A Strange Loop (Barbican) London Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (193)
See it if ...you like musicals that tackle serious subject matter with humor; this show would appeal to fans of Sondheim, JRB, Tesori, et al.
Don't see it if ...you're a "42nd St."-type of musicals person. If you're looking for "entertainment" in that sense, this isn't the show for you. Read more
See it if you want to see a masterpiece
Don't see it if you want something easy and clean, it's not perfect but it's very close
See it if You like humour inc dark humour
Don't see it if You are offended by the N word and C word and swearing in general
See it if LGBTQ thematics focusing on the challenges of Black queer people. Will make you laugh and think. Gets pretty intense and dramatic.
Don't see it if You don't like the topic and are expecting something lighthearted and uplifting.
See it if you want to see a fantastic lead and great ensemble. A fab score and a funny show!
Don't see it if you want a classic MusiCAL.
See it if You like modern style musicals with new ideas and LQBTQ+ productions. Very clever, funny and poignant.
Don't see it if You like traditional musicals. Very modern ideas and language. Very clever, less jazz hands!!
See it if You want to see a really refreshing musical
Don't see it if You want to see traditional happy musicals with neat endings
See it if you are interested in exploring themes of identity and parent/child/religious relationships
Don't see it if your MT preferences skew more cheesy/joyful. This is much more of a thought-piece.
Critic Reviews (14)
" ‘A Strange Loop’ is different. It is an extremely Black, extremely queer, extremely horny, extremely New York show that is, to boot, extremely weird: a meta-musical about a theatre usher called Usher’s attempt to write a meta-musical about a theatre usher called Usher. "
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"It ends with a non-ending, breaking the rules of storytelling but without any sense of jarring or gimmickry. These circles within circles could just continue, we feel, after the curtain falls. A strange loop indeed."
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“What makes ’A Strange Loop’ so compelling... what cuts under its whirling cleverness, is the way it makes Usher’s suffering so intense. As it digs, it unlocks true sadness and alienation, so that the relative calm of the ending is almost a relief. It’s original and old-fashioned all at once.”
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“So it’s an evening that goes round in circles. It knows that it is going around in circles. It tells you it is going round in circles. But finally I found this knowing sense of stasis more deadening than daring.”
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"Oddly for such a knowing, meta show, it really does fulfil Usher’s desire to show real life – to place you in his lived experience. The experimental zaniness, the candid content, and the taboo busting are all excitingly bold, but it’s that authenticity which ultimately makes the most impact."
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“It’s an impressive, emotionally punchy spectacle. But once I’d rubbed the dazzle from my eyes, I couldn’t help feeling that, for all its self-referential intricacy and Jackson’s obvious, stunning talent, the show needs another level, and a wider context. Usher’s story deserves a second act.”
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"It’s stuffed with really catchy tunes full of triumphant melodies, with big high notes, snatches of literary and musical reference constantly winking at us. It’s messy and exhausting as much as it is spectacular. It’s too long, too repetitious, too much - and I’d watch it again in an instant."
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"Bold in its approach, it dares to break the mould and create something that may not always be the most comfortable of watches but is always captivating. For me personally, a couple of moments aside, I loved 'A Strange Loop' immeasurably...Whether you love it or hate it, you’re going to remember it – and that in itself makes it a success in my eyes."
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