REVIEW: HAIRSPRAY (London Coliseum)
Hold my chicken and waffles, Hairspray is finally back in London! On Sunday 4 July 2021, the much anticipated return production of Hairspray the Musical at the London Coliseum was forced to halt performances as a member of the production team tested positive for Covid. After “adhering to the strictest of protocols” for 10 days […]
REVIEW: GILES TERRA – Hamilton and Me: An Actor’s Journal
Released at the beginning of this month, Hamilton and Me: An Actors Journal by Giles Terra is a unique inside account which explores everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation production like Hamilton the Musical. Giles, who played Aaron Burr in the original London production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash-hit musical Hamilton, kept a diary of his […]
REVIEW: PIAF (Nottingham Playhouse – livestream)
Pam Gems‘ musical ‘Piaf‘ came to life in 1980, starring a young Imelda Staunton in the title role. Now, forty years later, the production is back at the Nottingham Playhouse, starring Jenna Russell and last night, the show was broadcast live online for one night only. Piaf, abandoned by her mother at birth, was raised […]
REVIEW: SIX THE MUSICAL (Lyric Theatre, London)
Back in August 2017, one of the many things I saw at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was a show called ‘SIX’ – a (loosely based) historic look at Henry VIII’s six wives, written by two young students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Six women, one pop group, but who will be the lead singer? The […]
REVIEW: BE MORE CHILL (Shaftesbury Theatre, London)
After receiving mixed reviews for its pre-broadway try-out-run in 2015, Be More Chill did not secure a transfer to the New York stage. However, after the cast recording was released online, it climbed its way in to the top ten and re-sparked interest from producers. The show opened Off-Broadway where it played for fourteen months […]
REVIEW: STAIRCASE (Southwark Playhouse)
1960s London, in a back-street Barber shop sit Harry and Charlie. Together for twenty years, they bitch and moan to each other, about each other. They are both dealing with life altering situations – Charlie was arrested for cross dressing in public and is waiting to hear if he has to go to court, and […]
REVIEW: MY SON’S A QUEER, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO? (Turbine Theatre)
Rob Madge has been acting since childhood, appearing as a youngster in shows like Les Miserables and Oliver. During lockdown, they discovered a treasure-trove of old VHS tapes from their early years. What became hilariously apparent is that Rob was always destined for the stage, writing scripts, creating costumes and insisting the whole family take […]
REVIEW: THE DISTANCE YOU HAVE COME (Apollo Theatre)
Following a run at the Cockpit Theatre in 2018, The Distance You Have Come – A Song Cycle By Scott Alan opened last night at the Apollo Theatre in London, for the first of two performances. The story takes us through a year in the intertwined lives of six people facing the joy and heartache […]
REVIEW: Alyssa, Memoirs of a Queen (Vaudeville Theatre)
A video montage of drag sensation Alyssa Edwards’ incredibly well documented time spent in the public eye flashes before us in a maelstrom of gorgeous gowns and exaggerated facial expressions. Set to a mashup of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ and Cher’s ‘Woman’s World, the audience is champing at the bit to see her in all her […]
REVIEW: SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL ★★★★★
We all improvise. Whether it’s to keep our children quiet, buy more time at work or reassure ourselves, we all think on our feet. But it’s not easy. Try doing it in rhyme. To music. With an audience… But this is exactly what Showstopper! at the Garrick Theatre does. Each night the team put on […]