Disaster! Charing Cross Theatre

So despite my reservations, I actually went to this this afternoon after seeing someone on twitter posting about having a spare ticket - and it ended up being on the front row!

Well, this was absolutely incredible. The cast that was assembled for this really was perfection - I thought the OBC were sensational, but it's almost as if it could've been written for the London guys, too. And a real treat to see both Seth and Jennifer Simard re-create their performances - especially Simard with her real show-stopping number. It really is as good as everyone has claimed! Disaster! originated as a small-scale show before it moved to Broadway, so luckily Seth had experience in putting on a scaled-down version of this show. And it wasn't a perfectly executed production, and no one expected it to be nor did they claim for it to be, as most of the cast are currently working in other shows, today was the first time the entire cast were all together at the same time and today was also their first time on stage. Seth came about before to do a little speech to welcome us with his usual brilliant humour. He explained that it was literally supposed to be a book-in-hand, semi-circle on lecterns proper concert performance, but when Oliver Tompsett turned up on the first day of rehearsals saying he'd learnt it all off by heart, it escalated into a staged (not fully, but more than semi, as advertised!), choreographed show with props, costumes, disaster-style make up (for Act 2), a projected backdrop and a band.

The show started, and literally 30 seconds into it, the breakers of the theatre went and all power on stage was lost (and no, this disaster was not meant to happen!). Whilst everyone scrambled around backstage to get us back on track ASAP, this little hiccup was covered by the brilliant Seth getting to do what he does best, telling us his stagey stories in the way only he knows how. Jennifer Simard also came on to tell us a story and we were ready to go. This really got the audience ready and raring to go, and luckily the rest of the show went by without a hitch (ish!). No weak link in this seriously incredible cast, like a dream team assembled from your favourite people from all your favourite shows. Simon Lipkin; the God of musical comedy, Jodie Jacobs, Oliver Tompsett, Alice Fearn and Sandra Marvin; blessed with voices sent from heaven above. Sally Ann Triplett serving us old-school musical theatre realness. And everyone else I haven't mentioned just all being amazing! It has to be said, not all the comedy landed. I should think that with more than 2 weeks rehearsal, and with a full cast, it would be laugh-a-second (and even today it was laugh-a-minute), but the hugely successful comedy that was squeezed out in such a short space of time is really a true credit to the entire cast. And the choreography and dancers should not be forgotten for a second, performing West End standard routine on half of the Charing Cross Theatre stage. Lots of incredibly minor hiccups along the way, some line tripping, loads of missed mic cues, prop handling, shuffling on/off-stage, whatever. The audience couldn't have cared less, as it wasn't about that. And it didn't dampen anyone's enjoyment of the show, certainly judging by the full, so deserved standing ovation at the end.

This is *not* high art. This does *not* take itself seriously. This is indescribably silly. This is majorly camp. But this is SO. MUCH. FUN. The nature of these kinds of shows actually hides the skill that it takes to pull it off. Comedy is HARD, and these 70's disco songs are not easy to sing, but the vocals of this cast were off the scale. Truly outstanding and it was wonderful to see it completely sold out (and I believe tonight is too) and I hope a shed-load of money is made for TheatreMAD, and that this show may have a future life in London (a LOT of producers were invited tonight) as I would LOVE to see this in a properly staged and rehearsed production.