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David Benedict

Biography

David Benedict has been a daily columnist and theatre editor on the Independent, arts editor of the Observer and chief London critic of Variety (2006-2014). He is currently writing the authorised biography of Stephen Sondheim and is a regular guest on the BBC. Read David's columns for The Stage every Wednesday.

Recent Articles

Filmed work was crucial in lockdown but theatre’s essence is lost on screens

Opinion | 27 Jul 21

Covid forced theatremakers into second-best. Making online work for freelancers and staff, creating an income stream and holding on to audiences was absolutely vital but, secretly, I found almost every theatre online dispiriting, says David Benedict

What’s the secret to a great adaptation? Focus on form as well as content

Opinion | 20 Jul 21

Adapters of stage musicals – take your lead from great musicals such as She Loves Me and Cabaret, and focus on form as well as content, says David Benedict

South Pacific

Long Reviews | 16 Jul 21

Daniel Evans’ exhilarating revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 hit, starring Gina Beck and Julian Ovenden, couldn’t be timelier

From The Sound of Music to Glee, the path to Schmigadoon! is paved with box-office gold

Opinion | 13 Jul 21

Schmigadoon! on Apple TV+ is a spry, sharp delight – and a homage to the Broadway-forged screen musical hits of the past century, from The Sound of Music to Glee, says David Benedict

From Angela Lansbury’s Auntie Mame to Constellations of stars, casting is key

Opinion | 06 Jul 21

Though an actor may seem perfect for a role on paper, that doesn’t always translate to success on stage, says David Benedict – sometimes a left-field choice of performer can lead to electrifying results

Wonderful Town

Long Reviews | 02 Jul 21

Expertly directed production of Leonard Bernstein’s little-known musical

Why composers on stage aren't always note perfect

Opinion | 29 Jun 21

As a new play about JS Bach opens at the Bridge Theatre, David Benedict considers the secret of success to dramatising the lives of writers and composers

More farce please, we’re British

Opinion | 22 Jun 21

As the Menier Chocolate Factory is set to revive Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus, David Benedict looks at the great British theatre staple of farce – often snubbed by the high-minded, but, at its best, a box-office guarantee

Will In the Heights buck the trend and be a Broadway-to-Hollywood success?

Opinion | 15 Jun 21

Will In the Heights become one of the few Broadway-to-Hollywood success stories, like The Sound of Music and Cabaret? asks David Benedict

Can Emma Rice hit new Heights with Brontë adaptation?

Opinion | 08 Jun 21

As he looks forward to Emma Rice’s reimagining of Wuthering Heights, David Benedict casts an eye over some of the good – and less well received – musical adaptations of Emily Brontë’s novel, from Bernard J Taylor to Kate Bush