WOS Theatregoers Rock Out with Collins et al

The
hit Broadway musical, which only transferred to the West End this
month, is set on LA’s Sunset strip in the “mid- to
late- eighties”. Drew, Oliver Tompsett (Wicked)
and Sherrie,  – usually played by Amy Pemberton
(Jersey Boys) but last night played
by Natalie Andreou – chase their dreams of stardom , set to a
background of rock hits from the decade such as “Hit Me With
Your Best Shot”, “The Final Countdown” and
“Don’t Stop Believin’”. It is a
love story in the midst of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

On
arrival we were all given free “lighters” which we
were to light up and sway in the air when the mood felt right (during
the heart-felt songs). This set the tone for a light hearted and relaxed
evening with a convert feel, this atmosphere being helped by the
availability of beer being served direct to your seat throughout the
show.

There
was interaction with the audience – including a mention to us
Whatsonstage.com matchmakers and some lucky (or unlucky) audience
members in the stalls. There was also a cheeky self-awareness, with
mentions to the writers of the show, other West End shows and topical
eighties news references.

The
production is all out glitter and wigs. At one point we were concerned
about the amount of pyrotechnics so near to such a vast amount of
synthetic material, but there are also streamers, confetti and lasers to
provide a visual kaleidoscope. It is a completely feel-good night,
which was rounded off with a meet and greet for the Whatsonstage.com
crowd, with almost the full cast joining us in the foyer bar to chat
about the productions, their cast mates and the fun of the show as a
whole.

As
always, please feel free to email your comments and thoughts about the
show, as well as any of your favourite photos from last night to feedback@whatsonstage.com so we can add them to our facebook page! We would love to hear.

Katherine Graham
Whatsonstage.com Internship Programme