Review: Already Perfect (King’s Head Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the two years since King's Head Theatre opened its new space in Islington, it has proven an exciting force with its programming, particularly with its smattering of new musicals over the last year. Their 2026 programming kicks off with another new musical, Already Perfect, written by and starring Tony Award winner Levi Kreis. Would the title be a fitting description for this UK premiere?

Already Perfect is set in the dressing room of a Broadway theatre following a disastrous matinee and ahead of that evening’s performance being filmed, where the star of the show, Levi, begins to unravel. Considering relapsing and ending it all, his sponsor gets there just in time and encourages him to go on a journey with his past self. There, his dressing room is transformed into fragments from Levi’s life, where past and present collide through the arrival of his younger self, as Levi rediscovers long-forgotten moments from his life, uncovering the truth and, hopefully, a way to move forward.

Though there is nothing to describe Already Perfect as autobiographical, the fact that the main character shares the name Levi and has a lot of similarities to Levi Kreis’ own story suggests this musical is a very personal account of his life, though what parts blur fact and fiction remains to be seen. If that is the case, writing this must have been a cathartic process, and Levi Kreis is a man of many talents, having written the book, music and lyrics (additional book by Dave Solomon) as well as starring in the show. If you are unfamiliar with Levi Kreis’ work, he won the Tony Award for originating the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet on Broadway (subtly referenced by a Johnny Cash poster in his dressing room… and a not so subtle Tony Award on the shelf) and has also starred in Hadestown, as well as releasing multiple independent albums on his own label.

Kreis is very clearly a multi-talented and accomplished musician, so it comes as no surprise that the biggest strength of Already Perfect is the songs themselves. With elements of soul, rock and gospel, they are a mostly strong collection of songs that threaten to raise the roof of the King’s Head Theatre as the space bursts with life. Deeply personal lyrics make songs about some of the darker moments in Levi’s life all the more poignant, including a particularly moving number about his father. Bringing a bit of Church to Islington, a number that may be called ‘Deliver Me’ (a list of songs included was not available) was another highlight of the night, with ‘You Made A Man Out Of Me’ another standout. Not every song proved as successful, with a number that repeated ‘Only Friend’ lacking the power and quality of the other songs. However, it was the rousing title number ‘Already Perfect’ that truly demonstrated this show at its best, with lyrics every bit as beautiful as the melody. 

While the songs were a fine example of Kreis' strengths as a writer and performer, the sound didn’t really do them justice, making them appear muffled and lacking clarity. It was apparent that the music was trying to explode from the stage, but felt very restricted, never allowing it to reach its full potential. As much as I love King’s Head Theatre as a venue, I did question whether it was the best fit for this musical and couldn’t help imagining which other London venues may have been better suited to maximise the impact of this production.

Where the music soared, the book struggled. It is a great concept, particularly the idea to have your present self interact with the younger version, leading to no shortage of ideas that should create humorous and emotional responses. The comparison that popped into my head was the moment towards the end of each season of RuPaul’s Drag Race where each person is asked what they would say to the younger version of themself. The problem is the emotion wasn’t forthcoming here - I was ready for the big payoff and expected to shed a tear or two, but they never came. That’s not to say the show wasn’t good; it could just be so much better. Certain lines in the writing really didn’t land, and the musical lacked cohesion, which led to some pacing problems. The choice to stage it as one rather lengthy act didn’t work in its favour either and I think it would have benefited from the inclusion of an interval to break up the story. Aspects of Levi struggling with his identity as a gay man, even being in conversion therapy, and living with HIV are all touched upon, but never given the weight any of them deserve, resulting in a show that never seems to settle on what story it wants to tell.

One element of the writing that works well in some areas and less well in others is the roleplay aspect of the piece, having each of the three actors play characters from Levi’s past. Where this works well with his younger self (Matthew) and his sponsor (Ben) taking on the roles, with a recurring joke about how much the latter is enjoying it, it makes less sense when Levi himself plays other characters. As this is his story and he is looking back, it feels like in these scenes from the past, he would be better serving as the narrator, watching from the sidelines, so to see him take on some of the other roles instead of remaining himself lessens the impact these scenes have. It felt to me like this is not Already Perfect in its finished form and is much more a work-in-progress - the potential is there to see, it just hasn’t been fully realised yet.

Dave Solomon’s direction has some inspired moments with a great use of the intimate stage and Jason Ardizzone-West’s playful set design. Props appearing from unexpected places and the quick transformation of characters are some of the better aspects of the direction, but it does prove uneven elsewhere. Given the nature of the space at King’s Head Theatre, productions occasionally go into the audience and stand in the corners. Though the elements of audience interaction were a lot of fun and added to the piece, there was an over-reliance on characters standing in the corners, without seemingly any consideration to audience sightlines. This was done too much throughout the piece, meaning you either had to turn around completely to see what was going on or just accept you were never going to see everything - not the best of choices, and something that could have been easily avoidable. Yes, there is a door up the steps behind the audience at the King’s Head Theatre, which could be used in one or two brief moments, but that doesn’t mean characters need to spend extended chunks of time standing there.

If Levi Kreis’ music and lyrics are one of the biggest strengths of Already Perfect, the other is the casting itself. With Kreis himself at the helm to play Levi, there is an unrivalled authenticity in his performance that showcases his remarkable strengths as both an actor and a musician. It is a strong and accomplished performance that comes into its own when he is allowed to play his older self and let those moments breathe - another reason why the moments he stepped into other characters didn’t have quite the same effect.

His younger self, Matthew, is wonderfully played by Killian Thomas Lefevre, whose youthful naivety and relative innocence balance with his carefree and slightly destructive nature. Lefevre is a force to be reckoned with on that stage, delivering an over-the-top and captivating performance that demands all eyes on him. Balancing comedy with some of the more tender moments, it is Lefevre’s vocals that really allow the performance to soar. Yiftach ‘Iffy’ Mizrahi completes the cast as Ben, delivering a strong turn himself, though suffering from a severely underwritten character that is noticeably one-dimensional in his exposition. Ben’s presence is the catalyst to Levi’s journey in Already Perfect, and perhaps more weight should be given to that - the moment where a past version of Ben is seen shows what more could have been done, though this is no fault of Mizrahi as a performer, who delights at every turn.

One of the themes in Already Perfect is a character struggling to understand his own identity, and in its present form, this musical reflects that same struggle. There is clearly a great show itching to emerge, but it is held back at the moment by its own self-doubt and uncertainty about what it wants to be and how to get there. That said, with a bit of fine-tuning, I’m confident it can reach its full potential. This musical might not be already perfect, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it earns that title once it’s all ready.

Already Perfect plays at King’s Head Theatre until 15th February. Get tickets from £10 at https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/already-perfect-tickets 

Photos by Pamela Raith