COMING HOME: Rosanna Hyland, about to appear in Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre

Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back! 

Back to the Future was one of the most anticipated new musicals of the season, with a tryout run in Manchester wetting the musical theatre worlds appetite before its West End transfer. Unfortunately, after only a few weeks at the Manchester Opera House, the show closed. Having been in Manchester recently myself, it's sad to see the front of house still covered in the show's artwork following the quick closure it had but with the news of the show officially making its West End premiere on the 20th August 2021, we couldn’t be more excited! 

Rosanna Hyland will be reprising her role of Lorraine Baines in the West End production after being in the show in Manchester. Her other credits include Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Alice in I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road at the Jermyn Street Theatre, Betty Hapschatt in Shock Treatment at the King’s Head Theatre, Hope Cladwell in Urinetown at the Apollo and St. James Theatre (Now the Other Palace), covering the role of Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Swing in Sister Act at the London Palladium and covering the role of Julie Jordan in Carousel at The Savoy.

REVIEW: Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre

After a hugely successful run on Broadway, Waitress finally has made its way into the West End. As one of the most anticipated shows of 2019, unfortunately this show doesn't live up to the hype and is at the bottom of the list of shows opening this year. 

The story follows Jenna, a waitress in a diner who bakes the most incredible pies. Her creativity and life is poured into the creation of these recipes and we see her express her problems through the baking of these pies. She falls pregnant with her abusive husband’s baby and ends up having an affair with her Doctor, Uh-Oh! Her two colleagues and friends, Becky and Dawn, Help her through this and end up with their own relationship stories. 

Sara Bareilles has written the score for the show and its beautiful, the music is perfect for the genre and tells the story with a wonderful intelligence and grace. Unfortunately the flaws in the show come from the Book by Jessie Nelson; the plot has huge holes in and so much of it just doesn't makes sense.

REVIEW: Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Ladies, Gentlemen and those who have yet to make up their mind running until January 2019 is Kinky Boots. Based on the 2005 film written by Tim Firth and Geoff Dean, Kinky Boots the Musical opened in London in 2015 and three years later it is still going strong; however has recently announced it’s closure; sad times! 

This show has a single, simple message behind it. Be who you are, love yourself and accept others. 

The story revolves around Charlie Price (Oliver Tompsett) the son of a Cobbler and Lola (Simon-Anthony Rhoden) a Drag queen from London who team up to save Price and Son’s, Charlie’s inherited, failing factory. Instead of firing people, Charlie, after a chance encounter with Lola is inspired by his colleague Lauren (Natalie McQueen) to find a niche in the market and he does; Drag boots - more specifically Kinky Boots. 

Made in Dagenham at the Adelphi Theatre

Stage Entertainment, Glass Half Full Productions and Just for Laughs Theatricals are delighted to announce that MADE IN DAGENHAM will open at the Adelphi Theatre on Wednesday 5 November, with previews from Thursday 9 October. Based on the hit British film, this new musical comedy will star international stage and screen actress GEMMA ARTERTON in the lead role of Rita O’Grady, with ADRIAN DER GREGORIAN as her husband Eddie.

Essex 1968. Like millions of other working women, each morning Rita O’Grady is just trying to get her husband out of bed, get the kids off to school and get to work at the factory on time. But life is about to change forever when it’s announced that the girls in the sewing room of Ford’s Dagenham car plant will have their pay grade dropped to ‘unskilled’.

Made in Dagenham cast announced

Gemma Arterton will star in the musical adaptation of Made in Dagenham, which premieres at the Adelphi Theatre on 5 November 2014 (previews from 9 October). Directed by Almeida artistic director Rupert Goold, the show has a book by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) with music from David Arnold (musical director of several Bond films and the Olympics closing ceremony) and lyrics by Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer: The Opera).

Made in Dagenham dramatises the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that aimed for equal pay for women. The film was released in 2010 starring Sally Hawkins.

The production will star Gemma Arterton in the lead role of Rita O'Grady, with Adrian Der Gregorian (Sweet Smell of Success, The Woman in White) as her husband Eddie. Arterton appeared in the workshop version of the show in 2012, and said: "It's an important story that I'm passionate about telling, and we intend to tell it with wit, warmth and, of course, a lot of singing and dancing in this production."

FIRST LOOK: New cast joins The Bodyguard, starring Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke has joined the cast of the hit West End musical The Bodyguard, playing the leading role of Oscar-nominated superstar Rachel Marron.  Burke plays opposite Tristan Gemmill who continues in the role of Rachel’s bodyguard, Frank Farmer. Alexandra Burke joins the production at the Adelphi Theatre where the show is playing to 30 August 2014. 

The current cast (March 2014) comprises Alexandra Burke (Rachel Marron), Tristan Gemmill (Frank Farmer), Carole Stennett (Nicki Marron), Richard Lloyd King (Bill Devaney), Stephen Marcus (Tony), Dominic Taylor (Sy Spector), Michael Rouse (Stalker) and Stuart Reid (Ray Court).  Ensemble members are Gareth Andrews, Kimball Armes, Christopher Birch, Hannah Fairclough, Robert Gill, Nicky Griffiths, Ben Harrold, Jamie Hughes-Ward, Alex Jackson, Genesis Lynea, Fergal McGoff, Sara Morley, Joelle Moses, David O’Mahoney, Stuart Rogers, Kyle Seeley, Danielle Steers, Katy Stredder and Christopher Terry.

Trailer released for MADE IN DAGENHAM starring Gemma Arterton

Gemma Arterton will star in the musical adaptation of Made in Dagenham, which premieres at the Adelphi Theatre on 5 November 2014 (previews from 9 October). Directed by Almeida artistic director Rupert Goold, the show has a book by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) with music from David Arnold (musical director of several Bond films and the Olympics closing ceremony) and lyrics by Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer: The Opera).

Made in Dagenham dramatises the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that aimed for equal pay for women. The film was released in 2010 starring Sally Hawkins.

FIRST LOOK: Alexandra Burke stars in The Bodyguard

Alexandra Burke will join the cast of the hit West End musical The Bodyguard, to play the leading role of Oscar-nominated superstar Rachel Marron.  Burke will play opposite Tristan Gemmill who continues in the role of Rachel’s bodyguard, Frank Farmer. Alexandra Burke will join the production at the Adelphi Theatre where the show is playing to 30 August 2014.  Beverley Knight will continue in the role of Rachel Marron until 31 May 2014.

Alexandra Burke said:  “I couldn’t be more excited about joining the cast of The Bodyguard and to play the iconic role of Rachel Marron will be adream come true. I am a massive Whitney Houston fan so to be given the opportunity to play a role made famous by her every night will be a real privilege.  I start rehearsals very soon with my fellow cast mates and thebrilliant creative team and, with a little trepidation, I am looking forward to our first performance in June.”

The Bodyguard the Musical: Theatre Review

The Bodyguard has to be one of the most iconic films of all time, Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner’s performances have gone down in history. Recreating such a huge film on stage is a risky thing; it will always be compared to original film. Fortunately, the stage version really stands on its own two feet. With a few adjustments to the story it has been translated onto stage perfectly. The Bodyguard tells the story of worldwide superstar Rachel Marron (NOT Whitney Houston) and how she is being stalked by an obsessed fan. Frank Farmer is brought in as her new bodyguard to try and control the situation whilst working with people to catch the stalker. 

If you’re a fan of the film then you might be put off by the fact that there have been a few changes in the story but I actually think its for the best and the changes make the characters a lot more interesting. I’m not going to mention any of these however, you’ll need to find out for yourself! I have previously seen the show in previews and didn’t like it, there was just something missing from the production. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. Upon returning everything I thought about it before had disappeared, its a very clean and smooth show and the thing I thought was missing (whatever that was!) is definitely there! It moves like a movie, with fast paced scenes and the variety of locations created by Tim Hatley’s set. 

Sweeney Todd the Musical: Theatre Review

The classic musical Sweeney Todd which was recently turned into a Hollywood movie starring Johnny Deep and Helena Bonham Carter in 2007 was first staged on Broadway in 1979 and closed the following year earning itself Nine Tony Award nominations, winning eight of them including Best Musical. The show transferred to London in 1980 closing later that year; despite the mixed reviews the show won Best Musical at the Olivier Awards. The show has since then had multiple revivals on Broadway in 1989 and 2005 and in London in 1993, 2004 and the most recent Chichester Production which transferred to the West End in March 2012.

The show recieved positive reviews from critics and was labelled a must see by everyone who saw it, so it was only right that the production made its way over to London so West End audiences could experience it. The score by Stephen Sondheim is intelligent and interesting, his lyrics are very powerful and every song was a moving moment for all characters. However I can't help but feel a few of the songs were a bit much to take in a at times, I zoned out in a few of them and was thinking about what I was going to have for dinner the next day. But they were delivered brilliantly by the cast and were modernised greatly in this production while still keeping the original essence that Sondheim intended to have.