I didn’t see as many plays as I would have liked, prioritising the big musicals rather than smaller plays. I tried very hard to get tickets to MCC’s Shit. Meet. Fan. to no avail. I wasn’t particularly interested in Left on 10th, or The Roommate. I actually DID buy a very expensive ticket to see Robert Downey Jr’s Broadway debut in McNeal, but after the mediocre reviews I decided to sell the ticket and use that money to pay for three other shows. A move I’m still happy about.
But the three plays I did see were well worth the effort.
Romeo + Juliet (Circle In The Square) ★★★½
Written by William Shakespeare. Music by Jack Antonoff.
No this isn’t a musical, despite the heavy presence of music in the production. As you enter the theatre it feels more like a late 90s nightclub with heavy beats, lots of neon, bags of Haribo and gender-fluid (we just called it androgynous back then) clothing. Huge teddy bears sit on small balconies on either side of the oval stage. I was having serious flashback to dancing all night, sucking on lollipops and watching ravers lose their minds. The fact that the title is styled with a + instead of an & instantly reminded me of Baz Luhrmann’s film version to which this production owes a massive debt.
The big draw cards here were the two leads, ‘Heartstopper’ heartthrob Kit Connor as Romeo, and Hollywood’s Rachel Segler as Juliet. Their combined YA appeal drew a very young crowd to the theatre which was exciting to see.
Is it a good production of Shakespeare? Well no, not really. It’s full of invention but the text and story get lost in the mix. The whole show is trying too hard to be young and relevant. Some interesting double casting sees the same performer play unusual pairs of roles (Juliet’s parents are both played by the one actor, Juliet’s Nurse and Tybalt are paired as well). Similarly Gabby Beans plays both the Friar and Mercutio, garnering an unexpected laugh when she had to change roles mid-scene and started by simply saying “I’m the Friar now” (she gave a great performance BTW, one of the shows highlights).
Despite clearly hitting the gym, Connor felt slightly awkward when dealing with Mercutio and his mates, but was on stronger ground in the emotional scenes with Juliet. Zegler brought a spiky energy to Juliet that helped to balance the ways the role is underserved in this production. Yes, she gets to sing a song as well – no, it has nothing to do with the plot really.
For all the production’s faults though, they totally nail the Balcony Scene, which sees Connor jumping up to Juliet balcony suspended in midair, and doing a pull up to plant a kiss on her lips. The crowd went wild.
Stereophonic (John Golden Theatre) ★★★★
Written by David Adjmi. Music & Lyrics by Will Butler.
Again, no, this isn’t a musical but it’s a play about music. If you’ve not heard the buzz about Stereophonic yet, it’s a play about a band that isn’t Fleetwood Mac for legal reasons, recording their new album after their first major hit. It scooped up 5 Tony Awards, including Best Play in 2024.
After hearing so much praise for Stereophonic I was a bit surprised by how simple it was. Set entirely within the recording studio, we watch as the power dynamics of the band shift, relationships crumble and success makes way for anger and resentment. There’s a great push & pull of creative impulses between the members that increases the tensions, aided by liberal drug taking. The real wow factor is watching these great actors prove to be great musicians as well, performing Will Butler’s rock songs like a team of pros.
Oh, Mary! (Lyceum Theatre) ★★★★★
Written by Cole Escola.
Oh Mary! is another play that had amazing reviews all round. This is the blockbuster comedy of the season and tickets were astronomically priced. Thankfully a friend put me onto a ticket resale app and I was lucky enough to get a ticket in the stalls (orchestra for the Americans) for a not-insane amount of money.
If you’ve not heard about Cole Escola’s runaway hit, it reframes Mary Lincoln (as in the wife of President Abraham Lincoln) as a frustrated, drunken housewife dreaming of her days in the cabaret scene. After all, Mary (Cole Escola in drag) is married to a closeted gay man who’s in the middle of a Civil War. Things take an unexpected turn when, to keep her away from the bottle and give her something to do, Abraham (Conrad Ricamora) hires an acting coach (James Scully) who proves to be rather handsome.
Escola’s Mary is all childish Freudian id run rampant constantly pulling faces and failing to understand that the people around her have their own lives going on. She torments her upright chaperone (Bianca Leigh) and everyone else around her just to pass the time. As the plot picks up steam, and takes some hilarious odd tangents, Abraham’s queerness comes out more and more and things get more unhinged.
This was a hell of a lot of fun and proved to be worth every cent. It’s a small comedy taking on Broadway and succeeding at every turn. It’s also worth watching Cole Escola’s promotional appearance on talk shows for even more sharp tongued silliness.
Cultural Binge 
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