Pippin - Garden Theatre

Here for anyone interested. Selling quickly:
pippinmusical.co.uk/

So have I

Spotted this while out and about today and it made me laugh but also think How rude!

An excellent production in a well-organised venue. First, thanks to the theatre staff for helping me to get a preferred seat. It's only a small venue, so there isn't really a bad view, but still I do like to be at the front.

Lots of single people too, probably half the audience. Other theatres should take note.

The venue is very Covid-19 aware and secure. Temperature checks at the door and filling in the contact details before you can come in. Hands sanitised. Taken to a table and told how to order drinks (go around the other side of the bar and they are brought to your table). Various props were wiped down during the interval. Actors were largely not sharing props (for instance, there were two very similar crowns in the box, used by different actors). Announcements made before the show, at the interval and after the show. Mask wearing enforced. Again, other theatres should take note.

From what I can see, they have an excellent drinks selection. Officially, it is an LGBTQ bar, but I would have had no idea from the clientele.

About five minutes before the start, you're taken into the garden to allocated seats. It was a fine night, but there is a gazebo up to provide some protection from the rain (which may well be important now this has extended through to mid-October). Seats on two sides of a square garden, some of which aren't available as they're part of the performance area. Ryan Anderson playing Pippin is already out there.

The theme for Pippin is 1960s San Francisco, with nods to the hippy movement and the war in Vietnam. Very fitting, especially as I saw Hair only a few days ago. There is little in the way of props and scenery, but the performance area is decorated that way and the costumes match the theme.

Otherwise, it's the Pippin we all know and love, performed by only six actors and one keyboard player, all of whom are very talented. There are some small cuts to bring down the running time, but it's nowhere near as brutal as it could have been. Some nice nods to the LGBTQ nature of the venue as Pippin finds himself. Lots of opportunities for interaction if you're at the front. Funny ad-libs from Joanne Clifton, playing Fastrada and Bertha. And even what I thought was a nice little twist on the Theo ending to conclude.

If it's your first Pippin, it might be hard going as it is stripped back, but if not you'll be straight back into the joy of it.

Running time is 1 hour 45 minutes, a little bit over what is advertised. That includes a five minute interval (although it seemed longer in practice). The interval was only real peeve of the night in that there was some quite aggressive selling of ice creams, snacks and drinks, with audience members being asked multiple times. I do appreciate it's a financially challenging time to run a bar, but still. They might shave the running time down a bit further, but the performers were already going through the performance at a decent pace.

The other slight challenge is outside the venue's hands, but there is some traffic noise, particularly from motorbikes. The cast aren't mic'd, so may lose a bit of the sound. In fact, perfect timing between a motorbike and one of the lines gave one of the funniest moment of the night.

Overall then, an excellent recommendation and one of the best things I've seen since theatre resumed. I didn't think I'd get to go back, but now I've seen this has been extended again, I may well do.

Maybe 40 last night? It depends a bit as to how many singles are there and how they have to be spaced out.

Oh wow I had no idea this was The Eagle! I used to go there on Sundays, before and after Andy Almighty's set at the Vauxhall Tavern. I even appeared on stage once (at The Eagle, not the Tavern), although it was not really something one should discuss in polite company.

We had Joanne Clifton vs an ambulance siren tonight for funny noise moments - she just about managed to make herself heard.

Agree with everyone you wrote, this is excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Clifton was the standout for me (you can tell she is a dancer given she managed to do in 3 inch heels with more precision and polish what everyone else was doing in flat shoes, on a very uneven surface!) but they were all good, and it was just a joyous evening.

Was there tonight (press night as it turned out) ... what a fabulous, joyful piece of theatre

Had a great time, it's a good production and very cleverly done (albeit very quick, if you don't know the show already it could take you a while to work out what the hell is going on) but be warned, it's cold. Wrap up warm. There's a reason the Globe usually closes at the end of September!