Licensed to Ill

Nominated for Best New Musical, Best Ensemble Acting, Best Sound Designer Offies.

‘hits the spot perfectly – it’s as gloriously funny, daft and deliberately shambolic as the Beasties themselves… absolutely phenomenal… an engagingly daft crowd-pleaser of a story’ Time Out

‘a heartfelt bundle of energy and anarchy… a short, sweet, funny homage… a scrappy bundle of hilarity with some excellent beats thrown in’ What’s On Stage

‘a riotous 75 minutes in the oldskool land of hip-hop… a contagiously fun-filled performance… an infectious sense of humour, continually impressive musical prowess, and a feel-good message… This tribute to a legacy is like the Jersey Boys on acid. A charm-filled blast.’ The Upcoming

‘This evolution of the Beastie Boys is a revolution for the London stage… everything looks effortless even as they spit rhyme after rhyme’ Broadway World

‘It’s warm, it’s passionate and it’s lively. It’s also ridiculous, but like the Beastie Boys themselves, it doesn’t care. A hearty and enjoyable show.’ LondonTheatre1

‘Licensed to Ill is an endlessly loving tribute to its subjects… infectious energy… effortlessly engaging’ A Younger Theatre

‘boundless energy and enthusiasm’ Love London Love Culture

Licensed To Ill is a big-hearted, brash new show about the Beastie Boys, hip-hop’s most notorious pranksters. Join Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock as they go from teenage punks in 80s New York, via their discovery by legendary producer Rick Rubin, to international rapping superstars.

Featuring hits from ‘Intergalactic’ to ‘Fight For Your Right’, Licensed To Ill is an eclectic theatre-gig mash-up which incorporates three MCs, one DJ, and a whole lot of noise.

This unofficial journey through hip-hop history enjoyed a sell-out run at Camden People’s Theatre in 2015, and now comes to Southwark Playhouse following a UK tour. Winning over Beasties fans and cynics alike, Licensed To Ill does to music theatre what hip-hop did to the humble tracksuit: makes it cool.

Originally commissioned by and developed with Camden People’s Theatre.