I’m back with three more mini-reviews from my big London theatre trip. In this entry the Aussies hit the West End with STC’s The Picture of Dorian Gray transfer with Sarah Snook, the Bush’s West End hit Red Pitch, and the recent-Olivier award winning Operation Mincemeat.

PLAY 4: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, adapted and directed by Kip Williams, based on Oscar Wilde, at Theatre Royal Haymarket (a Sydney Theatre Company transfer)

This was my second time attending this show, after seeing Eryn Jean Norvill originate the role in Sydney Theatre Company’s 2020 production. Snook makes the role of Dorian her own, which had a surprising humour I didn’t expect. Williams, as ever, stuns with his use of live cinema, which still feels impressive and cutting-edge five years after the production first premiered. His cine-theatre style (with large moving screens designed by Marg Horwell) manages to generate intimacy between the audience and Snook, while also creating impressive images of scale in the large proscenium space.

My critiques of the production remain what they were in 2020. I think the audience is smart enough to make connection between Gray’s narcissism, and the modern social media age, without Williams having Snook hold an iphone and use snapchat filters. As a gen z who is ostensibly being represented by the selfie-taking Dorian, I found that choice patronising and heavy-handed.

Additionally, the show is so vibrant, compelling and screen-heavy that two hours non-stop feels like too much, and I wish Williams had cut 15 minutes in his adaption. I found that the production reached its peak at around the 90-minute mark (where a dynamic nightclub sequence takes us backstage). The final 30-minutes feels like a slog compared to how impressive and compelling the first half is, despite Snook’s best efforts.

PLAY 5: RED PITCH, written by Tyrell Williams, directed by Daniel Bailey, at Soho Place (A Bush Theatre West End Transfer)

This is one of the best things I saw in my whole trip. Tyrell Williams’ play about three black teenage boys from council estates who dream of trialing for the premier league, is a compelling look at ambition, boyhood, gentrification and male friendships. Tightly directed by Bush Associate Artistic Director Daniel Bailey, the play is presented at Soho Place’s in-the-round space, with a simple but impressive futsal court set design by Amelia Jane Hankin.

Red Pitch has all the markers of my favourite type of play (and also the kind of play I love directing): topical political themes, played out over interpersonal conflict, in a tight 75 minute script.

The cast (Kedar Williams-Stirling, Emeka Sesay and Francis Lovehall) have sparkling chemistry, and the camaraderie and humour made you want to be friends with their group. All three are strong, and I was particularly pleased to see Williams-Stirling on stage, as he is so charming in Sex Education. Highly recommended!

PLAY 6: OPERATION MINCEMEAT, written by Spit Lip Comedy Troupe (David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts), directed by Robert Hastie, at the Fortune Theatre (originally a New Diorama transfer)

A West End Musical with a truly impressive fringe origin story, this was a clever gem of a production. Based on a bizarre, true espionage mission which helped the Allies win the war, Operation Mincemeat uses drag and wit to skewer the type of arrogant posh white boys who tend to run the world.

Created by the four-person comedy troupe Spit Lip (of which three also star) it was originally commissioned by New Diorama in 2019, and moved to progressively bigger venues before making its West End debut in 2023. It was marketed as one of the best-reviewed shows in West End history, and I can see why the crowd-pleaser earned the title. It also won Best Supporting Actor and Best New Musical at the Oliviers the week after I saw it!

The comedy has a five-person cast who all play multiple roles, which include Claire-Marie Hall and Jak Malone, and writers Cumming, Hodgson and Roberts (although I’ve heard the writers have now stepped aside to let new blood in). I’ve never seen a musical with this cast size and no ensemble, and found it to be an fascinating variation of the large-scale musical theatre I’m used to. The tone is purposefully very silly and upbeat (except for one very moving song, which won Malone an Olivier), so don’t expect your typical war story. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait to see what Spit Lip do next.

That’s all for me this week! All up, three really strong shows in this batch. I can’t say the same for next week’s issue, which will cover Hadestown, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, and The Comeuppance. (Try and guess which one I didn’t like!)

Red Pitch was one of the highlights of my 16-show trip, but I would also highly recommend both Dorian and Mincemeat, if you’re into ambitious directing and cutting edge technology, or just really silly, fun musicals.

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Jo Bradley