Broken Wings ★★★★ Charing Cross Theatre | Feb 11 - Mar 26, 2022


Star-crossed lovers again! From Romeo and Juliet to West Side Story, the oft-told story ultimately gets its power from its treatment. The magic is not so much in the tale but in the telling. In this case, we are given a musical version of Khalil Gibran's poetic recounting of his first love. Best known for his work The Prophet, Gibran was an almost cult-like figure in the 1960s. His work, Broken Wings, is less known, but its current transformation into a musical works primarily because it takes us into an unfamiliar world and makes turn-of-the-century Beirut the central character of the story. The narrative of young love thwarted by an intolerant society is made fresh by the complex relationship Gibran has with the culture of his youth. The plot itself unravels with all the earnestness and simplicity of first love, but it is the looming presence of Beirut and Gibran's love-hate relationship with his homeland that makes the story interesting. The music and lyrics of Dana Al Fardan and Nadim Naaman successfully work to weave the charm and mystery of the city in such numbers as "Spirit Of The Earth." Naaman also convincingly plays the older Gibran carried back to his youth on the wings of memory, while Noah Sinigaglia and Lucca Chadwick-Patel are suitably charming and engaging as the young lovers. Their duet "I Know Now" is a highlight. We also loved the haunting, but powerful, voice that Soophia Foroughi brought to her role as Mother. Indeed, if we have any quibble it is with sameness tone throughout and the absence of any humour. While it is true to Gibran's original it left us wanting a change of pace. Nevertheless, Broken Wings soars in a beautiful celebration of first love.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Danny Kaan.

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: The Arches, Villiers St, London WC2N 6NL, UK

Most Popular

The Divine Mrs S ★★★ Hampstead Theatre | Mar 22 - Apr 27, 2024

Image
Sarah Siddons was the most influential actress of her day. She was famed for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth and has been credited with the creation of the modern notion of celebrity. Borrowing an epithet most often associated with Sarah Bernhardt, playwright April De Angelis contrasts how Mrs Siddons is celebrated on stage but is confined by both her gender and her marital status when off. She is patronised by her actor/manager brother and her money is taken by her estranged and philandering husband. In the theatre, Siddons may experience power over her audience, but in real life she is subject to the patriarchal hierarchy of her time. This point is made obviously and repeatedly throughout the play which presents the great tragedienne's life in an almost farcical style. While the show exists in a historical context it is not bound, linguistically or factually, by that reality. The plot and characters recall a Regency comedy. They are representations of types, bearing little relation...
Full Details »

Summer Exhibition 2026 ★★★★ Royal Academy of Arts | Jun 16 - Aug 23, 2026

Image
The theme of the 258th Summer Exhibition, “Interconnectedness,” makes tracing links between the works on display both a fascinating and at times overwhelming experience. While this year’s works on view appear to contain less overt political commentary and fewer instances of humour than is often typical of such events, both are still present in striking moments. Tim Shaw’s powerful portrayal of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Pin It On Them (Associated Artwork From the Installation: Shut It Piggy) (555) can be juxtaposed with the playful absurdity of Joey Rutherford’s Pickle With a Pearl Earring (1110) , reminding viewers of the range of tones running through the exhibition. Alongside these, there are the usual charming animal representations, including our favourite, the highly realistic cat in Thus Regard Palmerston (793) , as well as the standard attempts to shock and provoke, such as Tracey Emin’s There Is An End To Everything (674) . The collection continues to move between cur...
Full Details »

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Image
Maybe the best musical value in London. The lunchtime concerts at St. Martin's are always a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle that is London and the sensory overload that is Trafalgar Square. This is a beautiful setting with great acoustics, and a church pew hard enough to make sure you don't nod off. Reviewed by J.C.  Our score:    ☆☆☆☆  WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Mon & Fri: 1 pm - 1:45 pm ( occasionally Tues & Thurs)  St. Martin in-the-fields, Trafalgar Square Nearest tube: Charing Cross https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on
Full Details »

The Misanthrope ★★★ National Theatre | Jun 16 - Aug 1, 2026

Image
Martin Crimp’s reimagining of The Misanthrope relocates Molière’s classic into a contemporary world of artists and intellectuals, centring on Alice, a feminist novelist who rails against what she sees as the hypocrisy of modern society. From the outset, Crimp signals his ambition to bridge two worlds: the formal, structured society of Molière’s Louis XIV court and the looser, more performative social codes of the present day. Yet this balancing act proves uneasy. The production never fully settles into either register. It is neither convincingly contemporary nor persuasively classical, instead hovering in an uncertain space where stylisation overwhelms dramatic credibility. The play opens with a lengthy exchange between Alice and her playwright friend John, in which her ideas are set out in carefully constructed speeches that feel less like dialogue than set pieces. Even among a cast of writers, actors and musicians, the conversations often do not seem natural, and the interactions ne...
Full Details »

Hepworth in Colour ★★★★ The Courtauld Gallery | Jun 12 - Sep 6, 2026

Image
This exhibition is a thoughtful examination of an aspect of Barbara Hepworth's work that has long been under-appreciated. Bringing together twenty of Hepworth's abstract sculptures and thirty drawings, it focuses on her innovative use of colour to transform the internal spaces of her sculptures into expressive elements in their own right. As war broke out, Hepworth moved with her husband, Ben Nicholson, to Cornwall. With her preferred materials in short supply, she increasingly turned to plaster, using paint to animate and define the interior surfaces of her sculptures. Richly coloured interiors are often accentuated by strings of contrasting shades, creating a dynamic interplay between surface, space and line. Thirteen of the sixteen painted sculptures Hepworth created during the 1940s are displayed here, although the exhibition also extends into works produced during the 1950s and 1960s. The two-gallery presentation on Floor 3 is complemented by photographs of Hepworth and Ni...
Full Details »

−320°F ★★★★ Sadler's Wells Theatre | July 2 - 11, 2026

Image
For anyone captivated by Hideki Noda's A Night at the Kabuki at Sadler's Wells in 2022, this is a joyous return. For everyone else, it will probably be unlike anything they have seen before. Noda gleefully takes Western myths and cultural touchstones, then hurls them into a wildly inventive Japanese theatrical landscape that leaves audiences laughing, pondering and frequently bewildered. The result is a banquet of spectacle, comedy and big ideas. Like any all-you-can-eat buffet, it is both irresistible and overwhelming. There is so much happening that following the plot becomes almost impossible. It stretches across the modern, medieval and ancient worlds, with a detour through the heavens for good measure. The action begins with God complaining to the angels that humanity has built the Tower of Babel in an attempt to reach him. From there, the play hurtles through the Faust legend and the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, while weaving in a corporate power struggle that appe...
Full Details »

Sinatra The Musical ★★★★ Aldwych Theatre | Until April 10, 2027

Image
Sinatra The Musical offers a sleek, visually striking journey through the life and legend of Frank Sinatra, though it often seems more like a carefully curated scrapbook than a fully rounded portrait of its subject. This is very much a polished, expurgated version of Sinatra's life, one that prefers glamour and momentum over the more troubling or complex edges of Sinatra’s life. There are references to his mafia connections while his philandering, although a major part of the story, somehow feels sanitised. The show precedes the infamous Rat Pack years and centres on the teenage heartthrob who lost his fame and then made a comeback with the film From Here to Eternity . This is a production, like Sinatra himself, with an abundance of style. The visuals are consistently impressive, moving with cinematic fluidity between recording studios, Hollywood sets and various homes. The sheen of mid-century show business is captured with real flair, creating a world that is as seductive as it ...
Full Details »

High Society - The Musical ★★★★ Barbican Centre | May 19 - Jul 11, 2026

Image
“It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely.” High Society is a dazzling, effervescent summer entertainment, brimming with glamour, wit and charm. Buoyed by Cole Porter's sublime score and a frothy romantic comedy plot adapted from The Philadelphia Story , this is a production that asks nothing of its audience except that they surrender to its considerable pleasures. Sit back and enjoy the glorious music, slick choreography and a steady stream of sparkling comic moments. There may be faint echoes of A Midsummer Night's Dream in its tangle of misplaced affections, but analysing this theatrical soufflé would rather miss the point. Its purpose is simple: to delight. We know from the outset that socialite Tracy Lord, played with engaging assurance by understudy Isabel Snaas on this occasion, will ultimately reunite with her reformed ex-husband Dexter Haven, portrayed with effortless sophistication by Julian Ovenden. Nor does the plot leave much doubt that Freddie...
Full Details »

Shear Madness ★★★★ The Mill at Sonning | Jun 25 - Aug 15, 2026

Image
Shear Madness is both a play and a theatrical phenomenon. Based on a 1963 German experimental drama, Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams transformed it into a comedy set in a hair salon. Their adaptation premiered in a small village in upstate New York in 1976 before moving to Boston in 1980, where the show enjoyed an extraordinary forty-year run, finally closing in 2023. Since then, it has been translated into numerous languages and produced around the world, confirming its status as a cut above the average whodunit. The action takes place in a bustling hair salon where two stylists and four customers learn that the upstairs neighbour, a former concert pianist, has suffered the unkindest cut of all. When the police arrive, the audience is enlisted to comb through the evidence, cut through the misdirection, and tie up the loose ends. The first act is packed with sharp one-liners and an infectious energy that keeps events clipping along at a brisk pace. The cast is excellent, with standout...
Full Details »

Sabrage ★★★★★ Lafayette London | Mar 15 - Jul 6, 2025

Image
If you haven't seen a cabaret/circus/burlesque show lately, this is the one to sign on for. And if you've never seen a cabaret/circus/burlesque show, then you definitely need to see this one! Sabrage is some of the wildest fun in London. The show sparkles just like the champagne that inspires it. Bubbly, rather naughty and just when you think it can't get much zanier, there is an act that is bound to astonish, shock or titillate. In fact, the art of burlesque which seemed to have become outmoded in this age of explicit erotica actually makes a delightful comeback in Sabrage 's sexy, silly version. Add to this, a sultry chanteuse, an awe inspiring foot juggler (Emma Phillips), some fancy roller skating plus two terrific aerialists (Flynn Miller and Kimberley Bargenquast), and you have a quite unforgettable experience. The show is hosted by two completely goofy emcees (Remi Martin and Spencer Novich) whose corny routines and predictable patter, nicely balance the product...
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings