La Cage aux Folles

It's the interval.

I like everyone else but deary me.... how annoying is John P?

Is it just me?!

Just a bit.

He said after he was very ill as yesterday he was bitten by a spider.

One of the more random things I've heard at Stage Door.

No. I've always wanted to see the show but I couldn't sit through a show with Mr Partridge in it. Can't stand the bloke.

This thread was on page 3 of the Musicals section of the board and I hate to drag it to the top really but I caught this show in Brighton last night and just could not resist commenting.

I have seen many productions of La Cage in my time including the original London Palladium production with Denis Quilley and George Hearn and of course the Menier Chocolate Factory production with Douglas Hodge. This production was the worst I have ever seen.

John Partridge (who to be fair was very hard working - 8 shows a week in a demanding role) was appalling in the role. I just did not understand his acting choices or perhaps how he was directed. He appeared to be in a totally different show to the rest of the cast, who were attempting to perform La Cage, while he thought he was in pantomime! Who thought that a northern accent was a good idea - it fixed the show firmly in Funny Girls in Blackpool rather than the La Cage Aux Folles on the French Riviera! The accent of course disappeared (almost) during the musical numbers which he managed to murder with odd phrasing and belting. His performance as Albin was vile, crass, self indulgent, hammy, totally lacking in warmth and charm. He almost sank the entire show single handed.

Marti Webb was a joy in a small role and the actors who played Anne and Jean-Michel were charming.

The set had a great retractable staircase with peacock sliding frames at the top - clearly all the set budget had been spent on this as the rest of the set consisted of 4 tatty cloths that looked like left overs from a production of Hello Dolly to signify Albins apartment, Chez Jaqueline, and a street on the French Riviera. Lighting was flat and dull. The costumes, however, I thought were excellent. I genuinely have seem far better amateur productions on this very stage!

This was by far the worst production I have seen of the show. There was a discussion on another thread about the quality of touring musicals compared to the West End and unfortunately this exemplifies what folk outside London deem to be acceptable. I have to say that the show went down a storm (even in Brighton which I thought would know better) huge laughs and a partial standing ovation at the end from a packed theatre! Clearly my standards are far too high or other peoples standards have slipped!

I will take that as a badge of honour!

I didn't leave at the interval though - but I was very tempted. Perhaps leaving at the interval qualifies for an advanced parsleyeque badge - I will do my very best to achieve this! 

Why? 

What's special about Brighton that the rest of "outside London" hasn't got?

As Brighton (allegedly) has a high gay population and has seen many local productions of the show by amateur societies I assumed the audience would be a little more discerning. 

Thank you wickedgrin. I fear I may also be somewhat parsleyesque because, as the theatremonkey well knows, I have been known to leave shows at the interval and my two most recent disappointments were An American in Paris and especially Half a Sixpence although I stayed to the end of both of those. My comments on these shows can be seen on the theatremonkey's website. But I totally agree with every word you said about 'La Cage aux Folles' and if anybody thinks John Partridge's interpretation of Albin was good or even vaguely acceptable then I can only direct them to the various TouTube clips of Douglas Hodge in the role. Where do I get my badge?

We're getting a Spanish revival, I'm so excited I'll be finally seeing this show on stage.

TV talent show judge Àngel Llàcer (hate him with a passion, but I'll book anyway) directs and stars in it: