Annie

Thomas Meehan (book), Charles Strouse (music), Martin Charnin (lyricist)

Crossroads Live (David Ian and Michael Harrison)

Palace Theatre, Manchester

June 9-20, 2026; 2hrs 15mins

(also at Blackpool Opera House (July 28-August 1), Newcastle Theatre Royal (August 4-8), Hull New Theatre (September 8-13), Liverpool Empire (September 22-26), Bradford Alhambra (November 23-28), Sunderland Empire (January 18-23, 2027), Sheffield Lyceum (February 23-27)

l-r Tanisha Mae Brown as Grace, Victoria Alsina as Annie and Alex Bourne as Warbucks in Annie. All pics: Paul Coltas. (Pictures don't always show the reviewed cast)

A feisty return for the well-known 1970s Tony award-winning musical Annie, based on the American comic strip character Little Orphan Annie.

In an unsurprisingly, unlikely tale, Annie - an 11 year old living in a 1930s depression-era New York orphanage - runs her life full of optimism, based on the undeniable observations that "the sun will come out tomorrow" and "tomorrow is only a day away". Her approach to life allows her to endure the cruel orphanage regime imposed by its boss, Miss Hannigan (played in Manchester by La Voix from Ru Paul's, Strictly and the like). Annie acts as a comfort to the younger children while daily believing her parents will return to take her home. Meanwhile, Annie takes her own comfort from the stray dog she has adopted, naming him Sandy and teaching him obedience in a much more gentle way than the example set by Miss Hannigan.

Annie’s fortune changes when Grace Farrell arrives, seeking an orphan to invite for Christmas at the home of billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Annie’s irrepressible charm softens the heart of the billionaire who has everything in his life except love. He wants to adopt her but agrees instead to help her find her real parents and offers a reward - apparently, and strangely for a billionaire - oblivious to the incentivising effect of a large sum of money. Fortunately, he has the resources to quickly dismiss fraudsters and reach the truth. Annie is resilient enough to accept her parents are dead, and happily agrees to the adoption.

Oh, and along the way, Annie’s incurable optimism convinces President Roosevelt to change policy, bringing in what became known as Roosevelt’s New Deal of government spending, to tackle the scourge of unemployment and kick the US economy back into life.

The musical has a family appeal, enhanced by some great performances from the children (and dog). The main musical numbers are lively and memorable, with It’s A Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street, and Tomorrow as standouts.

Someone once said "never work with children or animals", but this doesn’t deter the adult performances, which are strong throughout. Victoria Alsina portrays a determined young Annie with guts, conviction and warmth. Tanisha Mae-Brown shows considerable flair in a relatively small but important role as Warbucks assistant Grace Farrell.

La Voix excels as Miss Hannigan, commanding the stage with a natural performance offering superb comic timing.

Costumes, pace and dance skills ensure that this 1970s musical will continue to hold an attraction for modern family audiences, many of whom might well disagree with my star rating.

More info and ticket links here