REVIEW: The Last Five Years at the Southwark Playhouse

The Last Five Years at the Southwark Playhouse received rave reviews with numerous 5-star ratings flying around, with the Southwark Playhouse being a breeding ground for incredible revivals there was no doubt in my mind that this one would live up to the reviews it received, and it certainly did! 

Following a couple, Cathy and Jamie, we watch the journey of their relationship unfold on stage but in a very unique way. Cathy's side of the story is told backwards and Jamie tells his from beginning to end. Similar to that of Merrily We Roll along, of which I personally am not a fan of, this form of storytelling is used wonderfully in this piece. 

Only familiar with a couple of the songs (bad musical theatre fan!), I was really interested in seeing this piece in its entirety. The use of Cathy's story being told backwards was such a powerful tool in the storytelling, as it unfolds you understand the pain and hurt but also, as they’re told separately, begin to form your own opinion of what you’re seeing. 

Being a huge fan of Jonathan O’Boyle, his work on this musical certainly does not disappoint. There is so much in this piece that is so thorough and detailed that this review could easily be a 27-page analysis. But I won’t bore you, all I have to say is see it for yourself. 

REVIEW: Buyer and Cellar at Above the Stag

Originally performed by Michael Urie, Buyer and Cellar premiered in the US in 2013. Written by Jonathan Tolins, the show is told by Alex More, a struggling actor, in a one-man play. More tells us about the story of when he got a job working in Barbra Streisand’s basement that she has transformed into an idyllic shopping mall to house the spare possessions she has collected over the years. His story splits between his interactions with Babs herself, her husband James Brolin, Streisand’s housekeeper and his own boyfriend. 

 

Buyer and Cellar was meant to play its run in March at Above the Stag, but due to the global pandemic it just missed its press night. So it is the natural choice for the theatre to make its come back with! In terms of the measures the theatre have adapted to ensure its patrons safety, its been pretty well looked after. Social distancing was very thorough and with drinks being delivered to your seats they really have gone the extra mile to not only ensure everyone's safety is top of the list but also your comfort. In this fairly new building, its a very comfortable and spacious venue which is perfect for adapting to the measures for everyone's well keeping. 

Starring Aaron Sidwell who people may know best from Eastenders but is no stranger to the stage with numerous musical, play and Shakespeare credits, he brings to life Alex and all his counterparts with such an effortless flare. His character switches were by no means impressions or caricatures but his physical changes and slight vocal shifts define each and every person well enough for us to become familiar with them all. As a one-man play, the whole thing rides on him and he really does pull it off, making the hour and a half performance fly by. 

REVIEW: Sleepless: A Musical Romance at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Based on the original screenplay ‘Sleepless in Seattle, a film I have not seen (don’t come for me), this musical adaptation just doesn’t work. We have no need for it in our modern-day society. This may be an ok story to switch on in an evening whilst cooking dinner but as a theatrical experience in 2020, it just doesn’t do anything for us. The romance of the story is lost completely in the production and it doesn’t allow us to escape from our reality enough to forgive that. 

Michael Burdette (Book Writer), Robert Scott (Composer) and Brendan Cull (Lyrics) are the creative team behind the piece, unfortunately, this particular show just doesn’t click into place. The comedy and romance is missed and the music just doesn’t do what we need it to do.  

This show doesn’t have a style, it’s not sure if it’s in the modern era of music with a pop theme, if it’s a more classical musical theatre sound or a Sondheim feel in the score. It's confusing and unfortunately none of it is memorable. Most shows have at least one or two numbers that are staples and you remember walking out of the theatre but this one doesn’t have that, the songs just all mix together into one.  

REVIEW: Fanny and Stella at The Garden Theatre at The Eagle

This is my first trip to the theatre since everything shut down in March and what a pleasant experience it was. My first time visiting the Eagle in Vauxhall and I was greeted with politeness and exceptional hospitality by the staff. They are doing everything they can to create a space that is safe but still enjoyable and comfortable for all. The show itself is socially distanced both in the audience and onstage, with a few subtle jokes in the piece addressing it! But to tell you the truth, you wouldn’t even notice. Which is a huge credit to the creators. 

The setting is the beer garden of the pub and whilst this may seem a little weird, its dressed like the best outdoor fringe venue you’ll ever experience. As far as I’m aware, an outdoor venue like this has never been done and this is a prime example of how to do to it well and I hope this opens doors for the future as to what we could possibly see in times to come on the fringe scene. 

Fanny and Stella tells the story of Ernest Boulton and Frederick William Park, they were two young men who, in 1871, were put on trial in London for dressing as women. A new piece by Glenn Chandler and Charles Miller, brought to the stage by Peter Bull for LAMBCO productions and directed by Steven Dexter, this classic Victorian-Vaudeville style musical is truly wonderful and Dexter has done a brilliant job at transforming this pub beer garden into a pretty fringe theatre. With musical staging by Nick Winston, his work is almost like the sprinkles on top of the cake. It adds flair and campness that this piece thrives on. 

REVIEW: The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre

The Prince of Egypt, based on the biblical story, was a hit film in 1998 grossing over $218 Million, making it the most successful non-Disney animation at the time and this new musical version comes into the West End after a handful of productions around the world. This is one of the most exciting productions to come to the West End in a long time; in a time where we see countless revivals, jukebox and 80’s film adaptations, this is a breath of fresh air into our industry. Even though its based on a film, this original concept goes far beyond what we’ve seen before. 

The shows main issue is the Book, similar to that of a pantomime it likes to explain everything we’re seeing rather than let the audience interpret the actions. At times, the book made the acting look pretty bad as its not natural nor does it benefit the story. The cast are incredible talented but all are let down by the stale book. 

Scott Schwartz, the son of writer Stephen Schwartz, directs the show and although the concepts, imagery and staging were interesting the show was based around the Choreography so you start to ask the question of where did the directors job actually start. Saying that, Sean Cheesman’s work on the show was stunning. A mix of contemporary, lyrical and traditional choreography that we’ve never seen on this scale on the West End stage. 

REVIEW: The Wedding Singer at the Wembley Park Theatre

Based on the 1998 hit movie, The Wedding Singer settles down for a couple of weeks in Troubadours Wembley Park Theatre. The Theatre, which was only founded in 2018, is the new building on the theatre scene. It is located in the former Fountain Studios, which housed shows such as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. My first trip to this space and I very impressed, the front of house space creates a more sociable and relaxing environment. The actual auditorium was closer to a cinema layout for this show rather than a theatre; the seats were comfy with drink holders in the seats in front and everybody had enough space. For someone who visits theatres regularly this was a strange but very welcomed change. Also, the staff were friendly and enforced the welcoming and relaxing atmosphere of the space. 

But unfortunately the wonderful venue can’t save this show. 

Robbie (Kevin Clifton), a Wedding Singer, gets dumped by his Fiancée (Erin Bell) on his Wedding Day and has to climb back to normality where he realises the love of his life has right in front of him all along. But she’s engaged to someone else. He flies to Vegas to stop the marriage and everyone lives happily every after. Sounds thrilling, right?

REVIEW: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the original British musical, is still standing strong in the West End. Opening back in 2017 after a hugely successful run in Sheffield, the show launches a UK tour this year alongside a new film adaptation, so it's clear to say this musical is going nowhere! 

Following the story of 16-year-old Jamies New in his quest to become a Drag Queen, he decides to go to prom in a dress however this isn’t received the way he thought it might be. 

The show remains to be one of my personal favourites on the West End; it has heart and passion in it with loads of comedy and lightness to it. It remains tight and fresh as the day it started. 

The show welcomes its new cast in, including the new Jamie, Noah Thomas, who hasn’t even finished drama school yet! He plays the role with a real truthfulness in it, similar to the qualities we saw in original Jamie John Mcrea. He has a naivety and an innocence with confidence that just pulls you in straight away and we really go on the journey with him. It is a finely crafted performance that for any performer, let alone someone still in their third year, is a huge achievement. 

REVIEW: Curtains at the Wyndham's Theatre

Although a well known Broadway show, Curtains hasn’t had much attention in the UK. Whilst its been a favourite of drama schools and the occasional small scale production around the country we haven’t seen a fully mounted production of it, until now. Its been making its way round the country and is making a Christmas pit stop at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the centre of London's West End. 

The show is set in a theatre in Boston where a new musical production of Robin Hood is in previews with hopes to go to Broadway. The show stars a huge film star who turns out to be dreadful and is shortly killed off. The theatre is sectioned off and no one is allowed to leave the building as there is a suspected murderer amongst them. As the show tries to find rehearse its new star theres a couple more killings, a love story and a couple of show rewrites by the detective, we eventually find out who committed the crime.  

REVIEW: Whistle Down the Wind at the Union Theatre

The Union Theatre present their Christmas musical, the 1989 musical version of Whistle Down the Wind (not the Andrew Lloyd Webber one) based on the 1959 novel and 1961 film of the same name.

Cathy, Nan and Charles discover a mysterious man in their barn who they are convinced is Jesus Christ whilst the village is going crazy as there is a convict on the loose. The three children end up bringing all their friends to the barn to meet him whilst all keeping it a secret from the grown ups. In the end their father finds out about the man hiding in the barn and alerts the police however the children team up to form a barricade around the barn to stop the man being arrested, the barn gets set on fire and once distinguished the man has disappeared but there has been a cross painted on the wall. 

The story is all based around the children's belief into something they haven't any proof is true, which could be seen as a metaphor for religion as a whole. They give complete trust to this strange man who could have a dark history. 

REVIEW: The Green Fairy at the Union Theatre

The Green Fairy is a new musical playing at the Union Theatre. It follows Jo and along the course of the show we discover all about Jo, her past and all those issues she’s faced which now have affected her relationship with her daughter. The show uses ‘The Green Fairy’ as a conscious for Jo, although the show has no relation to or doesn’t feature absinthe in any way this is an interesting way for us to follow Jo’s story. 

This piece has a lot of themes; child abandonment, alcoholism, friendship, homosexuality and marriage to name a few. My struggle with the show was that I didn’t really understand which one of these were most important, they were just all thrown in there to add drama but to me the focus wasn’t clear enough. 

Sold on the poster as a ‘Queer Pub Musical’, this isn’t correct. Yes, the piece does feature a lesbian relationship however this is not the centre of the show. And actually, credit to the writer for this, this never comes up as an issue or problem in the story. It is merely falling in love with someone else, rather than realising that the character is gay. But having seen the show, this is not the marketing route to go down as it sets an expectation that it will not fulfil, not in any bad way at all, just in the way that this is not what this show is about. 

REVIEW: He’s Behind You - The Slasher Panto at The Pleasance Theatre

He’s Behind You - The Slasher Panto has been brought to the Pleasance Theatre by PopHorror with some London Drag stars featured in the leading roles 

The show tells us the story of how a mysterious killer (dressed up as Daisy the Cow) is going around killing all of the fairytale characters and the remaining ones must uncover the killer and save the fairytale world. 

What is wonderful about this cast is that the types of drag we see are so inclusive, in a culture where the world is obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Rae this show opens up your eyes to the types of Drag we have available at our finger tips are its glorious. 

REVIEW: Brooklyn at the Greenwich Theatre

Brooklyn follows the story of a group of street performers who come together to play out stories to try and earn an honest wage. In Brooklyn, this play within a play, tells the story of a young orphan singer who uses her talents to hunt down her father. 

This story is really poignant is many ways right now; politically it focuses on the greed for money and power whilst being told by people who are begging for money on the street, which is pretty ironic. And for those of us in the performing arts industry, its an interesting reflection on how we use our talents and what our worth is as performers. It also highlights our need to tell stories, with funding cuts and performing subjects being undermined its an important message about how we as humans need stories like this for so many varied reasons. 

This musical has discovered two stars; Andrew Patrick-Walker (Street Singer) and Emily-Mae (Paradice) both stand out in this show as incredible talents. Patrick-Walker has an insane voice, amongst a cast of incredible talents his voice is especially unique and he has a natural charisma on stage, which works for the part of the Street Singer who acts as the narrator of the story. Emily-Mae has the most powerful voice and in the role of Paradice, demands everyone's attention and brings a bunch of attitude but also has some really tender moments. A brilliant actress and an outstanding vocalist.

REVIEW: Mamma Mia! the Party at the O2

After a hit musical winning the world over and two hugely successful films, Mamma Mia! has extended its franchise yet again with a completely new and original idea, Mamma Mia! The Party. This has come over from very successful run in Stockholm, where it is in its 4th year. 

This takes place at the O2 in North Greenwich, as you walk around the restaurants make sure you keep your eye out as I almost missed it but as you walk through the doors you’re teleported into somewhere that definitely doesn't feel like the corner of the O2! This is a fully rounded experience; within the ticket you get a welcome drink, a four course meal, a show and a disco to finish it off. However don’t forget, this is still a theatre environment so if you purchase other drinks make sure you read the prices first! 

We’ll start with the environment; although this is sold as being transported to a taverna on Skopelos, the Greek island where the first movie was filmed, it doesn’t necessarily feel like this. Instead it feels like being on a huge set, although this is a beautiful setting and nothing has been left out of the design. Designed by Bengt Fröderberg, the attention to detail is fantastic and every single person who walked in was impressed with the extent of it.

REVIEW: Once on this Island at the Southwark Playhouse

After making its Broadway debut in 1990, Once on this Island was revived in 2017 with a Stella cast. Although the production did transfer to the UK in 1994 we have yet to see the Broadway Revival come over to London. But this production, by the British Theatre Academy, is the net best thing.

The British Theatre Academy has been around for almost 30 years, providing accessible professional theatre training to young people from all walks of life. This is the companies 5th year presenting a summer season, this year we’ve had Footloose and My Son Pinocchio. Jr perform at the Southwark playhouse with Once on This Island and Dogfight following. 

Whilst this production does resemble quite a lot of similarities to the 2017 Broadway revival, this adaptation is still fresh and exciting. 

REVIEW: Afterglow at the Southwark Playhouse

Afterglow was only meant to run for an 8 week limited engagement in New York, after having extended numerous times and finally playing for 14 months it finally comes over to London in a newly staged production at the Southwark Playhouse. 

Following the story of married couple Josh and Alex, who are soon to be welcoming a child into their household, we see their open marriage in its bare bones played out on stage with the addition of Darius, a boy who once only came over for a threesome, become a centre part of their relationship. 

What the play asks us is what is a ‘normal’ marriage or relationship? How do we make compromises but still try to remain happy within ourselves and in our partnership? It leaves us with these questions that we, as an audience, leave trying to pick a side and make things right in our heads. 

What is so fantastic about the writing, by S. Asher Gelman, is that we get to really know every single one of the characters and we want them all to come out with a happy ending. The way the play finished is just a brilliant ending, opening it out to us and leaving us with no answer. Its a judgement free piece of work and he is not saying anything is right or wrong but is showing us how people minds work and what people need to survive. 

REVIEW: Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens at the Union Theatre

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens tells the story of lots of different characters who have lived with HIV and have passed away from AIDS. Each character has a quilt square to contribute to the ‘Names Project AIDs Memorial Quilt’ and along the way we get an insight into the characters lives.

This is not a musical, it is not a play, it is not poetry, it is not a song cycle. Its none of these things but all of them at the same time. What every LGTBQ+ piece of theatre has tried to achieve in the past 10 years, this play does with no problems. 

What is stunning and so important about this story is that it is not strictly a LGBTQ+ story, of course there are those elements to it and it is important for this community to have a piece like this, but this particular story calls out to every single person on this earth.

There is a sense of unity within the cast and creatives, everything just slots together like a jigsaw puzzle. The cast have a passion and need to tell this story which means they’re pouring everything they have into this piece. This show is seamless, I’m not sure where everybody’s jobs started or finished which to me says that this was a perfectly assembled team.

REVIEW: Club Tropicana at the New Wimbledon Theatre

This new musical makes its premier on tour around the UK, and its not often we get a new show like this. 

The show follows a couple, Olly and Lorraine, who break up on their wedding day. To cheer them up, their best friends take them on Holiday however all end up in the same hotel. 

At its heart, this is just a fun show. Is it changing the world? No. But it is making it slightly easier to live in when we can shows like this to escape to. This is Mamma Mia for the new ages, packed full with some of the classic tunes that everyone will know with a fresh take on them. 

The show, set in the 80’s, had a fresh and slick feel to it. The writing fitted the genre perfectly but managed to still create full and lovable characters. With the direction and choreography alongside a talented cast the show manages to tick all the boxes that you want when you go to a show like this. 

REVIEW: Hair at the New Wimbledon Theatre

Hair has had a long history both on Broadway and in the West End, with the original productions opening in 1968 and major revivals happening in 2009 and 2010. A revival opened at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester in 2016 with a transfer to the Vaults in 2017 and now the show heads out on tour around the UK in its 50th Anniversary. 

The piece opened with the introduction of Trump being announced as the new president of the United States, an attempt to try and make the connection between then and now with the shows themes and context. However this didn’t really work, the world is so alien to us nowadays that its hard to make the connection between how we protest political and social problems to how it is featured in the show. Although so many of the events are repeating, its hard to relate to because it is just so different from how we lead our lives as a society today.

REVIEW: Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre

A much loved and classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof is once again seen in the West End after having previously been there in 2007 at the Savoy Theatre. A most recent production include a revival at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2017, this production transfers straight from the Menier Chocolate Factory into the Playhouse Theatre. 

Fiddler on the Roof is set in the Russia at the turn of the century; Tevye and his wife are set to wed off their five daughters. Wanting to stick to tradition and go through the match maker to make better lives for themselves, the girls decide to go with their hearts and marry for love overpowering their faith and families traditions. In the end they are driven out by Russian government who want to clear the villages of the Jewish people, leaving them three days to pack up and leave. The families separate not knowing when, or if, they shall see each other again. 

This show seems more relevant than ever, living in all this Brexit mess we must remind ourself of our true values as a country. This group of people are being driven from their homes, not because they’ve done anything wrong, just because they do things a little differently. The character of Tevye also is being pulled in two directions; the traditional side and his beliefs and his families well being and wishes. We see a man, who has been taught that life works in a certain way, changing his mind due to the next generation wanting different things. He talks about how the traditions he lives by were once new, giving us the realisation as an audience that we must uphold our beliefs and embrace them but allow them to move along with the times. We have to come together and embrace each other, we may not understand one another but we are all here on this earth so lets make the most of it. Something a few people in this country and around the world could definitely learn.

REVIEW: Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre

This production, which has recently opened at the Vaudeville Theatre, had its premier at the Globe in August 2018. Moving from the Globe can be difficult due to the nature of the space but it really feels like the company have cut a portion of the theatre and placed it in the heart of the West End.

Following the story of Emilia Bassano, the ‘Dark Lady’ erased form History. A girl from a good background educated and taught to contain herself but has a huge voice needing to be heard underneath. From the tender age of 7 years old we see her grow up into a young woman and head straight through into adult life. An aspiring poet, she couldn’t have her work published because women could only have religious text published into the world. After some clever thinking she, and her students, come up with a way to get around this and start to educate Women throughout London. 

What this play does is wake us up. It shows us how similar our times are to then, with the links made by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (writer) between this time period and modern day we can make the parallels between the two societies. Its amazing how far we’ve come, of course, but its also astonishing how little progress we’ve made in this huge amount of time.