Reader Reviews
(, )
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Oh my life. I am an avid theatre-goer and I have never seen a production as poor in my life! The 2 lead females were stand out performers. But I felt the performances from the rest of the cast were woeful and flat! Marti Pellow was simply pathetic! All he did was walk around the stage and talk with no emotion or variety in his voice. In the sung dialogue, I felt his straining actions just weren't in character at all! I laughed at every single opportunity that was there. I was made to stay until the end of the performance. - Ben Cusick | 24 Mar 11 |
| Sam Smith... opera critic? He seems to not understand that the short bits of musical interlude are 'melodrama' which is how Mozart actualy wrote it. His issue with the 'spoken' dialogue and his comment of being taken out of an operatic experience is absurd. How dare there be an opera with speaking in it... like THE MAGIC FLUTE. Anyhow, the production is far from perfect, but i applaud it's refusal to fall back on stilted operatic gesture, and it's rough round the edges approach creates an energy that is very rare to find in any operatic perfomances. A brilliant stab in the right direction, but i'd love to see this production developed further. With a budget. - Cassox | 25 Jun 10 |
| I must say I absolutly loved the play 'Scouse Potatoes'I don't go to the theatre much butI heard the girls on the radio and thought it sounded good so booked some tickets with my partner. I thought the idea was great and was not expecting the twists at all and I thought the acting was natural in fact I felt sometimes like I was in the Living room of my own home on a Saturday morning hangover. Hats off to these girls I know I will be seeing them again in the future and can't wait to see what they do next.Kerry - Kerry | 05 Jun 09 |
| really very good - tom | 04 Jun 09 |
| - | Of Winston Churchill and Wole Soyinka by Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth. There are interesting developments between Britain and Nigeria in respect of one time British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Nigerian Social Critic Wole Soyinka., Winston Churchill and Wole Soyinka both , won the Nobel prize for Literature. Churchill was a reporter and relatedly Soyinka was an editor .Churchill was a soldier and relatedly Wole Soyinka is a Hunter. Churchill was captured during the Boer war and Wole Soyinka was imprisoned during the Biafran war. Churchill had special interests in bricklaying and painting and relatedly Soyinka has special interests in Architecture and photography .Churchill has been described as egotistical and Soyinka publicity loving .Churchill and Soyinka have both been described as risk takers .Churchill has been described as a war monger and relatedly Soyinka is an exponent of the myth of Ogun the Yoruba god of War . Churchill was an Admiral of the Air and Sea and relatedly Soyinka was Chief road marshal and Head of the Sea Dogs . Churchill has been described as a hard drinker and relatedly Soyinka has been described as a connoisseur of wine . Soyinka comes out as a refined form or a modern version of Churchill. Wole Soyinkas best known work ,Death and the Kings horse man,according to an interview published in the Washington Post(April 27 2006) was fuelled by a confrontation with Sir Winston Churchill . Soyinka informed that he was coming down the stairs at Cambridge"s Churhill College and encountered"this bust of Winston Churchill,the great colonialist" According to the Washington Post, always before when he"d pass the bust,he found himself wanting to topple it with "an accidental push" On this day feeling especiallly irriitated with its presence,his mind suddenly went "from Churchill to colonialism to the colonial experience and to a historical event which I had known for a very long time". He went to his room and in a few days he had written Death and the Kings Horse man which opens on April 1 in the Olivier, National Theatre. - Augustine Togonu-bickersteth | 01 Apr 09 |
| - | Sad news. - Ray | 04 Mar 09 |
| - | You can tell this site is edited by an American - "leader of the free world"? Get over yourself! - SRK | 20 Jan 09 |
| loved this show - chester smyth | 03 Dec 08 |
| A beautiful performance, was very impressed by the lead girl, she was amazing and her voice brought tears to my eyes - Paul Golder | 24 Nov 08 |
| A beautiful performance, was very impressed by the lead girl, she was amazing and her voice brought tears to my eyes - Paul Golder | 24 Nov 08 |
| Hillarious - but for all the wrong reasons. At times it was quite good, but only the odd time..mostly it was a badly put together, seeminly low budget production that looked un-rehearsed. I'd avoid it and not waste 2 hours. - Matthew | 06 Nov 08 |
| Hillarious - but for all the wrong reasons. At times it was quite good, but only the odd time..mostly it was a badly put together, seeminly low budget production that looked un-rehearsed. I'd avoid it and not waste 2 hours. - Matthew | 06 Nov 08 |
| 0 - bryan lawrence | 29 Sep 08 |
| 0 - bryan lawrence | 29 Sep 08 |
| 0 - bryan lawrence | 29 Sep 08 |
| superb dancing! - Ben Turner | 24 Sep 08 |
| I'll admit to not knowing a lot about Flamenco, and the plot line, which became evident soon enough. I do know good dancing and there was some in this show, surrounded by alot of bad dancing. The musicians were really good. But it was ruined by a very poor narrative presented like an old beetnick poem. "The only thing you must do to die is be alive", or something like that could have been ok, but it was presented by someone who must know someone to get the major role she had. Any piece that called for synchronization lacked it totally, making all looking like another month of rehearsal was missed. Some dancers looked like they'd never danced any flamenco or tango or anything Latin before this production. Last of all, this was all confirmed by a lot of empty seats, conversations with others at the intermission, people fleeing at intermission, and the poor level of applause. The largest applause was for the quality, inspired musicians. We should have gone to a Flamenco music concert instead. - London Visitor | 24 Sep 08 |
| This is a stunning play with a superb translation by Christopher Hampton and amazing performances by the entire cast. Tamsin Greig's comic timing is just sublime making every look, word and gesture appear spontaneous and effortless. Utterly masterful. There is not a weak member of the cast, a truly magical set of performances. It was one of my best nights at the theatre. I could have sat through the play again as soon as the curtain came down and the applause subsided. I did not want it to end - although my rib-cage needed the rest from all the laughter. - Barry Honeycombe | 25 Mar 08 |
| Enjoyable but way too long. The programme notes say 2 hours with interval; this seemed reasonable as, at the 2 hour mark, it reaches what felt like a natural end - then continued for over 40 extra minutes. Apart from that, it was worth seeing - Jasper Britton is always good value. - Sycamore Flint | 04 Mar 08 |
| Fantastic production. Really, really great. Matthew Parish, in particular, as Tintin was simply brilliant and the whole cast worked so hard, but made it seem effortless. I want to try and see the show in the West End at least once more before it closes. Let's hope it goes back on tour! Well done to all involved! - Tom | 19 Dec 07 |
| A superb production. This is one of the best ensemble pieces I have seen. The company bursts onto the stage and holds our attention for every moment of the next six hours. In that time, there are countless heart-stopping moments. There are also outstanding performances by Daniel Weyman as the ever optimistic Nicholas, David Dawson as the abused and broken Smike and Zoe Waites as the three women in Nicholas’s life. When I saw this, there was a spontaneous standing ovation: an accolade the company thoroughly deserved. - Mark | 11 Dec 07 |
| All I can say is: GO! - Greg | 10 Dec 07 |
| This is a superb production. The cast inhabit the world of Dickens and bring it to life in heart-stopping detail. Above all, it is a brilliant ensemble piece with every actor contributing wonderfully. The plays received a standing ovation when I saw them and the actors thoroughly deserved that accolade. - Fred | 10 Dec 07 |
| Part One: Brilliant, Wonderful, Excellent! Part Two: Even better, beautifully acted especially by Daniel Weyman who is a real talent but the whole cast are sensational. Very moving! - Joesmith - Joesmith | 10 Dec 07 |
| Its near impossible not to really enjoy this show. Its fast paced, high octane, heartfelt and often very funny. OK, its not got a particularly deep plot, and is hardly groundbreaking in originality. But who cares ? All performances are outstanding - Leanne Jones is a terrific find, and Ben Janmes-Ellis fits the part of Link like a glove. However, great though the junior leads are, its Michael Ball and Mel Smith's duet 'Timeless To Me' which brings the house down. The show is so much fun, and as others have commented, the cast energy levels are without peer. This is destined to run, and run, and run - with some of the cr$p in th west-end right now (LOTR ? Dirty Dancing ?, We Will Rock You ?) Hairspary is a tonic which is definetly needed ! - Richard | 03 Nov 07 |
| I saw the show last night and I thought it was fantastic!! Great tunes, lively and talented cast – especially Fiona Reyes who was great as the narrator. Lee Mead was brilliant! The perfect Joseph – funny, sexy, charming, charismatic and his voice was rich, strong and note perfect. I loved the show – don’t read the negative reviews they are just miserable so and so’s – I was grinning from start to finish – it was great! - Alison | 10 Oct 07 |
| I've seen the show twice now and think it's brilliant. Susan didn't play Sandy last night due to a croaky voice and Siobhan (usually plays Patti) took the lead (told 10 minutes before the show opened). Danny B is absolutely fantastic and what a super dancer. I met him after the show and got his autograph - what a nice young man! Susan was better as the part of Sandy -came across more innocent. The shower scene was funny and the cast overall were great. I would go again. - Sue Morley | 11 Sep 07 |
| Carmen Jones? - David Baxter | 31 Aug 07 |
| Carmen Jones? - David Baxter | 30 Aug 07 |
| Despite the magnificence of the refurbishment, the Festival Hall remains a concert venue and is not really suited to staged musicals / operas. There is no frame for the set or the actors, not helped by the bizarre decision to locate the orchestra in a huge pit in the middle of the stage and the acoustics appear to have barely improved. Of course Carmen Jones is till very much an opera, despite the move to an African-American setting, but this does mean that, although the singing is wonderful, much of the lyrics or libretto are indecipherable (one of the exceptions being the decidedly non-operatic Brenda Edwards). Tsakane Valentine Maswangany sizzles as Carmen Jones, particularly in the first half, but Jude Kelly's pedestrian direction drains all the passion away, reducing the tragic ending to a damp squib. Despite these criticisms it was wonderful to hear Bizet's magnificent score played with such dynamism by the Philharmonia. - David Baxter | 30 Aug 07 |
| Well, I hadn’t been to the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank for some years, so my first impression was that it’s a big space, with a big broad stage. The orchestra was placed right in the middle with the stage built around it. I doubt it’s the first time I’ve seen this sort of layout, but it was sufficiently novel to appear immediately interesting. A broad strip of stage ran along the front of the orchestra, with the main stage raised up a bit behind it, and a third level up high – a balcony or rooftop area, set with washing hanging out to dry, and used to good effect to give an extra (vertical) dimension to the action. The placement of the percussion section up in the corner of the second level of stage added to the, I’m sure deliberate, sense of the orchestra and the dramatic action being closely intertwined. So, it’s ten minutes before the piece is due to start and the orchestra have come on, all in casual clothes of different colours, to fit in with the vibrant costumes of the performers to follow. A woman wanders along the front stage and starts chatting to members of the orchestra. A young boy is with her, and he stands in the conductor’s box, picks up the baton, and starts pretending to conduct the orchestra. For a split second you think, ‘that’s a bit much, the cast members wandering around so informally just before the start of the show’, and then you realise that of course it’s part of the scene-setting. Various characters now wander on – soldiers pacing up and down with rifles, children running around and getting told off by adults, various little scenarios of action going on in the corners. This seems to be the in thing at the moment – the same thing happens in the ‘Car Man’ ballet production I went to see just the other day – but I like it; it’s clever and interesting. As the ladies continue to hand out biscuits to members of the orchestra, the real conductor comes on and claims his baton. He raises his arms and starts conducting the famous overture with gusto, and at quite a pace. I don’t think I’ve every been more excited by hearing the first notes of a piece – it was a wonderful attack, so full of life and energy, and promise for the performance ahead. I think the ensemble really was the star of this production. It was a big cast – at the curtain call I counted 44 performers – and the production was full of things happening and excellent acting throughout. The big chorus numbers, for example with everyone standing in a row at the front, pretending to be behind a cordon, and singing (and acting) straight out to the audience, were a real highlight. The vocal standard of the ensemble was excellent – a wonderfully full operatic sound, and lots of pleasing top notes. There were some extra bits thrown in to add to the overall mix – for example some dance pieces after the interval, and the energetic ‘Beat out that rhythm on a drum’ was extended with a ‘Stomp’-like interlude of percussion and people banging on dustbins, etc. In general, it could be described as a spectacular performance, and certainly didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately, Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi as Carmen did disappoint, in a big way. She looked good, she acted well, but the one thing that a performance of Carmen should centre around is an impressive Carmen voice, and that was lacking. I almost felt sorry for her – she does have a voice, but she just can’t sing the role. It was the worst case I’ve ever heard of an inconsistent voice, with phrases repeatedly falling over a dreadful break in her voice. Higher up she does have a rich, operatic – if plumby – mezzo sound, but below a certain note it becomes a chesty, vibrato-less bellow, with some notes not sounding properly at all, and many coming out woefully flat. She just doesn’t have the range, and you find yourself dreading her arias, because you know she’s going to murder them, and they could be done so much better. Add to this her strange accent, which doesn’t seem to have been ironed out completely, and it’s no wonder that there’s no CD recording of this production on sale in the booths outside. My other complaint about her performance was that, as she frequently walked around and across the stage, she moved with a model’s catwalk strut. I don’t know, maybe that’s the only way a woman who’s that stick thin can walk, but somehow it wasn’t the right kind of cocky provocativeness for Carmen, and seemed false, not to mention tiresome. I think the director should have put a stop to it. (‘No, I don’t want ‘catwalk’! She’s a real, confident, sexy woman in her own environment, not a model posing for a photographer! Make it more natural!’) Also, by the time we got to the end, I thought that Maswanganyi hadn’t succeeded in portraying any subtlety of motivation in the role. This was a black and white interpretation – Carmen came across as all ‘baddy’. Any sense of her having doubts and confusions, or of being driven by a genuine love and need, was completely absent. Even the card song, her chance to show humanity and emotion, was flat. The potentially crass line, ‘I’m gonna keep on living until the day I die’ needs a very special and subtle delivery to make it understandable. We didn’t get it. By contrast, Sherry Boone as Michaela stole the show. Perfectly cast vocally, with the most high, sweet, pure voice imaginable and just right for a Carmen Jones Michaela. Vocally, it was chalk and cheese – here was someone who could really sing! Her rendition of ‘Michaela’s Song’ (‘My Joe’) was breathtakingly moving. She did it with a touch of ‘mad scene’ about it – a distraught woman, hurt and passionate and confused, trying to understand what’s happened and deal with her feelings, appealing to God in a very troubled and disturbing way. The placing of particular words to the music always thrills me in this song, particularly, ‘He’s got himself another woman’, which fits the musical phrase so well, and the strength of the one word, “Remember’, thankfully followed by, ‘You said your arms were mine’, rather than the original but jarring ‘was mine’. I was pleased that my opinion was borne out at the end of the night by Michaela getting far more applause and cheering than Carmen. The other solo voices were also of a better standard. Rodney Clarke as Husky Miller didn’t disappoint, with the sort of deep, strong, rich sound you’d expect from the Toreador, and Andrew Clarke was adequate as Don Jose, though his words could be difficult to make out. Even if the slight catch or break in his voice wasn’t deliberate, it didn’t matter, as it suited the distress and passion of the part. The strength of the secondary soloists definitely added to the overall impressiveness of the production, and the quintet in particular was expertly executed – tight musically, expertly sung and acted, and absolutely gripping in its staging. It was just a shame to have to long for Carmen’s solo interjections to have been supplied by someone with a more impressive and consistent vocal tone. My only other complaint was that once or twice the hubbub from the stage, ie the cast shouting and talking to create atmosphere and set the scene, was so loud that you couldn’t hear the orchestra and so lost a few pretty, quiet bits of music. Overall, though, I thought this was an excellent, competent, well portrayed, quality production, and I’m glad I didn’t miss it. I shall finish with my favourite production ideas: the use of hand-held torches to add to the ‘spotlight’ effect as Husky enters in boxing garb; the ‘slow motion’ boxing match in the background as Don Jose kills Carmen at the front, with the winner’s arm being raised just in time with the final note of the piece; and Carmen, on her first entry, taking a pair of knickers out of her bag and pulling them on – that really tells us the sort of girl we’re dealing with! - Anna Chapman | 16 Aug 07 |
| Well, I hadn’t been to the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank for some years, so my first impression was that it’s a big space, with a big broad stage. The orchestra was placed right in the middle with the stage built around it. I doubt it’s the first time I’ve seen this sort of layout, but it was sufficiently novel to appear immediately interesting. A broad strip of stage ran along the front of the orchestra, with the main stage raised up a bit behind it, and a third level up high – a balcony or rooftop area, set with washing hanging out to dry, and used to good effect to give an extra (vertical) dimension to the action. The placement of the percussion section up in the corner of the second level of stage added to the, I’m sure deliberate, sense of the orchestra and the dramatic action being closely intertwined. So, it’s ten minutes before the piece is due to start and the orchestra have come on, all in casual clothes of different colours, to fit in with the vibrant costumes of the performers to follow. A woman wanders along the front stage and starts chatting to members of the orchestra. A young boy is with her, and he stands in the conductor’s box, picks up the baton, and starts pretending to conduct the orchestra. For a split second you think, ‘that’s a bit much, the cast members wandering around so informally just before the start of the show’, and then you realise that of course it’s part of the scene-setting. Various characters now wander on – soldiers pacing up and down with rifles, children running around and getting told off by adults, various little scenarios of action going on in the corners. This seems to be the in thing at the moment – the same thing happens in the ‘Car Man’ ballet production I went to see just the other day – but I like it; it’s clever and interesting. As the ladies continue to hand out biscuits to members of the orchestra, the real conductor comes on and claims his baton. He raises his arms and starts conducting the famous overture with gusto, and at quite a pace. I don’t think I’ve every been more excited by hearing the first notes of a piece – it was a wonderful attack, so full of life and energy, and promise for the performance ahead. I think the ensemble really was the star of this production. It was a big cast – at the curtain call I counted 44 performers – and the production was full of things happening and excellent acting throughout. The big chorus numbers, for example with everyone standing in a row at the front, pretending to be behind a cordon, and singing (and acting) straight out to the audience, were a real highlight. The vocal standard of the ensemble was excellent – a wonderfully full operatic sound, and lots of pleasing top notes. There were some extra bits thrown in to add to the overall mix – for example some dance pieces after the interval, and the energetic ‘Beat out that rhythm on a drum’ was extended with a ‘Stomp’-like interlude of percussion and people banging on dustbins, etc. In general, it could be described as a spectacular performance, and certainly didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately, Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi as Carmen did disappoint, in a big way. She looked good, she acted well, but the one thing that a performance of Carmen should centre around is an impressive Carmen voice, and that was lacking. I almost felt sorry for her – she does have a voice, but she just can’t sing the role. It was the worst case I’ve ever heard of an inconsistent voice, with phrases repeatedly falling over a dreadful break in her voice. Higher up she does have a rich, operatic – if plumby – mezzo sound, but below a certain note it becomes a chesty, vibrato-less bellow, with some notes not sounding properly at all, and many coming out woefully flat. She just doesn’t have the range, and you find yourself dreading her arias, because you know she’s going to murder them, and they could be done so much better. Add to this her strange accent, which doesn’t seem to have been ironed out completely, and it’s no wonder that there’s no CD recording of this production on sale in the booths outside. My other complaint about her performance was that, as she frequently walked around and across the stage, she moved with a model’s catwalk strut. I don’t know, maybe that’s the only way a woman who’s that stick thin can walk, but somehow it wasn’t the right kind of cocky provocativeness for Carmen, and seemed false, not to mention tiresome. I think the director should have put a stop to it. (‘No, I don’t want ‘catwalk’! She’s a real, confident, sexy woman in her own environment, not a model posing for a photographer! Make it more natural!’) Also, by the time we got to the end, I thought that Maswanganyi hadn’t succeeded in portraying any subtlety of motivation in the role. This was a black and white interpretation – Carmen came across as all ‘baddy’. Any sense of her having doubts and confusions, or of being driven by a genuine love and need, was completely absent. Even the card song, her chance to show humanity and emotion, was flat. The potentially crass line, ‘I’m gonna keep on living until the day I die’ needs a very special and subtle delivery to make it understandable. We didn’t get it. By contrast, Sherry Boone as Michaela stole the show. Perfectly cast vocally, with the most high, sweet, pure voice imaginable and just right for a Carmen Jones Michaela. Vocally, it was chalk and cheese – here was someone who could really sing! Her rendition of ‘Michaela’s Song’ (‘My Joe’) was breathtakingly moving. She did it with a touch of ‘mad scene’ about it – a distraught woman, hurt and passionate and confused, trying to understand what’s happened and deal with her feelings, appealing to God in a very troubled and disturbing way. The placing of particular words to the music always thrills me in this song, particularly, ‘He’s got himself another woman’, which fits the musical phrase so well, and the strength of the one word, “Remember’, thankfully followed by, ‘You said your arms were mine’, rather than the original but jarring ‘was mine’. I was pleased that my opinion was borne out at the end of the night by Michaela getting far more applause and cheering than Carmen. The other solo voices were also of a better standard. Rodney Clarke as Husky Miller didn’t disappoint, with the sort of deep, strong, rich sound you’d expect from the Toreador, and Andrew Clarke was adequate as Don Jose, though his words could be difficult to make out. Even if the slight catch or break in his voice wasn’t deliberate, it didn’t matter, as it suited the distress and passion of the part. The strength of the secondary soloists definitely added to the overall impressiveness of the production, and the quintet in particular was expertly executed – tight musically, expertly sung and acted, and absolutely gripping in its staging. It was just a shame to have to long for Carmen’s solo interjections to have been supplied by someone with a more impressive and consistent vocal tone. My only other complaint was that once or twice the hubbub from the stage, ie the cast shouting and talking to create atmosphere and set the scene, was so loud that you couldn’t hear the orchestra and so lost a few pretty, quiet bits of music. Overall, though, I thought this was an excellent, competent, well portrayed, quality production, and I’m glad I didn’t miss it. I shall finish with my favourite production ideas: the use of hand-held torches to add to the ‘spotlight’ effect as Husky enters in boxing garb; the ‘slow motion’ boxing match in the background as Don Jose kills Carmen at the front, with the winner’s arm being raised just in time with the final note of the piece; and Carmen, on her first entry, taking a pair of knickers out of her bag and pulling them on – that really tells us the sort of girl we’re dealing with! - Anna Chapman | 16 Aug 07 |
| The reviews for this seem rather unfair. Though I'm not sure I see the point of the Latin American 'intrusion', there was much to enjoy - a full symphony orchestra, terrific ensemble, great choeography, the most believable sexiest Carmen ever and the gorgeous singing if the actress playing Cindy. The cast, conductor and orchestra's (!) enthusiasm was infectious and we should be thanking Jude Kelly and Raymond Gubbay for such a good production of a populist piece on the South Bank. - Gareth James | 16 Aug 07 |
| The reviews for this seem rather unfair. Though I'm not sure I see the point of the Latin American 'intrusion', there was much to enjoy - a full symphony orchestra, terrific ensemble, great choeography, the most believable sexiest Carmen ever and the gorgeous singing if the actress playing Cindy. The cast, conductor and orchestra's (!) enthusiasm was infectious and we should be thanking Jude Kelly and Raymond Gubbay for such a good production of a populist piece on the South Bank. - Gareth James | 16 Aug 07 |
| A great evening, musically fantastic with a wonderful cast and the added joy of the LPO in the pit. Superb. - DeborahP | 03 Aug 07 |
| A great evening, musically fantastic with a wonderful cast and the added joy of the LPO in the pit. Superb. - DeborahP | 03 Aug 07 |
| A great evening, musically fantastic with a wonderful cast and the added joy of the LPO in the pit. Superb. - DeborahP | 03 Aug 07 |
| A great evening, musically fantastic with a wonderful cast and the added joy of the LPO in the pit. Superb. - DeborahP | 03 Aug 07 |
| A great evening, musically fantastic with a wonderful cast and the added joy of the LPO in the pit. Superb. - DeborahP | 03 Aug 07 |
| Sorry, but I don't agree. It doesn't work musically. The tenor simply cannot sing. And understanding thje words when speaking was made a quite difficult task because of the acoustics/sound system. - Tino | 01 Aug 07 |
| Fabulous show, well-written and engrossing. Both actors are wonderful, but esp William Beck. Don't miss this one. - bea suppor | 01 Aug 07 |
| Fabulous show, well-written and engrossing. Both actors are wonderful, but esp William Beck. Don't miss this one. - bea suppor | 01 Aug 07 |
| Fabulous show, well-written and engrossing. Both actors are wonderful, but esp William Beck. Don't miss this one. - bea suppor | 01 Aug 07 |
| Despite some sound problems, I found this whole show fantastic. The cast show more emotion in one minute than your average west end show can over 2 hours and Cindy Lou's My Joe was worth the ticket price alone. Surely theatre is about suspending belief and therefore the locations/characterisations did not bother me one bit. True, the stage was so wide, you didn't know where to look at times, but this added to the experience (I thought this often happened in opera anyway). And amongst all the other dross opening in the West End (which are just excuses to attract hen parties and home county coach parties) this is an absolute gem. - Daniel aka Bad Idea Bear | 01 Aug 07 |
| Couldn't disagree with the reviewer more. Wonderful play, brilliantly acted (esp W. Beck.) Don't miss this one before it closes! - Bea Suppor | 01 Aug 07 |
| Couldn't disagree with the reviewer more. Wonderful play, brilliantly acted (esp W. Beck.) Don't miss this one before it closes! - Bea Suppor | 01 Aug 07 |
| Totally disagree with the reviewer. Wonderful play, well-acted (Both actors are brilliant, esp W. Beck.) Make time to see this one before it closes! - Bea Suppor | 01 Aug 07 |
| It's beyond me why an official Whatsonstage reviewer would spend so much time comparing this show and even the actors involved to the films. Whatsonstage, you definately had the wrong guy on the job. - Mitch | 22 Jun 07 |
| Lord of the Rings is not only an astonishing piece of groundbreaking theatre, it is also an enthralling musical journey through a now well known Middle Earth. From when you enter the theatre you are drawn into an epic in every sense of the word. A forest encroaches beyond the proscenium arch into our world and while you take in the beauty of the set, Hobbits appear and are soon gambolling around the audience chatting, chasing fireflies and each other and sharing their apples with people settling into their seats. In bringing the show through the fourth wall Matthew Warchus allows us to appreciate the Hobbits of the Shire and their peaceful existence and the joy of their opening dance number. Contrast this with Orc’s marauding through the aisles eliciting screams of terror from a captivated audience and it is evident that an emotional bond has been developed by using face to face (or fang) theatre. The show is filled with magic through the use of mirrors, misdirection and mist yet even with the illusionists craft these effects never swamp the show. It is the consummate craft of the actors that engages the audience and the heart never beats stronger than when an absolutely glorious and golden Galadriel (Laura Michelle Kelly) descends on ribbons, voice soaring through the souls of every theatregoer; when Sam (Peter Howe) and Frodo (James Loye) battle the Ring, Gollum (Michael Therriault), Shelob and each other, their friendship wins over every time and Arwen (Rosalie Craig) and Aragorn’s (Jerome Pradon) ballads inspire memories of ageless love. This show is heart full and heart felt and the performances benefit vastly from the extended rehearsal and preview period that has created a strong fellowship of seventy actors, dancers, acrobats and musicians obviously bound by their love of the story they are telling. I have seen this show a few times now and several key understudies have already been tested in Stevie Tate-Bauer (Galadriel) and Robbie Scotcher (Aragorn) and both gave outstanding performances, demonstrating the strength and depth the production team has incorporated into this finest of West End companyies and ensuring that audience after audience will be delighted whatever happens. To get to this point Matthew Warchus and his team of creatives have had to think outside a whole box factory of boxes. In adapting what is an epic book and film within the confines of the stage he has hurdled the boundaries of what could be achieved in a theatre; he will undoubtedly inspire a whole new generation of theatre goers (and hopefully creatives) and has achieved a genre defining production epic in every sense. “Unleash your imagination” is the posters advice, to which I will add “Embrace your inner child” and almost in the words of the new King of Men “Praise Matthew with great praise!” and stick those mealy mouthed, one star reviews where the sun doesn’t shine – Mordor. - Geoff Ambler | 21 Jun 07 |
| Lord of the Rings is not only an astonishing piece of groundbreaking theatre, it is also an enthralling musical journey through a now well known Middle Earth. From when you enter the theatre you are drawn into an epic in every sense of the word. A forest encroaches beyond the proscenium arch into our world and while you take in the beauty of the set, Hobbits appear and are soon gambolling around the audience chatting, chasing fireflies and each other and sharing their apples with people settling into their seats. In bringing the show through the fourth wall Matthew Warchus allows us to appreciate the Hobbits of the Shire and their peaceful existence and the joy of their opening dance number. Contrast this with Orc’s marauding through the aisles eliciting screams of terror from a captivated audience and it is evident that an emotional bond has been developed by using face to face (or fang) theatre. The show is filled with magic through the use of mirrors, misdirection and mist yet even with the illusionists craft these effects never swamp the show. It is the consummate craft of the actors that engages the audience and the heart never beats stronger than when an absolutely glorious and golden Galadriel (Laura Michelle Kelly) descends on ribbons, voice soaring through the souls of every theatregoer; when Sam (Peter Howe) and Frodo (James Loye) battle the Ring, Gollum (Michael Therriault), Shelob and each other, their friendship wins over every time and Arwen (Rosalie Craig) and Aragorn’s (Jerome Pradon) ballads inspire memories of ageless love. This show is heart full and heart felt and the performances benefit vastly from the extended rehearsal and preview period that has created a strong fellowship of seventy actors, dancers, acrobats and musicians obviously bound by their love of the story they are telling. I have seen this show a few times now and several key understudies have already been tested in Stevie Tate-Bauer (Galadriel) and Robbie Scotcher (Aragorn) and both gave outstanding performances, demonstrating the strength and depth the production team has incorporated into this finest of West End companyies and ensuring that audience after audience will be delighted whatever happens. To get to this point Matthew Warchus and his team of creatives have had to think outside a whole box factory of boxes. In adapting what is an epic book and film within the confines of the stage he has hurdled the boundaries of what could be achieved in a theatre; he will undoubtedly inspire a whole new generation of theatre goers (and hopefully creatives) and has achieved a genre defining production epic in every sense. “Unleash your imagination” is the posters advice, to which I will add “Embrace your inner child” and almost in the words of the new King of Men “Praise Matthew with great praise!” and stick those mealy mouthed, one star reviews where the sun doesn’t shine – Mordor. - Geoff Ambler | 21 Jun 07 |
| what an immensely negative and loaded critique of what is an incredibly entertaining show. That is all it needs to be surely..entertaining? technically it is amazing. the music is ethereal and not trying to be more than it needs to be and the essence of the story is captured for book fans and newcomers alike to follow. everyone is entitled to their opinion and the opinion of most non-professional critics has been that it's amazing! - Michael John James | 21 Jun 07 |
| what an immensely negative and loaded critique of what is an incredibly entertaining show. That is all it needs to be surely..entertaining? technically it is amazing. the music is ethereal and not trying to be more than it needs to be and the essence of the story is captured for book fans and newcomers alike to follow. everyone is entitled to their opinion and the opinion of most non-professional critics has been that it's amazing! - Michael John James | 21 Jun 07 |
| I thought this was a spectacular production. The set design was out of this world and the music was entrancing. A must see hit! - Rich | 20 Jun 07 |
| I thought this was a spectacular production. The set design was out of this world and the music was entrancing. A must see hit! - Rich | 20 Jun 07 |
| Go for the spectacle, the music is abysmal. - QuincyMD | 20 Jun 07 |
| I would have loved to have given this more than 3 stars, but the negatives weigh down the positives with this show. It truly is an evening of spectacle, effects, design and illusions but it does not have much heart or a feeling of having 'entered in' any type of journey or experience with the actors. My initial reaction to the news that the book trilogy was to be put on stage as a musical in one evening, was that it couldn't be done with justice. After seeing the production I stand by that opinion but do feel that they have done the best possible with such time and scope constraints. Some of the acting is appalling but may well be the direction as opposed to the actors own choices. The portrayal of Gollum is worthy of many awards and I hope that his performance is indeed recognized in this way, he was amazing. Laura Michelle Kelly as Galadriel was enchanting and exquisite. I am not a huge fan of hers but she was pure class on that stage. I would encourage people to see the show, but cannot rave about it - unfortunately. - theatrelady | 20 Jun 07 |
| I would have loved to have given this more than 3 stars, but the negatives weigh down the positives with this show. It truly is an evening of spectacle, effects, design and illusions but it does not have much heart or a feeling of having 'entered in' any type of journey or experience with the actors. My initial reaction to the news that the book trilogy was to be put on stage as a musical in one evening, was that it couldn't be done with justice. After seeing the production I stand by that opinion but do feel that they have done the best possible with such time and scope constraints. Some of the acting is appalling but may well be the direction as opposed to the actors own choices. The portrayal of Gollum is worthy of many awards and I hope that his performance is indeed recognized in this way, he was amazing. Laura Michelle Kelly as Galadriel was enchanting and exquisite. I am not a huge fan of hers but she was pure class on that stage. I would encourage people to see the show, but cannot rave about it - unfortunately. - theatrelady | 20 Jun 07 |
| What a ridiculous review from Mr. Coveney. First he starts by judging the production by the negatives the Canadian critics picked up on (whatever happened to coming to a show open minded?). Then he continually pines for the likes of Orlando Bloom and Cate Blanchett. Why come into this show with the film in your head and a thumbs down approach? I know the films and I know the Canadian reviews and I enjoyed myself heartily. Shakespeare it ain't but at least ackowledge its ambition and spectacle. Remember the brief: to tell Lord of the Rings in a way only theatre can. With the creative team and cast it has the production does this - triumphantly. It deserves an audience. I resent that you feel the need to rubbish it through comparisons. - Bob Francis | 20 Jun 07 |
| A highly entertaining show, very funny, very entertaining. Elaine Page is superb but so is every member of the cast. If you want to come out of a theatre happy this is the show for you - Chris Hill | 12 Jun 07 |
| Well, I kind of liked it .. - Robert | 11 Feb 07 |
| Well, I kind of liked it .. - Robert | 11 Feb 07 |
| It was Imelda, I can guarantee you. I loved it. Absoultely hated the Mirror Number including guys. Plain stupid to do that! Meg Johnson was fabulous singing it, and should be cast as Stella Deems immediately. Maria Freidman was just wonderful, Liz Robertson was surprisingly powerful and funny, Philip Quast gorgeous. But for me, Kim Criswell and I'm Still Here really was the highlight. She did a riff at the end, which just made it! - 62.189.179.5) | 05 Feb 07 |
| The most AMAZING show, such a priviledge to be there, faultless. Can someone help me though...It is bugging me, from right at the back where I was sitting Imelda Staunton looked incredibly like Celie Imrie..was this another substitution or wasit a trick of my imagination...didn't care anyway....WOW what a night, still have an incredible buzz! - 86.142.217.191) | 05 Feb 07 |
| Pippo Delbono is one of the few that you can love or you can hate. In his performances there’re no space for compromises or fiction. He is no politically correct. He strikes his audience with strong and real emotions. His Henry V is one of the best example of Shakespeares actuality and greatness. - 151.44.136.83) | 05 Feb 07 |
| I want to...no, NEED to, respond to the ignorant, close-minded fool that reviewed Pippo Delbano's production of Henry V. If he had done his research or at least read the preview of this production of Henry V, he would have realised (as is the case of the majority of productions in the Complete Works Festival), that this was never going to be a "traditional" representation of Shakespeare's work. It was imaginative, thought provoking and original...it used music, movement and imagery alongside Shakespeare's words to produce a wholly inspiring new take on Henry V. How patronising to say the Italians have no experience of battles and war...this reviewer needs to brush up on his history, clearly. And as for the "clapping mums and dads", two thirds of the chorus are trained and professional actors and the other third may aswell be. Next time you go to see Shakespeare, remember Laurence Olivier is dead and maybe, just maybe, its time to explore and embrace other cultures and methods. Pippo Delbano is an award winner for a reason. - 62.252.64.30) | 04 Feb 07 |
| I was one of those people that was picked! I performed Henry V, look in the program Thomas Puddefoot! I can tell you now that the guy that wrote the other review must be so closed minded that any doors he had have turned in to bricks. Trust me Pippo Delbono is some thing special. I will admit that if people were going to watch Henry V as it was ment to be then they were disapointed. However i think that you really need to get a grip and realise that infact just because Pippos ideas and take on Shakespear are diffrent to yours it doesnt make them crap. I mean how many awards have you won for your take on it? - 88.110.78.37) | 04 Feb 07 |
| TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Review by Nina Romain New Wimbledon Theatre, 30th January to 3rd February 2007 To Kill a Mockingbird opens with birdsong as the sun rises on the small town of Maycomb, in 1930s America, created by stage designer Simon Higlett to dusty, sunbleached perfection. The courtroom, the children's playground, the terrifying Boo Radley house - everything in blends into (as narrator Scout says in the book) a mad palette. Bettrys Jones as Scout Finch is good as a smart child struggling to understand the adult world of betrayal and racism unravelling in front of her. With her brother Jem (Craig Vye) and friend Dill (Jean-Marc Perret), she follows the trial of fellow resident Tom Robinson as he is framed for rape. She struggles to understand her father's attempts to defend Robinson (Vinta Morgan) - even though he knows he is doomed to failure by his jury's automatic belief he must be lying as he is black. The court room scene is skillfully handled, using flashback to put the audience in the shoes of everybody involved. Sally Tatum is scene-stealingly as Mayella Ewell - a squirming, twisted mixture of misery and spite, revelling in lies as she tries to frame Tom Robinson. Duncan Finch (Scout's father Atticus Finch) is excellent as the homely, Everyman lawyer trying to do the right thing even though he knows he's beaten before he starts. Even the smaller roles such as the loyal unsentimental servant Calpurnia (Andrea Harris)are well played. The first half of the play is too slowly paced, but this is balanced by the faster second half, including a well-directed fight scene. Writer Harper Lee would be proud to see how her play has stood the test of time. - 87.74.42.157) | 04 Feb 07 |
| this play was performed brilliantly and there is no way that you couldnt love it ! the cast were fabulous , the songs were sung brilliantly and leaves you wanting more ! absolutly fantastic - 212.219.63.66) | 01 Feb 07 |
| Pretentious with VERY hit and miss acting... - 84.13.159.105) | 30 Jan 07 |
| beautifully done comedy in hindi....very entertaining.... - 86.137.98.35) | 26 Jan 07 |
| fantastic performace. cant wait for the opening next year.the set design was amazing- just like what you see in west end productions. i loved it!! - 195.93.21.132) | 22 Jan 07 |
| OK sorry I know on the whole the press has been very kind to this 12th Night but it really is a mess of some many ideas and has the feel of a drama school year 3 show. Silly cloth all over bits of set, everyone in a mask when not playing a role, silly jokes like a ship in a bottle and Olivia as a statue in her own garden to set up one line "my lady's hand". Some of the leads are very good but some of the smaller roles just bad: I pick out the sea captain and Sebastian for poor acting. Where is the humour? the whole play went very dark after the setting up of Malvolio in the 2nd Act, which is fine but even in Act 1 so so little humour....... A poor evening and I am not drawn to catch The Shrew by the same company - 87.224.67.25) | 19 Jan 07 |
| We love Liam Mower. He is an amazing dancer and beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 82.35.19.212) | 12 Jan 07 |
| I truly cannot think of a better, more entertaining way to spend a wet Saturday afternoon in early January. I shed tears of laughter and joy at Grieg and Millson's fantastic performances and the music, dancing and inspired set all combined to leave me thrilled to have been in the audience. Definitely a winner. - 163.1.215.44) | 08 Jan 07 |
| What an amazing, innovative production! You get out of it what you put in - so if you're a happy passive voyeur, you may not enjoy it as much as someone who wants to become part of what's going on. And it IS going on - all around you! So much, you could miss it. But the trick is to latch onto one or other of the performers (Mephostopheles for e.g. who is bound to be at the bottom of most trickery), and follow them from one scene to the other. In fact it was Mephistopheles who led me down to hell for the final scene - he tried to persuade others to go with him, but they were reticent ... but they followed the two of us! And what a dark, forceful scene that was - am so glad I followed or I might have missed it altogether. If you want excitement, a whole new experience, and love live performances, then I think you'll love Faust! - 81.110.253.132) | 05 Jan 07 |
| I am writing this somewhat after the play has closed only because I had not realised it was possible to access play reviews after they had closed. It was a terrific production superbly staged at the Crucible. David Bradley whom I wanted to see particulary did not disappoint at all - he was made for Pinter. Nigel Harman, I have to say, is somewhat lightweight and not menacing enough to convince whereas Con O'Niel, his challenged brother, was superb. The matinee I attended had quite a few school children in and like one of the other reviewers here I was somewhat anxious as to how they would behave. I need not have worried they were as gripped by the spellbinding performances as the rest of us. - 172.142.249.117) | 03 Jan 07 |
| I laughed out loud so many times at this coarsely funny play that I could have become a nusiance had it not been for the fact that the rest of the audienece were doing the same. The cast were all excellent. However, Richard Wilson - who can throw a line -was absolutely hysterical as the chief whip. It deserves a transfer so that many more can enjoy this topically witty and biting play. - 172.142.249.117) | 03 Jan 07 |
| Only 40 mins (they must have speeded it up the night I went) whoopee! Now come on all you 4 & 5 stars this piece wasn't that good - by any standards - now was it? I am increasingly of the view that a society should exist for the protection of audiences from the excesses of writers, such as Ms Churchill, when they have lost the plot! - 172.142.249.117) | 03 Jan 07 |
| Why did they bother? It's a dreadfully hokey piece that should never have seen the light of stage when it was first performed over twenty years ago. This "re-write" by no less than Tim Rice himself hasn't helped at all. Blondel was far to weak an actor to attempt the part and the only relief from the utter tedium of it all was the the Assasin and the quartet of monks played with brio by the respective actors. Excrutiating! - 172.142.249.117) | 03 Jan 07 |
| Great Fun. I saw this at Wimbledon and was impressed by the production considering the original, at the Apollo Victoria, required gantries around the dress circle and through the stalls to make it work. I wondered how they would manage with a touring show. Well they did, and very cleverly to by using 3D (polarised) glasses to great effect in the filmed sequences. It's worth taking the kids for a fun evening at the theatre or just go with a few mates and enjoy. - 172.142.249.117) | 03 Jan 07 |
| wonderful show as ever great thank you frank isle of wight - 86.138.146.97) | 21 Dec 06 |
| More sung-through musical than opera I'd say, so the opera-haters should not be deterred! The Young Vic moves on and breaks new ground with this delightful show. The first half lags a bit, but the second zips along. The music is accessible and tuneful, there are some lovely funny moments, and the design and use of the Young Vic space is imaginative. I found the smaller parts (all doubling and tripling up) acted with more brio than the leads, but that's a small niggle. The ankle-biters in the audience were enthralled; the Young Vic continues to lead the way with quality Christmas entertainment. - 86.138.26.181) | 21 Dec 06 |
| Wow, this is a classy and very professional show and I urge you to make the trip to Southampton to see it. Its clear a lot of money has been spent on this show. The set is VERY impressive, with very smooth changes. Costumes are gorgeous. Its has been transferred to the stage very well (unlike High Society for example) and the cheoreography is brilliant, the tap dancing opening to Act 2 is spectacular. For a non West End show the quality of everything is very high. The entire cast without exception are brilliant (altho the little girl was a bit too 'stage school' for my liking). Lorna Luft is amazing, a real powerhouse performer. Rachel Stanley was also a standout performance. The cast are clearly having a ball doing this show. The entire ensemble were very tight and together. Tim flavin and Craig Maclachlan have great chemistry and really bring the show to life. Yes the story is thin, but so was the movies on which it is based. Its old fashioned but in a good way, if you like shows like Crazy For You then youll love this. The ending is beautifully done. This show is definately West End standard and I hope next year it gets a festive run in London as it truely deserves it. - 86.138.201.167) | 17 Dec 06 |
| excellent show, really stays in my mind. the aladdin and widow twankey were awsome!! - 81.149.169.28) | 16 Dec 06 |
| It made me laugh, laugh and laugh again. It's not the deepest of plays but the characters are so well acted you just don't care. It's like watching a serious version of little britton but in the back of a cab. - 81.158.157.116) | 14 Dec 06 |
| Seeing Stoppard's absorbing, fearsomely intelligent play a second time in it's new W/End home and with a new cast, I was struck more forcefully than before how different the two acts are. The first is politically driven, dense with information and slightly dry from a dramatic point-of-view, while the second is more of a family drama, while still managing to maintain the broad political and intellectual frame set up in Act 1. The dialogue here requires your full attention and Trevor Nunn's masterly staging is a definite night "on" but it really does repay the time and effort we, as theatregoers, invest in it. The new casting is a bit of a mixed blessing in that some of the supporting performances are pretty poor. However, Dominic West is brilliant, thought spookily similar to his predecessor Rufus Sewell, in the central role. David Calder also matches Brian Cox, though he seems a trifle old in Act 1. By contrast, Emma Fielding, though technically superb, seems way too young to play Calder's cancer stricken lecturer wife. In the 2nd half she really comes into her own and is utterly wonderful (actually better than Sinead Cusack) as their flakey but lovable daughter. This is ambitious, challenging fare, and it's great to have it in the West End. - 80.225.215.190) | 09 Dec 06 |
| On Wednesday 29th Nov. I took my partner to see a play, ‘Outside the Cradle’, written and directed by Linda Landers. The play is set in the 1970’s punk scene with flashbacks to the 1960’s. There are violent scenes and the action centres around life in a borstal. The play brought back some rather upsetting feelings. I was surprised and shocked at the same time that someone could recreate something so close to my experience of being in borstal without ever having been there themselves. For a while during this play, it seemed I was back there in borstal, it was 1974, and I was still a kid. There are scenes of a violent nature in this play, however, those scenes are created through the use of stylized movements and punctuated by language that is poetic and yet often very down to earth. Having been in a borstal myself for two years it was a very emotional experience. This play gave voice to my feelings, something which I was never able to do. It surely is not a play to take your children to see, I would give it an adult rating, yet it also contains some very sublime moments, such as when Emily dances into Peter’s dreams. It puts Punk into an historical and human context, showing us as the backdrop poor working class families living in the 1970’s, with little money, no jobs or hope of improvement. I must also add that the use of lighting and the set design though minimalist is stunning. The backdrops are very indicative of the Punk Era. A lot of effort has gone into making the wardrobe and set design reflect the times in which the action takes place. Camden seems to be a fitting first stop for this stylish play. Above all this play is dramatic and breathtaking. You will be stunned by the simplicity of the set and the flowing poetry of the words, but above all you will be entertained, and will leave the Etcetera Theatre like we did, feeling that you’ve had a really good night out. Andrew Coxe. - 195.92.67.74) | 08 Dec 06 |
| The Mariinsky was my first proper Ring cycle. Now I want more! I want more, although one of the lessons that I’ve learnt is that you have to treat a Cycle like a holiday - stay at the resort and not attempt to do get up at 7am and do half a day’s work before travelling to and from the venue! I am exhausted - goodness knows how the orchestra and the conductor, Valery Georgiev feel! - I hope their schedule allowed them a rest! This was a very enjoyable Ring, theatrically and musically. The settings by George Tsypin are influenced by Valery Gergiev’s homeland myths: George has captured wonderfully the whole space of the stage by using four giant humanoid torsos that act as active witnesses to the enfolding events; either imbued with inner light; sporting different heads appropriate to the particular scene, taking on different postures and even moving when appropriate. For instance, the downfall of Valhalla at the very end is symbolised by these beings lying down. When you add the effective lighting, including the use of video projected textures, the end result is a captivating, ever-changing landscape against which the action is developed. Some of the scenes were incredibly striking: those in the Rhine, both in Das Rheingold and Gotterdamerung; the Nibelheim scene; the wedding scene in Gotterdammerung - but to single these out is possibly unfair. The only occasion it didn’t work for me (I was not scared, had no sense of danger) was in the dragon-slaying scene in Siegfried, although Mrs. T thought this was very effective. A slight niggle for us both was that the sets creaked occasionally when being walked on by the cast: very disturbing in the middle of the quieter sections of music. The orchestra was first-class: Valery Gergiev conducted at a slowish tempo suited to the singers and the mood of the sets but drew brilliant contrasts in power during the performances, without ever allowing his fortissimos to subdue the singers. The Mariinsky had decided to rotate singers in the key roles - I don’t know if this is standard procedure for a Ring Cycle in four days, as some of the roles are very demanding on the voice (although some of the changes were in minor roles also) - this was to an extent disconcerting but, from another aspect, a godsend as some of the singers, drawn entirely from the Mariinsky company, were not all uniformly excellent and some, unfortunately, were underpowered in crucial roles. For instance, Yevgeny Nikitin struggled as Wotan in Das Rheingold (but made a better Gunther in Gotterdamerung), whereas Mikhail Kit did a splendid job of it in Die Walkure. (Vadim Kravets was a stand-in for the indisposed Yevgeny during Siegfried and was poorer even than him). The vocal stars, for me, were Vassily Gorshkov (Loge in Das Rheingold and Mime in Siegfried), Mikhail Petrenko for his performance as Hagen in Gotterdammerung - fantastic!!, Larissa Dakota (Fricka in Die Walkure and Waltraute in Gotterdamerung). Leonid Zazhozhaev was a young and exciting Siegfried in Siegfried and I also liked the two Brunhildes - Olga Savova in Die Walkure and Olga Sergeyeva in Siegfried and Gotterdamerung. I actually preferred Sergeyeva, whose acting was also excellent, but Mrs T and a number of our friends all hated her - Emily’s comment was that she was like “sulphuric acid with bare blades”! She could get a career as an opera critic! Overall this Ring was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. At its peak, when the top singers were together, acting well in the atmospheric stage setting and complemented as ever by the excellent playing of the orchestra, we must have been pretty close to Wagner’s dream of Gesamtkunstwerk! - 213.78.94.42) | 07 Dec 06 |
| i went to see pcd and rihanna on the 1st of december and it was absolutly amazing! x - 86.143.96.248) | 06 Dec 06 |
| I was visiting friends in Plymouth last week and got dragged along to see this show - and how glad I am that I went! This is just the sort of show that needs to be seen in the West End - and not just at Christmas. So come on, you theatre producers, get this show into London!!!!! - 88.105.146.213) | 05 Dec 06 |
| Well I saw the last show in plymouth and it was a knock-out. The cast were superb, every one of them. The costumes were dazling, the song and dance content just right to set me up for Christmas and certainly a trip along the coast to Southampton to see this fantastic piece of musical theatre once more before it finishes in the new year. - 88.105.153.175) | 03 Dec 06 |
| mother courages is dirty and a proper neeeeek. - 193.164.126.15) | 02 Dec 06 |
| Just posting my review of the final night. Having already seen this on the 12th October, I was very excited to be seeing it again and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I enjoyed it so much more second time around. Superb acting from all 3 actors. David Bradley made me laugh so much as Davies, his pauses and comic timing were done to perfection. Con O' Neil made me cry with his portrayal of Aston, when he went into his long monolouge and the tears were rolling down his cheeks - breathtaking. And what can I say about Nigel Harman? I just wish that some of these television critics who say that he cannot act would come and see him perform this play. They would have to eat their words. Nigel is an AMAZING actor. Superb comic timing, eloquent and so so passionate. The tears in his eyes during the final scene proved that. I have to say a huge well done to all 3. They have all done so well and worked so hard. I look forward to seeing the play again in Richmond. - 83.100.233.83) | 01 Dec 06 |
| CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS HOW AMAZING, BOB GELDOLOF , NAOMI AND KATE MOSS TO OUR RIGHT NEED WE SAY MORE - SUPERB, THE PERSON RATING ONE STAR WERE WATCHEING THE SAME SHOW, OR WERE ASLEEP!!! - 217.42.123.97) | 01 Dec 06 |
| Superb musical, wonderful sets - scene after scene after scene. Excellent big band sound. Dancing and singing also excellent. - 84.65.217.66) | 30 Nov 06 |
| Whatsonstage.com is aware of some abuse of this section of the site. We are monitoring the situation closely and collecting IP addresses to identify repeat offenders. Multiple postings from the same source may be removed. Can any big fat cake armies or big eats just f**k off. Oh yer, mother courage was rubbish by the way. And josh you obviously didnt go on the day when kattrins drum landed on her face when she was shot!OUCH! and you are a goon for writing so much. :) - 193.164.126.11) | 30 Nov 06 |
| Really disappointed with the billed Bussell and Zelensky performance at Sadlers Wells. Miss Bussell appeared for 7 minutes in the opening dance 'Kiss'at 7.30pm and then we saw her at 9pm for 18 minutes for the last performance with Zelensky. Miss Bussell did not perform a new solo by Alastair Marriot as billed. As far as I could see, it was a duet. I was disappointed that she only danced for 25 minutes out of the 2 hour long, 2 interval of 20 minute programme!!! - 82.45.243.176) | 29 Nov 06 |
| what a shame: three of the finest actors around (russell beale, jennings and richardson) wasted on this tosh. half an hour too long, rushed to the point where it was barely understandable, i can see why two reviewers left at half time. yawwwnnn - 195.93.21.72) | 28 Nov 06 |
| I'd never seen the show before and was reasonably open minded going in. However for the first time ever at a musical I was etching to leave. Rocky Horror is simply an awful adult pantomime. I've read several reviews of various shows using the term panto, but this really is a pantomime. Audiene heckling is reasonably amusing at first but soon becomes very tiresome - how many times can someone continue to shout 'cock' before they realise its ceased to be funny or clever ? 95% of the audience came dressed up - slightly disconcerting for those of us not - although making an electric atmosphere before. Its just that when I've paid a lot of money to watch a show I expect to be able to hear the performers talk and sing. I don't pay for the middle aged balding bloke dressed as Frank N Furter to loudly sing along. The production itself seems very amateur. The music becomes dull and samey after the first half and hour, and the show isn't as funny or as clever as it thinks it is.The dancing is unimaginative and the acting is generally appauling. On the subject of the songs - it was extremely difficult to hear many of the lyrics due to the constant screaming, whistling, and cheering by the audience. The one good thing about it is David Bedella - who has a fantastic voice and is actually able to make his character more than one-dimensional - something his colleagues rarely could (must add that I saw the understudies for Brad and Janet). You want Rock Opera ? See J.C.Superstar, You want sexy ? See Chicago or Miss Saigon; You want funny ? See Avenue Q, Spamalot, or The Producers. I appreciate that most of the audience in Bradford didn't share my view of the show - and anything which getspeople into a theatre can't be a bad thing.However out of the the 50 or so musicals I've seen, I'm sorry to say that this is easily the poorest. Avoid. - 193.37.180.5) | 28 Nov 06 |
| A fine ensemble piece -- polished and great fun. I saw the evening performance in Southampton on Saturday 18 Nov, and I'm able to assure your reviewer that the significance of Bingley and the romantic potential of its five-rise lock didn't flummox we mardy Southrons in the audience. Although an ensemble piece, I must agree with your reviewer about Kate Ambler. She has the range to carry-off the cross-dressing role of Charles/Charlotte; she was funny and... well yes, 'truthful and convincing'. I look forward to seeing more of her. Catch it in Scarborough, Blackpool or Halifax if you can! - 62.190.236.222) | 25 Nov 06 |
| This was my first visit to the Theatre to see a musical and I must admit I had a fantastic night, I thouroughly enjoyed CATS! The singing talent was amazing and the dance routines were great! All in all had a memorable evening and would return again to see CATS. - 81.155.153.123) | 24 Nov 06 |
| Best show I've seen for a long time! Whole cast was brilliant especially Cathy Mcmanamon.Recommended it to all my friends.Cant wait for moreplays by Louise Roche. Certainly got me going to more theatre! - 82.42.205.236) | 24 Nov 06 |
| We overheard a woman as we left saying: the only thing that kept me awake was the man snoring next to me. Spot on, this is dreadful. - 86.131.79.42) | 23 Nov 06 |
| The greatest vocalist I have ever attended a performance by in 30 years of gig-going. She transcends fado. (good job for a fado ignoramus like me) World class music and performance. - 195.188.41.154) | 23 Nov 06 |
| Absolutely unmissible. She is fantastic. - 213.86.139.117) | 23 Nov 06 |
| Cambridge Arts Theatre, Nov23: dreadful mindbending tedium; talk about cut-price. Long, lumpy, no sparks, no delight, not enough actors. Three of us staggered out at half time, gasping for air. - 82.3.93.19) | 23 Nov 06 |
| Eighties comedy genius Phil Cool is set to take the fringes by storm again this autumn with is brilliant one man show. This vibrant rubber faced comedian is not to be missed with his unique impressions so uncanny you will think that the person is right in front of you. Be it that the voice just isn't enough from this man, be surprised by his incredible changing face to suit the voice. First found by Jasper Carrott, he has been perhaps long since forgotten since his ground breaking show 'Cool It,' last shown in 1988. One could initially imagine that this diverse comedian would be still stuck in a time warp, but have no fear, the show will surprise you with 90% new material. With the familiar faces of Rolf Harris and others to guide you back into the spirit of his wonderous humour, you will be pleased to see that this man will not take retirement lying down. With an extraordinary piece where he records himself as John Lennon and then plays it back as Paul MacCartney, you will be glad that you witnessed such talent which seems to have developed even more with his age. If you get to miss him, then it won't be long before his appears near you again. Forever on tour, he will be around for dates from Febuary 2007. Long may he continue to pave the way through this exciting comedy that simply will not age. - 90.194.239.151) | 22 Nov 06 |
| Fantastic combination of classically based dance, although I must say the more modern influenced pieces stole the show! Great Choreography and beautiful dancers chosen and superbly organised in this exciting avant-garde venue. - 86.139.114.223) | 22 Nov 06 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed it, and said so on the forums here too. I thought it was an interesting piece, lots of laughs, some (not all) good performances, but overall very highly recommended. Shame it was for such a short run. - 62.189.179.5) | 21 Nov 06 |
| I usually don't go for musicals but this one made me laugh throughout. It was very funny and well acted. - 80.168.224.184) | 21 Nov 06 |
| This musical was hilariously funny. It shows that there is no need for fussy/elaborate sets to create a great show. The actors very excellent and the story is fantastic. - 80.168.224.184) | 21 Nov 06 |
| I loved this production,it is so funny and all of the cast were brilliant. Special praise should go to Yvette Rochester Duncun who's voice is amazing her blues number of "sign no more" was excellent. Jamie Ballard villiany kind of steals the show from Johnny Weir, who also does an excelent job. I loved the chemistry between the two lovers beatrice and benadict. If you can get tickets for it in London Go! It is worth it. - 86.53.56.139) | 19 Nov 06 |
| I loved this production,it is so funny and all of the cast were brilliant. Special praise should go to Yvette Robinson who's voice is amazing her blues number of "sign no more" was excellent. Jamie Ballard villiany kind of steals the show from Johnny Weir, who also does an excelent job. I loved the chemistry between the two lovers beatrice and benadict. If you can get tickets for it in London Go! It is worth it. - 86.53.56.139) | 19 Nov 06 |
| This gig was mellow to the point of comatose. So unbelievably disapointing - I have waited years to see them. Off key, poor sound, terrible crowd interaction. Wish I had never went - they've burst my bubble. - 81.151.2.88) | 19 Nov 06 |
| Brilliant! A superb interpretation of Werner's classic with outstanding vocal performances from Griffith as well as fine acting from all the cast. The direction was insightful and witty while the choreography was a both entertaing and provided an excellent comical foil to an otherwise serious piece. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and, judging from the whoops and squeals of delight from the audience at the end, I wasn't the only one! - 84.13.222.123) | 16 Nov 06 |
| This production sucked me in and spat me out. I felt part of Katharina's abuse by Petruchio. The final speech was redolent of Stockholm syndrome where the abused loves the abuser. It was a dark reading but brilliantly performed, particularly by Dugald Bruce Lockhart, a very very macho Petruchio. - 193.118.203.3) | 16 Nov 06 |
| I went to see "Too close to home" last night (15th November) at the Library Theatre in Manchester. I was absolutely bowled over. It was expertly written combining humour and heart break beautifully. Intertwined within the family’s story the issue of a lack of belonging for those straddling two cultures was explored. I particularly liked the way the writer cleverly and subtly challenged stereotypical perceptions of Muslims in the UK. Despite the serious issues tackled within the play it was exceeding funny throughout, the acting was excellent and I would recommend to anyone to go and see it. - 194.70.181.1) | 16 Nov 06 |
| Another disappointing offering from Propeller. While it is good to see the Sly scene restored, the interpretation that it's Sly's fantasy of taming means that any sense of attraction in the wooing scene is lost and therefore it becomes wholly unbelieveable why Kate agrees to marry Petruchio. True the all male cast affords some greater physical roughness in the taming process but Dugald Bruce Lockheart (usually a very good actor) adopts a strange inflection to his voice that is, at best annoying and at worst mangles meaning. There are some nice bits - Tam Williams in particular is good - but Propeller is failing to live up to its earlier promise. For me, this production lacked sexiness or humour but I concur that it is dark. - 80.3.32.6) | 14 Nov 06 |
| He is definitely a legend, it was a great intimate venue in East London. The crowd were warm and responsive. He sang all the hits (ride on, Black is the colour etc). His lyrics and his presence totally amaze me and his sense of humour is a craich! - 193.108.78.10) | 14 Nov 06 |
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| This is the 3rd time I've seen the Snow Show in the past few years and although the show in Woking last week retained much of the fun and beauty, if that was Slava heading up the Wednesday night performance I'm a teapot. This aside, I did sense something was missing - a number of scenes seemed to have been cut, affecting the fluidity and it ran at little over an hour. AND what's with the signing autographs from the stage at the end - no, no, no! (I'll still go and watch it again next time it's back in the country though) - 86.145.255.231) | 12 Nov 06 |
| i completely agree, the first two reviews demonstrate complete ignorance. i thought the play was fantastic, Diana quick was brilliant bringing a new sensual edge to the part that was unexpected. the actress who played katrin should also be applauded for her profound and intense performance. referring to previous reviews "its supposed to be a tragedy" well thats not true, brecht is well known for his use of comedy - known as "spass" (try reading any book on Brecht and you'll find it). regarding the scene changes they were also very well done, remininding us of the theatre so we don't empathise too much with whats going on on-stage - yet again very Brechtian and again found in any book on Brecht. so what i suggest you do if you don't like "mother courage" is that you buy "Brecht on theatre" for a start so that you have a chance of knowing what you're talking about. then give up whatever drama course, as you're not going to do well with an attitude like that. - 82.43.204.3) | 12 Nov 06 |
| Saw it in Edinburgh - bit flat, cheap looking set, super singing but such a flimsy story that I got rather bored. - 195.235.227.10) | 10 Nov 06 |
| With immediately recognisable hits such as ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On,’ ‘Me And My Girl,’ and of course the sensational ‘Lambeth Walk,’ this Oliver and Tony award winning musical has been entertaining audiences since its premiere at the London Victoria Theatre, 1937. Happy and amusing, this family musical guides the audience through the tale of the delightful Cockney lad, Bill Snibson, who inherits the ownership of fictional ‘Hareford Hall,’ a large fortune and of course the title ‘Earl Of Hareford.’ Following his journey to becoming a perfect English gentlemen, this spectacular musical, adapted by Stephen Fry has its ups, its downs and of course a happy ending! Celebrating its 70th anniversary, Warren Carlyle (director and choreographer) has brought this sparkling show back on stage. Featuring an all star cast of Richard Frame, (Family Affairs) Trevor Bannister, (Are You Being Served?) Sylvester McCoy, (Dr Who) Dillie Keane and Pop sensation Faye Tozer, ‘Me And My Girl’ is touring the United Kingdom until December 16th 2006. Although the use of a revolving set is unique, throughout the show the scenery is pretty basic and unimaginative. However, the acting from most of cast truly does make up for this. Sylvester McCoy, most famous for his role as the 7th ‘Doctor’ in BBC’s ‘Dr Who,’ is one of the most talented actors to hit the stage. His portrayal as the ‘Family Solicitor’ has the audience in stitches. His song is certainly a feel good classic and is sure to have you humming the tune as you leave the venue. Faye Tozer, renowned for her global success in the Pop phenomenon that was ‘Steps’ also demonstrated immense talent. Playing the role of ‘Sally Smith,’ Bill’s common, Cockney girlfriend, Faye Tozer was delightful to watch. Keeping her cockney accent throughout the show, she was believable, energetic and had a wonderful voice to listen to. Not to forget of course ‘Family Affairs’ star Richard Frame leading the show with his high energy, cheeky wit and his fantastic performance in the staring role of ‘Bill.’ In fact the only disappointment in the show was that of Alexs Owen Hobbs, whose acting proved to be wooden, unbelievable and not at all how a paying audience would expect it to be. Apart from that, I really did struggle to find fault! The high factor to the show has to be put down to the fantastic performance in the Cockney classic ‘The Lambeth Walk,’ which never fails to get the audience singing along; making it virtually impossible for them to say a bad word about the show in the interval, in fact it only makes them wish the song went on for longer! Act two opens with the chirpy classic ‘The Sun Has Got His Hat On’ and this is just one of the energetic, sing a long hits that the audience is drawn into in this half. It is in Act Two where we see the transformation of Sally; from the common girl she was, to a formal, well dressed, upper class young girl, much to the delight of Bill’s auntie Maria, the snobby character who you can’t help but laugh at. We also see the realisation from Bill that love is more important than a life of wealth. Will he get back with Sally? Will they live happily ever after? Well, that’s for me to know and you to find out! All I will say is that this dazzling musical has a roller coaster of emotion; feeling sorry for poor Sally at the beginning of act one, being annoyed at the upper class views on commoners, and feeling ecstatic as the curtain drops. This really is a show which is bound to have you smiling, singing along and having a great time at the theatre. If you’re young or old, this show is definitely for you; running for two and a half hours, it does not seem to drag on at all. The show really is ‘The Happiest Show In Town’ so I strongly recommend buying your tickets now! - 195.93.21.8) | 10 Nov 06 |
| I hated this show - not an experience I want to share again! The writing is dull - where is the poetry? The acting is ordinary, the pruduction dull.I have enjoyed previous share experience productions very much, but definately not this one! - 195.93.21.103) | 09 Nov 06 |
| Exceptionally impressive. Deals with the difficult issues of friendship and time passing in a very impressive way. Wonderfully acted and directed. - 80.177.231.164) | 09 Nov 06 |
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| Good in places, but not good enough in enough places. The themes that illuminate the play (friendship, jealousy, betrayal) are sound, but there were too many distractions. Pointless swearing and gratuitous nudity, for example... and I'm no prude. The first 'half' of the play engaged me, but it lost its way as it went on. Otherwise, some of the students in the Upper Circle sounded intrigued to see what a semi-naked woman looked like so, at least, for them, it wasn't a wasted evening. - 84.9.70.140) | 07 Nov 06 |
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| I thought it was outstanding, well exceeded expectations. - 147.188.244.21) | 07 Nov 06 |
| I enjoyed this show very much. It was an interesting idea and well blocked/ choreographed in what is a cold and uncomfortable space. The singing was wonderful especially Helen Hurd who has a beautiful church choir solo. However that said I did feel the show was far too long and not enough emphasis was put on the prisoners and there relationship to each other the world around them and the audience. I didn’t care enough for them! Obviously it doesn’t have to be a stage version of The Shawshank Redemption or Green Mile but it would help the audience enjoyment greatly. Accents and singing great, some very moving performances and the Tap dancing arguing lovers is simply great! - 81.159.189.150) | 07 Nov 06 |
| Mother courage was the best comedy ive seen for ages, but theres only one problem, its meant to be a tragedy! It was bare funny when Katrin got shot in the face and then hit by a drum, and the comical singing only added to a souflet of crap and frankly was hilarious - Dave - 193.164.126.17) | 07 Nov 06 |
| Mark Ravenhill is good at writing bleak, disturbing, thought-provoking plays. Frantic Assembly are good at creating thrilling drama through movement. Together, they've produced an unbelevably dull and thoroughly dislikeable piece worthy of neither of them. A misguided collaboration. - 86.136.205.108) | 07 Nov 06 |
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| No atmosphere, bad timing, poorly directed and limited props and scenery. Did not create the necessary moods and the acting was wooden. Nigel Havers played Nigel Havers but seemed bored doing it. Disappointing. A big name cannot carry a play alone. - 195.137.45.138) | 04 Nov 06 |
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| Putting the technical problems to one side, this was a very disappointing gig. I think the problem is that Imogen simply has too high a workload. Between each song she spends a couple of minutes fiddling around with her keyboards / MAC / drinking water. This ruins any sense of flow or excitement. And when she finally gets around to the music, she is so busy playing keyboards that her vocals suffer badly. If only she had a competent keyboard player backing her up she could concentrate on singing - after all it's her voice that makes her unique. On some songs she was accompanied by her support (Nemo?). Their keyboard player tries SO hard to be cool, watching him is hilarious (almost worth the price of the ticket in itself). - 86.132.217.21) | 03 Nov 06 |
| Sooo overhyped - this should be renamed Pool (full of c**p). A poor versn of a 70's BBC Play 4 Today - angy, angry and more angry. Thought I was the only 1 who thought this as every review fawned over it. Thankfully itz London opening has seen it suitably slated in The Indepndt. (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/reviews/article1948264.ece) It's got nowt t'do with the swearing either (and I liked the music). Way too many 4 star reviews being handed out! - 172.159.12.182) | 02 Nov 06 |
| this is the worst thing |'ve seen at the theatre for years. Slow, lacklustre, the piped music is embarrasing (and I don't mean in a Brechtian way. The scene changes are so amateurish and add to a very long evening - 3 hours 20 mins in the beautiful Buxton Opera House. - 80.168.87.18) | 01 Nov 06 |
| I was there on the Wednesday and Saturday matinee. Apart from sound (some of the cast, not all, really needed amplification or staging nearer the audience) I thought this was a very decent production, of an incredibly important show. Assassins is not one of Sondheim's most hummable shows and musically, I do not think the show benefitted from such a somewhat undernourished band. However, some members of the cast were brilliant, and as said earlier, there was definitely an electric buzz in the audience and on stage (not just during the electricution scene either!). Notables in the cast were Rick Light (what a booming voice, and character, shame about the staging in his big number); Mairi Coyle (the scariest middle aged housewife I've seen for a while and worked brilliantly with Tracy Baxendale); Robin Innes (sensational, brilliant acting, lovely voice, overall the most memorable cast member who sent shivers down my spine on each monologue); Mark Slaughter (great voice, somewhat lacking in projection and SCARILY accurate as Lee Harvy Osweld); Ray Rackman (downright odd! Brilliant performance) and Tracy Baxendale (who scared me completely during Unworthy of Your Love, where she looked as though she was going to burn the place down). I had to speak to one of the ensemble members after the show as she simply blew me away. Rachel Foers has one of the most powerful in musical theatre. It sounded like she was channelling Merman! No problems with projection there! I think a bit of recasting and a bigger ensemble presence would make this a show I would want to see again. An admirable production with some problems, but overall a good night out. - 62.189.179.5) | 01 Nov 06 |
| I enjoyed 'Assassins' but feel the cast were badly let down by sound and lighting, the former would have given a more balanced production if the cast had been 'miked'. It was frustrating at the start of the show not to be able to hear what the Proprietor was singing - most important as he sets the scene.As to the lighting, this could have been used to better effect. There was nothing subtle about it. The lights were either on or off - so it seemed! (This was on Saturday when they were supposedly back on track again). The set was good and worked well. The musicians did a good job but could have been used more effectively, together with lighting, in the scene with the electric chair.The talented cast performed admirably in circumstances which needn't have arisen had the direction and technical aspects of the show been of a more competent nature.Worth seeing again if the above comments are taken on board. SCENE1 - 80.1.224.8) | 01 Nov 06 |
| Well the show starts off in one dance, continues all over the backyard of JA, Some of the words were spoken to fast, some not very clear but you can still catch it, bere jokes, bere dancing and dutty wine.Its a must see!!!! - 193.195.181.10) | 01 Nov 06 |
| Superb production of a very moving and at times humorous play. A most memorable time. The cast are superb, Jim Norton shows us once again what a brilliant actor he is - as a whole near to perfection one can get in the theatre - not one weak link.Enjoy, and be prepared to be moved.TEM - 213.122.72.17) | 31 Oct 06 |
| This show has real potential for a longer run. I saw it on Friday night and the atmosphere both in the audience and on stage was electric. The cast on the whole was superb, some work on dialogue scenes and some voice coaching would be of benefit. Outstanding performances from Rick Light, Jonathan Chambers, Mark Slaughter, Ray Rackham, Marie Coyle. With special mention for Robin Innes as Byck who was sensational. I'd love to see this show again after some reworking and maybe a little recasting. - 82.3.81.77) | 31 Oct 06 |
| This is the first time I have ever felt moved to post. I thought this production was truly, truly, awful. In total contrast to your original correspondent, for me, Mark Slaughter as the Balladeer was just about the only person on the stage with any real charisma.... I agree that Charlie Guiteau had potential in the role, but he just didn't seem to have been directed and could - I felt - have given so much more. I've certainly never seen a Charlie have to deliver The Ballad of Guiteau totally static from the middle of the stage until - having eventually walked up the staircase at the back of the set - he came DOWN the stairs at the climax of the number with a few halfhearted kicks... The actors mostly looked bewildered and appeared to be floundering throughout. Quite a few fluffed lines. John Wilkes Booth seemed particularly lost, and had what sounded like a fairly heavy French or Belgian accent....! Not his fault, but .... casting!?! Every ounce of humour was lost, quite a bit of the singing was off key (when you could hear it at all), the band were pretty average, and the noise from backstage was a constant distraction. A dreadful disappointment. There were some walker outers on the last night, too. The production involved both professionals and amateurs, as far as I can make out. The amateurs definitely prevailed, although having said that - I have seen amateur Sondheim that has absolutely knocked spots off this! - 62.253.96.46) | 30 Oct 06 |
| have just seen inside my head, and it was Slava's Snow Show. I have been waiting to see this for twelve odd years, and missed it each time it came to London, but earlier this week I sat on the front row at the Lowry, two feet from the legend that is Slava, and I'm still picking out bits of snow from my clothing. An overwhelming experience, hysterically funny, moving, and so witty and spectacular. A gourmet feast for the senses, but how the hell to describe half a dozen clowns looking remarkably like puppets, doing extroardinary things, all building to a blizzard that left the theatre several inches deep in paper snow? This blizzard was set to Carmina Burana at full blast with the brightest back lighting. Add to this a torrent of bubbles, and half a dozen 15ft primary coloured balls bouncing round the auditorium, and several dozen huge balloons, and you have two thousand people in tears behaving like children on a sugar rush. The clowns stand there looking perplexed. They had a lovely attitude all night as they seemed permanently surprised at being in the world, and in awe of the most simplest things. It reminded me a bit of that great German animated film Balance, and certainly the long shabby overcoats looked similar. I'm a real sucker for this sort of physical theatre. Why should a clown opening a huge suitcase letting lose some white balloons reduce me to tears? All the similar shows I've seen in the last year, an Australian one with a bungeeing piano, and Aurelia's Oratorio had one performer playing two characters at once courtesy of another piece of clothing. Here it was Slava and a supposedly lovely girl. Well it was a coat and a hat. She slipped a love note into his pocket and seemingly arranged to meet at a station. No sign of her and Slava tore up the letter into a dozen pieces, which cued a trickle of paper snow over him, then over the audience, then more, and more and more, and then the back wall erupted into this blizzard. Fantastic. The snow poured down for fifteen minutes and the balls bounced around, and I sat with Slava at the side of the stage, and rather geekily had my photo taken with him, sort of chatting in broken english. A generous performer who looked surprised by the reception. This show has been round the world and back for the last thirteen years, and becomes one of those rites of passage significant shows one has to do at least once. But sit at the front!!! What is it about snow on stage.......I could write a whole thesis about it as a dramatic element. do look up pictures of Slava on the internet. Even better see the show itself. it's in the UK for the whole of November. Theatre cleaners must hate it. www.slavasnowshow.co.uk - and do watch the video through to the end. - 84.69.212.195) | 29 Oct 06 |
| Excruciatingly wooden, unbelievably amateurish and mind-numbingly dull. That was the first half - sorry I can't comment on the second half; I left at the interval, as soon as my sister woke up. - 82.44.87.192) | 29 Oct 06 |
| One word for it, dire! - 80.1.224.8) | 29 Oct 06 |
| The idea of clowns and mime...you'd have to drag me in kicking and screaming. Luckily for me, someone did. I hear Simon Callow says it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen on stage. I absolutely lost my heart to it. Funny, emotional, above all purely joyful. Slava walks on stage and before he does a thing, you just know you want to go wherever he wants to take you. The man is a Master. He deals in delight. Go surrender! - 82.43.177.254) | 28 Oct 06 |
| I hate clowns but I did laugh! - 86.141.55.136) | 27 Oct 06 |
| blood brothers is with out a dought one of the greatest plays i have ever seen. At first i thought it would be posh and boaring but it was hillerious buut heat breaking at certain points - 80.193.191.233) | 26 Oct 06 |
| Brilliant! Mcpherson at his best. - 80.1.224.8) | 25 Oct 06 |
| South London Theatre's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' review Any auditorium greeting its audience with a doorway festooned with fake cobwebs and providing a shock haired, black suited compere who welcomes the audience in suitably doomed tones, is probably an Edgar Allan Poe play. It will certainly have its fair share of gothic drama, unhinged heroes and cobwebby secrets. The South London Theatre's staging of The Fall of the House of Usher had all of these and would delight any Poe fan. Intelligently adapted from a short story, the play revolves around an unnamed narrator who responds to an old friend's appeal to visit him and his twin sister in the family home (the title house). Edward Cartwright is excellent as the Ushers' guest. He is the Everyman trapped in a deranged setup, bewildered, then horrified by the siblings' increasingly bizarre behaviour. Nervously questioning the family servant (Jeanette Hoile) about the situation, plays well against his former schoolfriend Roderick Usher (James Hough) whose decent into madness is portrayed in best Renfield-esque Victorian-melodrama fashion (plenty of shaking hands, rolling eyes and brandy-gulping). Madeline Usher (Deirdre Jackson) makes the most of her short appearance, doing her best Banquo-at-the-feast reappearance from the family crypt (emerging dramatically in blood-boltered deathrobe). It's not entirely clear why the decision was made to give her a Virginian accent (perhaps like Poe's) rather than RP English like the rest of the cast. There's some intelligent directing from Mark Davies who uses a few nods to other Poe stories, such as the sounds effects of pounding heartbeats both demonstrating the characters' growing fears as well as riffing The Tell-Tale Heart. The play's last and most dramatic scene, where story being read aloud to Roderick starts to echo Madeline's final deathly appearance, could have been played up more strongly as the finale. Still, an excellent, solid performance which all Poe fans are going to want to see again - perhaps in a special Halloween performance? - 195.194.51.129) | 24 Oct 06 |
| Superb acting and a magnificently chilling and haunting play. An ensemble of this quality is very rare. - 172.200.119.31) | 21 Oct 06 |
| I thought the play was fantastic. It so easily could have gone so wrong but it didn't, they poulled it off with a unique mix of dance, drama, physical thatre and fab lighting by natasha Chivers - 89.241.38.146) | 20 Oct 06 |
| I saw this play at the Haymarket, Leicester. I thought Nigel Havers totally lacking in charisma and Mrs Danvers not nearly sinister enough. The whole production had the feel of amateur dramatics and it was a very disappointing evening. My companion, in her forties, drifted off to sleep in the first act. We did like the sea back drop, but otherwise it was pretty tedious. - 213.122.100.211) | 20 Oct 06 |
| Absolutely fantastic..!!! Innovative imaginative, and definately worth a look see... - 193.133.200.97) | 20 Oct 06 |
| absolutely thrilling, moving and has completely stolen my heart!!! Mostly because of John Owen Jones as Jean Valjean who has the voice of an angel.. Chantal, The Netherlands - 213.160.254.37) | 18 Oct 06 |
| Excellent production. Good set and excellent performances from all of the cast, especially Lesley Harcourt, William Gaunt and Rosemary Leach. You could feel the tension, the heat and the frustrations. More please? - 84.64.222.168) | 18 Oct 06 |
| What a fantastic, high energy, feel good show!! Jane is such a fabulous singer and entertainer. A must see!Her stunning singer/dancers bought the show to another level, particularly Kelly Sneade's energy and charisma!Not to be forgotten is her brilliant orchestra - a great show! - 172.209.97.21) | 15 Oct 06 |
| Fantastic show from start to finish. Jane McDonald must be the most underrated performer touring to-day. Two standing ovations at the end countless throughout the show. Surely TV is crying out for this sort of entertainment on a Saturday nigh. - 195.93.21.131) | 14 Oct 06 |
| A really excellent night - every act delivered, and all for a good cause. - 80.1.224.5) | 13 Oct 06 |
| Yet another review where the light in which Maggie was presented seems to be the most impt factor. Forget the politics - was it an entertaining bit of theatre? For me, generally yes. Forgetable songs?? I saw Sweet Charity at The Colisuem a few wks ago - I can't remember the songs in that, so did that make it a bad show? Nah, course not. The choreography during Thatcher was great...musicals aren't just abt the music/songs. The execution of the whole piece was very clever and maybe things were only skimmed over but looked what they missed out: The Chingford Rotweiler; Yuppies; Ld Lamont of Blaby, etc. Some of the humour was very sharp and as funny as I've heard. Criticisms - the "ship" bit before the interval went on a bit too long and there was an imbalance 'tween the 1st n 2nd act, the latter feeling slightly stodgier compared to the 1st. Still a very good bit of Nu theatre. If you want critical appraisal's of her tenure, there are many better places t'look I'm sure. Stoon - 172.203.38.94) | 13 Oct 06 |
| First n foremost - this is well worth seeing 'cos it's colourful, funny, shockingly violent, sleazy in a sassy way and probably contains a hint of reality. From the pre-curtain mimed multi-scene set up, you sense this is a sort of African Short Cuts and so it turns out t'be. The 2nd Act immediately adopts a much darker tone n commences with as brutal a scene I've seen on stage involving a man and a pregnant woman. The scene that follows involving the woman alone and her response had me squirming and left me feeling as uncomfortable as I'd care to feel - a truly stellar bit of theatre. Two things stopped this being a 5 star production - it was too long, some editing wud've hepled the pacing and impact and the "7 Dwarfs" style of scene changing got a bit repetitive - needed to be slicker - momentum was lost. Itz worth mentinoing that 5% (that's a guess) of the dialogue is in a different language (no idea which 1) - on the nt I went there was 1 chap who must've understood it as he was quitely chuckling to himself - oh to be multilingual! A word too on how appropriate a venue The Contact was for this prodtn - for me the ethnic mix of the mainly young audience added to the experience. - 172.203.38.94) | 13 Oct 06 |
| The concert had a well- balanced mix of classic and popular melodies. Andrea's voice was truly amazing, he has a brilliant lung capacity. Andrea seemed more relaxed during the second half, perhaps he has to concentrate more on the opera. Not a score of 5 because there really were far too few programmes on sale for such a prestigious event. - 85.210.8.204) | 12 Oct 06 |
| A very pleasant and enjoyable evening at a leisurely pace with good clean humour and exchange of experiences. Alternatively taking the other parts, but all sharing the "dog" !! 5 stars to the dog !!! - 84.64.222.168) | 12 Oct 06 |
| Although this will appeal to a younger audience, who laugh at every swear word and "shock" oral sex scenes with a girl in a coma, the average theatre goer will find this tedious and quite flat. The Drum always tries to put on anything that is just an excuse to swear a lot and shock (eg Mercury Fur). Nothing to do with "Entertainment". This production and many like it make Jerry Springer The Opera look like Snow White. - 84.66.183.52) | 10 Oct 06 |
| Having seen the show many times, I rate the 06/07 tour as the poorist production with a low budget feeling. - 195.93.21.34) | 08 Oct 06 |
| George Irving's performance in this complex play is superb. We all knew that he is an excellent actor on the small screen, but his recent appearances on film and now on the stage show how accomplished he is in all of these media. It is to be hoped that we see more of his work in the near future. - 212.159.17.162) | 08 Oct 06 |
| WOW! What an excellent night. Paul certainly can still rock after all these years. Hope he's back next year with Queen, I'll certainly be there. - 87.113.4.218) | 06 Oct 06 |
| Absolutely incredible performance. Crisp vocals and a good mixture of the "old classics" and new songs from his forthcoming album. Highlights included guest appearance by Kanye West!! Final song was "So High" which he performed and an encore and it totally sums up how i felt after seeing a true musician, performer and master at work!! - 217.40.166.49) | 04 Oct 06 |
| What a great gig!! So good to see that He's still got it. Seeing Him in the flesh, that magical voice, and with the added fortune of seeing Gary Moore playing beside one of the great singers of our time. May not get the chance to see Mr R again....couldn't be happier than to have seen Him rock the Albert Hall for the first time since 1977. I was there!! - 195.173.172.130) | 04 Oct 06 |
| Was bitterly disappointed in this play. Couldn't understand why it started when it did, and didn't put the players into perspective. The fact that Max was a communist was unclear as he ranted on. Why Jan went back to Prague was unclear. It seemed to us to be more intellectual style over good play construction. - 62.72.33.241) | 04 Oct 06 |
| another inventive entertaining and thought provoking production from propeller. It's funny sexy and dark. - 81.86.106.82) | 04 Oct 06 |
| Great show, this man is a MAJOR performer. We flew in from the Netherlands to see him and will definitely try to get tickets for a future show. - 62.45.233.133) | 03 Oct 06 |
| an absolutely stunning piece of theatre. Superbly acted and directed and written. Not to be missed. - 81.86.106.82) | 03 Oct 06 |
| annie is annie it does what it says on the box this production was great from start to finish great cast fantastic choreography slick and stylish to look at sometimes can be to cynical about stuff annie is pure entertainment and thats what this production does ENTERTAIN !! - 195.54.241.25) | 02 Oct 06 |
| Disappointing. I've been to a lot of plays as part of my theatre course and this was really poor. - 84.65.90.82) | 01 Oct 06 |
| I was very moved by the performance Sardines, it should be seen by as many people as possible to remind us, in this self absorbed society, that we are all the same and we need to help each other - 81.178.92.73) | 30 Sep 06 |
| Though I've seen the literary merit in Conor McPherson's work, I can't say I've ever appreciated them as plays. To me they have been monologues which would be as successful if you closed your eyes; the characters rarely interact so to me they don't really qualify as drama. Well, here's a proper play, and what a good one too. As the closing song says, a 'sweet little mystery' which is always gripping and often funny, with a handful of terrific performances. At last, a Conor McPherson PLAY ! - 193.35.134.150) | 30 Sep 06 |
| “An Evening with John Barry” went the advert in the Sunday paper, I put my pint down (Yes, I was in the pub) and enquired of my other half whether she’d like to go to see the great John Barry? She didn’t, but she suggested that I should, as I’ve been a fan for a very long time, having bought my first John Barry LP back in 1966 at the tender age of twelve by saving three weeks money from part time job to pay the 32s 6d (roughly £1.62) purchase price. So I paid my £47 plus for the ticket (agency fees etc), took half a day off work to catch the Oxford Tube to London to be there in plenty of time. I was early, so being a post graduate researcher at the University; I used my student card (at 52 I hear you say!!) and had a couple of (cheap) beers in the SU bar at Imperial College, which is just around the corner from the Royal Albert Hall. So far, so good, I hear you say. I get to the Royal Albert Hall and I’m shown to my seat by a very pleasant usher. First problem, those seats in the stalls, they’re not good, small and hard, but that’s got nothing to do with the show. I’m upbeat, alright, it’s hard on my backside and there isn’t enough space to pick up a cat let alone swing it, but I’m going to see John Barry conduct, so it’s “OK”. Ah, the performance, and this is where the second, major, problem rears its head. The lights go down; John Barry comes on; the music starts; It’s immediately recognisable as “Goldfinger”, brilliant, if the rest of the evenings going to be like this, I’ll be as happy as a pig in S**t. The piece finishes and John Barry’s off stage to be replaced by another conductor. I thought “Oh well, maybe he’ll come back after a couple of pieces to conduct again”. This was a bad assumption to make, because he didn’t actually come back on stage again to conduct until the finale "We Have all the Time in the World" from behind the Ten Tenors. Let’s be fair, the music and arrangements were beautiful (I expected no less of John Barry) the conductor (Paul Bateman, I think, but it could have been Nicholas Dodd, to be honest, I’m not sure) and The English Chamber Orchestra were excellent, even the Ten Tenors were pretty good (but I really didn’t go to see them and, I suspect that 90% of the rest of the audience didn’t either). As I said, I went to see John Barry. Unfortunately, he was only on stage for less than 10 minutes. So an evening of John Barry’s music it was, but An Evening with John Barry is stretching the point, if one were being pedantic, we were both in the Royal Albert Hall at the same time. Maybe John Barry’s definition of “An Evening with John Barry” and mine are different but I think that there was something missing, namely, John Barry, whom everyone in the audience really wanted to see. - 161.73.144.54) | 29 Sep 06 |
| I've only just stumbled across this review page, and I'm astonished by some of the glowing reviews. This was the most ineptly written and ill conceived play I've ever had the misfortune to come across. The script was, quite frankly, embarrassingly bad. The actors tried their best, and even managed to be quite good, but I don't think there was much they could do to salvage such an awful awful awful piece of writing. - 81.19.57.186) | 28 Sep 06 |
| The play itself is first rate Stoppard and the performances couldn't be better. Rufus Sewell is outstanding (the best male performance of the ten shows I saw in London) Sinead Cusack is also great as is Brian Cox. If you like Tom Stoppards plays don't miss this one. - 207.126.221.70) | 26 Sep 06 |
| I saw The Man with Two Gaffers at York and this provided a wonderful start to my theatre season. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and it stimulated much discussion afterwards. We were entertained and found it provoked light hearted laughter. We also saw the War of the Roses Trilogy at Leeds Playhouse and were spellbound by the overall effect and development of the characters. Obviously "Gaffers" and "War of the Roses" are very different and therefore it is innappropriate to compare them, as some reviewers seem inclined to do. I enjoy Shakespeare performed by Northern Broadsides but think it is brilliant that the company is diversifying and also developing new talent with this production. Northern Broadsides can be relied upon to entertain and the singing was superb. My only disappointment was how little music was included, perhaps a reflection of Conrad Nelson not being involved, and no clog dancing despite Barrie Rutter wearing clogs. I do wonder how well the production will be received in the South due to the accent as opposed to "northern voices" and the references to Yorkshire places. However, overall another memorable evening with Northern Broadsides. - 213.130.132.227) | 26 Sep 06 |
| You would think that a play about hostages would be too serious to make you feel uplifted.But in this production of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, the acting is so pwerful you immediately feel a connection to these three men. Mark Curtis's spirited performance as Adam the first hostage is so convincing that even when he is not on stage you can still feel his presence. A strong poerfromance also by Kevin Watt provides a link to channel the humour, complemented by the powerful performance of Robert Maskell as the third hostage who takes himself a little too seriously. The intimate setting of the Broadway Studio adds to the atmsophere, and Georgina Lowes set makes you feel as if you are in Beirut itself. Go and enjoy the wealth of talent performing in Catford. You will never regret it. - 80.177.201.34) | 23 Sep 06 |
| Judging by the crowd reaction, the vast majority of the audience present at the Lowry (Wed nt) were in agreement with the main review. For me the humour was a bit too safe. There were a couple of genuinely funny soundbites/visuals but all within a clealy defined comfort zone. More impressive than the humour was the execution of the show which was well thght out and enabled things to fizz along at a sexy pace. The 2 ladies too were excellent in all they did. As a reference pt, the last spoof thing I saw was The Reduced Skspr Co perform their Hollywood Completely (or vice versa?!?) n found that a 4 star show. Did luv the line "I don't do the post" followed by the quickest clearance of a table ever. Not enuff surreal madness for me but then most folks aren't certifiable and most left more than satisfied. - 172.209.155.163) | 21 Sep 06 |
| A pleasant enough evening, but a lot of the humour was thrown away with the simplest mistakes of trying to talk of the laughs rather than wait. Also James Fleet was very difficult to hear throughtout the play and the audience missed most of his lines. Ok but only suitable if you have nothing better to do - 84.65.51.36) | 20 Sep 06 |
| This betters Red Shift's interpretaion of The Third Man by a long margin. It's fast, scary and funny. The design is inventive, the staging very good and there are some fine performances - perfect for a small-scale touring production. - 86.130.210.245) | 20 Sep 06 |
| the first act needs some work, as for me its outdoor scenes didn't quite come off. But once we reach the court-scene the play comes into its own. Duncan Preston plays it exactly right as the "ordinary man" and young Scout (Bettrys Jones) stole the show for me. - 62.252.224.18) | 20 Sep 06 |
| I have seen a touring version of this musical previously and I wasn't too impressed and so I went to this event not expecting a great night out, however, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoy this show. The singing is spot on although some of the dance routines are not too well done most are adequate. The musical numbers are better than I remembered although many of the songs are repeated endlessness throughtout the production. Staging and the sound balance was execellant. - 128.240.229.6) | 19 Sep 06 |
| Well worth seeing - the begng of the 2nd act was probably the most entertaining part as the whole cast hit the stage for a nice bit of dysfunctional bonding...(sort of poor man's Festen). The rest of the piece is a lot more intense as it usually features only 2 actors; nevertheless it always holds ur attentn well, tho the 3rd act adds little in terms of narrative, other than illustrate all the 'bad blood' we were were forewarned abt in the first two acts. One of those productions that deserves to be seen - strictly 3.5 stars for me in terms of how entertaining/enjoyable it was, but it earns 0.5 of a star on the gds that itz a worthy and very credible prodn - if that makes sense! Eye candy (apparently) for the femmes in the audience t'boot and nice to watch a whole prodn at the Lowry for a change aft the last 2 HT departures (Annie n Hab Corpus). - 172.209.155.163) | 19 Sep 06 |
| A wonderful production. Good to see Preston in a serious role, and Bettrys Jones gives an amazing performance as 12 year old Scout! - 81.79.104.149) | 18 Sep 06 |
| Not the greatest Theatre Royal Production. Lacked passion and humour. Except for the central revolving set, the TR2 set was "tacky", cheap "un-ironed - creased" cloths, badly stapled green wing flats. Bring back Gary Wilmot. - 84.65.51.36) | 17 Sep 06 |
| I know it hasn't opened yet, but I saw this ballet, by Derek Deane I think it was, a few years back and it is truly superb. Magical and exciting! Recommended. - 86.27.55.98) | 13 Sep 06 |
| Beautiful poised performances, lovely atmospheric settings and lighting, and a delightful script. A blissful way to spend an evening - and not a single F Word. I really felt I got to know the characters and was genuinely saddened by their dilemmas. An intelligent, literate evening - clearly too much so for the WoS reviewer (who seems to be an unreconstructed Marxist - surely a bit old hat even for today's youth!). - 195.54.229.238) | 13 Sep 06 |
| I preferred it to the West End cast. Less upstaging going on and you get a real sense of hopeless desperation behind the laughs. A lovely evening in the theatre. - 195.54.229.238) | 13 Sep 06 |
| Not bad, great dancing but boring acting scenes in between. David Essex made to look very old. I wouldn't want to see it again. Lead male talented, and a black girl in the chorus had a fantastic voice, very talented lady. Overall a bit dull. - 62.254.64.17) | 10 Sep 06 |
| Whether itz 1 or 2 stars is pretty acdaemic. What isn't in doubt is that it barely sustains interest, let alone entertains (a few sympathetic smiles at most). The cast are obviously a talented bunch but itz little more than a series of sketches - never feels or flows like a play. The cleaner lady who occasionally narrates (grates) makes ya squirm and the telephone handset with the never-ending cord is panto material. Updating the script surely would've helped. Also the set is non-existent in terms of a theatrical experience - a real waste of The Lowry's brillnt setting. My 2nd consecutive Lowry HT departure - life's too short as they say. - 172.189.37.58) | 10 Sep 06 |
| Blake Morrison's The Cracked Pot was a brilliantly successful adaptation of a German play. Alas, Morrison hasn't been able to repeat the trick with this adaptation of Goldini. I found it terribly dull, confusing and over-acted, even for a farce. Better luck next time! - 84.66.20.117) | 07 Sep 06 |
| what an immence show,brilliant, for me stalin was the star of the show he was so prominant,and good looking 2 me he was stalin,strong,powerfull,and assert.hope 2 c more of that actor. - 84.66.195.38) | 06 Sep 06 |
| I'm surprised this show is getting such bad reviews... And anyone who says Marry bloody poppins is better and then complains about WIW to be long, overdone and overdramatisised... needs to get a little more cultured. This show, although dosnt have little token tunes such as on my own for instance, it still has beautiful and chilling music throughout. Theres nothing like a good piece of gripping drama, who cares about the OTT ness of the nature, its what most theatre is about. Fantastic score and singing. Brilliant. - 81.131.41.237) | 02 Sep 06 |
| Northern Broadsides (NB), usually known for their Shakespeare, this time tackle a farce. Whilst I am in broad agreement with the main reviewer I think its worthy of a higher mark. I saw it at York on Tuesday 29th August, probably only its second performance. I think it will get better as the run continues, routines will be sharper and different ways will be found to utilise the "spoil heaps." Whilst there was singing there were no musical instruments in this production. Sadly this detracts from the performance as there is nothing to "set the scene" or keep us amused during scene changes. Conrad Nelson is not involved in this production. His music and percussion helped make NB's last offering, Shakespeare's War of the Roses a most memorable trilogy of plays. I agree that the dialogue/dialect may stump many. I have lived in Leeds for 14 years and some of it stumped me. Overall a good start to my Autumn theatregoing but I do agree that NB slipped slightly from their usual impossibly high standards. - 20.138.246.89) | 01 Sep 06 |
| If you enjoy Stoppard, soviet history and rock n roll then you'll love this play as much as I Did. It is cerebral stuff but also quite visceral and emotional. The acting is first rate with Sinead Cusack and Brian Cox stealing the honours as the academic couple. It is of course the music that is sublime withe Floyd and the Stones representing revoultion and the spirit of the sixties. Using Syd Barret as a motif works poignantly and the Prague scenes are superb. - 86.140.72.148) | 01 Sep 06 |
| i have only ever heard "dangeruos corner", as a radio play some years ago, and then it didn't matter that you couldn't 'see' the people the characters were talking about, - 83.67.119.5) | 31 Aug 06 |
| Gud official review - agreed with the 2 stars, but only 'cos the sets looked great as ever on the Lowry stage with itz brillnt lighting and depth. Poor theatre, in a word (or is that 2). Quite simply the bits between the songs were not gud enuff - either from a narrative viewpt or character development. There didn't seem a natutral flow, more a stop-start feel to the whole thing. The scenes with the Policeman (sorry cop) n Annie and her with the Down n Outz along with Mrs H 'n' her scally Bro were just plain dull - plenty of little people in the audience heard nattering during these, or maybe the chattering classes are getting younger. Let's face it Annie cud've been run over by a bus (or tram) and the ex-Dulux pooch happily sold to a S Korean eaterie and a grand total of zero tears wud have been shed. Only Mr Warbucks held any interest for me as he brought some humanity to the whole thing. Also the shrillness of the songs was a bit too banshee-esque at times. Thankfully I'd seen the matinee Steptoe and Son earlier, so was more than happy t'leave at HT after the panto style scene with Mrs H appearing on the other side of the glass panelled door and pulling a face - the loud shrieks of (Sunny) delite from the under 7's suggested that this was their biggest highlite (of the 1st half at least). Could've been so much better. - 172.207.198.130) | 31 Aug 06 |
| I agree that it's an unusal topic but for all you cynics out there I urge you to go and see this for yourself. The cast handle a difficult topic with sensitivity and humour. A great piece of new writing. Congratulations to all involved! - 86.135.86.79) | 31 Aug 06 |
| A pretty unusual idea for a musical, but I would have to say that it works. This is a quirky show, and the second half is rather heavy going, but the subject matter is fascinating and the cast are superb. - 80.229.33.223) | 31 Aug 06 |
| Finally a brand new, original, thought-provoking British musical that isn't based on a film, book, pop songs or anything already published and seen. It is very topical actually, written as a response to the recent anti-terror campaign. The songs are fantastic sometimes dark, sometimes funny, sometimes haunting and almost always very clever. They have a three piece orchestra which is an achievement in itself considering it's in Baron's Court Theatre! Some of the performers are brilliant and a couple of times I was almost in tears. I think I've said enough - strongly reccomended to those who have been complaining that nothing original is being written. - 84.9.90.181) | 31 Aug 06 |
| WOW! I saw this last night and all I can say is I was just blown away. Such a difficult subject to present, but the writing and music combined with the strongly talented cast, made for a highly engaging evening. Thought provoking and refreshing. GO SEE IT!! - 194.159.31.243) | 30 Aug 06 |
| I saw this last night and was truely moved. Solid performances from a very competent cast, a beautifull score, and an engaging plot. - 195.93.21.5) | 30 Aug 06 |
| Fantastic music, talented cast and a gripping story. Original, thought-provoking, and moving. A great night out! - 84.12.169.19) | 30 Aug 06 |
| Fantastic music, great cast, gripping story. Original, thought-provoking, and moving. A great night out! - 84.12.169.19) | 30 Aug 06 |
| Rubbish! No story line at all, lots of technical hitches, very disjointed and the man playing MJ at the end was a great look-a-like and a good dancer, but didn't know the words to Billie Jean. The only good thing were the kids, they sang really well. - 62.252.64.30) | 29 Aug 06 |
| I've seen many performances of BT over the years; some of them very well performed and some of them with very photogenic lads playing Jamie and Ste, but none have touched me in quite the same way as this particular production has. I honestly don't know why. There is just something very special about it that has let me experience again some of those 'first-time' emotions that you normally only believe you'll experience once in your life. I *really* adore this production and the way it makes me feel. My non-BT friends don't understand it at all and think I am mad, but the point is that, with the excellent stage production and direction, as well as the superb acting from all involved (a special mention to the excellent Jonathan Bailey as Jamie), this really is a production to die for and I fear we may not see a BT play of such high calibre for many a year to come. - 84.68.115.250) | 28 Aug 06 |
| I went to the matinee on Saturday. I took my sons. I wasn't sure if they would like it but they didn't enjoy it. Cameron Leigh was weak in her acting as Roxie, good dancer but she is better as Hunyak. It wasn't worth the long journey to see this. The theatre wasn't full which is strange for a Saturday. A great show that needs reshaping and recasting. Brenda sings well but can't act. Julian Simms is not very good as Amos. - 86.138.63.73) | 28 Aug 06 |
| Saw yesterday's matinee (26th August 2006). Seen it three times now and I swear it gets better! And I cry more each time! Maureen Nolan was amazing.. a brilliant actress and so much emotion in her voice. Anthony Costa fabulous! I had my doubts before the show what with the lame songs he sang in Blue! but he was great... had me laughing one minute then crying the next. The actress who played Linda.. so moving! Amazing performance! Just a beautiful moving show. The audience looked exhausted when the lights came up! FAB FAB FAB!!! DONT LET IT END!!! - 195.93.21.39) | 27 Aug 06 |
| Hi: I am so pleased to see that most all of you who saw the show enjoyed it. I am one of the investors in both the original new York production and now the London production. I almost didn't see the show when it was done in a workshop; but when I did I felt compelled to contact the producer (Kevin McCollum) to ask to invest. His next big show is HIGH FIDELITY which opens in New York on December 7. My wife and I are looking forward to the New York openings of MARY POPPINS and BILLY ELLIOT. HISTORY BOYS has been extended here to October 3 and we look forward to seing it again. - 152.163.101.5) | 27 Aug 06 |
| Saw this yesterday matinee. Well first off I nearly shot out my seat when it first started, that sudden burst of music!! Actually reminded me of the start of Mamma Mia! (dare i say it). The set is simple and effective, different to the original tour I think. The sound design is much clearer as every word sung can be heard and there isnt a weak link. Cheryl Bakers accent is bizarre but voice isnt bad, David Essex is, well David Essex. Johny Shantel wasnt as bad as I was imagining but I cant imagine him as ren at ALL!! Now Derek hough, wow, have to say thought he was quirky looking on the posters (compared to the hunk that is Chris Jarvis) but he has a huge stage presence, actually very cute and good looking and delivers a knock our performance both vocally and dancing. He is also a pretty good actor. This boy deserves to be a star. Now lets face it a musical called Footloose is never going to be the most challenging piece of theatre but the dancing is supurb, cast excellent, it does what it says on the tin. The show is a lot tighter to when I saw it a few years back. Im sorry but I still prefer Mamma Mia, but Footloose is fun, sexy and way better and slicker than Fame. The first half is the stronger, and moves along at a cracking rate. Footloose is way better than much that has toured then come in, it deserves its place in the West End and its a shame its closing. Its not everyones taste but its caters to a market. There was so much energy on stage, the entire ensemble clearly work very hard and love what they do - bravo! - 86.138.200.168) | 27 Aug 06 |
| Well I caught the matinee performance of Chicago yesterday. I wanted to see it again to see what shape its in, and as Linzi Hateley has just taken on the lead role it was perfrect timing. I last saw it in 2004 with Jennifer ellison and I thought it was in awful shape. I was one of many saying it had had its day. Just my luck Linzi Hateley was off and I had her understudy. Cameron Leigh. She was brilliant, brought a lot of humour to the role and great voice. In no way was she a disappointment. Anna Faye Wright was Velma, I saw her in the UK tour a while back, she is one of the best Velmas out there. Gives a cracking performance, smooth dancer and great humour. The two of them worked well together. Brenda Edwards as Mama Mortan rocked, thought she was brilliant, belted out her songs, acted well - she has real potential to be a west end star. Hope to extends her contract again. Ian Kelsey was pretty good, better than I thought. Good voice and acting. They only weak link i thought was Julian Sims, he wasnt bad, but just found he didnt have much stage presence, I know Amos is menat to be a weak timid character but thought maybe a bit more energy could have gone into the performance. When he runs (or kinda walks he his case) shout he is the dad of roxies baby, he hardly seemed enthused at all! The ensemble - wow! At last they have got a tight and sexy ensemble. All dance moves were slick and sexy, as they should be. All the dancers are fit and gorgeous, again as they should be for this role. Special mentions to Tobias Walborn who oozed sexuality and charisma as Fred Casely and is a wicked dancer. Although to be honest they are all great. Chicago has got its act together and is in amazing shape. Its as tight and smooth as the dancers bodies and deserves its place in the west end. I recommend people rush to see it now. Two downsides - 1 - hated the Cambridge theatre, really ugly inside, felt like I was sitting in a black cave. 2 - I felt SO fat on leaving the theatre having watched the beautiful people on stage!! especially havign seen footloose the night before - not two shows to see to boost your ego! lol - 86.138.200.168) | 27 Aug 06 |
| This is an amazing show, with emotional and funny bits. Its got a bit for everyone. I am going to see it again for the run at The Arts Depot. - 84.13.7.144) | 25 Aug 06 |
| The Nolan sister scheduled to play was off the night I went and we had a Nolan sister replacement who, apparently, regularly stars in the West End production. Well if that's the case I am glad I didn't pay West End prices to see her. She has the voice but couldn't act for toffees! It's a corny piece but - given the right performers - works. maybe next time? - 195.93.21.135) | 20 Aug 06 |
| Only just found this review web page, production is over two months closed. It was a fabulous production, with fine performances from all 3 actors, although I have to agree with the comments in the other reviews, Michael Bate looked a bit stiff in comparison to the other two who moved more comfortably and more fluently and he lacked the menace Mick needs. Richard Self, yeah I agree, he was too forced, playing too much for the comedy, in after all a play which is far from a comedy, and he spoilt it for me by overdoing parts of his portrayal of Davies. The skid mark in the underwear being just one example of this over exaggeration. The outstanding performance was Richard Banks, a new name to me, but certainly worth looking out for. His Aston was one the most beautifully sensative and well observed characters I have seen on the Erith Playhouse stage and indeed many an amateur stage. I watched this character closely, I even wondered if this guy was indeed a little 'backward' or whatever the correct political term is these days because his speech and movement were awkward and yet precise, I saw his fingers move in a disquetening way, which I thought was a brilliant touch. I hung around in the foyer aftwerwards briefly enough to see the actors come out to meet the audience and rest assured he seemed to speak perfectly naturally! His monologue at the end of the second act was spellbinding, absolutely spellbinding, he took us through what started as another of Aston's pointless speeches, through a recollection of the Electric Shock Treatment he had received and through to a crescendo of pain, followed by a recovery to his normality. There were things that didn't gel for me, the hoover scene between Mick and Davies, and as I said Davies being played for too much comedy. I also think the room wasn't drab enough, or cluttered enough. Also Davies should have changed shoes, I know this is a minor point, but there is clear reference in the text to the shoes Aston gave him, but some reason Davies always stuck with delapidated sandals. NOT IN WINTER! The toaster was too modern and so was Mick's outfit. Overall though a cracking show, but a shame that the audience was lacking. - 86.133.137.193) | 18 Aug 06 |
| It was very interesting to see this so soon after watching The Overwhelming last week and I'm afraid this does not bear comparison as a political drama. As usual with Stoppard he seems determined to impress us with his higher intellect and too much of this feels like an illustrated lecture on Czech / Soviet history. The use of rock 'n' roll as a metaphor for the suppression of the individual is too shallow, particularly as the music used as links between scenes appear to be chosen at random without any relevance to the text. The conclusion appears to be that personal freedom is defined as the right to attend a Rolling Stones concert which surely diminishes the suffering of millions under Soviet domination behind the old Iron Curtain. This is saved by a couple of exceptional performances: Rufus Sewell is poor (he seems bored) whilst Alice Eve shows considerable promise but Sinead Cusack and Brian Cox dominate proceedings. Cusack coneys genuine anguish as the indominatable Eleanor despite being wracked with cancer and Cox is superb as an, apparently, unrepentant Communist arguing for a worker's Utopia in the face of all the evidence. Rock 'n' Roll is more accessible than most Stoppard and is fitfully entertaining but falls far short of its' loftier aims. - 62.6.139.13) | 17 Aug 06 |
| i love frank sinatra's music, but i found this show dull and boring. my husband and i was very close to leaving mid way. clever technical projections etc but how many times can you see dancers to obscure songs? which also was culturally inaccurate in many places. way too many dancers on a very small stage, too many things going on at once on the stage and gave me a stiff neck. dont bother, first show i'd seen in years that made we want to leave. only at the end songs did it get a bit more interesting. - 84.13.24.30) | 16 Aug 06 |
| Francis Matthews was surprisingly very good, but Honor Blackman spoke in a monotone therefore I was bored. With another actress, I am sure the play would sparkle! - 80.189.151.44) | 16 Aug 06 |
| This slightly aimless, intermittently funny play is decidedly soap operatic. The characters are cliches, the dialogue is mostly merely serviceable and there is little sense of the Caribbean in Rubasingham's slightly clumsy staging. I am sure there is a fascinating piece to be written about female sexual tourism but this isn't really it: I agree with Gareth that the second half is alot stronger than the first. For me, the acting was enormously patchy: some of it was way below the standard one might expect at the Court, although there is a beautiful performance by Lorna Gayle as the watchful island woman Angel. - 89.145.197.114) | 15 Aug 06 |
| Well, 3.5 actually, but I thought I should provide some balance! The play's depth - its issues - are mostly in Act II, which makes it a bit of an uneven ride. However, it does tackle them objectively within a well-plotted storyline rather than the current vogue for undramatic verbatim theatre or monologues. The performances are uniformly good and the design does provide a believable Carribean beach. Not ground-breaking, not the best of the Royal Court's 50th season, but well worth a visit. - 86.134.146.140) | 15 Aug 06 |
| I did find at times the writing too authorial and expostional. I also felt the writer held back, she could have explored the dark side of both worlds much more, but I come away liking it very much. Good direction, wonderful acting. - 195.93.21.105) | 12 Aug 06 |
| Same old Stoppard, same old drivel really. It should sell by the bucketload to the self-regarding twerps who think this kind of thing to be clever. Awful actors, too: Rufus 'no one seems to cast me in films anymore' Sewell (wonder why) and Brian 'I'm so old now I must be good' Cox. Rubbish. - 217.196.231.33) | 09 Aug 06 |
| this had to have bee none of the best plays i have ever seen between the actors phenominal transformation as they are growing up to the intense scenes its is great and i highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a little bit of everything. - 68.40.6.120) | 08 Aug 06 |
| Completely disagree with the previous reviewer! Granted this production does miss some of the darkness and there are some severe audibility problems at the outset that must be addressed, but overall it is super! colourful cheerful and unabashedly silly and joyful. to coin a phrase "and why not?" - 212.18.239.34) | 08 Aug 06 |
| What a great night! Loved the music and the vibe. What a brill idea. Will definitely be back soon with some of my records in tow! - 85.210.14.32) | 07 Aug 06 |
| I saw this play in Richmond and enjoyed it thoroughly.I thought the writing to be witty, incisive and pertinent - it is a shame there is nothing more of this quality on offer at present. I disagree with David Baxter because the paralells were not as 'Subtle as a sledgehammer'since, if he had read his programme notes, he would realise that it was written before the present situation in Iraq; and , because of that, it is a stark reminder of how the US has learned nothing from its actions in the past. The performances were excellent, in particular Clive Mantle who played the Gungo-ho redneck, bully with tremendous fervour. I hope that this play does transfer to the West End since it deserves to have a wider audience. - 86.133.251.162) | 06 Aug 06 |
| it's not really a play. just a colection of admittedly fascinating ideas. but oh so long. didn't connect with any of the characters - 81.86.106.82) | 02 Aug 06 |
| Oh dear, a rather static production with very little to carry you along. At least a dozen people didn't come back for the second half, and my wife and I briefly debated doing the same. The accents were dreadfully inconsistent in every case apart from Charles. There are occasions when I would prefer someone to adapt a play to local accents and locations; this would have been one. Lighting could have been consisdered 'atmospheric' though I found it simply dismal and difficult to see. - 81.139.120.88) | 31 Jul 06 |
| An evening full of expectation ruined by technical problems. A full house gave the tanyas an enthusiastic reception but the problems started almost immediately. The intonation on Trish's banjo was incorrect. Although brave member of the audience fixed it it left the fourth string out of tune. Then the pick up in the banjo didn't work. The microphone for Sam's mandolin never worked. The girls struggled on but it was obvious that they were completely pissed off. The lack of a banjo and mandolin through the whole running order out and the band's frustration shone through only too clearly. A sympathetic audience did it's best (apart from one idiot who seemed to think that people had come to see and hear him) but a very disappointing evening for both audience and band. Next time perhaps. - 82.36.206.228) | 31 Jul 06 |
| Who am I to quibble with 5 stars from an American visitor - but; there is definitely a very good play in here somewhere but it needs a better writer than Brian Stewart to bring it out. The first part is generally amusing as increasingly bizarre plans are discussed and the knowledge that this is rooted in fact makes it even better. However, after the interval a completely different play takes over - devoid of humour and more a discussion of American foreign policy / isolationism / paranoia in Cold War times. The parallels with later events are about as subtle as a sledgehammer; they might as well hold up placards saying "this is about the Kennedy assasination" or "we're really talking about Iraq". The other problem is the venue (see Discussion Board). The Cliffs Pavilion is not a playhouse and should never be attempted without mikes. Edward Harwicke in particular was barely audible throughout. The other three actors give committed performances but the reaction at the curtain call suggests that this is doomed not to transfer to the Haymarket as hoped. - 62.6.139.13) | 28 Jul 06 |
| Maybe not one the Bard's easiest plays to sit through - but this production is best I've seen in many years of theatregoing. The wordy text is delivered with absolute clarity - and the fine cast is headed by James Laurenson in magnificent form. Try not to miss it in Bath or later at Stratford. - 62.56.87.129) | 26 Jul 06 |
| A good evening out - Alan Bennett's play has stood the test of time very well - a splendid cast headed by the marvellous James Fleet. Not to be missed. - 62.56.87.129) | 26 Jul 06 |
| A great revival of this funny play, an inventive production, and brilliant acting,made the characters come alive, poignant and humerous , a must see production.Well done New Vic. - 62.6.139.13) | 24 Jul 06 |
| Superb show! One of the best things I have seen in London for some time. Pitched perfectly, and cleverly reworked for a British audience. Great performances all round, with special mentions for Jenny, played with a bubby sexiness, and a phenomenal Adam, who was played with a subtlety and likability that made the final scene absoultely heart wrenching. I was riveted throughout - and I only found out afterwards, that this was an amateur company! The west end better pull its socks up! - 80.68.38.46) | 24 Jul 06 |
| It was a scorching hot and stuffy Tuesday evening in The City; it was going to take something pretty spectacular to make me sit still for 3 hours in a sparse, humid basement theatre. Needless to say, it was and it did! Thoroughly entertaining; a super performance by all concerned. - 82.43.144.92) | 22 Jul 06 |
| Best production of Rocky I've ever seen: Chris Luscombe's direction has a finesse and coherence that brings out the quirky humour and exuberant filth of the piece, while O'Brien's classy score has seldom sounded better. Looking like Shirley Bassey on acid, David Bedella is an inspired, sexy, superbly lascivious Frank. In a strong supporting cast, Susanne Shaw is perfection as Janet, Shona White makes a terrific Magente/Usherette and the beautiful Julian Essex-Spurrier catches exactly Rocky's mix of childlike innocence and explosive sex appeal. Great fun. - 195.82.123.181) | 22 Jul 06 |
| Once again Tom Stoppard marries intellectual muscle with theatrical elan. Whether this beautifully written, funny, moving examination of East-West politics versus popular culture will appeal to the masses is debatable, but Trevor Nunn's exquisite production could hardly be bettered. This is the best performance I have seen Rufus Sewell give, and there is magnificent work from Brian Cox, Alice Eve and the luminous Sinead Cusack. This sent me away with alot to think about. Very good indeed. - 195.82.123.181) | 22 Jul 06 |
| Great show! Great set. Great actors. A bit long for no intermission, but only just. Coupled with the other show, Bash, this is an evening that stays with you long after you walk out the door. - 213.61.102.42) | 21 Jul 06 |
| This play had so much about it! I found myself exploring the themes for days afterwards! And without Without exception, powerful performances from all the cast. Highly recommended! - 194.72.110.12) | 21 Jul 06 |
| I went to see this with friends yesterday and I recommend anyone reading this to GET DOWN THERE FAST!! this is such a genuine and gritty play that I was charmed and suprised by along with all of my friends. Such an intimate theatre and a well worked and scripted play. An art piece to be sure. - 217.147.240.180) | 20 Jul 06 |
| Ohmigod - I can't believe this isn't in the west end. It's completely compelling! Don't go to some rubbish musical in some huge barn of a theatre - go and see this instead and see what theatre can be like when people really put their hearts into it! - 217.19.131.29) | 20 Jul 06 |
| WENT TO SEE THE SHOW IN THE WEST END AND LOVED IT SO DECIDED TO SEE THE SHOW IN MANCHESTER AND BRADFORD. LOVED THE CAST ALL SO YOUNG AND ENTHUSIASTIC. THOUGHT REBECCA DENTS VOICE WAS GREAT MADE THE HAIRS STAND UP ON THE BACK OF MY NECK I HOPE SHE WILL GO FAR IN HER CHOSEN A CAREER GOOD TO SEE REBECCA AND CAROLINE TWO NORTHERN GIRLS DOING SO WELL. HOPE TO SEE THEM ON THE WEST END STAGE AND ON TOUR IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. - 88.108.40.156) | 19 Jul 06 |
| i had the one of the wost seats in the arena and the show still was amazing... idk what the other guy was saying about to long of pauses between the songs because they hardly stoped at all... i didnt like the opening band as much tho .... there was to much going on and was a bad sound represent USA! - 62.25.108.75) | 19 Jul 06 |
| What a night we have tried without luck to see the chili's and it was worth all the waiting. Then came the encore and my wife lost the diamond out of her engagement ring. A big thank you to the security guys for helping to search in vain, its in the sole of someones shoe was the general consensus, so if you went to the show on Monday have a look you never know - 86.139.64.130) | 18 Jul 06 |
| The show looked pretty good and expensive, but the chilies weren't on their best.Played a strange set and too many stops beetween songs. - 80.3.64.12) | 18 Jul 06 |
| SIMPLY THE BEST EVER LOVED EVERY MINUTE - 195.93.21.37) | 17 Jul 06 |
| Marvellous. Astonishigly acute writing and wonderful acting particularly from the magnificent Fiona Shaw extending her range yet again and giving a masterclass in acting skills. - 80.177.231.164) | 17 Jul 06 |
| Awful echoey sound at Earls court. The band looked a little like they were going through the motions - 198.240.128.75) | 17 Jul 06 |
| WOW! What a show. I dont think there could be a more perfect Frank N Furter than David Bedella. Having seen him play Satan I wondered what he would do with this role and he makes it his own and commands the stage like none other. Pleasantly surprised by Suzanne Shaws vocals, she was pretty amazing and definitely plays Janet as well as anyone. Great cast all round really, no complaints at all. Wish it was in London longer then I would see it again and again.......... - 62.254.128.6) | 16 Jul 06 |
| I have just been to see "Beauty and the Beast" with my wife and daughter at the Churchill Theatre, bromley, and although I was not particularly looking forward to seeing it, we all came out saying how fantastic it had been. Nic Greenshields as the Beast was superb as a threatening figure who could also make us laugh, although it was his powerful singing which stole the show. The casting was spot on as everyone seemed to play their part perfectly, with Katie Rowley-Jones making a charming but strong Beauty and Michael Quinn a cartoonesque Gaston that had the audience frequently laughing. The sets were excellent and the special effects good, particularly the finale! It's a show that the whole family could enjoy and one of the best I have ever seen. I would certainly recommend it to my friends. - 82.34.17.142) | 05 Jul 06 |
| This show's many faults just emphasise why Mamma Mia is such an incredible success. Ben Elton's script is lumpen and largely unfunny and the songs are forced into what passes for a plot. If you actually listen to the lyrics, most of them make no sense whatsoever. There is also a central performance from Ryan Molloy which is almost entirely lacking in charisma (or a decent singing voice) and the worst American accent I have ever heard from Daniel Robinson. However he does redeem himself with an excellent rendition of 'I Don't Wnat to Talk About It'; Rachel Tucker is also very good as Sweet Lady Mary and Jeff Edwards provides some welcome humour as Stoner. Overall it was a fairly entertaining evening at my local theatre (Westcliff) but it felt formulaic and manipulative. - 62.6.139.13) | 05 Jul 06 |
| If 'Bad Girls:The Musical' is anything to go by then the future of British musical theatre looks much more rosy than many people like to predict. Having never seen the TV show I was unsure as to what exactly to expect. The show is a revelation, and as mentioned in other reviews, cast to perfection. Hal Fowler makes a truely wonderful Fennan, as is given two absolutly fantastic songs - the showstopping duet'Jailcraft'and a song sung immedietly before he rapes a prisoner which in its construction, has an air of sondheim about it. Fowler is able to convey the slimy evil prisoner officer perfectly by not allowing us to like the character too-much by subtely reminding us his sinsiter nature. Most of the songs are witty and original. This show deserves a dcent west-end run - but needs to find the right theatre to do it in. The second half is also slightly weaker than the first, and some slight tinkering may be in need. However this show is a refreshing change to the tribute shows and revivals which seem to be flooding the scene. The other factor which may delay a transfer could be Hannah Waddingham's commitment to Spamalot should they want her to reprise her role as Nikki - which would be a wise thing. With so many musicals opening in 2006 (and many of them big-budget high profile shows), it may be a smart move to wait until 2007. If this is the case, the West End could find out in 2007 what West Yorkshire has found out in 2006 - Bad Girls The Musical is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of original theatre, and a splendid night out. - 193.37.180.5) | 03 Jul 06 |
| Painfully bad. Should have left in the interval... If i wasnted to watch a big screen i would have gone to the cinema, cheaper and far more entertaining. Cheap set and a distinct lack of skating made this one of my worse nights in the theatre ever, bar going to see the 'tonights the night' tour. Im sure kids will love it, but anyone over the age of 10 should probrebly beware. - 88.108.50.148) | 30 Jun 06 |
| Saw this in Southampton, possibly the worst piece of theatre i have seen. Ever. God awful story ( i would be tempted to give Ben Elton a piece of my mind if i saw him on the street...) dreadful orcestrations on the songs. It wasnt helped by terrible sound mixing which made most of the chorus songs inaudiable. Bland performances from most, bar the young girl lead and main lead girl. If the tour is an improvement on the original i dread to think what that was like... - 88.108.50.148) | 30 Jun 06 |
| I saw this on the 21st. It's a shame the previous poster didn't leave going until this week as it was brilliant. Darius has been back as Billy Flynn since Sat. 17th and the whole cast gelled really well. It was one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen. The whole cast were so full of life and in brilliant voice, it was infectious. - 80.3.32.6) | 30 Jun 06 |
| fab john partridge - 213.121.200.42) | 29 Jun 06 |
| Fantastic show, great songs and superb performances from the leads, particularly Guido (Anthony Flaum). - 147.62.42.119) | 27 Jun 06 |
| I have seen the show 3 times and am going to Brighton next week to see it again, its brilliant, i didnt find it offensive at all, just comical!! the actors are fantstic as is the music! - 195.93.21.69) | 26 Jun 06 |
| We went to see the last night of this paly and are glad we did. I had read previous reviews so had high expectations but my girlfriend and I were hugely inpressed. A great story, well portrayed whist showing a finger to the PC brigade. Brave and worthy of furtgher exposure. - 212.23.29.93) | 26 Jun 06 |
| This was an excellent production, with some particularly strong performances. I have to say at this point, I am a fan of Pinter and to be honest this was one of the reasons I was a bit sceptical about going to an amateur performance as I have seen many professional productions, both here in the UK and abroad, however this will rank for me as one of the strongest I have seen. The set was good although personally it looked too much like a set rather than a dirty unkempt room. It needed to be more cluttered and with more dirt. Opening the play was Michael Bate sitting on a chair in a Pinteresque pause. His performance for me was the weakest of the three, looking a little too modern and he didn't have the real menace and power that his character demands. True, he leapt nicely between civility and psychopath but the threatening edge was not quite there, not quite believeable. He also looked anachronistic compared to the other two actors. But not as much as the toaster Aston tried to repair, surely there must be an older toaster somewhere, but I nitpick. Richard Self as Davies superb as the scheming tramp using and playing the two brothers off against each other. He had great characterisation as the central character he dominated the stage, coughing spluttering and shuffeling his way around the stage, occasionally I thought he was a little OTT and I became conscious of him trying to hog the limelight. I know the play well and thought he tried to be too comedic instead of running with what Pinter had written and at times dominated too much both Mick and Aston. Having said this I enjoyed his performance and can forgive his minor discretions. I thought Richard Banks's portrayal of Aston was a delight, quiet (perhaps too quiet at times), introspective, obsessional, almost dysfunctional. For me this is one of the hardest roles in theatre to get right, often it is over sentimentalised or dehumanised to the extent of being portrayed as little more than a moron. This portrayal for me was succinct and excellently executed. The monologue was a powerful, moving and compelling piece of drama. I have seen Aston's monologue delivered without emotion and also with over the top emotion, but rarely have I seen it delivered with the power and delivery of this production. This was the highlight of the production without question. After the monologue the action quickly built to its climax of non action. The timing of all three actors was sublime and the famous silences and pauses were held perfectly. I was glad to see that the director had not ignored the humour that is in this play, and the three delivered the comedy well, although as I said perhaps occasionally OTT. Don't get me wrong this was an excellent production but with minor blemishes. At six pounds a seat it was a cheap night's entertainment and had I paid double it would have been worth every penny. Erith Playhouse has won a gamut of awards and this, I think should extend its haul. Quite simply this was one of the best productions I have seen. Its a shame that this production didn't have a wider audience as the theatre was scarcely half full on the night I went. - 86.132.24.116) | 25 Jun 06 |
| This was an excellent production, with some particularly strong performances. I have to say at this point, I am a fan of Pinter and to be honest this was one of the reasons I was a bit sceptical about going to an amateur performance as I have seen many professional productions, both here in the UK and abroad, however this will rank for me as one of the strongest I have seen. The set was good although personally it looked too much like a set rather than a dirty unkempt room. It needed to be more cluttered and with more dirt. Opening the play was Michael Bate sitting on a chair in a Pinteresque pause. His performance for me was the weakest of the three, looking a little too modern and he didn't have the real menace and power that his character demands. True, he leapt nicely between civility and psychopath but the threatening edge was not quite there, not quite believeable. He also looked anachronistic compared to the other two actors. But not as much as the toaster Aston tried to repair, surely there must be an older toaster somewhere, but I nitpick. Richard Self as Davies superb as the scheming tramp using and playing the two brothers off against each other. He had great characterisation as the central character he dominated the stage, coughing spluttering and shuffeling his way around the stage, occasionally I thought he was a little OTT and I became conscious of him trying to hog the limelight. I know the play well and thought he tried to be too comedic instead of running with what Pinter had written and at times dominated too much both Mick and Aston. Having said this I enjoyed his performance and can forgive his minor discretions. I thought Richard Banks's portrayal of Aston was a delight, quiet (perhaps too quiet at times), introspective, obsessional, almost dysfunctional. For me this is one of the hardest roles in theatre to get right, often it is over sentimentalised or dehumanised to the extent of being portrayed as little more than a moron. This portrayal for me was succinct and excellently executed. The monologue was a powerful, moving and compelling piece of drama. I have seen Aston's monologue delivered without emotion and also with over the top emotion, but rarely have I seen it delivered with the power and delivery of this production. This was the highlight of the production without question. After the monologue the action quickly built to its climax of non action. The timing of all three actors was sublime and the famous silences and pauses were held perfectly. I was glad to see that the director had not ignored the humour that is in this play, and the three delivered the comedy well, although as I said perhaps occasionally OTT. Don't get me wrong this was an excellent production but with minor blemishes. At six pounds a seat it was a cheap night's entertainment and had I paid double it would have been worth every penny. Erith Playhouse has won a gamut of awards and this, I think should extend its haul. Quite simply this was one of the best productions I have seen. Its a shame that this production didn't have a wider audience as the theatre was scarcely half full on the night I went. - 86.132.24.116) | 25 Jun 06 |
| Being a big fan of Hicks and only discovering 'him' back in '99 on a plane trip to Mexico, I was dubious about seeing this production in London (june '06). knowing most of his material word for word, i went with a best friend of mine unsure how we would take to the hour of seeing the next best thing we possibly could. the lights dimmed, 'hicks' spoke from heaven, the smoke rolled off the stage... the first 30 seconds, i thought to myself 'i made a mistake' but within minutes all fears about seeing this production dissapeared. I was laughing so hard, wishing, believing, that bill was still alive and being channeled to be here on stage. chaz pulled off the performance brilliantly, and the way his life (and death) his time in heaven, was handled, was not only superb but pure genius, bill would have approved. the jokes came perfectly and i was surprised that he didn't resort to using old material, which is what i was expecting. the audience took to 'bill' and i have to say, so did i. this was a brilliant hour, i will never again be able to think about columbine, 9/11, princess diana, bush, baghdad barbie, virgins, randy the goat boy, without recalling this night. just once i wanted 'bill' to use one joke from the material i knew, it never happened and you know what? it wasn't necessary or needed. this was a great evening, the jokes and observations were so spot on! at one point i nearly wet myself because this act was so funny, warming and engaging. the last scene at the end where chaz/'bill' talks about his death, about saying goodbye to his family and what happened next left a lump in everyones throat. when bill left the stage, i hope its not for another 12 years. if you have to travel and even a slight fan of bill hicks, this show is a must. it was brilliant. - 86.132.8.46) | 24 Jun 06 |
| Saw this last night at Cambridge. What a brilliant piece of feel good entertainment. Dave Willetts and Shona Lindsay were both in great voice and I was particularly impressed with Dave's dancing contribution! I'm used to hearing his lovely voice, never realised he could dance too. However the young dancers playing the 'Brothers', 'Brides' and 'townsfolk' were amazing in their skill and energy. I think this could be a surprise 'hit' in the West End. - 80.41.248.157) | 24 Jun 06 |
| A bit like a female Morecambe and Wise. Sandi Toksvig is very enjoyable and pretty funny. Bonnie Langford sings a few show tunes adequately. They go ona bit too long I thought, and some of it is self indulgent. If you've nothing better to do it's okay, but not fantastic. - 212.50.162.251) | 23 Jun 06 |
| I saw the show midweek and I have to sya that it was a brilliant show, with three excellent performances by the actors. Richard Self was charismatic and amusing as the trampish Davies with every move and splutter in character. Michael Bate was good as the psychotic Mick varying from periods of sinister silence to spasmodic shouting. But for me the star was Richard Banks playing the introspective Aston, he played the quiet and awkward figure to perfection. The monologue at the end of act Two was mesmeric, building through the emotions remembering the horrors of the electric shock therapy Aston had received. You could have heard a pin drop in the audience, which erupted as the curtains closed with many tearful eyes. The Pinteresque pauses were timed to perfection and the silence at the end of the play echoing the silent start. For fans of Pinter this was a treat, for fans of good theatre this was a delight. This was probably the best amateur theatre production I have seen, ever and would not have looked out of place in the west end. Look out for these three actors again. Mark Campbell the director must have been delighted with his first show and has set himself a high standard to maintain. - 82.198.250.6) | 22 Jun 06 |
| This 'new' production improves upon every element of the overblown but rickety Drury Lane version. The sets are less self concious and more 'real' and the infamous helicopter effect is given a new twist that is far less distracting but more effective as a result. The real difference here is the cast. They are superb with the odd exception (who has been mentioned numerous times in these reviews) and make the evening absolutely magical. The power of this tragedy comes through knowing the outcome; knowing that the hope and beauty Kim sings with will only ever serve others. It devastates me every time I see it. Devastatingingly brilliant. - 195.93.21.5) | 21 Jun 06 |
| It was so good I saw it twice. Can only presume the retard who gave ratings of 1 and 3 without seeing it was looking in a mirror at the time. - 213.86.213.196) | 20 Jun 06 |
| What a day! Kicked off with a short but sweet set from Juliette And The Licks. She was getting into the spirit of the day with a bit of crowd surfing and a damn fine performance. Following them we were "treated" to Angels And Airwaves. I think they were the one let down of the day, going through the motions as if they were only there for the money. The anti war lecture wasn't appreciated. If we wanted a lecture we would have gone to speakers corner. From here on in things really kicked off. Queens Of The Stone Age were their usual awesome selves. They rocked their set from start to finish with the crowd joining in with all the favourites. Motorhead came next, not really my thing, but never the less tore the house down. Then the moment we had been waiting for, The Foo Fighters! Played a set of all the favourites, rocking the park from the time they entered the stage to the time they left the park, leaving us quite literally wanting more. The set was supprisingly short that gave you a feeling of "is that it?" as we walked home. Despite this the show itself was a monster showing us why the Foos are regarded as one of the best bands on the planet. - 80.4.224.8) | 19 Jun 06 |
| Fantasic what a cracking play!!! Surprising twist it will have you in stitches. Excellent cast. Its a must see - 81.151.136.68) | 19 Jun 06 |
| Much of the pleasure of this show comes from the spectacular staging and the huge ensemble & orchestra as well as a superb leading performance by Elena Shaddow as Magnolia Hawkes. However, i am not totally convinced that this version of Show Boat is a masterpiece. In particular, the last 15 minutes are desperately rushed and the ending is unconvincing. Mind you, the inside of the Albert Hall was as hot as the Mississippi Delta so it was a relief to get out into the (relatively) fresh air. There were also problems with the clarity of the lyrics for some of the ensemble numbers which I don't think can be blamed on the Hall's notorious acoustics. Overall this was a great experience if not a great production and one that I hope the promoters will repeat next year with a different production. - 62.6.139.13) | 19 Jun 06 |
| lacked the atmoshere of a big concert could not hear a word spoke in between records from glen frey.a good sound system would have made a great difference. - 83.67.73.60) | 19 Jun 06 |
| I was in it i was a tricotteuse (one of the evil women in the revolutionary mob) it was a great experience and a really good show! - 81.77.60.82) | 19 Jun 06 |
| Went to see this on friday night, the first guy on played some rare 'sitar' like instrument, accompanied by a virtuoso on the 'bongos', although in the break there were two strange men sat behind me making a strange singing noise. Turned out that it was Farid Ayaz and his brother who treated us to an amazing musical spectacle in the second half. Incredibly passionate music that had the room captivated, even though I've no idea what it was about. Hopefully they'll be back again soon... - 193.129.252.253) | 19 Jun 06 |
| Good show but I was disapointed with the short set 1 hour 20 mins,Well Thats the Hyde Park Curfew for you.Will have to go and see them again I think.I am not a big Motorhead fan but Lemmy coming on was quite something.I missed a couple of songs trying to find some friends.Well they where my friends! I didn't realise Juliet Lewis was on the early support. - 86.134.82.245) | 19 Jun 06 |
| I bet you couldn't even fill your bathroom !!!!! - 193.108.218.10) | 19 Jun 06 |
| from where I was sat the sound system was excellent. the show was very slick and professional, initially I thought too much so. But as the show went on it got better and better. All the Eagles hits of course, but the highlights for me were the Don Henlry and joe Walsh solo stuff. It's a pity the set started off in daylight, once the sun got down the atmosphere was fantastic. Perfect summer evening music - 194.81.151.103) | 19 Jun 06 |
| Poor Poor sound system, old men doing their best to try and fill a stadium - guys stick to a studio. A rip off - 86.136.77.7) | 18 Jun 06 |
| absolutely AMAZING! I love abi harding more than ever xx - 83.67.12.30) | 18 Jun 06 |
| thought i'd sumbit a review of the foo fighters hyde park gig yesterday. one word FANTASTIC. was sat at the back infront of the big screen and speakers. 85,000 people there. some went home before the foos even started which i don't quite understand but there you go. had to take the lids off our bottles of water. unsure why as they were sold within the venue with lids on. lots of pissed people falling around everywhere. lots of blokes asking if i had any puff. do i look like a druggy? they didn't close the gates so some people outside the venue got to watch for free. one barrier jumper spotted being chased by security, the twat almost ran into me. shame i never tripped him up. support acts - juliette and the licks - juliette lewis' band. they were really good, juliette was enjoying herself and crowd surfing. angels and airwaves - good also except the blink 182 bloke (cant think of his name) decided to do an anti war speach. motorhead - unlike the prev two support bands were on for almost an hour (they both did 30 minute sets). extremely loud and hard to understand what the hell lemmy was singing about but you could spot all the dads in the audience as they were going wild. foo fighters - slightly disappointing they were only on for 1 hour 20 mins but i presume this was because of licencing of the venue. absolutely fantastic. dave grohl had the crowd rocking. opened with 'in your honour'. during stacked actors he ran through the crowd on a stage that had been errected for this. for the encore taylor hawkings sang 'tie your mother down' with roger taylor (from queen) on drums and dave played guitar with brian may. last song of the evning was 'everlong', fabulous. started off slow and then finished loud and throughout was a really amazing lazer show. it was one of them 'make you go cold' moments. in all a fabulous day/night. very hot, was a relif when the sun went down. toilets a nightmare (as always). difficult getting out of hyde park after as poor lack of lighting. police closed the main road from marble arch to victoria so we could all get there safely. - 62.31.118.150) | 18 Jun 06 |
| Can't wait for the concert........... Dina - 194.217.118.50) | 17 Jun 06 |
| I saw the Saturday evening preview on 10th June and was blown away. I've seen several actresses perform this role and Elena Roger was the best - absolutely full of vitality and she sang and danced brilliantly. I was only surprised that she didn't get a standing ovation at the end.It's a great production of a terrific show. - 130.32.42.1) | 15 Jun 06 |
| When I first saw Beauty and The Beast 3yrs ago on its first UK Tour (with a different production company)it one of the nicest suprises I've had at a thetare in terms of exceeding my admittadly modest expections. The scale of the first UK tour isn't has high here, but the show is never-th-less enjoyable. The two leads are absolutly outstanding in every sense - Katie Rowley Jones is an extremely talented performer who creates a depth to Belle which ensures that her character is not one-dimensional and cartoon like. The same is true of Nic Greenschields Beast. Two big disappointments for me were firstly 'Be Our Guest'. This was the number which stood out for me the first time I saw the show. Unfortunatly the number has been massively scaled down - no spinning plates !!!! - and as a result the impact is lessened. By other diappointment was in Michael Quinn's 'Gaston'. Quinn's voice failed to fill the autotorium and often was not powerful enough to rise above the orchestra. Even his spoken words were often difficult to here (and I was sitting toward the front of the stalls !!) and he had an annoying tendancy to fluff his lines. My only other slight gripe was that the show often moved close to panto - fortunatly on most occassions it corrected itself. Quinn's performance (or the way he's been directed) is too often OTT and camped-up. This is a very enjoyable show though, and one which should be enjoyable for the whole family. If you've seen in before (either the first tour or the London production) you may feel slightly disappointed, but if you've never seen it before then you really will enjoy it. Its ceratinly worth the ticket money and is undoubtably a fell-good show. - 193.37.180.5) | 15 Jun 06 |
| God bless Emmylou Harris.. what a voice she has.. what a woman she is. I thought her voice was amazing. I was sad to see that there wasn't enough Emmy fans there to cheer her on. I also felt it was all one sided. - 81.153.208.232) | 11 Jun 06 |
| Cracking concert, after a somewhat slow start things improved with each star doing some of their own classic hits. Highlights had to be Knopfler's renditions of Romeo and Juliet, So Far Away and the finale of Why Worry. All in all a great concert lasting a couple of hours. - 82.33.160.199) | 11 Jun 06 |
| As part of the cast iam writing to tell you how hard we are all working and we are sure to hit top marks. You should go see this there fab music, spectacular dances and perfect actin. All talent scouts should turn up and watch this fantastic show because theres lots of young fresh talent! - 195.93.21.73) | 10 Jun 06 |
| Good concert, the harmonies between these very different voices worked well. Like the first reviewer mentioned most of the audience seemed to be Mark Knopfler fans, but to expect MK and EH to bang out a string of DS hits would be naive. Remember this was entitled 'An Evening Together' - saying that I thought Emmylou was reduced to playing little more than a bit part which I found strange considering her musical standing. I am a fan of both these artists work but to me it seemed a little one-sided. - 193.113.48.9) | 10 Jun 06 |
| Ignore the negative review, this was a wonderfull intimate gig showcasing in the main, songs from the recent album 'All the road running'. Knopfler did knock out 3 DS tunes all well recieved. A big mention must go to both Mr Knopflers voice (which seems to have improved no end), and the harmonies created by both MK and EH. A must see show for those who have moved on from the 1980's - 213.40.3.65) | 10 Jun 06 |
| It was a good concert but he was not rapturosly received because Mark broke the golden rule in not giving the punters what they wanted. Most people in the audience were Dire Straits Fans in their 40s and 50s but he only performed 1 DS song. If he'd ended with a selection such as Money for Nothing, Sultans of Swing or even Local Hero (not DS but a classic) he'd have had us singing all the way home. He needs to learn from Status Quo - 80.46.59.161) | 09 Jun 06 |
| Saw show on Tuesday night at Sunderland. A wonderful nights entertainment. Dave Willits and Shona Lindsey were good as the leads but Jay Webb outshone everyone with his spectacular dancing and singing. He thoroughly deserved the loudest cheers which he got at the end of the show. A must see show - 82.39.95.18) | 08 Jun 06 |
| Well what a lovely surprise, I've read a lot of negative stuff about this production but the only thing wrong with this afternoons performance at Bradford was 'a technical hitch' just as the Beast and Gaston were fighting on the balcony! The house lights went up, the safety curtain came down and the audience nearly melted in the heat (I thought the theatre was airconditioned), then it was business as usual and we got our happy ending. Great fun, glad I went. .G. - 80.42.104.222) | 07 Jun 06 |
| tedious. I have never seen such a poor play. Castng was terrible. All the actors overacted and had no sense of comic timing. I have seen better at amateur level. - 193.61.255.84) | 07 Jun 06 |
| An absolutely brilliant show! G4 are amazing to hear and watch live. Talent alone isn't always enough to make a great show, but they combine the huge amount they have with an ability to entertain and 'work' an audience! As a G4 fan, I'm pretty biased, but I also took a couple of friends who had never heard them before. Their initial reactions were that all the way through they had no idea what kind of song would be coming next because of the diversity of the music. Secondly, they couldn't get over the vast range of people who made up the audience, which is something that G4 themselves comment on all the time, and demonstrates how wide their appeal is. The show included songs from both their albums, and some to be included on their next one, a Bee Gees medley, audience participation which was great fun, the (now trademark) appearance amongst the audience, plus more...and all backed by a fantastic band. The support act (Triniti) were also extremely good, and have lovely voices. I read that they'd been described as a cross between Enya and The Sugababes, which I think's a pretty good description! - 195.93.21.104) | 06 Jun 06 |
| I thought it was excellent, especially Alex Ferns, who is outstanding. - 82.32.51.167) | 06 Jun 06 |
| Five stars are for the production, two (as the King says) for the show. In great nick at the Southend Cliffs Pavilion despite poor houses. - 85.12.80.1) | 05 Jun 06 |
| Big Frizz was an innovative and hilarious sketch show, so much better than most comedy out there. I'd recommend this show to anyone and everyone - 84.67.58.192) | 04 Jun 06 |
| a superb show, well recommended - 62.253.96.46) | 03 Jun 06 |
| Have seen it twice now and encouraged six teenagers to see it (three were my own) and everyone thought it was fantastic which I guess indicates that the O-Js appeal to the a range of ages - although my parents live in Cornwall so it was a bit much to expect them to come. Highlights for me were the Oliver adapted song, the shopping centre and of course the good reverend. Get them on TV now, but with cheap sets and old skool comedy production values. I KNOW thats what the kids want - 86.135.148.84) | 03 Jun 06 |
| This isn't a big show, no expensive special effects or huge chorus of dancers, just a simple story told with lots of heart. I loved it. The cast is one of the best I've seen in the West End for a long time. They all work well together and all have excellent voices. The puppeteers are amazing to watch. Despite the use of puppets, it's most definitely not a show for children. There's lots of swearing and most of the themes covered are adult in nature. Think more South Park than Sesame Street. I hope the show does very well in the West End as it certainly is different to anything else around at the moment and is also VERY funny to watch. - 193.201.196.10) | 02 Jun 06 |
| Have just returned from one of the most entertaining shows I have been to. Great set of sketches only made better by the intimacy of the theatre. High points were the trials of Lord Battenburg, 'Who will buy...' and Pie eating as well as the 1960's social comedy 'Ladies shoes!'. Amazing! - 86.135.18.155) | 01 Jun 06 |
| this production is poor in the main it is badly acted accents all over the place, poor direction and dreadful set. How the cast will keep on the road with this until August is anyones guess. An audience will go to see ex soap stars I suppose but there is nothing else to recommend it - 84.12.248.218) | 01 Jun 06 |
| Hello...as an American who came to see this show..it hits the nail on the head of what really happened during that period in our history..and could be doing so now...the show was hysterically funny..at any given time..the second act..more so...Michael Praed as the scientist gives us the anal very straight type person..but who is really out of reality..with the world..and he is so very on..and funny..the last bits of the play..leave you nearly on the floor in fits of laughter...all in all..as the show has progressed..it has gotten better and better..Clive is quite the bombastic american..Edward..the quiter hand..and the kid Joe..is on the learning curve of the 3 men...we saw the show 4 times..and each was enonormisly better than the last..and hughly funny..really enjoyed the show..and coming over to see it as well..thanks..Geraline K James..american theatergoer - 68.27.242.225) | 31 May 06 |
| Been going to R.H.S for 19years now and will continue to but was very let down on Sat night in York by the non-participation of the actors. I had a great evening thanks to the amazing crowd-whose costumes were better than the ones on stage They didn't interact with the audience at all There was no music from the band at the end of the interval as there usually is The spooks didn't even come down to the audience like usual Christopher Biggins didn't even wear stockings! I'm going again to Bradford in November I hope theyv'e got their act together a bit more by then We need a bit of banter from them that's what it's all about Pam Leeds - 88.104.165.53) | 30 May 06 |
| I have to agree, it really was a wicked piece of theatre. So intense and funny and moving. Really recommended. - 213.78.159.204) | 29 May 06 |
| In reply to Montree's point (this is turning into a very interesting debate!) I didn't say Billy Elliot was anti-gay, I said it patronised gays (and women and the working class) which is a different thing entirely. As regards the political aspect (which I contend is the real driving motivation of the musical, not talent achieving its fulfilment, which WAS a Thatcher aim) my objection is to the black and white simplification of what were extremely complex issues. To quote - or adapt - Orwell again (four legs good, two legs bad) it was really saying working class good, everybody else bad. And to have children singing a song rejoicing that somebody is one day nearer their death is not exactly my idea of family entertainment. If the song had said the same thing about, say, Princess Diana or Mother Teresa, when they were alive, or, say, Nelson Mandela today, the protests would have gone ballistic. It's nothing to do with liking or disliking Mrs T' politics. I don't think any human being, famous or otherwise, popular or unpopular, should be subject to such cheap and nasty abuse. - 88.107.23.94) | 28 May 06 |
| I think the shw is brilliant go and wtch it !!!!!! - 84.12.12.212) | 28 May 06 |
| Agree entirely. On a third viewing (I have seen all three casts ) I rate this team above all the others, particularly Reece Shearsmith as Leo. I thought that Lee Evans was not very good in this role but Shearsmith is terrific and actually FUNNY. - 81.79.93.130) | 28 May 06 |
| Pointless. A complete waste of the considerable talents of the actors, director and writer. - 80.177.231.164) | 28 May 06 |
| It is rubbish, never watch it ever, Ever, EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 82.35.234.141) | 25 May 06 |
| The Scarlet Pimpernel is a tour de force. The dancing is incredible - you have to pinch yourself to remember it's kids up there on stage. Best of all - the group playing the evil women of the revolution! - 86.139.176.202) | 24 May 06 |
| Ghastly old pot boiler. Boring, hammy and cheap. - 195.82.123.181) | 24 May 06 |
| I didn't watch the show on BBC, and although I'd seen snippets from the dvd, I'd never sat down and watched the thing in its entirety. Therefore I entered the theatre with a very open mind - via the protesters whose physical appearance would suggest you do the opposite to whatever they suggest !!. I really enjoyed the show. Sure, there are times when the opera voices can bury some of the lyrics, but generally speaking the lyrics were comfortably made-out. The cast is absolutly superb - especially Mr Hussain who played the warm-up guy/satan. Admittably the jokes tend to be very samey - as vulgar and offensive as possible - but then again, they are trying to reprsent the American 'trailor trash' type of people who go on the real Jerry Springer show in America. Tap-dancing KKK members is a hilarious sight (i can assume this was even more hilarious when it came out, but since then of course we have had tap dancing nazis and OAP's courtesy of 'The Producers'). Above all the show is original, and in a climate where this is becoming worryingly rare, it is to its credit. The casting superb, and the limited scenery to the productions benefit. The big downside of a really enjoyable evening, was that the theatre attendance was exceptionally poor. One of my main motivations to go was to stand up for the principle of freedom of expression. If your likely to be offended by the much publicised content, you don't go - simple as that. In actual fact its not that shocking or outrageous. It is a conciderably better show than I anticipated. - 193.37.180.5) | 24 May 06 |
| (Bradford 19/05) I love the show and can't help feeling just a bit "ho hum" after seeing this production. There was nothing wrong with any of the cast (although Billy blatantly cheated his way out of the higher notes at the end of one song!) but the way it was presented just lacked something. The biggest problem was the speed of delivery. For the first half hour I thought they were doing an "Italian" (script rehearsal done as fast as possible to help learn the lines) but with the moves and songs added in. That resulted in much of the comedy being lost as the audience didn't have time to pick it up or react. Similarly the cast seemed to be losing a race with the MD, struggling to keep up with the frantic pace of the songs throughout the show. I'm certainly not suggesting that they should be taken slowly but this was just pushing a bit too fast. My other complaint was the way the Lord Evelyn character was done. It's not that it was badly played, but the characterisation was just wrong. I've seen the show several times before and never seen this character done in this way. It's personal preference admittedly but I just don't think it worked. Ria Jones and Michael Starke did a very good job. Overall worth seeing but not one to get too excited about. - 81.130.209.116) | 23 May 06 |
| Wow, saw this at The Mayflower in Southampton last night. Brilliant brilliant show. YEs its old fashioned story, but who cares, its a real feel good show thats sends you home happy with a smile on your face. The music is classic and uplifiting, the first half is stronger than the second Ill admit. Excellent dancing. Shona Lindsey, never seen her before, wow - why isnt she starring in the West End more!! Her voice is beautiful, crystal clear with operatic sound at times. Dave Willits was very good also. All the brothers were great, but Paul Spicer (leading man potential in the future) and the guy who played Gideon (havent the programme to hand) stood out, especially the latters voice. Downsides are the second act lacks any real showstopper and yes the set looks a little cheap but dont let that put you off seeing this wonderful wonderful show. Definately deserves its West End run, and who says every new show has to be big sets and glamour - this will make a welcome alternative to the other openings. - 217.154.94.227) | 23 May 06 |
| Pathetic... How sad that the audience dictate the pace in this sickeningly camp parade - 86.143.93.172) | 22 May 06 |
| Two scores should really be given here 1. For the great performance by Cheikh Lo himself and wonderful accomplished supporting musicians which surely rates a 4. 2. For the venue and management of the gig , sound etc the QEH rates a poor 2 Cheikh Lo entered to a warm applause from a friendly and hyped up audience who had just begun to shuffle a little after the support act Funmi Olawumi had tried to warm up the stolid environment of the Queen Elisabeth Hall. This is truly a nightmare venue for those acts that demand that bit more than awkward shifting in your seat or a round of vigorous applause. The African Festival audience wanted to do what this music inspires you to do…. be a part of it. African music begs involvement, both vocal and physical as well as intellectual. So things got off to a poor start when nervous looking QEH ushers struggled with the concept that this audience might actually do more than just sit. The relationship of Cheikh’s voice, driving sax, sharp percussive support on the Sabar and Tama with Cheikh himself on timbales, all underpinned with a solid funky bass, kit drum and guitar held against the wash (daringly) of 80’s synth keyboards sounds, was stupendous. Cheikh wastes no time on idle chit chat and leads us all into the African Cuban cross-rhythms that define his sound. He just does it, responding to the intermittent shouts from Senegalese members of the audience he gently wound the evening up. The result was in fact a heaving mass of bodies lining the edge of the stage bopping and weaving to the gorgeous wave of sound. It was a shame that potential dancers were hurriedly shepherded off the stage in spite of the fact that this is the true way to react to this presentation; fortunately some did get on for brief 30 second jaunts which added that vivacity to the evening. On the downside the sound for opener Funmi Olawumi was atrocious and she and her band struggled to even get started. Even though this did settle down by the 4th/5th number the damage was done and both the bands confidence and the audience expectation were zapped. The shenanigans continued through the Cheikh Lo set even though his consummate musicianship and longer-in-the tooth expertise overrode the feedback issues that plagued the set. As regards the QEH, full marks for hosting the event and promoting the positive side of Africa that is African music, but come on guys think about what an audience wants to feel from a gig like this and don’t hover about barking about legislation in the gangways when people start to take part. Overall a vibrant evening and let’s hope Cheikh Lo is back in the UK again soon - 135.196.60.246) | 22 May 06 |
| This man should be the King of Comedy and Satire, unfortunately his lazy attitude to his performance in Norwich last night (21/6/06) made him a poor second to Dara O'Briain who we had seen the week before. Moran arrived on stage yawning and drinking a cup of coffee. "I've just woken up" he said, this was no comic entrance but sadly the truth. It seemed like 5-10 minutes before he had completely come out of his slumbers to discover where he was and what he should be doing. It didn't get a lot better, his routine was littered with errors which he tried to cover as comedy asides. You would expect new material on a tour of this size but I heard my wife muttering, almost word perfect, a routine she had heard on TV some time ago (except she had the right punch line and Moran screwed it up). He did 2 short sets about 45 minutes each, the second being better than the first. The only time he kicked his brain into action was when dealing with a persistant heckler from the balcony, we then had a glimse of what his talent really is. He had the annoying habit of checking his watch every few seconds towards the end of each set like a man eager to get away from his monotonous task (not as bad as Jimmy Carr who from the outset of his performance obviously needed to know the time every 30 seconds). I'm still a huge fan, a man with a talent like Moran can't be put down because of one sad performance. If you get the chance to see Dara O'Briain grab it. I was hoarse for 24 hours after the show because I laughed so much. His style was so explosive, sometimes speaking so quickly his mouth seemed unable to keep up with his brain. Also his Programme was £3 and very entertaining, Moran's was £5, glossy, but with no content. - 81.7.39.159) | 22 May 06 |
| We saw Richard III only, but it lived up to the two previous Broadsides productions we've seen (Merchant of Venice and Comedy of Errors). Love what they do to Shakespeare, never a bum note. - 86.139.22.21) | 16 May 06 |
| Saw the show on Friday, poor, the 2 leading ladies were not up to West End standards,guess bonnie only there after ITV exposure, Amos (victor McGuire) was OK. Set seems smaller than Adelphi, 2/3 full. - 64.213.98.17) | 16 May 06 |
| Hilarious! I laughed until I did a bit of wee. Highly English: edgy, surreal, affectionate and very, very silly. Particular highlights were the Battenburg sketch, the fat man eating a pie, and the Bagpuss sketch ("and Emily sacked him..."). The Ornate Johnsons are essential viewing. - 217.154.243.196) | 15 May 06 |
| One word: fabulous! - 82.44.63.17) | 14 May 06 |
| a solid evening,won't convert anyone to liking agatha christie but will please those who do! - 81.86.106.82) | 14 May 06 |
| only managed to see richard three but found it a really good clear interpretation. no frills just shakespeare. - 81.86.106.82) | 14 May 06 |
| FANTASTIC, they sure work hard!! Weldone. - 194.74.170.32) | 14 May 06 |
| This event is contrived to repeat the Last Night of the Proms held in September, except for people of low taste. Angela Rippon was there to jolly us along and tell us what we were supposed to be thinking. They played the 'best bits' of some classical favourites. Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, just the loud bit, without context. Vivaldi's Four Seasons "Jazzed Up" with drums and guitar played on a soundtrack not live! An orchestral version of "Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell". I thought I was going to be sick. My face ached by the end from trying to suppress the grimace. At the end I dashed to the car and put Radio 3 on until I was breathing normally again. Some people evidently love this stuff, but it wasn't for me. - 81.153.20.94) | 12 May 06 |
| Best bit of fun you can have with a paper sailor hat. I have seen it three times in London. But the updated show I saw in Southampton was even better. The new fresh cast, the slicked up story, all in all a most enjoyable day/night out. - 193.129.76.65) | 08 May 06 |
| Very surprised at the WOS review - thought it was excellent. Saw play at Guildford and maybe it had settled down since opening at The Lowry but thought the acting first rate, the sets excellent and was particularly inpressed with the on stage screen shots. I thought these wouldn't work but they really 'opened up' the production in terms of space. Would not have wanted to miss this one and very, very glad I didn't. Great stuff. - 172.201.197.211) | 07 May 06 |
| A very thought provoking play performed entirely by Megan Dodds whose acting is brilliant. It may not be everyone's cup of tea though due to the lack of actors but the text and Megan's acting is excellent. Worthy of a visit if you open to the kind of plays you watch. JKJ - | 07 May 06 |
| god is a man. - 81.178.249.220) | 06 May 06 |
| A Morrissey appreciator rather than a fan/atic - came to the concert with an open mind. It was outstanding. He had assembled a truly talented and charismatic group of musicians who rocked the stage. Mozza performed like the icon he is, dominated the stage with effortless class. Outstanding gig. - 86.135.64.77) | 03 May 06 |
| if ever there was any doubt that morrissey was the greatest human being ever to grace this planet with his presence, then this gig confirmed it. thank you morrissey. - 213.2.48.70) | 03 May 06 |
| What fun this is! The Greenwich Theatre brochure implied that we should expect a Tour of Eccentric Greenwich. More accurately it was an Eccentric Tour of Greenwich. The blessed Arthur Smith alerted his walkers to at least one genuine fact as we followed the tragi-comic story of Alice, who left her husband-to-be at the altar, under the impression that he'd been doing naughty things with her sister (it all turned out to be a misunderstanding, with an appropriate musical accompaniment). Lovely weather, a beautiful setting, enthusiastic assistance from the theatre youth group, and some sublimely silly gags from Arthur Smith... What better way to spend an afternoon? - 194.72.123.7) | 03 May 06 |
| I went to see Chicago in the Adelphi Theatre on the 15th of April and all I can say is it was the most amazing shoe ever! Linzi Hateley was good, not the best but she was a good signer ... Debbie Kurup was AMAZING! She was singing excellently and dancing excellently! The background dancers [Men and Woman] were also excellent, How anyone can say the male dancers were out of shape and had a belly I dont no! They looked great 2 me! For me the best person was without a doubt Debbie Kurup! It was a same though that was one of her final shows otherwise I would of seen it again just to see her as she was so amazing! I will definately go and see another show with her in! I dont no how people can say it wasnt good! If she ever does Chicago again I will definately be there front row and I recommend anyone 2 go and see it with Debbie Kurup in! Elle xxx - 195.93.21.106) | 28 Apr 06 |
| We went to see Hilary Duff last night and she was absolutely brilliant. she looked and sounded amazing and she definately got the crowd going. We will definately be going to see her again SHE ROCKS!!!!!!!! PS Her support band were quite good too. From AZZA and LOU G - 87.248.129.190) | 28 Apr 06 |
| Wanted to enjoy this, big fan of the play and of Simon Callow but very disappointing production.Simon Callow such an excellent actor is perhaps miscast in the role, and despite the efforts of the rest of the cast, the performances were very lacklustre. A missed opportunity - such a shame.Just didnt have that spark that Coward's script deserves. - 213.122.97.74) | 28 Apr 06 |
| This has much of the malevolent wit and invention as Shockheaded Peter, although it inevitably is less satisying to adult audiences, weighing in at barely 70 minutes with alot of repetitions and being based as it is on a picture book. That said, the wolves themselves are great value (they have a wonderfully camp ballet involving household objects and Little Red Ridinghood......really!) and the show looks a treat. - 195.82.123.181) | 26 Apr 06 |
| Having never seen a version of samuel beketts 'End Game' before nor indeed seen any of his other plays i cannot unfortunatly be critical against charles sturideges view. However I can post my thoughts! In my opinion this was a very deep, emotional play with many thought provoking moments and it cirtainly captured beketts power of making the audince laugh and then making them extreamly uncomfortable about it. The use of clovs hight made it even more thought provoking for the audience to watch him limping from one side of the stage to the other continually forgetttin things and getting extreamly frustated with himself was comical and saddening to watch. I will give this play a four for the only reason that i thought it was a very intresting and wonderful play to watch the only reason i will not give a five is beacuse i have never seen another version of the play and must do so so i can have a more educated view of it. - 212.32.78.37) | 25 Apr 06 |
| Once again Miss Saigon proves itself as a first rate musical and this current production by far surpasses the grand over blown spectacle of the original. The versatile Jon Jon Briones played the Engineer with great gusto providing the shows comic highlights and displaying a fabulous voice well suited to his major number 'The Amercian Dream'. Ima Castro was an excellent Kim with a strong set of lungs which never faltered for the duration of the performance. Understudy Lee Mead played an affectionate and sensitive Chris and he displayed a lovely tenor voice. Unfortunately Chris's best friend was played melodramatically by John Partidge whose rendition of Bui Doi was offensive to the ears and whose range of emotions appeared non existant. Lara Pulver sang Ellen very well and was very believable as the wife of the confused GI. This is a very very strong production with a very strong cast with one exception, John Partridge. Replace him and the production would be near perfect. - 62.254.0.54) | 23 Apr 06 |
| Saw this show a couple of times now in Birmingham. Great cast, very well acted. Loved the three leads, and Ramin and Jon Jon for me are the best i've seen in those roles. Loved Ramin and Miriams chemistry. Saw u/s Lee Mead, thought he was good, but was just not in the same league as Ramin. Great nightmare Scene! - 80.41.167.0) | 22 Apr 06 |
| An Evening With Joan Collins is a fun evening with britains original bad girl!! Still as glamorous and vital as she ever was, Joan whistles stops through her varied life and career. From a dolls house to a living Legend(s)..She even can still do the splits which she skilfully demonstrates for the audience. I saw the show in Birmingham at the Alexandra theatre. the centre piece of the show is a large screen which is constantly filled with ever changing images and clips from Joans 60 feature films plus some of her small screen appearances and personal photographs. Apart from the screen there are various props, including a dressing screen where Joan changes from her black beaded blouse and trousers, into a Dynasty style white gown complete with scarlet red feather boa similar to one she wore in a vogue spread. As ever Joan flounces her way through her life as only she can and by the reception the audience gave her which continued to the very busy stage door, she is truly a favoured icon. It would surely take much more than an evening to replay the fabulous life of britains and the worlds ever glamorous stars. - 84.203.1.15) | 21 Apr 06 |
| saw Miss Saigon in Bham recently. Great show but I do miss the "real" helicopter as on the previous tour. good cast. Lee Mead as GI and u/s Chris is brilliant give that boy the lead part. - 88.106.81.91) | 20 Apr 06 |
| The play has little to say? I saw it at the Tricycle having seen it at the Exchange and am astonished to hear you say that. THe play has bags to say about brothers, fathers and sons, the power of violence and the roots of violence, immigration, poverty and how the damaged pride of people causes them to lash out. I found it had a great deal in it which was still relevant to the epidemic of violence erupting all over the world! When I was there the audience were cheering at the end. Maybe the play wasn't 'enjoyable' - its much to harsh for that - but nothing to say? Surely not! - 212.57.228.74) | 20 Apr 06 |
| Which British Star can talk about working with Marilyn Monroe, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman, Bette Davis etc.. the one and only Joan Collins. The lady is a complete star, she looked fabulous and commands the stage with such presence. Its a thoroughly entertaining evening and to be able to ask her a question at the end of the night wraps it all up nicely. Well done Joan! - 82.3.48.129) | 20 Apr 06 |
| If you go to see Joan Collins, don't bother turning up before the half-time interval or you will have to sit through an hour of Four Poofs and a Piano .. they were one-dimensional to say the least. The fact that they are gay is really not that funny ... Joanie was great. Though 99% of her material can be found in her autobiographies, it was still wonderful to see her on stage. Shame the technicians at the Anvil in Basingstoke were so useless, they let her down really. - 62.253.96.46) | 20 Apr 06 |
| This was the first Erasure concert I had ever been too and was a little unsure of what to expect as it was an acoustic style that was being played. The first song "Home" which has always been one of my favourites sounded very different the new way it had been arranged, however, it sounded brilliant. What a refreshing change to see a band that has been around for some time now re-invent ther style so dramatically and successfully. They started off with some slow songs, but once "Blue Savannah"'s country hoe down kicked in, it was rocking in the aisles and dancing all the way! Songs such as "Stop!", "Love To Hate You" and "Sometimes" felt like they were written for this genre rather than being adapted for it. All credit for the duo for mastering this transition smoothly so you couldnt tell the song was supposed to be an electronic one! One final note to say that I was extremely impressed with Andy Bell's voice. It was serene at times, powerful at others yet always accurate. I have seen many bands live but none has managed to have a lead singer that can sing a song at the very beginning of a show and have a voice that doesn't sound as if it needs heavily warmed up. All in all, a fantastic show was had by one and all. I'm sure the boys will keep it rocking for many more years to come! - 80.192.76.124) | 19 Apr 06 |
| Erasure's acoustic slant on their ultrapop hits at first seemed like a bit of a mistake to me when I heard the Union Street album. I harboured thoughts that Andy Bell's voice wouldn't be able to cut it live with a 'quiet' accompaniment. But I went along anyway to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with my better half, her sister and my 10 year old son, who hasn't been able to stop playing the Nightbird album. Thoughts of Erasure songs not being able to stand up to the acoustic live treatment evaporated very quickly. Blue Savannah could almost have been written as a country rock song to begin with, had you heard it for the 1st time in this format. I've never been a fan of country or acoustic-ey music but the quality of Andy Bell's singing made my night. By comparison, the previous night we witnessed a brilliant gig with poor vocals at the Embrace gig in the capital. Moreover, the Glasgow venue was entirely suitable for this excellent show. The guitarist/musical arranger Steve has done his homework. It'll be interesting to read the reaction to the show in Nashville. Fantastic gig. - 82.40.214.236) | 19 Apr 06 |
| Karl Jenkins has produced another tuneful work; keeping his inimitable style he has created a beautiful peice of music. The clever use of the traditional Kazachstan instruments makes them feel at home within the symphony orchestra. Each movement has a disctinct feel and my only criticism would be that it can be quite repetitive. The adiemus choir added their disctinct sound and looked liked they were enjoying the whole experience. I am sure that this new piece will follow in previous works and become a firm favourite with Jenkins' fans. - 84.71.100.226) | 19 Apr 06 |
| Terrible, out dated, low budget sow, the best thing was the orchestra, but the whole thing didn't even sound live. It sounded like i'd just turned my stereo on louder. The 3D effects were really low end, and looked like it had been edited in Adobe after effects. Hamned up acting, It was like seeong Spinal tap on stage not worth £50 - 81.86.8.138) | 19 Apr 06 |
| Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds at the Royal Albert Hall = Mixed feelings. It was fun, but then it was also often funny, when it really shouldn't have been. I had great seats (row 2) but it was still pretty expensive (over £50 a ticket). The bad points: The giant Richard Burton CGI/puppet head hanging over the stage was rubbish, the Martian tripod didn't seem to work properly, there was a roady on stage holding down the rickety metal frame for the Brave New World section, Justin Hayward's voice was pants (couldn't hold any of the high or long notes) and the mix was was too fat, with the rock parts swallowing up the singers (only Chris Thompson really got above the mix in the first half). Biggest failing was the lack of effective stage direction with Russell Watson in particular being allowed to ham it up terribly. Having the Burton head stifled most of the staging, with the other players having nothing to interact with. The CGI was pretty basic, especially the Thunderchild segment, which should have been awesome, and the presence of Wayne's daughter in the Carrie role was hilarious. All the other special effects were pants - basically a couple of coloured lights and a few squibs that wouldn't make it to the average fireworks party. The prologue sucked and shouldn't have been added. What was Wayne doing the whole time? Not conducting that's for sure... Not sure how much was a result of too little rehearsal time, but last night was very, very rough indeed and seeing the actual stage dressing after seeing the stage models pictured in the pre-publicity... sad. The good(ish) points: It was an event. A haphazard cock up of an event, but an event nonetheless. There was a palapable excitement that even the fact that the audience hardly ever clapped didn't fully defuse. (There *was* a standing ovation, which was weird since even at the end the applause was rather stilted.) The music is good, even when the vocals weren't, and the songs in the first half build very nicely up through Thunderchild. The Brave New World segment was easily the best bit of the staging in this production and the strongest singer too (Alexis James). The red weed CGI was quite pretty. Overall it was like seeing the world's most ambitious pub band. Fun to have seen, but not actually *good*. It felt to me like the staging was the work of a bunch of talented amateurs without quite enough technical knowledge to pull it off. - 194.200.65.239) | 19 Apr 06 |
| brilliant.band were good,crowd were too.this is what andy needs to give his best.manc i thought was 1/5.but nottm was a definite 5/5.see u in gateshead. - 62.254.0.54) | 19 Apr 06 |
| Fantastic concert. Agreed, started off slow with the first few numbers but once Blue Savannah hit in, what an incredible ride. Aamazingly cool and an unusual twist to what are classic songs. - 82.33.31.72) | 19 Apr 06 |
| Vincent Hayes, A true craftsmen of his art. Tongue in cheek adult humour involving everyone from cast to waiters in his ridicule of huour. BRILLIANT - 159.134.220.128) | 18 Apr 06 |
| Fantastic. Energy and passion, Derek Hough (Starring as Ren) is a wonderful talented dancer and singer, as is all the cast. Footloose is now in the westend and i have seen it 3 times since the tour. It is a brilliant classic. I reccomend it hugely. - 81.129.137.146) | 18 Apr 06 |
| I saw Edward IV at Leeds last week and was so impressed by this excellent Northern Broadsides production that I've signed up at short notice to see the two remaining plays. The great strength of Northern Broadsides is giving us genuine Shakespeare (the plays are abridged from Henry VI parts 1-3 and Richard III) in its most accessible form without compromising on quality. If you get confused the House of Lancaster wear red and York wear white. Brilliant use of music and percussion to add depth to many scenes, particularly the battles, fought by drums rather than swords. Well worth seeing if the tour passes within a 50 mile radius of you. - 20.138.246.89) | 18 Apr 06 |
| The previous reviewer was obviously attending the show in order to "diss" it. This stripped-down show started off slowly, but the classics were performed in a real "hoe-down" style which really got the crowd jumping. Left after 5 songs? More fool you!!!! - 86.9.236.198) | 18 Apr 06 |
| I knew nothing of the book, but went on the strength of Improbable's previous work. It proved to be amongst their most inventive shows. Terrific entertainment, whatever your age..... - 86.130.216.6) | 18 Apr 06 |
| brilliant, i loved it the characters were amazing, cameron definatly picked a bunch of talented actors. One actor in particular which stood out was kevin watts, he played the role of billy bibbit wonderfully, i loved him! i actually cried when he died at the end, not only was he great he is very goodlooking and sexy but cute!! i want to marry him.... anyway the play was a 10 out of 10 i went to see it 4 times and loved it everytime. All of the actors and actresses were extremly talented and suited their given characters. Well done cameron, your great!! i hope to act in a brilliant play such as one flew over the cuckoos nest, especially with KEVIN WATTS in it! Love u kev.xxxxx - 86.132.43.197) | 17 Apr 06 |
| I went to see the Rocky Horror Show on Saurday night... In one word Amazzing! As I was not familiar with the show it was shocking to suddenly see Frank N Furter coming through the doors in his stockings etc!!! OVerall a great night with lots of audience partici...(SAY IT!)...Pation! - 80.3.160.10) | 17 Apr 06 |
| I couldnt disagree with Michael Coveney more. I thought this was a fantastic production. It was highly charged with a great performance from Stella Gonet. The set was superb. The play was highly enveloping and admittedly Pinteresque. I cant recommend this highly enough. I emerged from the theatre buzzing. Wonderful. - 196.206.232.155) | 16 Apr 06 |
| This was our first Broadsides experience and we're looking forward to many more! - 86.140.196.147) | 16 Apr 06 |
| After the 1st song I decided I would give it 5 songs to get better, I left after 4. Everyone stood static and listened and the cheers seemed almost ironic at the end of each song. Vocally, they sounded fine but they should be ashamed taking money for that performance. AND WHAT WAS HE WEARING?!! He had Adidas tracksuit bottoms on and a v-neck t-shirt with his belly sticking out. C'mon, make an effort!! - 82.41.222.179) | 15 Apr 06 |
| Oh my days! These girls can rock! Front rows(where I was situated) were on their feet all night interacting with the girls - the rest were boring ol' farts! If you were one of them shame on you! Well done girls! - 195.188.241.124) | 12 Apr 06 |
| An absolutely brilliant concert by the Spanish clique. After 2 songs to warm up their audience, they asked them to stand up and dance. How else to enjoy their fusion of flamenco and hiphop? - 217.207.170.138) | 11 Apr 06 |
| amazing show, loved it, shame the one on tour now isnt the same cast as loved michael mckell as stoner, it'll be hard to beat him as well as tim howar who is a mini rod himself!! - 86.132.31.8) | 11 Apr 06 |
| Nice to see a live band who can really groove. Great set, girls looked fantastic and aside from a few dull sections of the crowd, everyone had a blast. The audience was on its feet 90% of the time. - 212.162.200.242) | 11 Apr 06 |
| A clever adaptation of the film, and the scene changes are swiftly done. There is possibly too much video background but in general the play shows the close-knit family atmosphere of Scottish regiments of that time where rank is not everything. McGugan is excellent as Jock Sinclair but Ryecart, who sound like Edward Fox, is not really credible as a fire-eating colonel. Lunney is to be congratulated on the idea of the production, but as Major Scott he spends the last twenty minutes with an over the top expression of disdain which is almost laughable. Lauren as Dusty Miller is a convincing soldier. Good entertainment but thought provoking rather than emotionally draining. - 84.43.33.110) | 07 Apr 06 |
| I saw the all-day marathon and 7 hours flew past. Recommended, but don't expect much in the way of subtlety. - 84.68.248.170) | 05 Apr 06 |
| Depeche Mode are fantastic especially live. They blow the majority of other bands away. Legends. Simply class - 86.142.87.236) | 04 Apr 06 |
| The Dance Gallery production, 'The 20th Century Rocks' was amazing! Differnet styles of dancing, The costumes, Choreography, everything was brillient! A lot of beautiful girls aswell including isabel, Danielle, Emily and more! - 81.159.185.55) | 03 Apr 06 |
| I have been a Depeche Mode fan now for over 20years (since I was 13!) and just got back from their amazing concert at the NEC. It was their best concert to date. Excellent performance, excellent stage and light show. Just brilliant. The ending brought tears to my eyes, I didnt want it to end. I just want to meet them in person now!......I wish!? - 195.225.189.7) | 03 Apr 06 |
| Great because I was in it marvellous - 84.43.59.33) | 02 Apr 06 |
| Saw this show in Nottingham last week,its brilliant.Lots of energy,fab songs.A great night out.Go,you will have a great time. - 195.93.21.4) | 02 Apr 06 |
| this was an outstanding show by any standards - gahan had the 20,000 crowd in the palm of his hand. DM must have the most devoted (and the nicest) fans in the world. - 81.158.193.115) | 02 Apr 06 |
| I miss Gavin James Burke as understudy/Joseph. Please bring him back. Happy Birthday to you Gavin. James muller is great as well. The two of them sharing the role would be amazing. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE FANS MR KENWRIGHT, we are the ones paying to come and see Joseph after all. - 88.106.85.176) | 02 Apr 06 |
| Saw this show at Woking, just brilliant came away with a feel good factor. - 86.139.16.160) | 01 Apr 06 |
| Depeche Mode were great. Dave Gahan must be one of the best front man around and DM do just get better with age. Quality. DM are soooooo underrated but heck who cares!! - 86.142.87.98) | 01 Apr 06 |
| Thia was a rather lovely surprise: having enjoyed the show at the Dominion and then been slightly disappointed at the way it was cut down in stature for the first Disney tour, I assumed that this UK Productions tour would be tackier still. Not so:true the cast is smaller and the sets aren't as elaborate, also the costumes don't quite have the detail of the originals (although of course that makes them look more cartoon-like) yet the show looks and sounds great, genuinely magical. The singing is uniformly excellent, as is the orchestra, and there is a pace and polish here that ensures that kids are swept along by the story while the adults enjoy themselves too. Alison Pollard's staging matches the original (loved the use of projections) and the transformation is as jaw-dropping as ever. The cast are as good as, and in some cases even better than, the original Dominion company: Nic Greenshields' gorgeously sung Beast finds the right balance between comedy and scariness while Katie Rowley Jones is a likeable, feisty Belle, again with a magnificent voice(although she could move a little more gracefully for my taste). Michael Quinn's outrageous, athletic Gaston is the best I've ever seen and Adam Stafford is absolutely hilarious as Cogsworth, even better than Barry James. Sergio Priftis' energetic Lumiere and Tania Newton's golden-voiced Mrs Potts are both nice performances (although a little more pathos would have been nice), and there is an outrageously camp, scene-stealing cameo from the irresistible Zee Asha as an opera singing wardrobe(!!!): the first time this role has registered so strongly with me. This really is excellent family entertainment: one might miss the sheer lavishness of the Disney staging but there is so much talent on display, and such an enchanting score, that it is still a great show - 195.82.123.181) | 01 Apr 06 |
| Awesome gig, Johhny and the boys seemed to have a great night (despite Johnny looking as if he was wearing a white babygrow!). Fantastic, the crowd were rocking... best I've seen from them and all for a good cause! Great - 169.71.50.41) | 31 Mar 06 |
| I have seen this play four times on tour and it just gets better and better. So diffrent and so much better than the film version of the book. All the cast bring much to their parts and how great to see Peter JI playing 'sickboy' having been in the cast 10 years ago! Peter M and Ruaraidh M work some real magic and Laura H is outstanding. You would not want to meet Brain A on a dark night in Edinburgh......... The set works well and has some lovely and moody lighting by Tim Mascall. Music plays an important part and the fab Scots group Blue Nile is well used. A play that really makes you think and still has so much to say, even ten years on. Catch it while you still can at Hackney, Birmingham, Durham, Bradford or Bath. - 217.13.129.151) | 31 Mar 06 |
| A fantastic evening, Ricky Gervais performing along with a selection of his favourite comedians, some of whom even surpassed Gervais' hillarious set. Personal favourite was Stewart Lee who's set consisted mostly of jokes about catholicism. - 82.69.19.182) | 28 Mar 06 |
| Perhaps not the most imaginative subject matter - although here the death of a father is at least viewed in Jewish/Christian lines rather than the more usual Irish ones - but nevertheless this is a highly entertaining production with some very funny moments. Alison Steadman in particular is sublime as the daughter in law in a cast that is strong. Well worth seeing. - 82.9.31.150) | 27 Mar 06 |
| Talented cast and some fantastic voices but the show itself didn't impress me very much. All the advance hype made me go see it but take away the shock value and there's very little left. Protesters ? Well on the night I went there was one man waving a very weedy looking placard. Disappointment all round ! - 82.20.38.126) | 26 Mar 06 |
| Nabucco Riverside Opera 16th March 2006 Nabucco – a real find in leafy Richmond What a delight to find a new approach to a Verdian Barnstormer on the fringe of our major London theatres. I had not heard of Riverside Opera previously and was enticed to London’s leafy suburbs with the promise of exceptional voices and a brave new production. The Richmond Theatre is a Victorian wedding cake of a building, all white stucco decoration, red plush and chandeliers. Into this confection was placed a contemporary and stark interpretation of Verdi’s early opera that completely solved the biblical conflict between Baal and Jehovah, the subjugation and extermination of the Hebrews and ‘God’s’ revenge on Nabucco (Nebbuccanezar). The opening scene of the production, replete with suicide bombers, body bags from recent explosions, child warriors and displaced refugees had its genesis in every day news reports, and later scenes in a concentration camp exercise yard, Matrix style robot warriors and scenes played against barbed wire fences with the photographs of the ‘disappeared’ make their immediacy all to clear. All credit to Rob Kearley (Director) Becs Andrew (Concept Design), and imaginative and evocative lighting design by Jeff Ran for the creation of an all too believable modern day apocalypse. Rob Kearley has found creative and intelligent solutions to the questions posed by updating a biblical epic – where so many performances languish in a cipher of the WW2 holocaust – a generic shortcut that leaves often the audience wanting more, Kearley’s direction with efficient chorus placing and well drawn characters was insightful yet uncompromising. The company has an amateur chorus, who sang with gusto and energy. However, one longs for greater depth of vocal sound for the male voices to bring the sonority and quality required for the many exposed male voiced scenes. Principal singers were a more varied bunch, with some roles, notably the underpowered and feeble tenor of William Molesworth as the warrior Ismele poorly miscast. However, there were some real finds amongst the singers that should make the hearts of any UK casting director leap for joy. David Soar (Zacharria) is an exciting young singer – an attractive and well-modulated bass with a fine Verdian sound. His likeable personality was well suited to the religious leader of the Hebrews. Whilst he seemed to lack some security in elements of his physical performance (he is currently as student at the National Opera Studio) we await his future performances with great anticipation – a name to watch. Mozartian baritone Andrew Mayor was admittedly over parted as Nabucco, though his rendition of the Act three duet with Abigaille and Act 4 aria were affecting as a wounded and broken deposed king. I went to Richmond to see Susan Stacey as Abigaille - I was not disappointed, she is a world-class singer in a worthy performance. Dressed head to toe in leather this dramatic soprano was the catalyst of the production – a bravura performance portraying a schizophrenic personality – a one turn malicious and evil warrior, at another turn – a sulky bored teenager, and again – a vulnerable woman in love. Blistering coloratura, dramatic weight of voice as well as some of the best ‘mezza di voce’ singing in her Act 2 aria that I have heard, she was for me, the highlight of the evening. The singing of minor roles impressed me, three secure and capable performances sung by Andrea Monroe (Fenena), Jemma Green (Anna) and Ian Henderson (High Priest). On the orchestral side, Simon Toyne conducted a youthful orchestra. He approached the piece with the vigour required for an early Verdi Opera. I would have appreciated more strength in the numbers of highest brass instruments that are so much a feature of the work. Some trumpet solos sounded dangerously exposed for young and inexperienced players, but overall a pacey and interesting performance. If Riverside Opera – essentially an amateur company is to present work of this quality, with classy principal singing of the calibre I heard in Nabucco, London opera audiences have a rare treat to look forward to each spring in our city’s leafy suburbs. Bruce Benlow - 86.142.148.174) | 24 Mar 06 |
| A goodish production from Jacob Murray at the Royal Exchange containing a mixed bag of enjoyment. Sadly the play starts interestingly but then slowly deteriorates. Patrick O'Kane (Michael) and Kieran Gough (Des) give superb nuanced performances throughout acts 1 & 2, but fail to convince when drunk in act 3. Indeed the 3rd act in general is a disappointment. The level of shouting and violence rapidly loses its punch and diminuishes the ultimate tragedy. The play failed for me as I could not believe these overbearing characters had any familial connections and loyalties. Why does Dada command any respect? Why does Michael make the choices that he does? Why does a strong independent woman like Betty (Ester Hall) swing from one extreme to another? The play simply contains too many inconsistancies to be truly moving. - 81.77.222.62) | 23 Mar 06 |
| I TOOK MY FAMILY TO SEE THIS PRODUCTION AT THE PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL 22/03/06, IT WAS FANTASTIC, MY WIFE AND I REMEMBER THE FILM FONDLY, AND ALTHOUGH IT HAD TO WRITTEN AGAIN FOR STAGE IT WAS SUPERB, BOTH MY YOUNG CHILDREN ENJOYED IT, AND COULD NOT KEEP STILL, IT CERTAINLY LEFT US ALL WITH A GREAT FEELING INSIDE AND A GREAT BIG SMILE ONTHE OUTSIDE, DEREK HOUGH STOLE THE SHOW, WHAT A TALENT AS WELL AS HIS DANCING HIS SINGING WAS FABULOUS, THE CAST ALL SEEMED TO EXCEL AS SOON AS THE CURTAIN WENT UP, AND THE FINALE WAS BREATHTAKING, PERSONNALY THE THREE GIRLS WHO SANG TOGETHER AS RUSTY,URLEEN AND WENDY JO DIDN'T HARMONISE AS BEST THAT THEY COULD HAVE, AS WENDY JO HAD THE WEEKER VOICE, THAT IS MY ONLY CRITICISM, CAST [PERFORMANCE 11/10] SUPERB. - 213.105.224.13) | 22 Mar 06 |
| Excellent production which suited the Bristol Old Vic. Cast were multi-talented - acting, singing, instruments, circus-skills. Natalia Tena a revelation as Fevvers (be interesting to see her as a Harry Potter witch). Production a glorious mix of surrealism, slapstick, pathos and romance. Doubt if I shall see a more enjoyable one this year. - 86.139.154.26) | 22 Mar 06 |
| What the puck went wrong? A Shakespeare play with no change of dialogue or any major changes of settings or aims or anything for that matter, shouldn't really have much of a problem being a success. Well, as long as the actors are competent. Which cant be faulted because they were, with the exception of Mr Aria Danesh whose chiselled good looks (perfect for the character) couldn't see him past his distracting lisp. A topic which could spiral me away from this review....but back to the play(which I had to tell myself for an hour and a half while I was watching it). Two of the characters stole the show from start to finish, one, demetrius, badly cast next to 'straight of the catwalk in the Hugo boss suit' lysander. Yet he managed to make the character his own with a strong grip on the language and an understanding of the play unlike the talentless Oberon who strutted around giving Joey from friends 'smell the fart acting'. If that wasn't bad enough, we had the joy of seeing him play both kings with next to no difference. On the other hand, literally, we have his queen. The wonderful Nicole Cooper. One of the few actors whose name iv remembered leaving a very bad show. And what an actress she was. From her Goosebumps inducing presence to her fantastic delivery of Shakespeare text the way it should be, giving you all the hit of a chocolate bar washed down with two cans of red bull, yet leaving you with the feeling that you just ate the healthiest salad. Now... puck...puck, puck puck! What were you thinking?? Or Bruce what were you thinking? I'm all for changing a character and making him darker, but at least remember the rest of the play isn't dark an no one else in the play has been changed therefore it wont work. After having the privilege of speaking to the actor after the show I found that his obvious disillusion of the text,the play, his acting skills were of no fault of his own but Mr Bruce downie whom felt it perfectly acceptable for the actor to take the wonderful character of puck, eat him, shit him out, stand on him and fling it onto the stage! Puck played like Dracula with the physical movement of a man in a silent room scared to move in case he farts.And I wish he did. Then it would have made the beautiful play 'midsummer nights dream' its namesake ,all be it in march, a comedy! Which it was nowhere near. Laugh, I did that night. At the barman, who I would have paid twice the ticket price to talk to for half the time. One other thing I had the pleasure of enjoying that night... ha ha..... not the wine. But the set. Slightly to much with the rostrum stage left and right, but the beautiful web fabric ties above symbolic of the plays weaving story lines and crossing over of paths. Not surprised to find out that it was nothing to do with the director or cast and the symbolism I mention was not there intent. The thing about this play that completely stuns me is the fact that it is part of the comedy festival!!! Someone is having a laugh, and it wasn't me. - 81.157.240.75) | 20 Mar 06 |
| I wasn't sure what to expect but was totally blown away by the music, choreography and sheer energy of the performers. The musicians are incredibly talented; the music a mixture of thumping tunes and haunting melodies which could deservedly find itself on a soundtrack someday. - 86.144.36.79) | 19 Mar 06 |
| How can we go so far in just one night? Boublil and Schonberg's Miss Saigon is quite simply a masterpiece. It is a show about passion, love and the ultimate sacrifice. I was left so stunned by the nights proceedings, the story, the visuals, the morals that I hardly spoke on the whole 1 and a half hour journey back home. The story starts off in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Kim an ordinary 17 year old girl has been forced to go and fend for herself because her parents have been killed. She is taken in by ‘the Engineer’ a local man who runs a prostitute bar. There she meets Chris an American GI who she falls in love with. But before he can get her back to America he is forced to pull out leaving her behind where she bears him a son whom she pledges to give her life for. While in America Chris remarries and after three years hears that Kim is still alive and in Bangkok. He and his wife fly out to Bangkok where Chris’ wife confronts Kim and tells her that they cant take the child to America. Kim goes back to her flat and says an emotional goodbye to her son before shooting herself just before Chris gets there to give her son a better life in America. An impressive set design adds to the effects of the whole piece, from the moving buildings and impressive visual animations you really get the feel that you are in a war torn Saigon in 1975. The helicopter, which you hear fly over the audience before appearing in front of you is cleverly thought out even with the soldiers getting into the helicopter and somehow disappearing behind the projection screen into the chopper. But even harder hitting than all the effects was Ima’s performance of Kim, with whom you feel for from the start. As a 17 year old girl who had her life planned for her to be thrown into a world with no parents and no where to go she clearly is uncomfortable being forced into prostitution just so she can live. You really feel for her when she finds happiness with Chris before having it snatched away from her and being left to fend for a son whom she will do anything for. The Engineer, played by Jon Jon Briones, portrays the cheeky character also seeking a better life with so much passion its hard to find a fault. Ramin Karimloo who plays Chris was superb at playing the torn GI stuck in the middle of his two loves. You really go through the emotions in this seamless masterpiece. At times I felt the music was a bit quiet (even though I was third row from the front) but it was there when it needed to be. If you wish to go to a high quality show with deep meanings and thought provoking storylines then this definitely is the show for you. However if you wish to go and watch a no story show which needs no brain then you had best stay at home and watch Postman Pat. Definitely one to see that I hope keeps going for years to come. How can we go so far in one night? Go see Miss Saigon, that’s how. - 80.4.224.8) | 19 Mar 06 |
| i dont know who i saw the other day play joseph in halifax but i know it was the understudy and i just had to write on here how much i enjoyed the show...as always when they announce the understudy you think, oh no! but i was not dissapointed at all, this guys voice was amazing! his performance didnt lack anything. i thoroughly enjoyed the show and cant wait to see it again! well done to all the cast my family loved every minute of it. - 195.93.21.101) | 17 Mar 06 |
| After a very long trip to Southampton to see the show for the eighth time, it was a relief to see that the current company have managed to retain the freshness of this wonderful musical. Despite being on the road for nearly two years the show is still a superb combination of heart-breaking emotion and an incredible score. Lee Mead, who trained locally in Leigh-on-Sea (apologies if I have got his name wrong) understudied as Chris and brought an interesting new approach of youthfulness and naievity to the character as well as producing one of the most anguished endings I have seen. Unfortunately Jon Partridge continues to be a serious weak link and it is unforgiveable the way he is still allowed to butcher Bui Doi. This is one of my all-time top two musicals and thanks to Cameron MacKintosh for prolonging the tour - long may it continue and hopefully this production can come into London for a run. Finally a word about the Mayflower which has one of the best sound systems and most comfortable seating of any venue. - 62.6.139.13) | 17 Mar 06 |
| one of the greatest musicals ever written, an outstanding production - 81.159.192.234) | 17 Mar 06 |
| This, for me, was a major disappoint lacking much of the magic and invention that is the Kneehigh trademark. A storyline which managed, bizarrely, to be both confusing and trite, and rather poorly designed and staged, left little room for the inspired staging of, for example, Tristan. Natalia Tena as Fevvers lacked any kind of allure and had zero ‘chemistry’ with Gisli Orn Gardarsson’s Walser. She was not helped by a ludicrously fragile contraption of wings strapped to her back, which clearly gave a lot of trouble at the performance I witnessed. Throughout, the companies acrobatics looked far from natural, which, given the circus setting, was a huge handicap. Much of the music seemed inserted and irrelevant, and I found myself looking at my watch on too many occasions. The violence was graphic and overstated, and the imagery not up-to-scratch – in particular the tigers simply did not begin to convince. When you think back to the illusions created in The Red Shoes and Tristan & Yseult, this was a very poor effort indeed from the company - 84.65.140.18) | 14 Mar 06 |
| A fantastic set, and a clear relevance to contemporary times in this rarely revived play, form the up-side to this production at the Crucible. In addition some of the cast - most notably Tom Brooke (as Bamforth) and David Dawson (as Whitaker) - give sterling performances. However overall the piece is lacking in too many places. The first act drags until the Japanese Soldier (another good performance from Dai Tabuchi) is captured. Throughout the Brits seem far too relaxed - there is no sense that they are in mortal danger whatsoever. Warned to keep quiet (by a largely ineffective Jason Merrells as Mitchem) they engage in a lusty sing-song, and shout at each other! Tension is sadly lacking until the dilemma of what to do with the prisoner becomes an issue. On balance, just about worth seeing, but it should have been a whole lot better. - 84.65.140.18) | 14 Mar 06 |
| Another terrific Kneehigh production. Occasionally the magical surrealism of Angela Carter defeats even this production team, but for the most part, this is inventive and faithful to the ethos of the book. Natalia Tena's Fevvers is a commanding presence and she beautifully displays the isolation of her status and the bravado which she uses to cover it. The Icelandinc Jack Walser is also a lovely performance. His aereal work at the end is sublime - although it does show the difference between a professional and a talented novice when his work is opposite Ms Tena. I really cannot understand the vitreol of some reviewers to this - and am deeply envious of the reviewer who said that this was the worst thing she'd ever seen. I loved it. - 62.253.64.18) | 13 Mar 06 |
| 1 is too many. This is by a distance the worst show I have ever seen, the worst show I could ever imagine. The script is puerile, the delivery would shame a village show. It is simply appalling. We spent the hour squirming with embarassment. The only cheer was when the last part was announced. Miss it, and tell everyone else to miss it. These people should get jobs they can do. public performance isnt it. - 86.140.176.163) | 12 Mar 06 |
| this is a fantastic idea of calling such great personalities to perform in uk. - 81.179.238.139) | 12 Mar 06 |
| Brilliant show. Saw this on tour way back in 2000 in Lincoln and was captivated. THIS Phantom of the Opera actually felt quite spooky, despite an enjoyable comic vein running through the whole production. It deserves another UK tour soon. - 88.109.126.124) | 11 Mar 06 |
| well, sitting here in florida, and waiting to come to London this summer..I only wish I had an opinion to write..lucky you-all, on the other side of the pond!...Susan Mills - 64.12.116.200) | 11 Mar 06 |
| Very funny indeed. What a shame the play isn't a comedy! A complete misfire, but watchable all the same. - 84.68.136.46) | 09 Mar 06 |
| moment of a lifetime...most mellow experience everyone was gettin along. it was like he brought everyones better side out.i lost my voice for singing. class act! - 86.134.196.92) | 08 Mar 06 |
| if only there were minus numbers. maybe something incredible happened in the second half, but we'll never know as by the time it crawled on to the stage we were back at home defacing our copies of nashville and gosford park. sally ann and nigel - | 08 Mar 06 |
| I have to be honest, we were a bit wary having read so many bad reviews, but we were pleasantly surprised, and judging by the conversations we heard on the way out, so were quite a few other people. It just goes to show that you should take what critics say with a pinch of salt! I felt a lot of the press comments were extremely harsh and unfair, especially those that condemned the storyline as 'old news' and disjointed. I thought it hit just the right, familiar, but not over-used, tone. Lots of the reviews I read claimed that Arthur Miller was trying to shock, but failed miserably. I disagree, I think he deliberately chose themes that have occurred again and again throughout history (people suffering under a dictatorship for example) and wove these themes together really well to create a story that whilst not 'earth-shattering' was definitely one worth telling. Having said that, I think 'what Miller was trying to achieve', whilst worth pondering, is not necessarily relevant - maybe to the critics searching for points on which to condemn the play, but not to the average theatregoer who just wants an entertaining and uplifting night out. On a couple of occasions, a few of the actors did look like they hadn't quite settled into their roles, but not enough to make you squirm, or to distract from the story unfolding. We were really glad we went - and that we ignored what the critics had to say! - | 07 Mar 06 |
| Kelly was amazing, and despite various tv performances, proved she truly could sing live. Good interaction with the audience, particularly liked 'The lawnmower' Dance move. The support band were quite good as well, catchy songs and friendly gals made for a good warm up act :) - 172.215.207.203) | 07 Mar 06 |
| saw this, for the second time, now at Guildford and it has matured into a superb production. Janie Dee is a heart stopping Mabel and David Soul is now a wonderful Mack at the head of a superbly talented company. Go. - 81.86.106.82) | 07 Mar 06 |
| Jack sounded absaloutely amazing, better live than on his album I reckon! Great vibe too. - 62.253.219.131) | 07 Mar 06 |
| Saturday 4th : An absolutely amazing gig!! The first time I have had the pleasure of seeing Jack Johnson and it will not be the last. The atmosphere was electric and I got goose-bumps when he came out and sang with ALO - the crowd went mad!!!! Everyone in the Apollo was singing and he was really getting the crowd going - the noise for his encore was out of this world! A truly amazing experience - he sounds better Live then on the CD!! I will not forget it!!! - 81.76.95.105) | 06 Mar 06 |
| Saturday night was quoted by Jack Johnson himself, as the best crowd and night yet....proved by the fact that there was a great deal of interaction with the fans throughout set, even to the point of getting close and personal to a few lucky ones. The bursts of appreciation for the musicians especially Zach Gill from ALO being just as loud as the cheers for Jack. It was also a lovely touch that Jack was in the sidelines supporting his warm up acts and genuinly having a great time singing with ALO and Matt Costa, really giving the concert a personal touch. Covers weaved into his uplifting melodies of Pearl Jam and The White Stripes songs, as well as many great lyrics from previous albums. A breath of fresh air for music lovers and reminiscent of Byron Bay shores and surf......fantastic! - 193.129.103.49) | 06 Mar 06 |
| I think the touring version benefits from distance from the media hype and expectation of the play's initial opening. I can certainly see how this under-stated piece would have failed to live up to all that. Yet, it is a thought provoking piece. Leigh has said of previous projects that he wants the audience to make up its own mind about issues and that his role is just to present them. To some this has been an excuse to criticise him for not being clear what his views are. Here again, he raises more issues than answers - and the play is stronger for that. Absolutely terrific performances from all the cast. - 62.252.0.10) | 06 Mar 06 |
| Absolutely awesome on the saturday night. I was in the front row,he came over and hi fived me mid way through. Every song was awesome and the atmosphere was simply electric!! - 84.45.216.198) | 05 Mar 06 |
| I can't recommend this production enough. My party of Sixth Form students, who didn't know the play, were gripped and have been talking about it ever since. The exposition was delivered with faultless clarity and the shifting moods of the play were beautifully defined. It is difficult to single out performances but the Leontes/ Autolycus pairing was particularly impressive - as was the apparently simple but inventive set which came into its own with the changing locations later in the play. Because the company is playing mainly one-night performances, it seems to have been robbed of the reviews it deserves. Riding Lights also have a very informative website - including an excellent on-line education pack for "Winter's Tale". Catch it if you can! - 86.133.6.167) | 04 Mar 06 |
| This is stupendous fun. Ranjit Bolt's brilliant verse translation of Moliere freshens the master up for the modern audience. The acting was uniformly good but I must single out Patricia Gannon's Dorine and Adrian Schiller's Tartuffe. - 193.118.203.3) | 02 Mar 06 |
| i lv young farmers. - 212.69.231.226) | 02 Mar 06 |
| Awful. The cast was so bad. I won't go again. Didn't like the boys. They spoilt the Roxie number making it realy boring with terrible movements. Bob Fosse must be turning on his grave. - 213.122.27.96) | 02 Mar 06 |
| only really worth seeing for Ria Jones. the rest is very feeble, especially after the national production - 81.86.106.82) | 01 Mar 06 |
| a wonderfully challenging and entertaining evening superbly acted throughout.cheered me up on a very cold evening! - 81.86.106.82) | 01 Mar 06 |
| how lovely to see something which challenges and entertains. a superbly acted and directed piece of work - 81.86.106.82) | 01 Mar 06 |
| AMAZING PRODUCTION, KEVIN HARVEY PLAYED THE EQUIVOCATOR FANTASTICALLY, TOLD THE STORY VERY WELL. THE WHOLE CAST WERE STRONG THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SEASON.(MY FAVOURITE TWO PRODUCTIONS WERE NEW WAY TO PLEASE YOU AND THIS ONE.) JONJO O'NEILL AND MATT RYAN WERE EXCELLENT IN THEIR ROLES OF ROBERT CATESBY AND ROBIN WINTOUR. HOPE THIS RSC COMPANY RETURN TO LONDON FOR ANOTHER SEASON VERY SOON. - 195.93.21.98) | 26 Feb 06 |
| Metra Theatre explode into the Lion and Unicorn theatre with amazing energy and delightful stage presence, to give us their adaptation of William Shakespeare’s most difficult to categorise masterpiece Measure For Measure. But Metra Theatre go the extra mile in their production, offering an amusing by-line narrative that centres on a disgruntled acting troupe - a wonderful technique used to cover scene and costume changes, giving a fluidity to the piece that keeps us focused and never sure of what to expect. Metra Theatre don't so much 'break the fourth wall' as bulldoze it down! involving the audience physically in the stage action and whispering supportive comments to engage us further in the onstage action. We are lead to believe the acting troupe argue, compete to out do each others performance, miss cue's - but there is no real doubt in the audience mind, Metra Theatre are constantly in control, and the communication and concentration between the actors is second to none! So nice to see thespians actively supporting each other, as this production is armed only with their performance skills and a handful of props and costumes - they need nothing else to hold our attention. But where's the catch? Possibly the only negative comment must come adaptation of the play, with actors playing more then one part, and several of the troupe playing the character of the Duke at any given point you could be forgiven for missing some crucial information unless you were familiar with the play beforehand. Added confusion occurs when actors playing a god like duke character, refer to their second character - however it does nothing to detract from the overall narrative. Perhaps this could have benefited from a clearer visual signal that actors had switched character - as only the presence of a set of beads was used here. The production as a whole feels very much like a collaborated effort - with lots of ideas in the mix, but it has lead to a feeling that some elements of the performance are underdeveloped. During the performance we are treated to an aerial rope dance which, whilst being very good and again unexpected, does not seem to fit into the production as a whole - as this type of display only occurs once. The heavily edited text flows very well, but the loss of actors playing one constant character in conjunction with this editing can be overwhelming even if one does know the play, yet it all held my interest. The only other complaint that I would have is that their program doesn’t tell me which actors played which characters, most unusual, is it possible that I have stumbled on the only theatre company whose actors have no ego’s? probably just an oversight. The acting overall was superb, due in part to the support that they receive from each other, only perhaps with Claudio and Juliet needing to tune into the atmosphere a little more. An amazingly tense and traumatic near-rape scene between Angelo and Isabella, deserves particular mention here, as we gradually grow to hate Angelo and empathise with Isabella. Having said that I think Isabella hits her peak too quickly, maybe even a little shrill for my liking, only leading to a de-sensitised audience in the final act for more of Isabella’s shouting. The final act is held together most impressively with an actor that opens the play as the Duke, his towering delivery of the summation speeches and confrontation with Angelo have the audience on the edge of their seat, giving a fitting climax to the play as a whole. But then there is always the question of the ambiguous ending, and how do Metra Theatre deal with this? Impressively is the only answer I can give. Within a heavy female cast we see Isabella give a very clear answer to her would-be husband - NO, and then quickly receive support from all female cast members and all to the tune of ‘You Don’t Own Me’, it becomes the boys against the girls, with girls coming out on top! Ok so this may be a work of sheer fantasy - but Metra Theatre bravely tackle the ambiguity of Shakespeare’s text where some (and I include the RSC in this) have not. I was so impressed by this production and was saddened to hear that there was only a week’s run, in a lowly venue - Metra Theatre deserve more, but I am sure they’ll be back. - 87.74.108.28) | 25 Feb 06 |
| I loved it. As a mother of small wild little kids and totally being able to identify with the crises at hand - it really had me thinking. Couple of belly laughs too! - 80.195.176.11) | 24 Feb 06 |
| The War That Still Goes On is the latest version of a play that John Barton wrote on the occasion of the first Gulf war. It is based on the text of Thucydides' Peloponnesian War, weaving the great speeches of Spartans, Corinthisans and Athenians into a narrative of the Athenians' imperialist war of the fifth century BC against most of the rest of the ancient Greek world. In this latest guise it was performed brilliantly one Sunday evening (February 12) by the members of the RSC who are currently performing their splendid Gunpowder season of plays, transferred from Stratford, in London. The fact that these excellent and hard-working actors were prepared to give up their only free evening in the week is a sign of their respect for John Barton, and perhaps also of their eagerness to do something to oppose the Blair-Bush war in Irag. What emerges most clearly from Barton's adaptation of Thucydides' wonderfully clear account of what happened 2500 years ago is the ways in which men who go to war are capable of self-delusion. Thucydides' History is full of speeches, which he claims are more or less what people would have said under the circumstances, and which are his medium for exploring the causes of action. Barton strings together many of the more powerful of these Thucydidean compositions (not quite 'inventions') into a moving, even gripping, evening of theatre. The cast sit in a semi-circle and stride forward to address us at the appropriate moment, and with every new speech, the audience listens enthralled as we move more and more closely into chaos and horror. In the second half of the evening Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow chaired a discussion among a panel of guests including the Cambridge historian Paul Cartledge, and Germaine Greer. Questions were also entertained from the large audience of some 500 people, though mostly the interventions from the public reproduced standard political positions and failed to respond to the excellence of the RSC production or the issues raised by the panel. Yet the experience was so unusual, bringing together the major theatre company of our time, our most widely respected TV presenter, in a remarkable effort to bring theatre directly back into politics, that it deserved better of its very diverse audience (which included Mike Brearley), than the uneasy silence of professional reviewers. - 62.203.3.166) | 23 Feb 06 |
| Certainly not the best Kneehigh show I've ever seen in terms of acting and writing (The Bacchae was far better) but I found it more enjoyable than the recent Tristan and Yseult. I thought it succeeded in conveying the atmosphere of the original, although some of the alterations were clumsy. One problem: Natalia Tena's lack of experience was painfully obvious. - 81.79.87.252) | 23 Feb 06 |
| Believing myself to be the *biggest* kanye fan i couldnt quite fathom how he managed to excede my expecations at the apollo last night. From the moment he came onstage to the moment he left us with Touch The Sky (oh how i danced in the aisles!) my heart was full of glee. there was quite simpily never a dull moment and kanye was everything i dared hope he would be! I wish i could turn back the clock and go again and again! this is one artist i just cant see myself tiring of. KANYE ROCKS! - 83.217.99.254) | 22 Feb 06 |
| Staying Alive, Night Fever and Tragedy just a few of the Bee Gees' most famous hits. Saturday Night Fever includes them all plus a load more. The show follows Tony Manero a regular hardware store worker by day but a disco dancing pro by night. The show based around the '12' rated version of the film concentrates more on the dancing side of the film and the build up to the dance contest of which there are three entrys to watch. All have clever and impressive polished routines. Also shown is the relationship that builds between Tony and Stephanie and the intense 'Bridge scene' in which one of them falls from (cleverly done on stage). There are references to other scenes from the movie, such as Tony's parents' house, his priest brother and the hardware store where he works. The show is high energy and fast paced with quite a few humerous witty one liners thrown in for fun. DJ Monty is played really well by Shaun Williamson (Barry from Eastenders) and is fun to watch. The story is there throughout, however it gets stronger in the second half with the foundations mostly being laid in the first half along with getting us used to the characters and their backgrounds. All in all a great show with really good lighting effects to compliment, however if you are looking for an intense, strong storyline then the likes of Les Miserables, or Blood Brothers are more for you. With Saturday Night Fever you need to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the visuals. Oh and be prepared to get up and interact at the end! All makes for a great, worthy night out! - 80.4.224.8) | 22 Feb 06 |
| Saw the show in Woking on Saturday night and loved it, the whole cast were great and the dance routines were fantastic. Looking forward to seeing it again soon. - 80.3.32.6) | 21 Feb 06 |
| One of the most amazing concerts I have ever been to, James sings each song beautifully and with such enthusiasm. From hits like You're Beautiful, High and Wiseman, to having a laugh with the audience and Slade cover songs, Mr Blunt knows how to put on a great show. The feeling I got when the entire audience sang along to Goodbye My Lover is a feeling that you can get no-where else... brilliant! - 193.60.133.205) | 21 Feb 06 |
| How a cast and crew who rehearsed for this production in their spare time managed to create such well observed characters is a triumph. The performances were stunning. I truly have seen much worse professional productions. Give these people a round of applause and then put them on our screens to replace the relentless dross we get force fed day in and day out. - 82.44.22.250) | 20 Feb 06 |
| I agree with the middle two - you two people that said they were miming and crap must not know what you are talking about!! On the 14th February at Hammersmith Apollo they were great. You have to take it for what it is. They haven't performed here in 10 years and all of the people around me thoroughly enjoyed themselves, we were all reminiscing about the 90s and what we were doing at the time Jodeci were at their height. I guess everybody has their own opinion but I don't understand some peoples need to be a hater! We all thought it was wicked and I enjoyed myself so thats all that matters. Big up Jodeci - 213.86.133.215) | 20 Feb 06 |
| wow!!!! james muller, what a great understudy for joseph. He looks like hes enjoying every minute of it and really gets in to the part. What a hard show to take seriously? but his performance was to be admired! and at such a young age!!! well done to everyone...great show!!!!! - 195.93.21.39) | 20 Feb 06 |
| My fair lady I’ll start where it is customary to start any story at the beginning. Tuesday, February 16th, show starting at 7:30 in Britsol, so the WMC chosen ones set off at 5 to give plenty of time to reach Bristol, a Journey which should take 40-50 minutes and have time to eat and prepare for the spectacle that is My Fair Lady….at 7:20 we arrived in Bristol not taking in to account that the people who designed the M5 merge into the M4 were expecting a few horse and carriages to pass by maybe, not all of South Wales and the Midland in rush hour traffic (ok so I embellish a bit). So we arrive anyway, sitting front row in a theatre that is straight from the 1950s and where comfort was overthrown by lots of Red Velvet!! Anyway the show starts and I must admit I am probably a bit bias as this is my favourite musical/film of all time, and basically, with all the travelling drama and the stupid one way system of Bristol it had a lot to live up to….and it lived up to all my expectations!! The story The tale is set in 1912 London, a common grating Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle is set amongst the traders of Tottenham court road. A very wealthy Professor Henry Higgins is taking notes of her diction. He is a professor of Language and Phonetics, he makes a point of embarrassing Eliza in front of the elite, by making a wager with Colonel Pickering that he could transform Eliza in to a Duchess and fool the Kings and Queens at the next Grand ball! Meanwhile we meet Elizas Dad, Alfred Doolittle, a dustman with his own ideas on morality…drink and be merry! When he discovers Eliza is living with money he attempts to abuse this. Mr Higgins is so impressed by his moral ideas he informs a lecturer of this most informed man. Eliza begins her training with the Colonel and the Professor, all clean and elegant until she opens her mouth, and is very badly mocked about her accent until she eventually begins to speak correctly with the ‘rain in Spain’. They test her skills at Ascot, where we meet Henrys mother, a posh but kind person, who tries to integrate Eliza in the Ascot elite and the eligible Freddy Eynsford-Hill….really funny consequences, as Eliza is inevitably a son of a gambler and takes the races too seriously…I haven’t heard an audience of all ages laugh so much…and ‘oh and Ah’ at the amazing costumes! The story jumps to the night of the ball, where Eliza enters the room in a fabulous Silver dress and they attend the ball where she dances with a prince and speaks to a language expert and is not found out..Yei!! Problem is the Professor does not commend her, but himself and the colonel and she and the Professor have and argument and she packs and leaves the house bumping straight into Freddy and his rendition of ‘on the street where you love’ who is obviously in love with her. She goes back to the streets where nobody recognises her, except her dad who is unhappy because the recommendation by Prof. Higgins has made him very wealthy, but his girlfriend now wants to marry him…so he is drunk and they sing ‘get me to the church on time’! Eliza stays with Professors mother, where she plans to marry Freddy! In the Higgins residence they are calling the police and searching for her, the Professor goes to aid the help of his mother when…dun dun dun there is Eliza! They argue and discuss the cruel treatment versus the ignorant girl…and so on, and Eliza leaves. In the end… the professor realises he misses Eliza so he plays her sound tapes, she walks through the door, stops the tape and speaks her old accent, he turns, they smile and curtain up!! It’s up to the imagination to determine what happens next! Summary The scenes were brilliant replicating the film imaginatively, especially the professors library which contained book shelves to the roof and an amazing hidden door (strangely made of books)!! The music was very good especially the understudy for Amy Nuttall who hit the high notes perfectly as the songs demand! The cast were funny and not cheesy, as can often be the case with musicals…I won’t name names!!! The costumes were stunning and the audience reactions were really positive! Also, I learned form the play that the London Underground carried the first passengers in 1863….so it’s informative also!! However, the orchestra was often overpowering and most of the extras, Freddy and the Professor were drowned out when singing! Also there were 3 big holes in the backdrop…and like a car crash…you just had to stare at it!! Overall An amazing show, I dare you not to like it!! Suitable for all ages; Munchkins to Nannys. It has sing-a-long possibilities and comedy for all the family!! ENJOY - 195.171.143.179) | 20 Feb 06 |
| BRILLIANT. BEST SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF MUSICALS. MUSIC BRILL. LYRICS FAB EXSPECIALY U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. CHOREOGRAPHY IS THE BEST IVE EVER SEEN. ROLLOR SKATING WAS AMAZING. SETS WERE BRILL. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE WHOLE CAST. THERE WAS NOT ONE CAST MEMBER WHO LET THE SHOW DOWN. - 195.93.21.40) | 17 Feb 06 |
| Mon Feb 13. Only 3 out of 4 appeared saying JoJo had a seizure and was back at the hotel in need of female company and prayers but that he would be performing tomorrow. What an absolute shambles their perfomance was. They all appeared to be as high as a kite and spent more time off stage than on. The vocal quality was terrible (band was ok). It was like a bad night out at a karaoke - refunds should have been offered. What on earth was their manager thinking of - they were totally un prepared or just too spaced out perform. Never again. - 217.40.34.53) | 16 Feb 06 |
| I think you must have been coked up if you thought he was miming !!! The performace was excellent !!! Not a complaint but i think it could have had a couple of K-Ci & JoJo tunes included. But suppose we were there to see Jodeci ! Great Performance and atmosphere! - 82.70.11.238) | 16 Feb 06 |
| miming? what are you on about you idiot. They were quality. - 86.131.52.199) | 15 Feb 06 |
| The massive problem about Saturday Night Fever is that the near-complete absence of any sort of plot or characterisation. The first half is completely pointless - in fact you could come in at the interval and be no-less disadvantaged as to the story, as there is not the slightest attempt to develop one. The second half, to be fair, is a considerable improvement in that there is at least the attempt at building a plot, and allowing the audience to get-to-know the main characters. The biggest problem is that Saturday Night Fever doesn't know what it's meant to be and as a result fails to deliver. Sure the dancing is terrific but unfortunatly very samey - although you're unlikely to find a stronger male dancing ensemble anywhere; And most of the songs fail to move the show or the characters forward. Sean Mulligan is a wonderful dancer and has a good voice - but you feel absolutly no sympathy for the character and I must admit, I still don't know whether I was supposed to like him or not. In actual fact most of the characters are fairly dislikeable. The song ' Tragedy' was at least interpreted and adapted differently to what you'd expect, and 'Immortality' is a very good number. Because the second half is a focus on actually telling a story and less about getting the audience to clap and hum along, its much more successful. However there is a strong group of shows touring the country over the next 6 months and they are far more worthy of £25 than this less-than-average tribute show. - 193.37.180.5) | 15 Feb 06 |
| Fantastic script, great cast, especially men in tights, amazing production, GAPS are to be reckoned with, Professional all the way - 195.92.168.170) | 15 Feb 06 |
| JODECI LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH APOLLO ON 14TH FEB 2006:Overall they all made a concerted effort. BUT it was shocking to see DeVante coked up,high as a kite and he looked like he had STDs. Basically he performed as if he was in London to get paid!Miming was terrible & he kept disappearing off stage - probably to get his next fix. Shame cos the others really put in an effort!! Not worth £33 - 194.203.201.92) | 15 Feb 06 |
| my first panto,great laugh,with an enormous amount of effort from everyone involved! I look forward to next years extravaganza! thankyou - 80.41.82.71) | 13 Feb 06 |
| An extremely polished performance. Congratulations to all the cast,crew and everyone involved - I admire your dedication. The gags and references to BA crew were very funny and the comic timing of the performers was excellent. A really good night out. - 84.64.186.62) | 13 Feb 06 |
| Another fabulous GAPS performance! Men in tights, great songs, fabulous costumes and of course those feathers! CAMPing will never be the same again! - 82.148.45.49) | 13 Feb 06 |
| The show far exceeded my expectations, very professional performances by principals, particularly Maid Marion, Robin Hood and Nanny Nellie. One for the 2007 diary. - 217.44.181.58) | 13 Feb 06 |
| I went for a friends birthday on the 11th of Feb 06. The music was great and a group of dancers dressed in white were really good and got the crowd going. But the glass collector kept taking our drinks, the dance floor was like a meat market, we got our bums groped and I got pulled around the dance floor by my belt! The seats are taped up with gaffa tape and the toilets are so small that the perfume lady has to shuffle the people around between the cubicles, the sink and the door. You pay £8 to get in and wonder what you paid for. We left early, feeling like we had been ripped off, a real shame. - 81.1.90.235) | 12 Feb 06 |
| Very funny. Saw it at the Edinburgh Fringe. Not for the easily offended - 84.67.131.84) | 11 Feb 06 |
| wow. that was possibly the greatest gig ever. what could be better than the constant stream of mind-blowing riffs, or the hugh-pitched singing of Justin...well how about a large chariot in the shape of breasts? or justin flying above the crowd playing extreme guitar solo's....or what about the stage setting...something between hell, and a cathedral...and the pyrotechnics, amazing...and what better bands to support than 'Juliette Lewis and The Licks', and 'The Ark'... so much goodness, and only one night to enjoy it in. I would pay hundreds, just to relive that evening - 62.253.219.131) | 09 Feb 06 |
| Absolutely Awesome!! The entrance was fantastic..only Justin could get away with riding in a 'Boob Chariot' & They played every song on their two albums, with the exception of one. Amazing set too..& it was good to see Richie too. Justin's upside down guitar solo was awesome Great show guys.x - 62.253.219.131) | 09 Feb 06 |
| Took the family to see this show. Thought it was brilliant, particularly the actor who played 'Ren' and the 3 girls who played the girlfriends. The show left us all in a feelgood mood. Great entertainment! Mike. - 62.252.0.10) | 08 Feb 06 |
| Oh. My. God. Who wouldn't love that man? I only discovered him last Spring but have been totally besotted ever since. It was an incredible night at the Apollo - all the classic shit-hot songs like Red Right Hand and Stagger Lee but also some beautiful slow songs like People Ain't No Good, God is in the House, etc. It was also amazing to hear a rarity like Little Janey's Gone live. Wow. If it wasn't for the inconvenient fact that Mr Cave is already married off I'd happily be his child bride - after all, what's a thirty-year age gap when you're in love with an artistic genius? - 152.78.199.225) | 06 Feb 06 |
| Wonderful feelgood show - I went to see it 3 times ! Fantastic performance from the whole cast. Can't be faulted. It's a must see ! - 82.3.86.207) | 04 Feb 06 |
| Dull, dull, dull, dull, dull, dull..... - 213.210.12.64) | 03 Feb 06 |
| F*cking awesome does not describe it. Nick played soft, played hard , played every which way. I was lucky enough to be down the front taking photo when he jumped up from the piano and then the surge of the crowd stuck me to the front of the stage. Fantastic. Don't think anyone there could have complained - oh maybe the front row who basically lost the front row. More gigs like Nick please. But please please please make the gig a bit longer -never long enough. Begging for more at the end altho he did a superb encoure set. Left the theatre buzzing and clutching my Lyre of Orpheus t-shirt and my boyfriend with his tea towel!!!! - 81.151.181.241) | 03 Feb 06 |
| Rocked in, wicked seat - all seated in old cinema (Victoria Apollo) with cool velvet seats. Nice support act, Richard Hawley, but the air was thick with anticipation. The roadies came to re-set the stage and stripped it down to a grand piano, a drum kit and a few mics scattered around. Then on they came, three of them, people still finding their seats, chatter, people in the way, can't see, move for god's sake, what are they doing. Chill - I'm sitting down, all is calm, this is good - nice view. Chill. Warren Ellis and his electic violin, some chap on minimal drums and a guy on bass guitar. Applause. On gangles Nick and straddles the piano stool. Applause. CRACK straight in with a scratchy, raw version of Westcountry Girl. Brilliant - voice on the ball, passion and energy and humour. "You can make some noise if you like - it's rather disconcerting if you don't" Mad applause - the tension is lifted. "Right - now shut the f*ck up, we're trying to concentrate up here". Laughter from him and us. BANG into Red Right Hand. Awesome. He played a load of stuff from Abbatoir Blues and some classy old stuff - a super slow Mercy Seat that was gorgeous, as was God is in the House. Wow - that was really amazing - could hear a pin drop. He did a really bland somg from Nocturama, Rock of Gibraltar or something, and then he leapt up and threw on an electric guitar and fully rocked out - it was incredible. Most of the time he was at the piano - working with Warren opposite him and stabbing the keys and then stroking them. V cool. Warren amazing on Violin - shredding the strings and making them cry. He did Henry Lee and said "This is mid period Cave (laughs) - a f*cked up time, but loads of fun. Eh Warren...(laughs)" Surprising songs were brilliant, but still no 'Into Your Arms' or the like. The encore was Lyre of Orpheus (fine), then People Ain't No Good - which was utterly entrancing and weepful. Wow. Really full emotion - and a full house (most at the front now standing) totally entranced and hanging on each word - as with God is in the House. Jesus, it was good. Then to finish, he leered over at Warren and ordered "Slow and painful..." before delicately beginning Stagger Lee. I've never heard it done so well - really slow like a rending ballad, but with all this violence slowly flowing from him. Amazing. Standing ovation. Applause. Some cow got the set list. - 62.30.187.48) | 03 Feb 06 |
| Ria Jones is a star!Absolutely loved it!Angela Rippon and Michael Stark are lso terrific!Catch it where ever you can! - 81.1.123.224) | 03 Feb 06 |
| Very good show with outstanding Performance by Alex Wood ( Playing Armand Duval ) who brought great depth and sincerity to the character and the show as a whole. It was very funny and enjoyable .the songs and music was very good. - 82.33.132.179) | 02 Feb 06 |
| Just loved it!!! - 82.70.35.82) | 31 Jan 06 |
| Went to see this on opening night, but you would never have known it was the casts first show.Absolutly superb from all concerned. It is one of those musicals that makes you want to join in the songs & makes you feel good when you leave. Great family entertainment. - 81.79.183.98) | 30 Jan 06 |
| Thoroughly enjoyable with several truly funny lines). You can see the writer's TV experience in the play. Terrific cast - with Niamh Cusack in particularly fine form. The person next to me said to her friend at the end "I thought we came to the theatre to get away from all that" - which just goes to show how well observed this is, sometimes uncomfortably so. Definitely worth seeing. - 62.252.0.10) | 30 Jan 06 |
| THIS SHOW WAS BRILLIANT FROM START TO FINISH, PAUL NICHOLAS - - EXCELLENT, MIKE DOYLE - - BRILLIANT,IT WAS THE FINAL SHOW ON SATERDAY WOULD GO AGAIN THIS SATERDAY - 65.208.52.30) | 30 Jan 06 |
| super.............. - 158.143.173.4) | 30 Jan 06 |
| Clumsy, over-long and not particularly funny. A sad come-down from "Withering Looks" and "Very Little Women". - 81.77.24.71) | 27 Jan 06 |
| i saw it on new years eve it was by far the best musical i have ever seen-i think travis is going to be a big star..i would recommend it to anyone-sheer brilliance!! - 212.104.129.149) | 14 Jan 06 |
| Top show. Everyone did brilliantly. - 81.77.214.111) | 13 Jan 06 |
| Disney's timeless 'tale as old as time' musical, Beauty and the Beast, now in it's tenth year on broadway, is one of the most fantastic disney films ever produced. The original London production had everything: the glitz, glamour, excitment and musical qualities of a sparkling west end production. Sad, however, that this recent tour production does nothing but blackens Disney's name and provides nothing but a dreadful adaptation of what used to be one of my favourite shows...where to start?! The direction was a mess...the characters were all over the place, not knowing whether to ham it up and go full out panto style or actually attempt to portray the complex characters. The audience were equally confused, not knowing whether or not to shout 'he's behind you' and 'hiss' in the appropriate places - something was needed to save this sinking ship! The choreography was a shambels, the cast were so half hearted about chorus numbers, Be Our Guest was a complete let down! Half of it was based around 3 chorus members merley kicking their tired legs in costumes that had walked straight out of a school nativity play - tin foil and all! Individual parts were equally bad, Gaston was so over the top and tongue in cheek that you felt embarrased for him. Belle looked far too old onstage, and her voice was not nearly powerful enough to belt out the big tunes. Many soloists (will not be named) actually sounded tone deaf, as they were slipping and sliding all around thier notes, failing to deliver their songs. Overall, this show was a huge let down. Being ready to walk out after the first song, I felt cheated out of my high ticket price - definatley not worth it! It was like a schools version of a pantomime on a weekday matineé and patronised the audience. The thing that works with Disney films, and indeed the original production, is that they work on so many levels and appeal to everyone however old they may be. This paper thin, amatuer production is best kept away from, unless you fancy a good old titter in the back row of the stalls. After all this, I must say however, that the man playing The Beast was by far the best performer in the company. I felt sorry for him being assosiated with this show, and I hope he goes on to much bigger and better things (which won't be too hard) Thanks! - 86.136.235.181) | 07 Jan 06 |
| Chitty is an unashamably fell-good warm musical - and there is absolutly nothing wrong with that !Tim Flavin excelled in the role in Caractacus (I though he was better than Jason Donnovan was in the London production). The cast in general is very strong (not enirely impressed with Grampa Potts though), and, with the exception of the opening, very little (if anything) has been lost from the Palladium production. Although space does not allow for the car to fly over the audience, it does fly around the stage - and if there is anyone who doesn't come out of the theatre with a grin from ear to ear they they ought to be banished with the Baron and Baroness. Just like in London, this show is an unmissable treat for everyone. - 193.37.180.5) | 04 Jan 06 |
| Absolutely wonderous! From the outset to the finale, the audiences senses are grabbed by the energy and style with which the entire cast throws themselves headfirst into the production. The originality of costume/dance/set/acting make this show stand out from what in comparison seems to be every other mundane Christmas offering. Fantastic for children and adults alike, and wonderfully inclusive for every theatregoer imaginable. Dissapointment is not an option here. - 86.141.210.148) | 03 Jan 06 |
| I saw this production on the preview opening night and it was excellent, despite it being a small theatre the audience were amazed at how well the actors could dance and sing on such a small stage, Alex Bourne was the highlight of the show he had an amazing voice and was hillarious, this should be in West End. - 172.212.112.169) | 01 Jan 06 |
| Saw it in Manchester and, once again, I was very impressed. This production surpasses the original in many ways as it relies much more heavily on the music, story and characters rather than outright spectable as in the orginal production. Jon Jon Briones was clearly relishing playing such a diverse character as the Engineer and played uop to the audience for the while evening displaying great talents as an actor and singer. The girl who played Kim (not entirely sure which one of the two it was)was excellent and coped with such a demanding role with ease. Her chemistry with Ramin Karimloo was obvious and this served to enhance the performances. Ramin Karimloo is the best Chris I have ever seen. He sings beautifully and never fails to convince the audience that he truly loves both the woman and is a vicitm of circumstance. Lara Pulver as Chris's wife Ellen, sings and acts very well. It's a shame her character has so little to do. Thuy was played by Christian Rey Marbella who, although he had a lovely voice and good presence, lacked depth and power to really make the character come across. John Partridge as John was the weakest link. He has a rather unpleasant singing voice and his rendition of Bui Doi failed to move me. He also overacted from start to finish. The small orchestra needed a little more power at times but played exceptionally well. This is probably the best touring show on the circuit at the moment and is not to be missed. Wouldn't it be great to see this incarnation of Miss Saigon in the West End. - 84.45.170.27) | 23 Dec 05 |
| We saw the show on Saturday 18th Dec and really enjoyed it. I saw Michael Ball in the original show at the Palladium, but much preferred Tim Flavin in the lead role of Caractcus Potts. He brought enthusiasm,charm and certainly excellent dancing to the role, and with a great voice as well, he deserves praise indeed.The rest of the cast were very good and I was delighted to see Paul Greenwood in the role of C.Potts senior. A wonderful family show, with great sets, costumes and of course the flying car. I would certainly recommmend it, and I hope that Tim returns to the lead role later in the long tour. - 84.65.4.130) | 21 Dec 05 |
| I saw one of the preview productions of this musical and was completely capivated by the show. The actors were all very good and the direction and staging of the show was magnificent, touring versions are often very inferior to those staged in the West End, but this wasn't the case here. The age range of the audience ranged from very young children to OAPs and there was sufficient magic generated by the show to engage all age groups, youngsters particularly enjoyed the production clapping around the the title song and loudly booing the child catcher! A welcome addition to usual pantomime as an Xmas treat for "children" of all ages. - 128.240.229.6) | 20 Dec 05 |
| An incredible let down. A poor production and one of the most uninspired concerts I hope to ever go to. No chemistry among the group and a shining example of the sorry state of Hip Hop in the 21st Century. After paying those prices one would at least expect decent sound. An inaudible and embarrassing mess of a performance. - 193.203.87.6) | 20 Dec 05 |
| W11 Opera is unique. Every year they commission a full length piece of music theatre from a composer and librettist, audition and train cast from untrained London schoolchildren aged 9-17 for a short season of four performances at the Britten Theatre, which is made available to them by the Royal College of Music. The children are rehearsed by a highly professional musical and production team. Antiphony is a revival of a popular commission from 1994 and it's a winner - a charming story full of wit, tuneful songs which the young cast mastered with confidence. I had a team of four young ones with me at the matinee on Sunday 11 December, three eight year olds and a six year old. They were not only all delighted and enchanted but also came out begging their parents to be allowed to audition for next year's show. - 195.93.21.102) | 16 Dec 05 |
| Fantastic - 62.252.32.15) | 16 Dec 05 |
| Poor. No chemistry left. Clef the only one that seemed to make the effort to make this enjoyable. Sound was really bad. Totally how HIP HOP should not be. And r they sure with the price of those tickets. Sorry but this group will not be together for much longer. MS Hill.... i ask you!!! IKE - 194.164.83.121) | 16 Dec 05 |
| It was amazing to see the group together after so long. So nice to see Lauryn smiling and they chemistry on stage was just incredible. Sound quality was poor, but who cares...its the Fugees!! - 81.159.109.56) | 15 Dec 05 |
| Possibly their last ever performace together... far too much disagreement between the group, with wyclef going to extremes to make the fugee's concert his. He rapped over Pras Michell's parts and wouldn't allow Lauryn enough peace to sing something more poignant. Went on and was amazing but sad to see that the group has come to an end - 144.82.218.151) | 15 Dec 05 |
| Amazing, worth every penny. they were pricey but they gave it their all. a very long 2 hour set! - 86.144.31.188) | 15 Dec 05 |
| A Brilliant production! Great performance by Harry Brooks (Marcus) and Katie Dennison (Sarah) and though they are very young there is a lot of talent there!!! Also a great and believable performance by Orion Oliver (Jane) as the other women, and Justin (Eric) as the painter, two very naturalistic actors with great present on stage. Some very brave actors who dealt very professionally with very dark emotions, Stimulating sex and nudity. It’s hard to believe they are still drama students I was enjoyed every second by the performance, the writing and the over all production. Well done! - 86.137.1.138) | 14 Dec 05 |
| What the hell are you freaks going on about? Dave was wicked and sounded so much better than his cds! I went to Franz the other week and they had nothing on his crowd involvement and talent! - 82.35.245.196) | 14 Dec 05 |
| I watched the touring version of this hit west end musical and throughly enjoyed the experience. Children sat spellbound by the magic generated by this production and all clapped during the song Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and enthusically booed the Child Catcher. Not only the children enjoyed the show many seniors sang along during the final rendition of the title song. The sets were of the highest order for a touring production and the cast very professional. Whether I was just recapturing my innocent childhood days or not I really did enjoy this show, don't miss it, re-activate the child inside us all - 128.240.229.67) | 14 Dec 05 |
| I saw it with a group of freinds in an intimate theatre in Runcorn, a theatre it really suited. Although, admittedly ,the first half was a bit slow, the second half was fast paced and hilarious. The audience in Runcorn gave it a well deserved ecstatic ovation at the end. I wonder whether the Manchester Opera House is much too large a theatre for the show. Did it just get lost in the vastness of such a large theatre. Either that or the critic in Manchester watched a totally different show than we did in Runcorn. M George - 84.45.170.27) | 14 Dec 05 |
| Unfortunately I couldn't agree more - not much point in having a concert which proved to be just like playing the CD at home (twice), only in a more uncomfortable surrounding! He hardly engaged with the audience at all - although when he did he showed a decent personality. But he only came to life in the 'encore' when he started finally to show some life beyond his nodding head. And he was at his best with his last song....Friday, I'm in Love. Great music to relax to at home, but perhaps he needs a 'Cure' for what to do live on stage? - 193.128.177.189) | 14 Dec 05 |
| David Gray's London appearance last night proved that having 4 or 5 top hits, doesn't mean you should give a concert. Although he is gifted with a haunting and unique voice his range as a music writer seems unfortuneatly limited. Once song began to sound just like the next, with repetative lyrics. We would have enjoyed it more with half the amount of songs. At one point Gray lost his cool with the often disinterested audience. Pity. - 86.138.236.87) | 13 Dec 05 |
| Loved it. The story is flimsy, accents dodgy and Barry from Eastenders is stomach churning, but Rebecca Dent is delightful as Annette; a knockout voice and a great little actress. She should go a long way. Sean Mulligans Tony isn't quite the actor but has the moves! I think it's churlish to bash the show for its lack of depth, You should be dancin' mate!!! - 195.93.21.104) | 13 Dec 05 |
| The fact that Linda Brogan wrote this play out of her own experiences makes it obvious why the passion is so raw and it also makes it very genuine and unaffected. The dialogue is shocking and crude and at so points very funny. The characters are fully fleshed out, flaws and all, and this provides the audience with real resonance as loyalties keep changing. The performance took place in space two in the contact theatre. It was intimate with quite a small space for the audience and an open stage with no proscenium arch. Audience and stage merged into each other, which made the performance very intense. The set was three rooms of a house, the kitchen and living room and the ground floor and another room above those. There was one wall separating the kitchen and living room which had a door in it. There was a Christmas tree which went through both levels of the house through the floor in the middle which linked the two storeys and became a focal point in the play. The furniture in the living room was cramped around the TV, which made it awkward for characters to move around without getting in the way of it. This heightened the tension between the family members. The decoration, apart from the tree, was minimal, which made the house look very drab and sombre. All three rooms were visible at the same time so you never lost track of a character unless they left the house. This made it more realistic and the audience could watch the changing states of the characters at all times. The household was the foundation of the performance and is what held it together and made it coherent. A play containing so much anguish obviously demanded a lot of integrity from the actors. Mary Jo Randle stood out the most for me Margaret, because of her amazing stamina and subtle change of condition as she got more and more drunk. The more intoxicated she got, the more she revealed of her vicious, yet wounded character. She unravelled from a busy mum cooking Christmas dinner and looking after her pregnant daughter to a dishevelled mess, drunk out of her mind, screaming obscenities at her neighbours and trying to cut her wrists. She has one moment of tenderness in the play where she and Lauren, played by Rachel Brogan, are playing with each others hair. This one moment of tenderness in a play full of angst is very touching and it is heartbreaking when it is cut short by a vicious outburst from Margaret. - 130.88.185.112) | 12 Dec 05 |
| I went to see the opening performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Sunderland Empire on the Tuesday the 20th of September. The music is not the greatest you'll hear on the music theatre stage with the exception of the title song, which is very moving, and the combination of music, costume and choreography in "Be our guest" is superb. The performance is quite a complex story, with the attractive young prince being changed into the Beast, whilst the villagers look with suspicion on Belle for, although beautiful, she is "different" because she enjoys reading. Her father is regarded as an outcast because of his difference, his interest in invention and his mechanical skills. Then there is Gaston, admired by the villagers because he is their idea of what a man should be, but underneath he is a monster of insensitivity, selfishness and self-interest. Then the healing power of love returns the Beast to his original hansom self, the prince. The Beast had has learned to forget his own self, to think of someone else, this person being Belle. My expectations of the play were quite high because Beauty and the Beast is a well-known film and the film was very good. So I hoped that the performance would be just as good as the film if not better. Overall my expectations were met, I enjoyed the play, I thought that it was well set out, and that lighting, set, etc. were all very well used and were appropriate. I went along feeling "this is not for me" and expecting an over-hyped piece of sentimentality, and, with the first couple of scenes being very reminiscent of the opening of a panto, the casting of the spell followed by a jolly scene with all the villagers, I felt that my suspicions were about to be confirmed. However, as the first half progressed I began to think again and really started to like it and enjoy. I loved the way the actors performed with the music and dancing. It was a very well thought out play. The intended audience was for quite young children. I could see this from the amount of children there and also the words used by the actors in the performance. It may have also been for quite older people. It was for a mixture of audiences really. There were action scenes for younger ones, sing-a-longs for the older generation. And love and romance for those who like that sort of thing. Personally I enjoyed the action scene and the way the props and staging were used. The start of the performance was tremendous, with stunning visual effects, extraordinary sets. It was an enchanting experience for the audience. It set the scene and mood of the performance incredibly well. Straight away it gave an especially good moral example of not judging people on first impressions. I also thought the musical start worked very well. The play was set in a small village in France. The use of the word Bonjour showed us this. It was very cleverly done. It immediately made the audience aware of it being set in a small village in France. Everyone in this neighbour hood was very close and knew every one. We could see this by everyone being very happy and joyful. No one dared talk about the ledged of the beast; this was shown by the green lights whenever the beast was mentioned The set (Charles Camm) and costume (Elizabeth Dennis) design are superb, and beautifully complemented costume by Elizabeth Dennis swarmed the stage in wonderful colours. The lighting was used throughout the play to show what sort of mood the beast, Gaston or Belle would be in and the lighting really did make all the difference. I think without the lighting the performance wouldn’t have been as good because you wouldn’t be able to realise so well were you where i.e. in the bar, forest, castle etc or what mood characters were portraying I also noticed the small disguised microphones on the key actor/actresses foreheads, which were a wonderful idea. They picked up plenty of sound and made sure that it didn’t get in the way of the performance. The use of the small boy in the tea box was great. His head was just peaking over the top. The mirrors were used to hide the boy’s body and legs. I thought this was a really well designed idea and worked particularly well. Another idea I liked was that of the character Illumine for his hands were candles. When he clicked there would be a small flame that came out of the top of the candle. It was used quite a lot I thought it was another really good original idea. Although Katie Rowley-Jones leads the cast as Belle and Nick Green Shields as the Beast, it is in fact very much a joint effort piece and every single member of the cast displays tremendous energy, commitment and sheer talent. I really thought the characters suited their roles; especially Gaston. I thought his size, voice and self-obsession worked really well. Then there’s Alan Menkin’s lush score, with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with show-stopping numbers like Be Our Guest and the romantic title song. These songs were so good I was even humming them after I left the theatre. The beast played by Nic Greenshields was fantastic. The way he used the stage and how he covered himself up; and his radical burst of emotion and anger at very quiet times gave the audience something that on one hand was very scary and the other an amazing arrangement of movement about the stage and changing voice levels to create a phenomenal act. His interpretation of The Beast was excellent. He touched on both the comic side of the character as well as the innocent gentle side. His makeup was simply brilliant. This was quite a hard lead to follow up but was just as easily matched by Katie Rowley-Jones as Belle. Katie Rowley-Jones simply shone in her role as Belle bringing out the sarcastic side of her nature as well as the caring one. She used her power not by her anger and the raising of her voice, but her movement on stage it was as if she floated along. You could tell when she was angry with her fast moving paces from stage left, to stage right and her sharp turns moved the beast back and resulted in her overpowering the beast. The second half of the play started with a green light and curtains disguised as trees. These curtains were used all through the performance not only as trees but they were also curled up to make it look like a big spider web and when the beast was released and turned back into the prince these curtains were taken away. Special effects stunning sets are some of the best that I have see, especially he end scene when the beast once more becomes a prince. It was a battle on the rooftops between Gaston and the Beast. The battle was for love; this resulted in the Beast winning. He changed back into the Prince who he originally was. I didn’t think that the ending was very good. My reason for this was although that the special effects were superb, from the start of the second half you could see the performance coming to an end at any time and I thought that the end of the performance should be the best. Compared to the opening scene it wasn’t very dramatic. It was still a good ending but nothing spectacular. The one thing of course that makes this show is the music and it certainly did not fail. I was literally dancing out of the theatre and singing the songs for hours to come afterwards. The musical extravaganza is a real romp from start to finish. Being treated to song after song of precision choreography, strong singing and raw energy that leapt from the stage. The songs kept coming thick and fast, and even just sat watching leaves you feeling breathless by the end. - 81.174.188.63) | 10 Dec 05 |
| I went to see the opening performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Sunderland Empire on the Tuesday the 20th of September. The music is not the greatest you'll hear on the music theatre stage with the exception of the title song, which is very moving, and the combination of music, costume and choreography in "Be our guest" is superb. The performance is quite a complex story, with the attractive young prince being changed into the Beast, whilst the villagers look with suspicion on Belle for, although beautiful, she is "different" because she enjoys reading. Her father is regarded as an outcast because of his difference, his interest in invention and his mechanical skills. Then there is Gaston, admired by the villagers because he is their idea of what a man should be, but underneath he is a monster of insensitivity, selfishness and self-interest. Then the healing power of love returns the Beast to his original hansom self, the prince. The Beast had has learned to forget his own self, to think of someone else, this person being Belle. My expectations of the play were quite high because Beauty and the Beast is a well-known film and the film was very good. So I hoped that the performance would be just as good as the film if not better. Overall my expectations were met, I enjoyed the play, I thought that it was well set out, and that lighting, set, etc. were all very well used and were appropriate. I went along feeling "this is not for me" and expecting an over-hyped piece of sentimentality, and, with the first couple of scenes being very reminiscent of the opening of a panto, the casting of the spell followed by a jolly scene with all the villagers, I felt that my suspicions were about to be confirmed. However, as the first half progressed I began to think again and really started to like it and enjoy. I loved the way the actors performed with the music and dancing. It was a very well thought out play. The intended audience was for quite young children. I could see this from the amount of children there and also the words used by the actors in the performance. It may have also been for quite older people. It was for a mixture of audiences really. There were action scenes for younger ones, sing-a-longs for the older generation. And love and romance for those who like that sort of thing. Personally I enjoyed the action scene and the way the props and staging were used. The start of the performance was tremendous, with stunning visual effects, extraordinary sets. It was an enchanting experience for the audience. It set the scene and mood of the performance incredibly well. Straight away it gave an especially good moral example of not judging people on first impressions. I also thought the musical start worked very well. The play was set in a small village in France. The use of the word Bonjour showed us this. It was very cleverly done. It immediately made the audience aware of it being set in a small village in France. Everyone in this neighbour hood was very close and knew every one. We could see this by everyone being very happy and joyful. No one dared talk about the ledged of the beast; this was shown by the green lights whenever the beast was mentioned The set (Charles Camm) and costume (Elizabeth Dennis) design are superb, and beautifully complemented costume by Elizabeth Dennis swarmed the stage in wonderful colours. The lighting was used throughout the play to show what sort of mood the beast, Gaston or Belle would be in and the lighting really did make all the difference. I think without the lighting the performance wouldn’t have been as good because you wouldn’t be able to realise so well were you where i.e. in the bar, forest, castle etc or what mood characters were portraying I also noticed the small disguised microphones on the key actor/actresses foreheads, which were a wonderful idea. They picked up plenty of sound and made sure that it didn’t get in the way of the performance. The use of the small boy in the tea box was great. His head was just peaking over the top. The mirrors were used to hide the boy’s body and legs. I thought this was a really well designed idea and worked particularly well. Another idea I liked was that of the character Illumine for his hands were candles. When he clicked there would be a small flame that came out of the top of the candle. It was used quite a lot I thought it was another really good original idea. Although Katie Rowley-Jones leads the cast as Belle and Nick Green Shields as the Beast, it is in fact very much a joint effort piece and every single member of the cast displays tremendous energy, commitment and sheer talent. I really thought the characters suited their roles; especially Gaston. I thought his size, voice and self-obsession worked really well. Then there’s Alan Menkin’s lush score, with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with show-stopping numbers like Be Our Guest and the romantic title song. These songs were so good I was even humming them after I left the theatre. The beast played by Nic Greenshields was fantastic. The way he used the stage and how he covered himself up; and his radical burst of emotion and anger at very quiet times gave the audience something that on one hand was very scary and the other an amazing arrangement of movement about the stage and changing voice levels to create a phenomenal act. His interpretation of The Beast was excellent. He touched on both the comic side of the character as well as the innocent gentle side. His makeup was simply brilliant. This was quite a hard lead to follow up but was just as easily matched by Katie Rowley-Jones as Belle. Katie Rowley-Jones simply shone in her role as Belle bringing out the sarcastic side of her nature as well as the caring one. She used her power not by her anger and the raising of her voice, but her movement on stage it was as if she floated along. You could tell when she was angry with her fast moving paces from stage left, to stage right and her sharp turns moved the beast back and resulted in her overpowering the beast. The second half of the play started with a green light and curtains disguised as trees. These curtains were used all through the performance not only as trees but they were also curled up to make it look like a big spider web and when the beast was released and turned back into the prince these curtains were taken away. Special effects stunning sets are some of the best that I have see, especially he end scene when the beast once more becomes a prince. It was a battle on the rooftops between Gaston and the Beast. The battle was for love; this resulted in the Beast winning. He changed back into the Prince who he originally was. I didn’t think that the ending was very good. My reason for this was although that the special effects were superb, from the start of the second half you could see the performance coming to an end at any time and I thought that the end of the performance should be the best. Compared to the opening scene it wasn’t very dramatic. It was still a good ending but nothing spectacular. The one thing of course that makes this show is the music and it certainly did not fail. I was literally dancing out of the theatre and singing the songs for hours to come afterwards. The musical extravaganza is a real romp from start to finish. Being treated to song after song of precision choreography, strong singing and raw energy that leapt from the stage. The songs kept coming thick and fast, and even just sat watching leaves you feeling breathless by the end. - 81.174.188.63) | 10 Dec 05 |
| An outstanding performance! Well done - 217.43.55.30) | 06 Dec 05 |
| I took some young teenagers and was thrilled that they got so much out of their first 'proper' play. It's a deeply moving piece which will hopefully ensure we won't forget how so many young lives were lost in the worst of all wars. - 86.134.81.1) | 06 Dec 05 |
| Saw this in Edinburgh. It's the fourth roll-out of the RSC formula which is now becoming tiresome. Time to move on, chaps. - 86.134.81.1) | 06 Dec 05 |
| A powerful play brilliantly executed by the very able cast. The main characters Harry Brooks (Marcus) and Katie Donnison (Sarah) were outstanding and dealt with what was a quite emotive subject at times with great sensitivity. All credit to the director. Shame it was only on for 4 nights. I think it would have appealed to more people had they known it was on. - 86.142.76.160) | 05 Dec 05 |
| WAHOO!!!! wans't it great don't you think? I think it was fantastic...Although I didn't have such a good view being on the stage myself. But I hope all you guys enjoyed it becaus eI had too much fun to even post here. - 212.85.15.83) | 05 Dec 05 |
| Gripping story, atmospheric lighting and backdrop and brought to life by the lead man, Harry Brooks. Harry Brooks portrayed a troubled man (Marcus) and truly played him with passion and realism. He is a talented young actor and would certainly see his next performance. I think he has the X Factor!!! - 193.34.231.232) | 05 Dec 05 |
| This was the first time I have seen FF live, and I must say they did not dissapoint. Their music relatively new to me, even so they still managed to hold my undivided attention throughout their entire set. I am not going to break the review into separate crits on each instrument or vocal, instead just comment on the overall performance FF provided. I thought the sound they produced surpassed many other bands that I have seen live, and their music on a whole was very clean cut and precise and all in all an exquisitely rehearsed show, which thoroughly entertained!! They did however lack a bit of physical energy, which is essential in modern day live music, hence the loss of one star. Well done FF and see you very soon again. - 87.74.10.220) | 04 Dec 05 |
| I thought it was amazing!! the support bands, blonde ladies and routes Manoeuvre were good, but didn't manage to really pump up the crowd... as soon as franz got on stage everyone in the audience went mad (in a good way obviously)! the atmosphere was ammense and Franz were completely up to scratch. Alex, as always, knew excatly how to whip up the crowd and he definatly achieved his aim to make music for girls to dance to (me being a girl.) when mark got up and played walk away with alex it was actually so amazing! but i think my favourite song they played was i'm your villain or the fallen. Actually there was not one i didn't love and i didn't stop dancing once, i loved it! But of course take me out was one of the highlights too as a personal favourite. For me, this concert was one of the best! - 80.3.32.7) | 04 Dec 05 |
| An INCREDIBLE performance! Unforgettable. - 193.63.96.112) | 04 Dec 05 |
| Saw them last year in Leicester at a much smaller venue, I suspect that was a more comfortable place for them to play: they were riveting and frenetic there, but here at Ally Pally they seemed out of sorts, and maybe a little dwarfed by the stage. Alex's voice was breaking, he sounded exhausted, and they've added more instrumentation into the quieter passages of songs from the first album, which has dented their feel somewhat: you can't do "play that funky music white boy" style guitar plonking in a quiet section of a FF track! The rest of the band seemed tired too, and in a couple of places they almost sounded like they hadn't rehearsed enough! Overall they gave a good account of themselves, but this isn't FF on all cylinders: there's something lodged in the exhaust pipe. - 82.109.193.226) | 02 Dec 05 |
| very distinctive sound and energetic display from one of the most influential bands of our time, slow ballads to up tempo rock, a real range on music and tight performance excellent display from the scots - 80.169.134.124) | 02 Dec 05 |
| Seen in Stratford and West End - thought it was brilliant - I liked the fact that all ages could enjoy it. - 86.130.7.128) | 02 Dec 05 |
| I went to it and yes it was short but it was missy, i waited for 3 and half hours in the cold and the fact that i got to hold missys hand made it all worth while, she may have performed slightly less then normal but she still missy and i will still always hold down her ground. - 81.159.44.174) | 01 Dec 05 |
| Having seen the start of this tour in Dartford, then in Southend and our last visit at High Wycombe,we are now looking forward to seeing it again when it goes back on tour in February as its a great show, it has been really been finely tuned since the last tour, and on each of our visits there has been another piece added to give it that little something extra, The casting is superb with Dave Willetts & Shona Lindsey in the lead roles as they were on the last tour, and a brilliant supporting cast that are really great,there is some good special effects,a new song and some really spectacular dancing by all of them, and it gives you a real feel good feeling afterwards, the main scenerey isnt terrific but while on tour i would say with all the different size of stages,west its quite adequate as theres only so much you can do with it,I think it now deserves to go into the West End after the tour finishes. - 62.253.128.14) | 29 Nov 05 |
| After much anticipation i was left a little dissapointed by the Missy concert, dont get me wrong she is a truly gifted artist and great entertainer but i felt she wasn't completely the Missy you see on the t.v, i appreciate she had a bad foot but i still hoped for a little more from her. After 1 hour queuing in the freezing cold and 2 hours of waiting around while dj's played and up and coming acts played her show wasn't even 2 hours long and she didn't perform for the whole time anyway. I will always be a missy fan but for my £30 something pounds i'd rather buy 3 albums.... - 82.32.14.31) | 29 Nov 05 |
| I went to the Missy concert last night and was left bitterly disappointed. She came on 15 mins late, finished 15 mins early and had a unknown singer sing 3 songs in the middle and wasted somemore time on some dancers, I went to see her perform not the rest of America. However what she did do was good there was just not enough of it, After paying £30 and having her previous concert cancelled because she did not want to fly I was expecting a fantastic show which we did not get. The way she left was crap, she just said thank you and good bye, the whole place was left hanging around waiting for her to come back and do some more songs but we were wrong. I am a big Missy fan but I would think twice about ever going to another concert. I understand she had a sore foot and could not do a hyper performance but there was nothing wrong with her vocal cords. Very upset Missy fan, well was! - 195.173.80.1) | 29 Nov 05 |
| Fantastic! My hobby is the theatre and I visit it regulary, and this was by far the best production I have seen in a very long time! It was a breath of fresh air to see such talented actors in a superb production! - 86.136.232.45) | 27 Nov 05 |
| REGION 5 – Sylvia Blogg RUN, ADOLF RUN by Sophia Tarjomani and Ian Dickie Regency Productions The Theatre Royal, Margate 1st-3rd September 2005 Director: Sophia Tarjomani Musical Director: Edward Greenhalgh Choreographer: Tara Gore This vibrant production was the result of the highly successful collaboration between writer, director, musical director and choreographer. The subject was suitably topical at this time of commemoration of the end of the Second World War. It followed the story of a family and their neighbours from the outbreak of War in 1939 to the V.E. celebrations in 1945 and included many popular songs of the period. There were, however, several anachronisms where historical atmosphere was sacrificed to artistic licence. For instance, songs dating back to the First World War and even to the Boer War were included and although they may have been sung in the Second World War, they did not blend with the ambience of the period. This applied particularly to “Goodbye, Dolly Gray” of the Boer War period, though its omission would have deprived the audience of a fine rendering by Mark Slade and Sandra Allan. The idea of having a grandfather describing events to his granddaughter at the side of the stage was very effective. It is always difficult for a young man to portray an elderly character but Lee McQueen gave a sympathetic performance as the Narrator. Emily George was good as the Narrator’s granddaughter. Although she delivered her lines towards the stage rather than towards the audience, her diction and projection were good enough for her to be audible. With a large cast it is impossible to comment on more than a few performances. Roy Brown gave a convincing portrayal of the Father and he was well partnered by Alison George as the Mother. Zahra Tarjomani showed great versatility in the various roles she portrayed. She sang with verve and was very vivacious. She was particularly good as one of the Andrews Sisters, the other two excellent performers being Georgia Hammond and Sarah Brown. Graham Dickinson was a splendid Sergeant Major and Mark Slade was very convincing as an R.A.F Officer. Sandra Allan displayed a great talent for comedy as the Matron of the hospital. However, the star of the show was undoubtedly the Director herself, Sophia Tarjomani. She gave fine renderings of the songs made famous by Vera Lynn. She sang with such artistry and had outstanding poise and elegance aided by beautiful costumes. Here was a consummate artist! The rest of the large cast all contributed to the success of the show which was greatly aided by the technical efficiency which kept the pace moving in spite of the many scene changes. The sound and lighting were especially effective during the staging of the Blitz. A delightful piece of choreography was connected with the title of the production, “Run, Adolf Run” which was a parody on the popular song “Run, Rabbit, Run”. The cast sang the latter version while the juvenile dancers dressed as rabbits, popped up and down at the back of the stage, suggesting how difficult it is to shoot one. Then the soldiers came on and sang, “Run, Adolf Run”. Two minor criticisms could be made in this otherwise excellent production. Most of the dresses were too long. They should have been knee-length as were the uniforms which were absolutely correct. The other criticism which is more of a suggestion is that it would have been better to present a jitterbug, danced either by one couple or by several to the music of “In the Mood” rather than a tap dance. Finally, I should like to comment on the attractive programme. Congratulations on attaining a high standard of presentation! come and see there next exciting show a rock classical musical held at the same venue on the 11th-17th of june. seats £9.00 booked and £10.00 door - 194.164.100.89) | 26 Nov 05 |
| I feel the adaptation was weak and Rebecca Atkinson Lord has showed much promise in the past so one must wonder if perhaps her time is up. I thought that the play was enjoyable but definately not the play someother seemed to have reviewed. The actors worked hard but the writing was lacking that certain something that would have made this a great adaptation - 88.104.62.121) | 25 Nov 05 |
| An excellent play touching on interesting and emotive themes, but the production lacked something for me, especially after having read the text a few years ago and been very moved by it. It builds well, peaks in the first half of part 2, then tails off somewhat. But for all that, the strength of the play's underlying concept carries it aong and makes it worth seeing. - 194.80.238.40) | 21 Nov 05 |
| Angels thats what they are they are brillliant - 86.141.62.128) | 19 Nov 05 |
| I am giving this show 3 stars only because of Sheila Ferguson - AND yes, she gets all three!!! I saw her performance the opening week at The Shaftsbury Theatre and again just before it closed on June 26th, 2003. What strides Sheila had made. Sheila's voice, stage presence and comedic sense of timing is parallel to none. She is finding a depth to her acting with each part she undertakes, and I think some of you are being extremely cruel regarding her! This woman dares to be different and to try new things. Why do we always diss people like 'Sheila Ferguson'? Whenever Sheila takes any stage, it lights up and other's simply pale in her signigicance, as she really is larger than life. How would Whitney Houston have fared in 'The Bodyguard' had she not been protected and surrounded by Kevin Costner to hold up a meek and mediocre preformance? Same thing applies to Denzel's holding her up in 'The Preacher's Wife'. And, would any Diva put their career on the line like Sheila? I think not! And speaking of Amanda Holden? Geessssss, what a wooden performance she gave!!! No stage presense whatsoever!!! You've also mentioned Maureen Lipman and her singing??? DUH!!!! Anita Dobson and her singing??? DUH AGAIN!!! Is that what you call singing? How can you possibly compare the voices of Amanda Holden, Maureen Lipman and Anita Dobson with that of Sheila Ferguson's??? I don't get it? Sheila is brilliant!!! Why can't we give the woman her due, here in this country? Sheila Ferguson is an 'INTERNSATIONAL STAR', not a local yocal. I respect her for even daring to stretch herself to be different!!! Sheila Ferguson is a truly great, daring and innovative 'Diva'. And it's about time people stopped expecting the worst and givng her the 'Party Line'. Sheila Ferguson CAN act and watch out for her, she'll prove you all wrong one day. I can't wait to see her starring as 'The Fairy Godmother' in Cinderella. My mates and I will be there, in Canterbury, to see and support this amazing lady in her first Panto venture. Ali and the boys. - 82.71.40.61) | 19 Nov 05 |
| I am giving this show 3 stars only because of Sheila Ferguson. Yes, I am an ardent fan and while 'Behind The Iron Mask' was dreadfully written, directed and staged, I found that the only redeeming factor was Miss Ferguson's preformance. I have read all the scathing comments and reviews about this Diva and found them to be extemely cruel? This lady dares to try challenging things instead of always playing it safe. She knows she can sing and has a great sense of comedic timing! Would other Diva's, the likes of Whitney Houston (who's acting was extremely mediocre in The Bodyguard. But as she was playing oposite Kevin Costner, she was totally and uttterly protected. How many Diva's dare to put themselves on the line to attempt anything new? Not many!!! No...., not any!!! I can also see Sheila Ferguson's acting growing by leaps and bounds as she seems to be finding depth within her parts. So, forget about the Party Line and give this very eclectic woman a chance people. She's a fabulous entertainer and we are always so quick to be judgemental, without considering the bravery it takes to break out of a mold to do anything new! Al. - 82.71.40.61) | 19 Nov 05 |
| WOW what a fantastic peformance by the understudy as Joseph. James Muller is a true find and at only 18 years old !!!!! .Wonderful performance. He actually became Joseph, not just an actor playing a role. Full of emotion. That boy will go far. Full marks to Marlon Moore as Pharaoh. This whole cast are outstanding. Being a Joseph regular I shall miss those that leave Chritstmas and I wish them well in the future.Still the best musical in the world. Lynda Robinson, Josephitus sufferer. xxxxx - 88.111.141.95) | 18 Nov 05 |
| Not in the same league as the company's "King Lear" but still well worth seeing despite Anita Dobson's barely adequate Gertrude! - 84.64.66.11) | 17 Nov 05 |
| I really do agree with Janet Polson's review. Greg Hicks' verse speaking was tremendous, back on form after his weedy Macbeth for the RSC. - 193.118.203.3) | 14 Nov 05 |
| Overall, I found this disappointing. I've enjoyed some of Greg Hicks's performances - his rich, precise vocal delivery is well-suited to certain kinds of production (he was terrific in Peter Hall's unfairly maligned, masked NT production of The Baccahe) but he didn't sit comfortably in this. I didn't get a full sense of ruthless ambition, brutality and manipulative persuasiveness from him, and similarly didn't feel that the production as a whole properly conveyed the idea of this man and his army as an unstoppable force wreaking havoc and horror. A decision had clearly been taken not to enter into fight scenes, meaning that as soon as one was imminent, everything and everyone froze. When this device is repeated, it starts looking odd and incongrous. The set is quite atmospheric, there are some good performances and like the WoS reviewer I too enjoyed Jeffrey Kisson's Bajazeth. I also love Rachael Stirling's chocolatey voice but felt she was wasted as Zenocrate. - 194.80.238.40) | 11 Nov 05 |
| i love the angels THEY ROCK - 86.141.62.128) | 10 Nov 05 |
| Fantastic. Highly energetic and entertatining. - 194.200.0.4) | 10 Nov 05 |
| Wonderfully clever set (I think less is more, when you consider how difficult it would be to show in fully the glory of Manderley), and I enjoyed the camp humour of Beatrice, even if it was a clear rip-off of Joyce Grenfell at her most 'galumphing'. However, I personally would have preferred Mrs Danvers to be played with more icy hostility; this would, I believe, have been more menacing than overt vocal fury. But still a good evening overall. - 86.138.58.25) | 09 Nov 05 |
| Far and away the weakest of all their shows. It starts badly with the silent movie jokes where you cannot read the captions unless you're onstage with them and goes downhill. Time to dig out the video of the "Shakespeare" show to remind yourself how good this company can be. - 195.93.21.102) | 07 Nov 05 |
| See this production is touring next year without the superb Anna Jane Casey - pity its not withouth David Soul who was dire when I saw him stumbling about all over the place with his dialogue. You could see the panick in his eyes. - 212.57.230.227) | 07 Nov 05 |
| The National has staged some stunning productions in recent years and this one will be judged to be well worthy of that high standard. The interpretation is modern and crisp and the acting, especially from Damian Lewis and Lesley Manville, is outstanding. The play itself is a morality tale for today and Karsten's eventual revelations to the people of the town were worthy of any New Labour spin master. The ending is bleak, both literally and metaphorically, with the inexorability of capitalist interest and the morality that goes with it, powerfully conveyed. - 86.133.36.41) | 06 Nov 05 |
| God, will this lot ever grow up? The success of their Shakespeare show was a mystery to me - I've seen more sophisticated productions performed by sixth-formers - but thanks to the relentless dumbing down of this county I'm sure this effort will run and run... - 84.66.221.118) | 05 Nov 05 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream can almost be described as "a play of three halves", in that it has three major elements, disparate but inextricably interlinked, which must all succeed to make any production of it truly enjoyable. And I am delighted to report that the RSC's latest version, seen during its Stratford run, triumphantly achieves this triple success, with each of the elements – the inter-relationships of the Athenian lovers, the discord between Oberon and Titania in the forest and the play within the play put on by Peter Quince and his fellow "rude mechanicals" – working magnificently and, moreover, combining superbly into an evening of magic and laughter. The opening scene in Athens, with its minimalist presentation, gave no hint of the wonder contained in the Athenian wood. Some years ago, the scene change from the city to the forest in an RSC production of The Dream earned its own round of applause, so much did it seem to have happened by magic, and the effect created on this occasion by our first sight of Stephen Brimson Lewis's forest set was a similar one. Against a deep blue cyloramic sky, complete with stars and other heavenly bodies, and with a huge globe that, with the aid of Tim Mitchell's superb lighting, could equally represent the moon or the sun, this "forest" was made not of trees but of a huge pile of wooden junk. Why its effect was so enchanting, I do not know – but it was! The fairies themselves were not gossamer-winged sylphs but punk Gothic puppets, rather sinister in aspect (for example Mustardseed's head fell off whenever he spoke). And the changeling boy was represented by a mannekin so beautiful that it was no wonder Joe Dixon's Oberon and Amanda Harris's Titania had quarrelled over him, and who was capable of making our own hearts turn over by a simple movement of his head or arm. Into this – for us dreamlike but for them understandably nightmarish - world came the four young Athenians (Sinead Keegan, Caitlin Mottram, Trystan Gravelle and Oscar Pearce) whose romantic sufferings were only heightened by the interference – and mistakes! – of Jonathan Slinger's superbly laid back and insolent Puck and who put so much physical effort into their quarrels that we wondered where they found the energy to speak the words as well! And the evening was crowned by the efforts of the (clearly Brummie) mechanicals, whose version of Pyramus and Thisbe reduced us to tears of laughter but also moved us with its depiction of Thisbe's plight (superbly performed by Flute, aka Jamie Ballard). From Malcolm Storry as Bottom, playing the would-be heroic Pyramus, through Paul Chahidi's Peter Quince, whose inner feelings were perhaps revealed by his attempts to comfort Flute, to David Rogers's Snout, in the character of an acutely embarrassed Wall, the whole cast of the play within the play showed a magnificent incompetence that truly highlighted the skill of the real-life actors. Live The Dream- go and see this wonderful show! - 194.75.129.200) | 05 Nov 05 |
| All I can say is thank goodness for Rebecca Thornhill, without her I think this would have been the first production I had left at the interval. I'm glad I went just to see her, she deserves better and I doubt very much this production will be opening in the West End, very boring. - 80.42.104.110) | 03 Nov 05 |
| I love it, sold out it's entire 4 weeks in Edinburgh Fest' I could not get a seat.... Maybe an off night or that theatre is just too big. I saw it again in Malvern last week and the whole place went wild in Act Two. Packed again, so catch it where you can I say! Now they are no longer in London (after ten years) I am just glad we still have a chance to see them and in a brand new show! - 217.13.129.151) | 02 Nov 05 |
| I saw this production, but only just stumbled on this review page. I am surprised by the passion of some of the reviewers here for what was, in essence, yet another average production by a group of average actors led by a possible less than averagely talented director. Sure, everyone worked hard, but the concept was a bit weak, the use of space was elementary, and the cowardly ending robbed the play of any real punch. Add to that some frankly bizarre costumes, and you have a funny mix. At times, the show was a leaden and monotonously tragic take on the text, without the lightness necessary at points to bring home the tragedy. Have a look at work by companies like Kneehigh and you'll know what I mean. I congratulate the company on putting on the show, and one could see the work that had been put in, but it wasn't by any stretch of the imagination a 'must-see'. - 82.45.3.137) | 31 Oct 05 |
| My 11 year old daughter was in this Extravagansa for the first time and I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather! Not for a minute did I expect to be sitting in a local theatre watching a show that looked like it had just come straight from the West End!It was fantastic! I thought it was very professionally put together and was full of wonderful, imaginative and colourful costumes. I thought the children were extremely professional, talented and very patient! Next time I would recommend this show to more people! A delight to watch and not just because I'm one of their mums! - 84.45.169.153) | 31 Oct 05 |
| The best show me and my kids have ever seen. If you get a chance SEE THIS SHOW - 81.179.122.35) | 30 Oct 05 |
| Quite possibly the best gig i've seen! The music means a lot to me and i honestly never seen a band so tight live able to stretch the songs beautifully. it feels good to leave thinking that what was heard can never be experienced by anyone else. ONe bad thing; john asked the audience for quiet while he played a song thet meant a lot to him and means a lot to others, some ignorant people werent sympathetic but the song wasnt lost so i guess thats ok. Think he was a little taken back by the audience all singing peaches and cream. It was a good time!! - 82.33.8.104) | 29 Oct 05 |
| This has to be one of the best productions i have seen! It's magical and romantic, coming together to make a magical performance! - 88.110.204.31) | 29 Oct 05 |
| I musy say, I agree entirely! Having LOVED the others we were very disappointed. - 62.254.0.54) | 29 Oct 05 |
| This man is sure to get a wide following after this series of UK concerts. For those of you that were there, you already know the genius of the man, for those of you that weren't don't miss him next time round. You'll regret it if you do. - 81.179.231.37) | 27 Oct 05 |
| Excellent cast and a wonderful production. Interesting and thought provoking throughout. Very highly recommended. - 62.255.32.15) | 24 Oct 05 |
| Considering the low opinion that people seem to have of this production, there wasn't an empty seat or a miserable face to be seen. This is populist stuff and as long as the boxes are ticked they'll leave happy. So what if Paul Manuels 'Danny' looks old enough to be Sandy's Dad? From the front of the Upper Circle his bald spot needs work! Hayley Evetts is charming as Sandy, her voice bright and clear, and accent consistent. The ever decreasing ensemble work well to fill the gaps but there are never enough people on stage to get truly excited with anything but Greased Lightning comes close. Michelle Hayward's Rizzo has such a dreadful accent and mock swagger that she's lost you by the time she knocks you out with her voice in ' There are Worse Things I Could Do'. A real shame as she's clearly a great singer. The whole she-bang must be a marvellous cash cow for its producers; if only they'd invest in a dialect coach or an effective resident director that could care less, this could've been a four star review. As it is, I wasn't blown away but still had a nice time. Which I think is the point! - 195.93.21.101) | 23 Oct 05 |
| I'm with the WOS reviewer on this one. If you like League of Gentlemen (I don't) then you may love it - certainly that seemed a larger influence than David Lynch (whose work I like very much). There were two or three admitedly clever and amusing interactions of film and stage but they were repeated to such a level that they became tedious. This was a thin seam of gold mined to within an inch of its life. The 90 minutes seemed like hours. - 62.253.64.18) | 22 Oct 05 |
| excellent - 195.93.21.101) | 21 Oct 05 |
| My first Vai gig, and to be honest, a bit of a letdown. Vai himself was great, as was the band. They played with blinding virtuosity (as would be expected) and were great guys (i got two picks!), but I agree that playin new stuf wasnt exactly the best idea as no-one (most of all me) knew the songs, and even those with the new album found it difficult to enjoy them as much as the classics. He played The Audience Is Listening, which was incredible, but again, the new songs no-one could get into and the acoustic set was SO not what I paid to see, nor what I ex[ected from Vai. Ah well. - 195.144.131.4) | 21 Oct 05 |
| Usually, entertainers who try to please everyone fail on all counts. Keith Urban succeeds. He's a supreme guitarist/musician - please the boys. He's handsome, sexy and smiley - please the girls. He plays a variety of first-rate melodic songs with intelligent lyrics - please the music buffs. He's got an individual sound of his own, mainly from liberal use of the excellent electric banjo and a fine, strong voice, and a habit of breaking into old classic country hits, that are greatly endearing - please country music fans and probably anyone else not already pleased. He pleased me far more than I expected. Don't miss him if he comes to London again - unless you have sensitive ears, it was loud. - 84.66.193.72) | 20 Oct 05 |
| I went along last night with great expectations. I'd watched the Astoria DVD a million times and was ready for a great show. However, after a ear shredding display by Sardinas, we were subjected to three hours of boring, awful songs that nobody knew. I'm a huge Vai fan, yeat there were literally only about 4 or 5 songs that I recognised. each of the band members had their own solos. This is never normally a bad thing, but when they are all given about a ten minute slot, you do start to lose the will to live. I was really disappointed with the show, especially as it was seated (not Vai's fault, I know), and feel that he'd be much better off playing his old stuff that people know and like. And no 45 minute long acoustic set!! - 195.93.21.102) | 20 Oct 05 |
| PhPhPh Oh yeah That concert was roody - 80.2.160.8) | 20 Oct 05 |
| Excellent performance from Talvin and Kaushiki. A great and unique combination of music styles..quite similar but extremely different. I will definatly be going to the next concert were Talvin or Kaushiki will perform. - 195.93.21.101) | 19 Oct 05 |
| My first time seeing this duo and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I thought Ernest survived the treatment very well and that Ridiculusmus slant added rather than detracted. Still not quite a 4 as it was a bit slow in parts. - 193.118.203.3) | 19 Oct 05 |
| entertainment at its peak!!!!!!!! sidi was exceptional - 80.248.0.108) | 18 Oct 05 |
| Tamburlaine was born in 1336 and, despite a humble background, conquered more of the world than anyone except Alexander the Great. Christopher Marlowe's play, adapted here by director David Farr, does not portray Tamburlaine's exploits with absolute accuracy (almost all the other characters are fictional) or in great depth, but illustrates the man himself in the context of an outline sketch of his journey of conquest. And he was, in essence, the supreme example of the will to power in man. Driven by inexorable ambition, he destroyed kingdoms and empires, treating conquered peoples with a barbarity that varied in inverse proportion to the speed of their submission to him. History records him as having kept an emperor in a cage and used other royal prisoners to draw his chariot - events shown in the play, together with atrocities such as his ordering of every man, woman and child in a city to be drowned ("kill them all"). To portray such a character successfully demands an approach that is both uncompromising and restrained. Any attempt to pander to the audience's sensibilities and mitigate Tamburlaine's ruthlessness by implying that he feels any remorse would undermine the character and would almost certainly fail, given the excesses to which his overwhelming desire for "an earthly crown" drives him. But to make him a monster, who kills for killing's sake, would render him so implausible that we would lose interest in the play. In a typically magnificent and utterly compelling performance, Greg Hicks avoids both of these traps. Not once does he ask for, let alone expect, our sympathy, even when Tamburlaine is dying in agony. But this Tamburlaine's appearance of civilised urbanity, and his matter of fact manner in commanding savage acts of slaughter and destruction to be committed, make him both totally convincing and very frightening. Greg Hicks also captures the charisma that enabled Tamburlaine to inspire such loyalty that he eventually acquired a huge following, with representatives from all the lands he had conquered, and the charm that wins him the heart of Zenocrate, a captive princess, out of regard for whom he performs one of his few merciful deeds – sparing her father's life - which, as he instantly realises, is also an act of weakness. Supported by the rest of a fine cast (most memorably Jeffery Kissoon as the caged emperor Bazareth and Chuk Iwuji as Theridamus who, originally sent to capture Tamburlaine, becomes one of his closest followers) Greg Hicks dominates the stage, using his amazing voice and his unrivalled verse-speaking talents to bring absolute clarity to Marlowe's words. Staged simply but very effectively (wooden cases represent everything from thrones to the box of Tamburlaine's chariot and Eastern robes are fastened over the top of modern clothes whilst the actors are on stage) this superb production, neither mediaeval in tone nor drawing any exact modern parallels, chillingly reminds us of the horrors that can arise in any period if a sufficiently determined individual sets out in pursuit of absolute power. - 194.75.129.200) | 17 Oct 05 |
| I saw the same show and although I agree, I am surprised you didn't mention the excellent use of light and sound, which really added some great atmosphere. Lots of fab music and hovering smoke picking up great lighting effects. Great ideas, great theatre. - 81.155.4.121) | 14 Oct 05 |
| It's everything that Theatre of Blood aspired to be and failed so lamentably. What a brilliantly inventive, off-the-wall, hilarious and insane experience it was. The sourpuss main review was written without any understanding of the Spike-Milligan-meets-David Lynch idiom of the piece. The final coup de théàtre was the icing on a wonderfully rich fruit cake. I can't believe WOS is willing to put people off seeing such a marvellous piece of pure theatre with such a miserable response. - 195.144.130.1) | 14 Oct 05 |
| Saw the show at Woking last night and agree with all the previous Woking reviewer's comments. With two or three exceptions the performances were wooden - the show lacked life and sparkle. - 86.136.107.0) | 13 Oct 05 |
| Well, Les Miserables entering its 21st year, to me suggests its rather good. But its until you go and see you your relise its not that good, its probably the best thing you will ever have the plesure of seeing in your whole entire life. The passion of the music, the personal triumphs, the love and the power of th singing. When i ever speak to someone able musicals, they always ask 'whats your favorite?' i say Les Mis, ive seen it 5 time. AND they always reply, 'Ive seen it 6 time!' - 139.222.177.79) | 11 Oct 05 |
| Conti and the leading ladies on top form, contrasting with three weak supports ( who dont spoil the fun, although 'the actor-husband'who starts off the shenanigans comes close ). Fluffs become part of the entertainment. Some superb dialogue . - 86.139.191.162) | 11 Oct 05 |
| Excellent adaptation of the classic, with some topnotch acting. The stage layout is original, with Victorian funiture such as double beds and tables all on wheels so they can be whipped from one side of the stage to the other. An original touch is what must be one of the few coffins on wheels to grace the stage. There is some good usage of the Bridewell Theatre - it was once a Victorian swimming pool. The actors bring out Jonathan Harker's humour to a usually stolid character, and Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra are well portayed as lively, intelligent women. A very enjoyable play, the only drawback being its short performance time - hopefully it will return at some point. - 212.85.19.16) | 11 Oct 05 |
| I hated it - dated and claustrophobic. But I can't deny it's invention and to hell with the world philosophy. - 62.253.64.18) | 10 Oct 05 |
| Magnificent. Brilliant ensemble. Wonderful entertainment. An absolute joy. We need more of this. - 80.177.231.164) | 10 Oct 05 |
| I saw Dame Jayne - An Obituary at The Battersea Barge last Sunday and did a bit of a wee with laughter. Well recomened - 194.164.231.173) | 09 Oct 05 |
| No Aaron and Damien Hall; thus no 'Guy'. We thought it should have been billed as 'Blackstreet & Teddy Riley' as this at least wouldn't have disappointed everyone. The sound was completely terrible - my ears have been ringing for days. Still a fun night out even if a substantial amount of the set was dedicated to Teddy Riley's own musical masturbation. - 88.110.226.21) | 06 Oct 05 |
| Maya Angelou is charismatic, tantalising, a born story teller and awesome, and with the most seductive and wonderful voice. A splendid evening! The Broadway Theatre is one of those gems stuck out in South London with a lovely atmosphere, and from which, no matter the price of the ticket, one is always guaranteed of a good seat at excellent prices. Maya Angelou said that she has been coming here for 21 years and I can most definelty see why. An ecclectic audience with a variety of productions, good public transport links - well done Souf London - 86.131.5.43) | 06 Oct 05 |
| a very clear and interesting production. stoppard makes a dashing prince and is never less than watchable.good all round support particularly from alice patten.nice to see an elizabethan shakespeare. - 81.86.106.82) | 05 Oct 05 |
| Cheater - need I say anymore - 193.61.34.38) | 05 Oct 05 |
| Oh god, why the hell do they bother with plays like this, the theatre was half empty and I think the wise ones were the people who stayed away. Aussie actor Grieve bleats out to the audience constantly which such drivel and Johnson blusts and gusts about the stage delivering very little worth hearing, the supporting players barely appear,Shirley Ann Field not once in Act One and Dickinson/Boht very brief and uninteresting appearances and some guy with a big moustache hardly utter a word but looked weird and scary wandering about the set and what a set!Ahh The set which is like cardboard city and Daisy get the flu in the end and I felt I had been suffering for the very brief 1 hour 40 mins of actual play time! My advice is stay at home with a good book and tickets for it weren't that cheap either! - 195.93.21.102) | 05 Oct 05 |
| Fantastic show a lot better than expected,I'm a friend of one of the dancers so went along to support. The star of the show for me was Jane Mcdonald she really knows how to win a audience over plus beautifol voice. - 195.93.21.71) | 04 Oct 05 |
| I was amazed how much I enjoyed this excellently acted adaptation. Well worth a vist. - 81.86.106.82) | 04 Oct 05 |
| Very dissapointed as travelled to Southampton to see what I thought was going to be the 1999 broadway version and it turned out to be a completely new rehash - even without any kids!!! The web site for this tour includes a list of awards which it has one which are for the 1999 revival. Very misleading. I feel sorry for the 6 G.I.'s who have to sit on the side of the stage as an audience and do not get to do very much until the second half. Much of the wild west showbusiness razamataz is missing. Having said that the dancing especially in the second half (nothing much in the first half except the Tommy and Winny number) is very good. If you go not expecting to hear the Bernadette Peters version you may have a pleasant enough evening. - 212.57.230.227) | 03 Oct 05 |
| Another dissapointing ETT Shakespeare. The programme/text notes director Unwin's intent to take out the Victorian punctuation. Academically, this is sound, but the punctuation is USEFUL in making sense of the verse. Either because of this view or of using this version of the text, Ed Stoppart gabbles his lines as if aiming for a speed record, with no sense of the emotion or understanding. I refuse to believe this is down to any ignorance on Mr Stoppard's part but the effect is terrible. He greets the ghost of his father like seeing a guest at a party and never did I get the sense that he was truly troubled by his situation. ETT regular, Michael Cronin provides his own version of puncuation by shouting every few words at random in his hopelessly unfunny or unthreatening Plonius (his gravedigger by contrast is better). By contrast, the females (Anita Dobson and Alice Patten) were moving and by far the best of this tedious production. It pains me to be critical of ETT because it's aims are excellent and it's choice of productions terrific - but Mr Unwin is now long overdue a good production after some early successes. - 62.255.32.15) | 02 Oct 05 |
| Readers might like to note that GLORIOUS broke attendance records for a new play at Birmingham Rep and that the runs at Richmond and Bath are already virtually sold out. Whatever critics might think - and by the looks of it all the local reviews are superb - this is undoubtedly a big hit with audiences. There will always be individuals who have had a sense of humour bypass. That´s fine. But everyone else can go along and have a damn good laugh. And we all need that these days, more than ever. Sing on, Florence!! - 83.39.53.142) | 28 Sep 05 |
| The angel dance school are the best bollywood dance school around. i have seen them dance in many differnt shows and everytime i am taken back by how unique there dances are and how much effort they must put in to the dance. I used to like singing until i saw how the angel dance school were. Now all i want to do is dance. I have seen other dancers i think they were called Honeys Dance, but they were no where near as good as Angel Dance School!!!! - 86.136.185.48) | 28 Sep 05 |
| WOW! What an amazing production. I'm really starting to love the actor-muso format for shows now - it's the way forward in the smaller theatres and it certainly works at the New Wolsey. It's such a shame this production is having such a short run so if you can't see it in Ipswich get along to Wales, you won't regret it! - 213.107.224.23) | 28 Sep 05 |
| Saw this at T Wells the other week and it was very good. The play is a corker and production values and performances were well to to NT standards. The place was packed - which makes a great difference in T Wells where the usual fare is second rate tribute bands. Just goes to prove that a good play will pack em in! - 86.132.126.70) | 27 Sep 05 |
| OMG! spectacualar! and im in love with tarja lol - 62.252.64.30) | 26 Sep 05 |
| Awesome. I'm still speechless !!!! - 81.153.238.223) | 26 Sep 05 |
| Top band. Great musicians, especially the drummer. Awesome and life like. Thanks for a great show Cheryl. - 83.104.49.178) | 23 Sep 05 |
| A very enjoyable show, the cast, musicicians and the staging were all very good. My only reservation about the show is that many of the songs are quite weak, however, a strong storyline means that audience gets pulled into the production and are absorbed into the action. - 128.240.229.3) | 21 Sep 05 |
| well that was a waste of a good night out. No show only one dance number followed by another. If you want to see a show don't go. If you love high energy dance routines it's for you. - 213.104.241.139) | 20 Sep 05 |
| Amateur half-baked pretentious nonsense. Cheated the audience out of jokes he hadn't written, probably thinking it would be passe to just tell a few like other people do...This was really quite poor... - 82.26.76.97) | 20 Sep 05 |
| I saw this 'dancical' - it certainly isn't anything else - with the above reviewer. He is probably more technical minded and admitted he thought the show was going to be terrible so was pleasantly surprised. I on the other hand (athough only going to see the musicality winners) was actually looking forward to it and was devastated. How could anyone produce such utter trash is beyond me - but then i don't like Big Brother either! The whole show was abysmal and in all honesty I couldn't single anyone out for praise (except Caroline who seems to like showing her knickers at every moment! - Nice maybe but not what I had paid to see.) what got me more than the complete pretence of a story was the total inability to match songs with the mood. Tradegy being sung by a guy who's girlfriend wants to marry him and not have an abortion even though he doesn't love her. It seems as though the producers just want the audience to ignore the lyrics of the songs and sing a long. Well if that's the case then do a sing a long show don't put this out as a piece of theatre which it certainly isn't. Don't waste your money on this rubbish. - 213.104.241.139) | 19 Sep 05 |
| I have mixed feelings about Saturday Night Fever. The show is all about the music, and that is what the vast majority of the audience have come to hear, but in my opinion, it happens at the expense of other areas of the performance. Act 1 bludgeons the audience over the head with a relentless attack of catchy, polished, highly choreographed and very impressive dance numbers and this had the effect of pushing the lack of plot and character out of my mind...until the moment in Act 2 when Bobby is agonising in "Tragedy" when I suddenly realised that I didn't actually know anything about the character and really couldn't give a sh*t about his girlfriend and their unborn baby! Characters are introduced as fillers, and disposed of without adding anything to the story - "Hi I'm a priest" - "Hi I'm not a priest anymore" - "Bye, I'm leaving town". A rival gang is mentioned in one scene, attacked in another and is never mentioned again in the whole piece. In fact, even the main characters are never developed to their full extent. Sean Mulligan as Tony moves and sings well and enjoys flexing his pecs to the teenage girls in the audience. Shaun Williamson (Monty) makes the most of the comic side of the character but Rebecca Dent lacks any depth whatsoever as Annette. The music is great and the sound clear. You should be dancin' but if you want more than that, prepare to be dissapointed. The What's on Stage score - half marks, but as I can't give two and a half I'm going to give in to the dancer in me and round it up to three. - 81.158.214.51) | 19 Sep 05 |
| Very very disappointing. The story is strong and should make for a wonderfully sweeping, passionate and diverse score - all it gets in a unimaginative monotony with few stand out moments. It starts quite positively, but never builds on it. The thing about through-composed shows is that they requirre 'big' numbers which are different from the music which is moving the show along. Unfortunatly The Far Pavilions rarely has these, and there is little in a dire second half to either captivate you and draw you emotionally into the show. Fraser is the bright spot for the show, and his voice is outstanding - in fact the whole cast are (as you'd expect from a big West End show) very talented. It's understandable why this show has flopped. The West End needs new innovative and imaginative shows (like Billy Elliot) not downgrade clones of previous hits. - 193.37.180.1) | 19 Sep 05 |
| i saw this show last week and was very pleasently suprised , a really enjoyable show and very funny , people have to realise this is a brand new play , and all shows need tweaking here and there till you get it just right by the time this show hits the west end it should be on top form . my only thought is the ending while very thought provoking and quite moving , there is such a wasted oppotunity for a huge laugh and applause rather than leaving maureen lipman standing in a silly pose for what seems an eternity they should fly her in to the gods with one wing on and bring her back down for a curtain call , this would have really bought the house down - 62.6.139.13) | 19 Sep 05 |
| Fantastic! I was taken to see this show on Friday and was a bit worried as I'm not a big fan of musicals but it was brilliant! Very profesional performance that had me laughing throughout. Highly recommended. - 129.31.14.80) | 15 Sep 05 |
| Many words describe this show; however, “Woeful” is more appropriate than “Glorious”. Maureen Lipman's performance is, without question, an absolute delight. No doubt the audience was brought in by Miss Lipman's deserved reputation as one of Britain's finest and most popular character actresses. However, her performance is a rare saving grace in an otherwise turgid and frankly embarrassing evening. The story of Florence Foster Jenkins is crying out to be told: it is proof that the 21st-century Big Brother culture is nothing new. The television quest for those optimistically described as pop stars [sic] would have appealed to Mrs Jenkins: her utter belief in her own limited abilities owed as much to the fawning of her intimates as to her own ostrich-like singlemindedness. The instruction for the modern talent contest entrant is "leave your talent at the door and we'll assess it from here" yet it was in the 1930s and 1940s that Mrs Jenkins spread her talent so thinly across the world of opera that she gained renown for her awfulness. As Mrs Jenkins, Maureen Lipman is colossal: this is a performance on a grotesquely epic scale which it is impossible not to like. She draws in the audience with her brisk, breezy delivery, leaving room for the vulnerability hinted at when her unhappy childhood is mentioned, albeit too briefly to be meaningful. Typically, Mrs Jenkins' trademark giggle is a reminder that Miss Lipman is a character actress of skill, experience and depth. Although the premise for this piece offers much hope, the script fails to deliver at almost every turn. Discreet and promising hints at the gay lifestyle and Chicago upbringing of Mrs Jenkins' talented accompanist Cosmé McMoon [crazy name, crazy guy...] lead to sledgehammer-blow doubles entendres about promiscuous gay sex as though presenting McMoon as a Graham Norton character somehow makes him urbane or witty. Sadly, this is wholly out of place in this piece of theatre: we are not watching David Benson as Kenneth Williams. Despite the laziness of the writing he is obliged to deliver, William Oxborrow gives a charming and understated performance suggesting depth and a story worth telling in itself. The remaining supporting performances are passable. Ingham, Kidd, Booth and Susi put up a vain battle against the one-dimensional characterisation given to them by the author but ultimately are unable to match Oxborrow's showing. The dead dog, the inept English actor and the Fawltyesque Mexican maid scenes are mere Polyfilla in a failed attempt to make this piece any more than a single gag stretched to more than two excruciating hours. This is a failing, flailing mess of a show that even manages to get the moral of its story wrong. Blind faith in one's own (lack of) ability is not an admirable human quality, yet here it is presented as just that. Given this lackadaisical showcase for his own dubious talents, perhaps the writer Peter Quilter opted to reassure himself through his art. Those audience members who attended to see Maureen Lipman at her camp, over-the-top, grotesque best will have gone home having seen and enjoyed just that. What they will not have seen is a piece of any artistic merit whatsoever: even the Awesome Miss Lipman cannot rescue this Awful Mistake. It came as an enormous and unwelcome surprise to have been presented with this shoddy fare at the Rep which usually chooses its programme with far greater care. - 172.203.244.94) | 14 Sep 05 |
| To say that Quilter´s one liners are borrowed from the internet is ridicilous. This is a 2 hour show with an endless stream of gags, hundreds in fact. Yes, several of them may be real Jenkins quotes, but that makes the play not borrowed but authentic! Buy the play from Methuen and read it - 99% of the play is totally original and brilliantly funny - which is why it´s transferring to the West End and why it has had rave reviews in all the newspapers here. Yes, you can find 4 of the funny lines on a web search. But what about the other 200? Come on, you´re not playing fair. To quote from genuine sources is a writer doing his job properly - and he adds hours of superb new material on top of it. And all published reviewers agree. It´s a great show. The night i went, the audience screamed with laughter and people had tears rolling down their cheeks. It´s a wonderful evening out and skilfully written comedy - i genuinely hope that nobody is going to be put off by these silly web-search comments. Trust me - this show is a real winner, just you wait and see what a massive hit it´s going to be in London. - 83.38.39.34) | 13 Sep 05 |
| Rugby League may not be everybodies cup of tea, but this play would make anyone laugh. Top rate entertainment. - 80.176.117.2) | 13 Sep 05 |
| This updated version of Irving Berlin's classic is a very enjoyable night out. Political correctness is the main change incorporated into the original, out goes the song I'm an Indian Too and sexism takes a back seat, but the overall production is not demeaned by any of these changes. The main players and the supporting cast are all excellant and the staging although nothing special it is apt for the show. - 128.240.229.65) | 13 Sep 05 |
| Fantastic, laughed nearly all the way through, there was never a dull moment. - 80.176.117.2) | 12 Sep 05 |
| Having had 2 weeks to think about it, and after having read a lot of reaction elsewhere, I'm still in two minds about this show. No argument, Jason Robert Brown's Tony-winning work is serious in intent and represents an important, thoughtful strand in recent musical theatre. It's brave of anyone to attempt the premiere of such a demanding piece under the difficult conditions of the Fringe, but with due respect to its clearly heartfelt support from JRB fans, I can't honestly say this version fully succeeded. It wasn't just some glaring technical difficulties that stopped it taking off. What the production lacked was focus, in every sense: from the unintelligible lyrics in the important opening number (and several others), through vague storytelling, with crucial plot moments remaining unpointed - the show's dramatic centre was often empty. While this was especially due to the wayward sound balance, which blurred the location of all voices in a crowded, over-busy staging, it also came from uncertain pacing, and the essentially unsympathetic playing of the victim/hero, Leo Frank, which deprived the eventual tragedy of its true empathetic force. Playing Leo, Chris Colley was almost painfully repressed: his rich talent, and formidable tessitura, were only unleashed in the burlesque "Come Up to My Office" and a very late scene of tenderness with his wife Lucille (Ashley Lilley, a lovely actor with uneven vocal quality). To sustain the momentum of this show without having an interval after the midway trial verdict required real control, but here, the plot-advancing interplay between Lucille and the Governor, the preacher and the hack was stubbornly unengaging. On the credit side was the show's spread of talent, with minor characters like Rosser the defence attorney, Conley the perjuror and the Governor's wife Mrs Slaton emerging as real individuals. Everyone in the cast exuded energy and commitment, and throughout, you yearned for the good elements in the show to come together in a satisfying whole. They never quite did: the lynching scene (surely the intended tragic highlight) taking place in confusing gloom, right upstage in an inset, was somehow emblematic. A raw and gutsy student production I saw three years ago moved me in a way the full resources of Pia Furtado's version couldn't. Although you have to salute the professionalism and determination of both her and her team in mounting such an ambitious venture without commercial backing, this production would need a lot of work to have a future - wonderful though it would be for the musical to have the full-scale launch it deserves. - 62.252.0.10) | 10 Sep 05 |
| I followed the WOS reviewer's advice and did a web search for FFJenkins. All of Quilter's "fabulous one liners" are not his at all, but are real quotes. Disappointing. Will await the national reviews with interest. - 62.189.241.185) | 10 Sep 05 |
| BIRMINGHAM POST REVIEW: "This is going to be a cult hit...a personal triumph for Maureen Lipman...a lovely slice of old ham." BIRMINGHAM EVENING MAIL REVIEW: "Glorious in every way...Lipman is tremendous...an incredibly strong cast...Quilter manages some fantastic one-liners...a winner for the Rep, it deserves to be a West End hit." REVIEWSGATE ONLINE REVIEW: "Sharply witty, a funny and moving evening...Lipman is brilliant...dangerous to call a play Glorious, but this one is." METRO REVIEW: "Lipman plays the daffy Jenkins to perfection...a uniformly great cast." WALSALL OBSERVER REVIEW: "An incredible performance in the clever play which is packed with humour and blessed by a fine cast...amazing!" - 80.39.250.234) | 09 Sep 05 |
| Hull Truck Theatre served up a sizzling dish when they began their Autumn/Winter season with the black comedy, Cooking With Elvis. Written by Lee Hall and directed by Gareth Tudor Price, this is an affectionate, bawdy tribute to the King of rock and roll, as well as taking care of day to day business, such as coping with life when you can't see any light at the end of the tunnel. The title, Cooking With Elvis, is very catchy, and the contents of the play certainly wouldn't disappoint any Elvis fans attracted by the title; the rendition of The Wonder Of You is well worth looking out for at the end of the first act. When an Elvis impersonator( Sean Oliver ) is paralysed in a car crash, his wife and daughter are forced to cope with the aftermath. Overweight teenager Jill ( Natalie Blades ) tries to compensate by cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Mam ( Jackie Lye ) chooses to drown her sorrows, and seeks solace in the arms of younger men. Chris Connel almost stole the show with his expressive portrayal of " Mr Kipling " Stuart, who gets himself into a stew. There are many unusual features and surprising twists in the play, which add to the hilarity and dark comedy. The cast of four were superb, keeping the pace fast and furious, with saucy antics that far from being offensive had you laughing out loud. In fact, the audience were so impressed with the cast's performance at the opening night at Hull Truck they all stood up to applaud at the end of the play - praise indeed. An innovative,unusual, and highly entertaining play that's well worth going to see. Julia Pattison reviewed at Hull Truck Theatre - 195.93.21.102) | 08 Sep 05 |
| Brilliant, havent laughed so hard for a long time. highly recommend it! - 80.169.129.1) | 08 Sep 05 |
| wow cant believe they are on stage together, both acclaimed artists in their own right - looking forward to the show!!! - 82.108.140.242) | 06 Sep 05 |
| Katie was brilliant, i never realised what a great voice she has, i thought the mixing on her first album made it as good as it could be, but hearing her live her voice is even stronger and her pronounciation has uncanny clarity,i only wished my girlfriend and i were closer to the stage but to get closer we basically needed to be in a rowing boat. Her new songs were very good,9 million bicycles was very touching and also great vocals and intelligent lyrics,the bands covers of the two cure songs were very nicely slipped in, both versions were good and the more known song "love cats" really got the crowd going,all in all a great first experience of katie melua live,she is very very tallented. - 195.93.21.101) | 28 Aug 05 |
| play was excellent. that actor richie campbell has great stage presence and always shows depth in his work. Ive seen him perform a few times now hes amazing. i really enjoyed patricia performance aswell. this play needs to be revived!!! - 62.253.64.18) | 25 Aug 05 |
| Brilliant!Best play at the Court for a LONG TIME!!! - 81.155.202.10) | 25 Aug 05 |
| Absolutly fantastic!!! made up for the disapointment of thursday easily!! they were so amazing live! love adam even more!! especially as i caught a paper aeroplane that adam thruw!!! lol. worth every penny and would love to see them again without a doubt!!! - 80.4.224.8) | 22 Aug 05 |
| TOTALLY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! they were fantastic and ive decided im going to seek stardom and marry adam levine. Dissapointed about thursday - got to london then told it was posponed untill friday - at least i got to see them, but wot happened to ryan??? oh well i advice people to go and see them even if you've not heard their music it will be fantastic!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!! - 81.132.195.29) | 21 Aug 05 |
| This production, which could hardly be bettered, confirms this play as an important milestone in theatre. It still surprises and shocks, but in a different way ('how cheeky?' rather than 'how dare you?'). The performances are uniformly excellent. The setting perfectly captures the period and it sits so well on the Hampstead stage. Above all, it is so nice to be having such fun at Hampstead again ! - 81.135.156.152) | 10 Aug 05 |
| amazing show the whole cast are fantastc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 80.43.172.215) | 07 Aug 05 |
| Oh dear... Oh dear... Oh dear... Seeing renaissance France translated onto the stage with an old table and a brocade bedspread with the merest hint of a story or acting capability... I thought French-based musicals didn't get much worse that Napoleon, Notre-Dame, La Cava and Lautrec... Sadly I was so so wrong... - 217.11.141.92) | 06 Aug 05 |
| i have seen blood brothers now 25 times i know i still can`t believe it myself all the tours have been excellant although i found denise nolan one of the weakest mrs johnstones ive seen . stephanie lawrence was the best by far and out shone anyone else , but both linda and bernie nolan do make the show special , would love to see bernie back in the show if she ever leaves the bill . - 213.122.64.165) | 05 Aug 05 |
| f*cking excellent!!! took a bit of time to get in to, but then, wow....and the ending....j*sus!!!! Loved it....would be something else on acid, joke!!! I had a comp, will def pay to see it again near the end of its run. Douglas..oh yeah, one of the performers is stunning, truly stunning.... - 82.41.232.50) | 05 Aug 05 |
| Having spent the evening laboriously trying to recreate a museum piece as to how an Aldwych farce might have been presented in the 1920s, the production then extraordinarily gives us a black actress as the white protagonist's wife, who is also the white antagonists sister. Seeing as the play is about what a scandal it is to be caught staying the night in a house with an unmarried woman, one would think it was more of a scandal to have a family in which the white mother had at some point f**k'd an African! There are some plays which are fine with colour-blind casting - this isn't one of them. Apart from that particular casting howler (no doubt an attempt to secure the company more funding), the whole evening is hampered by having most of the cast completely unfunny performers. One wonders why they chose to revive this play without having a suitable group of commedians to make it funny. - 86.132.109.106) | 04 Aug 05 |
| another superb production from propeller. they just seem to get better and better. as ever true to the play and highly entertaining - 81.86.106.82) | 03 Aug 05 |
| an entertaining evening anna jane casey is superb and david soul is excellent. - 81.86.106.82) | 03 Aug 05 |
| What a pile of tosh!! Dreadful. I have not seen anything as bad since Out of the Blue, but I did manage to stay all the way through that one! Sheila Ferguson couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. She undoubtably has a good voice but it is inappropriate for the style of music and the period. Please go back to the jungle! (Referring to the TV show I'm A Celebrity Get me Out of Here) Robert Fardell as the Masked man has a pleasant enough sound to his voice but comes across as very wooden, not iron. For obvious reasons he cannot express emotions through facial expressions and doesn't have the skill to use the rest of his physicality to compensate. Mark McKerracher fairs better and seems to be battling against the limitations of the dreadful lyrics and script. At a time when we need new musical theatre writers being nurtured into the West End, is this really the best we can do? It made me quite angry that time and money have been wasted on such a lame piece of work. - 217.204.216.67) | 03 Aug 05 |
| i was in the show and enjoyed it very very much if i could do it again i would fantastic xxxxxxx - 80.44.156.142) | 01 Aug 05 |
| Dreadfully uneven production. Early lines are runied by poor diction. There are some nice performances from Fiona Battisby and Benjamin Davies in particular, but also Jane Murphy and Rhiannon Oliver - but the production is let down by William Mannering's cliche over-acting. While Benjamin Davies plays the part with naturalism the humour (though admitedly dated) still comes through but Mannering takes the opposite AmDram route and overacts all humour out of the piece. Some parts call for overacting (Putz and Harold for example) but the whole piece would have been more coherent and charming if Mannering and Davies had following the same approach. Do panic Mr Mannering! Also - quite why two intervals were needed is beyond me, particularly as Act 3 is so short. - 62.253.64.18) | 01 Aug 05 |
| Try as I might I cannot find fault with this show. I ahve watched many a show, both in the West End and regionally. And for those who cannot visit the West End, this show brings all the pizazz of musical theatre to your door. I would recommend it to anyone, young and old like. I dare you not to love it..... - 195.93.21.8) | 28 Jul 05 |
| This was an amazingly moving evening. The chorus sang with great sensitivity. All three soloists were first class, in particular Alice Coote as the Angel - 138.40.51.222) | 26 Jul 05 |
| OMG!!!! WHOS HOUSE?....GAMES HOUSE!!! was the best gig ive eva bin 2! much betta dan fiddys get rich or die tryin 1! wen he got 'pops' on stage was the bol*lox!!!lolol i was near the back of the crowd but i still got a excellent view! 300 bars killed it!wot a quality gig! - 195.93.21.101) | 25 Jul 05 |
| Brilliant! Blows apart the entire three waves of SKA, Rocksteady and Reggae from Marley to Madness. The 'plot' supports songs & routines, delivered & timed to perfection. Cult Status! - 213.86.133.215) | 25 Jul 05 |
| Cleverly directed and both gloriously funny and wonderfully clever at times. This is a very silly, enjoyable night out - a sort of National Theatre of Brent take on Hitchcock' film. Sadly there is very little Buchan left in this - which to my mind is missed opportunity. Great direction and clever acting though. Well worth seeing. - 82.20.17.48) | 25 Jul 05 |
| Oh My GOd! I was right at the front and I saw how sexy he was. The only things I didnt like, was that he kept throwing tshirts to the left side of the crowd and didnt really work the whole stage but seemed to stay to the left more. I also didnt like the way his crew just picked girls from the crowd to do 'a lil sumpm sumpm' backstage..and didnt pick me!!!oh well.Favourite part...when he took off his vest..cor blimey! - 81.159.166.30) | 19 Jul 05 |
| a great gig, my gig of the year best song - 300 bars and runnin' excellent - 81.158.133.10) | 19 Jul 05 |
| utterly pathetic, no discernible plot or for that matter talent among the cast. luckily i work as an usher at a theatre and didn't have to pay to see it - two hours of my life i will never get back - this sort of show has to be stopped for the sake of theatre in this country, it is absolutely appalling. - 217.154.95.218) | 18 Jul 05 |
| The Kitsch Kittens are a breath of fresh (and sometimes naughty) air on the London entertainment scene. Their show at the Canal Cafe Theatre this past Friday, 15th July, was full of enjoyable cheek and, as the name indidcates, kitsch! Their occasional adlib and improv was further proof of this duo's talent. Sure to be a highlight at the upcoming Edinburgh Festival. - 83.217.101.246) | 18 Jul 05 |
| came from cambridge to see Anita Baker.that lady is awsome.you wont find anyone better.worth every penny,i only hope she comes back to london soon.i cant wait. - 86.129.251.141) | 15 Jul 05 |
| Sex Wars, or to give the play its full title: Sex Wars: Revenge of the Sixty Nine is the first play by Alan Francois to be made, albeit haphazardly, into a fully fledged production. Don?t be fooled, it?s not as disposable as the title, which even as the review is being written, is racing towards the cultural relevancy graveyard. No, the play itself is made of sturdier stuff that withstands the fickle trends of popular culture. Its formula is simple, and on paper perhaps looks clichéd; four friends, one sofa and a lot of discussion on phallocentric nature. That is to say, the play revolves around ?dick?. It would be improbable that a play that attempts to scratch the surface of the heterosexual male?s psyche should downplay such an issue, but it makes for uncomfortable viewing for the male audience members (excuse the pun) when a conversation takes play between the central couple about the size of an ex boyfriend?s penis. It is not only male fears that are tapped into, but female anxieties too, as the play?s only female character is reduced to tears when the discussion takes a turn towards, how should I say this? Vaginal elastication. It is a memorable scene as Francois chooses his comic moments carefully, accentuated by director John Le Brocq, piercing the tension with a laugh out loud gag, providing a much needed release. The all female cast is strong, with the male characters excellently portrayed, offering richly detailed portraits of masculinity. Harry?s slight oddness benefits from Olivia Corrie's nuanced characterisation. Sara Pascoe as loveable put upon boyfriend riddled with anxiety and insecurity is a joy to watch. Even the desperate machismo of Joanna King's Richard is brilliantly acted, without once stirring a foot into the realm of parodic drag kingdom, instead offering for a richly layered and complex character that the audience both sympathises with and detests. Ultimately it is Shelley Halstead that works as the play?s lynchpin, confident sex kitten until her own weaknesses are exposed, winning over the audience with her direct address causing a few men to shift uneasily in their seats and reconsider their faith in stereotypes. The poster outside the small theatre space, a pub in Colliers Wood more accustomed to comedy nights than forty minute drawing room comedies, informs that this is ?the perfect comedy for the easily offended? but if you?re expecting an Artaudian assault to the senses, then you?ll be disappointed, as ultimately Sex Wars III is an elegant paced and intelligent dissection of modern day relationships. - 84.9.55.206) | 15 Jul 05 |
| For an ameteur Band they put on a really good show. Music was varid and entertaining. - 217.169.59.4) | 12 Jul 05 |
| Travelled all the way from Yorkshire and it was worth every mile of the journey in this uncertain climate. - 194.75.129.200) | 11 Jul 05 |
| Excellent and very original rendition of this play. I have never seen the play within a play so funny. There are moments when one thinks the audience will not stop laughing. Five of us attended, and all of us (including two theatre directors)came away with only superlatives. I would see it again! - 207.200.116.200) | 10 Jul 05 |
| simply F A B U L O U S . i saw history at the R.A.H. - 80.58.20.170) | 10 Jul 05 |
| Amongst the best of the new wave of documentary / verbatim theatre, because of its objectivity and balance (unlike the seriously patronising Permanent Way from the same company). The cast switches marvellously from person to person bringing each one alive. This play really is thought provoking in a way only theatre can be. Not to be missed. - 81.134.71.192) | 03 Jul 05 |
| UK-US Folk connections, RFH 24/06/05 I'm astonished that so few seemed to know of this gig and my message to the rest of you is 'you missed out!' This was a cracker! Whoever would have expected Roy Harper, John Paul Jones, Bert Jansch, Beth Orton, Robyn Hitchcock, Patti Smith, Robin Williamson, Neil Finn to appear in the same line-up?! And how likely is it that this could ever happen again? There is no way that I would miss this one, even though I live in Manchester these days and knew I would have to find the price of a rail ticket as well as the concert ticket itself. Well, believe me, that was the best £50 I've ever spent! I had known of a few of the contributors because Johnny Marr goes into HMV where a friend of mine works and talks to him about traditional folk, and I have the wonderful 'Crimson Moon' by Bert Jansch featuring Johnny Marr (and also Bernard Butler), so that was not a surprising collaboration though still wonderful to see. Their version of the well-loved folk standard, 'Pretty Polly' was moving and faultless. Bert Jansch's solo pieces too, including Jackson C Frank's wonderful 'Blues Runs the Game' and 'Lily of the West', which he said he'd learnt from Clive Palmer of the Incredible String Band, held no surprises or disappointments for those of us who have seen him before. What was surprising was the superb continuity and relevance of each act to the 'UK-US Folk Connections' theme as they joined and followed each other for about 4 hours altogether, with only a 20 minute interval that, quite frankly, was needed in order to take in the fact that we were experiencing something very special here. Beth Orton was not billed but she joined Bert Jansch for a delightful version of 'Watch the Stars', one of many examples of older and newer styles intertwining and blending beautifully together: Lenny Kaye with Martin Stephenson singing the traditional 'Hangman Slack the Rope'; Neil Finn singing 'Wild Mountain Thyme' acapella with a willing audience chorus response, turning the RFH into a huge folk club with the best accoustics possible! Robin Williamson from the Incredible String Band, together with his partner, Bina, added some really gentle, lilting moments to the show with a Scottish/Punjabi mix on celtic harp, mandolin and uniquely blending harmonies. The other collaborations worked really well too, not least Robyn Hitchcock and John Paul Jones, who looked formed a very surreal looking 'little and large' duo giving their all to Martin Carthy favourites 'Polly on the Shore' and 'Reynardine'. The audience was transfixed! Roy Harper, who came on last, was at his very best, finishing on the powerful own composition 'One Man Rock'n'Roll Band'. But really I think it was Johnny Marr who was the linchpin of the whole night, moving with ease between accompanying Bert Jansch, leading his own band, The Healers, through the more and the less traditional (he introduced the Smiths' 'Please please let me get what I want' as a Manchester folk song!), clearly enjoying playing alongside Neil Finn again and leading the encore of the Strawbs' 'Lay Down', with elder-statesman Roy Harper bobbing along next to him, looking like William Hartnell! I don't know if it was intended but Johnny Marr did emerge as the central figure, pulling it all together, making sense of the theme and making it all completely relevant. Any chance of a Johnny Marr's Meltdown in 2006?! - 84.66.12.112) | 02 Jul 05 |
| I thought the show was amazing, the actors played the role imaculately. I would definately come to see any further show that you produce - 82.3.32.75) | 30 Jun 05 |
| Have seen the show 4 times at Sunderland now and it is as good and fresh as the first time I saw it. The whole cast are brilliant especially Sean Jones as Mickey. From laughter in the first half to a splendid tear-jerking finale where most of the audience were brushing away floods of tears it is truely a rollercoaster of emotional feelings for an outstanding musical. May it continue forever. - 82.39.93.177) | 29 Jun 05 |
| I went to see Precious Bazaar with my mum and sis in law and we just want to say we throughly enjoyed the show from the drama, music and costumes, what a brillant performance from all the cast, it was absolutely FANTASTIC! - 82.3.32.75) | 28 Jun 05 |
| This concert was amazing. A wide range of music genres brought together to pay tribute to the work of the jimi hendrix experience. Highlight of the night was flea from the red hot chili peppers cover of "third stone from the sun." it was a combination of bass samples, bass solos and a trumpet solo. - 81.132.212.89) | 28 Jun 05 |
| Was Dragged along to the play, and for once was I glad that I did go. Being one that has never really been intrested in theatrical performances, all I can say was that my breathe was taken away. No, there were'nt any big expensive and lavish sets, but what was there was a level of energy and enthusiasm that was infectious (as was the smile of Roshni, one of the lead characters). Even a friend who was not conversent in anything bollywood was blown away. Strong script and storyline kept you enthralled but for me it was the excellent cast and crew that made for a memorable evening, if this was an indication of what this talented group of people can achieve then I can't wait to see them do more productions. Definate thumbs up!!! - 217.168.16.204) | 27 Jun 05 |
| Great show Great curries- particularly the Laksa! - 65.96.163.117) | 26 Jun 05 |
| I had such a good night! The Kitsch Kittens are fantastic. When are they going on TV? - 81.178.108.240) | 25 Jun 05 |
| A very funny, camp and cheesey show which is quite naughty at times. The Kittens have great singing voices and put across the songs in a very fresh and funny way. I had a great time, but don't be a single man at the front! - 82.44.16.85) | 24 Jun 05 |
| firstly i think the play was good great set, good music, good fun. However, few points i think the actress who played suhani could have done a little better didnt feel like she portrayed suhani like the actress who played her last year. The bedroom scene at the start was pointless especially when you see suhani putting dress gown down every 10 seconds. I think the actor who played Amar had his mind on something else i saw him perform last year which i thought he had done a better job. Some of the choregraphy was not in sync esp the girl who played lakshmi not facial expression. Stars of the show have to be Elvis, VJ, Prems mother, Roshni and Prem. I think the young talent who played them were truly a delight to watch. Elvis with his humour, VJ who i think just gets better and better, Roshni simply delightful what a smile and her chemistry with Prem was just outstanding. Prem is in a class of his own and finally Prems mother fantastic i loved her posh accent. Basically its a good show with good entertainment some woeful acting but hey they are not professionals so you cant jdge them on that. Overall get the old suhani back new one is no good and change the name of the play to Prem and Roshni The Kuddu Love Story. - 217.41.31.204) | 23 Jun 05 |
| This was one of the less impressive plays I have seen. The concept was fascinating although got lost in all the 'ha ha hi hi ' and script labyrinth. The actors all performed OK but some of them due to their age / life experience maybe weren't able to portray the characters convincingly. The bedroom scene at the beginning between Suhani and Amar was unnecessary. If the writer meant to show the intimacy / closeness between the two characters, he has failed. The scene didn't achieve any such emotions and felt out of place and odd. The costumes were brilliant and the set design was breath taking. The choice of song was so so, as there have been many many more appropriate Bollywood songs. The choreography was very good, although I didn't always see the focus that is required with every cast member. Especially in the kathak performing scenes, the focus was all over the place! Also, the acotrs performed all the dance sequences very well and although they really tried to convey the expressions, one could see that they do not fully comprehend the Asian culture and such lyrics that go hand in hand. The paceo f the play kept picking up then dropping and then picing up again?!? Roshni's long scene where she confronts Prem when he finds out about her profession was performed utterly funny. Even the audience started laughing when it was supposed to be a serious scene! Why the shouting? Shouldn't a woman in that position be more hurt and vulnerable instead of shouting and screaming? I thought that was a wrong choice made by the actor to perform it in such manner.The diction of everyone was OK although the articulation needs some work, especially pronouncing Hindi words!!!!!! All by All, it seems a quite young company with a lot of creativity and energy in place, all it needs is some more experience and something brilliant will come of it! - 195.188.119.3) | 23 Jun 05 |
| In the heart of Precious Bazaar, beyond the myriad of classic Bollywood tunes, amazingly choreographed danced routines and humorous dialogue, lies two love stories forming the idea of how one finds love and deals with its ensemble of challenges. The two main female protagonists, Suhani and Roshni, find comfort in each other whilst performing as courtesans under the watchful eye of Vyjanti Devi. Samir Bhamra manages to entice the audience with many parallels, layered within the play. Suhani’s performance was well delivered as an undercover journalist and as an antagonising hardnosed woman, whilst balancing her wedding plans with her long-suffering fiancé Amar. Being a strong-minded realist, her opinions on marriage do not seem to gel with Amar who is deeply in love with her and remains ‘faithful’, even after she broke off their wedding twice before. Roshni however dreams of finding true love one day, hoping her prince would take this loving ‘locust out of the swamp’ and free her from the corrupted underworld of seedy dance and sexual activities. Bhamra’s parallel story telling skills are extended with one story being based on a modern relationship, with Suhani and Amar appear on stage for the first time with a musically intimate, yet wonderfully choreographed bedroom scene and the other story, based on how two people believe in love at first sight; expressing this new found feeling through song and dance. Prem and Roshi’s love border very closely to fictional Bollywood films, perhaps are times too Bollywood for UK audiences, but this does not deter away from the pure and energetic chemistry they both provide. I thoroughly enjoyed the play. The seats in the Waterman’s theatre were incredibly uncomfortable and yet the aches and moans with lost whilst watching Vyjanti Devi’s powerful performances, Prem’s struggle to proclaim the love of his life and of course, Roshni’s smile in her moments of joy, which for me, stole the show entirely. A great show for a group of friends and family. I thoroughly recommend you watch this show and hope you leave satisfied, with a flavour of young actors providing a great nights’ worth of entertainment and at least one song from the play making you hum its tune, all the way home. I certainly did. *hums* - 81.79.152.67) | 22 Jun 05 |
| Just thought I should say that this production has a really nifty set! The opening scene of a beach, and the closing scene (which I won't give away to those who haven't seen it)which uses the same set in a totally different way, are stunning. It is worth seeing just for the this, though the play is fun too. - 62.253.128.14) | 21 Jun 05 |
| WOW!! It was breathtaking. Very well directed.The storyline was good However I think the actors could have done a lot more in terms of expression.Overall there were fantastic performances by certain characters i.e Vyjanthi,Gursevak, Roshni,Prem,Shanaya....& a few others don't remember the names. The little Marathi girl was brilliant!! A definate must see - 82.108.69.67) | 21 Jun 05 |
| Having seen and loved Rookery Nook several years ago we were very disappointed with this production. The set was rather off-putting and not particularly appropriate but we could have lived with that. What we could not live with was the diction. Whilst the characterisation was OK, most of the actors were trying to say their lines just too fast and it just came out as gabbled. This was so bad that large chunks of the script were lost because you couldn't tell what they were saying. - 81.130.125.252) | 21 Jun 05 |
| The show was simply FANTASTIC! Good fun, nice humour, a true representation of Brit-Asian meets Bollywood with old skool music and really good choreography. Really enjoyed myself. - 82.3.32.75) | 20 Jun 05 |
| Great gig - great atmosphere but the huge opening at one end of the stadium (behind the stage) meant I could hear everyword said by the drunken punters behind me. I take on board previous posting about sound delay, fair point - Aside from this, first gig I've been to at Twickenham, and though transport in was great I prefer the Wembley & Earls Courts of this world - they seem louder ?? As Bono said they have some sort of curfew restrictions around 'Twickers' - maybe that was why - I don't know. Anyhow roll on Cardiff next week I'm off there as well. Bring it on - 195.93.21.100) | 20 Jun 05 |
| Fab atmosphere performance, and lighting graphics were superb. The only dampner was the fact the acoustics were extremely bad for anyone in seating from middle of stadium to the back. The delay effect was extremely jarring and out of sync with visuals, which was a great shame. - 129.35.81.16) | 20 Jun 05 |
| Saw the show this afternoon at the Rhyl Pavilion and what can I say other than WOW! I have seen a lot of musicals but now Blood Brothers is my clear favourite. Blood Brothers is an absolute sensation. What an incredibly powerful musical. It has everything from comedy to sadness and seriousness to the downright ridiculous. Everybody pull together to make this one of the greatest ever musicals in my opinion. Linda Nolan superb and truly convincing as Mrs Johnstone, such a fantastic Liverpudlian accent from a person whose home accent is such strong Irish. Drew Ashton fantastic as one of the twins, 'Eddie', so believable as the 'posh' twin. However, I feel special praise should be given to Sean Jones as 'Mikey' who steals the show with his phenomenal performance. What a future lies ahead for this young star, from the cheeky 7 (almost 8!!!) year old of the first half to the drug addicted depressed Mikey of the second half is an unbelievable contrast acted to perfect execution. Linzi Matthews and Tracy Spencer also fantastic as Linda annd Mrs Lyons respectively. My only complaint of the entire production was that I found the Narrator not needed throughout and found Keith Burns extremely difficult to understand. However, this is a spellbounding musical, with an enormous emotional rollercoaster involved, as I was in fits of laughter in the first half compared to almost tears of sadness in the second. Congratulations to Willy Russell on such a brilliant storyline and congratulations to all of the cast for giving me such fantastic entertainment. A first class show, you have to go and see it, miss it at your peril. - 195.93.21.101) | 18 Jun 05 |
| H2 Dance and Donald Hutera - Choreographus Interruptus This work focussed upon the intersubjectivity inherent in performance and the exploration of the relationship between performer and audience. The audience was placed around the outside of the space with their shoes removed. The performers were three dancers and a dance writer. The audience was encouraged to interject with suggestions for the movement, have dialogues with the performers or request changes to the sound and the lighting. Observers could decide to enter the performance arena to lie down among the dancers and in some cases even elected to participate in the movement. The dance writer -- Donald Hutera -- for the most part remained (in his own words) "the disembodied voice in the background", guiding the interjections and keeping things moving. After the performance, Hutera led a discussion about what had taken place. The dancers -- Hanna Gillgren, Heidi Rustgaard and Dimitri Papakyriazis -- were all proficient, with Gillgren in particular having an attractive open fluidity to her movement. Papakyriazis was much more introspective in style and indeed was challenged upon the "interior" quality of his work by the audience. Unlike Rustgaard and Gillgren, he did not seem particularly comfortable at engaging with the audience, which was ironic given the nature of this piece. Papakyriazis also stood out from the two women when working in duet, retaining a more spiky, aloof quality in comparison with the more natural and familiar feel of Rustgaard and Gillgren's interaction. The idea of using audience-guided improvisation around a pre-set choreographed theme was interesting but in practice the attempt to create something meaningful by responding to random audience interjections such as, for example, "dance that bit again as if you were 3 inches high and very long" was not always successful. The danger here was that the exercise became a kind of dance "Whose Line is it Anyway?" with the dancers attempting to show off their technical proficiency and creative ability with clever responses to silly audience interjections. This had the potential to be interesting if the dancers were very good or the suggestions particularly apt but could also hamper real communication and connection with the audience. Some of the improvised changes to the movement either lacked impact or alternatively were over-the-top. Also, a danger of inviting the audience to participate in a more or less free–form way was that a few extroverts ended up doing most of the participating. As these participants' confidence grew and their contributions became more forceful, the performers were at risk of losing control and their opportunity to communicate with the rest of the audience was in danger of slipping away. So this was an unusual idea which, in this setting, worked well up to a point. It was clear that most of the audience were "dance people" and some of them clearly knew each other and/or some of the performers. This was unsurprising -- contemporary dance tends to be quite a participants' art-form, with audience members often also being practitioners. This kind of "workshop cum performance" is a logical extension of that audience demographic. In the discussion afterwards, it was suggested that it was self-indulgent to show this kind of work in a dance venue in front of dance people. It was submitted that more would be gained by taking it outside of that environment. However, this would not be without difficulty. A more mainstream audience would initially expect a finished article, not a collaborative process. The challenge in taking this to a wider audience would be educating the audience at the outset in the different mode of thinking necessary to participate fully in the work. In summary, this was an interesting piece that raised some unusual questions about the nature of the art and the relationship between audience and performer. It may not immediately appeal outside of a fairly practitioner–based audience, although I hope I'm wrong about that, because it certainly has the potential to grab the attention and get an audience thinking and I sense that, on the right night, it could develop into something special. 15 June 2005 - 62.140.211.123) | 16 Jun 05 |
| Bloody awful show. i hope they cut the tour sooner rather than latter. It lacked energy from the start and when they asked people to stand up and sing along at the end it was such an effort it was embarrasing. Noel is terrible who thought about putting him in a musical he was acting like himself on stage. The plot did not make sense and the set was terrible it looked as though it had been on tour for about 10 years it was covered in holes it looked really false. The sound design was dreadful you could not here a word they were saying. the only bit that really made me laugh was the postman. It's such a shame when a small supporting role outways the principals. - 212.219.92.98) | 16 Jun 05 |
| Dull for long stretches (including one which drew Peter Bowles into a stonking double memory lapse - his response to a prompt call led him to repeat a whole section) yet fascinating in its style and characterisation. And there were many textual jewels along the way - although for my money no-one can touch Conor McPherson in soliloquy plays. Bowles certainly seemed less at ease with the piece than Sian Phillips, who was superb (a wobbly pair of stiletto boots aside). I loved the design - it was boldly symbolic and chimed in well with the oh-so-French philosophical chic of the play. 70 minutes (not the optimistic 80 of the programme) went by aimiably but, minute for minute, pretty expensively. - 195.144.130.1) | 16 Jun 05 |
| saw show for the first time last night at the pavilion theatre, Rhyl, was totally blown away, what an amazing show, comedy and drama all rolled into one, the cast was amazing especially Sean Jones who played Mickey, what an amazing actor, his portrail of the chronically depressed and drug addicted Mickey was so dramatic and upsetting to watch, Drew Ashton as Eddie was also great and worked extremely well with Sean Jones. Full marks also to Linda Nolan as Mrs Johnstone, never have I seen one woman run the full length of emotions during one show, she went from one end of the spectrum to the other with laughter and tears. If you haven't seen this show GO!, an amazing night out. - 81.131.233.120) | 15 Jun 05 |
| interesting adaptation that almost works. superb set-even if a bit dangerously steep! - 81.86.106.82) | 15 Jun 05 |
| just appalling - 81.86.106.82) | 15 Jun 05 |
| good production of a rather weak play. raises only smiles - 81.86.106.82) | 15 Jun 05 |
| excellent example of 'event' theatre. superb production values minimal brain needed! - 81.86.106.82) | 15 Jun 05 |
| After seeing Dracula in birmingham i thought i was the only 1 there whom didnt like it yet the actors are all wooden like a clothes horse and they themelves dont know whether their coming or going half the time its a wonder any of the main castmembers have lasted throughout the tour for something like this supposed to be prior to the West End?(i dont think so)which is highly unlikely?it wouldnt last long after 1st 2 weeks not even on braodway let alone anywhere in london?if any of the main actors have lasted this long then its a wonder?theirs loads of more of famous books to films and stage adaptions to chose from than the wooden cast that were in this this load of crap - 86.130.155.35) | 14 Jun 05 |
| Craig Price is playing Jesus now and is 100% better than Glenn Carter who I saw in Nottingham. I have seen the show at Sunderland and the whole cast is excellent. It is a very moving and thoroughly entertaining show with the showstopper Gethsemane receiving a great ovation. It is definately a show I will see over and over again. - 82.39.93.177) | 14 Jun 05 |
| An Amazing Play as skifully written and acted as the original sketchs shown on tv victoria wood has created a commical masterpiece - 194.81.176.19) | 14 Jun 05 |
| I went along to The Rep in Birmingham to see this play and although it didn’t live up to the ‘scare you witless’ pre-publicity it was nonetheless very creepy and quite sinister in atmosphere. There were times when I felt the comic aside was misplaced but in others it was pitched just right. The set is great, the special effects are really good and I didn’t find the acting hammy in the least. There are some really good actors on that stage and although there may be some problems with the script they’re doing a sterling job in telling this very familiar tale. I had no problems with the mobile phone text or email element - in fact when you consider that there are lots of people who never communicate through any other means it’s very realistic in that sense. In bringing the story into the digital age the playwright has reminded us that evil transcends technology and time. The Count’s 21st century victims were just as defenceless against Dracula as their Victorian counterparts, in spite of their modernity and technology. It didn’t make me jump out of my skin but rather Richard Bremmer’s ‘Count’ made my skin creep as he seamlessly vanished and reappeared, apparently unstoppable in his quest for blood and it made me wonder ‘what if ?’. If you go along expecting ‘Hammer House of Horrors’ then you’ll be disappointed because this is more subtle than a few buckets of blood thrown around. I enjoyed it though was glad it was still bright outside when I emerged! - 193.120.81.130) | 14 Jun 05 |
| We stayed to the end but have little to add to the above review. The adaptation lacked wit. Some opportunities provided for example by the Rosencrantz and Guidernstern characters were woefully underexploited. Would suggest you watch a recording of The Hotel Inspector in the Fawlty Towers series instead. - 86.132.252.124) | 13 Jun 05 |
| WELL MEANING BUT UNSUCCESSUL AND NOT VERY FUNNY ATTEMPT AT TRANSPOSING GOGOL'S ORIGINAL PLAY. THE PLOT AND THE SETTING ARE NEITHER SATISFACTORY NOR REALISTIC. THE HUMOUR IS NEITHER ENGLISH NOR RUSSIAN. IT WAS A SOMEWHAT WEAK FARCE WHICH REALLY HAD NO SIGNIFICANCE IN TODAY'S POLICITAL CONTEXT. WE WERE QUITE DISAPPOINTED AND LEFT AT THE INTERVAL. NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ACTING. - 195.93.21.101) | 13 Jun 05 |
| I went to see Starlight Express for the first time in southampton on 7th June 05. The tickets seemed rather expensive but when you see the show you understand why. The effects and machanics behind it all are superb. Add to that it takes over 200 people to make the show happen every night. The story is only basic, crossed between the races of the trains competing to see which one is best - electric, diesel or steam, and a love story between Pearl and Rusty. The story however simple is intriguing and imaginative. When entering the theatre i was amazed to see a massive stage and a ramp going up the centre into the audience. The Stage looked very impressive glowing a bright UV blue/purple with a half moon at the bottom which looked just like smoke! (later you find that it is actually a ramp that they skate around.) There was a screen lowered in the middle playing clips of trains. When the show started there was no slow build up it was straight in with the lively music and an introduction to the 'trains'. The music is well performed and the special effects amazing, especially during the starlight sequence and Only He songs. During the races they lower a GIANT screen which you watch in 3D. Also at points two smaller screens come down with graphics and occasionally the lyrics to the songs! This is also how electra makes an apearance! The set all moves and the ramp at the back splits allowing cast to enter from numerous points. They maybe dont use the ramp up into the audience as much as they could but this would spoil it for the people sat in the balcony and circle seats. There is a good range of music and different styles. A couple of the songs were annoying to me but the others made up for it by far. If you have seen starlight before then you may have mixed reviews from the previous productions, but for someone like me whom it was the first experience then the show is a flawless, amazing piece superbly put together with impressive effects and a real MUST SEE!!!! (if you can get seats that is) Expect something spectacular. - 80.4.224.6) | 11 Jun 05 |
| Saw the play at the Taper last night. Wow!! A tidy compendium of evasive plotting that the Bushie Nazis won't be able to refute. David Hare just by showing the deceitful tactics that led to supporting the End by any Means has convicted the Bush administration and its itinerant lackies. Stong stuff.....the Bushies won't be able to handle it.....if it ever moves to other cities. - 69.166.221.218) | 08 Jun 05 |
| A definite improvement on ETT's last offering - the dour Twelfth Night. Fast paced and lively - with intelligent staging that helps make sense of the piece. But it is hard to escape the sense that, while undoubtedly clever, Stoppard's play is at times stodgey and even a little pretentious (at least to my mind). ETT's production does its best to inject some pathos into what is a clever rather than entertaining play. My over-riding sense was that this was "worthy" but not entertaining. - 62.252.192.13) | 08 Jun 05 |
| Wow! Turned On Tap ... what a great show. I saw it at the Queen Exlizabeth Hall, the Saturday Matinee show. It was exilarating, an eclectic mix of different tap styles - cool, urban tap (similar but better than Tap Dogs), old style Irish tapping, sort of loose, laid back, the Jiving Lindy Hoppers sitting down on chairs tapping and in tail coats and white gloves doing a 20s style tap number when they were all linked together - amazing! The pianist was top notch, and the American tappers were superb - a guy call ed Jason Samuels Smith and a female tapper Dormeshia Edwards. Best of all though was an impromptu performance by Bruce Forsyth. I don't know if it was planned, but he was in the audience and got up on stage and did his own thing! He seemed really genuine and said that this show restored his faith in tap dancing! The lighting was superb, the whole thing ran really smoothly yet there was a great buzz and feeling of spontaneity. I absolutely loved it, and so did the audience. The best £17.50 I've spent on going to the theatre this year! Wow! - 81.136.154.179) | 06 Jun 05 |
| An excellent cast and a great production as usual from Out of Joint. At times terribly moving, and often uncomfortable, but always interesting and thought provoking. I was hoping for a little more insight into what "terrorism" is deemed to be - when is terrorism patriotism etc, but that apart, this is every bit as good as the Permanent Way. There is a surge of this "verbatim" theatre at the moment and Out of Joint are the proven experts at this medium. Highly recommended - 62.252.0.10) | 06 Jun 05 |
| stunning i loved it. it was really original and it brought new life to a classic - 195.93.21.100) | 06 Jun 05 |
| Pure theatre;ensemble theatre at its best. The Portsmouth audience took Northern Broadsides to their hearts. Sweet William is also a very good vignette of a play. Did Will S use his lowlife friends as models and like Prince Hal ignore them when no further use. Food for thought. - 193.118.206.221) | 06 Jun 05 |
| I saw the folds in brighton the night after his london show. i have been to around 50 gigs and festivals in the last 2 years and many more in my life. Ben folds was gave truly one of the greatest performances i have ever endured. I met him before, which probaby annoyed him alot but this made the whole experience even more incredible. His interaction with the audience was friendly and so natural. His prescence on stage was glorious and the vibe that the band created was perfect. He gave the drummer and bassist a rest and played a few songs with just him and the piano. dedicating 'evaporated' to a couple in the crowd who had requested it before hand. he played a 2 hour set and only lightly delved into the diverse vault of hit songs that he could have performed. Ben Folds has a cult following at the moment but i hope that with his incredible performance, amazing song writing and his 'normal' looks people will learn to love this timeless legend - 217.204.253.248) | 06 Jun 05 |
| This is the best thing I seen in ages. A really dark character and an interesting structure to the show with alot of interaction with the video. - 86.129.143.16) | 05 Jun 05 |
| Stunning performance, the blokes clearly a genius. Loved the acoustic 'break', the mad percussionist and the best dance routines ever seen. - 132.185.240.122) | 03 Jun 05 |
| Though I've loved the 'Five' for, well 5 years, I've never seen Ben live 'til last night. It was so much more than I ever thought it could be. He was playing with his new bassist and an English drummer for the tour - they blended so well and performed as if they'd been Robert Sledge & Darren Jesse all along. He played mostly stuff off the new album 'Songs For Silverman' with a few tracks coming from his recent internet EP releases. Couple of highlights would be when he broke the crowd in half for the now 'traditional' horn parts in Army and his version of Dr Dre's song 'Bitches Ain't Shit'. Other than that it was pretty amazing from when he stepped foot on stage to when he left after the encore. So much energy flowing - Brilliant stuff! - 80.176.188.2) | 01 Jun 05 |
| Awful...just bloody awful. That grinning buffoon Wilkes has destroyed any semblance of greatness 'Tommy' once had. Kenwright better watch his back!!!!!!! ;-) - 195.93.21.102) | 31 May 05 |
| This might work better in a proper theatre but I saw it in Nottingham's Concert Hall to which it is totally unsuited. Managements should appreciate that a concert hall is for concerts and theatres for plays and musicals! Only fair playing but it's hard to forget the superb production with Elaine paige at the Palladium. This is nowhere near that standard of course. Adequate but nit exceptional - 80.40.75.16) | 28 May 05 |
| Excellent acting, good characterisation. the script however is very weak. Not a great play at all, still worth a look, goes to show good actors make a bad play watchable. One exception though, the chap who played the beach drunk was truly awful, I cringed every time he forced out a line. Other than that, all good. - 212.159.73.199) | 27 May 05 |
| Just caught this in Nottingham. It's terrible!My solitary star is for the chorus - best things in it. Susi Blake isn't in it now but doubt that it would make a diiference. There was a superb version of this a few years ago and done well as that was it can work beautifully. It's appallingly cast - None of the people in it exude any talent or likability, it's dull,dull, dull. I'm usually generous where a fine effort is made but I didn't smile once and applauded only at the end because I was glad the thing was over. - 80.40.75.50) | 26 May 05 |
| Well, i thought it was fabulous!! Lol well done jamie, roger, beth...infact evry1. U were all fab ppls lkin 4wd very much 2 wrkin wiv u again!!! Mwah ciao frm Mimi Simpson xxxxx - 195.93.21.1) | 26 May 05 |
| Utterly brilliant. Angela Hewitt is surely one of the greatest living pianists of our time. She demonstrated an unerring display of dazling virtuosity and interpretation. If you see any pianist this year, see Angela Hewitt. Regardless of whether Bach is your favourite composer. - 149.254.214.11) | 26 May 05 |
| I saw this production at Sunderland (23/5/05) and really enjoyed although I wasn't expecting to having seen another production a few years ago. The story was believable and the each member of the cast fitted their parts very well indeed. A collection of talented singers and dancers sparkled thoughout the production. Although most of the songs were new to me (Fame excepted, no Hi-Fidelity) they moved the show forward prefectly. - 128.240.229.67) | 24 May 05 |
| Absolutely brilliant - well worth watching - 81.134.166.201) | 24 May 05 |
| Sat 21st May. Excellent gig. Couldnt believe how long the queue was to get in & only caught a couple numbers from "The Glitterati" set. Avril Lavigne"s set was very good. Kept the crowd happy with all her great sing-a-long numbers & her cover of American Idiot By Green day went down a storm. The second cover was Song 2 by Blur (her drumming left a bit to be desired but the crowd loved it). There was a great atmosphere amongst the three/four generation audience (from 4 years to 60 years i would say) & everybody went home happy. - 213.31.11.70) | 23 May 05 |
| Great gig. What a voice, fantastic. Second cover was Song 2 (Blur). - 213.210.12.52) | 23 May 05 |
| Not as good as their magnificant A Midsummer Night's Dream, but a lucid, intelligent, brilliantly acted and (in the second half) thoroughly entertaining production. Propeller really do iluminate Shakespeare's plays and this is no exception. The company spirit is infectious. It was a brave choice and by the interval I wasnt't sure it would pay off - but it all makes sense by the end. On this form, they will be an annual 'must see'. - 81.134.72.80) | 22 May 05 |
| The most amazing concert i have ever seen in my life. Mariza gave evth she had, especially her emotions. She came to sing 4-5 songs, most chosen by the audience. The emotions ran high, until the last song, where she cried, only adding to the beauty of it all. Amazing performer. There are very few singers like her around anymore, who can be sing wihtout microphone and only 3 guitars for the Royal Festiva Hall. Go see her at the Barbican in NOvember! - 217.207.165.26) | 19 May 05 |
| I usually prefer theatre to musicals but saw a preview at the Apollo Theatre on Saturday and enjoyed it. The second half was more impressive than the first but everyone seemed to come out smiling.It deserves to do well. - 81.152.219.78) | 19 May 05 |
| Very enjoyable lightweight hokum. I thought the 3D didn't quite work as I couldn't see what was happening at all well. I actually liked the new rap number but I normally cant stand rap so who am I to judge. I'm not aware of having heard any of the songs before but UNCOUPLED is a great send-up and Starlight Express very pleasant. I paid £42 after the booking fee, which is expensive for a provincial show, which did feel a bit scaled-down - 193.118.206.221) | 19 May 05 |
| Propeller will never let you down! They always give such superb performances and show a side to Shakespeare that you will never see performed anywhere else. A Winters Tale is simply fantastic. Such strong performances from all taking you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I urge everyone to see it on its tour. - 212.158.229.242) | 19 May 05 |
| As a student relatively new to The Winter's Tale this production was a great help. The cast developed the story clearly and filled each performance with passion and focus. Simon Scardifield was amazingly dignified as Hermione and the sheep-shearing feast was hilarious. Thanks to the Propeller Theatre company for giving a fantastic performance. - 195.93.21.100) | 18 May 05 |
| I saw this production in Sunderland and still cannot decide whether is it good or poor. Some of the songs are very while the majority are non-memorable and lack sparkle. Whether it was me or not (the sound system at fault?)I was unable to make out many of the words of the songs. The set was basic, the transformation from Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde was not very convincing, alot work required here I feel. In agreement with other comments the female cast. Paul Nicholas in the title role(s) didn't have the presence to carry off this pivotal role covincingly therefore weakening the entire production. With a little stronger casting and production values this could become a good show but at the momemt this is not the case. - 128.240.229.67) | 18 May 05 |
| Having seen them in the 70s about 20 times or more I made my pilgrimage to the Royal Festival Hall with mixed feelings, not knowing what to expect of a reunion. The new cd "present" is of average quality. Some of the concerts in the past were awful, others were mindblowing experiences of dimensions other bands could never reach. The band was well rehearsed and chose the right songs, although I hoped they would surprise us with "a plague of the lighthouse keepers". I keep on hoping! There are of course many more songs on the wish list. The gig was excellent. Thanks to modern technology the sound of the band has a clarity which was never reached 30 years ago. The band has however not yet gained full steam. No risks were taken. However I am more than gratefull that they are back and in excellent form. Thank you. - 80.218.202.76) | 18 May 05 |
| Donna Steele magnificent in a show which makes for a great, fun evening out. (Palace Theatre Manchester 30/4/05) - 217.34.49.74) | 17 May 05 |
| I wasn't particularly looking forward to the tour hitting Manchester after being very dissapointed with the West End version, but, for once, a tour blows the London equivalent away. Linda Nolan gives a fabulous, moving, emotional performance as Mrs Johnstone and is supported by a very strong cast, and even cynical old me found myself humming some of the songs on the way out of the theatre. My only gripes, and this is only my personal view, is that the narrator, for most of the irrelevant lines he has to deliver, may as well not be there, and the question has to be asked, how many gratuitous Marilyn Monroe mentions can one squeeze into a musical before it starts getting monotonous. But the strength of the piece carries it through and Linda Nolan's emotional tears at the end were matched by quite a few in the auditorium. (Reviewed at Opera House, Manchester 14/5/05) - 217.34.49.74) | 17 May 05 |
| I was also at the Cardiff production of this play and have to say I enjoyed it very much indeed. The set is perfect and reminded me of the old black version of Great Expectations - very atmospheric. The acting overall was superb and Colin Baker was born to play the role of Van Helsing. If you are expecting a 'schlock horror' style of play then you will be disappointed - it's far more subtle than that. Yes there are special effects (brilliantly done), and yes there is some gore (it is Dracula after all) but it's the subtle underlying horror that's so sinister. It's disturbing and frightening in a much more lasting way than an 'in your face' scary movie. If you look past the Count's facade of camp oneliners (and there are some really great ones) you see pure evil. High praise on the acting front go to Colin Baker, Hywel Simons, Ben Keaton and Richard Bremmer. It wasn't scary in a 'hands over the eyes' way, oh no, it was much more scary than that because it hits you at a subconscious level that really does make you wonder 'what if?'...... Recommended viewing. - 193.120.81.130) | 16 May 05 |
| Content - gripping, raw and horrifying - but the audience were sucked in by the amazing energy of the cast of four and the vision of the director. This deserves to be seen by a wider audience - for me the test of a good evening at the theatre is if the flashbacks keep playing long after the final bows -well done Brick and Pin. - 195.93.21.97) | 15 May 05 |
| I can't praise this production highly enough. It should be compulsory viewing for gutless politicians and spoon-fed embedded journalists. The thinking person's CNN! - 195.92.168.176) | 15 May 05 |
| Definitely catch this if they bring it back. Was great in New York and sounds really cool in London. Check out this Review of Theatre of the New Ear just last night - 62.252.0.10) | 14 May 05 |
| Andy you know who you are. YOU ROCK MAN! - 193.129.26.1) | 13 May 05 |
| Having read the only other reviews on this site I felt the need to spring to the show's defence. Amazingly, given it's age, this is the first time I have seen JCS and so I have nothing to compare it with. However, I thought that this production was excellent. Given that the story only covers Jesus's last 7 days it is not necessary to go over familiar ground. This production strongly emphasises his knowledge of his fate and his doubts as to why he is being subjected to such suffering. The final scenes of the crucifiction and resurrection is particularly moving, even for a non-Christian. It was also particularly effective seeing the show at the Cambridge Corn exchange which resembles a church and the sound was exceptional, even though the building has a high, vaulted ceiling. Definitey worth catching elsewhere on tour. - 62.6.139.13) | 13 May 05 |
| Just seen this production at Cardiffs New Theatre,and i have to say i really enjoyed it as did it seems the large audience present! A little slow to get started perhaps, but as soon as the brilliant Colin Baker as Van Helsing appears on stage the play seems to go from comedy to a more serious adaptation of the famous novel.A few shocks and scares that had the whole audience shrieking and jumping throughout,some laughs and brilliant illusions as Dracula vanishes offstage before your very eyes kept the audience transfixed. Special mention has to go to the set designers for their unique way of staging such a difficult production with ease. All in all, a great time out was had by everyone present,well worth a look! - 81.156.22.215) | 13 May 05 |
| Maybe the cast have settled in now - I saw this in it's final week in Manchester - but for me this is a terrific script given performances of mind-blowing honesty. There simply is not a weak link in the cast, and several potentially award winning (IF there was any justice) performances. Nicholas Gleaves is superb. His actions and body language are spot-on - take two contrasting scenes where he is sympathising (with barely concealled amusement) with his younger son's sudden infatuation with his older siblings girlfriend, and later saying goodbye on a railway platform, to his older son who is moving to London. Love shines through both scenes where words are inadequate. Carla Henry as the the said girlfriend is also wonderful as a bolshie, yet vunerable, young woman. David Hargreaves treads a potentially difficult role with a fine sense of human frailty, contrasting violence, love and dispair equally. Siobhan Finnerans shut-down in the face of dispair is heart-breaking. You physically lean forward to try and help her to talk, to stop her from making (largely unwittingly) bad situations worse. My only, very minor, cavil was that surely the cast could have moved the minimal furniture and props around - did it really need them to vacate the stage whilst three stagehands did the job? I disliked the author's (Simon Stephens) last piece at this theatre (Port) but would have missed a rare treat had I allowed it to prevent me seeing "On The Shore of the Wide World". This is the Royal Exchange at its very considerable best. - 81.76.68.3) | 12 May 05 |
| An amazing night of young and fresh talent!!! I had a great night out! - 80.6.145.242) | 12 May 05 |
| Brilliant ! thoroughly enjoyed the music and the singers .. I live in Australia, so ufnrotunately I cannot go and see this again ! - 203.14.46.142) | 12 May 05 |
| An enjoyable evening's entertainment, the show is definitely plot lite but the homour although forced and obvious at times works well on the whole. The performances of the cast and the musicians are more than adequate. My main gripe was the fact that not all the songs choicen were sung in their entirety. - 128.240.229.7) | 11 May 05 |
| After having seen many of John Godber's earlier plays, I was disappointed with this one. Same old formula and stereotyped characters. It was mildly amusing at best. Couldn't fault the cast, however, they tried very hard with a tired and dowdy script. - 80.44.119.175) | 10 May 05 |
| A very original play given an excellent, inventive production. By the interval, I wasn't sure where it was going and I was a little unsatisfied, but by the end I had succumbed to its charms and left the theatre feeling rewarded. - 81.134.196.124) | 08 May 05 |
| Patsy Palmer was ill when I saw it and her understudy was perfectly acceptable. It's an OK production of an OK play. Typical touring fare ! - 81.134.196.124) | 05 May 05 |
| What a clever play. Set in a tavern in Shakespeare's day, with the great man as a character and others seemingly based on characters from his plays, this is a charming and funny evening by a great Northern Broadsides ensemble. If only they came to London more often - hopefully, Greenwich Theatre will invite them back regularly. - 81.134.196.124) | 03 May 05 |
| The play was great and very dramatic. I would go and see it again and again and I definately recomend everyone goesto see it! - 81.151.219.196) | 01 May 05 |
| Saw The Play and thought Colin Baker Did Well as Van Hesling,couldnt understand what happening at times If You want some advice dont go wasting your time & money on this tripe;if you havent seen it dont bother you might regret going you'd be alot better spending it on going to see something better than this rubbish; - 81.155.121.230) | 29 Apr 05 |
| How boring. I never understood a word. Good job I knew the story. Give us Richard Swerrun as Jesus and Gavin James Burke as Judah both excellent as Joseph on tour. It ends so suddenly takes you by suprise, thought to myself "oh was that it". - 80.45.177.84) | 28 Apr 05 |
| sensational. Awesome - 129.11.76.215) | 27 Apr 05 |
| A very difficult production to review as a musical only 1 star but as a piece of cabaret entertainment 4 stars. The lack of a story is a major drawback but the performances of the cast are very good. Little consideration was given to the songs, a case of I like that one, so we will incorporate it somewhere in the show. The audience clearly enjoyed this production, and even an old cynic such as myself came out of the theatre with a smile on my face. The show may be "cruise ship" entertainment but if you go with the flow and forget it's many flaws you could end up enjoying this cabaret. - 128.240.229.67) | 27 Apr 05 |
| What a perfect end to the run of this exceptional play. Both pupils and teachers alike appeared to be having a ball! And (a very reluctant) Alan Bennett himself stepping onstage to rapturous applause. FANTASTIC! - 81.98.141.163) | 26 Apr 05 |
| My friend & I went to see this musical at Palace theatre in Paignton.We were spellbound and don't think there was a dry eye in the theatre at the end of the evening.What wonderful performances by the actors.Really brought the show alive for me.Fantastic show.5 is not enought 10 would be better. Pearl Wills - 84.67.204.99) | 26 Apr 05 |
| Lighting, staging, acting and most importantly singing all are good. However, the story and many of the songs are non-memorable. The more famous songs almost make up for the others, but not quite. A reasonable night's entertainment but not essential viewing or listening. - 128.240.229.66) | 26 Apr 05 |
| It was a rare opportunity to see the reighning turkish music queen in London and one I'm definitely pleased not to have missed despite the difficulty in getting tickets. Sezen Aksu was on top form, her voice even better live than it is in recordings. She opened with the hauntingly emotional "gulumse" and when the audience participated in singing the chorus, it was truly moving. During the concert I found myself feeling a range of emotions from elation, nostalgia, tears and joy, which reflects the way her music and lyrics have made us feel throughout the years. The proved once again why she so richly deserves her crown. I hope it's not too long before she sings in London again. - 195.10.45.234) | 26 Apr 05 |
| The best 2nd Sonata I have heard on the stage - the funeral march was sublime. Pollini's articulation, touch, poetry and sheer quality shone through as usual. As previously noted - a much deserved standing ovation. - 80.3.160.9) | 25 Apr 05 |
| [Royal Albert Hall - Saturday 23rd April 2005.] Having been a fan of the old Gabriel-genesis especially of the Lamb album, I was looking forward to The Musical Box's interpretation of the 1974 original show. As it turned out, interpretation is the probably the wrong term - accurate, near perfection reinaction is probably more appropriate. Each member of the band re-created all the original members outfits, stance and stage presence so perfectly, I sometimes forgot I was watching a tribute band! (Only after the show did I realise Sébastien Lamothe plays his guitars the other way round!) From the opening strains of 'The Lamb lies Down' to the closing moments of 'It', we were presented with a nostalgic trip down memory lane reminding us of how important Genesis really were both musically and theatrically. I was somewhat unsure as to what my 13 year old Nephew and 11 year old niece would think of it but my apprehension was short lived - they loved it. Admittedly, some of the last 1/2 hour of the main set got a bit heavy, and yes, some of the higher notes were a bit loud and trebly and the odd chord may have reflected from the gallery but this was a minor point during what was in the whole a highly polished performance. To complete the whole 1974 performance, the band came on for their encore and performed a perfect rendition of The Musical Box with Monsieur Gagne donning the old man mask and re-enacting Peter Gabriel's moves down to a tee. We weren't expecting a second encore, but as a great finishing touch, the band re-appeared on stage a couple of minutes later. The lights went down and the silhouette of Mr Gabriel (aka Denis Gagne) in bat wings appeared high up at the back of the stage to the open chords of 'Watcher of the skies' - a great end to a great evening. Certainly looking forward to The Musical Box's next presentation. Trevor De La Harpe, Cheshire. P.S If you liked this, you'll love 'Cherub' playing regularly across the South East of England. Look out for them in Bracknell and Bournemouth over the next few weeks. :-) - 167.202.196.72) | 25 Apr 05 |
| Pollini deserved the standing ovation! Something of a marathon encore list: D flat prelude, G minor ballade, C sharp minor etude and D minor prelude! - 195.152.188.20) | 25 Apr 05 |
| There was an air of expectation in the Barbican Foyer early on Friday night, but somehow, by 10.30 the general feeling was one of mild disappointment. With a line-up consisting of all three Hodges brothers, Percy Wiggins, Syl Johnson and the legendary Ann Peebles, this concert could hardly fail. However, the odd pacing and the inexplicable decision to give top billing to Syl Johnson and to limit Ann Peebles to just four songs meant that the sum was so much less than the magnificent parts. After a slow start with two instrumental numbers, Percy Wiggins gave a solid performance with a surprising choice of songs including "Daddy's Home and the Spinners big band number "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You". He gradually got the audience warmed up until they were bubbling nicely when the interval came. However, after the break and with the crowd eager to get on their feet, there was an audible gasp of surprise to see Ann Peebles take the stage with a Tiny Tim look-alike keyboard player and a single acoustic guitarist. If the crowd had come to hear Ann with the Hi sound they were disappointed as she chose to open with two songs from her Acoustic Soul set. Although her voice has lost none of the power, agression mixed with tenderness of the early 1970s it is not best served by the acoustic backing and her version of the classic "Love Vibration" although perfectly performed seemed tame in comparison with the record. When she was joined by the band, she came to life with a storming version of "I Can't Stand the Rain", only to finish with that number. Surprisingly, Syl Johnson topped the bill, but after a stunning version of "Take Me To the River" he succeeded in dampening the atmosphere with a largely incoherent and rambling rant against Ace Records and all the other people who he feels have ripped him off over the years. This struck a sour and unnecessary note from which the concert never recovered. By the time of the all star encore, some of the audience were already starting to leave. A travesty considering the amount of talent on show. - 80.3.32.6) | 24 Apr 05 |
| i have just seen Chicago at the Bristol Hippodrome, after seeing it just in January at the Adelphi i was blown away at how fantastic it was. Although it was good at the adelphi and Josephina gabrielle and Anna jane casey were impressive, the rest of the cast were disappointing esp Micheal French (who wussed out of the long note on "They both reached for the gun") and the dancers just faded into the background. The tour however had dancers with fantastic energy and presence, two sensational leading ladies esp Rachael Stanley who was just everything Velma should be(and what a voice, as well as acting ability).Claire Taylor looked the part but i wasn't convinced by the accent(apart from that that though hat's off to her i still enjoyed her performance)mama morton(Jaquie Rae)was excellent too, really natural. Gavin Cornwell was a bit stiff to start but once he had warmed up as good as the rest of the cast and Amos Hart added buckets of pathos to an already pathetic character -just right! It all just seemed fresh, energetic and very sexy- just how Chicago should be......Methinks an ensemble change is long overdue at the adelphi, they were put to shame by the dazzling cast on tour. Go and see this if you want to experience Chicago as it should be performed and please don't feel that you are misssing out by not seeing the West-end version. - 82.32.65.195) | 24 Apr 05 |
| OI, put your name, what endz you at, ma crew is gona get u sorted - 80.3.0.44) | 24 Apr 05 |
| Great light-hearted night out with Northern Broadsides on great form. Twins so much alike as to make the story almost believable. Added bonus of an after-show talk by Barrie and his actors. - 62.252.192.13) | 23 Apr 05 |
| Simply superb. Paul Thomas Hickey gives a blistering performance, Cora Bisset is (as usual) exellent and the supporting cast are superb. I saw this production in Dundee last Thursday with 30 of my school drama students (aged13-18) and most of them said it was the best show they'd seen. Get a ticket now! - 195.93.21.100) | 23 Apr 05 |
| Thank u Professor THALIWAY. You're right as usual. Pearl MARSLAND IS a wonderful artist. A long time ago she made a striking appearance Oxford in Wonderland. I still remember her performance with awe. Mark my word, her career is ONLY beginning! A Pearl and Thaliway fan! - 212.198.76.190) | 23 Apr 05 |
| If you are a child of the 80's like me, you can not fail to enjoy yourself! Yeah, i cringed at a few of the songs, choreography was a bit dodgy at times, Sophie Lawrence needs a good meal, many a 'cod' comedy moment...but nearly every member of the audience near me left with a smile on their face. David Essex was brilliant and all the actors give enthusiastic performances. So what if the storyline is non-existent to rubbish? If you want an enjoyable night out then here it is. - 217.42.33.235) | 20 Apr 05 |
| Didn't like it and have seen much funnier productions - Oberon and Titania both looked and sounded scrappy, scruffy and non-specific. Puck was funny but not even vaguely magical and as a result didn't work properly. Best performance was Paul Chahidi's Quince - and even that was hampered by the stupid Brummie conception of the mechanicals. - 195.194.148.2) | 19 Apr 05 |
| Magical and very funny. I loved Joe Dixon's Oberon, who spoke the verse beautifully and had real if fairy majesty. Puck was very amusing and world-weary. The lovers were superb and for once I could tell Lysander and Demetrius apart (previously I've wondered how Hermia could tell the difference never mind care). Malcolm Storry as Bottom was a bit OTT but the rude mechanicals usually jar on me anyway. Here they were all good and the chink in the Wall was a well-grown specimen (I did wnder why they had chosen such a physical specimen under his later use). Overall a tremendous performance. Congratulations to Greg Doran for another winner. - 193.118.206.221) | 19 Apr 05 |
| Spine-tingling, emotive and magical. - 81.153.22.157) | 18 Apr 05 |
| I've heard that Pearl Marsland is going to be in it... So this is THE MUST SEE of the season! Rush and Enjoy Pearl of the London Stage! - 82.227.142.141) | 16 Apr 05 |
| I saw this based on the reviews on this site - and was glad I did. This is the first all male Shakespeare I have seen, and it is a tribute to the fine acting that one soon "forgets" this and is swept into this moving story of obsessive jealousy and it's terrible consequences. By turns a chilling, hilarious, and ultimately poignant evening. Don't miss it. - 81.158.5.140) | 14 Apr 05 |
| Beautifully done. Has everything that The Winter's Tale should have. Magic, humour, high emotion (and equally high farce). As with other Propeller productions the point at which you forgot to be bothered about the men playing women's parts is indefinable and the cast have you so throughly in their powers that by the end you have to make a concious effort to remind yourself they are men (so you can marvel at their performances even more). The moments of subtext are nicely achieved and the suggestion that restoration does not necessarily bring redemption is powerfully conveyed. The verse speaking is not the best (and most of the words of the songs are lost)but this matters very little as what is lost verbally is made up for by the physicality and strength of the perfomances. It looks great as well. I enjoyed it so much I felt guilty that I had won the tickets in a WOS competition! - 80.168.23.114) | 14 Apr 05 |
| more shows of this nature featuring artists from diverse backgrounds need to be showcased and nurtured. - 81.168.115.198) | 12 Apr 05 |
| Funkface review by: Caroline Westbrook A new play based on the life of Jewish single mum Regina Woolfstein, founder of the fashion label Funkface, has made its debut in London after wowing audiences in Manchester. Caroline Westbrook checks it out. Fresh from its debut in Manchester, where it played to packed houses, London audiences have now had the chance to see Binda Singh’s play. Funkface takes its name from the fashion label set up by Jewish single mum Regina Woolfstein, who forms the inspiration for this play – it’s a fictionalised account of how she went from being a divorcee, struggling to make ends meet and raise three children, to setting up the label, with a bit of inspiration from a feisty colleague. Here, Regina becomes Sharon (played here by Louise Travis), a mousy, thirtysomething single mother making a living selling cosmetics in a department store. It’s not the easiest of jobs, having to deal with difficult customers, her slimy boss and a forthcoming fashion show within the store itself – but with a little help from her colleague Jenny (former Coronation Street actress Amanda Noar) she gets through it, all the while trying to conceal her true feelings about the unfortunate turn her life has taken. One of the most refreshing things about Singh’s play is the fact that while the characters are openly Jewish – we know this due to a smattering of lines referencing their faith – it is incidental to the plot rather than taking it over. In other words, rather than hitting us over the head with stereotypes or overplaying the religion card, he tells us an inspiring story which could have happened to anybody – the only difference is that the characters happen to be Jewish. Both leads are appealing, especially Noar (who also directed this production) as Jenny, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, leading to some very frank dialogue and bawdy humour (which might offend some audience members). Given much of it centres on female bonding and the underlying theme of women’s empowerment, it’s likely to strike more of a chord with female audience members than their male counterparts – but men will find much to enjoy here, from the sharp and witty script (and its many potshots at Z-list celebrities with ideas above their station) through to a second act which cranks up the comedy factor for a hilarious sub-plot involving a philandering footballer and his air-headed wife. The London production also came complete with a fashion show, which raised money for Women Fighting Breast Cancer while displaying some of Woolfstein’s Funkface creations, as well as some of the finest fashions from Fenwick's Brent Cross and Lili Grace in Edgware have to offer. It was a nice idea, and all in a good cause – but seemed a tad out of place tacked on to the end of the play. But it’s a minor quibble in what is otherwise a thoroughly entertaining evening out. - 213.105.224.13) | 12 Apr 05 |
| A well thought out, engaging and informative presentation, by pioneering artists. A glimpse at the development of the art of poetry. - 81.1.121.161) | 11 Apr 05 |
| Saw the matinee at Edinburgh yesterday and what a magic performance it was by everyone on stage especially James Gillan. His rendition of Starlight Express sent shivers down my spine. Special praise for an extra special show. May it last forever. - 82.39.94.38) | 10 Apr 05 |
| It may be well staged and well performed, but is it that good a play? Frankly, its obtuseness irritated me. - 81.135.218.1) | 10 Apr 05 |
| An outstanding and engaging evening - compelling in the extreme - must see.... - 217.33.166.212) | 08 Apr 05 |
| What can I say. Great audience of die hards, uber-goths, and fans. I felt so sorry for those waiting for returns. For two hours i was somewhere else. Oscilating between utter joy and rapture, between disbelieving i was witnessing this phenomenon and exhultation at sharing the moment with others. The new stuff was virtually seamless is DCD style, and the lullaby at the end very moving. Lisa was part diva and part nun, sometimes seeming happy and at other times trance like. A true enigma amongst over exposed 'stars.' I cant wait for the live CD! - 213.122.103.248) | 07 Apr 05 |
| This cultural poetice event was inspirational. The words of the poets combined with their presentations was about the best literary performance that I have seen in a very long time. Please do not make this a one off event. - 213.78.49.227) | 07 Apr 05 |
| Now I was always a Shaky fan, so I'm sure I'm a little biased... However, This was simpily a great show! Shaky Rock 'n' Rolled through many of his 38 hits along with some choice album tracks & a wonderful version of The Shirelles, Baby It's you! His voice still holds up well against a great Rock 'n' Roll band & quite importantly, he looked comfortable & happy to be on stage... With his new hits CD/DVD released on Monday, it would be nice to see Shaky have at least a mini comeback! Oh yeah... And he can still shake it too!!!... Rock on! - 82.69.54.34) | 07 Apr 05 |
| I went to see Sqautting in London, not knowing what to expect. I had a really good laugh. The twist at the end was funny and loved what Mann did to the cats (sorry cat lovers). I'd like to see more stuff by these guys. - 146.227.1.9) | 07 Apr 05 |
| The roar of appreciation as Shaky took to the stage last night was one of triumph. He looked the part - with an excellent backing band (particularly the pianist who could boogie with the best of them). The old hits were reeled out with aplomb and some new material (including a cover of 'Baby It's You') was included. To begin the second half of the show with 'This Ole House' was sensational. Interestingly there was a complete mix of ages in the audience. The only minor let down was the lack of 'Green Door', but other than that it was a fabulous show from a true showman! - 213.78.80.143) | 07 Apr 05 |
| I saw the show on the first night and the last. All the cast were brilliant all the performances first class. Although I am a little biased with Annie as Farrah Welch-Turner who played her is my Granddaughter. Well done to everyone. - 217.37.220.172) | 07 Apr 05 |
| It had been 5 years since Shaky took to the UK stage having spent time in the music wilderness for whatever reason, as a long time fan I was wondering what to expect, having only reviews of his recent Danish tours to go by I arrived at the Empire, and left after an hour and a half of storming rock, country and rythmn and blues. Shaky took to the stage with the apt song I'm ready 'willing and able to rock 'n' roll alnight' and treated the audience to a mix of hits, this ole house, marie marie, oh julie, a letter to you, its raining, you drive me crazy, lipstick powder and paint, give me your heart tonight turning away, I'll be Satisfied, hot dog and Its late. these blended in with a mix of album tracks, with my heart, don't lie to me, you never talked about me, rockin the night away, don't tell me we're through and so long baby goodbye, these were accompanied by a handful of covers, I ain't never, Aint it a shame and baby its you! The Denim two piece is long gone, and the quiff no longer elvisesque, shaky took to the stage in a suit and shirt, his wild dance moves from the 80's gone, the mans 57 this is only to be expected BUT shaky still rocks out and moves around the stage with all the pazaz of a man much younger. With his appearance on ITV show hit me baby one more time forthcoming this weekend, and the release of a hits CD/DVD on Monday, it appears our man is destined to return to the big time, the name shakin' stevens will no longer be seen as a musical joke sniggered at by radio DJ's and the like, a return to the big time beckons, welcome back from no where. What a night! - 62.252.0.10) | 07 Apr 05 |
| Shaky is BACK, and there's still life in those hips. The show was a nice mix of new and old - and the audience was too. :o) Shaky is excellent as always, an absolute professional - who starts on time - and the band superb musicians, who clearly love what they do. It was obvious that both Shaky and the band enjoyed themselves as much as the audience. I have been trying to see Shaky live since 1981, and at long last I got the chance. I was in no way, shape or form disappointed. Thank you Shaky! - 80.1.236.128) | 06 Apr 05 |
| I really loved the play, and so did the rest of my family. My friend played on of the orphans, and she loved performing in th play just as much i loved watching it! She allways wanted to be in a play and this play really brought out the star in her! I would recomend this play to any-one of any age. It was a good laugh for all of my family, and i am shure other familys will enjoy it as much as i did! - 82.35.43.200) | 06 Apr 05 |
| Great ironic lines from the shows..Number one in an occasional series - Jonathan Wilkes as Tommy "I've had enough. I want to go home". A dissapointing show, Wilkes seems to keep his grinning fool TV persona which doesn't really lend itself to the role. He can't really act either which is a shame as he does appear to be able to belt out a tune. An inexperienced supporting cast never rise above being willing but average and the sound suffers from the appliance of amplification over clarity. Still, the intro to Pinball Wizard does make the spine tingle, and at the finale Wilkes' cheeky smile and wink gets the ladies in the audience on their feet dragging the menfolk up with them for the guaranteed standing ovation. But even so the reception is more polite than enthusiatic. If you like the film you're better of renting that on video. If you're a Wilkes fan the show may just about do it for you. As someone who doesn't fall into either category, it just left me cold. - 81.159.71.20) | 05 Apr 05 |
| what a great show!! totally loved it, very well written and a worked really well. its a shame that it has got some very bad reviews, perhaps people should read what a show is about before they go and see it !! well done to everyone involved. - 195.93.21.101) | 05 Apr 05 |
| I found this so disappointing. Having seen the previous tour of the original production I was prepared to see a scaled down version, but I didn't expect it to be quite as crap as it was. It seemed to be ashowcase for the talents of Jonathan Wilkes and it seemed to miss the point completely. Credit to the band and lighting designer though. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. - 217.42.93.133) | 05 Apr 05 |
| Excellent show on Sunday, i would like to see more eents like this one!! - 81.153.230.184) | 04 Apr 05 |
| Absolutely fabulous band which brought back some romance & fun. It was wonderful to see most people up and dancing at the end no matter what age. - 193.26.4.35) | 04 Apr 05 |
| Performance was excellent, had a great time, very creative and inspiring. - 81.129.107.195) | 04 Apr 05 |
| A great evening - Amici Forever the highlight, but great performances from Bond, Celtic Tenor to name but a few and John Christos - a new name to me but one to watch for in the future. - 62.140.193.146) | 04 Apr 05 |
| AMAZINGLY UNBELIEVABLE! It's like watching a clash between the LIDO show in Paris and Celine Dion's Concert! The difference was that she was culturally entertaining and superb voice! Simply superb! A true Asian Superstar. Never seen such fantastic performace by an Asian singer before. - 203.106.229.130) | 04 Apr 05 |
| wow! amazing voice. really good looking and very stylish. - 219.95.171.148) | 03 Apr 05 |
| i went to the concert.. and i give 200% for her performances she has a very amazing, pure and great voice.. plus.. she's very beautiful i assure you all will love it if u have the chance to watch her live. - 82.38.200.176) | 02 Apr 05 |
| Not being much of a classical fan I was not expecting too much. I was wrong, I had a fanstastic evening and was Blown awayby the talent on stage. My eyes have now been opened to classical music. G4 were the most impressive, and rightfully got the biggest applause! Was worth every penny and twice that of the ticket price. Fantastic! - 82.37.72.207) | 02 Apr 05 |
| A fantastic night featuring excellent performances from all involved who generously supported such a worthy cause. However, the highlight, without a doubt, were the amazing G4 who stole the show with their awesome voices and, particularly, a sensational version of Bohemian Rhapsody which brought the crowd to their feet. - 80.3.0.44) | 02 Apr 05 |
| What a fantastic night at the Royal Albert Hall last night with superb performances from AMICI forever and many other incredible artists. Simply adored their two pieces Albinoni's Adagio and The Prayer and also thought Keedie was sensational too. Russell Watson, Bond, Celtci Tenors, Duel et al - were all great and everyone gave their time for this fantastic cause but the highlight of night had to be Amici forever. - 82.133.125.73) | 01 Apr 05 |
| I can honestly say that this is the worst thing I have ever voluntarily watched. I went to the theatre with high expectations, as Dracula is one of my favourite novels, and I left not only feeling sorry for the actors, but also feeling sorry for myself having spent £40 on the tickets. I thought it was an absolute mess, as the modern techniques (E-mails and mobile phones), the attempt at gothic horror that was simply laughable and the carry-on style humour made the play utterly disjointed and painful to watch. The audience I was with was laughing at the play and not with it, and my friend who is an usher in the theatre was holding her head in her hands. She said (and I quote) 'This is the only truly awful play I have ever seen since I worked here'. An English graduate like myself, she agreed with me when I said it was an absolute travesty. If you want to see a faithful adaptation of this incredible novel, watch the fim with Gary Oldman, as it is faithful to the dark, gothic roots and contains real terror. This play had stated that it had scenes of extreme horror, not for the faint hearted or under-14s, but the only thing I found horrifying about it was the fact that when the interval finally rolled round, there was another hour to come. Thankfully, my boyfriend and I were in agreement with our thoughts on this play, and we swiftly left the theatre with huge sighs of relief. Bram Stoker would be turning in his grave. - 131.111.113.14) | 30 Mar 05 |
| Absolutely incredible! - 67.80.255.81) | 30 Mar 05 |
| marshallah it was such a great evening!! hope theres more to come, may allah bless you all for your efforts inshallah. - 62.253.96.44) | 28 Mar 05 |
| Not quite sure how people can give this such a good review! Maybe I saw it on an off day. To start with, I absolutely LOVED the set - very impressive. However, if you have such an impressive set, it needs to be matched with equally impressive acting, which sadly wasn't the case. Firstly, the inspector (Nicholas Day) who seemed determined to get all his speeches out in one breath - extremely annoying as I often missed half of what he was saying! Next Nick Barber as Eric Birling was way to hyperactive, obviously only concentrating on one aspect of his character and failing to look at any subtleties in the text. The only good performance, in my opinion, came from Katie McGuinness as Shelia Birling, who started off as an extremely annoying brat but almost unnoticeably completely changed her attitude throughout until she was a totally different person by the end of the play. The rest of the acting was mediocre, with no memorable performances. Go and see it for the set but not the acting. - 213.122.33.134) | 27 Mar 05 |
| Very poor. Kwame is a wooden actor and is in fact the weakest link of this play. There was no need for the song he sings at the beginning of Act 2. It's an indulgence. The accents oscillate between psuedo Carribean and RP. It is obvious that all the actors are middle class and they do not convincingly portray the world they are attempting to. On the plus side, Dona Croll is good - as is Oscar James...but I'm afraid it is a case of Much Ado About Nothing. There is much less to this play than meets the eye. - 81.156.205.20) | 26 Mar 05 |
| Excellent show, excellent dancing, didn't want it to end! - 81.152.1.239) | 25 Mar 05 |
| Well, it's reached Southend now and everything that's been written here (and in the main review) still holds good. I thought all the voices were magnificent, but Jonathan Wilkes's cheesy tan and Colgate twinkle were a million miles from anything The Who every imagined. Did Pete Townswhend really want his magnum opus to be turned into an ITV variety show? It's all a load of old tosh, really, yet it contains a couple of the greatest rock anthems ever written. So frustrating. - 82.34.198.16) | 25 Mar 05 |
| The RSC's House of Desires was a remarkably good production, highlighting the ridicule and shallowness of the honour code in Spanish society through standardised gestures and postures borrowed to the worlds of Flamenco and Torreadors. The initial staging of the author (a 16th century mexican nun with very good insights on society) who then takes part in the plot as one of the characters reminds us of the social context of the play. The theme of the convent is kept up during the whole performance with heavy sounds of keys being locked. It might be the conventionnal plot of crossed lovers and ingenous servants but it is done in a very stylised and highly enjoyable manner. The set shines through and the lighting aptly materialises varied places and athmospheres. The ensemble works very well together have built a growing sense of union and a delightful athmosphere throughout the season. Simon Trinder does not feel too full of himself at all, his character does. His depiction of Castaño is hillarious and was absolutely loved by the audience. A special mention to the not often enough mentionned Kelly as well. - 172.187.148.205) | 25 Mar 05 |
| I saw this at Richmond Theatre in Surrey. My main reason for going was that I've enjoyed Bryony Lavery's adaptations before. Well, I suppose everyone stumbles at some point! The idea of updating the story is a bold step that doesn't come off. When Harker arrives at Castle Dracula, it's clear that he is aware of the Dracula story, and makes lighthearted references to it - as does the Count himself. Having established that, it removes both the tension of having the characters discover the true horror of what they're facing, and it makes Van Helsing a bit limp because his "teacher" role, of explaining about vampires and how to deal with them, is vastly diminished what with everyone seemingly being in the know. Heavy use of the screens to depict internet and mobile phone communications makes sense as a modern reading of the journalistic/missive nature of the original novel. But it also grates as well, I found. And while some of Dracula's intentionally comic moments are quite funny, and the notion of giving him a humorous persona an interesting take, it does little to create the impression of a dark, seductively terrifying figure. The busy set with its steep slopes and broken walls is both impressive and overbearing, and features one focus point so high up and so far stage right that it was invisible to a large section of the audience, about which many of them on that side could be heard muttering. Oh well. Overall - an interesting idea that, for me, didn't work. - 194.82.50.2) | 24 Mar 05 |
| I've seen so many actists in the last five years, most of the "superstars". Most of these show were huge and very expensive productions. However, there is something that an expensive production can not buy, and that is talent and a natural flair for performing. Bedingfield showed that, and he gave a performence that was the best yet to be seen. Everyone who dares to say that he can not sing or write songs, so go and see him live. - 80.160.107.51) | 22 Mar 05 |
| was a fantastic concert, the voice was amazing! - 80.4.224.6) | 22 Mar 05 |
| When Broadsides is on top form it can wipe the floor with the national companies. This is a hugely enjoyable production, and certainly banished memories of last year's dismal Merchant of Venice. - 195.92.168.174) | 22 Mar 05 |
| yesterdays performance was utter rubbish!! I had so looked forward to it, I love her CD's, but I left after 35 minutes because I could not bear it anylonger - 194.71.243.129) | 21 Mar 05 |
| as always, DB was amazing - on top form after his accident and just making the most from life! he really got the crowd on their feet with his reggae verison of Gotta Get Thru This, and bits from Eurythmics and The Killers!! Then everyone went soppy with his slows...Dan really was the man, and gave a stunning performance as ever...who else wanted him to go on all night?! - 195.93.21.100) | 20 Mar 05 |
| Shocking! Hard to hear, hard to follow story. No costume changes. No scenery changes. A poor production and that was the closing night!! - 62.252.128.26) | 20 Mar 05 |
| I came all the way from Germany, cuz a friend of mine was so much into Scorpions, he went even to London to see them. Me , so much into Judas Priest came along gladly, since i`ve never been to the UK before. We missed the first support-DOORS, can`t say nothing bout them... Scorpions opened, and they were great, always a good live act, the boys from Hannover, Germany! Klaus Meine had his voice in great control, not beeing that young himself there... Then , after a good set of the Scorps: JUDAS PRIEST!!!!! Opening with Electric Eye and Metal Gods, as they did also on last years REUNION TOUR . I dont remmember the corrct setlist, but they played Hellrider(very cool) and Judas Rising(also ok). Rob chose alot of high pitch songs, i was surprised , he did that. I feared , he would be a bit tired from last day`s Show, but not really so... He managed most of the screams in a great manner..can`t say nothing bad about him..The Concert was a bit too loud, or better ..the guitars. Sometimes they would cover Rob`s voice abit too much. The concert was close to 2 hours, i loved I´m aRocker.... Well, it was 2 hours kickass Show .!!! Overall a great gig, i had my money`s worth and more.. a memory of London in the best possible way !!!!Thanx, JP !! signed:ROB_HELLFORD!!!!!! - 80.171.19.222) | 20 Mar 05 |
| Let me start by saying that I have always liked Patsy Palmer but I have also likes Stepping Out. I went to see Stepping Out in Leeds having seen it years ago in the West End. The supporting cast were generally great - but Patsy Palmer was very one dimensional. My real criticism of the production would have to be the choreography - Mavis' solo seemed to be totally at odds to the music that was playing and the final number which is the crux of the show just wasn't as slick as you would hope for. Although it is not the best production in the world it is still good fun. It is regrettable that we have productions like this with a big name lead who just seems overwhelmed by the part she is playing. - 81.152.134.186) | 19 Mar 05 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It has a lot of great moments that stayed with me long after we had left the theatre. The whole thing had a very original and fresh feel to it, and it had a nice variety of goings-on, including lots of sequences perfectly timed to sound effects; dancing; and even a few magic tricks. The gags and visual humour were also pretty surreal at times, but not so surreal as to be inaccessible to a broad audience - everyone in the audience, which I think included all age groups, seemed to enjoy it. - 212.137.57.25) | 18 Mar 05 |
| it is the best thing ever to hit the wast end. i do not know what everyone is going on about it is a bit offensive yes, but it is only acting, noone belives that jesus is gay. i bet half the people who have complaiend havent even seen it. i hope all the protesters realise that they are putting people out of jobs, and preventing others from having a good time and think it takes courage for those actors to stand up there and say those lines so why cant they respect them for it. so y dont all u protesters get a life and realise that it is only acting and nobody belives that jesus is gay . if god had thought it was too offensive he would have stoped it from being performed and broadcasted. to all you protester THANKS ALOTT FOR RUINING MY BIRTHDAY PRESESNT (SCARCASTIC BY THE WAY)(they were ticketc to go and see jerry springer the opera)and just so you all know it was the funniest thing i have ever seen and david bedella has an amazing voice - 62.255.32.13) | 17 Mar 05 |
| A truely fantastic way to spend 60 minutes. Perki and Mann have a unique approach to theatre that was both entertaining and very, very funny. - 213.120.56.37) | 17 Mar 05 |
| I thought the show was a bit flat - but then again it was the mid-week matinee. The scenery hardly changed at all which was a bit disappointing given the different locations of the movie version. Saw a much better production of it a few years ago. Couldn't fault Graham Bickley who has a great voice. - 80.44.95.128) | 17 Mar 05 |
| Good family entertainment, audience participation in bucketloads, great enthusiastic cast. My six year old thought it the best thing ever. My wallet,on seeing the cost of the franchised souvenirs, didn't. - 217.34.49.74) | 16 Mar 05 |
| The concert was good and the boy with dizee was buff & over chung!!! big up dizzee brap brap!!! It was sik and sycotic i enjoyed it 2 da max(",) - 212.85.1.1) | 16 Mar 05 |
| We saw the play in Windsor on the 14th March. We were great fans of Morecambe & Wise, had read rave reviews of the London production and went expecting a great evening. Instead we had one of the most disappointing evenings we have ever spent in the theatre. It was banal, unfunny and altogether a waste of ticket money. it is possible it could have been better with a more talented cast but I honestly don't think so. Denis Waterman the 'star' guest went through the motions with the poor material given to him and aroused our sympathy. Fortunately the whole thing only lasted about 80 minutes and we made our escape with considerable relief. This sort of thing is a disgrace to the theatre. Don't go. - 194.217.194.138) | 16 Mar 05 |
| I saw this at the Mayflower, which is perhaps too large to give any feeling of place. I deplored the lack of Manderley and of practically all menace in Mrs Danvers who seemed to want to psychologically justify her stance with rambling explanations. A very limp biscuit indeed even predunked. - 193.118.206.221) | 15 Mar 05 |
| This is an incredibly important play. However painful to watch (at points) anybody who cares about the human race, society and love should watch this, and those who don't care NEED to watch it. As an actor and audience member, I think its important that theatre should scare people. I don't want to feel safe, I don't want to feel patronized, I WANT something to stir something inside of me to remind me that I still have that ability to feel, that I still have blood pumping through my veins. To all those critics that have found the violence and bad language unacceptable...you are the ignorant human beings that have blindfolded themselves to the plain fact that this is the world we now live in (whether or not these things are happening around the corner or in Uganda). - 81.2.98.130) | 13 Mar 05 |
| We went to see it on the opening Preview performance at Birmingham Rep Theatre. Wow what a play. Extremely well written, well performed & presented. The cast work brilliantly together & this makes the plot seem all the more believable. It's hard hitting, but has some light hearted laughs running through it too. My Nan & I went back to see it again on the wednesday & found it still as amazing as the first time we saw it. I went as I am a fan of Kwame, but was so impressed with the other cast members too. Shaun as digger is fantastic. My Nan especially was impressed with his performance. We will be going again to see it in Bristol. - 195.93.21.101) | 12 Mar 05 |
| Brilliant. My first time of seeing him live and what a performance. He had the whole place up and rocking and singing to him. Sunflower, You do something to me and my personal favourite Broken Stones were so much better live than in the studio. The last song A Town Called Malice was delivered with so much agression but very feeling that it left me absolutely begging for more. Defintely not to be missed if he is in yout town. - 81.158.80.213) | 12 Mar 05 |
| Donna Steele is woth the ticket money alone. A very entertaining evening - 195.93.21.100) | 10 Mar 05 |
| This is one of those shows, much like Boogie Nights 2, that is soooo BAD it's actually quite good. I have never laughed so much or had such a good time ripping the p**s out of such a badly written story and the depths that desperate has-been pop 'stars' will go to further their career. in that respect the show worked as a comedy and I cannot complain... - 217.158.147.107) | 10 Mar 05 |
| This is obviuosly a show that one either loves or hates going by the commnts of others. I thought it was brilliant when I saw it in Manchester when visiting friends. It was so good that I'm going again to Nottingham with ALL of my family. When I was at the show everyone was raving about it so it is a shame some critic had a bilious night and not reflected the genuine reaction/views of the majority of theatre goers rather than his own personal prejudices and that a few of those that attended didn't enjoy what was for most of us a wonderful, magic night out!!! - 81.153.168.69) | 09 Mar 05 |
| Utterly, mind-blowingly TERRIBLE. Even to say this is the worst show I've ever seen doesn't adequately convey how truly awful this is. Who on the production team thought this could EVER be a good idea? The songs are badly sung, the plotline's just moronic, and the jokes are offensive, racist and decades out of date. (The Julian character is acted as pure stereotype that stopped being funny in the late 70s). The only people who'll like this show are committed Steps and Hear'say fans, who might be able to ignore the rest of this train crash of a show - 213.78.174.201) | 09 Mar 05 |
| Saw the show last night in Hanley. Having read the previous reviews I was not expecting a great deal ans so fortunately was not too disappointed. I thought the lead girls were very good with strong voices that carried the show. Paul Nicholas was a disappointment I kept on hearing Vince from the TV show. On the whole it was not as bad as I had expected but it is not a show I will be rushing to see again. - 194.8.54.249) | 08 Mar 05 |
| Utterly, mind-blowingly TERRIBLE. Even to say this is the worst show I've ever seen doesn't adequately convey how truly awful this is. Who on the production team thought this could EVER be a good idea? The songs are badly sung, the plotline's just moronic, and the jokes are offensive, racist and decades out of date. (The Julian character is acted as pure stereotype that stopped being funny in the late 70s). The only people who'll like this show are committed Steps and Hear'say fans, who might be able to ignore the rest of this train crash of a show. - 213.78.170.139) | 08 Mar 05 |
| Northern Broadsides are back to their best with this pacy and hilarious Comedy. Zoe Lambert's Adriana is a sympathetic shrew and both Dromios are very funny. Loved It. - 193.118.206.221) | 07 Mar 05 |
| Often much praised London productions lose thier lustre by the time they reach the regions due to cast and director changes. It is hard to imagine this production any better though. The story is interesting and raises many questions, the staging/design is stunning totally effective and the acting is of the highest level - particularly Lee Ingleby and Jim Norton. This production will stay with me for a long time. - 62.255.32.13) | 07 Mar 05 |
| well, what can i say, it was a unbelieveable concert. Andy and Vince were on top form along with their backing singers. I had travelled all the way down from Leicester, and it was well worth the journey. It was just a brilliant concert with a brilliant pertformance, brilliant stage, brilliant everything. The audience were just brilliant aswell, we all joined in to sing A little respect to Andy, nobody wanted that night to end. Brilliant is not enough words for a night like that. - 81.103.144.81) | 07 Mar 05 |
| As much as I admire Jonathan Wilkes I do think a blond Graham Tudor would have been a better Tommy. Lee Mead stole the show for me.Unless you are a WHO fan, dont bother going to see it. - 80.189.52.88) | 05 Mar 05 |
| Abdsolutely brilliant show. Me and my friends loved it - what a great night out. The cast are all so talented and work so hard all night. Neal Wright as the postman is one of the best things I have ever seen. Noel Sullivan and Rachael Wooding steal the show but everyone is brilliant. Very funny script, great songs and looks fantastic. You will love it - we did. - 81.130.34.21) | 05 Mar 05 |
| i am going to put another review on here as i saw this show again last week in wimbledon. There has many many changes, somethings taken out and new things added and i think all the changes has been the show even better. sophies voice just gets stronger as does marks. i enjoyed the show again this time and will still stand by what i have said before, IT IS ALOT OF FUN AND A GOOD NIGHT OUT. - 195.93.21.102) | 05 Mar 05 |
| I saw this play, midweek in snowbound Eastbourne. An audience of less than 100 were rivetted by Con O'Neil's portrayal of the psychotic drug induced decline of an early mover/shaker in the pop business. I'm a big old bloke but I had tears running down my cheeks watching this amazing piece of acting. If he doesn't get some sort of award then there's no justice. The others in the cast were magnificent and the production has captured the 50's and 60's to perfection.(I know. I was there.) It is the best piece of theatre I've seen in years. I want to see it on the London stage in front of a full house where it will take off like Blood Brothers - 80.3.79.68) | 04 Mar 05 |
| THE SHOW IS VERY FUNNY AND HE THE CAST ARE VERY TALENTED IT IS WAS A GOOD NIGHT OUT ANT I WILL BE GOING TO SEE IT AGAIN - 81.174.224.61) | 04 Mar 05 |
| This was one of the best pieces of theatre I've seen in a long while. The script, direction, set and supporting cast were wonderful; but I struggle to find a word big enough to describe Con O'Neill's outstanding performance. Rarely do you witness an actor perform with such energy and passion. A truely inspiring experience. If there is a film to follow, only an idiot would not to give the role of Joe Meek to Mr O'Neill (if he wants it, that is). Well done to all involved. I hope the awards follow, particularly for Con O'Neill and Nick Moran. - 84.65.24.42) | 03 Mar 05 |
| Get in !........Top Draw......... ! Had an excellent time, this show's a must !! - 80.169.166.242) | 03 Mar 05 |
| What can I say - apart from the Worst Show I Have Ever Seen ! The story is terrible so you couldn't care less what happens to the characters - and it just goes on and on. Thought it had ended but then no, the whole cast gets to belt out a song each to prolong the agony! May appeal to drunken hen parties! - 195.153.45.226) | 02 Mar 05 |
| Well I certainly enjoyed it. Yes it could have been scarier, but I'm not complaining. I liked the humour and the updating. The magic was also impressive. I have to say my acting accolades also go to Hywel Simons, he was definitely the best. Richard Bremmer wasn't bad either and seemed to revel in sending Dracula up, ever so slightly. I was disappointed by Mr Cazenove and thought he tended towards "hammy". I'd be happy to see it again, mainly for Mr Simons and Mr Bremmer. - 62.49.143.164) | 02 Mar 05 |
| This show is utterly awful! I have no idea what they are trying to achieve but it's certainly not a fun night out. - 195.157.191.184) | 02 Mar 05 |
| Late 80s tale of yuppie couple who are visited by a neighbour in the suburb they've just moved to. They're trying to clear up after a dinner party, and can't seem to get rid of their visitor. This sets the scene for an evening of humour and tension that I found entertaining and enjoyable, driven by three solid performances. The general tone of the press notices suggests it's a damp squib but while it's not stunning, it's good and on balance worth seeing. - 194.82.50.2) | 02 Mar 05 |
| Wonderful, heartfelt performances from Lennie James, Noma Dumezweni and Novella Nelson. Apart from one slow scene in Act II, you really can't fault the production. (Monday night's audience is another matter - the Upper Circle sounded like a TB ward... coughing and hacking for two-and-a-half lines, spoiling our concentration and making us miss crucial lines. - 193.130.127.205) | 02 Mar 05 |
| Funniest Thing I've seen for a long time. The whole cast are excellent. Lots of energy and a chance to have a good bop in the aisles at the end. Great Night was had by all my group. - 195.92.69.67) | 01 Mar 05 |
| I saw the show and thought it was great! A real "get up" performance - we all came out buzzing. I would recommend it to anyone regardless of some reviews! - 195.72.191.30) | 01 Mar 05 |
| I stand corrected.Glad you liked it Phil. x - 195.93.21.102) | 27 Feb 05 |
| mc5 at their brilliant best,opening up with ramblin rose,wayne kramer's stunning guitar playing as usual.lisa kerkaula highlights were motorcitys burning down and looking at you. michael davis and dennis thompson rhythm section was a lot more powerful than i remember at the astoria last time.starship was mesmorising with david thomas and the sun ra arkestra who did thir own set before the mc5 came on. sun ra were unlike anything i had seen live before the colourful music almost euphoric and an enjoyable feeling of freedom. other highlights of the mc5 was over and over,kick out the jams,sister ann,and michael davis waving to me as i called out "machine gun" as they finally left the stage,brilliant gig by a brilliant band who influenced so much music and are finally now grabbing attention as they deserve - 217.155.197.52) | 26 Feb 05 |
| After witnessing the original NT cast, then innumerable recasts, I was not exactly thrilled about going with my 15-year-old daughter to see this yet again as she prepares for her GCSE English exam. (It involved a 60-mile round trip to Wimbledon in the snow - the things we do for our kids, eh?) But I have to say that Stephen Daldry's production is as fresh as paint, and after a four-year gap since my last viewing I was enormously impressed. Sandra Duncan in particular is the best, most imperious Mrs Birling I've yet seen, and the audience's collective schadenfreude at her come-uppance was something to savour. The expressionistic Daldry-McNeil production concept is rock-solid (unlike the Birlings' house): outrageously anti-realistic yet wholly locked into JB Priestley's themes. The playwright's social concerns emerge so strongly from the boldness of their vision, with demob suits and post-blitz Britain (oh that symbolic orange) creating a Priestley-esque time warp around the Birlings' Edwardian ivory tower. This production, one of the greatest achievements in British theatre during my lifetime, first emerged as the troubled 20th Century drew to a close, and in doing so Priestley and Daldry crossed time themselves to create one of the most powerful observations of this country's political and human condition that I've ever seen. If you haven't yet caught it, or if you were originally baffled by Daldry's production, go now - with open eyes and an open mind. It's magic. - 82.34.198.64) | 25 Feb 05 |
| That's the trouble with reviews: people rarely read them properly. All the reviews on here say they enjoyed the night, and some have criticised parts of it. In my book, just because it's for charity, does not equate to be-thankful-for-what-you-got-for-£50. Others are more easily pleased, it seems. - 62.3.68.5) | 24 Feb 05 |
| A great night, something for everyone and for a good cause - what more could you want? Obviously this isn't good enough for the sour pusses below but for everyone else it was a rare chance to see so many people at the top of their game on the same bill. Yes Johnny Vegas was slightly off key and there was a bit of filler in there (Ardal O'Hanlan, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson, John Culshaw) but it was all funny to a certain degree, we were perhaps a bit spoilt with the lineup being so full of stars. Not sure why I'm writing a review as this event is very unlikely to happen ever again but I thought i'd put the record straight! - 194.176.146.11) | 24 Feb 05 |
| i wouldn't go as far as to say it was diappointing, it was a great night, the acts were seemlessly linked and every comedian had their moment. I would however agree with the Jonny Vegas digs, he was incoherrent, rambling and vulgar and God help the poor girl he kissed. untli that point i wished i was in the front row but at least i was safe! Eddie Izzard was fabulous as always (Definitely the best act) and was very funny in his link to Alister McGowens impression of him. what we have to remeber is that they were paid nothing for thier time and hard work so we shouldnt be too hard on them, though i would agree that anyone who owns any of the individual dvds recognised a lot of the material. Still a great night, and to see all those comics in one evening was well worth the cash after all it was a good cause! - 62.252.192.13) | 23 Feb 05 |
| I have to agree with most of what the other poster wrote: the majority of the first half of Comic Aid was very funny - Jack Dee, Jonathan Ross, Omid Djalili (never heard of him before this, but a real delight!), Graham Norton, Derren Brown, Alistair McGowan did not disappoint. Jimmy Carr was by far the best - but then I like intelligent, observational humour. Not one area of society was left un-insulted - but he was FUNNY (Others "comedians" watch and learn!!). Part of Ardal O'Hanlon's (Father Ted) act was funny but I was confused when one minute I was laughing at a pillow fight gag, the next I was hearing how to insert condoms packed with smuggled drugs into my dog's rear end! Not funny (but that maybe because I'm a dog owner)!! He really needs to practice on seamlessly moving from one gag to the next - or sack his script writer! Eddie Izzard was my favourite comedian - until last night. He just wasn't! Jo Brand wasn't on for long enough to raise a titter and much of her time was spent giving a eulogy of the recently departed Mike Hardy, who clearly many of the audience had never heard of! The second half - what a travesty! With that valuable commodity - hindsight - I'd have left at this point, had I known. Dawn French - funny? Not to me - her impersonation of a Welsh Chav (or was she supposed to be Catherine Zeta Jones??) was painful. Bo Selecta bear was vulgar and a disgrace, as was Johnny Vegas. What on earth has gone wrong with Johnny Vegas? A victim of his own hype, maybe? I'm not sure. But I do know had he spoken to me as he did to some members of the audience in that way, even as a female, I would have slapped him, and I'm a pacifist! The man is a disgrace and should never, ever perform again, in my opinion. He more than crossed the line last night and should never be dragged back over it again. Dylan Moran (who??) - I don't want to be on whatever substance he had partaken in prior to his slot. He was humourless, rambling, incoherent and embarassing! Julian Clarey was OK but either needs new material or should stick to dancing (Asking an audience member if they "want to f**k him later" is worn and tired, now!). It was clear to me that some comedians just turned up unprepared, unscripted and were simply unfunny. Others had an act and delivered. Bill Bailey (outstanding), Dave Spikey and Lee Evans were excellent. Lee Evans gave a new meaning to the words "true professional" and ended the night on a delightful high. Even though I had heard some of Lee's material before, like the talented comedian he is, I laughed all over again at his sheer genius. - 62.3.68.5) | 23 Feb 05 |
| Started off as a brill fun packed night, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, the guy from Father Ted (sorry dont know his name...but he was best performer by far!!)Jimmy Carr, Alistair Mcgowen, Omid Djalili, Derren Brown, all fab.....but what happened in the second half!!! Johnny Vegas was appalling...how dare he use his position to behave so badly and insultingly, had I not been sat at the back with a small voice and no mike I'd have told him what I thought, he judged the audience as middle class people who were there for only their own enjoyment and not the charity (in many cases he was wrong, I'd be interested to know what percentage of his wages he gives to charity on a regular basis, he should think about that before he feels so righteous for giving up one night for this appeal!!!!), well now let him be judged for an appalling performance. (Bo Selecta bear....disgusting should have stayed at home!!) Thank goodness for Dave Spikey, Bill Bailey and Lee Evans who managed very brave attempts to save the night which Vegas had allbut ruined. - 84.66.165.77) | 23 Feb 05 |
| excellent production - i was amazed how well it worked on the crucible stage which i usually think of as a vast space - by setting it in slightly it retained the confined feel of the original production but giving it space to bounce the ideas around in. brilliant. - 81.132.35.185) | 21 Feb 05 |
| I saw Mr Einaudi perform at the Royal Festival Hall last night (20 feb) and it was a mesmerising experience. The pieces he played with celloist Marco Decimo - especially the wonderfully haunting Due Tramonti - were perfection personified. Thankyou Mr Einaudi for a fantastic evening. - 80.4.224.6) | 21 Feb 05 |
| Well I enjoyed it! The first half had some funny moments(intentional I think)and I think the cast gave it their all. It may disappoint the real gothic horror fans though. - 81.158.214.145) | 18 Feb 05 |
| Did those who moaned about not liking the play see the film version of it 1st? Well if you didnt i for one can tell you the film version is far more scary at times and more blood is seen than in the play itself? its not suitable for anyone under 18yrs of age; it might be better to see film version be4 you start complaining about the play itself;then you'll know why; its been said that the play as been brought up to the modern day with email & computer stuff replacing the typewriter & anything else seen or used in the film version for 1 thing the play lasts far less than the whole length the film itself lasts? thats due to changes removed from the film to the play? dave - 81.155.121.249) | 18 Feb 05 |
| Although well-performed by a strong cast, this was disappointing - especially so after all of the good reviews I have read about a return to classic AA form. AA has tackled fame & the media before with far better results in 'Man of the Moment'. Despite some promising ideas and some great set pieces (Hugo's garden meeting with Marsha & her lawyer) this seemed disjointed. - 81.156.252.49) | 18 Feb 05 |
| WOW! - 213.86.144.25) | 17 Feb 05 |
| Thank god Hampstead has at last produced something worthy of the trek from SW17! Though the production seems very conservative, it is a clever, original and funny play which gets the performances it deserves. Lets hope this is a turning point for Hampstead. - 81.134.144.8) | 17 Feb 05 |
| Good acting by all wonderful script plus the big screen showing whats been emailed & computers replacing the typing as seen in the film version the play itself is not as frightening as 1 would think but "having seen the film version of it (of the 2 the film is worst & more frightening tself at times than the modern day play)its a shame the play itself wasnt made into a film then we can all see the stage version on the big screen?well its happened with other versions of plays why not this one? - 81.152.28.199) | 17 Feb 05 |
| I was lost for words an the sheer innovation, energy and talent of this production...representative of a year group that has excelled itself with every production so far. - 217.169.15.164) | 16 Feb 05 |
| Outstanding production, incredible design and a talented cast that has to be seen to be believed. Keeping up LAMDA's tradition of excellence magnificently. Well done to all involved. - 217.169.15.164) | 16 Feb 05 |
| This is a clunkily bad show. The scenery and the acting especially the actor portraying Rollo Martins were unweildy. There was atmosphere at times but Harry Lime was an awful letdown. Don't bother. - 193.118.206.221) | 15 Feb 05 |
| I have read all of the comments below with both great amusement and of course a certain amount of anger. I used to look on this site quite often, but having made my comments on how wonderful the show is and how wonderful all of the cast and understudies are did not rush back. A friend of mine who checks here quite regularly and suggested I take a look. So for the record as of tonight I will have actually seen the show 162 times, I have seen brilliant productions of the show in Toronto and managed to take in a few of the sights whilst there, I have also seen the show in Munich which was I have to say just a flying visit. I have taken numerous friends to see the show, as well as one or two people who regularly accompany me, my mother for one, who all adore the show. We have as I think it was Dott said occasionally made comments about a show not being perhaps as good as the last time we saw it, or perhaps that whomever was not in such good voice on that particular evening, we have of course over the last few weeks surmised as to when Stephen Triffitt would be back in the show and wondered how Gilz would compare to David Hayes. Loving the show as I do and enjoying every performance I have seen with the exception of one when I really should have stayed home in bed I would never dream of saying anything derogatory, rude or insulting about any member of the cast. I am sure you all think me completely mad and as you say in need of mental help, all of which has been said by my friends over the last two plus years, but as long as I continue to enjoy the music, the show and the performances I will continue to take my seat. I work bloody hard and quite often after a lousy day at work or having attended a really boring meeting in Central London I will happily nip into the theatre and chill out before heading home as is my prerogative as a paying member of the public. How I spend “my hard earned cash” is entirely up to me. As for stalking, well I haven’t camped on anyone’s doorstep or followed them home. I will admit to having bestowed a birthday or Christmas pressie or two for which I have been thanked graciously, and I have also shared a drink or two with the utterly charming and professional people in the show who work so hard to keep us all so brilliantly entertained. I think if they thought me mad, bad or seriously dangerous to know they would drink elsewhere and completely ignore me. I hope you all continue to enjoy the show as I do except as one or two have already said when the drunken karaokers are in. - 80.46.69.154) | 14 Feb 05 |