Showstopper! The Improvised Musical review
After years of touring various festivals and cities across the UK, the smash-hit spectacular Showstopper! The Improvised Musical has finally come to London for a well-deserved run at the Apollo Theatre. Having already seen the all-singing, all-dancing troupe of improvisers twice before, I was so...
Kinky Boots review
I saw Kinky Boots for the first time almost a year ago in New York. I loved the show back then, which was all kinds of sassy and uplifting but not without its flaws (namely a few dodgy British accents). Seeing the show in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre, I once again loved the show for its...
The Lion King review
Opening in 1999 at the Lyceum Theatre, The Lion King remains one of the longest running musicals on the West End and yet is among the few hits that I have not yet seen. With the memorable music, unique puppetry and vibrant Disney aesthetic, it is easy to understand why this is a sell-out show. So...
McQueen review
Given the rather unfavourable critical response that it received when it opened at the St. James Theatre back in May (when barbs such as “plodding” and “thinly plotted” were thrown at it), James Phillips’s McQueen may seem a somewhat surprising candidate for a West End transfer. However,...
Sinatra review
When Nancy Sinatra has already declared “it’s Frank doing Frank!” on the opening night, thereby granting an official seal of approval to Sinatra: The Man and His Music, there’s a sense that any other kind of response is rendered invalid. Coinciding with the centenary of Ol’ Blue Eyes’...
The Mentalists review
I am UP for a laugh, goodness me this couldn’t be truer these days. I am all about the comic relief. SO when faced with an opportunity to see The Mentalists, self-described as “a comedy by Richard Bean” starring Stephen Merchant and Steffan Rhodri, I was more than eager. Funny yes, but heavy...
Jersey Boys review
There was a reason I hadn’t yet seen Jersey Boys despite having lived in London for as long as the show has been in residence. I like the Four Seasons as much as the next music appreciator but generally speaking I shy away from jukebox musicals if I can help it. However, after finally seeing the...
The Phantom of the Opera review
Phantom of the Opera is one of the longest running shows in the world and one of the best musicals to have ever graced the West End with its presence. As the show ebbs close to its 30th birthday, it is still very much in its prime. I consider Phantom to be a “total” piece of theatre in that...
The Importance Of Being Earnest review
At the Savoy, Sondheim’s lyrics in Gypsy currently remind us that “you gotta get a gimmick” and in order to put Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest on in the West End, that would appear to be most true. Last year saw Lucy Bailey gather a group of older actors to perform the play...
review
“Magic! It’s, actually magic,” you would probably have heard me yelp as I watched the Impossible press launch at the Hospital Club back in June. Luckily for me, I was able to watch up close some breath taking tricks and mingle with some serious sorcerers. With that in mind, I was most excited...
