ever truly heal, while Shark Bait Theatre’s Hope This Helps! at the Space takes a lighter tack, satirising wellness culture and life online through five eccentric internet addicts attempting a digital detox.


Over at the Traverse, the season leans into world, UK and European premieres alongside co-productions from Scottish and international theatre-makers, staged across both auditoria and partner venues around the city.

In my opinion, the centrepiece is Cathy, written and directed by Eilidh Loan, which marks Elaine C Smith’s return to the Traverse main stage after 26 years. (Full disclosure: I will be working with the team on this show – but it is a lovely, tender piece of new writing) Anyway. Smith plays a widow navigating grief and family tension in the run-up to Christmas, alongside Alan Orr, Sally Reid and Michele Gallagher.


For something more random, the Gilded Balloon (15–31 August, 1pm) has A Man Proposes to a Balloon, Or Possibly Something Worse — a dark comedy that does exactly what it says on the tin. Elsewhere, Liberace & Liza – A Tribute arrives at the Fringe after a West End run at the Harold Pinter, and Goodbye Dandelion — recipient of the inaugural Underbelly Futures Fund Award — brings a humorous, moving new work from writer-performer Maddie Rice and composer Marcus Rice.

At Underbelly Cowgate’s Iron Belly (5–30 August, daily 15:40), Bailey Edwards’ darkly comic Play Dead follows Echo, devastated by a breakup and convinced that kidnapping his ex’s dog is somehow a good idea. Over at the Palais du Variété in Assembly George Square Gardens, magician Ben Hart — of Britain’s Got Talent, Killer Magic and The One Show fame — returns with The Labyrinth, a dark, funny and astonishing journey into the hidden patterns that shape our lives.

Also worth a look: Lil Wenker’s brand-new clown horror comedy Boyking, taking aim at unchecked greed and the pathological pursuit of power.

For nightlife crossover, Relish Theatre’s Acid’s Reign — part club night, part cabaret — runs at Forth, Pleasance Courtyard, throughout August. Nearby, Sad Bride offers a queer, dark comedy drawn from real experiences of the wedding industry, exploring the pressure of performing womanhood online.

And at Pleasance Courtyard: Beyond (5–31 August, 9:30pm), Elf Lyons — winner of the 2025 Sky Arts Award for Comedy — brings The Woman on the Edge, inspired by the breakdown of her engagement while she was alone on tour in Australia, still expected to walk onstage every night and entertain as though nothing was happening.


Don’t miss Alice Fraser’s Oh Man! — sharp, whip-smart comedy at Monkey Barrel’s O’Neill’s (The Tron) that’s well worth the trip.


For something more classic, Stockard Channing directs David Westhead in Samuel Beckett’s darkly humorous Krapp’s Last Tape at Upstairs at The Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place.
Over at Gilded Balloon at the Museum, Celebrity First Dates star Tom Read Wilson performs his quirky The A-Z of Me, while Gilded Balloon’s Patter House hosts Benjamin Quirk’s Twink Death, travelling all the way from Perth, Australia.

If you missed it last year, see Flo & Joan’s One Man Musical at Pleasance Beyond — a delicious skewering of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. For a late-night laugh, Underbelly Cowgate (9:55pm) has Moon Team IIIV, a one-man multimedia comedy sci-fi odyssey from BBC New Comedian Award semi-finalist Will BF.
And rounding things off, You and Me (and Whoever Comes Next) is the winner of the Summerhall Mary Dick Award and supported by Hall for Cornwall and it unpacks the complex relationship between a disabled person and their carer.


I am looking forward to being back in Scotland – this year at the start of the bananas festival.


In any event, I hope you have found some use in this guide to what the Fringe world has on offer —and share your tips.


Bye for now,


Carl x

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’All The World’s A Stage…’ National Youth Theatre Win Praemium Imperiale Grant For Young Artists

The National Youth Theatre (NYT), the world’s first youth theatre, has been awarded the 2025 Grant for Young Artists by the prestigious Japan Art Association.

This honour, which sits within the broader Praemium Imperiale framework, and recognises exceptional achievement in the arts in categories not covered by the Nobel Prizes.

This week, I was invited to the press conference at Japan House, London graced by Dame Helen Mirren, who celebrated NYT’s contribution to nurturing young talent and championing the performing arts for nearly seven decades.

The special event featured an excerpt from Handel and Hendrix performed by NYT members, with music by Naomi Hammerton — a spirited performance that captured the dynamism and creative ambition that have defined the organisation since 1956.

Theatre encompasses a wide range of productions, from lavish musicals to rural tours, from large-scale community shows to cutting-edge performance art. These diverse forms of theatre nurture talent and fuel Britain’s thriving television and film industries, too.

NYT chief executive and Artistic Director Paul Roseby reflected on the significance of this international recognition. “I believe it reminded us of the importance of a national organisation’s role on the world stage. We’ve been somewhat neglectful of this aspect recently, and I think our cultural influence in the UK has been somewhat diminished.”

He added: “Winning an award like this absolutely endorses the importance of the work — and the young people themselves. They can overcome barriers by sharing stories and giving us all hope. That’s why live performance and creative learning at the heart of education is not a luxury, but a human right.”

The special award is a timely reminder of the transformative power of youth arts and the enduring relevance of theatre in shaping confident, creative citizens for the future.

Chair of trustees Dawn Airey echoed Roseby’s sentiments, adding that the financial support is particularly valuable given the precarious state of arts funding in the UK. “It’s a great honour to be recognised and awarded — especially with a cheque.

“We’re very, very grateful,” Airey said. “The arts are continually underfunded, and organisations like ours step in to bridge that gap. National institutions and governments should do more to support the arts. Despite often being defunded and paid second fiddle, art’s importance as soft power is undeniable.”

Airey emphasised NYT’s wider impact beyond producing professional actors. “Our organisation teaches vital life skills — interaction, respect, tolerance, expression — even if our members don’t pursue arts careers. These are the skills that help build a more open and empathetic society.”

Each year, over 10,000 young people aged 11 to 30 audition to participate in masterclasses and free intensive courses.

The roll-call of former members includes Daniel Craig, Matt Smith, Daniel Day-Lewis, Paapa Essiedu, Rosamund Pike, and Vanessa Kirby.

Speaking to me at the ceremony, Dame Helen Mirren, a Patron and alumna of the NYT, underlined the importance of making drama, music, and theatre accessible to all young people. “Theatre is such an intrinsic part of British culture,” she said. “It’s vital for young people — who might not otherwise be exposed to the arts — to have these opportunities. For almost 70 years, The National Youth Theatre has grown in strength alongside our culture and the modern world. To have this recognition now is really wonderful.”

Host Lord Patten also praised NYT’s legacy: “I am delighted that the Japan Art Association will celebrate our very own National Youth Theatre — which will mark its 70th anniversary next year. NYT has produced outstanding work and provided vital support for generations of young actors as they transition into an often precarious profession.”

Alas, the Labour government’s first year in power demonstrates the urgent need for a radical, long-term approach to save the arts from being decimated by swingeing cuts to youth services and the marginalisation of the arts in schools.

Depressingly, 41% of state schools no longer offer GCSE Drama. I ask where we stand as a sector on this topic, 12 months into a new government. 

“In our sector we are all too familiar, and yes, fatigued with the relentless financial squeezing and geopolitical gesturing in order to gain some governmental support,” Roseby says. “We like what we see on the page, but it will take more than our usual smoke and mirrors to bring hope and optimism to our broadest of stages.” 

“I know this country is broke: we see it and we feel it; but it’s not yet broken. We look forward to helping this government achieve that fundamental and critically urgent shift,” he adds. 

Now more than ever, we must all bang the drum to ensure that drama, music, and the arts are funded, supported, and celebrated, and create an appetite for everyone to ensure the existence of future audiences.

In any case, the National Youth Theatre serves a unique function and is a shining example of how best we can elevate the next generation’s voice. I love them.

I have championed and covered NYT for almost a decade, and it was an honour to be a small part of this occasion. Indeed, we can all take civic pride in the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain shining on an international stage. 

The five winners of the Praemium Imperiale 2025 Awards are: Scottish painter Peter Doig, Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, Hungarian pianist András Schiff, and Belgian dancer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker.

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Indhu Rubasingham’s National Theatre

THE National Theatre ain’t broke, so I wouldn’t fix it.

Anyway, Indhu Rubasingham has today announced her inaugural season at the National Theatre. First up: Ballet Shoes will be returning to the Olivier this Christmas.

The artistic director of the National Theatre must do far more than programme three stages and occasionally put in 100-hour weeks. 

They must steer the organisation itself—and, by extension, the wider industry—through a fragmented landscape.

Evidently, it’s a role that demands not only nerve, vision, and unshakable resolve but a deep understanding of what the word “national” truly means in today’s fractured Britain.

With an annual public subsidy of around £16.2 million, its burden—and its brief—is to be everything to everyone. That scale of responsibility becomes all the more weighty when placed against the stark backdrop of regional funding disparities now laid bare.

Is the National truly national enough?
It’s a timely question, especially in light of recent research from the BBC, which reveals a sharp contraction in the UK’s subsidised theatre sector. A 2024 survey found that the 40 best-funded producing theatres staged just 229 original productions—a 31% drop from 332 in 2014.

These findings echo a 2023 report by Data Culture Change, showing a 37% decline in self-produced performances across ten major producing theatres in England and Scotland during the same decade.

It is reassuring to see Hull-based Middle Childand Barnsley’s Lung have been named the first companies in residence under a new initiative.

Enter Indhu Rubasingham, the seventh artistic director of the National Theatre, and the first woman—and first person of colour—to hold the post. She follows in the footsteps of Laurence Olivier, Peter Hall, Richard Eyre, Trevor Nunn, Nicholas Hytner, and Rufus Norris.

Rubasingham is characteristically reluctant to centre her identity in public discourse. 

She prefers to lead as an artist first, with a focus on excellence, tenacity, and broadening theatre’s reach—not box-ticking. “I’ve always felt better equipped to express my thoughts through the work itself,” she says. Her promise is simple but pointed: to “appeal to as many people as possible. Audiences like a good story, well told—and that’s true whether you’re at the Kiln or the National.”

Her work on the National’s own stages has also paved her way. From Stephen Adly Guirgis’s The Motherfucker with the Hat (2015) to Anupama Chandrasekhar’s The Father and the Assassin (2022), she has demonstrated the rare ability to balance critical acclaim with popular appeal—a vital skill.

Meanwhile, Rubasingham’s new leadership team signals her artistic intent. Director Miranda Cromwell, playwright Lynn Nottage, and academic Sophie Duncan join as artistic associates alongside Clint Dyer, who stays on. Robert Hastie, former artistic director of Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, will serve as her deputy.

But the challenges are formidable.

Startlingly, both Peter Hall and Richard Eyre in their diaries admit to being forced to thoughts of suicide by the pressures of the top job, describing it as “three-dimensional chess in the dark” and like having a gun pointed at their head. 

And Sir Nicholas Hytner, for his part, recently noted that “the challenges are much more extreme now. Funding has been drastically reduced. The National, like everyone else, must devote a large portion of its resources to education, outreach, and community work—essential and good, but Arts Council England (ACE) seems far less interested in artists than it once was.”

After sixty-two years, the National Theatre remains a work in progress—shaped by economics, shifting cultural tides, and the strengths and flaws of those who lead it.

Rubasingham’s first season suggests she understands the brief: relevance, reach, and rigour. This includes expanding the global audience for National Theatre at Home, a £9.99 per month streaming service for productions that insiders hope to make into a “Netflix for theatre”.

The season of work features 16 brand new productions, including a return to repertory theatre for the first time since 2020.

Rubasingham will direct a rap adaptation of Bacchae herself. This reimagining of the Euripides drama is the work of first-time playwright Nima Taleghani. Paul Mescal will appear in two classic 20th Century plays – Death of a Salesman and A Whistle in the Dark. 

A new musical adaptation of Pride, based on the acclaimed 2014 film, is being staged by P&P Productions in collaboration with the National Theatre, with performances scheduled in London and at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre.

Elsewhere, a new collaboration between the theatre and rap artist Stormzy was also announced, but details have not yet been revealed. And a family production of The Jungle Book and Hamlet. 

She has already, however, proven that she can redefine a theatre. Now she must help redefine a national stage.

As Laurence Olivier, the National’s founding director, once said, the theatre’s purpose is simple: “To make the audience applaud.”

Needless to say, applause isn’t just symbolic—it’s financial. But no national theatre can ever meet all expectations.

It is ticket sales that largely pay for the productions, and therefore the National are under pressure (as commercial theatres are) to be popular if they are not to dwindle.

I have high hopes for Indhu’s tenure – may she walk the walk, swerve the culture wars and above all stay serene.

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Olivier Awards 2025 – a blow by by account

Sunday’s Olivier Awards managed to be an agreeable experience for all.

The occasion boost attendance, fuel UK tours, and supercharge the bottom line. Think of them as the sugar that lures the fly; the local economy benefits by more than three times the gross ticket sales. 

So when we talk Oliviers, we’re really talking box office boosts; the Olivier Awards don’t just celebrate the West End —they drive it.

Rufus Norris was given a Special Award for his 10 years running the National Theatre. He didn’t show up, which seemed strange. 

In fact, the occasion is far more starstruck than all of the tabloids it clearly hates as well, with a perverse, hierarchical sense of priorities that allowed it to hand Sir Cameron Mackintosh a made up award to celebrate Les Miserables turning 40, but put Idris Elba front and centre of everything. (The Mousetrap had to run 70 years to achieve a similar accolade).

In total, 26 trophies were doled out. Be grateful that the TV broadcast dwelt on only half, with the rest covered in highlights packages.

Three shows were tied with the most wins at the ceremony – with Fiddler on the Roof, Giant and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button each winning three prizes. 

Jordan Fein’s Fiddler on the Roof, which is transferring to London’s Barbican in May, won the best musical revival prize among other awards.

Eline Arbo won the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director for her powerful staging of The Years, an adaptation of French writer Annie Ernaux’s autobiography.

John Lithgow took Best Actor for his portrayal of Roahl Dahl in Giant. His co-star Elliot Levey, who portrayed Tom Maschler, Dahl’s Jewish publisher, won Best Supporting Actor, while writer Mark Rosenblatt earned Best New Play for his debut script.

Other winners included Imelda Staunton, who extended her stellar Olivier awards career with a fifth award and a fourth in the best actress in a musical category for her leading role in Hello Dolly!

In her retirement year, Paule Constable became the most decorated individual in the awards’ history, with a record 17 nominations. She claimed her sixth win, taking Best Lighting Design for Oliver!

One decision that pissed me off was that Nathan Englander’s brilliant What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank didn’t take home the award for Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre.

Even so, airing on a two-hour delay seems ever more baffling in the social media age. The winners were all over the internet before this broadcast had even begun. 

Ridiculously, theatre-lovers in the UK and Ireland had no way of watching live coverage, as the stream was restricted to viewers in the rest of the world and ITV, rather than airing the awards live, showed highlights later in the night. 

Here’s the thing. The Tony Awards are broadcast live. Why can’t SOLT do likewise? The ITV highlights were shoddy, rushed and littered with errors. Sort it out. 

Anyway. Billy Porter and Beverley Knight did a satisfactory job. Winners speeches are meant to last 40 seconds but there was nobody stopping winners babbling. 

Still, it was a rare blip in a night that didn’t feel particularly long, nor disappointing when it came to winners.

The night belonged to musical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. 

Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the former production—with music and lyrics by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark— it swept several major categories: Best New Musical, Outstanding Musical Contribution (recognizing Clark and Mark Aspinall’s orchestrations and arrangements), and Best Actor in a Musical for John Dagleish, who plays the protagonist born old and growing younger by the day.

Anyhow. Additional winners included productions Oedipus, Titanique, The Years and Festen, all of which won two prizes each.

Well done everyone. 

The winners in full 

Best new musical – The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Best revival – Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre production)

Best musical revival – Fiddler On The Roof

Best new play – Giant

Best new entertainment or comedy play – Titanique

Best new opera production – Festen

Best actor – John Lithgow for Giant

Best actress – Lesley Manville for Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre production)

Best supporting actor – Elliot Levey for Giant

Best supporting actress – Romola Garai for The Years

Best actor in a musical – John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Best actress in a musical – Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly!

Best supporting actress in a musical – Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812

Best supporting actor in a musical – Layton Williams for Titanique

Best director – Eline Arbo for The Years

Best new production in affiliate theatre – Boys On The Verge Of Tears

Best new dance production – Assembly Hall

Best family show – Brainiac Live

Best theatre choreographer – Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical

Best lighting design – Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs for Oliver!

Best sound design – Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof

Best costume design – Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express

Best set design – Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof

Outstanding achievement in dance – Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena

Outstanding musical contribution – Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Outstanding achievement in opera – Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen

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Boom Or Bust For The West End?

I’m always heartened by the theatre’s resilience, and the latest numbers from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) offer more reason for optimism.

Audience levels in 2024 held steady at 17.1 million—matching 2023 and sitting a solid 11 per cent above pre-pandemic figures. SOLT was quick to proclaim the West End as the world’s leading theatre destination.

But straight faces, everyone. This week, SOLT also urged the Labour government not to rein in dynamic ticket pricing, calling it “essential” to the survival of subsidised and not-for-profit venues.

In its submission to the government’s review of online ticketing, the industry defended this much-criticised model as “inclusive,” dismissing the idea that soaring top-tier prices make theatre less accessible.

Newsflash: telling audiences to grin and bear it because “that’s how capitalism works” is a terrible look—and worse business. Transparency is non-negotiable when implementing dynamic pricing if you want to keep the trust of audiences.

It’s clearly a strategy at play. Diversion.

Elsewhere, The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has warned that Ticketmaster may have “breached the law” and “misled fans” during the Oasis ticket sale last summer.

Regardless of how all this is spun, the gap between commercial and subsidised theatre is growing. The sharp rise in ticket prices is already pricing out younger and more diverse audiences.

When the New Covent Garden Theatre reopened in 1808—rebuilt after a devastating fire had destroyed the original the previous year—it introduced higher ticket prices. The audience erupted in protest, launching the “Old Price” riots. For 67 days, nightly disturbances disrupted performances until management relented and restored the original pricing.

Never in my lifetime has London’s West End theatre felt so creatively narrow or so disconnected from reality. 

It’s time to confront this crisis head-on and spark a serious debate about the role and responsibilities of commercial theatre in 2025.

Let’s rewind for a moment. West End attendance may have plateaued, but it’s still impressive: 17.1 million tickets sold—2.5 million more than the Premier League and 5 million more than Broadway. 

Intriguingly, many U.S. producers now prefer to stage new work in London, where production costs are far lower—and the tax incentives make it a no-brainer.

Yet this year’s SOLT report, that spotlights the West End’s broader economic impact, quietly omits detailed box office revenue and ticket price data—information it included in past editions. 

Hm.

At the current £350 top-tier ticket price that seems to be recent star-led vehicle ceiling, it’s not unreasonable to expect that everyone involved in a production—not just the star—is earning a fair wage. And even the most greedy producer should understand that short-term cash grabs erode the value of theatre, reducing it to a luxury rather than a cultural necessity.

Anyhow. Maybe the silence around these detailed figures reflects an awkward truth: not every hit show justifies its price tag.

It’s particularly excruciating at a time when The Fairness Foundation’s latest report, No Money, More Problems, scraped Office for National Statistics data that showed that one-third of 25- to 34-year-olds in Great Britain had negative wealth, reaching 47% in Wales compared with 18% in London. 

To its credit, SOLT points out that theatre outpaces other UK visitor attractions in growth, and outdraws football by millions. 

We are told that for every £1 spent on a ticket, another £1.27 flows into local hotels, restaurants and shops. Nationally, theatre contributes £4.44bn to the economy and supports over 230,000 jobs.

The challenge now is retention. If the West End hopes to keep the new generation of audiences it finds, it can’t afford to make itself unaffordable.

Frankly, glancing at the 2025 Olivier nominations, it’s hard not to reflect on both the price of a ticket—and whether the work on stage is truly worth the cost.

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Olivier Awards 2025: Who Will Win, Who Should Win

Can Hello, Dolly! cut through, is Fiddler on the Roof a sure-fire winner, and will The Fear of 13 beat the competition? 

Imelda Staunton, Adrien Brody, John Lithgow, Meera Syal, and Lesley Manville, are among the big names whose West End work during the past 12 months has today won them Olivier nominations.

Fiddler on the Roof is the most-nominated musical and overall production at the 2025 Olivier Awards.

The revival, which premiered at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in July last year, earned 13 nominations, including Best Musical Revival, Best Director, and Best Theatre Choreographer.

Meanwhile, Giant and The Years tied as the most-nominated plays, each receiving five nods.

There’s a perfect storm brewing, though.

After years of Tory underfunding and culture wars, nothing less than the soul of the nation rests in the hands of the Labour government.

Meanwhile, the arts continue to vanish off state school curriculums—dismissed as merely an luxury and, in the case of theatre, assumed to be the preserve of students at fee-paying schools with their own state of the art auditoriums.

And West End theatre attendance has remained flat year-on-year, according to new figures from the Society of London Theatre. SOLT’s 2024 report shows that 17.1 million people attended performances—matching the total recorded in 2023.

I will continue to toil for affordable West End theatre for people from all walks of life. 

In fact, the focus on ticket prices is crucial—not just because exorbitant costs exclude young audiences, but because they also stifle new work. If theatre remains an expensive luxury, audiences will be less inclined to attend or take a chance on new plays, making it harder for new stories to be told (depressingly, a quarter of the West End is home to a movie musical).

According to The Stage’s annual ticketing survey, top-price West End tickets have risen by 9.3% compared to 2023. The average highest-priced ticket for plays has surged by 50% in the past year alone.

Anyway: The Olivier Awards 2025. The event will mark the 40th ceremony since celebrated actor Sir Laurence Olivier gave his name to it in 1984. 

N.B. To be eligible, shows must have been staged in a theatre represented within the Society of London Theatre’s membership. Alternatively, they can qualify if performed in an affiliate member venue that has also paid an additional performance levy for Olivier consideration. 

And remember: shows that have closed stand little chance against ones still running.

See the nominees:

Mastercard Best New Musical

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, music and lyrics by Darren Clark, book and lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors Theatre

MJ The Musical, book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward Theatre

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet Of 1812, music, lyrics and book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse

Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss at Garrick Theatre

Should win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

Jon Bausor for set design, Toby Olié and Daisy Beattie for puppetry design and Satoshi Kuriyama for projection design for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Frankie Bradshaw for set design for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier

Es Devlin for set design for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier

Tom Scutt for set design for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Should win: Jon Bausor 

Will win: Tom Scutt 

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Howard Hudson for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Aideen Malone for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Should win: Howard Hudson for Starlight Express

Will win: Paule Constable for Oliver! 

TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production

Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera at London Coliseum

Festen by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera and The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

The Tales Of Hoffmann by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House

Should win: Festen 

Will win: Festen 

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy

Boys On The Verge Of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho Theatre

English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln Theatre

Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone Theatre

Should win: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank 

Will win: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank 

Best New Dance Production

Assembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells

Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by The National Ballet Of Canada at Sadler’s Wells

Theatre Of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler’s Wells

An Untitled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham at Sadler’s Wells

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Jorge Bosch for Kyoto at @sohoplace

Tom Edden for Waiting For Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Elliot Levey for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Ben Whishaw for Bluets at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Should win: Tom Edden for Waiting for Godot 

Will win: Elliot Levey for Giant 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Sharon D. Clarke for The Importance Of Being Earnest at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Romola Garai for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Romola Garai for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre

Gina McKee for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre

Should win: Sharon D Clarke for The Importance of Being Earnest 

Will win: Romola Garai for The Years 

Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer

Matthew Bourne for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Julia Cheng for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus at The Old Vic

Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre

Should win: Hofesh Schechter for Oedipus 

Will win: Julia Cheng for Fiddler On The Roof

Best Costume Design

Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood at The London Palladium

Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Should win: Hugh Durrant for Palladium Pantomime

Will win: Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away

d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design

Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Christopher Shutt for Oedipus at The Old Vic

Thijs van Vuure for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre

Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away at London Coliseum

Should win: Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof 

Will win: Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof

Outstanding Musical Contribution

Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision and Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre

Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements and Orchestration for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier

Should win: Dave Malloy for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

Will win: Darren Clark for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Liv Andrusier for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Pradaat Dominion Theatre

Beverley Klein for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Should win: Maimuna Memon 

Will win: Liv Andrusrier

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly! at The London Palladium

Raphael Papo for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Layton Williams for Titanique at Criterion Theatre

Tom Xander for Mean Girls at Savoy Theatre

Should win: Raphael Papp for Fiddler On a The Roof

Will win: Raphael Papo for Fiddler On The Roof

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre – Olivier

Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith at Wyndham’s Theatre

Spirited Away adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai at London Coliseum

Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli at Criterion Theatre

Should win: Ballet Shoes 

Will win: Ballet Shoes

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

Eline Arbo for The Years at Almeida Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre

Jordan Fein for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Nicholas Hytner for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Robert Icke for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre

Should win: Robert Icke for Oedipus 

Will win: Nicholas Hytner for Giant

Best Actress

Heather Agyepong for Shifters at Duke of York’s Theatre

Lesley Manville for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre

Rosie Sheehy for Machinal at The Old Vic

Meera Syal for A Tupperware Of Ashes at National Theatre – Dorfman

Indira Varma for Oedipus at The Old Vic

Should win: Rosie Sheehy for Machinal

Will win: Lesley Manville for Oedipus

Best Actor

Adrien Brody for The Fear Of 13 at Donmar Warehouse

Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke at Ambassadors Theatre

Paapa Essiedu for Death Of England: Delroy at @sohoplace

John Lithgow for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Mark Strong for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre

Should win: Adrien Brody for The Fear of 13

Will win: John Lithgow for Giant

Cunard Best Revival

The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at The Old Vic

Oedipus by Robert Icke at Wyndham’s Theatre

Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Should win: Oedipus 

Will win: The Importance of Being Earnest

Piper-Heidsieck Award for Best Musical Revival

Fiddler On The Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Hello, Dolly!, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at The London Palladium

Oliver!, book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material and revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud Theatre

Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Should win: Hello, Dolly! 

Will win: Fiddler On The Roof

Best Actor in a Musical

John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre

Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Myles Frost for MJ The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre

Simon Lipkin for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Should win: Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

Will win: Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler on The Roof

Best Actress in a Musical

Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse

Lauren Drew for Titanique at Criterion Theatre

Clare Foster for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre

Lara Pulver for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! at The London Palladium

Should win: Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! 

Will win: Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! 

The Londoner Award for Best New Play

The Fear Of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse

Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre

Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson at @sohoplace

Shifters by Benedict Lombe at Duke of York’s Theatre

Should win: Giant 

Will win: Giant

‘FYI’ Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX on the evening of the event.

The Olivier Awards 2025 with Mastercard will be on April 6 at the Royal Albert Hall.

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Jack Bradfield: “If you make too many adjustments too quickly, you can fly the plane out of cloud cover upside down.”

It was 2018. I was at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and I went along to Pleasance Dome to watch an alien themed show called Lights Over Tesco Car Parkdirected by Jack Bradfield. 

He is Artistic Director of Poltergeist, and trained on the Royal Court Writers’ Group 2017. 

Anyway, Lights Over Tesco Car Park was a festival highlight, and I often think about how engaging and smart it was.

Flash forward over half a decade and Bradfield has won the Sir Peter Hall Director award and we are talking on the telephone.

How has his May been, I ask. “My May has been really eventful,” he declares. “I’m working on Robert Icke’s Player Kings in the West End as Associate Director. I suppose I am at that point in most freelance director’s careers where you are juggling about seven projects or ideas and checking which ones are going to progress and which ones you are going to have to put in the back drawer for a little while,” he says. 

“Suddenly you get broad, and you start thinking about lots of different ideas,” he says. “Of course, I’m starting my prep for Abigail’s Party, which I am really thrilled about. It’s really exciting.” 

More on that in a second. 

First, though, Bradfield has been selected from eight finalists for the 2023 prize, that is awarded by the Royal Theatrical Support Trust. The fantastic annual award, named in recognition of the RTST co-founder and Royal Shakespeare Company founder Hall, offer its winner the chance to direct a fully funded production in a UK regional theatre, as part of its main season, prior to taking that production out on tour.

Bradfield will now direct Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party for Northern Stage’s main stage, with the support of the venue’s artistic director Natalie Ibu. 

The application process, he says, was exhilarating. “I directed two actors in front of a panel, which is where that process leads you up to. It was a big gauntlet to throw down; negotiating a room when you’re the director but there are ten panel members,” he says. “The flipside of the process being rigorous is the confidence that you want to direct the full show.”

“I’d say apply, apply, apply, I’d also say pick the plays you’ve always loved. Because I loved the play I loved the process,” he adds.

In any case, this brilliant accolade provides an emerging director with a first-time, career- opportunity to originate and direct a fully funded production as part of a main season of plays at a mid-scale British regional theatre and to take that production on tour to other mid-scale regional theatres. 

On Lights Over Tesco Car Park, he says that he learned that you must keep going and working on the work that you want to make. “Having that friendship was such a blessing because it was a topic and a world and a way of making theatre myself and the Poltergeist collective were so excited about. The thing it really made me do is to go back to my craft. And that is useful. Because it sharpens how you direct and what you can make,” Bradfield recalls.

What are his creative reference points for directing theatre? “I have a few little mantras. Such as if you make too many adjustments too quickly, you can fly the plane out of cloud cover upside down,” Bradfield says. He pauses. “Sometimes it’s about a slow process, arriving at things that you want to make and not feeling like you must rush.”

He says that he is looking forward to making an Abigail’s Party with heart and humanity: “I think Abigail’s Party is ripe with contemporary resonance.”

“I also think it is a fascinating play to work with because it has been preserved in aspic slightly. The BBC Play for Today production is fantastic. Yet at the same time what that does is it preserve a version. Everyone knows it and can quote it to you. What is a real gift for this play is that it feels like a moment to explode it a bit and see how it speaks to now.”

And with that, a play that he has been working on for years, The Habits, is announced as part of Hampstead Theatre’s Autumn and Winter 2024/5 season.

It’s clear that Jack represents what RTST stands for as the future of the theatre industry, embodying innovation, dedication to audiences outside the M25 and a commitment to storytelling that captivates audiences.

I’m a believer.

Abigail’s Party runs 13-28 September at Northern Stage and then tours

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For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy writer and Director Ryan Calais Cameron’s vision is bold and unapologetic, weaving together a tapestry of vignettes that oscillate between introspection and explosive catharsis. 

Inspired by Ntozake Shange’s 1976 work For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Calais Cameron’s play opens with six young men: Tobi King Bakare, Shakeel Haakim making his professional debut, Fela Lufadeju, Albert Magashi, Mohammed Mansaray and Posi Morakinyo. 

This is a memorable piece about Black masculinity and Black life in Britain, the wounds and crises of class conditioned by the background weather of race and identity. The nature of manhood is one of Mr. Calais Cameron’s chief concerns.

It’s an entirely unique vision and wrongfoots us from the start. Exhilarating and emotionally rich exploration of masculinity, mental health and the six men’s relationship with black history. The production’s emotional intensity is all the greater for the fierce restraint that the actors—and the characters—display.

One is passed over by the girls playing kiss-chase. Another is subjected to a “routine check” by police in Hackney. There’s the one who accuses his educated friend of being “whitewashed” as he tries to fit in. This was exciting, unnerving, bristling with youth and volume. 

The crucial thing is that this play – now on its second West End run – is urging people to look hard at these profound issues around human behaviour, and really think about what makes people who they are. 

Here, too, the entire ensemble’s acting is elegant, emotional, and superb in all its impacted pain and ongoing struggles. The combination of artistry and emotional directness in this play is overwhelming to me.

Anna Reid’s fluorescent playground set and costume design is terrific. The music — hip-hop, R&B, astute classical sound design and composition by Nicola T. Chang — is both surprising and perfect. 

Lighting wise, Rory Beaton paints the stage not in the gritty, neorealist tones expected of such streetwise stories, but with the rich textures and saturated colours of a waking dream that uniquely mixes music, movement, storytelling, and verse.

Overall, this is a provocative piece of theatre that delves deep into the complexities of the black male experience. With raw honesty and poetic flair, the production navigates themes of identity, mental health, and systemic oppression with an unflinching gaze. 

Red Pitch, a piece about three Black teenagers first seen at the Bush, is running up the road at the new Soho Place theatre. Watching this at the Garrick Theatre I noticed how racially and socially mixed the audience was compared with nearly every other West End show. 

But we’re starved of these narratives in the West End and Calais Cameron’s raw drama showcases why they are so hugely important.

Considering this started life at the 80-seater New Diorama in 2021, it’s a stunning achievement but also proves theatre can flourish on the small scale, by commissioning fresh, interesting work that doesn’t rely on expensive production.

Late to the party, I know. Alas, I doubt that I will see a better play in the West End this year.

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy is at the Garrick theatre, London until 4 May

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Faith Healer

Faith Healer at Lyric Hammersmith is a poignant exploration of faith, deception, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion. Rachel O’Riordan’s immaculate production transcends the stage to deliver an emotionally stirring evening, both competently staged and beautifully spoken.

A lost showbusiness world is conjured through stirring monologues, hauntingly delivered by Declan Conlon, Justine Mitchell and Nick Holder

Thematically, Faith Healer grapples with weighty existential questions, exploring the knotty nature of faith, the limits of human empathy, and the search for meaning. Brian Friel’s bleak 1979 play unfolds through four simmering monologues delivered by three characters: Frank, the travelling faith healer; his shellshocked wife (or mistress), Grace; and his chatty manager, Teddy. (The only thing that all three characters agree on is what route they took into Ireland).

What to make of Frank? On good nights, he is a saviour. On bad nights, he’s a fraud.

At the heart of this luminescent production is the exceptional cast, who breathe life into Friel’s richly drawn characters. “As a young man I chanced to flirt with it and it possessed me,” Declan Conlon’s Hardy says, warm, lilting, direct, eyes widening theatrically at that word ‘possessed’. Grace, played with boozy raw emotion by Justine Mitchell, captures the heartache and resilience of a woman grappling with love and loss. And Teddy, brought brilliantly to vaudevillian life with wit by an excellent cockney ‘dear heart’-ing Nick Holder.

It’s all about the story that demands the total attention of the audience and gets the performance of their lives from the actors. Elsewhere, Grace allows herself to let in certain memories of Frank, “like a patient returning to solids”.

Colin Richmond’s smoky cracked earth set and costume design and evocative lighting by Paul Keogan creates an atmosphere of introspection, the non-linear structure of the play is handled with attention to detail, with each overlapping monologue building to create a complex narrative. A test of our faith in what we see and hear.


Through the lens of Frank’s dubious gift and the characters’ fractured relationships, the play invites us to ponder the ways in which we construct our own realities and the lengths we will go to hold onto our beliefs. The riveting play struck me as a masterpiece: one in which Friel wrestles with the artist’s dependence on the unpredictability of inspiration, and at its deepest level the play seems to be exploring the mystery of creativity itself, as if Friel were attempting to come to terms with his own unreliable genius.

While I have your attention, I want to pick up on Kate Kellaway’s Guardian review of Faith Healer. 

“Nick Holder is a terrific comic turn as Teddy, Frank’s cockney manager. He is a drab, drunk, Humpty Dumpty of a man in a slovenly waistcoat, but never more than a belly laugh away from pathos.”

The thing that really irked me was Kellaway cruelly comparing a performer to ‘Humpty Dumpty’. 

Yeah, wow. I think an apology is in order, Kate. 

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