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Words & Music by Stephen Sondheim. Devised by Stephen Sondheim & Julia McKenzie. Craig Donnell for Impresario Productions. Foundry Theatre. Jan 6 – Feb 15, 2026.

We’re kicking it old school in the New Year. And I’ve got to say it feels good to be opening 2026 by seeing (and hearing) some Sondheim—performed by the very best. Seriously, I want to do things to these vocals that would make the cast of Heated Rivalry blush. If you’re a musical theatre lover addicted to big, crisp vocals and intricate intonation, then you’ll love this cast!

There is no shortage of revues based around the work of the late Stephen Sondheim (like Being Alive at the Hayes last year)—but there is only one that he was fully involved with: 1992’s Putting It Together. And despite featuring some of his best tunes, covering almost the entirety of his career, this isn’t a “greatest hits” showcase. It’s more of a thematic jukebox of Sondheim’s tunes about the messy realities of relationships.

The set-up is admittedly a bit overly-stagey. It’s a cabaret/musical/revue hybrid strung together with a very loose narrative (there is no real plot—just vibes).
Set at a New York cocktail party with two couples—one older and rich (Caroline O’Connor & Michael Cormick), the other young and ambitious (Stefani Caccamo & Nigel Huckle)—these aren’t really characters but archetypes designed to deliver songs.

We’re helped along by Bert LaBonté’s “Observer”, who blends into scenes and gives the audience some simple context. It takes a few minutes to settle into the show’s rhythms—possibly not helped by the fact it begins with some of the more obscure Sondheim tracks—but once you get on its wavelength, it really hits its stride.

The show is at its best when it plugs into Sondheim’s witty numbers like “There’s Always a Woman”, “Getting Married Today”, “More” and “Lovely”, or when it dials up the vocals and layered arrangements for the emotional heavy-hitters “Every Day a Little Death”, “Unworthy of Your Love”, “Sooner or Later” or “Being Alive”. Honestly, this is the best arrangement of “Being Alive” I’ve ever heard – the counter-melodies will give you chills.

This cast are supremely talented, with gorgeous vocals as they wrap their lungs around some of Sondheim’s trickiest melodies and comedy songs. Caroline O’Connor is clearly the gold standard here—both for her ability to interpret songs and nail the laughs. Hearing her rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch” is easily worth the price of a ticket.

The double act of Stefanie Caccamo and O’Connor excel as dueling women. Nigel Huckle’s golden voice fills the large Foundry (has he ever played Franklin Shepard in Merrily? He should play Franklin Shepard in Merrily! Or he’d make a great Bobby for Company. Caccamo would also make for an excellent gender-swapped Bobbie – any producers reading this?!). And Michael Cormick’s clarity and gravitas round out the core quartet.

And what does Sondheim have to say about relationships in the end? Well, simply that they’re multifaceted and complicated. It’s notable that Sondheim himself remained single for most of his life, acting as an observer and chronicler of people. His take on women is mixed with caustic admiration. His take on men is tinted with a sense of disappointment. When you put them together, they can bring out the best or the worst in each other.

But ultimately you’ve wound your way through the casino, into the foyer bar, past the loos, crossed the second smaller bar, down the weird funnel-shaped corridor (I really love a quirky theatre space), into the not-so-hidden gem of the Foundry Theatre for one thing—Sondheim’s music.

And this show delivers, demonstrating Sondheim’s witty, lyrical brilliance and sharp observations. There is nothing generic or predictable about his songwriting, it is still dynamic and unique. His take on relationships is rarely pretty, letting his characters show their selfish, sexist, broken flaws through song.

The way the show is constructed may seem a bit odd or even dated to some, but I guarantee you I will see this a few more times before it closes. This quintet of stage talents is hard to pass up.

Music & lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Book by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton. Based on the film by J.F. Lawton. Theatre Royal. Nov 30, 2025 – Mar 1, 2026.

Let me start by saying Pretty Woman: The Musical is NOT the worst musical I’ve seen in 2025. That “honour” still goes to The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical in London (“Big mistake. Huge!”). But the two shows share a lot of similar problems, the biggest of which is a seeming lack of interest from the creatives involved. Pretty Woman: The Musical is not really good, but it’s good enough—it clears the line to three-stars thanks to a charming performance from Samantha Jade.

A little bit of musical theatre history: musicals have been based on films since the 1960s. The trend picked up steam in the 1990s with Disney taking to the stage, followed by fairly forgettable shows like Footloose (1998), The Full Monty (2000), Dirty Dancing (2004), and The Wedding Singer (2006). Things really went turbo-charged in 2007 with the success of Legally Blonde: The Musical, which became a major global hit thanks to its smart writing, high-energy pop score and media savvy marketing.

Since then, screenwriters, film studios, and producers have been trying to turn film IP into musicals—usually without success. For every genuine hit like Kinky Boots (2013) or Waitress (2016), there’s a graveyard of musicals including Desperately Seeking Susan (2007), Flashdance (2008), Ghost (2011), The Bodyguard (2012), Rocky (2014), Cruel Intentions (2017), Clueless (2018), Tootsie (2019), Mrs Doubtfire (2021), all the way up to the likes of The Queen of Versailles, Burlesque, and 50 First Dates this year (2025).

I’m not saying they were all bad—most were—but none hit the heights of Legally Blonde, even if they continue to enjoy success on tours. In classic Hollywood-exec style, it’s clear that people saw Legally Blonde’s success and thought, “Audiences love seeing hit films on stage,” without considering all the factors that made Legally Blonde exceptional. And that’s how we ended up with Pretty Woman: The Musical.

And I kept thinking about Legally Blonde while watching Pretty Woman because there are some solid parallels—not even counting the casting of Andy Karl and Orfeh in both Broadway productions of the shows. The real comparison hit me with the iconic shopping/makeover scene.

In Legally Blonde, the song “Take it Like A Man” works on two levels: it’s both a comedic beat and a moment of genuine emotional development. Elle realises she’s in love with Emmett and that exterior changes don’t alter the man underneath. “That’s the best part, the outside is new. But now it reflects what’s already in you.” What’s that smell? Subtext… by Calvin Klein.

In Pretty Woman’s equivalent moment—Edward taking Vivienne shopping for her second back-to-back makeover—we get “You’re Beautiful”. It’s a song about how a woman who makes a living off her sexual attraction is, surprise surprise, even more beautiful in designer clothes! “You’re beautiful. You’ve got style and grace. There’s something about your smile that says you’re on your way.” I felt like William Shatner at the end of Miss Congeniality, soullessly reciting, “She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’s Miss United States!” What’s that smell? Bad writing.

And yes, before you ask, Miss Congeniality: The Musical is in development right now.

Pretty Woman gives us first-base lyrics in middle-of-the-road pop-rock tunes that don’t really progress the story. The iconic film visuals are all present—the trashy blonde wig, the big white hat, the snapping-the-jewellery-box-shut—but none land triumphantly. The book is full of talk about emotions but very little actual feeling on stage. The sexual chemistry is as fake as the sheet of fluffy cloth meant to be the bubbles in the bathtub scene.

It feels as though the original production team simply duplicated the film’s big moments, threw some songs in, and walked away to collect their pay cheques. It’s professionally executed but utterly passionless. During the opera scene, I was praying for the Phantom to start killing people.

But things aren’t all dire. After the harsh Broadway & London reviews, and the lukewarm local ones, I expected a one- or two-star fiasco… but… well…

Samantha Jade is just so damn likeable that she actually sells it.

While sometimes I felt like joining in with Vivienne wishing she was “Anywhere but here” there’s no denying that Jade is a vocal powerhouse who really makes the most of some underwhelming tunes. She’s equally strong with the brash comedy, the winning innocence and the seduction. Much like Julia Roberts in the film, it’s hard not to love this cliched hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold.

She’s backed up by some real standouts. Ben Hall has little to work with as the underwritten millionaire-killjoy Edward, but his vocals are gorgeous. Michelle Brasier turns the bog-standard “sassy best friend” Kit into a showstopper. And Jordan Tomljenovic does his best to steal every scene he’s in as the bellboy Giulio.

So, is Pretty Woman: The Musical worth seeing? Sure—if you’re up for a light, inoffensive evening with friends. There’s some enjoyment to be had here even if it’s the kind of show that would be fun in 2005, but feels like a throwback in 2025. It definitely lacks the creative spark of other musicals we’ve seen at the Theatre Royal this year like Hadestown, The Lovers, or even Cats, but the great vocals will please lovers of a big belting tune and the feelgood plot still works a little bit of magic.