We discover what critics have had to say about the return of the Tony Award nominated play.
Broadway World: **** “Having been on and off, in London, LA, and New York, since 2012, Choir Boy clearly isn’t going away any time soon. While occasionally off-kilter, this immaculately performed powerhouse production is proof that it’s the kind of show that deserves a place among the classics.”
Everything Theatre: **** “Choir Boy questions how young people retain their unique sense of self surrounded by institutions that value conformity. It explores how the development of tolerance, compassion, and championing of diversity are possible, and important, amongst established traditions. It is a production for all ages, all sexualities, and all races, allowing and encouraging the audience to question entrenched beliefs and consider new perspectives.”
London Theatre 1: **** “There’s a lot going on in this play, with the teenagers treading fine lines as they navigate different expectations placed on them by the school, by their families, and by wider society. There’s plenty of humour in the show, too – banter, as we say in Britain. I’m not sure what the American equivalent would be: repartee? Engaging performances by a committed cast make this production a lively and fascinating coming-of-age story.”
A young(ish) Perspective: **** “The direction and design of the show was simple but effective. The timeless beautiful dark wooden setting is versatile for the choir room, dormitories and various interior rooms of the school.”
The Spy in the Stalls: **** “Whatever the message, the music that weaves through the play touches us on a truly emotional level. Arranged by Femi Temowo, the Hymnals, Gospels and Spirituals are sung with gut wrenching honesty and breathtaking harmonious precision.”
The Stage: **** “Nancy Medina’s revival of her staging of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play about school, song and the shaping of young Black lives has lost none of its power and empathy.”
All That Dazzles: **** “Fourteen years after its premiere, Choir Boy remains unsettlingly pertinent. In a world still keen to police difference and demand assimilation, Medina’s production insists on the necessity of resistance and allyship. Rich with music, humour and heart, Choir Boy at Stratford East is an affecting, beautifully performed production that honours both individuality and brotherhood.”
West End Best Friend: ***** “Choir Boy is superior storytelling that quickly gets to grips with the most challenging of subjects. It finds a precise rhythm that gives the characters real depth and meaning.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** “This is theatre that is intelligent, warm, funny and deeply moving, elevated by singing of a truly exceptional standard. A clear five-star production—and one that absolutely deserves to be heard on a much bigger stage.”
Lou Reviews: *** 1/2 “Nancy Medina’s production is already highly acclaimed, and I’m not surprised. It occasionally leads us down a dead end, but the chemistry and closeness that are obvious in the cast keep us invested, whether in choir practice or in the showers.”
The Reviews Hub: *** 1/2 “The production sensibly leans into the piece’s strengths: marvellously executed a Capella Gospel and spiritual music, lashings of comedy, and a sympathetic, fully fleshed-out teenage protagonist.”
Choir Boy continues to play at Stratford East until the 25th April.