Lily Allen takes the West End to Leeds - REVIEW
- Natasha Judge
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
West End Girl, Lily Allen, took her theatrical performance to Leeds last night, swapping the Thames with the Aire, and becoming an honorary West Leeds girl.
The First Direct Arena was the fourth stop on her UK and Ireland arena tour, which is in support of Allen’s fifth album - ‘West End Girl’, which was released in October 2025.
The tour is unique, and as the album title implies, it feels much more of a one-woman theatre show, accompanied with acting, staging, and props that really bring the storytelling album to life.
As mentioned within our album review of ‘West End Girl’, the 14-track album takes you through the turmoil of heartbreak, realisation, and persevering after a relationship fallout.
Though the audience interactions were limited, due to the play-style of the show, there were several nods and acknowledgments during the evening. A particular highlight was Allen pulling out a box of Yorkshire Tea from the fridge prop on stage right, which was met with cheers from the Leeds audience.
The staging was comparable to a house layout, with cuboid framing around the stage filled with a bed, futon, fridge, and chandeliers. This was partnered with several frame-like screens around the stage, which portrayed visuals of the motifs within the tracks.
The props department were certainly put to work, with carefully detailed objects remindful of key revelations in the lyrics, from a ‘shoebox full of handwritten letters’, a ‘duane reade bag’, and the telephone used for the phone call voice notes.
The current tour dates were born through the high demand for her theatre run earlier this year, and the scaling of the show has certainly grown, and even includes confetti!
The addition of musical interludes between some of the tracks were seamless, particularly after track ‘Dallas Major’, the audience were dancing from the seats to the floor under the disco balls.
Upbeat tracks ‘Madeline’, ‘Pussy Palace’, and ‘Nonmonogamummy’ erupted the crowds into song, and many sported the dance routine to the ‘Nonmonogamummy’ chorus, which featured Specialist Moss on the surrounding screens.
Some of the slower paced tracks from the album - such as ‘Just Enough’ and ‘Let You W/In’ evoked goosebumps. Her lyrics and strong vocal notes, paired with her acting abilities, really absorb you into the album's narrative.
“I'm sick of carrying, suffering for your sins
Already let you in, so why should I let you win?
You've taken everything”
The flowers handed to Allen after final track ‘Fruityloop’ were definitely deserved, and hearing "it’s not me, it's you" felt like a real full circle moment link to her 2008 album.
It was truly wonderful to see the happiness in her face at the show's completion. Lily Allen truly depicts how some of the best art is formed through emotional vulnerability.
The audience were vocally warmed up by a cellist string ensemble - ‘Dallas Minor Trio’, who performed some of the biggest hits from Lily Allen’s discography, with accompanied pink typography of the lyrics for the audience of thousands to sing along to. Including the likes of ‘Smile’, ‘LDN’, ‘The Fear’ and ‘Hard Out Here’, the karaoke set up was reminiscent of singing in a school assembly.
Though it greatly differed from having a traditional support act, it worked well as a means of incorporating the Allen hits we all know and love, before the thespian re-enactment of the latest album.
This is Allen’s biggest headline tour to date, and long may it continue, from catchy choruses to witty lyricism, it is certainly an alternative gig production which is well-worth a watch.
The West End Girl tour continues with dates in Nottingham, Cardiff, Birmingham, Dublin, and her hometown - London. Further tour information can be found here.
Setlist - West End Girl album in full, as follows:
West End Girl
Ruminating
Sleepwalking
Tennis
Madeline
Relapse
Pussy Palace
4chan Stan
Nonmonogamummy
Just Enough
Dallas Major
Beg for Me
Let You W/In
Fruityloop
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