REVIEW: Romance Romance at Above the Stag

Romance Romance is a musical in two acts; The first takes place ‘in and around turn-of-the-century Vienna’ focusing on the relationship between Valentin and Alfred, both coming from wealthy backgrounds go in disguise to have an affair with someone from a poorer background but both fool each other and make up stories that in the end they both have to come clean. It turns out, because they both actually come from the same social background, they can be together but because the whole relationship is built on lies, will it work? 

The second act fast forwards to modern day and set in an apartment where two couples are shacking up for the summer in the Hamptons. We see two best friends, Jeremy and Sam, sharing details about their partners, Leonard and Benjamin, and their marriages. Hidden feelings come up and they come clean to each other but will their marriages survive? 

Act one was a true musical farce and the writing reflected this style through and through. The direction and choreography all embraced this style and it was a really enjoyable story to watch unfold, the devises used also really complimented the story and is executed incredibility well. 

REVIEW: 9 to 5 at the Savoy Theatre

9 to 5 originally ran on Broadway 10 years ago with Megan Hilty, Stephanie J Block and Allison Janney in the leading roles. This was followed closely with a UK tour production, similar to the broadway production but with a few tweaks and song changes. What is amazing is that it has taken 10 years for the show to finally make it to the West End, ever since I first heard the cast recording I have been dying to see it come to London, I got my wish and it is running at the Savoy Theatre in a ‘strictly limited season’. 

Inspired by the original 1980 film starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, 9 to 5 tells the story of three work colleagues who find themselves having to conjure up a plan whilst they kidnap their boss and take over the office, running it the way it should be. 

The show is very relevant to whats going on in our world today; equality is a big factor to this show and its portrayed in such a crude way by Franklin Hart, Jr (played by Brian Conley) that it is shocking. Although the issues are important unfortunately the writing doesn't handle them in the best way, it comes across a little too crass when it could be a little more subtle. Franklin often tells random jokes over the course of the show that are sexist and they just feel like they’re in there for show and not for any contribution to the story. 

REVIEW: Six at the Arts Theatre

Having seen this show, and reviewed it (read my original review here), I was very much looking forward to heading back to see this show again and to see how its improved. Since its run at the Arts Theatre back in 2018 it has been on a short tour of the UK and is now back to stay (for the foreseeable future) at the Arts Theatre. 

When you walk into the Arts, both the front of house and the auditorium, you feel a sense of intimacy. Personally, I’d advise you get there early as it gets very busy in the foyer but the team that work there and the charm of the place are really delightful. The space is small but perfect for this piece, any bigger and I think we’d feel a disconnection with the Queens. They really feel like they’re talking directly to you so the intimacy of this theatre really works in their favour. 

Having seen the show before, I can see some changes in the production. Not that I saw any flaws in the show before, but the writing is tighter, choreography is slicker and musically it sounds so much better. With the success of this show, one could say “If its not broke, don’t fix it”, but what I admire about the creatives on this is that they are clearly striving for more than just a good recipe for a show. They are true creators and are striving for excellence. A quality that will go very far in this industry. 

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: Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

Jamie, a 16 year old high school student, has aspirations to become a drag queen and when his School prom comes around he wants to attend it in a dress. This doesn't go down well with some of the students and after his struggles with his family and bullying at school he over comes this and realises what his teacher really means by “keeping it real”, even if she doesn't know it herself. 

Everybody’s talking about Jamie has one of the most important messages being told in theatre right now and for it to be in such a mainstream commercial bracket is incredible, it is so vital for people to witness this story because it could change the way people view and think about young people, their teenage years, sexuality and career aspirations. This show isn’t just an inspiring story about a gay kid becoming who he truly is, it is so much more.

Jamie has recently welcomed many new faces to the company in its first major cast change. 

REVIEW: Leave to Remain at the Lyric Hammersmith

In what you might think is a new show about Brexit, Leave to Remain at the Lyric Hammersmith is actually a “modern love story with music”. The story follows Obi (Tyrone Huntley) as he agrees to marry his boyfriend Alex (Billy Cullum) in a bid to ensure he is able to stay in the UK as his work is relocating and they control his visa. What we learn along the way is that both have secret pasts that they try to hide from one another and families that they bash heads with. 

The components of this production fail to deliver. 

What this show does is set conventions to start with, which we follow and agree to as an audience, but then breaks them. Tyrone sings the majority of the score for a good portion of the beginning, making us think this is an interesting devise which justifies the choice of genre. However when everyone starts to chime in we lose that and realise that this is in fact a poorly written musical with no idea what its trying to be.

REVIEW: Seussical at the Southwark Playhouse

Seussical intertwines many of the most beloved Dr Seuss stories, with characters like Horton the elephant, the who’s and the Cat in the Hat all featuring in the show. 

The story follows Horton as he finds the world of the Who’s on a speck of dust, he must save them and bring them to safety but along the way runs into many problems all whilst being pursued by Gertrude who ends up helping him out. 

The thing that I left wondering was where is this shows audience. It is primarily a children’s show but I’m not too sure if this production allows children to be involved in the right capacity. The space is not very big and, of course, is amazing for children to have this story played within reaching distance of them but at points they lose interest it becomes very obvious to the rest of the theatre. 

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

Tuesday 6th November 2018 marked Everybody’s talking about Jamie’s first Birthday in the West End. After having a sell-out run at the Sheffield Crucible in 2017, its transferred to the Apollo theatre later that year. Since then the show has been broadcast all around the world in cinemas and has recently announced that it has a movie version in the works. 

The show is based on the BBC Three documentary ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’ that aired in 2011. Having not long seen the documentary, the show differs quite a lot from the original story. This, however, is not a bad thing. Theatrical license has allowed them to bring the show into 2018 and add the diversity it needs to bring it into this modern world. 

The show follows 16 year old Jamie New who has a dream of becoming a drag queen. We follow his struggles at school and his longing to go to school prom in a dress and his journey on becoming the performer he has always dreamt of being.

REVIEW: With One Look at the Union Theatre

With One Look’ is Gregory Hazels one man show as his drag character, Vivienne De Vil. The show is set in her living room and as the evening goes on we hear all her stories about her friends (some of the most famous Broadway divas) and Vivienne takes us on a journey to look back at some of the greatest female musical theatre numbers and greats of our time. 

This show is truly a celebration of these fabulous women who have shaped and moulded what it is to be a Broadway star. From Judy Garland to Lea Salonga, we go through a huge repertoire of songs filled with interesting stories about each and every superstar. 

This is every stageys dream, a glamorous drag queen and some of the campest and best musical theatre numbers? You’ve certainly sold me!

As Vivienne De Vil, Gregory Hazel provides stunning vocals and has a presence that would make any Broadway Diva shiver in her stilettos. He knows his character inside out and from the moment Vivienne walks on stage you know you’re in safe hands for the evening.

REVIEW: The Distance You Have Come at the Cockpit Theatre

The Distance You Have come is a song cycle that weaves some of the famous Scott Alan songs into a story line that centres around 6 characters. We all know and love Alans music from his countless cabarets over the years featuring the crème de la crème of the West End and for this production he has pulled together yet again a stunning cast. 

The story line consists of three couples who cross paths; we have two gay couples, one we see blossom and one see we destroyed, and a straight couple in which one of them has moved on and one of them is experiencing major depression. The storyline was too complicated for such a short piece and the lack of book meant we missed a lot of information so had to fill in the blanks ourselves. It was a bit of a mess and to be honest, not interesting in the slightest. 

The cast seemed to be more in the know of the storyline then we were, and this is not a good thing. The audience like to be one step ahead of the characters, not playing catch up because we’ve missed vital information.

REVIEW: Six at the Arts Theatre

I was a little apprehensive coming to see this show, I’m not sure why. Part of me thinks this may be because it’s a fresh, new idea and as theatre going audiences we have seen so many of these be full of flaws and not properly executed. Excuse the pun. However this show proved me wrong. 

The show tells the story of all Six of Henry VIII ex-wives, each having their chance to tell their story and compete to be the leading lady of the show. At its heart it shows us there is more to the story than the rhyme we all learnt in school and with the backdrop of the #MeToo campaign going on its so great to see this show fronted by Six empowered women with a full female band. 

Making a girl band out of some of the most famous Ex-Wives in history is an odd idea and may seem bizarre but it’s ideas like this that make the best and most successful shows. I mean who would have thought a musical about Cats would succeed? 

REVIEW: Fame the Musical at the Palace Theatre, Manchester

After a not so successful production of Fame in 2014, produced by Bill Kenwright, the return of the show was a slight surprise to many in the industry. Selladoor productions haven’t got the best reputation here at pocket, with their productions often slated as cheap and amateurish. However, the bar has been raised with this new production. 

Fame tells the story of a new year beginning at a performing arts school and the challenges they face going through that. Unfortunately, the writing didn’t allow the storylines to really develop very much and a lot of things were skimmed past but the elements that were explored were good and had the audience wrapped around the productions little finger. 

An element that fills me with dread are the two words ‘Actor Musician’. I have seen far too many productions where this is used as a way to avoid spending money and it hasn’t worked but this was very carefully done. Only a few actors play instruments but it’s within the context of the show and showcased the actors amazingly. 

REVIEW: Madagascar at the New Wimbledon Theatre

Selladoor and Hartshorn-Hook Productions brings Madagascar to the stage in a new musical production, touring the UK until next year. 

The show as a whole is very close to the film, which is wonderful for the children who are in love with it, but this also means nothing was fresh or different. The use of puppetry was good, the actual design of the puppets could have used a little more flexibility because the movement wasn’t really animal like, but it was very well directed and executed by the cast

For a children’s show, it was good quality. For a musical, it did not achieve what you expect. The music was good, not particularly catchy but OK for what it was. The high point of the show was the choreography by Fabian Aloise; high energy, slick and very contagious! We all wanted to join in with them. 

REVIEW: The King and I at the London Palladium

Opening in 2015, this revival of the Rogers and Hammerstein's 1951 musical was a hit on Broadway. It won four Tony Awards; including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actress, Best Featured Actress and Best Costume Design. This production comes over to London where is plays at the historic London Palladium. 

Personally I am not a huge fan of Rogers and Hammerstein's work, I find a lot of their work to be dated and not relevant. But this show proved me wrong, it was as relevant as ever with the references to building walls around the country and trying to westernise the culture. It actually was quite shocking to see how our modern political struggles are represented through this period piece written over 60 years ago. 

Through Bartlett Sher and Christopher Gattelli’s visions, this production of The King and I is a true thing of beauty. Its tight and fresh but still has that classical feel to it that we a crave when seeing a Rogers and Hammerstein piece. 

The sets by Michael Yeargan are actually quite simple, of course there is a lavishness to them but in the bases of the design its simplistic and not busy which is just perfect for this piece and it is framed wonderfully by Catherine Zuber’s stunning costume design.

REVIEW: Daisy Pulls it Off at the Charing Cross Theatre

Usually, when I see an invitation to an actor musician show in the inbox I dread answering it due to seeing so many lazy and unfitting productions who try to pull this style off. Within this production it’s stunningly staged and cleverly used by Phyllida Crowley-Smith who is responsible for the musical staging, I just wanted more! There were many moments they laid all their cards on the table and the instruments were bare with the cast on stage; this was beautiful, and the talents of the cast were showcased immensely. However I craved more! So much music was used throughout, but I wanted to see it, it was as if they were teasing us. With the style it’s so much nicer to actually see it rather than it be hid, especially after dangling it in front of us. 

It’s hard to believe this production has been picked up straight from a drama school showcase; yes, it is a young cast but they play it with an energy and maturity that is what we desire when seeing a professionally produced show, which is somewhat lacking in some bigger commercial shows we’re seeing around at the moment. So, to see this enthusiasm is refreshing and fulfils my desire to see people enjoying themselves and playing on stage. 

REVIEW: The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse

The Rink is one of the most famous flops on Broadway, with box office draws Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera you’d think it would run for years but the critics hit hard and it closed after only 204 performances. It didn’t last very long in London either, running only a month. It seems this show doesn’t have much success in large theatres. It isn’t a very commercial show, so I can completely see why but after seeing this revival at the Southwark Playhouse I can tell you with confidence that this piece is musical theatre at its finest. 

Anna is stuck with the left overs of what was once was a thriving Roller Skating Rink, her daughter and husband have left her and she decides to sell the building and move to Florida. On the day she is getting out her daughter comes back, and the audience are taken on a journey to look back at their past to see how we ended up where we are at the beginning. 

Terrence McNally (Book), John Kander (Music) and Fred Edd (Lyrics) have created an intelligent musical and the story telling devises used are filmic but transfer to the stage wonderfully. With Adam Lensons direction we’ve got an intelligent and heart-warming piece that is story telling at its best. 

REVIEW: Strictly Ballroom at the Piccadilly theatre

Based on the 1992 Baz Luhrmann film, Strictly Ballroom comes to the West End after having previously had a run at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. Directed and Choregraphed by one of the most exciting people in the West End at the moment, Drew McOnie. 

Having not really been a fan of McOnies directing work previously (his choreography however, is ground breaking) I was apprehensive about seeing this production, but I had nothing to worry about. It was smooth, slick and sassy! The scene changes may have been a little too much with unnecessary amounts of scenery, but it was done seamlessly and with grace and personality by the cast.

The concept of the show included having a narrator, Wally Strand (played by Will Young), I followed this and bought into it as I think the show justified it however he sang the whole score which was a complete waste of the talents of this incredible cast. Young played it well with charm and humour but overall, I felt a little disappointed that the musical talents of the company weren’t showcased. 

REVIEW: Chicago at the Phoenix Theatre

Chicago still remains to be one of the sexiest shows on the West End. Not surprisingly, this musicals themes seem more relevant today, than ever. The celebrity obsessed culture, media twisting news telling and the American sense of patriotism are very reminiscent of our times. 

Its simplistic style and theatrical devises are cleverly used and are still as fresh as ever in this West End revival. Keeping in the true Bob Fosse style, Ann Reinking brings a fresh take to the musical, still keeping the essence of the original production but bringing a fresh energy with a star cast who ooze everything this musical is supposed to be. 

Leading the band, we had Ian Townsend. Now this band, slapped right bang in the middle of the action, showed us why we love live theatre. It reminded us of the hard work and beauty that goes on behind (or under) the scenes that we usually don’t see. The orchestration of this score in this production was wonderful and I couldn’t take my eyes off this talented bunch of musicians. 

REVIEW: Twang!! at the Union Theatre

If you know anything about musical theatre history, you’ll know that Twang!! is remembered as one of the most expensive and dramatic West End flops to grace the London stage. Having premiered in London in 1965 it has been updated and tweaked by Julian Woolford and its now a stagey hit that speaks to the 2018 audiences. 

Playing at the pocket-sized Union Theatre, this production has a charm and involvement element to it that no other show has. The constant stagey references may be exhausting to some, but we lapped it up! 

Bryan Hodgson is one of the most exciting upcoming directors at the moment, his work on this show brings it into our century and gives a new life to this Lionel Bart flop, but hopefully it’ll have the opposite affect at the Union as it deserves a successful run.

REVIEW: The Country Wife at the Southwark Playhouse

The Southwark Playhouse is one of the most welcoming and stylish theatres in London, it holds so much charm and the work they stage is just what we need in a city of commercial theatre. 

Morphic Graffiti brings a re-imagined production of William Wycherley’s The Country Wife to the large space, reset in the world of the 1920’s and the bright young things it brings some interesting, good and not so good, ideas to the table. 

The plays themes are totally relevant in our society today; with the #MeToo campaign really spreading awareness we are shocked in the attitude of some men but celebrate the free attitudes of the ladies in this piece. It’s a story for women of all eras and that’s where the concept of this piece succeeds. 

However, there is something about this interpretation of the play that just doesn’t sit right, the text doesn’t seem to have been adapted well enough to match the concept and I’m not sure the direction really reflects it much either.