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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry The Musical

 
Paul T. Davies Review by Paul T. Davies 5 Published: 11 Feb 2026 Theatre Royal Haymarket Show Dates: 10 Feb 2026-18 Apr 2026

It’s always a risk to adapt a book as beloved as Rachel Joyce’s story of Harold Fry, an ordinary, unspectacular man who receives a letter from an old friend, Queenie, writing from a hospice where she faces her final days.

Heartsoaring and heartbreaking in equal measure

As he goes to post his (very bland) reply, Harold is overwhelmed by a feeling to keep on walking from Devon to Berwick upon Tweed to make amends with Queenie for a past incident. He meets people along the way, until social media gives him fellow pilgrims, all seeking their own redemption. As he becomes more dishevelled, the protective layers he built around him become as threadbare as his shoes and clothes, and the shocking events from the past are revealed.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, is heart-soaring and heartbreaking in equal measure, and this beautiful, superbly cast production does perfect justice to the source material. The music and lyrics by Passenger give the show a folksy feel, suiting the folklore element of the story, and are reminiscent of another great musical, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In both shows, the fluid movement of the performers and staging marks the passing of time, and simple props become powerful totems of loss and grief. Here, a Cambridge University scarf is used to devastating effect.

Each person Harold meets gets a great song, and I was initially concerned that the bar was set too high with the second number, the gospel-inspired Walk Upon The Water, with the outstanding Nicole Nyarambi raising the roof, the prolonged applause and cheering well deserved. But this concern was quickly banished by the other “turns”. Out Of Luck, peppered with a certain four-lettered word, is a joy. Daniel Crossley delivers perfectly as Silver Haired Gentleman, Harold’s advice allowing him to be free and open in his sexuality in a wonderful tap number. Noah Mullens, making their West End debut, is a haunting presence as The Balladeer, evolving into something else in Act Two. War Horse revolutionised puppetry in this country, and if you don’t fall in love with Dog, this may not be the musical for you!

But none of this would work without the central characters of Harold and his seemingly sterile wife, Maureen, being perfect. Mark Addy is outstanding as Harold Fry, his “everyman” persona working perfectly as he takes us on the pilgrimage. Buttoned up, grieving, his barriers are delicately removed as the journey develops, a beautiful portrayal of English reserve and male silence breaking down. His song Dear Girl In The Garage is emotional, measured and heart-breaking. Equally outstanding, as always, is Jenna Russell as Maureen, the dam she has built around her emotions cracking as she accepts her grief and her part in what happened.

The back story is devastating. Those who have read the book or seen the film adaptation will know that this is no cosy drama; it’s brutal and unflinching. But when Harold arrives at Queenie’s bedside, there isn’t, and shouldn’t be, a dry eye in the house.

A welcome transfer from Chichester Festival Theatre, this is a West End must-see.

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The Blurb:

Following a sold-out run at the Chichester Festival Theatre, the five-star “pitch-perfect musical” (The Times) transfers to the West End.

Funny, profound, deeply moving and uplifting, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a joyous new musical adapted by Rachel Joyce from her multi million-selling novel, with “a ravishing score” (The Times) by the chart-topping indie musician, Passenger (Let Her Go).

Harold Fry was never meant to be a hero. An ordinary man in an ordinary life until a letter from a long-lost friend sends him out the front door… and he keeps on walking. From Devon’s quiet lanes to the windswept streets of Berwick-upon-Tweed, his journey becomes a pilgrimage of love, redemption, and second chances.

Strangers turn into companions, kindness appears in unexpected places, and the road reveals more than Harold ever imagined. Back home, his wife Maureen begins her own journey, one that might bring them together again.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a moving celebration of the human spirit  and a reminder it’s never too late to start again.