Overview

• Good Night, Oscar opened at London’s Barbican Centre and will run through 21 September
• Sean Hayes reprises his Tony-winning role as Oscar Levant with a performance praised for its emotional depth and piano virtuosity
• Director Lisa Peterson’s meticulous 1958 Tonight Show set and period details have been widely commended
• Several critics note the play’s opening scenes move at a deliberate pace before gaining momentum during the televised broadcast
• Reviewers are divided over the play’s stylised hallucinations, arguing they offer dramatic flair at the expense of deeper insight into Levant’s schizophrenia