EVITA Review: Don’t Cry for Her - Stand Up and Cheer!

Jamie Lloyd’s Electrifying Revival is a Thunderous, Timely, and Unmissable Triumph!

★★★★★

If you think you’ve seen Evita before, think again. Jamie Lloyd’s scorching new West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s iconic musical isn’t just a retelling of Eva Perón’s rise to power; it’s a seismic, theatrical gut punch that feels ripped straight from today’s headlines. With a blisteringly relevant political lens, a star-making performance from Rachel Zegler, and enough adrenaline-pumping choreography to power Glastonbury, this Evita is not just a show—it’s an experience. And one of the best I’ve had in years.

This production, staged at the London Palladium and echoing the visual aesthetic of Lloyd’s 2019 Regent’s Park production, is radical, raw, and utterly revelatory. Jamie Lloyd has a well-earned reputation for stripping classics to their essence, challenging audience expectations and theatrical norms. And here, he’s struck gold. Again.

From the moment the first note is struck, it’s clear that this Evita has something urgent to say. While Act I simmers with political undercurrents, culminating in a barnstorming “A New Argentina,” it’s Act II where the fire truly ignites. The parallels between Peronism and the current political climate—particularly in the United States—are chillingly on point. Lloyd doesn’t so much draw a comparison as he hurls it into the audience's lap like a live grenade. “A New Argentina” plays like a proto-MAGA rally, and the manipulation of media and narrative feels disturbingly familiar. The resonance is undeniable.

The most haunting moment? A sequence in the second act where ensemble members appear trapped beneath the massive set’s stairs, visually evoking images of detainees or political prisoners. It’s a harrowing visual—eerily reminiscent of immigrant detention centers and authoritarian crackdowns—evoked with a theatricality that is both beautiful and bone-chilling. This Evita doesn’t let you off the hook. It demands your attention. And it earns it.

And about that staging of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”? It’s a bold move: Zegler steps outside the theatre onto the actual balcony of the Palladium, while the moment is broadcast live inside on a massive screen with striking cinematography. It sounds gimmicky. It’s not. It's genius. It transforms the iconic number into a literal spectacle of political performance. Eva is no longer just singing to Argentina—she’s singing to all of us. To the world. And from inside the theatre, where the full force of the moment can be felt in its theatrical and technical brilliance, it’s positively spine-tingling. Those outside? They’re lucky spectators, but what’s happening inside the theatre is incomparable.

The choreography by Fabian Aloise is nothing short of staggering. This is a dance show as much as it is a sung-through musical. Every movement is charged with meaning, tension, and storytelling. It’s choreography that pulses with revolution, seduction, desperation, and euphoria—often all at once. You’ll feel it in your bones.

Then there’s the cast. Rachel Zegler is phenomenal. Barely five feet tall, she fills the stage with hurricane-force presence. Her Eva is not just glamorous and cunning; she’s fragile, fierce, and heartbreakingly human. Every note she sings is laced with purpose, every glance calculated. THIS is her role. A career-defining, star-cementing performance that no YouTube clip or bootleg could ever do justice.

Opposite her, Diego Andres Rodriguez delivers a jaw-dropping turn as Che. Equal parts narrator, conscience, and revolutionary firebrand, he commands the stage with charisma and conviction. He’s a name you’ll want to remember. Scratch that—you won’t forget him.

Together, this ensemble builds something greater than spectacle. They built a revolution. They build art that punches you in the chest and leaves your heart racing.

In a city full of must-see theatre, this Evita towers above the rest. It’s provocative, political, poetic—and at times—absolutely petrifying. In the best way possible. If you’re lucky enough to snag a ticket, prepare for a theatrical event that feels like a Coachella set fused with a live TV broadcast—except better, braver, and blisteringly brilliant.

EVITA - London Palladium

Attended on 3 July 2025