Seussical - Southwark Playhouse

This is lowkey one of those shows I've wanted to see for years, so I'll be there!

Granted I'll go to a midweek matinee or night in November/beginning of December in an attempt to avoid as many children as possible.

Running time is only 75 minutes. Is this a shorter version?

Weird, sounds like a version for schools rather than a professional off WE theatre

Would liked to have seen this, but I have to say that now knowing it is the reduced version has put me off.

that's a bit unfair. I find you annoying but I'd still watch you in a show.

I'm the opposite, Scott Paige's casting is the extra bit of persuasion I needed to book!

Quite like the sound of the play that's in The Little for Christmas too.

I've just booked for this during previews. I'm somewhat surprised how low ticket sales are thus far though? Surely this could be a great musical to take your kids too at an affordable price?

Very few tickets left for preview matinees, but at £14 feels worth a punt.

How “cut” is this one supposed to be?

And that is what is putting me off going. My first experience of the show was a local amateur production and I was thrilled to find out I would be able to see a professional version but its a long way for me to go for a cut down versionn

The matinee started 15 minutes late yesterday which was sort of interminable, especially given the number of young children in the audience. It’s played straight through with no readmittance; the stage is very small and the cast use the audience entrance for exits. I felt sorry for the gran and baby who decided they needed to leave about 35 seconds in. The cast were in full swing and she essentially had to walk through the action to get out. She was shortly followed by the grandad and the other child who seemed to be petrified by the Cat in Hat.

This feels longer than it is. My daughter has sat through much longer two act shows, but 40 minutes in and she was asking to leave. I think it’s because it’s all sung, and the diction isn’t always great, so the younger ones can get a bit lost.

I liked the Cat in the Hat a lot (I quite fancied him, which is a very weird thing to admit), and Gertrude. Maysie, Horton and the Sour Kangaroo left me wanting (both voices and costumes). Casting a chubby guy as an elephant and then just dressing him in grey felt all tea all shade to me.

I don’t think the story makes much sense and I think it might have been hacked rather than cut. Songs-wise it all ends up a bit samey, with only two songs really standing out (The Things That You Think and one about Wings) but they possibly only stood out because they were reprised a lot.

The stage is very crowded at times, but they make use of a steep set of stairs up to a little gangway, more action plays up there. Looks petrifying from where we were sitting.

Overall, fun but not great for young children and I think that adults going without children will be very annoyed by all the kids.

You’ll be relieved to know I controlled myself and didn’t give him a stroke.