AIBU to ask what is the best theatre show you have seen?

1999 Peter O’Toole in “Jeffrey Bernard is unwell.” At the old vic. What an actor.
I think it was the last thing he did on stage. Standing ovation at the end.
I think it’s on you tube,

Love the theatre. A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic (mesmerising; real snow). Seen Phantom three times; amazing. Les Mis (going for the second time in May). Always loved Joseph (seen that three times also). Thought I’d seen the best and then we saw Oliver! at Christmas. Was incredible. Two shows I didn’t like were Cats and We Will Rock You. Abysmal.

I saw Desmond Barritt in Twelth Night. He was hilarious. It was a matinee, so full of school children. They were screaming with laughter, and standing up just to try and see more of him.

And yet his final line (“I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you.”), was both heart-breaking and frightening.

He was also a scene-stealing Porter in Macbeth.

Last years Evita with Rachel Zeigler was spectacular. I didn’t think it was perfect but wow was it incredible. I went to see the balcony scene a week later. That was an experience in itself.

Many years ago, Jerusalem with Mark Rylance, and more recently Coven, with an all female cast, about the witch trials.

Went to see this really small intimate one in Oxford last summer called Poe, based on Poe losing his mind. It was completely insane but I was fully immersed. The guy was screaming in a dark room, strobe lights were flashing, it was honestly totally nuts and I left feeling like I was on a different planet.

Was super late to the Hamilton party as I waited until it came to Scotland and I was not disappointed at all. Loved the energy and the stage design and the dancing.

Years and years ago I saw a budget production of midsummer night’s dream at the edinburgh fringe and it’s stuck with me all this time. Was up on Carlton hill in a circus tent and they’d done the inside with velvet hangings and trees and we sat on the ground on pillows. Tatiana only spoke Japanese. It was such a fun setting and felt like you’d genuinely stepped into another world.

I like the sparkly spectacles end of theatre. Have never gotten that into plays but give me a musical any day!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Mackenzie Crook and Christian Slater stands out in my mind. An amazing production which would’ve stayed with me, but was added to by an impromptu stand up show afterwards to raise money for charity. It felt like the theatre equivalent of a lock in.

i’m not a big musicals fan, but the start to The Lion King was a joy to behold.

Nice thread!

For me more recently - Hamlet with Andrew Scott and Juliet Stevenson (Almeida).

But also, in the 80s, seeing Rupert Everett, then Daniel Day Lewis, then Colin Firth (with Kenneth Branagh in the mix also), in Another Country. My teenage self loved that play so much and who knew (well, it was obvious when you watched them) that all these young unknowns were going to be big hitters.

Fiona Shaw in Electra in the late 80s was pretty awesome!

So many
My Fair Lady when I was about 8
Twelfth Night RSC Stratford Desmond Barret as Malvolio
Cats - twice
Taming of the Shrew RSC - Josie Lawrence as Kate
As you Like It RSC Emma Thompson
Macbeth many times but most memorable was Ludlow Festival at night with the stage stormed with flaming arrows
We Will Rock You
Richard III - Ludlow Festival - Edward Woodward as Richard
Peter Pan Northern Ballet
Christmas Carol Northern Ballet and Ballet Theatre UK

Return to the Forbidden Planet - probably not the best cast but such a fun show

Oh also for sheer funniness, The Play That Goes Wrong- the only play I've ever seen where audience members were literally falling off their seats from laughing so much.

Too many to mention but The Curious Incident of the dog in the nighttime was fantastic as was An Inspector Calls.

I'm really struggling to narrow it down.

Ben Whishaw's Hamlet
The three parts of the Ring Cycle (Pappano/Kosky) that I've seen so far- can't wait for Gotterdammerung next year
Tom Hollander in Travesties
A bit random but Paul Ready (wet dad from Motherland) played Macbeth at the Sam Wanamaker and I thought he was absolutely tremendous. Don't think it got all that much attention or loads of reviews but for me it was one of my best theatrical experiences ever
Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre. I also saw an excellent, liberty-taking Midsummer Night's Dream there.

And, he definitely wasn’t middle-aged then (he would have been 32). Still, not who you’d expect to play Ariel.

Yes this was brilliant.

I also really enjoyed Kenrex a couple of months ago.

Oh - another fan of LLD. I was spellbound and I don't say that often about theatre.

My Godson’s drama school final year play, Vernon God Little. I hadn’t been completely looking forward to it as I’d tried and failed to read the book, but from the first five mins I was utterly gripped and the time passed far too quickly.
It was quite a few years ago but I can still remember so much.

I’ve just checked up - it was 1993.

RSC - Stratford. I think it would have been 30 odd years ago.

I have a vague idea that it was about the time he played Richard III (a masterclass in malevolence).

Jerusalem!
I almost didn't go because of the train strikes - so glad I did. Mark Rylance was amazing.

Fame - early 00’s in London. Have also loved Evita and Phantom

Oh and Jerusalem with Mark Rylance as the lead was really great.

That must have been something to see! I did see him in The Tempest in Stratford in Doran's 2016 production, but he was Prospero. Where did he play Ariel?

Hamilton, Come From Away, Kimberly Akimbo, Girl from the North Country, Liberation, John Proctor is the Villain