She Loves Me - Menier Chocolate Factory

I hate to ask that age old question but what was the running time when you saw it? It's not up on the website yet & it'd be good to know if it's going to be a sprint to London Bridge afterwards!

Its a little more complicated than that.

Wiki

You've Got Mail is based on the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie by Miklós László and its adaptations.[2] Parfumerie was later remade as The Shop Around the Corner, a 1940 film by Ernst Lubitsch, which in 1949 was adapted as a movie musical, In the Good Old Summertime by Robert Z. Leonard starring Judy Garland, and finally in 1963 as a Broadway musical with She Loves Me by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (composer and lyricist, respectively, of Fiddler on the Roof). You've Got Mail updates that concept with the use of e-mail.[3] Influences from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice can also be seen in the relationship between Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly — a reference pointed out by these characters actually discussing Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet in the film.

Another transfer likely?

It feels too Christmasy to do well beyond the holidays. But it's a great little show with a not so great leading lady.

Matter of opinion really. I thought Scarlet was great. Good comic acting and the most beautiful soprano voice. But we can't all like the same things.

Well I thought it was delightful and I'd happily go again. It's not a match for the recent Broadway version (or that amazing cast) and it still needs a bit of settling in and tightening up but it's a gorgeous little show on its own. I kind of agree with ali973 on Scarlett Strallen - she does seem a bit overly mannered at the moment but I do think she'll warm up as the run goes on. It's a wonderfully talented ensemble though and the leads are on the whole terrific and very different which is great. Kingsley and Tighe are no match for Jane Krakowski and Gavin Creel for my money (Krakowski was seriously robbed at the Tonys) but they do a sterling job and 'Ilona' is a highlight.

Katherine Kingsley probably comes out of the four leads best and it's easy to see why - I could do with her toning down the cockney a notch or two but she's glorious to look at, has a figure to die for, a glorious voice and a real gift for comedy.

Also, special mention to Alastair Brookshaw as Sipos and especially (completely) Callum Howells as Arpad who hops, skips, jumps and cycles away with the entire thing from under everyone's noses. It's quite one of the most adorable, heartwarming and delightful performances around.

What's the set like?? I know set is hard for the Menier as it's such a small space but do they do it well?

It is rather clever for the space. They have 4 sections on revolves, one side is the outside of the store and the other side is the inside of the store. They spin around and meet creating either the street outside or the shop. There's also a scene in the cafe where they use the outside of the store windows and some other bits of scenery drawn in from the sides. They also use the front of the stage for Amalia's bedroom which is a bit cramped and I'd guess not especially a good view if you're sat on the far left of the audience facing the stage.

I've read that back a few times and I realise it probably doesn't make much sense at all but I can't think of other ways to describe it so it'll have to do for now until someone else describes it better.

Also the two scenes at the beginning of Act II might be a bit difficult if you're sat on the far end of either row I'd guess.

I think it's the best set the Menier has had.

I am there now

It's such an awful musical

The audience reaction is muted and subdued

The casting is lovely

The singing good

The staging nice

The songs are all terrible

And fhe story goes on and on

Sorry folks but this would not last one hour in the WE

Tellingly it's not sold out either which is unusual for the Menier Xmas musical

It's just not a good or memorable musical

Hate to say it but you DID think Bend it was good.

There are lots of people who think this is a good musical.