For many actors the well-trodden path to fame and glory includes starting out on stage and in low-budget films before catching a ‘big break’ and becoming a leading star.
Famous stars such as Sir Ian McKellen, Claire Foy and Daniel Craig worked their way up before taking home major accolades and becoming household names.
But now, A-list actors are reversing the trend and are instead turning away from the silver screen and flocking to the theatre to tread the boards.
Stars like Adrien Brody, Brie Larson and Rami Malek have led productions in London‘s West End – but not all have been to critical acclaim.
Despite their best efforts, Hollywood stars don’t seem to be cut out for the livewire element of theatre and more than one has been humbled by critical reviews.
For instance, Brie Larson, best known for her roles in The Marvels and Room, is trying her hand at Greek tragedy in the West End.
But Brie’s portrayal in Elektra at the Duke of York’s Theatre London has been disappointing, according to some critics.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the stars who have fallen victim to the curse of the West End and been on the receiving end of savage critiques for their theatre debuts.
Brie Larson
Brie Larson may be known for her reoccurring role in the Marvel cinematic universe (pictured) but she is now trying her hand at Greek tragedy in London’s West End
Brie Larson may be known for her reoccurring role in the Marvel cinematic universe and for her most recent project, Lessons in Chemistry, but she is now trying her hand at Greek tragedy in London’s West End.
To prove she is more than just a Hollywood blonde bombshell, the star has shaved off her long locks and opted for a dark pixie cut as she roams the stage in a battered yellow vest, splattered with black ink in Elektra.
But Brie’s foray in to the contemporary theatre scene (only her second time on stage) has been disappointing for some.
The Times bestowed only two stars for the production, complimenting Brie’s attempt but added the production felt ‘gimmicky rather than revelatory’ and added the actress didn’t quite manage to pull it off.
While London Theatre wrote: ‘Larson nails certain lines, such as the deadpan delivery of “men love a woman with character”, but her detached, reflective performance style makes it difficult to feel a connection with her character.’
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail’s Patrick Marmion said: ‘For a mere £25 you too can be the victim of a motiveless, 75-minute audio-visual assault on a hapless West End audience.
‘From Larson’s opening screech, the play is a shrill, single note of frozen rage.
Using microphones to yell at, spit on and distort her voice, Larson’s shaven-headed Elektra – wearing torn jeans and a T-shirt reading ‘BIKINI KILL’ – vents her fury at anyone who crosses her path.’
To prove she is more than just a Hollywood blonde bombshell, the star has shaved off her long locks and opted for a pixie cut as she roams the stage in a battered vest, splattered with ink
It seems that despite Brie’s commitment to the role, her energies have not paid dividends among all the critics.
Brie’s Elektra at the Duke of York’s Theatre is an adaptation of Sophocles’s classic story about a woman riddled with guilt and anger at her father’s assassination.
The original 420BC play followed bereaved Elektra as things took a nail-biting turn when her long lost brother Orestes returned.
Elektra was staged at Theatre Royal Brighton from January 13 to 18, 2025 before it moved to London for an 11-week season from January 24 to April 12.
The forthcoming adaptation was created by poet Anne Carson and directed by Oklahoma!’s Daniel Fish.
Earlier this year, Brie told Variety she ‘couldn’t be more excited’ when announcing she had accepted the role.
‘I couldn’t be more excited to perform in this Greek drama, or in better company collaborating with Daniel Fish and Anne Carson,’ she gushed.
‘Storytelling has always been the way I organise life, feelings and experiences. I look forward to sharing space with the wonderful West End audience while we explore this timeless story.’
Rami Malek
Rami Malek, known for his award-winning role in Bohemian Rhapsody (pictured), appeared in front of audiences alongside theatre veteran Indira Varma for the adaptation of Oedipus
Brie is not the only victim of the curse with Rami Malek also savaged in some reviews for his stage debut in Oedipus.
The Bohemian Rhapsody appeared in front of audiences alongside theatre veteran Indira Varma for the adaptation of the famous Greek tragedy, which sees Oedipus fulfil a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother.
And while the star has hordes of fans – and even an Oscar under his belt – it wasn’t enough to sway some of the reviewers of his play at The Old Vic.
The Telegraph said the star was ‘almost entirely at sea with Oedipus’ and questioned his decision to opt for a ‘tic-ridden delivery’ that strangled his lines.
‘But his relationship with Varma, who outclasses everyone on stage, is consistently jarring,’ added the review.
‘Theirs is a marriage we are required to believe is founded on love; instead it resembles a confused arrangement between two people of almost entirely different species.’
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail’s Patrick Marmion said: ‘Making his UK stage debut, Malek’s mask-like features are a good fit for a great king from antiquity, but his inward-looking method acting doesn’t suit the ritualistic staging that’s meant to evoke ancient Greek religious cults.’
When tickets went up for sale, they sold out almost instantly and any that were left went up for exorbitant prices (£210 for a seat in the stalls).
The Bohemian Rhapsody appeared in front of audiences alongside theatre veteran Indira Varma for the adaptation of the famous Greek tragedy, which sees Oedipus fulfil a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother
But the i Paper suggested that more than a few fans might well have wanted their money back after watching the stiff production and noted that he simply couldn’t compare to the classically trained Lesley Manville and Mark Strong performance.
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver, a titan of the screen for more than 40 years, with notable roles in Alien, Ghostbusters and Working Girl alongside Harrison Ford.
So, when the Golden Globe award-winning actress travelled down to London to star as Prospero in The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, expectations were high.
But perhaps they shouldn’t have been.
In 1986 after the release of the first Alien film, the star headed to Broadway where she starred in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and the review from The New York Times was scathing.
‘The Merchant of Venice marks the local Shakespearean debut, in the role of Portia, of Sigourney Weaver and, in all candidness, this is not Ms Weaver’s finest three and one-quarter hours… Together, the director and star seem disoriented by Shakespeare.’
And it seems Sigourney has been nothing if not consistent. On the opening night, the actress forgot her lines more than once and the audience and cast were left sitting in a stunned silence as she tried to scramble her way through the scene.
In 1986 after the release of the first Alien film, Sigourney Weaver headed to Broadway star in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and the review from The New York Times was scathing
Despite her previous bad luck she was cast as Prospero in The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane but the actress forgot her lines and appeared stiff and awkward in every scene
Meanwhile, the directors made sure Sigourney was present on stage as soon as the curtain rose and remained on various chairs throughout – whether she was needed in the scene or not.
The producers seemingly once again fell victim to the hope that casting a Hollywood star would land five-star reviews – however some critics were left disappointed.
The Observer canned the production, writing: ‘She is flat: not only unsure of her lines but apparently uncertain of what a line is, delivering phrases as if she were measuring portions on a plate, without a roll or much driving sense.’
While The Times said: ‘That all-around household helper, Alexa, could have breathed more life into the lines.’
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick
The Sex in the City star and her comedic actor husband took to the stage last year in Plaza Suite, a comedy of manners following three 1960s-era couples and their unhappy marriages, played out on the seventh floor of a swanky hotel.
But it seemed that despite the fact Sarah Jessica Parker is married to Matthew Broderick in real life, they weren’t able to summon up the chemistry needed for the thrilling play.
Instead critics slammed the pair, complaining that they regurgitated their lines and didn’t embody their characters leading to a stilted production.
The Guardian complained that the couple were poorly suited to each other on stage with Sarah ‘annoyingly ditzy’ while Matthew was ‘pompous’.
They added: ‘Parker puts more energy into it but Broderick is oddly stolid. When an affair is uncovered, there is some ice but no fire.
Theatre still struggling to bounce back after Covid with a study highlighting that 77 per cent of theatre organisations were in a worse financial situation than in 2023 while 76 per cent of theatres reported that they still have fewer visitors than before the pandemic.
And so, in a desperate attempt to get more punters through the door, venues have started leaning on the star power of big names.
Despite the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker is married to Matthew Broderick in real life, the pair were unable to ummon up the chemistry needed for the Plaza Suite
Instead critics slammed the pair, complaining that they regurgitated their lines and didn’t embody their characters leading to a stilted production
It appears that the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star (left) and the Sex in the City actress (right) were not cut out for the stage and apart from bringing in the punters, failed to wow the critics
But rather than encouraging people to return to the theatre, it’s pushed them away with Hollywood stars consistently failing to bring their star power to a live audience.
The Guardian wrote: ‘The production seems effectively to coast on the fame of its two stars’ and complained that all it had done was increase the cost of tickets (with some packages selling for £395).
And Jane Moir for Daily Mail felt that the audience had been shortchanged considering the astronomical price of a ticket.
Tom Holland
He may be born and bred in the UK but that hasn’t dulled his Hollywood-level star power.
Tom Holland is one of the most in-demand actors of the moment with a string of blockbuster films such as Spiderman under his belt as well as being one half of an A-list power couple alongside his girlfriend Zendaya.
And so when it was announced that he would be starring as the ultimate heartthrob in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York Theatre in May, fans rushed to nab tickets.
The hunk was greeted with whoops and applause when he first stepped on stage and his band of adoring fans committed to cold evenings standing outside the stage doors just to catch a glimpse of the The Devil All the Time star.
Tom Holland is one of the most in-demand actors of the moment with a string of blockbuster films such as Spiderman under his belt (pictured)
Although the hunk was greeted with whoops and applause when he first stepped on stage playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, the critics were less than convinced (pictured with Francesca Amewudah-Rivers who played Juliet)
It was the first time Tom had returned to tread the boards since starring as the titular character in Billy Eliott in 2008.
But while his star may have shone brightly, it wasn’t enough to convince critics with the BBC branding Tom’s performance as simply ‘fine’ while The Independent wrote: ‘Holland’s acting skills are abundant in all the bits when he’s not speaking’ and ‘his line delivery is a bit flat.’
The choice to cast the star may have put bums on seats and got a new generation of teens interested in Shakespeare, Tom’s attempt at Romeo left most feeling flat.
