Andrzej Lukowski

Andrzej Lukowski is the theatre editor at Time Out London whose coverage links close, ongoing scrutiny of the city’s stage with highly structured guides to live performance and children’s activities.

London theatre critics’ choice

Lukowski has edited the theatre coverage at Time Out London since 2013, acting as the lead theatre critic and commissioning editor for the section. His work ranges from individual reviews of major productions, including plays at landmark venues such as the Old Vic, to broader surveys of what is worth seeing on the London stage.

He oversees and writes pieces like Time Out’s critics’ choice of the top London theatre shows, where he distils extensive reviewing into shortlists that signal priority titles and explain why they stand out.

This role makes him a central gatekeeper for the masthead’s theatre recommendations, shaping both the critical line and the mix of shows that appear in front of readers. His remit explicitly extends to dance, comedy and opera, and his theatre pages regularly fold those forms into the wider picture of what is happening in performance.

Children’s theatre and things to do with kids

Lukowski also leads Time Out’s children’s coverage, which gives his beat a distinctive dual focus on theatre and family life. He writes and curates repeatable formats such as “Children’s theatre in London: the best shows for kids of all ages”, laying out age-appropriate productions and highlighting where they sit within the broader theatre scene.

Beyond theatre, he assembles large, practical roundups like “The 25 Best Summer Holiday Activities for Kids in London for 2026” and “The 50 Best Things to do in London with Kids in 2026”, which track everything from cultural outings to hands-on activities. Seasonal guides are a recurring part of this strand, including lists of Santa’s grottos in London and detailed Christmas pantomime recommendations that balance novelty, quality and family appeal.

Across these pieces, his work is framed less as lifestyle commentary and more as a service brief: clear, ranked options, concise context and enough detail to plan a day out with children.

Immersive shows, pantomimes and live experiences

A further through-line in Lukowski’s work is his attention to live experiences that sit at the edge of conventional theatre, especially immersive productions and seasonal formats. In guides to immersive theatre in London, he draws on a wide range of shows, from large-scale, long-duration pieces to productions that only lightly break the fourth wall, and uses that breadth to help readers understand how different “immersive” labels translate into practice.

His pantomime roundups similarly take a genre that can be hard to navigate and sort it into clear options, reflecting long familiarity with London’s panto circuit. Coverage of Santa’s grottos and other festive experiences continues this emphasis on live, in-person events, treating them as part of the same ecosystem as more traditional theatre and family shows.

This mix of formats means his beat is not just about reviewing plays, but about mapping out how audiences can experience performance and related events across a full calendar year.

Other publications and arts writing

Alongside his work at Time Out, Lukowski contributes arts writing to other publications, including theatre and dance pieces for outlets such as The Stage and the New York Times. These external bylines reinforce his positioning as a specialist in performance rather than a general entertainment reporter, with a portfolio concentrated on reviews, features and curated lists in the live arts. Taken together, his roles show a writer who combines long-term critical responsibility for a major theatre section with a strong orientation toward practical, audience-facing guides, especially where theatre intersects with children’s and family life.