Theatre lovers. Honest reviews. A little bit of theatrical magic.

Welcome to Matinée Dog, your home for theatre reviews, theatre news, trailers, show information and everything in between.

Whether you’re looking for your next West End musical, wondering whether that touring production coming to your local theatre is worth seeing, or simply want to keep up with what’s happening across the world of theatre, we’re here to help you decide what deserves a place in your diary.

From spectacular West End musicals and touring productions to plays, dance, concerts and pantomimes, we believe theatre is at its best when it makes you laugh, cry, think, gasp and, occasionally, wonder how on earth they managed to do that.

And that’s what Matinée Dog is all about.

Why Matinée Dog?

Ever wondered where the name came from?

“Try it on the Matinée Dog” is Victorian theatre slang for testing a new act, performance or reading of a scene during a daytime performance. We fell in love with that idea.

It perfectly captures something we believe about theatre: every performance is an opportunity to try something new, take a risk and create a little bit of magic.

And, let’s be honest, Matinée Dog sounded pretty cute too. Although we don’t limit ourselves to daytime performances, the name has stuck,  and so has the dog!

Our story

Matinée Dog began in 2020, when theatres across the country fell silent. The stages went dark, the ghost lights came on and audiences were suddenly unable to experience the thing we love most: live theatre.

Adam Richards created Matinée Dog during that extraordinary period, with the support of his partner John Tosh, initially as a way of keeping the love of theatre alive while theatres were closed. What started as a hobby alongside our day jobs has continued to grow.

Today, Matinée Dog has built an ever-growing archive of theatre reviews, show information, theatre news and trailers, covering productions across the UK and beyond.

And we don’t intend to stop there.

Meet the Matinée Dog team

Adam Richards – Founder and Editor

Adam is the founder of Matinée Dog and the person behind the website.

A lifelong theatre enthusiast, Adam has seen countless musicals, plays, concerts and productions over the years and has a particular love for the magic of live performance. He has also worked as an usher at Theatre Royal Plymouth for more than a decade, giving him a unique perspective on theatre both from the audience and from behind the scenes.

For Adam, theatre isn’t simply about what happens on stage. It’s about the atmosphere when you walk through the doors, the anticipation as the lights go down, the collective reaction of an audience and that feeling when the curtain rises and, for a few hours, the outside world disappears.

John Tosh – Web Support

John has been part of the Matinée Dog journey from the very beginning, John assisted Adam with the site development, SEO and hosting.

Together with Adam, he has experienced countless theatre trips, from huge West End productions and touring musicals to plays, concerts and local productions. John’s support helped turn Adam’s original idea into the Matinée Dog you see today.

While Adam may be the one more frequently found putting pen to paper or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard, John remains an important part of the Matinée Dog story and will continue to do so.

Caitlin Weeks – Reviewer

Caitlin is delighted to have joined Matinée Dog as a reviewer and has become an important part of the team.

Having met Adam at the University of Plymouth, Caitlin shares the same love of theatre and enjoys reviewing everything from plays and musicals to concerts and touring productions. Caitlin’s reviews bring another perspective to Matinée Dog, helping us ensure that our coverage isn’t simply one person’s view of the theatrical world.

We are always on the look out to expand the Matinée Dog team so if you are an avid thespian, a writer or simply a lover of the stage please get in touch.