A & O Review the Show is a theatre review podcast from an American theatre obsessive & an award winning British investigative journalist, recording from London, the world’s theatrical capital.
Olivia Polglase works with emerging producers across the West End and UK theatre scene with Stage One. Adrian Polglase is an investigative journalist at BBC Panorama, asking the difficult questions & uncovering truths.
Here they head to a show & bring you smart and sharp reviews of West End musicals to the bold new writing of new plays. All with a transatlantic twist & just the right amount of insight.
Schmigadoon & The Lost Boys - From Tap Shoes to Vampires | Broadway Review Special
This week, we're 3,000 miles from home and taking A & O Review the Show to Broadway!
Recorded in New York City, our Broadway special takes in two very different musicals. First, we head to Schmigadoon!, the stage adaptation of the Apple TV series we already love, to find out whether its gloriously old-fashioned world of Golden Age musicals works even better when it's on a stage. With big dance numbers, musical theatre Easter eggs and a scene-stealing Betsy, this might just be the musical for people who love musicals.
Then we swap picture-perfect musical theatre for vampires, rock music and an apparently unlimited special-effects budget with The Lost Boys. Neither of us knew the cult 1987 film particularly well going in, but even if the story doesn't entirely win us over, flying vampires, jump scares, disappearing floors and an army of Michaels throwing themselves through the stage certainly give us plenty to talk about.
Two musicals at opposite ends of the Broadway spectrum, two increasingly empty wallets and one slightly noisy city to record in.
Join us in the Big Apple for our Broadway 2026 Special!
12 Sept 2026
Hot Mess - Getting Earth Hot and Bothered | Off West End Review
This week, we head to The Other Palace for Hot Mess, a new British musical about love, relationships and serious implications for the human race if it goes wrong.
Earth has been single for a few billion years when Humanity comes along. He's exciting, ambitious and full of potential but as their whirlwind romance develops, he starts taking a little too much. We discuss whether this unlikely rom-com metaphor works, the chemistry and performances that carry an entire two-person musical, and how Hot Mess turns climate change and humanity's relationship with the planet into the ultimate toxic love story.
We also ponder some of the bigger questions: is going to the Moon technically cheating? If Humanity can survive on Mars, couldn't he survive a slightly ruined Earth? And just who does Earth date after Humanity?
Then, in Adrian's Corner, we browse the Solar System's singles to discover which heavenly body is looking for love. Expect enormous peaks, very deep canyons, extremely long-distance relationships and one former planet who's trying not to get hung up on labels.
Join us to find out why Hot Mess thankfully wasn't a hot mess at all.
29 Aug 2026
The Oresteia - Greek Tragedy or Vintage Soap Opera?
This week, we're back in London and heading to the Bridge Theatre for The Oresteia, an epic modern reworking of one of Ancient Greece's bloodiest family dramas.
We dive into a spectacularly dysfunctional family plagued by murder, revenge, betrayal and an apparently irresistible urge to kill absolutely everyone. We discuss the powerhouse cast, including Mary-Louise Parker and David Morrissey, the extraordinary full-size house built on stage, and how a Greek tragedy lasting more than three hours somehow managed to keep even Adrian engrossed.
Plus, after discovering that murder, adultery and family revenge aren't exclusive to Ancient Greece, Adrian's Corner asks the question nobody knew needed answering: Albert Square or Ancient Greece?
Greek tragedy or EastEnders plotline? Sometimes, it's surprisingly difficult to tell.
Join us to find out... and maybe bring an ice cream. There are two intervals, after all.
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