KIMBERLY AKIMBO | Theatre

Review of Kimberly Akimbo at the Hampstead Theatre, London, October 2026.

I saw Kimberly Akimbo at the Hampstead Theatre in London recently, and I’m still humming Father Time nearly two weeks later. That’s a good sign. New musicals can be a bit of a gamble when you’re going in with no existing connection to the story or score, but this one won me over very quickly.

It’s funny, sad, heartwarming and empowering all at once, telling the story of a teenager living with a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly. It deals with some difficult subjects, but it does so with humour, warmth and a surprising amount of joy.

What I appreciated most was that, despite the unusual premise, Kimberly herself never feels defined by her condition. The musical allows her to be funny, stubborn, hopeful and occasionally reckless, making her feel like a real person rather than a plot device. That authenticity is what makes the emotional moments land so effectively.

Oh, and I must mention the ice skating. Yes, on stage. Seeing actors glide around the set through one of the scenes certainly added something different.

Cast and Creative

Maria Friedman carries an enormous amount of the show as Kimberly, bringing an incredible energy to the role. There were moments when the demands of a long run perhaps showed in the voice, but the performance itself never faltered, and the emotional heart of the story remained completely intact. Alice Fearn and Niamh Perry were superb too, bringing both comedy and chaos to Kimberly’s already complicated family life. Together, the cast managed that difficult balance of making the story both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

And then there was the set design. Built around a replica of the iconic Colgate Clock in New Jersey, the rotating set revealed multiple levels, rooms and perspectives as the story unfolded. Combined with clever projections on the clock face and house fronts, it created a world that felt playful, inventive and constantly in motion. I found myself looking forward to seeing what it would do next.

The ever-present clock is doing far more than simply establishing the location. In a story so closely tied to time, ageing and the fear of not having enough of it, the visual reminder becomes increasingly meaningful as the evening unfolds. It is one of those design choices that seems clever when it first appears and even more clever once you realise how well it supports the themes of the story.

Father Time

The song that stayed with me was Father Time. It’s one of those musical theatre songs that seems relatively simple while you’re listening to it, only to reveal its emotional weight later when you find yourself humming it on the journey home and thinking about what it actually means in the context of the story. The fact I’m still humming it now suggests it did exactly what it was supposed to do.

This was my first visit to Hampstead Theatre. It’s one of those more modern theatres where it feels like everyone gets a good view, there’s enough leg room, and you can settle in comfortably for the evening. I’ll be keeping my eye on their upcoming schedule.

Kimberly Akimbo isn’t yet ingrained in my psyche in the way some long-established musicals are, but it’s easy to see why it has found an audience. Take a tissue, expect a few laughs, and know that you’ll leave feeling uplifted. That’s certainly what happened to me.

Kimberly Akimbo at the Hampstead Theatre London