Reader Reviews
Sweet Charity (Haymarket, Theatre Royal, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | i saw sweet charity on sat 16th oct 2010 at the matine. stalls e1. good seat but a little too close for my personal preference. as i always like to be very familiar with the story and score i had watched the dvd with shirley maclaine and bought the broadway cd so already loved it all. i have to say that this production went well above my expectations. i wasn't particularly familiar with tamzin but was completely blown away by her performance and voice. how do such talents as these end up in tacky soaps? there's something wrong somewhere! the role is very demanding as the character is bearly off stage but she nailed it completely. the other stand out performance was from mark umbers. this must be an equally demanding part as he plays different characters, but again, what a star. his voice and acting were perfection. i could actually see him as the phantom or raoul in the awesome love never dies. plenty of spine tingling moments listening to these guys' voices, always a good measure of performance for me! in fact, the whole cast were superb, not a bad link anywhere. i am a massive fan of musical theatre and visit the west end regularly when my job allows and have to say that this is one of the best shows i have seen. why oh why is it ending??? in an ideal world this should just run and run as it deserves to. in an age where 'talent' is equalled with vacuous celebrity status and force fed x factor promotion for the gratification of media psychopaths such as simon cowell (who in my eyes in no better than jeremy kyle ie using the public with somewhat dubious iq levels to further their own career - to the detriment of the vulnerable), first class productions like sweet charity are bearing the brunt. just hope i can catch it again before it ends. thank you so much to all of the cast and production team if any should read this, please keep on keeping on with what you do as it brings so much pleasure to us viewers. kind regards all. dave woolrich. - dave woolrich | 20 Oct 10 |
| Oh dear god. Another pointless uninspired derivative of 'Fosse' production of Sweet Charity. Just what i ALWAYS wanted. Oh good grief. BAD BAD NAUGHTY THEATRE. Apart from Josephina Gabrielle. That woman is a goddess. Someone give her another job immediately. - Cassox | 19 Oct 10 |
| Saw the show 31.7.10 Tamsin Outhwaite just can not sing, every number was shouted which made all her songs sound the same. If she could sing as well as she acts it would have been great. Her enthusiasm is fantastic and for a none dancer she moves very well.The cheap stage sets leave a lot to be desired. However we did enjoy the show particularly the second act. The rest of the cast were just fantastic. Sheila Ward - Sheila Ward | 01 Aug 10 |
| Well I love the show and enjoyed it so much at the chocolate factory that i thought i would go and see the transfer. Overall i feel i prefered it at the chocolate factory it is still very good and strong but i feel some of the set looks a bit cheap on a bigger stage. this does not ruin the show really at all though. the cast are still all amazing hats off to them all each has their characters down to a tee and i like some of the new staging for the new space. absolutely fantastic show with a great cast and a great creative team behind it. worth every penny. - Joshua Luke | 30 Jul 10 |
| Went to Theatre Royal Haymarket last night, blissfully ignorant of any historical background to the show and cast. That’s’ the way I like it: ’don’t read Hello, tabloids or watch TV. A few minutes into the show and I’m in a state of shock, an over dilution of a wonderful film, my all time favourite. Not Neil Simon’s 60’s rip-offs (Sweet Charity: book, stage, film) but Fellini’s 1957 masterpiece The Nights Of Cabiria [Le notti di Cabiria]. This show fails to capture any of the emotion that’s in the film. I haven’t seen previous Neil Simon re-versions but guess they are all as lightweight as currently on offer; if so, a shame Mr. Simon. Fellini’s film does get a mention in the programme that the FOH staff kindly showed me at the interval but I wonder if anyone associated with this production actually viewed it? Peddling doom in an upbeat musical might be mass-market suicide but there should be a modicum of an emotional journey through the performance; Ms. Outhwaite has to take some of the responsibility. The FOH staff were all most helpful, especially the ticket box guy recommending a seat since I’ve not been in the auditorium for decades. The loos put many a graded WE theatre to shame, another hand drier or optional paper towels would get you 5 stars, Phantom over the road take note. Another musical with a weak ending, ‘saw ALW’s LND last week. Perhaps Theatreland needs a creative team that just does endings. Otherwise good light entertainment from an A1 hard working cast, held together by the leading ladies and gentleman; shoot the librettist and director. No tissues required. - Stevie | 21 Jul 10 |
| Saw this Friday. This must be the best night in the West End for years. Terrific performances from all the cast. They lifted an imperfect musical into wonderful entertainment.Another Menier production Broadway bound? - Stuart | 09 May 10 |
| Funny, great pathos, show stopping songs, superb performances from not only Tamzin and Mark but also rest of the cast. Saw it at the Chocolate Factory and now at the Haymarket, and the transfer has lost nothing of the impact of the show. Best night out in the West End for years. - Martin | 07 May 10 |
| Saw this at the Menier and knew it would get a transfer and delighted it has. Great Show and some good performances and loved Tamzin and Mark Umbers in it--good luck for the run at the Haymarket and hope it runs for a long while - Joe Spiteri | 06 May 10 |
| Tamzin Outhwaite and Mark Umbers are indeed very good in their roles and do an impressive job, as does the rest of the cast in all ensemble numbers... yet the book is truly quite weak and tends to sag here and there - I have surprised myself checking the time a good few times during the show, because it truly felt oh so endless... and that certainly doesn't speak favourably of the entertaining power of this production - Andy | 05 May 10 |
| I was really surprised at the shallowness of the text. The songs are great and the dancing excellent but the story just doesn't get off the ground. The best song Rhythm of Life is shoehorned into the show as though it was a good number written for something else. "Do you want to come to a church meeting with me", "What denomination", "The Rhythm of Life Church". It was dressed as though cut from Hair, perhaps an hommage. It would be really hard to fault the production except to wonder if there aren't stories more in need of being told. Or if this story is to be told that we could really see the filth of the situation and see her attempts to climb up and reclaim her life. I know it isn't a play but musicals really need to try harder to rise above the level of cartoon. - Paul Moylan | 05 May 10 |
| Fun,Fun.Fun - Neil | 05 May 10 |
| Love the songs of this show, book a bit weak, but Mernier just about carried it off. Tamsin was an ok singer and actress, but not a dancer. The whole piece packed choreographic carisma. It needs to be far more powerfull, but felt limp, tired and lazy. Shame, as I'd heard such good reviews, I was very diasappointed. - PG | 05 May 10 |
| WOW! - Coralbee | 30 Apr 10 |
