NOISES OFF Leads our Top Ten Shows For January

We start the 2023 as we mean to go on; with some cracking West End shows. From some well-deserved transfers from the Theatre Royal Bath and Chichester Festival Theatre, to the UK premiere of George Takei's musical and the unknown story of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel there are some true theatrical treats in store in January.

Make sure you check back for all Broadwayworld UK's news, interviews and reviews.

---

1. Noises Off, Phoenix Theatre

After a critically-acclaimed tour, this hilarious fortieth anniversary production of Michael Frayn's uprorious comedy comes to The Phoenix Theatre in January.

In a masterful skewering of the theatrical world, a shambolic company of actors tries to stage a story of mistaken identities called Nothing On. The audience sees the same play three times; a chaotic and slapstick rehearsal from the front, the backstage view of a matinee and then the final, catastrophic performance.

With a stellar cast featuring Felicity Kendal, Jonathan Coy, Matthew Kelly and Tracy-Ann Oberman, this is a revival of a beautifully crafted farce that is well worth catching.

Noises Off is at The Phoenix Theatre from 19 January - 11 March. Book tickets here.

2. The Unfriend, Criterion Theatre

Following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre, prepare to welcome The Unfriend to the West End for a strictly limited run at the Criterion Theatre, starring Reece Shearsmith, Amanda Abbington and Frances Barber.

While on holiday Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa. When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online and learn that a very dangerous woman has just boarded a flight to London.

This dark comedy of manners from writer Steven Moffat and director Mark Gatiss asks: how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming a bit impolite?

The Unfriend is at the Criterion Theatre from 15 January - 16 April. Book tickets here.

3. George Takei's Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre

After a triumphant run on Broadway and a subsequent film, Allegiance transfers to London for its European premiere. Inspired by the life story of renowned actor and activist George Takei, the UK premiere of the uplifting Broadway Musical, Allegiance, follows the story of the Kimura family and their struggles in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In a world ravaged by the effects of war, Allegiance reveals the courage and loyalty of family in a time of great injustice as 120,000 Japanese Americans are forced into internment camps, testing the power and resilience of the human spirit.

Created by Lorenzo Thione and Jay Kuo with a book by Marc Acito, George Takei's Allegiance held its world premiere at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in 2012, setting box-office records.

George Takei's Allegiance is at Charing Cross Theatre from 7 January - 8 April. Book tickets here.

4. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre

'Let's just talk until it goes.'

You're going to speak more than 123 million words in your lifetime. What will you do when they run out?

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is a tender and funny rom-com about what we say, how we say it, and what happens when we can't say anything anymore.

Starring Jenna Coleman and Aidan Turner, this bold play from Sam Steiner and directed by Josie Rourke is a must-see this January.

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is at Harold Pinter Theatre from 18 January - 18 March. Buy tickets here.

5. Sound of the Underground, Royal Court

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and then all the legends that have realised gender is a trap - introducing the Sound of The Underground."

This is not your average night at the theatre. Travis Alabanza's first play for the Royal Court spotlights London's iconic underground club culture and questions what it means to get your money's worth when it comes to art.

Legends of the London Queer club scene come out to take over The Royal Court Theatre. Expect punk, profanity and a fierce fight about workers' rights. Hold for applause. Bring some change. Tip generously.

Sound of the Underground is at Royal Court from 19 January - 25 February. Buy tickets here.

6. Swan Lake, London Coliseum

English National Ballet brings the timeless classical ballet to life in this enthralling production. Be captivated by the romance of Prince Siegfried's love for the Swan Queen Odette, and the drama of their battle against the evil sorcerer Rothbart; and fall for the magnificent sight of ballerinas in white tutus moving in unison: one of ballet's most iconic images.

Beloved for its superb dancing, beautiful sets and Tchaikovsky's glorious music, played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic, Derek Deane's Swan Lake is a thrill for the dedicated fan or first-time ballet-goer.

Swan Lake is at London Coliseum from 12 - 22 January. Buy tickets here.

7. In The Net, Jermyn Street Theatre

Misha Levkov's exciting debut interweaves the lives of the three women. Family, protest, and the joy of defiance meet in this production, directed by Vicky Moran.

Laura and Anna, half-sisters, plan a grand net stretching across the skyline of North London as a way to unite their community. But not everyone's convinced. Meanwhile Hala, a Syrian refugee staying with the family, finds herself caught in a tangle of immigration red tape. With time running out, drought spreading, and the authorities closing in, the net becomes their arena in the pursuit of justice, joy and safety.

In The Net is at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 12 January -4 February. Book tickets here.

8. Charlie & Stan, Wilton's Music Hall

In 1910, the then unknown  Charlie  Chaplin and Stan Laurel set sail from Southampton to New York as part of Fred Karno's famous music hall troupe. They shared a cabin, they shared comedy routines but by the end of the journey they had drifted apart... they would both go on to become two of the biggest stars of the age.  

Inspired by real life events, and accompanied by a live piano score, Told by an Idiot's production is a moving homage to two men who changed the world of comedy forever.

Charlie & Stan is at Wilton's Music Hall, London from 18 January - 4 February. Book tickets here.

9. Alex Edelman: Just For Us, Menier Chocolate Factory

Just For Us takes the audience through hilarious anecdotes from Alex Edelman's life - his Olympian brother AJ, an unconventional holiday season, and a gorilla that can do sign language - but at its centre is an astonishing and frighteningly relevant story.

After a string of antisemitic abuse is directed at Edelman online, he decides to covertly attend a gathering of White Nationalists in New York City and comes face to face with the people behind the keyboards. The result is a hair-raising encounter that gives Just For Us its title and final, jaw-dropping twist.

Alex Edelman: Just For Us is at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 11 January -
26 February. Book tickets here.

10. On The Ropes, Park Theatre

On the Ropes is an uplifting musical drama telling the story of Vernon Vanriel who arrived in the UK aged six with his family as part of the Windrush Generation, and rose to prominence as one of the most charismatic and influential Black British boxers of the 70s and 80s.

In 2005, having lived in North London for 43 years, Vernon found himself trapped in Jamaica; homeless, penniless and denied access to medical care for a heart condition. What followed was a bare-knuckle fight for his right to citizenship with the British Home Office.

On the Ropes richly fuses music, poetry and the duck and weave of the boxing ring into a contemporary drama, that is ultimately a celebration of how courage, dignity and a fighting spirit can triumph over prejudice and injustice.

On The Ropes is at the Park Theatre from 6 January - 4 February. Book tickets here.

To post a comment, you must register and login.