College Productions

Thursday matinee booked. At a few seconds after 1pm only a few stalls seats had been sold and I got first choice in front row. Less than half an hour later just one stalls seat left !

(There's also a GEOIDS Into The Woods not far away in Fulham at the John Mackintosh Arts Centre from 29 October to 2 November bookable on Ticket Source)

I was in the back row for today's matinee and saw the other cast (well, it's the same with three of the leads swapped out, though oddly not Moritz), and would agree that this is quite a smash. I got very very emotional by the end.

Some spoilers follow. . .

The stage has a see-through half-mirror toward the front, for introspection and for separating lonely characters from the others, and a great white sheet at the back with student's studies on it, which will be shredded in fury and despair along the way, leading up to a balcony behind, on which the lost character, Ilse, often perches with little angel wings, overseeing the emotional carnage.

The introduction of the boys, as a troupe training in gym outfits, marching in soldier-like formation, morphing into their intro song, perfectly embodied the regimented insensitive indiscriminate control of the adults, as they flapped their arms to marching orders as if in a platoon.

The adult characters were very appropriately cartoonish, the teen characters much more emotional and heartfelt.

The scene with Andrew Rhodes's knowing Hanschen and Gregor McCann's naive innocent Ernst, was a comic and emotional marvel, as Rhodes's almost luminous white lollipop was passed repeatedly between the two, the one taking languorous big licks, the other tentative little licks.

The expansive cast allowed the girls to crowd, and sing and dance together, filling the stage, and then the boys to do the same, and then all together in an overwhelming chorus.

Alfie Blackwell's "Totally f***ed" was particularly incandescent, though Blackwell was nowhere near as wild as Jamie Muscato at the Victoria Palace Reunion Show, possessing an Eddie Redmayne kind of sensitivity beneath the fury, the fury reflected however by the wild dancing, singing and roaring ensemble.

Still, it was the contrasting quieter, lonelier numbers that hit the hardest for me, as Daisy Mortimer's heartfelt alienated angel-winged Ilse descended from the balcony to perform two exquisite duets: the first with Appolilly Szwarc's frozen haunted Martha; the second with Mackenzie Dawes's Moritz, wearing a semi-spiky wig typical of the character, who had been so excitable and open and silly, but was now completely crushed. In both "The Dark I Know Well" and "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind," Mortimer brought so much knowing alienated outsiderdom in compassionate relation with the doomed characters of Martha and Moritz, that I was welling up continuously.

But it was during Zaya Tserenbat's Wendla's concluding song "Whispering" that I absolutely lost it. Like Olivia Hussey in the 1968 "Romeo and Juliet," this Wendla has an open innocent fragile aspect, and like Julia Connolly in "Labyrinth," this Wendla is hauntingly surprised and utterly desolate and despairing after her meeting with her metaphorical David Bowies, her coy mother and her careless lover, who lead her to an abortionist. Tserenbat, sitting amongst the ripped up paper shards of the stage backdrop, went to tortured and ravaged places in that song that left me in rivers.

And then the talented ensemble performed most beautiful and surprisingly uplifting "The Song of Purple Summer," holding hopeful signs, led again by Mortimer's Ilse, existing between two worlds, forming a bridge home.

It was poignant for me to the tune of 4 and a half stars.

And coincidentally, my train has just now returned me home too.

Going to ArtsEd for SPRING AWAKENING tonight - praying and rather certain that it will be miles better than the Royal Academy production from a few months ago - God, that was horrid.

For the Summer cast, the main thing that stood out to me was how differently Alfie Blackwell played Melchior. A much more intellectual and vulnerable portrayal, which is hard to when you're dressed in Kinky Boots style leather patent leather footwear and the type of leather shorts that may be a fantasy for many. I felt so much more connected with Alfie's approach than I do with a more typical Melchior. This whole Summer cast held together perfectly, having had a few days to settle in, and it's a pity I couldn't get back to see them again.

Steve has provided an insightful analysis of everything, but if all the ArtsEd and Mountview productions this year are going to be of the standard of the first two, we're in for an amazing year.

i saw a lovely production of Fun Home at Mountview yesterday - the show is one of my favourites but due to the vast range of character ages it doesn’t quite work for a drama school show (despite creating extra roles with 3x actors as Alison)

obviously in theatre there is a level of ‘suspension of disbelief’ but having actors the same age play both young children and middle aged parents means some of the trauma/lessons alison experiences doesn’t come across as sad as it would usually. The best performers for me were Joan and Middle Alison who were also the 2 playing most within their (presumed) ages.

that said the cast were universally strong - not as strong vocally as other drama school shows but still good, and of course i still cried at Days & Days & Days and Telephone Wires.

A few more while I do a quick check on various theatre school sites and their social media.

Urdang are doing Jane Eyre (not sure if it's the same version as GSA), The Wedding Singer, and American Idiot. No dates announced yet, but this will be for 2025.

Trinity Laban has Urinetown scheduled, running 3 to 7 December.
(also looks like their 2025 productions are Amélie and The Wedding Singer in March, plus Grease in June)

London College of Music (UWL) are performing Anyone Can Whistle on 7 to 9 November.

Can anyone explain to me why the Guildhall School don't seem to do musicals anymore? I saw a lot in the not too distant past and have particularly fond memories of Fiddler on the Roof, Crazy for You and Merrily We Roll Along. Have they closed the course that was supporting all of this?

Fun Home at Mountview

I enjoyed this a lot this afternoon - seeing the 'Keys Cast'.

All the principal roles were acted and sung strongly.  The Dad, Bruce, seems like the most complex role to play with so many repressed and secretive layers to his character, and his need to 'pass' as the ordered classic American family man. Despite his youth I thought Kai Davies gave a really terrific acting performance.

I was suprised to be reminded afterwards that the Book and Lyrics are by the same person - the lyrics are so much stronger than the dialogue. A child's fascination with someone who seems special because they have 'a ring of keys' is such a great observation, as it's not just the keys that make them special, but that's all the child knows to process at that age. Brilliant.

I was also there this afternoon
Enjoyed it more than I expected from pre-reading the synopsis.If you noticed there was only one person in the front row that was me. Not well attended. Arts Ed shows sell out fast, Mountview's are of equal merit but often struggle to get the punters in

Mountview has previously used The Audience Club, don't think they did for this show though. Also few if any of the usual fellow students in the audience.

Spring Awakening (ArtsEd)

I’d seen this musical performed by Urdang students earlier in the year and, while appreciating Duncan Sheikh and Steven Sater’s pop-rock score, I didn’t really connect with the overall piece. This first production for ArtsEd’s third-years managed to change that for me.

The vocal performances were as excellent as you might imagine. It does seem this college puts on an extraordinarily high standard of production and this, directed by James Grieve, would not feel out of place at an off-West End playhouse.

Standout performances came from Abigail Morris, who played Wendla with a moving combination of naivety, curiosity and innocence, as well as Mackenzie Dawes as Moritz, striking the right balance between wit and tragedy.

Luke Lambert made a great Melchior, while I found myself really looking forward to every appearance of Ilse on stage, with Daisy Mortimer giving a memorable turn. Ruby Adams was brilliant in all the adult female roles too.

I could reel off much of the ‘Spring cast’ for praise and I can’t wait to catch some of them again next year in either High Society or Sister Act.