Starlight Express Reviews

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4.8
229 reviews

Awesome

191

Good

28

Average

9

Poor

0

Terrible

1

Here’s what we think: Review by Headout

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express follows Rusty, a steam engine trying to win the girl of his dreams: a first-class observation car named Pearl. Adapted for the stage, this production has its cast on wheels whizzing past audiences and delivering some banger tunes. It’s as zany as it sounds and is the epitome of camp.
Despite their best efforts to figure out why audiences adore this musical and have catapulted it to the ninth-longest-running show on West End, critics are stumped. The answer, however, is simple: Starlight Express is entertainment in its purest form. It’s the underdog story, it is high-octane pizazz, it is foot-stomping bops tempered by character-defining ballads. It is everything a musical ought to be and everything Webber hoped this whacky train ride would become.

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Critic reviews
User reviews

Arifa Akbar,

The Guardian
Jun, 2024
4/5

“Lloyd Webber’s bizarre juggernaut is bigger, camper and more OTT than ever.”

Tim Bano,

Independent
Jul, 2024
4/5

"It’s more spectacle than sense – but your inner child (and actual children) will be delighted."

Andrzej Lukowski,

Timeout
Jul, 2024
3/5

“‘Starlight Express’ is a lot of fun and has no aspirations to be anything other than exactly what it is…There is truly nothing else like it.”

Reviews

Fawlty Towers

Experience
Susan garland
The actors were fantastic and the show was hilarious and brought back all those episodes of faulty towers that I loved. The venue was absolutely gorgeous but not much leg room. The booking experience through 'the 'head out' app was also super easy so thanks to that company too. Overall a great experience.
Aug 2025
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Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Experience
Gokcen Elmas Sert
This play is an absolute must-see for any Stranger Things fan! It's set in Hawkins 1959 (when Joyce, Hopper and everyone else are teenagers - Season 1-4 of the show are set in 1983-86 and S5 will be in 1987) and follows Henry Creel when he moves to Hawkins, showing his evolution from Henry Creel to Vecna. The story is amazing, with occassional comedy which made me laugh out loud and a couple actors running into the audience in various scenes. The set, lighting, sound design, costumes, props, choreo and actors are all absolutely jaw-dropping! Would highly recommend and will probably go watch again!
Aug 2025
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Les Misérables

Experience
Gokcen Elmas Sert
Les Misérables, as always, was absolutely stunning! The cast were amazing, the seats were really good for the price and the venue was absolutely gorgeous! Not a single complaint except the fact that the Grand Circle toilets are absolutely tiny, there are three stalls but two people can barely fit in the room itself and if the door is open, you can't get to the sink or tissues.
Aug 2025
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Alice in Wonderland

Experience
Salma El Abbassi
Mostly everything! Didn't know it was supposed to be for children, I went there because I'm a fan of Alice in wonderland and always live to see a new version of this fairytale, but even if it was meant to be a representation of the Disney version it was really amazing and I loved the character, especially the girl in blue who looked like Cheshire cat, I think she also played the role of one of the twin ! Same with the other girl who, even if she didn't played the queen of heart, had the prestance of a queen 👑 ! All actors were great and, where in the original Disney version I couldn't stand Alice, here she was a really sweet and goofy little girl who just followed where her feet were leading her without much questions (just sometime confused by the events) instead of criticizing everything she sees like in the movie <3
Aug 2025

The Choir of Man

Experience
Richard Abel
The atmosphere was amazing, the cast were all brilliant in their own right. Flew all the way from Cape Town, South Africa to watch this musical! Highly recommend. Second best after the Book of Mormon!
Aug 2025

TINA: The Tina Turner Musical

Experience
Jadesola Rawa
Check in was SMOOTH! The seats easy to find! The staff was SUPER HELPFUL from front door men to the wait staff. The crowd was generally kind to each other, standing up and oetting others into the seats with a smile each time. The musical itself was AMAZING!!! The cast....BRILLIANT! I had the loveliest white couple behind me who came from Oxford and we all agreed it was money well spent! Absolutely BRILLIANT experience!
Aug 2025
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Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Experience
Sonia Carrio Gonzalez
Awsome surprise🤩 The atmosphere, costumes, singers, dancers, actors... all fantastic! Al pis de dalt de tot a primera fila, la barana de ferro tapa una mica. I think that in the second row is better because it's a lot of slope and between rows the caps do not cover (as in soccer fields).
Aug 2025
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Phantom of the Opera

Experience
malgorzata Piekarska
Highly recommended. Row C middle seat prices 700£ worth every penny. Unforgettable memories. The orchestra pierces the heart and soul.
Aug 2025
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Back to the Future

Experience
Justin Smith
I booked the show with 2 hours to go. Spotting the show I wondered if there were any last-minute tickets. I have no regrets. The show was awesome. Great singing, acting, comedy and tech. Audience were great too. Standing ovations all round. Just Brilliant. Worth going just for the time machine.
Aug 2025
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