We take a look at what is being said about this UK premiere of the Tony Award winning musical.
The Guardian: “Kimberly Akimbo deals breezily with serious subjects and is all the more bittersweet for it. The average life expectancy of someone with her condition is 16, Kimberly tells Seth, as her birthday approaches. “It’s just an average!” she says brightly, and your heart melts at this winningly hopeful show.”
WhatsOnStage: “It is moving because the music tugs that melancholy thread while also painting scenes of buoyant madness, and a wry acceptance that sometimes stealing apples is the only way forward.”
The Arts Desk: “A show to make you happy and sad all at the same time.”
All That Dazzles: “Kimberly Akimbo is not a one-person show by any stretch, and I was surprised at just how much each of the nine-strong cast had to do. This is very much an ensemble piece, with every cast member having their time to shine, and each and every one of them proving what incredible talents they really are.”
London Theatre 1: “Kimberly Akimbo is funny, touching, occasionally heartbreaking and, above all, wonderfully strange. Most importantly, it leaves you reflecting on that increasingly precious commodity we all share – time and far too little of it. Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire have created a sweet, intimate chamber musical which occasionally veers towards the sort of saccharine sugar rush that could put a diabetic in danger. But if unabashedly American sweetness is your theatrical cup of tea, then this is just the musical for you.”
Plays To See: “There are so many delightful, thoughful details worth noting in the production that Michael Longhurst has directed so lovingly here; far more than can be covered in a short review. There are delectable solos from the six superb instrumentalists coordinated on either side of the set by Nigel Lilley, some more than efficient dance moves, not least for ice-skating, devised by Matt Cole, and all credit to dialect coach Aundrea Fudge for anchoring everyone so securely within the Garden State. “
The Reviews Hub: “The ever-interesting Soutra Gilmour’s staging is fun, a revolving doll’s house that turns into a school, the local skate rink and a handful of other locations that flow smoothly together. The cast also works hard, including Maria Friedman as Kimberly, who brings some consistency to the performance in a scattered creation, while Alice Fearn earns the most laughs as her amoral aunt. Plenty of audience members will enjoy its pleasant optimism and undemanding approach, but its big reputation and award-winning status deliver only disappointment.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “Soutra Gilmour’s ambitious revolving set has the effective motif of a ticking clock, alongside everything from a skating rink with a pink neon sign to a multi-level house. It’s an impressive visual feat though occasionally overwhelms the performers. Still, you have to applaud the originality and loving craft of Kimberly Akimbo, which, for all its kookiness, turns out to be life-affirming in the most wonderfully universal way.”
Time Out: “But the beauty of Kimberly Akimbo is what a rich texture it is: existential questions rubbing up against quirky John Hughes-isms, borderline magical realism, and poignant, earnest stuff on the difficulty of family.”
Lou Reviews: “The ending made me think a bit of Little Miss Sunshine‘s musical treatment in its upbeat nature, but it at least leaves the audience heading out to Swiss Cottage with a spring in their step.”
Musical Theatre Review: “Of course, the biggest challenge for a show like this lies in its tone. Director Michael Longhurst has done a masterful job here, cleverly weaving a chainlink fence of farce, capers and hilarity between the audience and an inescapably sad backdrop. That tragedy is always evident in the background, but we are never pushed too near. The show mercifully leaves a lot of the experience up to us and the overwhelming expressions visible on the faces of the audience as they exit are joy and gratefulness. Kimberly Akimbo is an exceptionally entertaining evening out with exactly as much to give as you are emotionally able to take.”
The Standard: ” On one level it’s a crowd-pleasing, smart-aleck riff on familiar tropes of American popular culture: the high school, the small town, the blue-collar family that can’t articulate affection.”
Theatre Weekly: “At the centre of it all is Maria Friedman in the title role. It’s a brave performance that asks both actor and audience to continually navigate the tension between Kimberly’s chronological age and physical appearance.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2026/kimberly-akimbo/