What’s New Pussycat? - Birmingham Rep

Enjoyed it so much I booked again !! I think the 6th preview this time . A full house again a couple of changes I noticed only small ones and one or two trimmed down scenes
Started 10mins late but if on time finish time is 9.50 pm now

Wanted to see the audience reactions with a regular audience. Not first preview with family and friends etc

Omg electric atmosphere from beginning to end a real tight show definitely no baggage 🧳 here

Some real standout moments especially I who have nothing before interval
And big Mickey after the interval bought the house down and stops the show
And mary has a fab voice too
But lots more too dot & mr partridge are comedy gold and fabulous song and dance numbers

There really isn’t any weak link in this show

And the live band is second to none. Plenty of cheers and applause after the show for them too

Immediate full standing ovation again last night even before. The last song had finished !
And everyone kept standing for the bows and the reprise song
Came out smiling ear to ear again and felt so uplifted
Bravo Birmingham Rep
Made in brum.

Mr Barnaby me too not been this excited about a show 🤔well maybe first time I saw blood brothers 25 years ago lol ... it really is that good. Hope more people travel up the brum to see it for themselves 👍

Bronte is fantastic Dominic Anderson is fabulous too a real heartthrob ❤️pin up and such charisma for the part I who have nothing really is a stand out performance a real wow .
Also guy who plays big Mickey stops the show with Delilah

The set is very good some really great scene changes the never hold up the show and really great use of projections just to enhance the set.

Train and front row ticket sorted for the 23rd. Had a watch of the clips on YT and looks great fun.

It does have a very strong creative team behind it previous Tony and Olivier winners etc , Arlene came onstage before the first preview said she was very nervous about it as we were the first audience to ever see it but so excited about the show , heard talk in the interval of hopes of a west end transfer Everything was made in house at Birmingham Rep and celebrating 50 yrs at New Rep theatre. They are really hoping it will do well

Attending the Birmingham Rep on Thursday evening, little did I know that I had booked for the 50th anniversary - to the day - of the venue's inaugural production at the current site.

We were all handed a celebratory card with a packet of sweets, and Co-Artistic Director Sean Foley began the night with a seven-minute speech extolling the virtues of the city's only professional producing house.

Graham Winteringham, the 98-year old architect of the Rep, is a regular attendee and was here to enjoy the latest show. He was received with warm applause from the near-full audience.

It turns out that the answer to the question What's New Pussycat? is a front door. Despite being part of the original design, the Rep has never had one, being blocked by the local planners. Fifty years later, that omission is being rectified, and most of the front of house is currently hidden behind hoardings while work continues.

But what of Pussycat? A retelling of Henry Fielding's 1749 novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, transplanted to 1960s London, and set to the music and lyrics of songs popularised by Welsh baritone and former tax exile Tom Jones, what could go wrong?

Astonishingly, nothing at all. In fact, the whole affair is a work of genius, a jukebox musical like no other.

The kaleidoscopic set and lighting design at once signal that we're here to have fun, and have fun we do. A strong cast are clearly having a ball too, with special mention to Ashley Campbell as Mr Partridge, Rebekah Hinds as The Girl In The Polka Dot Dress, and Harry Kershaw as William Blifil, who all deliver comedy par excellence.

Janet Bird's dazzling Technicolour costumes and Arlene Phillips' energetic choreography are a treat for the eyes; the orchestrations and sound design similarly reward the ears. My feet just wouldn't stay still, tapping along to tunes mainly familiar, some less so, but always having surprisingly apposite lyrics.

This is 100% theatrical tonic to counter the blues of the real world. Go see it! You won't regret it.

Five stars.

Act 1: 19:13-20:16
Act 2: 20:41-21:35

(Scheduled start was 19:00, but is normally 19:30. There is ample time before the last weekday train back to London if anyone fancies a trip up.)

I usually sit in the centre of the front row or the one behind (as they are cheaper). Both offer excellent views. The front row has slightly less leg room but I've never felt uncomfortable.

I think they always say that in case there is a very high stage, but my eyes have never been lower than stage level, and usually, as with Pussycat, about a foot higher.

Yes, they've been stupidly doing the bag searches at that point for several years, ever since the security threat level was raised. So any terrorist planning on planting a bomb can just leave it in the toilets or foyer instead. Crazy, and causes delays as you say.

Booked.
Now to find a train that doesn’t take 2 hours to travel 70 miles. 90 minutes each way is the best on offer, astonishing that two of the UK’s major cities are so poorly connected.

TallPaul will probably turn up in a minute abd tell me there’s a secret magic train that only takes 45 minutes (but isn’t avaiable in any of the schedules like the mystery late service between manc abd Sheffield! 😐)

I’m doing a matinee so I’ll probably get home just in time for my cocoa and a cuddle with Walter Hottle Bottle

I haven’t been to Brum for work for a couple of years but even at peak commuter time it can’t be done on the train in less than 90 mins. More often more. And the crush at Wolverhampton is always 😖