A Sunday of Sondheim
Union Theatre, London
Cast: Charlie Haley, Eve Humphrey, Ethan Michael, Dee Oliviero, Jessica Oppong, Josh Rosewood, Eve Warrington.
Pianist: Rachel Wells
Performer and director: Max Eade
Performer and musical director: Reuben Leonard
Running Time 2 hours, including interval.
About a mile west of the Bridge Theatre’s award-winning “Into the Woods”, a group of young musical theatre performers have set out with the aim of taking us away from a highly polished Sondheim show and into the rehearsal room.
Max Eade, nominally the director, who tells us he is really just the organiser, says he wanted this small-scale performance in the intimate space of the Union Theatre to be imperfect; a matter of “scribbles on a page”.
We’re also reminded of the concept that the rehearsal room is a sacred space. In this context, that comes to mean not just that we forgive the occasional forgotten line – but that we are initiated into a performer’s view of why Sondheim endures: as with Shakespeare, it’s because actors adore him at least as much as audiences.
If the singers in this sacred space are allowed a little latitude, the pianist is not and Rachel Wells is an unshakeable accompanist, keeping everyone rhythmically on track.
We’re treated to comic takes of some of the songs of “Into the Woods”, as well as feeling explorations of the complex emotional warmth and technical challenges that make Sondheim so rich.
Eve Humphrey gives a virtuoso performance of the frantic, breathless, rapid-fire “Getting Married Today” from “Company”, with soaring accompaniment from Dee Oliviero, while her supposed groom Paul is sung by the mellow Josh Rosewood.
Rosewood was in 2024 a finalist in the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year with “Finishing the Hat” from “Sunday in the Park with George”.
He performs that here and he leads the talented ensemble in a powerfully harmonic version of “Sunday” from the same musical. It is the perfect ending to this supposedly imperfect afternoon.
Sondheim fans must brace for the ticket scramble ahead of the Barbican’s upcoming version of “Sunday in the Park with George” with Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey.
It’s a safe bet it will sell out, but then so did this unassuming and heart-warming “Sunday of Sondheim” at the Union Theatre.
Barbara Lewis © 2026.
A Sunday of Sondheim
Union Theatre, London
Cast: Charlie Haley, Eve Humphrey, Ethan Michael, Dee Oliviero, Jessica Oppong, Josh Rosewood, Eve Warrington.
Pianist: Rachel Wells
Performer and director: Max Eade
Performer and musical director: Reuben Leonard
Running Time 2 hours, including interval.
About a mile west of the Bridge Theatre’s award-winning “Into the Woods”, a group of young musical theatre performers have set out with the aim of taking us away from a highly polished Sondheim show and into the rehearsal room.
Max Eade, nominally the director, who tells us he is really just the organiser, says he wanted this small-scale performance in the intimate space of the Union Theatre to be imperfect; a matter of “scribbles on a page”.
We’re also reminded of the concept that the rehearsal room is a sacred space. In this context, that comes to mean not just that we forgive the occasional forgotten line – but that we are initiated into a performer’s view of why Sondheim endures: as with Shakespeare, it’s because actors adore him at least as much as audiences.
If the singers in this sacred space are allowed a little latitude, the pianist is not and Rachel Wells is an unshakeable accompanist, keeping everyone rhythmically on track.
We’re treated to comic takes of some of the songs of “Into the Woods”, as well as feeling explorations of the complex emotional warmth and technical challenges that make Sondheim so rich.
Eve Humphrey gives a virtuoso performance of the frantic, breathless, rapid-fire “Getting Married Today” from “Company”, with soaring accompaniment from Dee Oliviero, while her supposed groom Paul is sung by the mellow Josh Rosewood.
Rosewood was in 2024 a finalist in the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year with “Finishing the Hat” from “Sunday in the Park with George”.
He performs that here and he leads the talented ensemble in a powerfully harmonic version of “Sunday” from the same musical. It is the perfect ending to this supposedly imperfect afternoon.
Sondheim fans must brace for the ticket scramble ahead of the Barbican’s upcoming version of “Sunday in the Park with George” with Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey.
It’s a safe bet it will sell out, but then so did this unassuming and heart-warming “Sunday of Sondheim” at the Union Theatre.
Barbara Lewis © 2026.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, music, musicals, theatre • Tags: Barbara Lewis, music, musicals, theatre