REVIEW: SOMETHING WONDERFUL – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution
Rodgers and Hammerstein are one of the most well known Musical Theatre composers of the twentieth century having written shows like Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound Of Music, in what was considered the golden age of Musical Theatre. Released in April 2018, Something Wonderful, by Todd S. Purdum takes […]
REVIEW: TARTUFFE (Theatre Royal Haymarket) ★★★
Perhaps the most famous and celebrated of all French plays, Tartuffe swoops into the Theatre Royal Haymarket this summer. A production that hauls the play from the 17th century and deposits it into the modern day, mixing together French and English dialogue, this is a reinvention of Molière’s classic. In the verdant hills of Los […]
REVIEW: TriOperas (Peacock Theatre) ★★★
The world premiere of Pamela Tan-Nicholson’s TriOperas comes to the Peacock Theatre in Holborn. The show is subtitled: ‘Turandot, Butterfly, Carmen Reimagined’. Three operas, each with a woman at the centre of the tale: a Chinese warrior-princess, a Japanese Geisha and a Spanish gypsy girl. Each opera has been compressed into 30 minutes, keeping the […]
REVIEW: THE RINK (Southwark Playhouse) ★★★★★
The tenth musical collaboration by the team behind mega-hits Chicago and Cabaret, The Rink first premiered on Broadway in 1984. Even though this original production starred Broadway royalty Liza Minelli and Chita Rivera supported by a young Jason Alexander and future director/choreographer Rob Marshall, the production received mainly negative reviews. However, in the UK The […]
REVIEW: CONFIDENCE (Southwark Playhouse) ★
The old stunt casting debate reared its head again earlier this year when it was announced that Youtuber Tanya Burr had been cast in the revival of Judy Upton‘s Confidence at Southwark Playhouse. But can anyone blame the marketing team from Boundless Theatre, who pride themselves on bringing in a younger new audience? With over […]
REVIEW: PETER PAN (Open Air Theatre) ★★★★★
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is restaging their Olivier-Award nominated Peter Pan until June 15 2018, making it easier than ever to head to the second star on the right and straight on till morning. J.M. Barrie’s muses, the Llewelyn Davies brothers, were cruelly confronted with World War I. Suitably, with 2018 being the end of […]
REVIEW: Katie Piper – What’s In My Head (Duchess Theatre) ★★★★
Katie Piper – What’s In My Head at the Duchess Theatre A glamorous figure walks on to the stage, smiling broadly and waving at the audience, thanking us with genuine appreciation for attending the evening. This is Katie Piper: philanthropist, motivational-speaker, charity-owner, wife, mother – and the survivor of a horrific chemical attack in March […]
REVIEW: HAIRSPRAY (Wycombe Swan) ★★★★
I have always avoided Hairspray the musical. The edgy, hilarious 1988 Jon Walters film was a particular favourite of mine as a teenager and when I heard it had been remade as a musical with John Travolta taking the role made famous by the indescribable Divine, I was horrified. The current touring cast of Hairspray […]
REVIEW: BEAUTIFUL (New Wimbledon Theatre) ★★★
Ever since ‘Jersey Boys’ scored a hit on Broadway (and around the world) in 2005, producers have seen the documentary-style jukebox musical as a surefire path to success. All you need is an artist or group with a great back catalogue, a good creative team and kerr-ching, you’re in the money. From Tina Turner to […]
REVIEW: FROZEN (Broadway Cast Recording)
Back in 2013 a blizzard made its way around the world when a little film called Frozen opened at cinemas and featured the song Let It Go performed by ex Wicked Elphaba Idina Menzel which would go on to become a worldwide hit. So when it was announced that the film would be turned in […]