The production continues to play at the theatre until the 14th June.
WhatsOnStage: **** “Breach Theatre’s verbatim musical about Section 28 is loud. Dizzyingly, gleefully, furiously loud. The Local Government Act, which banned the “promotion” of homosexual relationships in Britain’s state schools from 1988 to 2003, came into force amidst deafening homophobia – nationwide protests, vitriol from the right-wing press, and stunningly misinformed speeches in parliament. So, a cacophony of a show feels fitting. It also feels like an act of defiance against the suffocating silence the law inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community.”
The Stage: *** “Funny, high-octane musical-cum-documentary about the impact of Section 28.”
All That Dazzles: **** “At the end of the day, After The Act is a soul-crushing but ultimately uplifting musical that balances the light with the serious and moves just as much as it entertains. On stage in 2025 of all years, it is essential viewing – probably the most important political cautionary tale you’ll see all year. If only it were fiction.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Filled with righteous anger as well as tongue-in-cheek anarchy, this likably chaotic show is a salient reminder that the culture wars didn’t start in the 2020s.”
Time Out: **** “However, what it lacks in exposition, it makes up for by recreating the joyful defiance of Manchester Pride and the fierce love of community.”
Everything Theatre: *** “That said, the show develops significantly in the second act. It draws explicit parallels with contemporary struggles over gender diversity and recognition, lending the show modern relevance and helping to resolve its somewhat clumsy structure. Despite the chaos, the show wraps with a clear moral stance, a rousing call to arms, and heartfelt tribute to those who put their lives in peril for the greater good.”
The Reviews Hub: **** ” It’s heartening that these important events are being presented on West End stages, but let’s hope that not all of queer British history is reduced to a musical.”
London Theatre Reviews.co.uk: *** 1/2 “After The Act mixes comedy with purpose and showcases history through lived experience. Penis jokes will always get a laugh, acts of unity will always shed a tear. The final song in the show is a strong anthem and changed my mind completely. This show did need to be a musical, because singing together creates a collective voice: ‘Because who the hell’s gonna get a closet / Big enough for all / Big enough for all of us?’.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “After the Act is one of those shows that takes a little while to get going, and its approach is a little surprising: think interpretive dance, video montages and self-deprecating humour. Yet once you relax into it – and considering it’s such a difficult topic to broach – something about the show is mesmerising, with an excellent blend of humour, pathos and guts… as well as an abseiling lesbian.”
The FT: *** “Culture wars have casualties. For all its exuberant defiance, After the Act is a serious and timely reminder of that fact.”
The iPaper: **** “It’s not perfect – a little judicious editing wouldn’t come amiss – but it overflows with heart and conviction as it uses verbatim testimony and historical records to recount a panorama of young, and not so young, lives lived in the long shadow of fear cast by the Local Government Act of 1988.”
British Theatre Guide: “After the Act bubbles with life while still being serious, both angry and funny, and hey! It’s a musical, though it doesn’t follow the conventional musical structure.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “After the Act is educational but never didactic. It is a celebratory piece of theatre that always engages and cleverly weaves together personal stories of hurt, rebellion, and also joy. It may be triggering for some audience members.”
West End Best Friend: **** “Section 28 was predicated by a culture of fear and created a legacy of silence. After the Act combats this sentiment and is truly joyous and unapologetically loud and proud. In times like these, when the rights of transpeople are being threatened, shows like this demonstrate that we must not back down and prove that our differences such as queerness must be celebrated. After the Act is a shining example of what theatre is for.”
Broadway World: ***** “After The Act is a perfect balance of queer life in public and in private – the individuals who inspired it have the space to be interesting in their own right, to be more than the headlines that sought to demonise them, but equally the show never loses sight of how those headlines have got us to where we are, especially in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling on trans people’s legal status. The result is confrontational, painfully timely, and if you will excuse the theatre criticism cliche, essential viewing.”
A Young(ish) Perspective: **** “After the Act serves as a reminder that culture war issues are often used as scapegoats and distractions from other material concerns and that we must be open, empathetic and kind. Also, it’s a chance to see a camp sequined Margaret Thatcher.”
To book tickets visit: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/after-the-act/