Review Round-Up: ALL MY SONS at Wyndham's Theatre

Ivo van Hove (A View From the Bridge, A Little Life) directs this revival of Arthur Miller’s breakthrough 1946 masterpiece, in which successful but corrupt American businessman Joe Keller narrowly escapes criminal conviction for selling defective airplane parts to the army during World War II while his family grapples with the loss of their son. This powerful story of greed, capitalism and the dark side of the American dream features an all-star cast, including Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, along with Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, Gangs of London) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths, The Amen Corner).

What are critics saying about All My Sons?

The Guardian

“The stars of a dream cast align for Arthur Miller’s towering tragedy”

★★★★★

Arifa Akbar was full of praise for “this magnificent, shuddering production” and for a cast that “not just inhabit their parts but somehow become them as if by magic”, calling Paapa Essiedu in particular “magnetic”. She enjoyed Ivo van Hove’s handling of the play’s complex themes and their relevance to the modern age. She found the pacing of van Hove’s direction sophisticated and “reminiscent of ancient Greek theatre in its fateful tragedy”. “The production,” she wrote, "lays out the psychology of blame, guilt and complicity in an incredibly full-bodied and clarifying way.” She also praised “the symbolic sparseness of Jan Versweyveld’s set design”, calling it “epic and timeless”. She concluded: “There is so much alchemy here – it just dazzles and dazzles.”

Read the review here.

TimeOut

“Ivo van Hove strikes gold with another Arthur Miller play”

★★★★★

Andrzej Lukowski thought Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiudu offered “two of the best stage performances of 2025.” Like Akbar, he thought van Hove adapted the script masterfully, commenting that the production “really savours the writing” and “luxuriates in every detail and role”. He also praised “Jan Versweyveld’s evocative set” and thought “Tom Gibbons’s minimalist but ever-present score drifts from quirky to sanctified to chilling, heightening every scene.” He found the cast truly impressive: “Cranston is superb as a grandfatherly figure” while “Marianne Jean-Baptiste is exquisite”, but “it’s Essiudu however, who really runs off with the show.” He concluded: “The whole thing plays out symphonically, building to an astonishing crescendo.”

Read the review here.

The Independent

“Bryan Cranston is magnetic in this masterful staging”

★★★★★

Like others, Annabel Nugent was impressed by the cast, writing that “Bryan Cranston has an undeniable pull as its wily American patriarch”, but “the pain that resonates most strongly is portrayed by Paapa Essiedu as his optimistic son.” She thought van Hove staged the play with “a rich, evocative kind of minimalism” that’s complemented by “Jan Versweyveld’s mesmeric lighting design.” She called van Hove’s direction “ingenious”, bringing “an almost unbearable heaviness… staged with a crushing gravity underneath a giant glowing sun.”

Read the review here.

The Standard

“An astonishing, deeply moving piece of theatre”

★★★★★

“Bryan Cranston, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Paapa Essiedu are pitch perfect,” wrote Nick Curtis, in “Ivo van Hove’s searing, morally forceful revival.” Like others, he was impressed by Versweyveld’s exceptional set design, which played off perfectly against the production’s “relentless, implacable momentum and profound emotional clout.” He was delighted by the cast, calling Jean-Baptiste “magnificent” and Cranston “superb”, while Essiedu “is riveting to watch.” He was particularly moved by the chemistry and rapport between the cast in portraying these complex characters. His verdict: “In this All My Sons, we see a great writer, a visionary director and a superlative cast all chiming in harmony.”

Read the review here.

Paapa Essiedu and Bryan Cranston in ALL MY SONS at Wyndham's Theatre. Photo by Jan Versweyveld.

The Stage

“A shattering take on the Miller tragedy”

★★★★

Sam Marlowe was also full of praise, but less convinced by some moments of melodrama in the production. “Van Hove directs with his habitual expressionistic flourishes, some of which are a touch heavy-handed,” he wrote. He was also critical of the sound design: “The doomy Johnny Cash numbers in Tom Gibbons’ sound design are effective, the intrusive underscoring of nervy strings less so.” Despite that, he thought “the relationships between the characters are exquisitely drawn”, particularly Cranston and Essiedu as father and son. He thought van Hove captured the play’s themes perfectly: “this brutal dismantling of the American dream feels more pertinent than ever.”

Read the review here.

The Telegraph

“Cranston leads a superb cast in this powerful staging”

★★★★

Dominic Cavendish, like other critics, thought Cranston was “magnificent” and “conveys his resulting distress with the force of a psychological implosion made manifest.” He also wrote that “Jean-Baptiste is transfixing, oddly tactile, palpably distracted”, while Essiedu brings “a combination of boyish charm, shrewd watchfulness and flaring passion.” He praised van Hove’s “spare focus” and minimalist approach that avoids the “gimmick-laden misfires” of past productions. His only criticism was that “the cinematic incidental music that plays beneath the dialogue feels like an unnecessary emotional nudge.” He concluded: “Van Hove’s “less is more” approach works well; even less would work even better.”

Read the review here.

WhatsOnStage

“Ivo van Hove has a way with an Arthur Miller play”

★★★★

Sarah Crompton found the production “memorable” and “intense”. Versweyveld’s set and lighting design evoked “an expressionistic wasteland, with a great portal at its centre, where characters stand before appearing.” She praised van Hove’s “remarkable ability to crank up tension, to pull the relationships in the Keller family to taut breaking point and to orchestrate the results.” Like Curtis, she found the dynamic between Cranston and Essiedu compelling and intense. “Essiedu is simply superb,” she wrote. The production balances the inherent drama of tragedy with the intensity of quiet humanity without being melodramatic, demanding the audience’s attention and investment from the start.

Read the review here.

All My Sons is playing at Wyndham’s Theatre until March 7th 2026. It was one of the most widely anticipated new shows opening in London this year, and by the sounds of it, well worth the hype. Want to stay ahead of all the new and exciting shows coming to the West End and beyond? Keep an eye on our New Shows page so you never miss out on what the critics are looking forward to seeing next.