REVIEW: THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY @ THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET

🎭 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

📍 Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4HT

🗓 Wednesday 12th February 2026

⭐️ 5 Stars

A TRIUMPHANT, HEART-WRENCHING MASTERPIECE OF HUMAN SPIRIT

Something very special is happening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket right now. Rachel Joyce's beloved novel THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY has been breathed into new life as a folk-infused odyssey that is, quite simply, the most moving piece of theatre I have seen this year.

Kingsbridge in Devon is a town I grew up in and around, so the setting of the piece holds an undeniable special poignancy and familiarity for me.

Mark Addy delivers a career-defining performance as Harold. He captures that quintessentially British "quiet desperation" with such vulnerability, that you feel every mile in your own bones. Opposite him, the incomparable Jenna Russell is a masterclass in suppressed grief. Her Maureen is prickly, brittle, and eventually, devastatingly open. Watching the relationship between the two of them is absolutely captivating.

The production's secret weapon is the score by Passenger. These aren't just songs, they are the pulse of the English countryside. While Noah Mullins brings a haunting, ethereal quality to the stage as the Balladeer, the vocal knockout of the night belongs to Nicole Nyarambi. Her rendition of Walk Upon The Water is a soul-shaking moment of pure transcendence that brought the house down. The ensemble are absolutely outstanding and is rounded out by the always brilliant Jenna Boyd, who brings a grounded, earthy warmth to the rotating cast of characters Harold meets on his quest.

Director Katy Rudd and choreographer Tom Jackson-Greaves work in breathtaking tandem to fill the stage. Through fluid, rhythmic movements, they transform a bare floor into the winding roads of Britain. This is elevated by Paule Constable's artistic lighting design which shifts from the cold, clinical hues of a Devon kitchen to the golden, expansive horizons of the North. The video design from Ash J Woodward is equally sublime - never intrusive, but providing a gorgeous, impressionistic texture that makes the 500 mile journey feel epic in scale yet intimate in emotion.

THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY is a story of forgiveness, of "the feet that keep going when the heart wants to stop." This is a landmark production that will stay with you long after the final curtain. I know that it's one I will be thinking about for a long time, and it's without a doubt the best musical I have seen so far this year.

The show continues to play a limited run at Theatre Royal Haymarket until Saturday 18th April.

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:

Mark Addy as Harold Fry; Jenna Russell as Maureen Fry; Noah Mullins as The Balladeer; Craig Armstrong as Rich & Ensemble; Jenna Boyd as Sister Philomena / Farmer's Wife / Rita & Ensemble; Daniel Crossley as Silver Haired Gentleman / Napier & Ensemble; Nell Martin as Young Maureen / Deliveroo / Kind Customer & Ensemble; Nicole Nyarambi as Garage Girl & Ensemble; Peter Polycarpou as Rex & Ensemble; Gleanne Purcell-Brown as Kate / Betsy & Ensemble; Ashley Samuels as Wilf / Jim & Ensemble; Maggie Service as Queenie Hennessey / Fairy Assistant / Gorilla & Ensemble; Timo Tatzber as Dog / Young Harold & Ensemble; Madeleine Worrall as Martina / Locum & Ensemble; Gemma Atkins as Onstage Swing; Olivia Foster-Browne as Onstage Swing; Ediz Mahmut as Onstage Swing; Edwin Ray as Onstage Swing / Trainer Man

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 20 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; References to suicide, hospice care and terminal illness; References to drug and alcohol abuse

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

12 +

To keep up to date with all the latest theatre news and more, follow Pink Prince Theatre on social media.

Find us on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky and TikTok.