Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares — Underbelly Boulevard Soho, London
★★★★½ (4.5/5)
Tucked into Underbelly Boulevard Soho's intimate room on Walker's Court, Laura Benanti's London debut felt like being let in on a secret. This is a Tony winner turning her own messiest, most human moments into a show that's equal parts hilarious and quietly devastating — and the venue's close, cabaret-style setup suits that confessional tone perfectly.
The show arrived in London on the back of a sold-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe run, and it earned a New York Times Critics' Pick before that. London critics were quick to fall for it too: one review called Benanti's musical autobiography utterly dazzling, describing her star power as something rarely experienced with this much force, while another noted the show marks a new stage for Benanti both as a performer and as a woman. A third critic wrote that watching it land at Underbelly Boulevard made them wonder why it hadn't already become a West End fixture.
Benanti wrote the show herself, with songs co-written with Todd Almond, and the balance she strikes is the whole draw: sharp, self-deprecating one-liners that feel like she's breaking the fourth wall, paired with storytelling that gives the hour real weight. Her two young daughters — the source of the show's damning title — come up often enough that you feel like you know them by the end. The Melania Trump impression that made her famous on The Late Show still gets a moment, but it's the garnish here, not the meal.
The verdict: Underbelly Boulevard Soho is a fitting home for this one — small enough that Benanti's asides land like she's talking straight to you, warm enough that the show's rawer moments don't feel exposing so much as shared. I'm docking half a star only because a solo show this emotionally honest isn't pure escapism — it catches you off guard. But as a night at the theatre, it's about as complete an experience as you'll find on Walker's Court right now.
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