Top 5 theatre shows to see this week (April 16-22)

Tina! The Tina Turner Musical – Aldwych Theatre, London

Casting announced for Tina Turner musical

This one’s going to be big. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Katori Hall (The Mountaintop), Tina! documents the life of Tina Turner, from her early days in Nutbush, Tennessee, to global superstardom. Adrienne Warren plays the title role alongside Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Ike Turner. It opens on April 17.

The Encounter – Barbican Theatre, London

The Encounter

First seen at the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival, Simon McBurney’s extraordinary perception-bending show, co-directed with Kirsty Housley, uses binaural technology to tell a story of the Amazon, language and humanity. It returns to the Barbican this week, opening on April 17.

A Clockwork Orange – Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

Rehearsals for A Clockwork Orange. Photos: Brian Roberts

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Following the offbeat musical western, Paint Your Wagon, the second year of the Everyman’s experiment in rep continues with a version of Anthony Burgess’ cult novel featuring Young Everyman Playhouse member and 2016 RADA graduate George Caple as protagonist Alex. Nick Bagnall directs the production, which opens on April 18.

Bat Out of Hell – Dominion Theatre, London

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical review at the London Coliseum – ‘silly, yet brilliant’

The bat is back. Andrew Polec, winner of the Joe Allen best West End debut in The Stage Debut Awards 2017, returns to London, following last year’s run at the Coliseum, to perform in the musical stuffed full of songs by Jim Steinman. We called it “extraordinarily silly, but brilliant” in our four-star review. It opens at the suitably huge Dominion Theatre in the West End on April 19.

Rasheeda Speaking – Trafalgar Studios, London

Rehearsals for Rasheeda Speaking. Photos: Mitzi de Margary

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Jonathan O’Boyle, director of Hope Mill hits Pippin and Hair, takes on American playwright Joel Drake Johnson’s Rasheeda Speaking. The UK premiere of the 2015 play exploring racism in the workplace stars the always compelling Tanya Moodie. It opens on April 20.