Tim Sheader’s lavish revival of this landmark 1983 musical – about a gay Saint-Tropez nightclub owner and his drag artist partner – is a “total joy”, said Miriam Gillinson in The Guardian. The costumes dazzle, and the choreography is “slick but – even better – very funny”.
It’s an “opportune” moment to revive this joyous show, said Kirsten Grant in The Daily Telegraph. Political efforts in some US states to restrict drag performances mean that the father-in-law’s plans to shut down La Cage “don’t seem so wildly implausible”. Above all, though, the evening is “just wonderful fun”. The ensemble numbers “fizz with energy”, and almost every scene brings some “lavish new outfit”. Beneath all the feathers and sequins, though, Billy Carter and Carl Mullaney bring real “heart” to their roles as the central couple. Mullaney especially is terrific, and his “spine-tingling” rendition of the famous centre- piece “I Am What I Am” – moving from vulnerability and anguish to rousing pride – is the show’s standout moment.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“La Cage aux Folles” marks Sheader’s swansong after 16 years as artistic director at Regent’s Park, said Nick Curtis in the Evening Standard. He has done a great job, turning the venue “into a destination and a place to reappraise neglected musicals”. This one, however, doesn’t convince. Forty years on, “La Cage” feels “dated and emotionally hollow, all lamé frock and no knickers”. The plot is as “wispy and lightweight as a marabou feather”, and some of the acting is pretty featherweight, too. That said, the big song and dance numbers still knock it out of the park.
I loved the show, said Clive Davis in The Times: its “sheer panache is irresistible”. With luck, Sheader will now bring the same “verve” to his new job as boss of the Donmar Warehouse, which “needs an injection of va-va-voom”.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London NW1 (0333 400 3562; openairtheatre.com). Until 16 September. Rating ****
-
Fast food is no longer affordable to low-income AmericansThe explainer Cheap meals are getting farther out of reach
-
‘The money to fix this problem already exists’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Magazine solutions - November 21, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 21, 2025
-
Park Avenue: New York family drama with a ‘staggeringly good’ castThe Week Recommends Fiona Shaw and Katherine Waterston have a ‘combative chemistry’ as a mother and daughter at a crossroads
-
Jay Kelly: ‘deeply mischievous’ Hollywood satire starring George ClooneyThe Week Recommends Noah Baumbach’s smartly scripted Hollywood satire is packed with industry in-jokes
-
Motherland: a ‘brilliantly executed’ feminist history of modern RussiaThe Week Recommends Moscow-born journalist Julia Ioffe examines the women of her country over the past century
-
Music reviews: Rosalía and Mavis Staplesfeature “Lux” and “Sad and Beautiful World”
-
Is Wicked: For Good defying expectations?Talking Point Second half of hit musical film adaptation hamstrung by source material, but Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum are ‘sublime’
-
6 homes for entertainingFeature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
-
Film reviews: ‘Jay Kelly’ and ‘Sentimental Value’Feature A movie star looks back on his flawed life and another difficult dad seeks to make amends
-
6 homes on the Gulf CoastFeature Featuring an elegant townhouse in New Orleans’ French Quarter and contemporary coastal retreat in Texas
