Cirque Di Soleil

I went to see Cirque Du Soleil perform Varekai at the Royal Albert Hall the other day. I'd wanted to see it for some time, but had always baulked at £60+ tickets. Eventually however, Lastminute.com came up with a 'half price, best tickets in the house' deal, so we went.

A terrific spectacle, faultlessly executed and totally engrossing is how I would describe it. A truly successful refresh of a tired genre. And therein is the source of my slight disappointment. Whichever way you look at it, it's still just a circus, with a recognisable circus format. And definitely not worth £60 a ticket.

But if you can get £30 seats and fancy an evening of escapism, then put it on your list.

La Cage Auf Folles - part 2

A few weeks back I saw John Barrowman play the Albin in La Cage Aux Folles. I blogged about his excellent performance. Unusually, I found myself back in the Playhouse Theatre the other day to watch the show again. This time with Douglas Hodge playing the role of Albin. Douglas had created the role when the show first opened and had been brought back for a final run before transferring to Broadway. I am so glad I went. Hodge was brilliant. Really brilliant. He played it very differently to Barrowman. Much more camp with a terrific attention to the fine detail of the mannerisms of the complex Albin character. This created a fabulous atmosphere in the theatre and the evening is one I shall remember for a long time.

The show has now closed in London, transferring to Broadway where I believe Douglas Hodge will be playing alongside Kelsey Grammer as Georges.

39 Steps

I went to see the West End production of the 39 Steps at the Criterion the other day. I got a great seat off Lastminute.com - four rows back in the centre of the stalls. It was a show I'd been meaning to see for some time, but it was never quite top of the list, so I never got round to it.

But last week I did. And on balance I'm glad I went.

It was an entertaining, ripping yarn. Only four actors playing all the characters inevitably meant an original production, which bowled along at a frantic pace. But it was well done, even if there was a touch of farce about it. A little bit childish. A little bit public school. But still good fun.

Five or six out of ten I think.

La Cage Aux Folles

I saw John Barrowman in the leading role in La Cage Aux Folles at the Playhouse Theatre a couple of days ago. Not a show I'd seen before, although I have, of course, seen the Hollywood interpretation - The Birdcage - with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams.

What a delight. I found this Menier Chocolate Factory production a delight. The theatre was perfect for this production, with a smaller stage favouring a simpler set, and a great view from my seat in the central stalls. The show was deliciously camp, over the top in just the right places, and featuring one of the greatest musical scores. The humour was well done, and there was a real, and seemingly genuine, connection with the audience - unusual for a West End production.

Simon Burke (Georges) - who I'd previously seen in The Sound of Music - was excellent, particularly in one of the show's big numbers (and my favourite) Song on the Sand.

Special mention has to go out to John Barrowman however, playing Albin. I'm not his biggest fan, but I do think this was a role he was destined to play. He has terrific stage presence, his delivery is not too precious and his singing voice is great - better live than any of the recordings I've heard.

All in all, one of the best London shows I've seen for a while. I may even go back.

Sickly Sweet

Last week I went to see Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket. It wasn't the first time I’d seen it. Whilst I find the music interesting and melodic (albeit commercial), I think the overall production has become a little bit of a parody of itself. Over the top, lush and sickly sweet. But then again maybe that’s what the tourists want. I shan’t be going again.

Forbidden Broadway

Kim and I went to see Forbidden Broadway at the Menier Chocolate Factory. It had been recommended by a friend who had seen it in New York, and it turned out to be a great recommendation. It’s a tongue in cheek look at the big commercial shows on Broadway and London’s West End, focussing particularly on musical theatre. If you’re fan of the big musicals – Phantom, Les Mis, Hairspray, Lion King and the rest – or are just a little bit ‘camp’ you’ll love this. Cruelly funny, bang up to date and brilliantly performed it was an absolute delight. And it was made all the better by the intimate and participative atmosphere of the Chocolate Factory – a very small off West End venue. Wonderful.

We went on a ‘meal deal’ ticket, which at £34 for a two course meal, plus show tickets, was excellent value. Forbidden Broadway is running for a limited season only, so don’t delay, book now!

I am a Philistine

This week, I went to see Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and Simon Callow in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. I'm afraid I didn't get it.

No story line, juvenile character development and a pointless production left me feeling I'd wasted my money. As it's such a famous play, put on by famous actors and watched by a theatre full of people who laughed at everything, even though none of it was funny, I can only conclude I am a Philistine. Or maybe I'm just too superficial and it was all over my head.

I can't wait for the panto season ;-)

Oliver

We went to see Oliver at the Theatre Royal in the West End a few weeks ago. The tickets had been bought a very long time ago when it was first announced that Fagin would be played by Rowan Atkinson, so it was a bit of a disappointment when we found out that Rowan had to take a couple of weeks off due to a hernia and Russ Abbott was to step into his shoes. However, having seen the show, I am happy to report that Russ did an excellent job. He brought plenty of character where it was needed, and just the right amount of humour too. And he can sing.

I have to say though, Russ was probably the best thing about this version of Lionel Bart’s classic. Just like Joseph, I found the production was ‘dumbed down’ – presumably for the benefit of those who were perhaps at their first West End show, having been seduced by the accompanying search for Nancy TV show. It has a touch of panto about it. The acoustic balance was all wrong, with the orchestra being far too loud and drowning out the singers on several occasions. I didn’t like the ‘mockney’ accents – that really didn’t work and contributed to making the show far less natural.

Jodie Prenger as Nancy was exceptionally popular with the audience as you’d expect, but I found her performance very one dimension and not at all fresh. Making every rendition sound as though it is the first one is one of the defining characteristics of a great musical performer. For me, Jodie just didn’t have it. She had probably sung her big number – As Long As He Needs Me – 100 times, and it showed. The phrasing could have been better and some more contrast would have improved things alot.

Having said that, Oliver is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicals ever written and it would be virtually impossible to mess it up completely because the simple melodies, great lyrics and colourful characters will always shine through. So, all in all, not as good as I’d hoped, but I still came out singing.

Avenue Q

I finally managed to get to see Avenue Q at the Noel Coward theatre. Brilliant, irreverent fun involving puppets and actors sharing the stage to tell a modern tale in a unique way. Very clever, uproariously funny and with some touching moments, this is well worth getting see before it closes in March. I saw a Friday afternoon matinee which started at a very sensible 5.00pm. Tickets via Lastminute.com were not much more than the price of a West End cinema seat. It’s very rude in places so probably not suitable for kids – especially the puppet sex scene (yes really!) which is probably one of the funniest things you will have seen for a long time. Enjoy!

Joseph

Oh dear! I bought tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End some months ago. I remember seeing it way back with Jason Donovan in the lead role and when it was revived as part of the ‘Any Dream Will Do’ TV talent show, I thought it deserved a further viewing. How wrong I was.

The production was mediocre, too many trivial attempts at humour gave it a panto-esque feel, and I’m sorry to report that Lee Mead – the TV show winner playing the part of Joseph – was very disappointing. His acting (such as he needed to do) was not great and his signing was very odd – nasal and flat. His phrasing of the songs had all the hallmarks of someone who has been in the role too long. Perhaps that’s why he’s being replaced by Gareth Gates shortly. Jenna Lee-James playing the narrator had a better singing voice – pretty good actually – but her extreme facial expressions were really off putting.

Of course, the audience loved it. A mix of kids and West End virgins almost guaranteed a standing ovation. How disappointing. If only they’d seen the revival of Evita at the very same theatre just a couple of years ago they’d have realised how very good Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Time Rice actually were.

Speed The Plow

Saturday we went to see Kevin Spacey, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Michelle Kelly playing David Mamet's Speed-the-plow at Old Vic.

The Old Vic is one of my favourite theatres. Large enough to foster an atmosphere, but small enough for intimacy, so I always have great expectations when I do go. And I was not disappointed.

This is a great show. Mamet's play about the cut, thrust and ultimately fickle nature of Hollywood is a simple story, beautifully acted. The speed of the dialogue is awesome. The interplay between the two principle actors - Spacey and Goldblum is mesmerising, yet easy to follow. And Kelly's more gentle role as the office temp provides a perfect counterpoint. This was one of the best plays, and best stage performances I seen for ages.

See it if you can.

The Sound of Music

Perhaps not my first choice of a West End show to see, but I was there on Saturday afternoon for the matinee performance of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium. I knew the songs, of course, and I’ve seen the film and I’m afraid I still find the story twee. Predictable, cliché-ridden and over-hyped. I wonder if it would have had such a successful run if it the casting hadn’t been conducted via a reality TV show? I often fall asleep in the cinema, but rarely in the theatre, so when I found my eyes drooping I knew it must be bad. Even the lady in the seat in front of me was texting her friend with the message “Not good, almost asleep”. Watching her send the text was more interesting than the show itself. See it at your peril!

Get Into London Theatre

Living close to London and having kids who are growing up fast and largely independent means Kim and I have much more leisure time than we used to. We're both theatre lovers, and are usually pretty good at finding good deals on tickets. However, I came across this site the other day which has offers just for the next few days. I know there are sites like Lastminute.com, but they don't always have that many great deals. I'll be trying this new site over the next few weeks so will find out first hand if it's any good.

Lord of the Rings

There's a tradition in my family. Christmas Eve we go to the West End of London to take in a show and have a meal. This year we went to see Lord of the Rings at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. I was a little bit unsure what to expect. The stage production had to live up to a legendary book, perhaps the first of the genre to go mainstream, and a superb series of films. And could you really turn LOTR into a musical?

However, the producers and director have a done a great job. They haven't tried to recreate the film on the stage, but to create a spectacle in its own right. The stage set is magnificent, complicated to manage I guess, but giving a great space for the cast to perform in. It's a real feast for the eyes. Frankly, the music and the singing is not up to much, and some of the acting is a little wooden, but this is all compensated for by the visual experience. I can't think of anything that has impressed me as much as this since I saw it rain on the stage at the London Palladium way back in the early 1980s when Tommy Steele and Roy Castle were performing in Singing in the Rain. (The audience were clearly enjoying themselves, and although the show is a little long, there were only one or two 'flat' spots when the attention tended to drift.

My recommendation would be to see it if you can.