La Voix drives an already solid cast to new heights, and makes the delightfully bitter, gin obsessed matron of the New York orphanage, the tragic star of the show ★★★★

You know when you have a star on your hands when the audience erupts into applause as soon as they appear. La Voix emerged suddenly through a door at the back of the stage, uttered one scathing syllable at little orphan Annie, and we were all bedazzled.

Historically, the role of Miss Hannigan has been played by many a celebrity to draw the public in (Paul O’Grady, Craig Revel Horwood & Miranda Hart to name a few). It is difficult to imagine however, this role on stage being played with any more humour or likability than how Christopher Dennis as La Voix has finely tuned this role. Every stagger is meticulously timed, each exasperated grimace delivered with authenticity, and all the while being note perfect in each musical number.

She joins an incredibly likeable cast, which for a show like Annie, can often fall foul of being overshadowed by precocious children. On this tour, the child cast are confident and effective, but also allow the adult cast to interact with them believably. Alex Bourne is a fabulous Daddy Warbucks, and it is no surprise that he has reprised the role a few times since the West End, Toronto and previous tour.

Half of Team Frankie, were wearing our La Voix T-shirts from the official shop. With an orchestra pit in front of us, we wondered if Chris would have spotted us, proudly wearing his merch in the front row, cheering him on. At stage door after the show, it became clear that he absolutely did, calling out to us before it was our turn to get a photo! We were so impressed that Chris had fetched a man with a studio light out with him to make sure everyone’s selfies were well lit and useable for profile pics ! He got round everyone with ease and made it clear that there was no rush. We were happy to let all the kiddies go first, and get the ardent autograph hunters out of the way, and had a lovely chat with him towards the end. He was genuinely so pleased and grateful that we had all come out to support himself and La Voix. Quite simply the best stage door experience ever — an unexpected bonus.

Entertainment ★★★★☆ Although much is cut from the 1982 film, the plot is resolved adequately and does not drag on longer than necessary. There is no obvious romance between Oliver Warbucks and his secretary, Grace Farrell. Similarly, the reveal of Annie’s estranged parents actually being fraudsters aided by Hannigan, is not overly protracted, and is tied up pretty neatly within the walls of the Warbucks mansion.

Star Power ★★★★★ La Voix’s performance of Little Girls, will remain one of the musical theatre highlights of 2026. Although not expected, the bonus of a highly organised and genuinely lovely stage door interaction after the show, cements this further. Going to see La Voix in this show was truly an unforgettable experience.

Value ★★★☆☆ Admittedly, having seen a touring production of Annie before, this show was not on our radar this time round. As was intended, the announcement of La Voix as the principal had us frantically trying to grab tickets, by which point prices in the stalls had risen to £50 upwards. Many ended up paying double, which for a family show, adds up to well into the hundreds for the average customer.