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Post by alece10 on Apr 24, 2016 6:33:23 GMT
Couldn't find a thread for this so thought I would start one.
Caught one of the previews of this new musical at Chichester yesterday afternoon. Its a new musical by Stiles and Drewe starring Patricia Hodge. Playing at the Minerva. Its a fun show with some typical Stiles and Drewe songs, quite catchy and if heard once or twice would stick in your mind. Good performances from the cast especially Patricia Hodge who is a great actress and perfect for the role of the aunt. Her singing voice is fine, she is not a belter but suits the role. She did sound like Miranda's mother and even said at one point "its what I call!" I cant seeing it being the next big Chichester hit to come to the west end though and I would give it 3 stars
I do like going to Chichester as its a lovely theatre and nice town but oh boy is it a long day. I was away for 13 hours and that's only travelling from East London. I could have gone to see a show in Manchester and back quicker.
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Post by showgirl on Apr 24, 2016 7:26:04 GMT
Interested to see this as I've booked and I also love a day trip to Chichester.
Unfortunately for me, my booking is on a day when there is currently due to be a train strike. As the strike would be the 3rd of 3, I'm really hoping that the issue will by then have been resolved or at least that strike called off for talks, but if it goes ahead, I'll have no means of getting there as although some trains will still run, the remaining services won't enable me to get all the way there and back.
It may be that CFT would let me change my booking but even if there were seats left for other dates (and the Minerva is small and the run short), I doubt I would have an alternative slot left. So here's hoping!
I knew Patricia Hodge was in this but have never heard her sing - or even heard of her doing so - so if I get to see the show, that will be a bonus.
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Post by David J on Apr 27, 2016 20:11:35 GMT
Oh thank goodness, I'm absolutely enjoying this.
I recently saw the currently touring Creative Cow production as my introduction to the story. One of the few occasions I left at the interval. Made the book look like a old fashioned, quintessentially tip top jocular travelogue quite frankly.
This production has both humour and sincerity, and theres some lovely songs by Stiles and Drewe to give dimension to the characters
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Post by wickedgrin on Apr 27, 2016 22:30:49 GMT
2 star pan in the London Eve Standard tonight.
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Post by d'James on Apr 27, 2016 22:33:57 GMT
Interested to see this as I've booked and I also love a day trip to Chichester. Unfortunately for me, my booking is on a day when there is currently due to be a train strike. As the strike would be the 3rd of 3, I'm really hoping that the issue will by then have been resolved or at least that strike called off for talks, but if it goes ahead, I'll have no means of getting there as although some trains will still run, the remaining services won't enable me to get all the way there and back. It may be that CFT would let me change my booking but even if there were seats left for other dates (and the Minerva is small and the run short), I doubt I would have an alternative slot left. So here's hoping! I knew Patricia Hodge was in this but have never heard her sing - or even heard of her doing so - so if I get to see the show, that will be a bonus. She was in the original London cast of Pippin wasn't she?!
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Post by showgirl on Apr 28, 2016 4:01:45 GMT
Interested to see this as I've booked and I also love a day trip to Chichester. Unfortunately for me, my booking is on a day when there is currently due to be a train strike. As the strike would be the 3rd of 3, I'm really hoping that the issue will by then have been resolved or at least that strike called off for talks, but if it goes ahead, I'll have no means of getting there as although some trains will still run, the remaining services won't enable me to get all the way there and back. It may be that CFT would let me change my booking but even if there were seats left for other dates (and the Minerva is small and the run short), I doubt I would have an alternative slot left. So here's hoping! I knew Patricia Hodge was in this but have never heard her sing - or even heard of her doing so - so if I get to see the show, that will be a bonus. She was in the original London cast of Pippin wasn't she?! Gosh, was she? I did see it, but at the Menier, so think it can't have been the original production? Also, I have now seen several reviews of the CFT production and all very positive.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2016 6:09:00 GMT
Interested to see this as I've booked and I also love a day trip to Chichester. Unfortunately for me, my booking is on a day when there is currently due to be a train strike. As the strike would be the 3rd of 3, I'm really hoping that the issue will by then have been resolved or at least that strike called off for talks, but if it goes ahead, I'll have no means of getting there as although some trains will still run, the remaining services won't enable me to get all the way there and back. It may be that CFT would let me change my booking but even if there were seats left for other dates (and the Minerva is small and the run short), I doubt I would have an alternative slot left. So here's hoping! I knew Patricia Hodge was in this but have never heard her sing - or even heard of her doing so - so if I get to see the show, that will be a bonus. She was in the original London cast of Pippin wasn't she?! Well I never! Didn't know that! According to Wiki, she was Catherine in the 1973 production in London.
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Post by stefy69 on Apr 28, 2016 6:42:57 GMT
2 star pan in the London Eve Standard tonight. ...and only 2 stars in this morning's Times.
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Post by alece10 on Apr 28, 2016 7:00:33 GMT
She was in the original London cast of Pippin wasn't she?! Well I never! Didn't know that! According to Wiki, she was Catherine in the 1973 production in London. She actually came along one evening to see the Menier production of Pippin which is when I found out that she had been in the original London production
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2016 7:15:46 GMT
Well I never! Didn't know that! According to Wiki, she was Catherine in the 1973 production in London. She actually came along one evening to see the Menier production of Pippin which is when I found out that she had been in the original London production Were you in the Menier production? (I loved it!)
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Post by alece10 on Apr 28, 2016 7:30:22 GMT
She actually came along one evening to see the Menier production of Pippin which is when I found out that she had been in the original London production Were you in the Menier production? (I loved it!) I was, but not on the stage. One of my favourite shows there, although with a lot of people it had that "marmite effect".
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Post by d'James on Apr 28, 2016 11:29:37 GMT
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Post by emsworthian on May 1, 2016 6:42:24 GMT
I saw this yesterday and I'd describe it as an amiable musical with some zingy one-liners. The audience seemed to enjoy it. The two leads were good but when it moved away from the aunt/nephew relationship, it seemed to wander into cliché land (twirling air hostesses singing about the joys of travel and a song about the amorous inclinations of Italian men). Nothing spectacular but a pleasant and fun afternoon.
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Post by CG on the loose on May 1, 2016 8:28:25 GMT
I saw this yesterday and I'd describe it as an amiable musical with some zingy one-liners. The audience seemed to enjoy it. The two leads were good but when it moved away from the aunt/nephew relationship, it seemed to wander into cliché land (twirling air hostesses singing about the joys of travel and a song about the amorous inclinations of Italian men). Nothing spectacular but a pleasant and fun afternoon. I was there yesterday evening and you sum up my own feelings about it rather well.
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Post by showgirl on May 12, 2016 20:26:21 GMT
I saw the matinee today and really enjoyed this, as apparently did the whole audience - no spare seats either, that I could see. I don't know whether the show had bedded in a little more since the earlier posts or was simply more to my taste, but I had a great time - the acting, singing and dancing were great and I loved all the music, so am now quite looking forward to the same team's forthcoming version of Half A Sixpence, in the main house.
In travel terms, I understand alece10's point about a trip to Chichester making a long day. I don't live quite that far but still some distance, though I regard the chance to visit Chichester as a bonus and welcome change from London. However, though the dreaded train strike had been postponed until the following week, the disruption on the return leg was severe, and as that's now a regular issue with Southern Rail, other theatregoers, and ultimately CFT itself, are likely to be affected by it. It's certainly something which gives me pause when contemplating a mad day trip to somewhere like Bath or Leicester.
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Post by jencros on May 15, 2016 18:56:20 GMT
I saw this last night, and was unimpressed. Most of Luscombe's shows are delightful, but this was pretty dire, and I totally agree with the review in the Evening Standard. I didn't care about any of the characters (the imperious, haughty Hodge was intensely dislikeable) and the songs were weak. The most entertainment came from one of the chorus breaking a bentwood chair on stage and slickly replacing it with one in the onstage 'waiting room'. Nicely done. Apart from that, the show was in no way noteworthy.
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Post by Phantom of London on May 15, 2016 19:06:55 GMT
Anyone know the running time please?
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Post by Michael on May 15, 2016 19:10:40 GMT
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Post by Phantom of London on May 15, 2016 19:22:52 GMT
Thanks
That puts the skids on me getting back to almond on Tuesday night, may as well stay the night and see Enemy of the People for the next day matinee.
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Post by showgirl on May 16, 2016 3:28:59 GMT
Phantom, also re Tuesday night/Wednesday, if you are travelling by Southern Rail, remember the conductors' strike on Wed 18 means that the trains will be fewer or non-existent on some routes that day. But other operators' services should be fine.
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Post by bellboard27 on May 18, 2016 10:54:51 GMT
Yes, started at 7.45 and I got out at 10.15.
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Post by Phantom of London on May 18, 2016 23:44:14 GMT
I saw this, this afternoon and really enjoyed it. Better than I expected.
4 stars
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