Theatre Review: West Side Story (The Alexandra Stage Experience 2025)

AD: This Press Night Review refers to the August 2025 Stage Experience Production of West Side Story at the Alexandra Theatre*

The Alexandra Theatre celebrates a massive 20 years of Stage Experience productions in 2025, and West Side Story is the sixth that I have been lucky enough to review. And I think it may be their best yet. Although I say that every year.

Stage Experience showcases the very best of Midlands young talent, with a full-length production every year. Auditions open each spring for theatrical and technical talent aged 9 to 24 years old to work alongside a professional creative team led by director and choreographer Pollyann Tanner.

This year, the Stage Experience team tackle the almighty West Side Story, with it’s iconic choreography, heart-rending score and emotional storyline of forbidden teenage love.

You can read about the 2024 Stage Experience Show “The Sound of Music” here!

Tonight, tonight, it all began tonight

West Side Story is the 20th century re-telling of Romeo & Juliet, a tale of starcross’d lovers, with the Sharks and Jets taking the place of Montagues and Capulets in the slums of New York. Whilst the rival gangs vie for dominance in their neighbourhood, romance grows between Tony, former leader of the Jets, and Maria, younger sister of the Sharks leader Bernado. Simmering violence escalates into tragic consequences, and Tony and Maria’s relationship is doomed from the outset.

At the heart of the show is a tragic love story, beautifully portrayed by Cree Henson as Tony and Amelie Newton as Maria. We saw Henson last year as Captain Von Trapp in Sound of Music, and his talent has only grown since then. His is a name that could open a show alone; Henson has a beautful voice and a mesmerising stage presence. I stand by my opinion from last year that he would make a fantastic Phantom. Although he seems to have a thing for leading ladies called Maria, which may limit his future choices 😉

Newton is pitch perfect as Maria, with warmth and naivety alongside an impeccable vocal performance. This version of Maria is definitely more Rachel Zegler than Natalie Wood (famously dubbed in the 1961 film by Marni Nixon), which is absolutely a good thing. Their duet of “Tonight” is tender, and for me, “One Hand, One Heart” is often a skip song on the soundtrack, but their version was spinetingling.

Something’s coming…

Tony and Maria are our Romeo and Juliet, but it is Billy Stait’s Riff, Hudson Mansour-Webb’s Bernardo and Heaven Okah’s Anita that are the beating heart of the story. It’s startling at times to remember these are youth performers and not professional, such is their enthralling stage presence.

Stait as Riff is proud, quick, and commands both his Jets and the audience, whilst Mansour-Webb’s Bernardo is protective and impetuous, embodying a Latino machismo whilst producing the most fluid and elegant dance movements. It is Okah that stands out, capturing both the vivacity and sadness of Anita. Her performance of “A Boy Like That” has great depth, authentically portraying complex relationships and her inner conflict. Her betrayal, when it comes, leaves the audience dumbstruck, yet you have nothing but sympathy for Anita.

Stephen John’s Doc is a lone moral voice, appalled by the violence and the impact on his community, whereas Lieutenant Shrank played by Nicholas Room actively encourages it.

There are strong performances from the entire ensemble, including a huge supporting cast of Sharks and Jets. They get their moment to shine in group numbers such as “America” and “Cool“; “Gee, Officer Krupke” brings the house down. These pieces provide a relief from the tension, and give the ensemble their moment in the spotlight.

🌟🌟🌟A special shout-out to our friend’s daughter Sophia, making her Stage Experience debut in the ensemble 🌟🌟🌟

You hoodlums don’t own these streets

West Side Story has one of the finest scores in musical theatre history, composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

“Tonight (Quintet)” is always my highlight of the show, a rousing ensemble number performed by the Sharks, the Jets, Anita, Maria and Tony. Vocals overlap, call and repeat, echoing the earlier love song between Tony and Maria, until everyone comes together in a final harmonious “Tonight”. Anticipation and tension builds; the gangs display arrogance and confidence, Anita is looking forward to welcoming her post-rumble lover home. Tony and Maria are simply lovestruck, unaware of how the evening will change everything.

There are some stunning dance pieces throughout, showcasing the original Jerome Robbins choreography with a fresh twist. The Shark girls have their own scintillating scene-stealing number in “America”. And the fight scenes have been carefully choreographed, with balletic dance moves seamlessly flowing into violent actions in a high-energy and thrilling showdown. The talented hair, make-up and costume team ensure the cast look convincingly like they have sprung straight out of the 1950s.

The simple set shows New York edginess, all fire escape ladders, chainlink fences, rooftop billboards and graffiti. At times some of the set is a little wobbly – I feared that the bed was going to slide across the stage at one point, and other items of scenery tried to make a premature appearance. But these small things just serve to remind that anything can happen in live theatre. After all, I’ve seen showstops in professional productions due to technical malfunctions. And I do hope that the two dancers that took a tumble during the second act ballet scene are both ok and have the confidence to carry on.

I have a love, and it’s all that I have

There is so much to enjoy in this production, and it has a right to shine amongst the other professional shows gracing the Alexandra Stage in 2025. West Side Story is a show that delivers a visceral gut punch, and this is no different. It doesn’t shy away from the tough topics; racism, poverty, rape, gang culture and violence are all laid bare. Yet this young cast handle it expertly with maturity.

This West Side Story Stage Experience is a 5-star production brimming with raw emotion and outstanding talent. Congratulations once more to everyone involved in this stunning show.

West Side Story (Stage Experience 2025) is at the Alexandra Theatre on a limited run only. You can book tickets here – but be quick as the final show is Saturday 16th August! Make sure you keep an eye on The Alexandra Theatre’s Facebook Page for details of the 2026 Stage Experience – book your tickets early!

All production photos by Jonathan Hipkiss

*Why is this post marked AD? I was invited to attend Press Night in exchange for an honest review. You can trust that I will always be honest and truthful on A Brummie Home and Abroad, and being an invited guest will not influence my opinion in any way.