REVIEW: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Gielgud Theatre)
I love Aaron Sorkin. That’s probably an inappropriate opening to a review of an adaptation of his. Nevertheless, ‘The West Wing’ changed my life, I love Aaron Sorkin, and I feel I should disclose this before proceeding. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a modern classic. Most children in the western world read or study it […]
REVIEW: JUNGLE RUMBLE (Fortune Theatre)
Jungle Rumble, played a sold out run this half term at The Fortune Theatre in the West End and I took my little three-year-old friend along to check it out. In this family show, we meet ancient elephant Eeli (Sharon Ballard), shy zebra Zella (Rachel Lea-Gray), joketastic Cheetah (Darren Hart) and cheeky monkey Boo (Michael […]
REVIEW: THE ADDAMS FAMILY (New Wimbledon Theatre)
Everyone’s favourite kooky family are back in The Addams Family musical! Based on the original single-panel gag cartoons, The Addams Family has music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show opened on Broadway in 2010 just blocks away from the Addams Family mansion located in Central […]
REVIEW: BLOOD BROTHERS (New Wimbledon Theatre)
Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers ran in the West End for an impressive 27 years, amassing over 10,000 performances. Winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1983, the show has since developed a cult following and travelled the world from Broadway to New Zealand (where I saw it first). Affectionately christened the ‘Standing Ovation […]
REVIEW: HAIRSPRAY (Churchill Theatre Bromley)
Based on the 1998 film starring Rikki Lake, Hairspray first hit the Broadway stage as a musical in 2002 before making its way to the West End in 2007. Last year it enjoyed a successful return to London at the Coliseum, starring Michael Ball and this week, a UK tour is playing at the Churchill […]
REVIEW: Dr Semmelweis (Bristol Old Vic)
There’s an added poignancy in watching Stephen Brown and Sir Mark Rylance’s Dr Semmelweis as theatregoers emerge from the recent round of Coronavirus restrictions – a play that charts the discovery of modern infection control. What is accepted knowledge today – namely the existence of bacteria and the importance of hand washing in preventing infection […]
REVIEW: BAT OUT OF HELL (New Wimbledon Theatre)
When you think of Meatloaf, you probably don’t automatically think of musical theatre. And yet, Meatloaf is just one artist whose songs have been further immortalised on stage. Whether or not they should is another matter… The story of Bat out of Hell is weak. Similar to We Will Rock You, it struggles to create […]
REVIEW: KERRY ELLIS – BUMPKIN TO BROADWAY
Ask any theatre fan to list modern-day leading ladies, and internationally celebrated West End and Broadway performer Kerry Ellis would undoubtedly come up. Starting out in My Fair Lady as the understudy to Martine McCutcheon (who played Eliza Doolittle), Kerry was making headlines from the beginning of her career, having to perform the lead role […]
REVIEW: PANTOLAND AT THE PALLADIUM (London Palladium)
More of a variety show than a pantomime, this year’s spectacular Christmas show at the iconic Palladium in London takes things back to its roots, paying homage to the history of the building – with references to those who have graced the stage over the years, and posters from previous Christmas shows dotted around. Hosted […]
REVIEW: BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
The smash-hit, Broadway, cheerleading musical, Bring It On backflips into the UK. Inspired by the film of the same name, Bring It On The Musical is written by Tony Award winners Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and lyricist Amanda Green (High Fidelity). Packed with a vibrant team of […]
