REVIEW: SCARY BIKERS (Trafalgar Studios) ★★★★
When former teacher Carol (Jane Thornton) suffers the loss of her husband, Rob, she’s in pieces. Finding it hard to move on from the pain that his brain tumour caused, and crying every day, months after his death, she crosses paths with retired miner Don (John Godber OBE). Don’s recently said goodbye to his wife, […]
REVIEW: MICHAEL STARRING BEN (London Palladium) ★★★★
The King of Pop was kept well and truly alive at the London Palladium on Saturday. Ben Bowman, the UK’s leading Michael Jackson tribute act, lit up the West End stage with his powerful and accurate renditions of MJ’s classics. Bowman grew up in the Isle of Sheppey, and was first drawn to Jackson aged […]
REVIEW: GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (Milton Keynes Theatre) ★★
The world of selling is a brutal one. It’s fast-paced and competitive. Not everyone is cut out for it. In Glengarry Glen Ross, salesmen of the 1980’s come under the microscope. Each month the top salesman wins a Cadillac. But the boss has a new idea… if you’re not in the top three? You’re out. […]
REVIEW: CLUB TROPICANA (New Victoria Theatre) ★★★★
A Guilty Pleasure….. Being of a certain age, Club Tropicana is everything you expect a Musical of the 80’s to be, It is big, bold and boisterous and so over the top it could compared to Alexis Carrington-Colby’s Shoulder Pads. The show centres on the antics and capers of both guests and staff alike, at […]
REVIEW: JEKYLL AND HYDE (Bridewell Theatre) ★★★
Jekyll and Hyde is one of the defining stories of the gothic genre, exploring the concept of duality set against the backdrop of Victorian London. Opening on Broadway in 1997, the musical is loosely based on the novel, with characters and love triangles being introduced for the musical adaptation. Centre Stage London has created an […]
REVIEW: HAIR THE MUSICAL (New Wimbledon Theatre) ★★★★★
Years before Dear Even Hansen, American Idiot, Rent and Six spoke to a generation, Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical was unleashed upon the world. This musical, with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, is a creature of 1960s counter culture and sexual revolution. When Hair premiered […]
REVIEW: Oliver with a Twist (Leicester Square Theatre) ★★★★
Oliver with a Twist may well be the most horrendous literary adaptation of all time but it also somehow manages to be the most fun nights I’ve had at a theatre…. ever. Brought to the Leicester Square Theatre by “Shitfaced Showtime”, Oliver with a Twist is the latest instalment to bring a classic literary tale […]
REVIEW: WISE CHILDREN (Richmond Theatre) ★★★★
Emma Rice is taking to the stage for the first time, as ‘Nora’ in her own stunning production of Wise Children. The show is coming to the end of its nationwide tour, following a successful run at the Old Vic in London. Joined-at-the-hip twins Nora and Dora are preparing to celebrate their 75th birthday, after […]
REVIEW: THE MAGIC FLUTE (Milton Keynes Theatre) ★★★
Having only ever seen The Magic Flute – or die Zauberflöte – in German, I was excited to see it English, to see how it translates. Unfortunately, the Welsh National Opera (WNO) production wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. Tamino (Ben Johnson) is confronted by a monster; he passes out but is saved by […]
REVIEW: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (Original London Cast Recording)
I’ve not gotten around to seeing Tina – The Tina Turner Musical in London’s West End yet, mainly because it seems to be selling very well and reasonably priced tickets are hard to come by but after hearing the Original Cast Recording (out digitally today and on CD this spring), I’m going to sell my […]