Adam Lenson directs this revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical, currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse. Here’s what critics have so far made of it…
WhatsOnStage: **** “O’Connor finds the soft centre of the hardened, sardonic single mother, while Sutton’s Angel hides her old vulnerabilities beneath a flinty exterior and a chip on her shoulder – truly, her mother’s daughter.”
Musical Manda: ***** “This production really is a must-see. It is heartfelt and has the ability to draw the audience in and take them on a journey.”
Broadway World: **** “Director, Adam Lenson, more than justifies the decision to revive the show and stages it with the brio and intimacy a space like this one can promote.”
Sincerely Amy: ***** “This exquisite production is a masterclass in musical theatre that will make you laugh, cry and everything in-between as Caroline O’Connor and Gemma Sutton give an unforgettable performance.”
The Stage: **** “a big, bursting powerhouse of a revival.”
Rewrite This Story: ***** “For a technically brilliant show with performances that will leave you wanting to return to the Coloured Lights again and again, go see The Rink. This is musical theatre at it’s best- lets just hope that the rink keeps rolling in London.”
London Theatre.co.uk: **** “Musical theatre aficionados will not want to miss this rare opportunity to catch up with this show, but it’s also a musical for anyone with regrets about the past and trying to forge a new future. Which is just about all of us.”
A Younger Theatre: “The Rink is beautiful, bathing its audience in multi-coloured nostalgia whilst tugging at their heartstrings.”
Time Out: *** “Caroline O’Connor is excellent as the wise-cracking tough-cookie Anna, also suggesting the vivacity of her younger self. Gemma Sutton doesn’t convince as a hippy, but she has a gorgeous, bell-clear voice, and switches to playing Angel as a small child or teenager with sweetness and control.”
The Upcoming: **** “Overall, the cast’s rendition of The Rink does justice to a rarely seen musical that fans will be overjoyed to experience.”
Theatre Weekly: ***** “Director, Adam Lenson has taken a decades old musical and made it feel timeless and engaging.”
West End Wilma: ***** “A masterclass in acting, directing and design The Rink at The Southwark Playhouse is dazzling.”
London Theatre Reviews: ***** ” The Rink is the best production seen at Southwark Playhouse in the last year, and possibly one of the best musicals at the moment in London.”
The Reviews Hub: **** 1/2 “It’s a blast of a musical. Mixing perfect performances from the backing cast with super vocals and snappy dance moves alongside a story that genuinely has meaning and depth.”
Musical Theatre Review: ***** “Clearly a not-to-be-missed, brilliant production of an underrated masterpiece deserving a transfer after its run at the Southwark Playhouse, although for now it is the ideal venue for the delicacy of The Rink, enhancing the emotions by its intimacy.”
Upper Circle: **** “Ultimately a fun and fabulous belter of a show. You’ll wanna go round this rink, I think.”