Stereophonic ★★★★ Duke of York's Theatre | May 24 - Oct 11, 2025


The show that was nominated for more Tony awards than any other has now arrived in London! Nominated for thirteen awards and winning five, this musical set in 1976-1977, is a deep look at a rock band's creation of their latest album. It is a fascinating insight into the music industry and into the collaborative creative process. Five members of a band, plus two engineers, struggle to produce a new album, and as they do so, the individual personalities and relationships that exist disintegrate and are reconstructed. In fact, the process of artistic invention, and re-invention, that results in the album mirrors what the band members themselves go through. This unnamed British-American rock band is composed of the driven, perfectionist Peter, his insecure vocalist, songwriter partner, Diana, the drug-addled bass player, Reg, his long-suffering spouse the keyboardist, Holly, and the apparent adult in the room, the band's drummer, Simon. This quintet is supported by two goofy, but oddly insightful sound guys, Grover and Charlie. The performances in this production are generally superb, and they certainly conform to any preconceived notions one might have about the dynamic that exists within a rock band. Zachary Hart nicely projects the childlike enthusiasm and simple-minded self-indulgence of Reg, and his performance is neatly balanced by the practical, no-nonsense presentation of Holly by Nia Towle. As Peter, the man whose own insecurity leads him to browbeat and gaslight his self-doubting partner, Diana, Jack Riddiford is thoroughly menacing. It is a powerful and nicely nuanced performance. Unfortunately, as the aforesaid Diana, Lucy Karczewski's subdued portrayal led to us losing several of her mumbled lines at the beginning of the show, although she comes into her own as her character's confidence builds. Eli Gelb, who is reprising his role as the phlegmatic Grover from the Broadway production, is simply perfect, and his interchanges with Andrew R. Butler as Charlie constitute some of the humorous highpoints of the show. Grover's dark meditation on life and work also prove to be one of the most thought-provoking moments of the piece. Running at about three hours the show does seem to be unnecessarily long. While the first act certainly establishes the onerous nature of the recording process, it doesn't seem matched by a concomitant development of plot and character. Stereophonic is probably a must-see for anyone who has ever followed a favourite band, and for anyone who enjoys innovative and challenging theatre.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: St Martin's Ln, London WC2N 4BG, UK

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