REVIEW: ALL MY SONS @ WYNDHAM'S THEATRE

🎭 All My Sons

📍 Wyndham's Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DA

🗓 Friday 21st November 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OUTSTANDING THEATRE

Ivo Van Hove, King of the theatrical reinvention, has done it again! Following his previous triumphs he's taken a sledgehammer to Arthur Miller's domestic tragedy an rebuilt it into a searing, modern masterpiece.

Forget your ideas of a dusty classic - this production is alive, electric, and utterly magnificent. The Wyndham's Theatre is currently hosting one of the most stunningly potent plays of the year.

Van Hove's "less is more" approach is in full, breathtaking force. He strips the Keller family's backyard bare, leaving only the essentials; a broken tree and a round aperture representing the house. The genius lies in what isn't there, allowing the performances to explode off the stage.

Without an interval, the tension tightens like a noose, and the suspense is a living, breathing character in its own right. The use of sound, with a minimalist but ever-present score from Tom Gibbons and an ominous soundtrack of Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen, acts like a ticking time bomb, building to a heart-stopping climax.

Jan Versweyveld's design is a thing of beauty and terror! The set, stark and simple, becomes a canvas for a light show that is nothing short of astonishing. It begins with a warm, golden glow of a peaceful summer afternoon, but as the secrets unravel and the truth encroaches, the lighting shifts to sinister, unnatural greens and blues. It's a visual metaphor for the decay of the American Dream, and it's perfectly executed. As someone who adores the technical aspect of theatre, I was blown away by the thought and execution here.

The real magic though is in the performances, and this cast is a flawless constellation of theatrical power. They had me absolutely mesmerised throughout as they delivered some of the best acting I have ever witnessed.

Bryan Cranston as Joe Keller is a revelation. He presents a genial, likable family man whose buried sins seem invisiblen even to himself. Cranston's magnetic performance draws you in, making Joe's ultimate implosion all the more shattering. His final, heart-wrenching breakdown, where the revelation rips him to shreds, is an absolute masterclass in acting.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste is exquisite as Kate Keller, embodying a fierce and palpable grief that anchors the entire play. She is both steely and vulnerable, a tough woman whose refusal to let go of her missing son is a deeply moving and heartbreaking display of a mother's pain.

Paapa Essiedu as Chris Keller is the beating heart of the production. He starts as the picture of wholesome, idealistic goodness, which makes his eventual descent into disillusionment and rage feel truly Biblical. His final confrontation with his father is a moment of pure devastating theatre so gripping you could hear a pin drop.

Hayley Squires is magnificent as Ann, bringing a quiet gravitas to the character. She is a pragmatist with a heartbreaking hope for a new life, and her emotional struggle is wrenchingly palpable. Tom Glynn-Carney, in the role of Ann's brother George, makes a shockingly powerful entrance. He transforms an essentially smaller role into a full-blooded drama of its own, radiating a wild and haunted energy that brilliantly disrupts the delicate suburban facade.

The supporting cast are just as spectacular, displaying absolute believability with every word.

I had no prior knowledge of this play so watched it with completely fresh eyes and I was completely captivated. It's a relatively long runtime without an interval, but I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't even notice the time passing.

This production of ALL MY SONS is a triumph. It is obviously respectful to the original story, but feels fresh, dangerous, and thrillingly new. This is theatre that doesn't just entertain, it grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go.

This is, for me, unequivocally, the show of the year.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

CAST LIST:

Bryan Cranston as Joe Keller; Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Kate Keller; Paapa Essiedu as Chris Keller; Hayley Squires as Ann Deever; Tom Glynn-Carney as George Deever; Richard Hansell as Dr Jim Bayliss; Cath Whitefield as Sue Bayliss; Aliyah Odoffin as Lydia Lubey; Zach Wyatt as Sue Bayliss; Charles Dark as Bert; Stevie Raine as Ensemble

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 20 minutes, with no interval

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