REVIEW: Already Perfect at King’s Head Theatre until 15 February 2026
‘Richly layered’ ★★★★
Levi Kreis is a phenomenal talent and it’s quite something for London in general and Kings Head Theatre in particular, to premiere this. his new autobiographical show.
The Levi we meet (played by Kreis) is a successful, Tony award-winning performer with a background full of demons which have plagued him since childhood. He is gay and an evangelical church upbringing led to six years of conversion therapy and profound levels of despair and guilt. Always a misfit he was “too gay for the church and too church for the gays.” Aids is in the mix too. Today it’s curable, or at least manageable, and a bit of a non-event. When Levi was young it was very different.
The story telling is richly imaginative. We’re in the anguished Levi’s dressing room after a lacklustre matinee. Then his friend Ben (Yiftach “Iffy” Mizrahi) turns up and pressurises him into confronting his past, specifically his younger self when he was known as Matthew (Killian Thomas Lefevre). The three of them then act out scenes from Levi’s memories, summoning some rather jolly theatrical effects – bibles tossed down from the flies, sudden bright lights and more. “We’re in a theatre” says Ben, more than once.
Levi, reluctantly, describes his feelings and experiences in songs mostly at the onstage piano. Kries is an exceptionally gifted pianist and his singing voice is stunning with a wide range, impressive purity, faultless intonation and a wide range of gut-wrenching emotion.
There is also a three piece band on an upper level led by Matthew Antonio Perri. Sometimes visible and sometimes not, it adds other strands to the musical texture and accompanies numbers when Kreis is not playing. Mizrahi and Lefevre are both strong performers who sing pretty well. They are a nuanced, very responsive trio.
Because he struggles to face the truth of what actually happened. Levi repeatedly tries to tell his story differently. “You can’t rewrite the past” Ben, the voice of commonsense and kindness, keeps telling him. It’s a journey and when the final number declares “Nothing to prove, we’re already perfect” it feels as powerfully redemptive as it is moving.
This is a richly layered, satisfying show which deserves a long shelf life.
Photographer credit: Pamela Raith Photography
ALREADY PERFECT at King’s Head Theatre
16 January – 15 February
Book, music & lyrics Levi Kreis
Directed by David Solomon
King's Head Theatre
Tickets are on sale now from www.kingsheadtheatre.com
CAST
Levi | Levi Kreis
Matthew | Killian Thomas Lefevre
Ben | Yiftach ‘Iffy’ Mizrahi
CREATIVES
Book, Music & Lyrics | Levi Kreis
Additional Book | Dave Solomon
Director | Dave Solomon
Music Supervisor, Arrangements & Orchestrations | Matthew Antonio Perri
Set Designer | Jason Ardizzone-West
Movement Director | Jennifer Rooney
Lighting Designer | Ian Scott
Costume Designer | Jason Antone
Sound Designer | Jessica Paz
Casting Director | Will Burton for Grindrod Burton
Associate Set Designer | Ellie Wintour
Associate Sound Designer | Andrew Johnson
Assistant Director/Script Supervisor | Alfred Taylor-Gaunt
Music Assistant | Amos Wong
Artwork Photography | Charlie Flint
Producer | Larry Lelli, Lelli-Pop Productions
Executive Producer and General Manager | Katy Lipson, Aria Entertainment
