July 20, 2019

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

Tina Turner is not my genre, and I don’t really know many of her songs, but that didn’t matter. It was great and really very clever to see Tina’s life through her songs - as opposed to a story constructed out of her songs. And oh my goodness, Nkeki Obi-Melewe is outstanding. Her stamina, her power, her muscle tone, her acting, her voice. Wow! How is it that this is her West End debut and she only graduated from theatre school last year.

July 20, 2019

Our Town

I was in this show many years ago at school, and I never really understood it then, especially Act 3. I think that I just about understand it now! I’m not sure how well Thornton Wilder’s play about small town America translates to a British audience, and it is a really really slow burner. I found the first Act almost painful to watch in terms of it’s woodenness and pace, and the stark scenery left my mind wandering.

July 20, 2019

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera house; what could be more perfect? I forget how wonderful ballet is as a performance medium and I find it a lot more accessible than opera. With opera, either you understand the language and story, or you are watching the translated subtitles at the side of the stage and missing the action. With ballet, no words are needed: everything is told through the action and you can just watch and enjoy.

July 20, 2019

The Phantom of the Opera

I never ever get tired for seeing this show. I miscalculated a little though as I thought that this was David Thaxton’s final performance. To be fair to me, it was when I booked the tickets; he just booked in holiday since then! So it was Scott Davies as the Phantom tonight. Anyone who complains about seeing an understudy hasn’t seen Scott Davies because he is phenomenal; I haven’t seen him play the role for a few years, and I’d forgotten just how brilliant he is.

July 20, 2019

The Phantom of the Opera

This show is, and always will be, my favourite. For me, it is the greatest and saddest love story of all time. And I love being able to introduce people to something that means so much to me, and I love it even more when they fall in love with it too. There isn’t much I can say about this show that I haven’t said before - it is phenomenal. However, today was the first time that I have seen David Thaxton and Kellie Mathieson in the leading roles – Mathieson wasn’t performing in January.

July 20, 2019

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I saw this show back in 2017 and it was just as brillIant this time. Clever, funny, sensitive, heartbreaking, thought-provoking - it is quite simply a wonderful piece of theatre. And despite a second viewing I still haven’t worked out the Toby switch!

July 20, 2019

Waitress

For a show where baked goods play a large role, this musical is pretty dark and explores some serious themes: abusive relationships, unwanted pregnancies and marital infidelity. This was somewhat surprising because, not having seen the film and intentionally not reading the synopsis prior to going, I was expecting something much lighter and fluffier! The show explores these themes quite sensitively but, overall, I wasn’t a fan. The music is so unmemorable and there is an element of American caricature in most characters.

July 20, 2019

Fiddler on the Roof

Having found the film version rather inaccessible and confusing as a child, this has never been my favourite musical. However, refrains of ‘If I Were A Rich Man’ are often sung in our house, and I was interested to see how this show transfers to the stage as I’ve never seen a staged production before. Maybe because I’m older and more attuned to subtly and politics, and because Trevor Nunn is a fantastic director, this production at the Menier was not only accessible but also seemed apropos to today’s sociopolitical climate.

July 20, 2019

The Phantom of the Opera

My favourite show of all time, so of course I think that it is brilliant and that everyone should see it. I was particularly excited to see this show again though as I think that David Thaxton, who is playing The Phantom for 6 months, is amazing. I first saw him in a ‘West End Men’ charity concert in Dunstable years ago, and his voice (as was everyone else’s that night!

July 20, 2019

Witness for the Prosecution

The London County Hall is an impressive building in its own right, and a spectacular setting for this production. Very clever thinking to set a courtroom story in a kind of courtroom, as it really helped bring the production to life. As the building itself constitutes the set, very little else is needed, and the minimal additional set, props and lighting only serve to add a bit of colour. The London Country Hall also provided one of the most comfortable seats that I have ever sat in to watch a production - a pity that all theatres can’t have such padded and spacious seats!