 In London, Nina Caplan in Time Out described the musical as "more welcome than any profound examination of these putrid times"

"The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾" at Leicester's Curve Theatre received 4 stars from "The Daily Telegraph", "The Times" and "The Guardian".Lyn Gardner in "The Guardian" wrote that Mole was "a home-grown hit for the Curve... a show constantly paying neat homage to previous British musicals and the traditions of the TV sitcom, and yet always staying distinctive and true to its source material... a quaint, unassuming little charmer.