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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 10, 2021 12:04:29 GMT
I enjoyed this last night, even with the recycled material and the dubious acting of two people during Paul Zerdin's part (thankfully no children on stage this year). I'm never too keen on all fake improv, but most people lap that up.
It was a much longer show than advertised, but also started late. It took a long time to get everyone in. I ended up with a seat which decided it wanted to tilt forward instead of back, but after sliding off the ushers did kindly find me a better seat a few rows forward (but far enough back to avoid the audience participation).
Thankfully I am reminded again which seats in the front row to avoid (as it seems to be the same ones every year).
There was a nice touch when the crowd sang Happy Birthday to Donny at the start of the second act. He was very gracious about this. I had hoped for a spontaneous rendition of "When I'm 64" in response, but to be fair, he doesn't look it. Fine voice too and great to hear snippets of his many hits (aided in song by most of the audience - although I don't know if the 5 year old in front of me had any idea what was going on).
Apart from that, Julian was wonderful as always and Nigel got the single best joke of the night (based around a Christmas party he attended last year).
I did overpay for my ticket (based on the offers that came along afterwards), but still, this is an excellent evening out. I had a stretch limo whizz past me immediately after the show too, which I presume was Mr Osmond making his exit.
Don't think there was enough there for a second visit this year, but will look forward to seeing what they conjure up for 2022.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 9, 2021 16:20:05 GMT
The gunshot goes off when you see someone holding a gun. Guns being waved around on stage are quite a major anxiety trigger for people. I know it's not rational. They might be more acceptable in the US where guns are more common.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 9, 2021 16:10:35 GMT
Uh-oh! Can you share what this audience interaction entails? {Spoiler - click to view} One member of the front row is selected to hold up a photo during a masturbation scene.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 9, 2021 10:56:14 GMT
I was one of the many TB members who was there last night. Thankfully not in the front row, where there are opportunities for audience interaction.
I liked it, but also thought it was over-stylised. Vocally, everything was performed very well, but as a production I preferred the Hope Mill version.
This is the first performance of this I've seen that has actually had a gunshot (thankfully a recording, but I wish theatres would say this in advance to save those of who get anxious about such things).
The advertised run time is 2 hours 15 minutes but this is running longer. Ended at 22:10 last night, but that included a 5 minutes show stop while they fixed a problem with the set. I can see them getting this down to 2 hours 30 minutes, but 2 hours 15 would be pushing it.
Quite happy with my £10 restricted view seat. There was a pillar in view, but a lot of this is performed concert style anyway with minimal interaction (possibly to make it easy to adapt in case further Covid restrictions come in), so that didn't really matter. Most people (not all) respected the announcement that mask wearing was required.
I did have a younger person sat near me who was sneaking photos, which went very well for him until the flash went off. It was an odd audience. One person left from the front row only a few minutes in and someone else left before the gunshot but returned afterwards (which I can understand).
The ending is a bit flat as there's no song reprise like in some other productions.
I do like the theatre, but I think I'll wait for the transfer before seeing this again.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 9, 2021 10:43:19 GMT
Am there tonight and I see it's also Donny's 64th Birthday, so I wonder if they'll do anything special to mark the occasion?
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 8, 2021 0:11:55 GMT
It's probably the same theatre, is it anywhere near Westfield? The address given is: Land bounded by 58 Wood Lane and Westway London W12 7RZ Which I think is the other side of Wood Lane (the previous site I believe has since been built up) Edit - have found the planning application online (if anyone has the patience to go through the many attachment): public-access.lbhf.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=R2ZDS8BIFL000And looks like the theatre will be called Troubadour Light CityPlanned opening date April 2022. It does look like it's the same physical buildings as the previous theatre. The location is on the land where Imperial College are building, the other side of the tube line.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 7, 2021 23:25:25 GMT
Just received notification of a planning permission request for a new theatre in White City (and the option to object - not that I would).
Not too many details, but it looks likes it's the same company as the Troubadour Wembley and almost across the road from where the Troubadour White City used to be. A temporary structure for 10 years according to the letter.
They took the previous one down in about a week, so I wonder if it's the previous theatre due to come out of storage (and how long it will take to re-erect). Perfect area for a theatre too.
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 4, 2021 14:59:11 GMT
Very much enjoyed the first preview last night. An excellent view from the front row, although the "line" is very close to you.
This seemed like a very different staging to how I've seen the show before, but I don't know this as well as many forum members will do. They used the depth of the stage to full advantage.
Some well, acted well, danced well, only minor slip I spotted was a hat falling off at the wrong time. A nicely diverse cast without too many big names. Carly Mercedes Dyer was excellent, but that will surprise no one.
Lots of tears in the cast as they really got the emotion of the auditions across. I liked Ainsley Hall Ricketts as Paul a lot as well.
Good to see the Curve pushing the audience to all respect the mask requirements (and most people complying with this). Pretty full too. There were two conspicuously empty seats on the front row, but I expect those were people who had booked but couldn't make it.
Running time was about two hours straight through, including the post-show request for donations. A full and fast standing ovation, as you'd expect. Then, it is exit by rows, so allow an extra 10 minutes if you're at the front. This does mean you can hear the small band (who are situated on stage, but mostly rotated from view) play out.
I'll let people who know the show better than me fill in the details of the changes. They'd certainly done a lot of rework of the final number and, if anything, have made it into a real production piece, with bows saved until afterwards. A fantastic production!
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Post by Dr Tom on Dec 3, 2021 11:33:57 GMT
I also attended last night. A great rush seat in the third row, which is the perfect level to view the show from. I was to the side and some of the staging is difficult from that angle, but I've seen the show a few times this year so I know it well.
This is always a fun uplifting show and a good way to improve my mood.
My first time seeing this since it has come back to the Other Palace. Heathers is really designed for a small venue so the Other Palace is the perfect place for it. The set fits properly on the stage (unlike the tour) and everything feels so much more intimate.
I liked Jacob as JD a lot. I also like the way they've toned the acting back down for the small venue (probably because the audience are up close, unlike at the West End or on tour). Only minor gripe would be the sound balance at times, but a lot of that is due to the position of the orchestra.
Thankfully, they've also toned down the picking on "Steve" to make this more playful again, rather than the way it had started to come across as vindictive recently. A hint for male audience members, I suspect those people who complete ignore the announcement at the start that masks are required in the venue are more likely to be chosen for the audience participation element.
It is a little strange seeing the show with only two male ensemble and lines reallocated, but it held together well. Great to see Jordan Cunningham on stage again in the ensemble. I can see he's been working out too, presumably for when he goes on in his cover role for Kurt, which I'd like to see (not that there is anything for the audience to complain about when George Maddison and Tom Scanlon parade around in their 80s underwear).
As others have said, Ailsa Davidson is excellent as Veronica and I think we'll hear a lot more from her in the future. This is a strong cast all around, even if you do have to suspect disbelief more than for many shows for them to pass as 17 year olds.
Last night's audience was very polite and appreciative, with just the right amount of whooping. A standard ovation for the full ensemble, which is always good to see. It is a shame the theatre was only a little over half full, but the pricing for this one is rather on the high side and they aren't making many Rush tickets available.
So far this year, I've seen four different JDs and four different Veronicas (across five visits to different versions of the production). Hopefully I can fit in one more of each before this closes.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 27, 2021 11:40:25 GMT
"Everybody's got the right to some sunshine"
No one has ever written lyrics as meaningful or consistent as Sondheim.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 26, 2021 11:06:20 GMT
Is the tour the original staging that has previously toured or the "squashed" staging that we currently have at Trafalgar? I think it's the same set that previously toured. It certainly filled the stage at Wimbledon.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 25, 2021 13:46:32 GMT
I caught the first night of the UK tour last night in Wimbledon. A great seat at the end of the front row in a very full theatre.
Let's face it. The show has toured for years and is like a well-oiled machine. Almost everything last night was very polished. There were a couple of minor microphone issues and line flubs and some backstage bangs, but nothing really noticeable. The single biggest problem was someone in the second row whose seat was faulty, then a whole parade of people trying to fix it during an extended interval (before he was eventually moved to another seat).
I also saw the first night of the current West End production and I enjoyed the tour version so much more. Essentially it's the same production, but the sound quality in Wimbledon is so much better and the sound edits less obvious. I was sat close to a speaker too, which was helpful for drowning out the woman singing behind me.
I really liked Michael Pickering, who is playing Frankie Valli, but all the cast were excellent (especially those moving seamlessly between multiple roles with a range of different wigs to content with). Lewis Griffiths, who has been Nick Massi now for many years (possibly longer than the real Nick Massi ever toured for) was excellent too. Blair Gibson is a great Bob Gaudio, having previously played the role on the cruise ship version. Then there's Dalton Wood as Tommy Devito, who really has to hold the show together from the first moment on stage. Then there was George Salmon, making his professional debut as Joe Pesci, who made sure he got every swear word out there to maximum effect.
A thoroughly deserved standing ovation at the end for the whole cast. I'm not in a rush to see the West End production again (although hopefully they have sorted the sound quality by now), but I would certainly go back to see the touring cast.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 23, 2021 22:48:26 GMT
I enjoyed this more than I expected to tonight at Richmond.
A nice theatre. I had booked the front row, but the theatre contacted me in an advance to say the stage was raised due to a revolve and suggested I move back. I ended up in the centre of the third row. Lots of space around and a perfect view. The theatre was much fuller further back but many of these were seats that were allocated very late.
This is a gentle evening out, combining scripts from the TV show with new material. It flows quite well, over a period of around 12 months. There are six actors, with the four leads and two people playing various other roles. Everything takes place in one of the two living rooms, which update during the play.
The first 20 minutes is a bit slow, but it picks up from there. Plenty of laughs in the second half. There are some cute animals (puppets) used as well.
I do remember the show but it's years since I've seen it, so it's hard to say what material is new, apart from some of the jokes would likely not have made it into the TV show. And there are 70s references which look like they wouldn't have been considered funny at the time. But I found this to be an entertaining enough evening and a lot of the (mostly elderly) audience lapped it up.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 23, 2021 9:11:52 GMT
I'm not good with lines, especially as I saw this at the first preview and there have been some small changes along the way, so I wouldn't like to say exactly what changed and when. But they've cut the Godmother's lines a bit since I last saw this. They've also increased the importance of the necklace and midnight, but that occurred earlier in the run. The plot still doesn't make all that much sense, but they're working with what they have.
I didn't spot Baz, but the landing type level was so packed with people mingling it was very hard to tell (it was even a bit of a struggle to get through the masses to the gents).
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 23, 2021 8:37:07 GMT
I can give you a few quick thoughts from last night.
I won the lottery draw, so ended up in one of the £25 seats near the back of the Circle. The view is fine and I think there were a lot more lottery winners than usual last night. Otherwise, it was pretty full.
I arrived quite late and straight from work, so not quite in the finery of many of the others. Very tight security around the theatre with road closures, plenty of police and wand searches.
Lots of celebrities, but mostly of the type of person who looks vaguely familiar but I couldn't quite name. Plus other people who wanted to be seen. I did spot (I believe) two Pussycat Dolls (not together) and managed to narrowly avoid crashing into Barry Humphries on two different levels of the theatre!
Apparently there was free champagne but I totally missed it.
The show started with a video, then a speech from Andrew (who called this show the real opening night), then from Malala (very well received). This was followed by a charity auction with two Sotheby's auctioneers for a painting by Shamsia Hassani (Afghanistan's answer to Banksy) which went for £21,000. I don't know much about art and I didn't have a spare £21,000 (or more) in my wallet but somehow I think the buyer got a bargain there!
As for the show, I thought it felt tighter and I noticed a few line cuts (but also some jokes that were either new, or just no one had laughed at before). But nothing majorly different from when I last saw this a few weeks ago. I believe all the leads were on, but I couldn't get close enough to a cast board to check.
There was a nice touch as well with a goodie bag (specially printed) including a programme with a special sticker, a poster, a pen and details of how to donate further. With not all the seats being filled at the back I did notice a few people amassing quite a collection of these, so do check out eBay soon if you like this type of thing,
I missed the champagne, but based on the number of people who got up during the show many others didn't. From the Circle, I could also see a record number of phone lights (some dimmer than others), plus people taking photos, but they may well have been celebrities. The ushers did have their work cut out.
It did feel like a successful and special night!
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 22, 2021 9:51:55 GMT
The Spongebob Musical - Arts Ed
I saw this sellout production last Friday evening. You can't fault the professionalism of the production and this is really a perfect show for a young diverse cast, with no one looking out of place. Apart from one slip in the tap dancing scene, this would be ready to go into a commercial venue anywhere.
This very much reminded me of how this was staged on Broadway, just scaled down for the climbing scene. There is infectious smiling throughout.
Ciaran Rodger as SpongeBob and Ben Culleton as Patrick were perfect. Miles Harding as Sheldon Plankton is ready for a role as a pantomime villain anywhere.
I know there has been some controversy with this production. I didn't pick up on this on Friday, but it is impossible to know if any changes had been made. But these are very important issues and certainly not ones to make light of.
With that aside, this is one of the rare student productions which I would have loved to have seen again.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 22, 2021 9:42:37 GMT
Urinetown - Italia Conti
I caught this last Thursday evening. There's a lot of great music to this one.
I did get a programme too, so I know who was on.
As with the last show I saw at Italia Conti, this is a very female heavy cast. Sometimes, it comes across as if they have the show licenced and then do the best they can to match the people available to the roles.
I thought Sofia Cox, who played Hope Gladwell, had great presence and lots of potential. With that said, a good cast all around but there's a bit of inexperience there too. I look forward to seeing these students further into their education.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 17, 2021 14:12:49 GMT
I take it you haven't been going to pubs for the past 6 months then? Correct, I've never been a big pub goer. But where I have been in a pub, there's been space to sit. I appreciate there is little choice about where to put the bar due to the design of the building, but you have to walk through it to get to the stairs to the seats. I do think there are ways to keep more of a pathway open, even in the limited space. One further thought. I arrived about 20 minutes before the start of the show and there was no queue. A very easy entrance process. And the seating (in the Upper Circle) is excellent once you get in and I do appreciate the way they've divided up the space to limit the number of people you come into contact with.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 16, 2021 23:12:24 GMT
Time for my usual selection of randomly ordered post show thoughts!
We didn't get any kind of announcement not to "spoil the secrets", but I'll keep things general regardless.
This is a very good production. It reminds me a lot of the Studio 54 production in terms of the lack of a set and table seating. The leads are all excellent and they perform to all sides of the audience.
Second row Upper Circle is an excellent clear view and you can also see the orchestra at either side of the Dress Circle level. I was in the central section but I think the view would also be decent from the sides.
For the lower level tables near the front, there are a lot of opportunities for audience interaction! But even I wasn't spared in the Upper Circle (although it was only a light touch approach up there).
This is a long show (finished at 10:20pm) and a very dark show, although not everyone in the audience seems to realise that. We got given a badge on the way out. The leads are all excellent and they've done some good work with the songs. Otherwise, it's quite a traditional Cabaret, but there's nothing wrong with that.
I didn't see anyone taking photos in the theatre itself. Although the phone sticker didn't last very long (I didn't intentionally remove it, just realised it was no longer on my phone when I was in my seat).
I changed tubes at Oxford Street and two young American ladies suddenly ran past me to surprise their friend. The friend had been to The Lion King (and didn't have the right Covid documentation, but thankfully for her the theatre let her in). The other two ladies said they had just come back from Cabaret which was "super fun" (their words). And they then proceeded to show their friend the photos they'd taken during the show!
Some shows I feel like rushing back to see again. I didn't get that feeling from Cabaret but I do have another booking for next year (and in a very similar seat). I'm sure I didn't get the £300 experience, but very happy with the £28.50 version. And I have to say again how good the theatre looks. I'm sure this will run for quite a while with different star casts, but even after that point, I hope they keep the layout as it is for future productions.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 16, 2021 19:29:01 GMT
Once you escape the crowds, it is very plush. Mixed gender toilets. The upper circle seats have entrance to rows at alternate sides, so you may find a booked aisle seat isn’t actually on the aisle at all!
There is a cast board but I couldn’t take a photo as there’s a sticker over my cameras (well, only the rear ones).
We got given a drinks token, but it remains unused as there was no way I was joining the scrum! The lower levels have waitering staff.
Excited for this one anyway. And this may be the best Upper Circle view I’ve ever had at a theatre.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 16, 2021 19:15:13 GMT
Well, it is rather uncomfortable going in and being crammed into a crowded bar area where hardly anyone is wearing a mask…
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 16, 2021 13:22:15 GMT
I did enjoy this last night from my long-standing booked seat near the front of the stalls. A very receptive audience, although most completed ignored the instruction about masks which was given to them as they entered (and displayed prominently on signs held by the ushers). I actually heard someone behind say they were expecting to get Covid (I couldn't tell if they were wearing a mask or not).
It was a very young audience and lots of people who (again based on overheard conversations) had never seen the show before.
There are a lot of line changes (and other small visual changes to bring this one more up to date). All for the better. I just can't imagine how uncomfortable it must be to have to say or hear "she's such a hot shade of black" every show. Similarly, the insensitive reference to Chinese people has also been removed. But it is still okay to laugh about Nigel Farage, so thankfully the funniest joke in the show has survived.
They've gone very young looking and camp with the Mormon ensemble this time around, which works well. A huge amount of energy displayed on stage.
It is so odd to see Haydn Oakley in this in such minor roles, coming straight from being a lead in Anything Goes.
I shall have to try and see the current tour cast now to compare things. But the West End production is in great shape and ready to run for a few more years.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 15, 2021 14:16:05 GMT
The Wedding Singer - Italia Conti
Another enjoyable show with some good jokes (if you remember the 80s) and some catchy songs.
I caught the Friday matinee and got the pleasure of being selected as "ugly guy" (although personally I think I'm not that bad looking when I have a mask on). All good fun and I was likely one of few audience members not related to anyone in the cast.
This was a final year production, although they're rather hampered by only having four or five male students in the final year (there were five men in the cast, but I think one was a second year). That means there are two sets of female leads, but only one set of male leads. Everyone I saw had a lot of potential, but my cast board photo didn't come out well enough to relay names.
The only other time I've seen this show was in Wembley with Kevin Clifton a while back. A very different cast of 80s tribute acts joining at the end, mostly due to the largely female cast.
One health and safety issue which I hope is being considered for the future. There was a knocked over glass of liquid midway through the second half, forming a puddle on the floor. For the next 20 minutes or so I could see people avoiding it but wondering why no one took the initiative to do anything about it. Finally someone whizzed on with a mop proceeding to extend the water over a much larger slippery area. During the finale, two of the ensemble went down. Thankfully both were okay and just got up and continued.
I've always enjoyed Italia Conti shows and this was no exception. It will be a shame for theatregoers when they move to Woking and the venue just isn't as quick and easy to get to, but it should allow them to upgrade the facilities.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 8, 2021 22:23:40 GMT
I certainly don't think that actors should work for less than they're worth, but jobs aren't that easy to come by. A role in a popular show, even at the Other Palace, looks good for the CV. It's also great for social media promotion and getting the fan base involved. Plus, this is one of the shorter performances. So if the West End cast were available (and I appreciate this will have already been cast) then I'd certainly encourage them not to turn down this opportunity purely on the grounds of principle.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 8, 2021 22:20:35 GMT
Definitely not an accident!
The fact rush tickets have been available all day for some very popular shows indicates that people aren't willing to buy without knowing what seat they're going to get.
It was a very poor commercial decision by TodayTix.
Saying you have a ticket in "the stalls" could mean you're near the front or you have horrible restricted view corner. It's just not on.
The fact the technology is terrible and can't support the number of people logging in at 10am is another issue. That could easily be solved. A quick fix would just be to stagger the times each different show goes on sale.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 8, 2021 22:17:12 GMT
Some gorgeous production photos have been posted, from the Mountview production of Les Misérables With 217 photos, they're really trying to do their best to showcase the production and everything the students did, but without being able to share any videos or audio.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 8, 2021 13:13:55 GMT
They've now added yet another preview performance on Saturday 13 November! All tickets £20 to DMT+ members.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 7, 2021 20:45:43 GMT
Les Miserables - Mountview
Very much enjoyed this yesterday afternoon, although I suspect if this was a professional production it would get both 1* and 5* reviews.
This was a modern day urban take on the musical, which could never happen in a professional production while this is running in the West End. I can't imagine a Cameron ever allowing a character to sing sitting on a toilet with her knickers down, or the four letter words used getting into the main script (only between the songs, which were kept lyrics untouched). And good to see a few non-traditional relationships highlighted on stage.
There was a nice scaffold effect on three levels which worked well.
This doesn't translate perfectly to the modern day. It is very strange to see people communicating using mobile phones at the start and end, then them suddenly disappearing for the middle section of the show where communication has to be by letter. I do feel some parts were more developed and polished than others, but it is a long show so a lot to work on (3 hours 5 minutes, longer than the West End version).
The vocal performances were mixed, but this is a student production (and probably also an audition for one of the biggest employers of musical theatre students in the West End). Some people didn't sing quite in time with the music, which I presume must have been a deliberate choice as it happened too often to be accidental. Singing in regional UK accents also takes some getting used to.
The highlights in the Claude-Michel cast were Harry Goodson-Bevan as Marius (who could easily be planted straight into the main show), Yazmin King as Eponine and Georgia Mann as Cosette.
My seat in the top level was awful, with a bar in view. But the people near me were masked, unlike most of the audience who just ignored the instructions.
Very glad I got chance to see this. It is a pity alternative stagings like this can't get a bit of further life, even though a few tweaks would be needed.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 5, 2021 14:10:50 GMT
I'm at Les Mis for tomorrow's matinee. It was sold out but I kept checking back until a ticket appeared, so it's always worth trying. I got quite lucky with a Spongebob ticket as well. I spotted them the day they went on sale but they were almost sold out then.
We could do with a proper calendar of student productions.
Italia Conti has Pippin, Urinetown and The Wedding Singer coming up if they interest anyone.
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Post by Dr Tom on Nov 5, 2021 7:58:32 GMT
Bandstand - ArtsEd
My first student production since the pandemic hit, back in one of the nicest theatre spaces in London (and with a huge stage).
I think this may be the UK debut of Bandstand, which I didn't catch on Broadway. It's a gentle musical, very swing and jazz focused, very character driven.
I saw Gregor Milne as Donny, who barely left the stage, as well as Olivia Saunders as Julia. Both were excellent. As always with ArtsEd, this was a very polished production and they made the most of the big dance numbers.
Not too much to the set. Lots done with projections, as is the modern way of doing things.
As with so many student productions, there is always one slightly camp actor, who has only a few lines, but gets great cheers and claps from the other students in attendance whenever he's on stage. I'm sure that's just some part of the theatre school experience that passed me by.
Very glad I saw this one and that the students are getting to show their talents to real audiences this year.
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