REVIEW: 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

One of the most beautiful and historical theatres in London’s West End is the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and perfect for the ultimate musical spectacle. Therefore 42nd Street, the 1980 Broadway hit with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble based on the 1933 hit Warner Bros film with music and lyrics by Henry Warren and Al Dubin, should be a perfect fit.

Young Peggy Sawyer is fresh off the bus from small-town America and just another face in the chorus line on Broadway’s newest show ‘Pretty Lady’. But when the leading lady Dorothy Brock gets injured, Peggy might just have the shot at stardom she’s always dreamed of.

Having previously seen it over a year ago and been blown away by the uniformity of the ensemble, I couldn’t wait to see this new cast change. 42nd Street has some consistently good areas: Mark Bramble’s direction and Randy Skinner’s choreography ensure the show looks on point, making the most of the huge Grade 1 listed, 2,196 seat theatre. Peter Mumford’s attention to detail with his lighting design literally shone through, with Douglas W. Schmidt’s set design and Roger Kirk’s costume design perfectly complementing the show. However, there were things that surprised me about the performance I saw. From a tap show that prides itself for its energy and consistency the show I saw came in two halves - act one and act two being completely different shows. 

REVIEW: High Ridin’ at the Kings Head Theatre in Islington

High Ridin’ is the latest play by James Hogan on at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. Teenager Robbie travels to the North to find a job and a new life. Ex-bouncer Stan, just out of prison, gives him a lift. But not to the North. Instead, he takes charge and speeds off the motorway to a deserted house on the moors. But Ronnie doesn’t get exactly what he was looking for when he finds Stan has “More morals than Mary Poppins”.

The play itself is confused. I came away unsure as to what writer James Hogan wanted the audience to get out of it. The characters were relatable, with the scenes written naturalistically and having some very witty lines - most notably ‘“I got two GCSEs.” “What in? Wankin ‘n’ chillin?”’. However, when watching the play, it didn’t feel like there was much at stake nor much of a character arc, making the audience feel like we’ve not gone on enough of a journey. On top of this, the mini montage at the end sits uncomfortably with the naturalistic style of the rest of the play.