Moulin Rouge! The Musical (West End) — My Review

Date: 28 October 2025
Theatre: Piccadilly Theatre (West End)
Seat / Price: Stalls, Row U, Seat 13 — £73
My runtime noted: 2:30pm–5:10pm

I first saw the show on Broadway two weeks earlier. My English wasn’t strong enough then, so I mostly felt the passion without following the story. This time, after two weeks in an English-speaking environment and with one viewing behind me, I could focus on staging, choreography and detail. Here are my takeaways, with a few Broadway vs West End notes where helpful.

Good Points

♦️ A total world the moment you enter

The moody pre-show sound and the deep-red, heart-shaped portal pull you straight into the club. At certain moments the heart is cleared and a star-filled sky appears. That contrast — from sultry cabaret to open-night freedom — hits hardest at the end of Act I when Satine and Christian fall in love. It’s a smart visual metaphor: Satine’s birdcage opens.

🪽 Satine’s aerial entrance

In both versions, Satine’s descent on a swing-like seat has true “star arrival” electricity. Flying entrances are common, but the timing, light and hush make this one feel iconic rather than gimmicky.

💃 Ensemble fire; singers with bite 🎙️

Every number comes with dangerously high energy. The ensemble are so alive that I often found myself watching them over the leads — a compliment to the show’s casting and dance direction.
The West End performance affected me more emotionally (clearer text = deeper stakes). I ended the show in tears, in the best way.

Summary

Both Broadway and West End fields are stacked — leads and ensemble alike. A pattern I keep seeing across big musicals: Act I dazzles and builds the world; Act II turns more serious and lands the message. Moulin Rouge! follows that curve with confidence, and it’s thrilling to study up close.

Cast

Satine / KARIS ANDERSON

Christian / ALISTAIR BRAMMER

Harold Zidler / CRAIG RYDER

Toulouse-Lautrec / RICHARD LLOYD KING

The Duke / DEAN REA

Santiago / IVAN DE FREITAS

Nini / KATIE DEACON

Arabia / HANNAH JAY-ALLAN

Baby Doll / MATTEO JOHNSON

La Chocola / BERNADETTE BANGURA

Ensemble

HASSUN SHARIF

GABRIELA ACOSTA

ERIN BELL

CHILESHÉ

JAMES DAVIES-WILLIAMS

MYLES HART

KALILA KHAN

ANNABELLE LAING

MELVIN LEBLANC

MARIOS NICOLAIDES

CATRIN THOMAS

ALEX TRANTER

KEVIN TRISTAN

BEN WHITNALL

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