Find out how critics have been reacting Matthew Warchus and Stephen Beresford’s stage adaptation of their 2014 film which runs at the theatre until the 12th September.
WhatsOnStage: “But the euphoria of the show’s conclusion, marking an event that really did change people and perceptions, is impossible to resist. Like Come From Away, a show it much resembles, its evocation of community is both heart-raising and tear-jerking. Its belief that life can be better catches a chord.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “The show is also gloriously witty, packed with cheeky one-liners, features vivid 1980s design, including a stirring, pink-lit re-creation of LGSM’s landmark fundraising concert, and has a giant heart. The emotional final moments feature projected video of the real people who fought this fight, marching shoulder to shoulder at Pride. This wonderful new British musical does them justice.”
The Guardian: “This is an uproarious musical roadmap, of sorts, reminding us of ways to love each other, and a reminder that to overcome our fears, we must talk to those we are fearful of. As a musical, it becomes more than the sum of its parts: a remarkable piece of British social history, deeply moving, deeply important.”
The Reviews Hub: “Even though Thatcher defeated the miners, Pride celebrates what can happen when people come together to fight for their rights. But it’s a celebration that is nonetheless bittersweet. It remembers what was achieved, but crucially what was lost.”
Time Out: ” The show flies high by finding the politics in looking forward hopefully – but this only works because it gives space to heartbreak. There’s a battle cry behind the music.”
All That Dazzles: “While I have seen some great musicals this year, I have been waiting for one to really jump out at me and remind me just how incredible theatre can be when the stars align, and the rarest of all shows unite. Pride is the show I have been waiting for in what is truly an impeccable piece of theatre.”
London Theatre 1: “Whether you are a fan of the film or have never seen it, I guarantee that you will love Pride. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you will be enchanted by what you are seeing on stage. I do have two requests for the producers, though. No 1, let’s get a cast album out there, and No 2, sort out a West End transfer ASAP. Everyone should get the opportunity to see this amazing show.”
Musical Theatre Review: “The depth of emotions and complexity of questions Pride evokes is testament to its success. The story reminds us of the monumental change this country has seen in four decades. That this musical runs at the National Theatre; that proud, camp, joyous expressions of queerness draw rapturous applause on this stage, is a world some in 1984 might not have thought possible.”
Broadway World: “Pride is an example of musical theatre casting done right. Casting Director David Grindrod has assembled a talented ensemble of primarily Welsh and/or LGBTQ performers, and the authenticity is noticeable. There’s not a weak link in sight, and almost every character is given their moment in the spotlight. No celeb stunt casting here: just working stage actors at the top of their game. “
The Independent: “The stage adaptation of the much-loved 2014 film follows a group of gay activists who support a Welsh mining community during the 1980s strikes.”
The Telegraph: “Despite compelling source material – the 2014 film of the same name – this production of Pride misses the mark.”
The Standard: “But like the film the musical necessarily ends on a diminuendo: the characters mill about the stage, filling us in on what came after. The strike was smashed. Aids laid waste to a generation. We’re told that Sian became the first female MP for Swansea and that gays and lesbians eventually won equal rights with heterosexuals in the UK. But these wins feel somewhat hollow at a time when progressivism is under attack worldwide.”
City Am: ” Programme material markets Pride as “a joy-filled new musical based on an incredible story.” While the idea of joyous queer storytelling is a good one (darkness defined the formative ‘80s AIDS-tinged plays Angels in America and The Normal Heart) the tendency to go for laughs and lightness in the first act means the grit and more difficult parts of the story are occasionally glossed over, the script sometimes breezing past parts to do with homophobia and familial relationships, areas where we really should linger.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/pride/