5/5 Hoots: Muse (Black Holes and Revelations), Chicago, Much Ado about Nothing (West End), Matilda the Musical, The Book of Mormon, Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP Ball, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Les Miserables, In the Heights, Pink (The Truth About Love), Muse (Drones), The Phantom of the Opera, Funny Girl, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 42nd Street, Don Juan in Soho, Rene Marie, Hamilton, Muse (Simulation Theory), Lizzo (Cuz I Love You Too)

4/5 Hoots: Speed the Plow,  Wicked, Legally Blonde, Love Never Dies, One Man, Two Guvnors, Singin’ in the Rain, Cabaret, La Reve, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, Tosca, Rob Delaney (Meat), Katy Perry (Prismatic), Richard III, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Kinky Boots, Swan Lake, Hamlet, Groundhog Day, Vanities the Musical, The Last Five Years, Dreamgirls, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Nutcracker, Rent, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Half a Sixpence, Music for Two Violas, An American in Paris, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Angels in America, The Lion King, Apologia, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4, Annie, Little Mix (Glory Days), The Killers, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Beethoven / Stravinsky concert, Fun Home, Gershwin / Messiaen concert, King Lear, Britney Spears (Piece of Me), Company, Joanna Lumley – It’s All About Me, Star Wars Live In Concert (A New Hope), Waitress, Follies, Pink (Beautiful Trauma), Star Wars Live In Concert (The Empire Strikes Back), LM5, Six the Musical

3/5 Hoots: Elbow (Cast of Thousands), Oliver!, Sweet Charity, Grease, Glee Live!, The Boy Friend, The Tempest, Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday: Reloaded), A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mamma Mia!, Mystere, The Pajama Game, Evita, The Scottsboro Boys, Cats, Miss Saigon, Stravinsky ballets concert, Bend it like Beckham, Mrs Henderson Presents, Aladdin, will.i.am, La Cage aux Folles, Into the Woods, The Wizard of Oz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Rock of Ages, Kanye West (Glow in the Dark), Murder Ballad, The Planets concert, School of Rock, My Fair Lady, Love in Idleness, Young Frankenstein, Much Ado About Nothing (Kingston), The Muppets Take the O2, Dear Evan Hansen

2/5 Hoots: Shakespeare in Love, The Girls

1/5 Hoots: None so far …

Explanation: Within each show review, I set out my ‘hoot’ rating out of 5. I have also built up a list of special Music Owl awards for different elements of shows.

Here is a guide to what the number of ‘hoots’ indicates:

5 hoots = an excellent example of what it is trying to achieve; worth multiple visits; unforgettable

4 hoots = a very good example of what the show is trying to do; some special points; memorable

3 hoots = a fairly good / solid example of the standard it is trying to achieve

2 hoots = some minor flaws, and/or a lack of special points and/or quality of music, lyrics, writing or performance

1 hoot = seriously lacking in what the show is trying to do; major flaws