Thom Southerland directs Bill Milner and Sheila Hancock in this new adaptation based on the film (playing until 31 March 2018). Here is what critics have had to say about it so far…
Rewrite This Story: ★★★★★ “Harold & Maude is so full of happiness and magic.”
The Guardian: ★★ “This adaptation feels dated rather than retro – despite Jonathan Lipman’s spot-on costumes.”
The Telegraph: ★★★ “Southerland’s production isn’t hugely helped by an overly spacious set, populated with an awkward-looking company of actor-musicians.”
The FT: ★★★★ “Higgins and/or Southerland do well to recognise the importance of music: the film resonates with the songs of Cat Stevens.”
The Stage: ★★★ “Thom Southerland uses Colin Higgins’ 1974 stage adaptation of his screenplay as the basis for an occasionally charming, if much tamer staging.”
The Times: ★★ “The British premiere of the stage version of the film struggles to find the right tone in which to sell us on these whimsical characters.”
Broadway World: ★★★★ “This quirky play is an adaption of the 1971 cult classic film of the same name and features some touching quiet moments alongside many laughs.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ★★★ “You can sense director Thom Southerland straining at the leash to turn Harold & Maude into a musical.”
Evening Standard: ★★ “The script offers a very tricky tonal line to tread and here it veers about all over the place; almost every word rings false.”
West End Wilma: ★★★★ “The evening glows with a heartfelt sensibility.”
London Theatre1: ★★★★★ “Harold & Maude is better for you than any self-help book could ever be and I left the theatre feeling elevated, relaxed and just that little bit better about myself with a definite determination to follow Maude’s example and embrace every aspect of life.”
The Reviews Hub: ★★★★ “Harold & Maude has always had a touch of existential angst at its core, but this new production demands nothing more of its audiences than to assess life, living, and values in the context of the rich diversity of those around you.”
Stage Review: ★★★★★ “We won’t all get to climb a tree in our ninth decade, pose nude, or knock back champagne, but making the most of everything while you still can is the ultimate lesson here.”
The Upcoming: ★★★★ “Harold & Maude is an intriguing piece of theatre – a great big existential crisis that is full of genuinely funny moments.”
Time Out: ★★★ “A certain over-direction keeps this in three-star territory, but the two performances at the heart of this off-kilter love story keep it as sweetly touching as it first was 47 years ago.”
The Spy in the Stalls: ★★★★ “I’d urge you to see this production. Don’t be content with just hearing about it second hand.”
Jonathan Baz Reviews: ★★★★ “When told well, coming of age stories are very often a reminder of the fragility and beauty of life, inspiring a carpe diem attitude tempered with immense gratitude. That the ‘Harold & Maude effect’ delivers this message completely liberated of any subtleties is a shining beacon of hope for humanity in otherwise trying times.”
Johnnyfox.co.uk: ★★★★ “Both leading performances are soundly observed, but the slightly batty slightly surreal production most perfectly surrounds what Hancock has done with her character.”
