My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) ★★★★★ Ambassadors Theatre | Until March 18, 2023


This show provides an inspiring and joyful answer to its title question. As Rob Madge's father writes, "we encouraged Rob to do what they wanted to do, and be what they wanted to be...it's pretty simple." So, we are taken into a family that celebrates a wildly imaginative child who puts on shows in the living room, and we get to share their experience through home videos and this small gem of a production. There are so many examples of the darker side of the queer experience that it is more than a relief to see an alternative reality. This tribute to Madge's family reaches beyond the LGBTQ+ community, however. It should strike a note of hope in anyone who doesn't conform to a stereotype of "normal." Director Luke Sheppard has created a show that is tightly organised and thoroughly professional. The interweaving of the tapes and live action is seamless, and George Reeve's video and projection design is first rate. Kudos also to Ryan Dawson Laight for his imaginative set and costume design, and to Pippa Cleary for her emotive songs and clever lyrics. In the end, however, this show belongs to Madge whose charming performance is never cloying, and whose sense of irony undercuts the narcissism that often beclouds many writer/performer shows. There's lots of humour here as well as heart, and Madge has the audience with them from the moment they step on stage. For an experience as positive and unforgettable as some of the star's favourite Disney films, look no further than My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?).

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Mark Senior.

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: West St, London WC2H 9ND, UK

Most Popular

Les Liaisons Dangereuses ★★★ National Theatre | Mar 21 - Jun 6, 2026

Image
Spoilt, rich people whose sole occupation is scheming to destroy the lives of the naïve and gullible. No, this is not a dramatised version of the Epstein files. Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ eighteenth-century epistolary novel, depicting amoral aristocrats on the brink of the French Revolution, has inspired many incarnations, yet it continues to shock and, at times, to delight. Christopher Hampton’s stage adaptation, first presented in 1985, streamlines the narrative, focusing on the rivalry and tangled emotional connection between the two master manipulators: the Marquise de Merteuil, played by Lesley Manville, and the Vicomte de Valmont, portrayed by Aidan Turner. Together they engage in a vicious game, with Valmont attempting to seduce both the innocent Cécile de Volanges and the devout Madame de Tourvel. It is wickedly entertaining material, and it proves just as intriguing in this context as it does in the well-known teen film, Cruel Intentions . There are, however, some issues with...
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 »

Coven ★★ Kiln Theatre | Until January 17, 2026

Image
Coven seeks to transform the seventeenth-century obsession with witches into a musical in the spirit of Six . The historical horror becomes an anachronistic retelling inspired by the Pendle Witch Trials and by the idea that Jenet Device, a child witness in the 1612 trials, later became a victim of the dark arts hysteria in 1633. In the first act, Jenet is imprisoned with several women accused of witchcraft although their 'crimes' really consist of practicing natural healing, assisting in childbirth, or offending powerful men. All are victims of a repressive patriarchy, an authoritarian church, and a deeply corrupt legal system. However, the portrayal of these women and their stories feels heavy-handed, and by the end of Act I the central narrative and main character remain uncertain. Only in the second act, through a flashback that explores Jenet’s psyche, do we learn her history and recognise her as the true protagonist. The scattered plot threads from the first act then begi...
Full Details »

The Old Ladies ★★★★ Finborough Theatre | Mar 24 - Apr 19, 2026

Image
When the timid and impecunious Miss Beringer moves into her new lodgings, she is warmly received by her sympathetic and kindly landlady, Mrs Amorest. However, her relationship with her fellow lodger soon proves far more fraught. It becomes clear that the formidable, almost malevolent, Mrs Payne covets Miss Beringer’s sole possession of value, a piece of amber given to her by a friend who has moved to India. Written in 1935 by Rodney Ackland and adapted from Hugh Walpole’s earlier novel, the play is a slender Gothic thriller that faintly echoes the macabre sensibilities of a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The narrative itself is insubstantial, and the piece relies heavily on atmosphere and sharply etched characterisation. In both respects, this production proves strikingly effective. Juliette Demoulin’s set design conjures a vivid sense of shabby, faintly sinister decay, while Carla Joy Evans’s costumes are impeccably judged, ranging from the frayed gentility of Mrs Amorest and the uno...
Full Details »

A Mirrored Monet - The Musical ★★★ Charing Cross Theatre | Mar 14 - May 9, 2026

Image
Although Monet would eventually become one of the most beloved artists of all time, his work was initially derided by the artistic establishment. When he attempted, alongside Renoir and Degas, to exhibit through official channels such as the Paris Salon, run by the Académie des Beaux-Arts , his paintings were repeatedly rejected. In response, these artists participated in the Salon des Refusés of 1863, an exhibition that helped bring attention to what would become Impressionism. A Mirrored Monet presents a musical retelling of the painter’s life, exploring the interplay between his personal experiences and his artistic commitment. At its heart is Monet’s profound love for his first wife, Camille, who served as both muse and model. The production uses the familiar device of an older Monet, convincingly played by Jeff Shankley, reflecting on the actions of his younger self. Through this lens, he recalls with regret how his obsessive dedication to art led him to neglect his wife and fami...
Full Details »

Power of Sail – A Moral Thriller ★★★★ Menier Chocolate Factory | Mar 20 - May 12, 2024

Image
The bon mot that academic politics are so vicious precisely because the stakes are so small has various attributions, and its history of apparently being "borrowed" is not without some irony. Set in the context of a debate about free speech, Paul Grellong has written a piece that is less a moral thriller and more of a satire. It is really about the pettiness and lack of principle involved in navigating one's way through the choppy seas of academia. The play doesn't really do much to advance the debate about finding the line between hate speech and free speech, but it is a clinical dissection of the mendacity and petty ambition that infects the environment of those who are supposedly charged with exploring and refining that important distinction. Apparently under the rubric of free speech, Harvard professor Charles Nichols (Julian Ovenden) has invited a well-known white supremacist to participate in a panel at the university. The students are outraged and the dean is ...
Full Details »

ABBA Voyage ★★★★★ ABBA Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | Extended Run

Image
When great music from the past meets mind boggling technology from the future, the result is ABBA Voyage . This is a concert like no other. In a purpose built arena designed specifically for the show, massive high resolution LED screens, advanced lighting, and surround sound are used to create a fully immersive ABBA concert experience. Although the group’s last appearance in London was at Wembley Arena in 1979, they return technologically in this extraordinary production. These are not holograms or AI generated performances. This is a meticulously animated concert based on real performances by the band themselves. To achieve this effect, the group came together and re-performed their music using motion capture technology. They partnered with top visual effects experts to digitally recreate their younger selves. While the show includes a live band and backup singers, the Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid seen on stage appear every bit as real as their original counterparts. One quick...
Full Details »

If. Destroyed. Still. True. ★★★ The Hope Theatre | Apr 26 - May 14, 2022

Image
"You can't go home again." If. Destroyed. Still. True. is a familiar story of friends separated by time and the decisions to follow different paths in life. Jack Condon presents two young men who have bonded in youth but who become separated and increasingly lost to one another as they grow up. John, played by Condon, fears change and clings to the familiar even as he recognises how it limits his life. In the end, he retreats to a world of nostalgia, alcohol and anger. Best friend, James, played by Theo Ancient, manages to negotiate the path of social mobility but is riddled by guilt about what he has left behind. Both actors bring a resonant truth to their performances, and Condon is especially convincing as the partially self-aware, awkwardly articulate John. While Whitney Kehinde rings true as Charlotte, James' girlfriend, it is a role that is only partially developed. We are left guessing at her backstory, and her character serves only to bring into focus the fra...
Full Details »

Sweetmeats ★★★ Bush Theatre | Feb 7 - Mar 21, 2026

Image
When two South Asian elders meet at a diabetes management course, romance is the last thing on the agenda. Yet in Karim Khan’s charming romantic comedy, love proves to be the sweetest item on offer. Diabetes becomes more than a medical condition. It serves as a metaphor for grief, while food stands in for the affection missing from the lives of Hema and Liaquat, both widowed and unsure whether love can return. Hema has created a combative persona, fortifying herself against further hurt. Liaquat, by contrast, is burdened by regret, haunted by feelings he never voiced. They bond over their shared weakness for sweets and the resultant diabetes, but their differences are pronounced. She is Indian and he is Pakistani. Even so, what unites them gradually outweighs what divides them. The political message is clear without being laboured. Performed by Shobu Kapoor and Rehan Sheikh, Hema and Liaquat are instantly recognisable and deeply sympathetic. We root for them to take the risk and find h...
Full Details »

The Authenticator ★★★★★ National Theatre | Until May 9, 2026

Image
When some 18th-century diaries written by the founder of Harford House are discovered, his descendant Fenella calls in two academics, Abi and Marva, to examine them. The manuscripts, which detail Harford’s involvement in the slave trade, soon prove to be far more than a mere catalogue, and the complex history of Britain’s role in the enslavement of Africans acquires a distinctly human face. The subject is a fraught one, with strong, often ahistorical and unnuanced opinions drowning out the complicated reality. Winsome Pinnock has written a fascinating and richly funny play that shows how this heritage touches three women, each in a very different way. Pinnock manages to explore the complexity of her subject with extraordinary humour and humanity. This is theatre at its finest, taking on a difficult subject, humanising it, making it dramatically compelling and avoiding the needlessly didactic. There is much to learn and much to ponder in this play, but it is also deeply entertaining. Sy...
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings