What you need to know Musical comedy I Can't Sing has opened at the Palladium, London. Sean Foley directs the show written by comedian Harry Hill (TV Burp) with music by Steve Brown (Spitting Image, Alan Partridge).
I Can't Sing takes a wry, behind-the-scenes look at the world of television talent shows like The X Factor, satirising the backstage dramas, intrigues and romances. It stars EastEnders' Nigel Harman as the Simon Cowell-esque judge, with Cynthia Erivo and Alan Morrissey as a pair of love- and star-struck young talent-show hopefuls. Runs until 25 October.
Subscribe to 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.
For fans of Harry Hill's madcap, juvenile satirical silliness, "it's a joy", says Ben Dowell in the Radio Times. This lavish show, bedecked with high production values and even higher hopes to be a smash hit is a four-and-a-half stars out of five effort.
The result is "an unashamedly populist show that's laced with satirical glee" and some thrilling performances, says Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard. It's a cheekily surreal and anarchic piece of entertainment, keenly aware of its own tackiness and triviality.
What they don't like While this deliberately daft and good-natured production ought to sizzle, "it is undermined by a flimsy plotline and parody that doesn't dig deep enough to reveal anything new", says Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times. The fairly predictable, often affectionate satire might work well as a short show, but at two and three quarter hours, it becomes a long joke.
-
Who owns Gaza? Israel's occupation plansThe Explainer Egypt, Israel and Britain have ruled the beleaguered territory
-
Savages: a tragi-comedy set in a 'quirky handcrafted world'The Week Recommends This new animated film by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Claude Barras is undeniably political, but it has a hopeful message
-
Why 'faceless bots' are interviewing job huntersIn The Spotlight Artificial intelligence is taking over a crucial part of recruitment
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim RobinsonThe Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptationThe Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff GoldblumThe Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thrillerThe Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
-
How to do F1: British Grand Prix 2025The Week Recommends One of the biggest events of the motorsports calendar is back and better than ever
