The limited West End run of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends—Cameron Mackintosh's tribute concert to late musical theatre trailblazer Stephen Sondheim—celebrated opening night October 3 at the Gielgud Theatre, and the reviews are in. Performances continue through January 6, 2024.
Initially presented as a special concert in 2022 at London's Sondheim Theatre, the revue again stars three-time Tony honoree Bernadette Peters, one of the premiere Sondheim interpreters who starred in the original casts of the late composer's Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods, making her West End debut. Peters is joined by Tony winner Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Here Lies Love) as well as Christine Allado, Clare Burt (who recently replaced Haydn Gwynne), Janie Dee, Damian Humbley, Bradley Jaden, Bonnie Langford, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Jac Yarrow, Marley Fenton, and Beatrice Penny-Touré with Harry Apps, Bella Brown, Richard Dempsey, and Monique Young.
BroadwayWorld (Aliya Al-Hassan)
Evening Standard (Nick Curtis)
The Guardian (Claire Armitstead)
The Telegraph (Marianka Swain)
West End Best Friend (James Edge)
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Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
Directed by Matthew Bourne side by side with Julia McKenzie, the production also features choreography by Stephen Mear, conducting by Alfonso Casado Trigo, musical supervision by Stephen Brooker, musical arrangements by Stephen Metcalfe, set design by Matt Kinley, projection design by George Reeve, costume design by Jill Parker, lighting design by Warren Letton, and sound design by Mick Potter.
Visit SondheimOldFriends.com.
Company of Old Friends
Marley Fenton and Janie Dee in Old Friends
Lea Salonga in Old Friends
Jason Pennycooke in Old Friends
Company of Old Friends
Lea Salonga and Bernadette Peters in Old Friends
Janie Dee and company of Old Friends
Gavin Lee, Damian Humbley, and Jason Pennycooke in Old Friends
Janie Dee, Bonnie Langford, and Joanna Riding in Old Friends
Lea Salonga and Jeremy Secomb in Old Friends
Jeremy Secomb and Lea Salonga in Old Friends
Bernadette Peters in Old Friends
Jeremy Secomb and company of Old Friends
Company of Old Friends
Company of Old Friends
Bradley Jaden and Bernadette Peters in Old Friends
Bonnie Langford in Old Friends
Damian Humbley and Jac Yarrow in Old Friends
Clare Burt and Gavin Lee in Old Friends
Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, and company of Old Friends
Christine Allado, Jac Yarrow, and Beatrice Penny Toure in Old Friends
