The Toxic Avenger: Southwark Playhouse/Arts Theatre

I loved this last night. Although I felt it veered too much into play that goes wrong territory in the second act when in the first there were only a few nods to breaking the fourth wall and things going wrong here and there. In the second we had stage hands on stage, missed ques, missed lighting, trips ect, set fails and all and I just thought it seemed a bit of a change.

But still thought it was a riot.

I couldnt help thinking that the guy who plays Toxie sounds a lot like Ben Platt and also has the baby-face geeky look going on...so just saying.

I saw this in NY years ago and had a great night. I was really excited to hear it was coming to Southwark, saw it and had a great time, so went back a second time with friends and enjoyed it just as much. So I was excited to take a big group of friends to the latest version at the Arts - and I was really disappointed. There are still some great moments, but the comedy in this has become so broad and crude that it's almost become something different. Some jokes which used to be clever and subtle have now been totally blown over the top. Don't get me wrong, I love a good cock joke, but the old 'wink to the audience' style was much more entertaining in my eyes than just a long line of wanking and blow job jokes.

The character of Sarah has lost any kind of realism and is now basically a fairly offensive caricature, the Mayor is so overblown that she's barely recognisable as a real person rather than a monster. Both are hugely talented singers and dancers but I have to say that by stripping any realism or smartness from them, there's no sense of loyalty or affection to the characters.

I actually felt a little embarrassed that I'd raved so much to the people I brought, but they were first timers and were generally swept up by the chaos of the second act (which now closely resembles the backstage farce of 'The Play that Goes Wrong') and so had a generally enjoyable night.

Which I guess is the point of moving it to the west end.

Sorry to sound like a grump...

Saw this on Friday and thought it was really damn great. It's a very funny show with a kick-ass score (although Sarah's songs ran together a little), and that cast... I was just blown away, really. A huge amount of energy and talent on stage, I was exhausted just watching White Guy and Black Guy. Particular props to Natalie Hope, her Bitch/Slut/Whore song was incredible and real standout.

I do agree with the above that the fourth wall humour goes a bit overboard in Act 2, otherwise I laughed beginning to end.

I saw this at Southwark and then again at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and I can't recall any Play That Goes Wrong type humor.  

Have they rewritten the show?

There's a whole segment that goes on for 10 minutes nearly that's about the blind girl dripping her stick then everyone breaking character telling her where to go to get it and directing her. The stage hands, the band, all of them. There's a bit where a spotlight shines on a spot different to where Toxie us standing so him moving to it. There were some other things I can't really recall but we're defo play goes wrong style. You could argue that the whole bit of the mayor coming out to tell the guy to hurry up and stop singing and get on with it is that sort of thing too.

I mean it was all very funny so I didn't have an issue with it.

I honestly cannot remember anything like that happening in the two previous productions I saw.

At the Hollywood Fringe, since it was in a tiny black box theatre, the director added a stagehand that moved or carried panels that looked like comic book pages to indicate scene changes. But that was the director's addition to compensate for the lack of any type of set.  Towards the end of the play, the stagehand (who was the director's daughter) started showing some attitude, but it was very cleverly-done and not nearly as "meta" as TPTGW.

What a shame that such a tight and witty show at SP has been redirected to being so broad and crude that, for me, it really did tarnish my enjoyment. I also didn't think the new cast were quite as good (but that might also be down to the new direction). Did we need that many crotch grabbings or butt-gyrating? It just made the jokes that were sexual that were good loose their impact.

I did like the newly expended set, and the pipe doors were far more slick than the rotating silo drums at SP that were so rickety. The merchandise they had on offer looked pretty cool as well.

Despite the poor new direction, it was a real shame to see the theatre so empty, fortunately everyones reactions didn't make it feel empty at all (and clearly they didn't mind incessant butt gyrating!) but why are they keeping the circle open?

I would love to recommend the show to people as I do think its a great one but really would hesitate because of the new direction.

Saw this last weekend...LOVED it. Knew nothing about it in advance, but it was just brilliant. The main bloke was out but his understudy gave a stronge performance. The show is just absolutely bonkers. Yes it gets a bit silly at times, but I feel like that's kinda what they're going for with it.

We did have a show Stop about 10 seconds into act 2 - the sliding doors decided they weren't going to open, cue much bashing of hammers backstage.

My only criticism is producer greed. It's 100% an Off-West End show. There's no doubt about it. It's an Off-West End venue. Yet the prices are nearer to West End prices. Whilst I don't want this or any show to fail, I'm really pleased that sales are slow for this because that's a lesson to the producers that you can't charge top whack for a low budget (albeit brilliant) show that you are paying peanuts to the performers for, and get away with it. Hopefully she'll drop the prices to where they should be for an off-West End show, and it'll pack out the Arts, which is what those super hard working actors and musicians deserve.

Do go see it if you can find a seat at the right price for you, it's bloody good.

I was also at the matinee and loved it! The cast (who are all bloody brilliant) works so hard and the material is hilarious with some fantastic music too. Hopefully I'll get to see it again before it closes because it's such a fun show.

I really wish it was doing a bit better at the box office, but as others have said that's what happens when you try to charge West End prices for a small show in a small theatre with a small cast. I payed £28 for central Row C through TodayTix and wouldn't have payed much more.

The today tix ones have to be bought today but can be used for any performance this month.

Fifteen quid or a tiny five pound if you use the code UHJOI at checkout ☺

Bargain!

I hear YMZXT is a good code to use ;P

Let's hope those children don't ask their parents if they can see the original film afterwards! I watched it on the train down to London and had to cover my screen at some points to avoid offending any innocent passengers' eyes!

Now who fancies taking on musical adaptation of The Greasy Strangler...