Love Never Dies Reviews at Adelphi Theatre - London

Reader Reviews

Score	Comment	Date
	Well do we compare Love Never Dies with Phantom or with what else is on offer in London's West End? Virgin viewed on consecutive nights last week I’m going to have to see them both again. When the curtain went up I thought it was the wrong theatre; but then remembered that Titanic never made it to NY. Perhaps it’s the crashing waves, seagulls, night scenes and promenades; alas Ms. Dion didn’t turn up. Funny how one remembers Céline and not Kate. Not a sniff of Blackpool in LND, no dazzling carousels of light bulbs, no stench of hot dogs, no big dippers: that’s real Coney Island. A few spooky-gloomy projections and a sign saying ‘Three Months Later’ – never underestimate the intelligence of an audience, even if they’re all tourists from over the pond. The best bit of the whole evening was getting home to read WestEndWhingers pizza takeaway on the threesome round-a-bout scene: that did look cheap. Morecombe & Wise did it four decades ago, I’m still struggling to stay on my seat, going to the doc’ in the morning with a suspected hernia. I laughed so much. Agreed with other crit's; after getting his leg over on the eve of her wedding you wouldn’t expect the besotted Phantom to buzz off, and his murderous past does cause character development and cred’ problems in this sequel. An uncomfortable few minutes (there’s a few of those) for Meg towards the final curtain didn’t work; her time would be better spent stalking, and shooting, the director and producer – now that would be a something for Fred’ Forsyth to pen. The Adelphi FOH staff admitted there had been revisions and empty seats since opening night, there’s still some tweaking to do. It will only come together with a fresh overseer, a play doctor. Two of the most successful musicals of all time, Les Mis’ and Phantom, are based on established French works; Les Mis’ is a Hugo classic. This sequel is based on a treatment by a lad from Catford. It appears LBW fell out with Forsyth: get him back as a consultant and throw another £500k at the show, you can afford it. To sum up a pre-prod’ budget of millions: some good songs and tunes, clumsy storyline, A1 cast, staging highs and lows. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up like the Titanic but makes it to NY, tissues required. - Stevie	20 Jul 10
	Well you have to, don’t you? Go and see something that divides people. Make your own mind up. Well, I’m not with the phans and I’m not with the whingers. I actually don’t regret going though I wouldn’t go again. The show’s the problem; the production is the reason to go. The truth is there isn’t much of a story and it's spun out for 2.5 hours with another one of Ben Elton’s pathetic books, undistinguished lyrics from Glenn Slater and another dose of ALW’s mushy pop-opera music BUT the production and performances really are good, so there’s stuff to look and wonder at and singing and acting to admire. I wasn’t impressed by Sierra Boggess (the title song was the lowspot of the evening for me) but was hugely impressed by the Phantom’s understudy, Tam Mutu. The boy – Harry Child at the performance I saw – was terrific. Summer Strallen almost steals the show with her quick-change-almost-strip number. A big talent like Joseph Milsom is rather wasted in the rather underwritten role of Raoul. The orchestrations are great and the 27-piece orchestra really does sound good. There is some nice music, though not enough – but it’s a lot better than Woman In White. Bob Crowley’s design with Jon Driscoll’s projections, Scott Penrose’s special effects and Paule Constable’s lighting are highly effective. The sound is amongst the best I’ve experienced in a musical. Director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell do their best with the material they’re given. In the end, it proves yet again that ALW really does need a collaborator as good as Tim Rice; chairing a committee with Elton, Slater and Frederick Forsyth (!) just doesn’t produce a good show. So, a great production in search of a good show. You’re left to admire the talent on and off stage and in the orchestra pit. - gargar	08 Jul 10
	I have three times tried to leave five-star reviews for this extraordinary show. This is the best show ALW has written since Phantom. If I have had this problem how many others have? Many of the reviews that are published are negative. It is giving this show an undeserved bad reputation. This is very unfair to a great show, its superb actors, a wonderful score and those of us who loved it. What's going on?? If you have not seen it, DO NOT judge whether or not to go by the reviews here. They are clearly biased against it. Read the professional critic's review at the top. He's spot on. - Katie Ryan	20 Jun 10
	Absolutely hated this. Music was okish but you have the feeling that you heard it all before. The cast did a decent job considering the awful material. At the end I couldn't wait for Christine to die to end both her agony and mine. Couldn't wait to leave the theatre. Sad to think that those were a couple of hours of my life wasted that i'll never get back - Sarah	18 Jun 10
	utter tosh - grace	09 Jun 10
	The staging deserves more than two stars, but even the talents of Bob Crowley cannot help to lift this crass, trite and tedious musical above the level of the mediocre. Obviously no one had the courage to tell Lloyd-Webber that this was a god awful pale imitation of Phantom of The Opera and not worthy of him - perhaps everyone involved was getting such a good cut they thought "what the hell!"? I haven't cringed so much in the theatre for a long while. Sure there are one or two numbers which are rousing, but believe me that's about it. The sung through dialogue is excruciating! So why did the Lord do it? We all have to accept the fact that there are times when we make big mistakes - it seems the Lord still has to learn that lesson. Having said that, the audience last night were up on there feet at the curtain call. Maybe that was due to genuine delight...or possibly a rush for the exit, but whatever the reasons a lot of people seemed genuinely delighted by the show? - rds	05 Jun 10
	Stalls row G 21. Wed 27th May 2010. What can I say. Absolutely astounding. I am still thinking of it now. Both Sierra and Ramin (forgive me if the spellings are incorrect) were on and wow can sing AND act. THIS is what I pay my hard earned £70.00 for. I want to hear the most amazing voices AS WELL AS ACTING, I can not stand going to see a musical when the acting is good but singing is average...ref to Ashleigh Gray in Wicked or Anna Maxwell Martin in Cabaret..Graham Norton in La Cage....oh the thought still sends shivers down my spine! The orchestra-conducted by a very enthusiastic guy-good to see he loves his job-was spot on.Each and every member of the LND cast is excellence in motion. I bought the CD before so knew the score. The staging, the effects, the story...just fantastic. Tears rolled down my eyes at the end. Lord Webber deserves some accolade for this. I could not believe there were empty seats. Will it run, I do hope so, this is musical theatre as it was meant to be...musical story telling, not a story around a load of songs...although I do like Priscilla! I shall be going again, and again. Words fail me on this one, one of the best things I have seen in my entire 35 years, BUT BUY THE CD before, otherwise you'll not be familiar with the songs or story. If any of the cast or production team see this....THANKYOU SO MUCH! - Dave Woolrich	27 May 10
	After seeing "The Phantom" four times I did not expect too much of this new show but luckily I was wrong. Mr Webber has done it again. I am happy he finally released the score for all that loves the musicals. The ensemble was superb with Ramin in the lead. What a night to visit London. I will gladly come back and see this again and again and again..... - RistoP	21 May 10
	Third time last night. This show just seems to get better and better! - D	13 May 10
	4 of us saw the show on 28 April and loved it - the understudies were playing Phantom and Christine and were superb. The sets and effects were amazing and the music was beaufiful. Cannot believe the reviewers who only awarded one star saw the same show! Have got the CD and the music sounds better each time I listen. - Patricia	10 May 10
	What an amazing show. After reading all of the mixed reviews, went on Sat(1/5) not expecting too much.All in my party completely enjoyed the show from beginning to end and I actually prefer this to POTO.Really looking forward to going to see this show again. Christine was played by the understudy whow was absolutely outstanding, can't imagine what kind of performance Sierra must give to oustshine. Standing ovation was indeed deserved. - Marie	03 May 10
	WoW, what a great show, all 4 in my party loved the show, will definately go again. We saw Phantom a couple of weeks ago, and we all enjoyed the sequel more than the first show. Just reassures me there is no review like your own. What a great night out! Peter - Peter	30 Apr 10
	I'm definitely not one of those people who instinctively slaughter any Lloyd Webber show (sometimes without even seeing it), but rather desperately hoped that this would be a return to form after so many disappointments. It gives me no pleasure at all to say that Love Never Dies is a crushing let down. My mood was not helped at all to find that not one but both the Phantom and Christine were played by understudies. This shows an utter contempt for the audience and should not be acceptable. To be fair Celia Graham provides continuity from the orginal show and is believable as the mother of a ten year-old. There are so many things wrong with the show: the story is poor, the transformation of some of the chracters, especially Meg and Raoul, make little sense but most damagingly the score is mostly woeful. The Phantom is given one half-decent song and although the title song is genuinely beautiful the audience ovation is partly relief at finally having something to applaud. Finally the ending is a blatant Miss Saigon rip-off. Sadly Love Never Dies proved to be a hugely deflating experience and I just wish Lloyd Webber had left well alone and not attempted to repeat his greatest success, instaed he has indeed tarnished the origianl. - David Baxter	28 Apr 10
	Loved Phantom and absolutely loved this. Music was beautiful and all the cast gave a brilliant performance. I had a lump in my throat at the end. My husband has never seen Phantom and wasn't sure if this would be his cup of tea but he thought it was really good. - Gillian Fenton	23 Apr 10
	Knowing full well this would NOT be Phantom 2, I cleared my mind and was prepared to be surprised. I'm glad it was not a repeat of Phantom (saw it twice with Michael Crawford...beyond perfection), and I felt the leads were all magnificent. I wept like a baby...Sierra's emotion whilst singing "Love Never Dies" moved me beyond belief. I was only mad I'd forgotten to bring Kleenex! Summer as Meg was brilliant...Ramin as the Phantom commands his "new" and different Phantom extremely well. It is a slow build to a tragic, yet heartfelt end, one that I felt honored to have seen. After the show I was having a bite to eat and sat next to a guy who had already seen the show three times and was planning to see it "well into the double digits." Not sure why the mixed reviews, but I left humming "Love Never Dies" all the way to Barcelona and back home to LA. Have warped the CD and when it comes to LA, I will be there. I also thought the sets and costumes were marvelous. Loved the carriage entrance...revolving stage was also effective. The boy who played Gustave made me sad I never studied singing as a child. What a talent. All in all, I was swept away by it's haunting, mature and unique story. I, for one, loved it. Date of performance: March 25th at the Adelphi Theatre. - Jill	15 Apr 10
	Just back from the Adelphi. Firstly let me say I'm not a 'Phan'. Have seen Phantom 1 and it was OK but not a fanatic. Despite the mixed reviews went with an open mind but found the show frankly dull. No romance, no tension and no drama until the title song 2 hours in. This is one show in need of a complete rewrite. Ramin was off and his understundy did a good job as did the Mdme Giry understudy but I found Christine a bit of a let down. - Glen	06 Apr 10
	Absolutely fantastic! Saw it on Saturday night and want to go and see it again. Have seen the original Phantom and this equally as wonderful. Do not understand some of the criticism here but everyone is entitled to their opinion. ALW is a genius there is nothing more for me to say other than Bravo! - Glynis Hemmings	06 Apr 10
	Absolutely dreadful. Decent score but recycled from all his other musicals. Really terrible script, makes Carrie look like a masterpiece. This musical is so awful that will erase all the good memories of POTO. My ticket was heavily discounted and even so I feel that I´ve been ripped off. - Fern	04 Apr 10
	On the plus side, Lloyd Webber has come up with a decent score on the whole (the awful rock number one of the exceptions); but the dialogue/lyrics are truly appalling. The whole first hour consists of very clunky exposition with various characters telling each other things they already know entirely for the audience's benefit. (Why not actually show us what happened instead?) Performances are variable, with Joseph Millson coming off best in the thankless role of Raoul. Ramin Karimloo sings nicely but just isn't remotely threatening or imposing; Sierra Boggess is a better singer than she is an actress; and Liz Robertson - admittedly lumbered with the worst of the dire dialogue/lyrics - is just plain awful. The "plot" is so thin, it could have taken place in about 20 minutes; the characterisation is weak and inconsistent; and there's no real spectacle other than a couple of nice effects. Both acts end in anti-climaxes and I left the theatre feeling "So what?" Disappointing and a bit pointless really... - Quentin	30 Mar 10
	Have seen "Love Never Dies" 3 times already which includes one preview and l have to say it is fantastic...on speaking to other theatre goers in the break everyone loved it... If you want a great night at the theatre go see this show. Had front row seats last week... stage quite high so had to strain neck and still couldn't see the bottom half of the person performing! best to be seated a little further back... my next seat will be front row dress circle.. yep l'll be going again! just love it. - Caz	29 Mar 10
	Absolutely amazing. Exceptionally powerful score, outstanding performances, amazing scenery. Wow! In my view this musical is much better than POTO in so many ways. Already booked to go and see it again. - Andy	29 Mar 10
	It was watchable and better than I expected having read some of the dire reviews. It had 2 to 3 well composed & memorable songs, my favourite being Til I Hear You Sing Again sung by the Phantom. Loved the gothic feel /skeletons etc in the Phantom's workshop. Worth seeing but I would not go out of my way to see it again or buy the cast recording. nce you've seen Phantom of the Opera and shows on a par you get a bit spoilt really. I cannot see this show running for years. I think it will ultimatelygo the way of The Woman in White but may get more punters in out of curiosity or loyalty to Lord ALW. - TERESA WILSON	25 Mar 10
	oh dear, I so wanted to like this show, having previously watched Phantom three or four times. It started well, with a nod to Phantom, with a present-day catch up scene that suggested the faded and gaudy glories of Coney Island, but then once it got past the projections (which i actually quite liked - i was worried they might be as seasick-inducing as the ones in The Woman in White, but thankfully they were far superior) and started the story proper, it was downhill all the way. There were barely any really big or hummable numbers - "Beneath a Moonless Sky" was beautiful, and there was a certain jauntiness to "Devil Take the Hindmost", but the title song sounded like a mishmash of various ALW songs rather than an original number. Too many of the other songs kept doing that strange thing where notes jumped around all over the place, making the song difficult to hum or just plain ugly. It's strange to think that ALW came up with such fantastic music for Sunset, Evita and the original Phantom, tunes that had real melody and which weren't afraid to be hummable. Interestingly, when flashes of the old Phantom tunes were reprised in LND, it really showed up how poor the current songs were. The second half was particularly bad - lots of repeat plays of songs heard in the first act, while the final half hour seemed to do away with songs altogether for some dreadfully dull sungthrough lines, leading to the most preposterous and understated and barely-staged ending I have seen in a long time. Just awful. As previous people have said, the sets were not a patch on the original phantom, the art nouveau styling (not art deco as Michael Coveney states in his review) looked cheap rather than flamboyant and decadent as true art nouveau does, and while the leads handled their roles well and sung them brilliantly, I yawned throughout and couldn't wait for the whole thing to be over. I certainly don't intend to see the show again. - Iqbal	24 Mar 10
	Saw it. Sets were fantastic, acting was good, but music unmemorable, story line weak, contrived and leaden with plot devices, and a overall stupid ending. It was that. Stupid. PLAIN STUPID. - red	24 Mar 10
	I suspect this will be a very big flop. Last week there were many empty seats which it's quite bad for a show that just opened. ALW's score is just a cut and paste trick from all his previous shows. The story is awful and badly written. Overall very dull and boring. Stay away - Claire	24 Mar 10
	Despite the naysayers, I suspect this will be a very big hit. Last night's (packed, paying) audience were spellbound and gave the show a standing ovation. ALW's score recalls his work on Aspects and Sunset as much as on the original Phantom (although quotes from that classic score are used to spinetingling effect). Visually, Jack O'Brien's glossy production is a lavish feast, and features some truly jaw-dropping special effects; Paule Constable's lighting is particularly gorgeous, and the exhilarating use of projected images is the most exciting and genuinely theatrical I've ever seen. On the down side, the lyrics are mediocre and the ending isn't entirely convincing (I still cried though!) The cast are magnificent, with Ramin Karimloo delivering a passionate, thrillingly sung Phantom that equals Crawford's triumph in the original show. Sierra Boggess' Christine is lovely, and downright enthralling while delivering the title tune. Raoul is, for me, a much more interesting, well rounded character in LND than in POTO, and Joseph Millson is utterly superb. Liz Robertson's Mme Giry is eerily convincing and Summer Strallen delivers another creditable musical theatre turn as Meg, although the script should be fine tuned to make the changes in her character as Act 2 progresses more believeable. She is a very talented performer nonetheless. All in all, this is almost vintage Lloyd Webber; there is spectacle aplenty, a gripping story, great tunes, some tears and no small sense of excitement. I will certainly be going again..... - ajh	24 Mar 10
	Not an expert on musicals but always liked Phantom. Went expecting to be disappointed, and indeed there are a few naff moments in terms of plot and lyrics, but I honestly cant understand the criticism here and elseqhere. The music is simply gorgeous, the staging spectacular and the performances of both orchestra and cast stirring and powerful. I'm sure most theatre-goers will love it. A really great night out, and tunes you will be humming for days. - Phil	22 Mar 10
	I agree with Lara. The rock number was truly awful. I just didn't get the whole thing. The book and lyrics were poor and the whole show just plodded along. You can't fault the two main performers but i couldn't wait for it to end. The final scene needed it's own interval! There is something very amiss here and I'm surprised that it wasn't spotted before being allowed onto the west end stage. - mikey	20 Mar 10
	I saw this show last week and can not believe how bad it was, the performers were ok, the music decent in parts but the lyrics truly awful, the special effects very average, and the story just so bad that you can't stop laughing at it. - Jane	20 Mar 10
	Was willing this to work ... but it doesn't. Why has Raoul turned into a drunken bully? I had no empathy for any of the characters because they were so weakly drawn. Some of the staging is clever and some is laughable - what will New York make of it? The quality of the singing was good but not great. One terrific thing about the production is Liz Robertson's diction - good to see her on stage again. - Nicky W	19 Mar 10
	Awfull. Make it stop.. the New York Times has already dammed it... so it hasn't a hope in HELL on Broadway! this is crap of the HIGHEST order! - Cassox	19 Mar 10
	I saw this show yesterday, 17th MARCH and can not praise it enough, the performers, the music, the special effects, and the story just SUPERB!I had booked my ticket as soon as I herd about it and it is everything I expected AND MORE!I will go as far as saying that I think it is better than Phantom of the opera as its more exciting and gripping as to what happens!can't wait to go again and again... - Jill Clark.	18 Mar 10
	I loved, loved, loved it. Amazing music and a pretty gripping story too, beautifully staged throughout. Can't wait to see it again. - pedro	17 Mar 10
	Didn't like the music, the opening and the ending were quite dull, set was ok in parts. The characters are more caricatures than real people and the plot like a stupid soap opera. The worst musical I've seen in years. - Yvonne	17 Mar 10
	Liked the tunes, opening was fantastic, stage very bare in the second half. The characters are completely unlike the original. With a little tweaking it could have featured non-Phantom characters/story and still have worked as a musical. - Vincent	16 Mar 10
	Reading and reading comments on this Musical I have to once again say WELL DONE LORD WEBBER a great show. I go to theatre around 5 to 6 + times a month so see all the top musicals and plays etc. Though only one song that one comes out singing--the title song, the score nevertheless is brilliant and songs superb within the story. Keep on producing your fine shows Lord Webber--they are inspirational and classy and can't wait for you next one. - Joe Spiteri	16 Mar 10
	If you are expecting a repeat of a the original Phantom you will be disappointed. I was there on the Whats on stage organised outing and ALW was in the audience. He and the rest of us gave the cast a standing ovation, so the show might be worth a visit if you haven't seen it yet. This is 10 years on in Coney Island and some new characters including Christine's son Gustave. The only fault I can find is the child's voice was not strong enough to get over some of the louder music. The tune everyone will be humming will be 'Devil Take The Hindmost'. The effects were fantastic especially the golden moving faces suspended from the roof of Phantom's lair. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Bogess are great in the lead roles. - Andrew	15 Mar 10
	Over the years I have seen over 120 musicals so I think I've a reasonable idea about what's good and what's not. Love Never Dies definately falls into the category of what's not good. In fact it's terrible. Where shall I begin? The sound of waves crashing against the Coney Island shore as it drowns the voices in the opening scene, so you have no idea what is being said. Coney Island, why? One of Ben Elton's suggestions, no doubt. The flimsy storyline that takes a drunken husband, their 10 year old son and a singer across half the world to sing a song for money to pay of the husband's debts! Add to that the farcical character with a face mask and a toupee supposedly endearing himself to a beautiful women. Hello, is that not Beauty & the Beast? The story is so weak it's supposedly held together by a series of self- indulgent scenes of strange looking people, including a farcical half woman, half skeleton parading across the stage and a steel monkey trying to play rock music. Yes, the musical does have two good songs but wasn't it the same song in Beautiful Game, only with different words. And what an ending! Add to all this the wooden dialogue with wooden performances all capsulated in a final death scene so bizarre it was laughable. How long did she take to die? Sorry Lord Lloyd Webber, hype it may have had, style, class, energy, quality it certainly doesn't have. Can I have a refund please? - Grant Winston	15 Mar 10
	This is a superb piece of theatre. The music is wholly delightful played by the best orchestra I have ever heard in a west end theatre and the voices of all the principals are just amazing. There is a beautiful fluidity about the production and though on a grand scale it also registers the delicate intimacy of the characters. It's a show that deserves multiple viewings and I certainly will be seeing it again and again. - lesco	13 Mar 10
	I saw one of the last preview performances and it exceeded all expectations. The star roles were fantastic, the music was excellent and in many places the drama and emotion of the scenes gave me goosebumps. The production was incredible. I can't understand some of the negative reviews, except to say it's a shame that politics have even crept in to our theatre world, such that a review can destroy the success of a production. Let's not let it happen to this one, it's absolutely superb and worth seeing several times over. - Sue McAinsh	13 Mar 10
	For the last time, writing a musical on the Phantom of the Opera does not make it ALW's private property. Loving the Phantom of the Opera does not make it the Phans' private property. As much as I enjoyed the original musical, I would hasten to remind the writer of this article and everybody who reads it that the original story was written long before Webber was twinkle in anybody's eye. In fact his parents may not have been twinkles in anybody's eye in 1910 when Leroux shot a pistol off his balcony celebrating the completion of his most recent novel. It seems that everyone has forgotten this. Andrew Lloyd Webber (I am sorry, I have too little respect for him to give him his title at the moment) does not own the rights to the Phantom of the Opera. Therefore he does not have the right to throw his own diva-sized tantrums when his "precious masterpiece" (you see, I can use quotation marks in a vaguely insulting manner as well) is lambasted by those who genuinely care about the original characters. - A. Yount	11 Mar 10
	As a Phantom fan I too wish Love Never Dies can be a hit. And yes it does matter if the story got some facts right/logical.The sudden change of the characters to a drunk and a slapper it's really unacceptable. Ramin's voice was at his best much better than the performance I saw him in Her Majesty's Theatre. But really an older Phantom is more suitable the part after all it's so many years afterwards and Ramin looks so young on the stage. The over head projection is more effective than The Woman in White. For the first half of the show the scenery is stunning but the second half the stage is rather empty. Should we pay the full ticket price for for so many mistakes / apologies on previews? But no matter what we or the critics say Love never Dies will be a box office hit because we fans will at least see it once and how much money will that be. The Phantom wins again and pls don't let him die or no one will entertain us. The one star is for the fantastic song - Til'I Hear You Sing ( Love Never Dies doesn't count because It has been used so many times before ). - from a fan	11 Mar 10
	It is fabulous. Lloyd-Webber's music is very good, every bit as good as Phantom. The two leads are terrific and the staging is just amazing. I will be going again and again! - dew	11 Mar 10
	Not quite sure what show some critics saw but it can't have been Love Never Dies. Everybody around me got the giggles when the gorilla started playing the organ and the skeloton with female legs started walking. What was that all about? And that was the best part. The rest is just the most stupid plot you can imagine. I mean Close To The Sun was a masterpiece compare to this. Good performers but so what if the material is so awful - Janice	10 Mar 10
	If I hadn't seen Phantom, I wouldn't have had a frickin clue what was going on. I have seen Phantom and I didn't like what was going on. It's a catch-22, not to mention a real shame for what's supposedly a 'stand-alone' piece with a couple of nice tunes... - Lanie	10 Mar 10
	Terrible show. I give up on all the critics (certainly in terms of their views on musicals) after not reading uniformaly abysmal reviews of this pointless waste of money and time. There's some pretty music (though it's mostly derivative, lacking in wit and hamstrung by some bland, predictable lyrics) but the story is just insulting to the intelligence of theatregoers. Such a bland, boring heroine who we're somehow asked to care about when she chooses between a weird stalker who keeps a clockwork doll of her, and an alcoholic brute who tells her to shut up and that he'll 'deal with her later'. The whole of the second act is a cliffhanger on whether she will sing the title song of the show or not. Hmm.. edge of your seat stuff. Please don't waste your money on this nonsense, and seek out some more interesting musicals that actually have some ambition musically, lyrically and in their subject matter. - Alice Rothfield	10 Mar 10
	design and score alone deserve top marks. Performances excellent. Plot and lyrics do let the production down slightly. - NellyB	10 Mar 10
	Fantastic - enough said! ALW's best ever" - AA	10 Mar 10
	Tedious. Takes forever to get going, the lyrics are shocking, the book laughably bad and the ending one of the longest, most drawn out bit of twaddle ever. Quite how ALW gets away with using a song from another show is beyond me. Were anyone else to do it, they would be laughed out of the West End. I feel sorry for the two leads. Their performances are excellent and Christine at times a sensation. But given they are asked to work with a story that the producers of Eastenders would reject one wonders how they drag themselves out of bed each morning with the thought of having to do it all over again. As for the rest of the cast,one can only hope that they don't lose the will to live and throw themselves off Coney Island pier and find a better production to work for once their contract ends. Save you money and go see something else! - Darren Anderson	10 Mar 10
	Not quite sure what show all these other reviewers went to see but it can't have been Love Never Dies. I hate the Phantom of the Opera and was in two minds whether to even bother with this but am so glad I did. Have seen it twice already and would go again tomorrow! It is a great show, with fantastic performances and so what if music is re-invented from other shows. It makes it all the more recognisable and instantly connects with you. Go judge for yourself! - Jackie	10 Mar 10
	well, it's NOT phantom. It's Phantom meets Vaudeville, but in a bad sort of way. And MASSIVELY half-hearted. I like the direction it's taken. I like the vaudeville route, however, it lacks the mix of drama mixed with the high art (or low art in this case). To be honest, it's a load of crap. It's no where near as beautiful as the original. It's all a bit superficial. and no one has a proper narrative. If you thought you were confused at the end of phantom, you'll be ULTRA confused by the end of this. The show is a rip off of 'Tosca', the best bits of 'Whistle down the wind' and 'REPO: the genetic opera' ..... which is the Paris Hilton and Anthony Head 'Rock Opera'. I and the 8 people surrounded me, laughed MASSIVLY beofre the end of act 1 by the unintentionaly hilarious shit that presented itself. The set is NOTHING to write home about. It's dull and ill thought out. I found myself longing for 'Maria' to be alive again and to be rectifying all the minimalism that seeped through in this projected nightmare. The title song (as sung by Kiri de Kanawa 10 years ago (amazingly, and with better lyrics), then by the woefully neglected Hannah Waddingham in 'The Beautiful Game') is dull, and the only time Christine does anything of note. Summer Strallen (as Meg Giry) is great. In fact the ONLY thing that makes this show worth while. I'm sorry that she doesn't get more to do! The opening is fantastic, truly truly amazing, but then it stops and becomes a monkey throwing it's own excrement about the stage in a rather beautiful, but shit way. I saw Phantom in the pm, and 'love never dies' in the PPm... don't bother. Just see Phantom. - Cassox	03 Mar 10
	A very disappointing show. Maybe the main problem is that I love the original Phantom and this didn't live up to my expectations. Decent cast but nothing extraordinary. Found very difficult to feel any emotion and didn't care much about the characters. The rock number was awful, totally out of place, what are they thinking? The audience gave a very lukewarm reception at the end which says it all. - Lara	01 Mar 10
	Saw the show last night and loved it. It may not be as visually impressive as Phantom but i found the story very moving and true to the time. Ramin was excellent as the Phantom with an outstanding performance of To hear you sing once more. Sierra singing the title song song also was amazing. If i had one criticism it would be the lack of scenery in the final scene but the emotion more than makes up for it. I found the simplicity of some scenes refreshing allowing us tp appreciate the sentiment. - Charlotte	27 Feb 10
	I booked my tickets 5 months ago was really looking forward to this. Thought it was really poor, the plot is just like the worst soap opera ever. Also the fact the there are no discounts for previews suggested me that everything was going to be flawless at this stage which it wasn't as many parts were clearly undereharsed. Didn't care much for the projections either. - Vic	24 Feb 10
	Very disappointed. Story is predictable and there are several unintentionally funny moments. The Phantom singing is impresive but that's about it. Boring music, all recycled from other Lloyd Webber shows. The Adelphi staff lived up to their bad reputation once more. Why they are so rude I'll never understand. - Tania	24 Feb 10
	I found it very dull. I agree with the previous post that R Karimloo is great but everybody else is just average. The set looks cheap, the make up looked quite good. the whole thing had no atmosphere - Shane	23 Feb 10
	What a disappointment. Unlike the original, this seems to have very little going for it. Gone are the expensive looking sets (think more flat pack from Ikea), the amazing atmosphere, the good songs and passion. What I saw on stage was 1 great performance amongst a mess of ideas not fully formed. Ramin Karimloo develops the Phantom's character brilliantly and has a great voice. I thought Sierra Bogess and the rest of the cast were pretty average though. I didn't like the music mostly (Love Nver Dies was sung better by Hannah Waddingham and had better lyrics in Beautiful Game). The Vaudeville songs were pretty awful and the rest borrowed heavily from Sunset I thought. I did like the re-use of a couple of themes from the original. The flow of the story seemed to follow very similar plot points to the original. Opening, Phantom's lair with big song, through the looking glass, an equivalent of the Notes song, ... The staging, set and projections were pretty awful and disappointing throughout. The music swelled to reveal the Phantom's new lair and it was a pair of cardboard eyes at the back and a piano at the front. That's pretty much as good as it got too. If there's ever an offer for cheap tickets (I thought £30 was a rip off for the back of the Upper Circle as the view was very limited!) then I may give it another go and see if it's improved during previews, but I'm in no hurry. - Steve	22 Feb 10

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