Hi, my name is Ed but you can call me Wilma
Today marks the fifth anniversary of when the idea of West End Wilma was born and I decided this was the perfect time to tell you all the truth about who I am. Back in 2012, my friend (who calls me Wilma) suggested I start a blog and so I did and I called it […]
SCHOOL OF ROCK: Understudy Joel Montague takes on the role of Dewey Finn
Based on the 2003 film starring Jack Black, SCHOOL OF ROCK is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first rock musical since the 1971 smash hit Jesus Christ Superstar. The show premiered on Broadway in 2015 and made its UK premiere at the New London Theatre in November 2016. David Finn plays the role of Dewey and I […]
Gender swapping at ALADDIN
Based on the 1992 Disney film and featuring a mixture of new music and classic songs, Aladdin tells the story of a down on his luck boy called Aladdin who lives on the streets. When he bumps into a beautiful girl called Jasmine he falls immediately for her, unaware that she is a Princess who […]
KINKY BOOTS – Understudy Craig Thomas takes on the role of Lola
2017 is the year that I plan to do my best to bring understudies to the forefront of theatre. If I can get to see a show when an understudy is performing, then I intend to write about it because it can be a thankless task, for a performer to take on a leading role […]
Stepping out of the lime light
Someone asked me the other day if I was ‘giving it all up’. Retiring from blogging! “Oh no” I said, “I’ve only just begun!” 2017 is full of promise and very exciting things for westendwilma.com. As you might have read before, I’m in the process of writing a book about my life and love of […]
Should West End performers audition for TV talent shows?
Question: What are your thoughts on West End performers appearing on talent shows such as ‘The Voice’ or celebrities starring in musicals. ? Answer: The West End is made up of three types of people: Celebrities: These will put bums on seats and ensure the maximum ticket price can be charged for the show. The trained […]
HAMILTON: The next Harry Potter or a big fuss over nothing?
Back in June 2016 it was announced that the Broadway smash hit musical HAMILTON, which tells the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War, would be making its way over to London in 2017. The show is set to open […]
What a sad world we are living in
I don’t usually share those chain Facebook posts that you seen online all the time. However when I saw the following one yesterday, it was very close to my heart and so I did what it asked and copied and pasted this text in to my Facebook status: “I would just like to put this […]
How ‘premium’ is premium seating at the theatre?
How premium is premium seating at the theatre? A very good question that I was asked recently. Let’s take The Book Of Mormon as an example because yes, it’s one of the priciest shows out there. Premium stalls seats will set you back a whopping £200 EACH! But look to the back of the stalls […]
Should the West End supply free programmes at shows?
Last month I went to the National Theatre to see a production of Peter Pan. On the way in to the auditorium I noticed a leaflet holder on the wall, with cast lists in it, for people to take as they walk in. It gave details of who was performing in the show as well […]