Our critic looks back at the best, worst, most underrated and most irritating performances of 2025 and recommends the plays to see this Christmas

Musical: Paddington: The Musical Savoy Theatre, London WC2 ...

Theatre: All My Sons Wyndham’s Theatre, London WC2 ...

Zémide*; Pygmalion** Ema Nikolovska, Virginie Thomas et al; A Nocte Temporis, Chœur de Chambre de Namur/ Reinoud Van Mechelen Château de Versailles Spectacles CVS174 80:10 mins Readers may be grateful

A stellar Othello in which the narrative takes centre stage puts the spotlight on the theme of the outsider, which threads through many of this month’s productions

Theatre: The Hunger Games: On Stage Troubadour Canary ...