REVIEW: Big at the Dominion Theatre

Based on the 1988 film with Tom Hanks, 12-year-old Josh Baskin (Jamie O’Connor) decides to makes a wish to be ‘big’ on an old Zoltar machine after being humiliated at the carnival. The next morning, he wakes up a fully-grown man (Jay McGuiness) much to the horror of his mother (Wendi Peters) who thinks she’s being robbed. Josh, with the help of his best friend Billy (Jobe Hart), moves to New York and is given a top job in a toy shop by (mildly creepy) business tycoon McMilan (Matthew Kelly). There he meets the serious Marketing Manager, Susan Lawrence (Kimberley Walsh), who swiftly falls for him- unaware of his real age, of course.

Overall, the production is bright, exciting and bursting with youthful energy. However, there are many flaws that cannot be dismissed. The problem with musical adaptations of films is there is little room for originality and any kind of individual flare. The biggest let down of the show was the music by David Shire and lyrics by Richard Maltby. With 27 musical numbers, you would hope that at least one of them would be slightly memorable- this was not the case. The opening song made no impact; it was not catchy or clever and this set the scene for several hours of songs that could have been cut. It all becomes quite monotonous in the first act and made me question whether it would have been better as a play. Even the cast seemed deflated when singing several of them.

FULL CAST announced for EVITA at the Dominion Theatre

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s EVITA returns to London’s West End for a strictly limited season. 

Opening on Tuesday 16 September at the recently refurbished Dominion Theatre, the musical considered by many to be Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s masterwork will play for 55 performances only in the West End, with musical theatre and pop icon Marti Pellow playing Che, extraordinarily talented newcomer Madalena Alberto in the title role and ‘Superstar’ winner Ben Forster as Agustin Magaldi. 

Madalena Alberto | Interview

Madalena has starred as Eva Peron in the UK Tour of EVITA since May 2013, when the production, directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, opened at the New Wimbledon Theatre in London. Her other credits include Fantine in the acclaimed 25th Anniversary production of Les Miserables (UK tour & Barbican Theatre), O2 Arena concert of 'Les Miserables', playing the title role in PIAF at the Curve Theatre, in Leicester, Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde (Union Theatre), Lucy in 'The Threepenny Opera' (Lisbon, 2005), Carmen Diaz in 'Fame' (UK Tour, 2007) and Hunyak in 'Chicago' (Kuala Lumpur, 2007). Madalena was part of the original cast of the West End production of 'Zorro the Musical' (Garrick Theatre, 2008), and she had the chance to play the role of Luisa. In Summer 2009 Madalena played the role of Sam in Christopher Hamilton’s new musical 'Over the Threshold' at the Edinburgh Festival, and then in London; and in the Spring 2011 she played Sonia in GODSPELL at the Union Theatre (London). 

The Bird College spotted you and gave you a scholarship to attend their performing arts school when you were younger. As a 17 year old, was that scary? Having to move away from home to study something you hadn’t initially planned on?

Actually, I was still 16 when The Bird college first saw me and invited me to come to England. So I had a year to think about. Although I’m not that there was much to think about. It was an opportunity I couldn't miss and because it all happened so naturally I didn't have any thoughts of being scared. When I was younger I used to come over to England and do a 5 day Easter dance course. And to me that is what is was, a very long 5 day Easter course.

EVITA will play a limited run at the Dominion Theatre

Evita is to return to the West End this September, starring Marti Pellow as Che and Madalena Alberto in the lead role.

The musical, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, will reopen the multimillion pound refurbished Dominion Theatre with 55 performances from September 16. Press night is on September 22.

Following the closure of We Will Rock You at the venue in May, the theatre has been dark while technical and environmental improvements have been made to the building.

The show is currently touring the UK until July 19, where its run ends at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, before transferring to the Kursaal Oostende venue in Belgium.

We Will Rock You the Musical: Theatre Review

After almost 11 years after it originally opened, We Will Rock You is one of London’s longest running musicals to date. Receiving mostly bad reviews when it first opened back in 2002 it’s proved to be an audience favourite and still rocks the Dominion Theatre night after night. Over the years since its original premier its had loads of productions open all over the world; places include Australia, Japan, Las Vegas, Spain, Germany, Canada, Italy, Norway and plenty of other places with a 10^th Anniversary Arena Tour opening at the end of February. 

We Will Rock You follows the story of Scaramouche and Galileo who are outcasts in a world where clones are produced, music is made by computers and all the GaGa kids watch the same thing and learn the same moves. Meat and Brit (two ‘bohemians’) find Galileo and Scaramouche and take them to the heartbreak hotel but they get found out by Khashoggi who is the right hand man to the leader of the iPlanet, the Killer Queen. In the end they find an electric guitar and find real rock music and save the world.