The Third Man London Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (28)
See it if you like the story
Don't see it if you are expecting the movie
See it if You’re a musical theatre fan, and want to see a great show in a highly renowned smaller venue. Don’t need to know the original source
Don't see it if You’re not into musical theatre, or are looking for a big funny show. This follows the feel and style of the film closely
See it if You like noir genre. This was quite different to other musicals I have watched
Don't see it if You have watched the movie as that's what the guy next to me opined. I hadn't and so enjoyed it better.
See it if you want to see drama, lots of running around, and a cast working their inventive set for all they're worth. It plays very like the 39 Steps
Don't see it if you want heaps of dry ice and Midge Ure singing 'Vienna!' Nightclub set numbers are good but generally the songs aren't memorable here.
See it if Willing to explore a dark, dangerous and morally ambiguous Vienna. The staging and musical underscoring are excellent and feel cinematic.
Don't see it if Wanting a traditional musical. You’ve never seen one like this.
See it if You like thrillers
Don't see it if You don’t like slow theatre
See it if you want to see a film noir innovatively turned into a musical with some strong performances and a creative use of a small space.
Don't see it if you prefer a story that makes sense as a musical. This story doesn't really work as a musical and likely would be better as a straight play.
See it if Some interesting staging and great use of the space.
Don't see it if You want a score you will remember
Critic Reviews (12)
"It sadly lacks the charm of a good noir and the kick of a great musical. It feels outdated and astonishingly boring."
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“This show has much more pointless running around and shouting in the half-dark. The songs are inserted into the story rather than growing organically out of it. You can’t blame anyone for trying. The creative team here have a record, together and separately, of turning unlikely subjects into musical gold. Not this time, though.”
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"The production is let down by pace, which feels oddly sleepy but there are gorgeous aesthetics and plenty of atmosphere to see us through."
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“In the end, Christopher Hampton, Trevor Nunn and co don’t provide a totally convincing answer to the obvious question: why bother trying to make a musical out of one of the most atmospheric films of all time? But give them some credit for creating a brooding, ambitious near-miss.”
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“...the show gives off dogged, clunky determination in place of actual inspiration. This ‘Third Man,’ I’m afraid, feels like a spare part.”
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“With a new war raging over the soul of Europe, this might have been a powerful dispatch from history. Instead, it desecrates an artistic great, unnecessarily vocalising a tale in which the silence was sacred.”
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“This stylish but unsatisfying new musical adaptation...captures a little of the mystery and melancholy of Greene’s story, but never generates enough menace to feel gripping...It’s just a shame that the lacklustre songwriting doesn’t match up to the stylish production.”
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“It’s debatable whether this version of The Third Man needed to be a musical, perhaps a straight stage adaptation might have worked better in places. But the music is good, and fans of the film will not be disappointed. “
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