The Witches London Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (58)
See it if You wanna see the next big kids musical since Billy Elliott
Don't see it if you don't like bonkers and crazy but dark shows
See it if you're not going to miss a campy, over the top, unpredictable, sharp & funny new musical with a catchy score, brilliant lyrics & great cast
Don't see it if ..did you not read the See It if.. section above? What are you waiting for? Ok, may be a tad scary for very young children. Otherwise, go! Read more
See it if You love a great family show
Don't see it if Just do, although it's too late now
See it if you appreciate roald dahl’s stories and are interested in seeing a refreshing and clever stage adaptation, with standout performances
Don't see it if you won’t go into it with an open mind, you need to be able to appreciate the modern approach to the classic story
See it if you are a fan of the movie or book, if you like musicals like Matilda or you would like to see a different interpretation of witches.
Don't see it if you don't liked the film/book or you dont like the typical audience of a familyfriendly musicals. Read more
See it if You love the book, like fun and quirky shows. Music was a lot better than I was expecting and they hadn’t held back on the fear factor.
Don't see it if You don’t like the source material or musicals.
See it if Like R Dahl, have kids, want to be entertained
Don't see it if Don't like cute kids on stage and OTT storylines
See it if you're looking for a family, festive show... without the Christmas. The cast are tremendous, despite not always getting the best material
Don't see it if you want rousing, electric songs. The music is probably the weakest thing about it. They might as well have just done it as a play?
Critic Reviews (14)
“The show is aimed at those aged eight and over; there is nothing that will give anyone nightmares here...The length, at nearly three hours including interval, may be a bit of a stretch for younger audience members and a few sections of the second half meander a little. However, most of the production whips by in a stream of pure entertainment.”
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"The scariness of childhood and the fear of death are present and correct, as is an awareness of economic or social difference…There are occasional lacunae here but this is a polished, witty, crisply sardonic serving of Dahl. And if the other child actors sharing the central roles are as good as the ones I saw, they deserve all the plaudits."
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" ‘The Witches’ really is for everyone, (everyone over eight anyway). Because it’s quite easily the funniest new musical London has seen since at least ‘The Book of Mormon’. ... NT has thrown absolutely everything it has at ‘The Witches’, and the results are pure magic."
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“There is fun, wit and imagination in Lyndsey Turner’s production...Lucy Kirkwood brings the magic through a script stuffed with effervescent one-liners.”
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"Some have accused The Witches of being misogynistic. It’s not so much that its slant feels hugely problematic here, more that it’s not massively dramatic. My biggest concern was what the author himself might have made of an extravaganza which has kids chirpily singing inside packing cases and belting out a number as cute as anything in Nativity; it’s not that there’s never a Dahl moment, but even so there’s much sanitisation."
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" I’ll admit that, perhaps because of the Olivier’s treacherous acoustics, I wasn’t able to catch every syllable of the quicksilver lyrics. If I’m being ultra-critical, I’d add that the mechanised mice were a tad slow. But don’t be put off: this is a stunning achievement. As well as some terrific songs, here’s a show that doesn’t try to gloss over the issue of mortality. It stares death in the face, and laughs."
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“...Lucy Kirkwood and Dave Malloy’s gobsmackingly great musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Witches,’ which takes the premise seriously – while perfectly balancing the scares with vivid, heart-warming and properly funny theatre...and the best new musical I’ve seen this year, hands down.”
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“For all its naughty fun, the show is still brave enough to stick with Dahl’s very compromised sort-of happy ending...It may need a final pinch or two of magic, but this wickedly entertaining show will surely put a mischievous grin on anyone’s face.”
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