The Producers review: Mel Brooks's musical is the most fun I've had at the West End

Brooks directed The Producers in 1967 using a script he wrote himself. This movie was a cult hit for 24 years until Brooks reshaped it as a musical theatre number.

Now, the filmmaker and actor is no stranger to leaving a legacy, namely, single-handedly inventing the movie spoof genre with 1974's Blazing Saddles and pioneering TV sketch writing with Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar, and that's exactly what has happened with The Producers.

The musical was reimagined for the New York stage in 2001, and it took home 12 awards at that year's Tony Awards. Now, 58 years on, The Producers is performing at Garrick Theatre in London's West End, having been at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2024.

Director Patrick Marber's The Producers is a camp, outrageous and, above all, fun; as with a lot of political satires, the play's stereotypes and cultural indicators are wildly exaggerated.

The Producers follows a "delicious" scheme set up by two – you guessed it — theatre producers, the devious Max Bialystock (played by Andy Nyman) and the wide-eyed ex-accountant Leopold Bloom (played by Marc Antolin), who would love nothing more than to be a real-life Broadway producer. The scheme is devised after Bloom lets it slip that it's more profitable to create a Broadway flop than a Broadway success, and the two producers set out to create the biggest flop of them all... And what could be a bigger failure than the musical Springtime for Hitler, written by Nazi sympathiser Franz Liebkind (played by Harry Morrison)?

Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden is a riot; from the second Ulla (played by Joanna Woodward) shouts "he's coming!" and Trevor Ashley as Hitler enters the stage dressed in a gold, glittery gown riding a chariot, I was in stitches. The choreography — created by choreographer Lorin Latarro — is brilliant, from the ensemble dancing as nazi pigeons (yes, really) and the old ladies Bialystock has sex with to secure funding for his next play (again, yes, really) to glittery sausages in Springtime for Hitler and showgirls in one of Bloom's fantasies, it really gives the impression of a much larger cast.

However, our stand-out of The Producers is Nyman as Bialystock. The multi-award winning actor garnered enthusiastic applause after every song, and I was completely entranced by Nyman as the mischievous producer, and on his side, too!

Whether you're nostalgic for The Producers movie or you're looking for a fun-filled night at the theatre, Mel Brooks's The Producers at the Garrick Theatre won't disappoint.

Buy The Producers tickets from £25 at LOVEtheatre

Where can I see Mel Brooks's The Producers?

Following a sold-out run at Menier Chocolate Factory, The Producers has transferred to the Garrick Theatre in the West End. The Producers is currently booking until Saturday 21st February.

Buy The Producers tickets from £25 at LOVEtheatre

How to get The Producers tickets at the Garrick Theatre

Tickets for The Producers are available right now at LOVEtheatre, and at the time of writing (Tuesday 16th September), seats cost from just £25, so if you're keen to see The Producers, we recommend snapping up tickets as soon as you're able to.

Buy The Producers tickets from £25 at LOVEtheatre

For more theatre reviews of the latest shows, take a look at our Born With Teeth review, Every Brilliant Thing review and Good Night, Oscar review.

Plus, be sure to read our best West End shows guide.