I have seen over 120 shows so far in 2026. While we are not at the end of the year just yet, August, with its focus on Fringe festivals, feels an apt time to pause and reflect on what I have seen so far.
This week, I am presenting my Top 50 of the year so far! These are the shows that have either stuck with me or have been memorable productions.*
*It does not necessarily correlate to review rating!
10. Cyrano De Bergerac
Adrian Lester delivered a masterclass in martial arts and lyrical wit as Cyrano de Bergerac in this modernised revival. Check out my review here.
9. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Race relations and colonial history reframe Ken Kesey’s classic psychiatric drama. Aaron Pierre and Olivia Williams locked horns in a gruelling, in-the-round interrogation of institutional power and systemic oppression. Check out my review here.
8. Choir Boy
Tarell Alvin McCraney’s poignant work was triumphantly revived in this profound exploration of black masculinity, sexuality and human connection, brought together with gorgeous gospel music. Check out my review here.
7. Midnight at the Never Get
Ben Platt and Gregor Milne deliver devastating, five-star performances under David Cromer’s careful, poignant direction, in Mark Sonnenblick’s cabaret masterpiece. Check out my review here.
6. American Psycho
Arty Froushan was intoxicating in Rupert Goold’s revival of American Psycho at the Almeida. A sleek, bloody, and timely skewering of 80s hedonism. Check out my review here.
5. 1536
The execution of Anne Boleyn triggers a wave of patriarchal control in a small Essex hamlet. Ava Pickett’s 1536 is a sharp interrogation of female agency and the dangerous power of reputation, and a Tudor metaphor for modern times. Check out my review here.
4. Mass
Two couples, one table, and a tragedy that defies words. This high-intensity adaptation, with a powerhouse cast, of Mass explores the raw limits of human forgiveness. Check out my review here.
3. Welcome to Pemfort
Sean Delaney was exceptional in Welcome to Pemfort at Soho Theatre. A neat four-hander set in a failing gift shop of a rundown castle, where ideas of justice and forgiveness were explored in intimate and powerful ways. This show lingered with me for a long time after. Check out my review here.
2. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Mark Addy and Jenna Russell were sublime in the 5-star musical adaptation of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. A gut-wrenching, beautiful, folk-fuelled triumph. Check out my review here.
1. Here There Are Blueberries
A quiet, devastating investigation into the Höcker Album. This 5-star production offered a sobering look at the normality of the Holocaust. Check out my review here.
