COMING HOME: Jay Perry, soon to return to his roles in Hamilton at the Victoria Palace 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! 

You may know him as a West End superstar, but here at Pocket, we remember Jay Perry from the absolute legendary pop group, S Club Juniors! Jay was a part of the group as a child but has gone on to have a wonderful career in theatre. Before the theatres shut he had been in the London production of the smash-hit Broadway musical Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre.  

Jay is a stand by in Hamilton, covering the roles of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Marquis De Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. He made his debut performance in the production at the beginning of 2020 and unfortunately didn’t have a long run until theatres all over the country closed their doors. Talking to Jay about what he is looking forward to when getting back to the West End, he says “I'm excited for the connection I get between being on stage performing and the audience receiving the performance, I love that buzz and the twinkle in the eye that you catch. The service we offer people is really magical.” 

COMING HOME: Aisha Jawando, soon to return to the starring role in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych 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! 

If you haven’t heard of her already, you will very soon. Aisha Jawando will be starring in the title role in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre when it reopens on the 28th July 2021. Aisha has been playing the lead role of Tina since October 2019 but before that was the alternate to the role. Prior to this, she was part of the original West End company playing the role of Tina's sister, Alline Bullock. Tina Turner is a producer herself on the show so not only does Aisha have the pressure of winning over audiences (she already has, she is wonderful in the part!). She has to also get approval from the boss lady herself. When asked about Aisha, Tina Turner said “It has been special to watch her journey with us and see the development of her extraordinary talent.”  

Prior to performing in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, Aisha played the title role in Cinderella at the Hackney Empire, played Pilar in Legally Blonde for the Curve in Monaco, played Carmen in The Life at the Southwark Playhouse, was featured in the original casts of both Motown and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical in the West End, was a Swing and understudied Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, played an Ikette in Soul Sister on tour around the UK and at the Savoy Theatre, was in the ensemble of the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and was in the original London cast of Fela! at the National Theatre. 

COMING HOME: Laura Pick, soon to return to the role of Elphaba in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria 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! 

Wicked is one of the biggest musical theatre hits of the 21st century so far. With productions all over the world, an 18 year run on Broadway plus almost 15 years in the West End, it’s safe to say Wicked is a modern musical theatre staple. The lead roles of Glinda and Elphaba have made stars of those who have played them. Some of the wonderful ladies to have played these roles here in the UK are now some of the top musical theatre performers we have; Kerry Ellis, Rachel Tucker, Alice Fearn, Louise Dearman, Diane Pilkington & Gina Beck to name just a few - Laura Pick is now following in their footsteps. 

Laura started in the show as the standby to Elphaba. She covered Alice Fearn (now starring in the London production of Come From Away) and Nikki Bentley (soon to be starring in Joseph at the Glastonbury Abbey) before taking over as the principal role at the beginning of 2020. After a short run as the full-time lead, her new Elphaba journey was cut short due to the theatres closing. Laura will be returning to play the most famous green girl in London when it reopens on the 15th of September 2021. A year and a half after having last played the role, Laura says she cannot wait to be reunited with the cast, telling us how much she is looking forward to sharing this show with audiences once again; “I can’t wait to be able to tell this beautiful story again, it continues to be relevant and I want to connect with the wonderful audiences that we always get at the Apollo Victoria.” 

COMING HOME: Emma Mullen, about to star in Mamma Mia at the Novello 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! 

In April of this year, MAMMA MIA! Hit the big ’21’. Opening at the Prince Edward Theatre in 1999 and later moving to the Prince of Wales Theatre, the current home of the show is the Novello Theatre in which the show will return to the West End and re-open its doors on the 25th August 2021. The show is currently the 7th longest-running show ever in London, and the West End wouldn’t feel right without it. 

Emma Mullen was playing the role of Sophie Sheridan in the UK touring production of the show and will open in the London production when it returns. She found out in March last year she would be making her West End debut in the show in June 2020 and a week later, all theatres across the UK closed their doors due to the pandemic. Almost a year on from her cancelled West End debut, she is preparing to finally get the chance to do it! 

When will the West End re-open?

In these very strange and uncertain times, we have been lucky enough to have performers, creators, theatres and producers up and down the country providing everything they can to entertain the public from their homes. Over Christmas, we saw a huge step forward, with numerous West End venues opening and Pantomimes all over the UK being announced. Unfortunately, all of these have now come to a close. But we must look to the future, here you'll find all the information you'll need about when and where these shows are opening in the West End. Of course, these may change but these dates really give us something to look forward to. I for one cannot wait to be back in a dark auditorium in the theatrical heart of the world! 

& Juliet

Re-opening at the Shaftsbury Theatre from the 24th September 2021. 

Back to the Future

Due to open at the Adelphi Theatre on the 20th August 2021. 

The Book of Mormon

Taking bookings from the 12th July 2021 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella

Taking online bookings from the 25th June 2021 at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

Come From Away

Performances at the Phoenix Theatre are suspended until the 18th June 2021, online booking from 21st June 2021. 

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. 

Theatre Tickets: Every West End shows top and lowest price ticket!

Theatre has been critiqued a lot over the past few years at how expensive the tickets are so we thought we'd take a look at the official box offices and compare their highest price ticket to the lowest. What can you get for your money in the West End? Lets find out!

To make it fair, we looked at the same date (August 17th 2019, 7.30pm) for every show and have compared the most expensive seat available to the cheapest available for this day. 

Hamilton tops and bottoms both our lists, its the most expensive theatre ticket in London at £250 and has the most expensive cheapest ticket which comes in at £100. If you are on the UK minimum wage (£8.21, for someone 25 and over) you would have to work about 30 hours to afford a premium seat. A family of 4 would cost £1,000, equal to about 122 hours of work on minimum wage. 

The Lion King closely follows as one of the most expensive at £228.50 followed by Wicked and The Book of Mormon at just over £202 each. 

If we look at the cheapest seats available through official box offices School of Rock, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Only Fools and Horses are all priced at £15 closely followed The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ and Six at £19.50. 

For £20 (Almost 2 and a half hours work on the national minimum wage) you can see Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Lion King, Fiddler on the Roof, Matilda and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

This article was written in July 2019. Ticket prices may have changed or altered since our research. 

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: The Simon and Garfunkel story at the Lyric Theatre, London

Simon and Garfunkel’s 5thalbum together “Bridge over troubled water” was the biggest selling album of 1970, 1971 and 1972 and at the time the biggest selling album of all time. Its iconic title song was written by Paul Simon about their failing relationship and sung mainly by Art Garfunkel. The folk rock duo split up shortly afterwards. The Simon and Garfunkel Story could have illuminated the audience on how their relationship developed and the causes of the breakdown in their friendship. Instead Dean Elliot (Director/writer) and Preece Kilick (CSM/Director) give us a straight chronological concert presentation of their music with the actors out of character narration of the linking minimal biography.

For a Simon and Garfunkel fan, who knows their music, it is a faithful well executed tribute show and a chance to hear the less well known album tracks performed live. The strong backing band of Adam Smith (guitar/organ), Leon Caulfield (bass) and Mat Swales (drums), augmented by a three piece brass ensemble in the second half, provide a powerful backing to the duo and particularly excel in the musical interlude which covers the singers solo work between 1971 and 1981.Sadly at times they seemed to drown out the vocals of the duo and so in the unfamiliar songs it was sometimes hard to catch the lyrics. 

Things you might not have know about theatre...

The largest West End Theatre is the London Palladium, which has a capacity of 2,286!

The entirety of the 432-capacity Fortune Theatre would fit on the giant stage area of the Dominion Theatre. 

The Dominion Theatre is the site of the Great Beer Flood, a tragedy in 1814 which claimed 8 lives after 570 tons of beer crashed through the wall of a nearby brewery and flooded the area. 

In the final week of 2016, more than 439,000 people attended West End Shows, setting a new weekly attendance record. 

A record number of people attended West End shows in 2016, with an average of 801 people per show, the highest since figures were first taken. 

Under the pseudonym Doctor Spin, Andrew Lloyd Webber released a top 10 single in 1992 called "Tetris".

From stage to screen | Live Theatre Broadcasts

When West End theatre is good it sells out. You will struggle to get tickets for the extraordinary “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at Palace Theatre in the next 12 months or for the Broadway transfer “Hamilton” which opened late last year. Equally it is extraordinary that Tom Hiddleston's “Hamlet” directed by Ken Branagh at RADA's 160 seat theatre as a fund raiser for the academy should have such limited chance to raise funds which could have subsidised places for those who might not otherwise attend the academy. Yet technology does now allow such shows to reach a wider audience not just in UK but around the world.

Anyone who saw Billie Piper's brilliant performance in “Yerma” this year, broadcast live from the Young Vic, can confirm that the cinema not only allows access to otherwise sold out shows but while retaining the essential theatricality of the production, also adds to the overall enjoyment with exclusive content & dramatic close ups that the theatre audience themselves might miss. 

Ever since I saw Zoe Wanamaker with tears running down her face as the camera zoomed around the front of the Olivier stage during a production of the “Cherry Orchard” live at a cinema near my home, I've been sold on the new medium. With James Corden in “One Man, Two Governors”, the cinema audience went backstage in the interval to see unique action with the drenched audience member from the end of Act 1 in dispute with the cast. It added to the show and captured the brilliant farce for a wider audience.

Pocket Size Picks: Our Favourite Theatre Websites!

Stage Faves 

This fairly recent creation is such a good resource for the modern day theatre fan; a huge database of performers, shows and theatres makes searching and fan girling so much easier! Put this one in your favourite tabs, its a must have! 

Seat Plan 

We are a huge fan of this website, it makes buying tickets so much easier! Not sure whether the price your paying for a ticket is worth it? Are you thinking that the cheapness/expensiveness of the ticket you're purchasing is legitimate? Log onto this website and you'll see your exact view from your seat. We don't know what we'd do without this! 

REVIEW: The Woman in Black at The Fortune Theatre, London

*** NO SPOILERS ***

To celebrate National Ghost Hunting Day, Raw PR invited a host of writers and bloggers to attend a special evening of ghostly fun at The Woman In Black at The Fortune Theatre in the heart of London’s West End. Seating only 432 people, it’s one of the smallest theatres in town, especially when you consider how dwarfed they are by their neighbour is the gargantuan Theatre Royal on Drury Lane which seats 2,196 people. The Fortune is a close and intimate theatre - perfect for a spooky evening of storytelling...

Learning of the tales of paranormal history within the theatre set the mood for the evening. We learned of hauntings and presences seen and felt in different areas of the theatre - onstage, back-stage and in the audience (beware if you ever sit in seat F17 of the Royal Circle in early November…!) The anticipation (and nerves) were amped up to eleven and then the show began.

REVIEW: The Convert at the Gate Theatre

Assimilation: “the absorption and integration of people, ideas, or culture into a wider society or culture.”

Conversion: “the fact of changing one's religion or beliefs or the action of persuading someone else to change theirs.”

These two words come into play in The Convert, written by Danai Gurira, directed by Christopher Haydon and playing at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill until 11 February. We are in Rhodesia, in today’s Zimbabwe, in 1896, then under British colonial rule.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: The Eulogy of Toby Peach, Underbelly

When he was 20 years old, roughly two and a half thousand days ago, Toby Peach was diagnosed with cancer. Now in remission for the fourth year, his self-delivered eulogy is the story of his life, how he fought cancer twice and how he lived to tell the tale.

It’s a superb solo show, written with care, emotion and strangely bags of wit and energy. We laugh throughout and then are left icy cold when Peach’s storytelling demands it. 

Scenes set in the Cancer Club depict cancer as a sleazy but alluring character, mixing cocktails for the audience and making Toby feel special at his inclusion in the club. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Tether, Underbelly

Focusing on one man’s desire to win Gold, Tether tells the story of athlete Mark who unwillingly becomes a guide for blind marathon runner Becky.

Proud and egotistical, Mark is far from the warm heart needed to support prickly Becky and the two quickly lock horns as a power battle ensues. Over time, the two find a common ground and Mark spies opportunity in supporting Becky to fulfil his quest for medal validation. 

Writer Isley Lynn has clearly done extensive research into the sport and has dug deep into the world of Paralympic athletes and in doing so, has created an authentic and honest script. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Bruce, Underbelly

Who knew a block of yellow sponge could be so engaging?!

Bruce is a simple but compelling story of love, action and adventure displaying some wicked storytelling and performed by The Last Great Haunt.

Just two performers, one puppet and a few change of eyes is all that is needed to bring this rich and colourful tale to life which whizzes by leaving the audience desperate for more.

Uplifting, laugh out loud funny and immensely warm, the success of this piece is its simplicity. Amazing vocal skills and strong physical performances make Bruce seem incredibly human this show is by far one of the most feel-good in Edinburgh.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Brute, Underbelly

Based on true events, Brute follows the life of Poppy; a 14 year old school girl who has just begun studying at an all-girls school.

Unable to do right from wrong, Poppy makes friends, breaks them, daren’t be too clever, too stupid, too fat nor to thin and Izzy Tennyson morphs herself into the character with terrifying ease.

The opening scenes are a strong vehicle for Tennyson’s talents as a performer and writer, but this strength isn’t maintained throughout, with the production becoming repetitive and the character becoming too Vicky Pollard to sustain the audiences early interest. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Ross & Rachel, Assembly Box

A dark and moving play, Ross and Rachel trials the highs and lows of modern love and a woman’s struggle to forge an identity outside of her relationship status.

Not at all comical or frivolous like the title may suggest, James Fritz’ play is told by just one performer, Molly Vevers, who shines in this production. Blending effortlessly between the husband and wife of this story, she is a captivating and emotional performer who is utterly magical in this tight and tense play.

Simply staged in the Assembly Box venue, the audience are taken on her roller-coaster journey as she attempts to be a good wife, support her dying husband and suppress feelings for “Daniel”.

REVIEW: Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre

There is a huge hype around this show (which is closing in February 2016) and we here at Pocket Size Theatre hadn’t gotten the chance to see it yet, until we were invited by the new theatre ticketing app TodayTix. Click here for a £10 voucher for the app!

The show is stunning, I wasn’t expecting to be so impressed with it but it had so much heart and passion within it. A modern adaptation of the Opera Madame Butterfly, the story is epic. It pulls you in a doesn’t let go until the curtain falls at the end.