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Post by irisjeregenboog on Nov 20, 2019 11:58:21 GMT
Saw this last night and it was everything I expected it to be (which is to say: not much). I knew going into this that it probably wouldn't be my cup of tea, since I don't really know the music of Queen very well (I know the big songs when I hear them, but other than that, I don't know much about them) and I had read here that the production value wasn't very high. I agree with most of the comment above by Sean, although I haven't seen another production to compare it to. As people have mentioned here already: the book is complete nonsense. I cringed through it and it didn't feel like a lot of thought had been put into it. I liked the last 20/30 minutes of the show the best, where they decided not to bother with a story anymore and just sang lots of songs in succession. I think the cast did what they could with the direction and choreography they had been given. As said, the choreography is appalling. How did this get on stage? I was sat all the way up in the balconies, and I can tell you that the stage wasn't nicely filled all the time. It seemed very empty indeed and certain scenes with just a couple of people on stage that should be able to carry such a scene felt very empty. If that makes sense. There were also times that I thought only part of the ensemble was used for dance numbers (maybe 4 people) and the rest was absent, even though I couldn't detect the need for costume changes or things like that. I would have liked more big ensemble numbers with everyone rocking on stage. I thought the teacher was a particularly bad dancer, who I could see going through the motions without much enthusiasm. That also took part of my enthusiasm away. Most of the jokes fell flat. I expected some jokes to go over my head, as I don't have the necessary Queen knowledge, but the entire audience seemed to miss quite a few of the jokes, although there were lots snickers for some as well. Some things I just didn't find funny. Vie-dee-o? Britney Spears? Ha ha. Not really my humour, although I appreciate what the writers were going for  Maybe it was also the delivery of the lines that made them less funny. I just couldn't get into it. In my row, about 6-8 people left in the interval, although I don't think it was necessarily due to them not liking the musical. One couple left to go home to their sick child (the mom was texting with said child during the first act. I didn't dare interfere, but the brave woman next to me said something and made the mom put the phone away. Why didn't they just stay home?). Another family of 3 with a (I assume) special needs girl left after the first act as well. I was really happy to see (and hear) her enjoy the show, but she got a bit too loud at the end of the first act, so maybe the parents thought it was enough theatre excitement for the evening All in all, I am glad I went, because now I can have an opinion on it and I know for sure I am not missing out on something Most of the audience seemed to really enjoy it though and the songs were of course the highlights and really well done. I can see how this show could easily become someone's guilty pleasure  Final verdict: 2/5 stars |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2019 17:50:13 GMT
Anyone wanting to go in Glasgow, ATG have dropped the price of single seats to £24 at certain performances. Managed to pick myself one up in the stalls on a Friday after Christmas.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2019 22:53:57 GMT
I saw this again in Glasgow this afternoon and it was really good again. The cast have improved massively as a whole, especially Elena and Jenny. They all seemed a bit more settled into their roles.
Sjoerd van der Meer was on as Galileo and he was excellent, I actually preferred him over Ian if I’m being honest. His voice was much smoother and nicer to listen to, and he had more chemistry with Elena.
I feel like I want a bit more from the choreography in places, particularly in the Killer Queen numbers. The Bohemian scenes were great though.
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Post by richey on Jan 8, 2020 7:59:52 GMT
Lots of single tickets left for Manchester which ATG have reduced to £25 (£21.50 for ATG card holders) so have got myself a ticket to see what they've done to this.
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Post by jamie2c on Jan 13, 2020 19:31:18 GMT
I previously saw the show that ran for 12 years in London multiple times and the last two UK tours. This is NOT the same show. The songs may be the same and the show seems to focus more on Ben Eltons script.
The cast are of the standard you would expect from the highly competitive world of UK musical performers.
However the show,
1. There is no spectacular open number with the Gaga Kids dressed in white dancing in unison on stage-wide steps. This has been replaced by something that reminded me of a performance by people with special needs (it did). The dancers bodies were fully covered showing minimal bare skin.
2. There is no platform that Killer Queen stands on that swings out over the audience as she sings It`s A Kind Of Magic.
3. There is no spectacular lighting effect during One Vision when the cast dance in front of bright backlit square blocks on two levels.
4. The London show had eight big LED screens as background (and that was over five years ago). This current version may have had small one, but I do not remember seeing it. The background was done using projection.
5. In the London version, The Seven Seas Of Rye feature Kashoggi flying around the stage in a basket as he sang with backlit dancers behind him. Zero like this in this current version.
6. In the original, Another One Bites The Dust is performed in front of a `stage high` game of Space Invaders projected behind. Plus there are eight large LED screens behind the performers.
7. In the original there is a green laser like a cage around Galileo when he is first held prisoner. No laser-cage in this version.
8. I think there are fewer cast members in this new version. I have not counted yet.
9. The backing dancers during most of the show are dressed in black and dance in the shadows around the leads.
This would be ok if the show was sold as a changed version. However, it uses marketing images apparently from the old version. The marketing claims it is the show that was seen by millions of people.
Ticket prices in Manchester Palace are £25(for single seats) and £32.40 to £65.90. Which is not the price for a cheap show.
If you saw the original version and are expected that, you will be sorely disappointed by this radically cheapened version, imo.
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Post by richey on Jan 28, 2020 20:05:18 GMT
Show stop 30 minutes into tonight's show. Frankly it's so awful I don't know whether to wait for it to restart.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 28, 2020 20:14:56 GMT
Total sell out (the tickets and the show). How bad is it richey ? |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 28, 2020 20:19:00 GMT
I previously saw the show that ran for 12 years in London multiple times and the last two UK tours. This is NOT the same show. The songs may be the same and the show seems to focus more on Ben Eltons script. The cast are of the standard you would expect from the highly competitive world of UK musical performers. I saw the arena version with curly watts. Awful. I was ashamed of myself for going. Ben Elton. Shame shame shame on you. |
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Post by richey on Jan 28, 2020 21:19:38 GMT
Total sell out (the tickets and the show). How bad is it richey ? Awful. For the first time in my theatre-going history I've left at the interval. The acting is atrocious, the rewitten script totally unfunny and the set is an hybrid of hi-tech screens (which actually aren't too bad) and cheap set-pieces which you can see being rolled on and off- the worst being a supposed block of concrete which wobbled whenever anyone went near it. Totally miscast, particularly Killer Queen who had an weird accent and Khasshogi who seemed to be channeling the spirit of Joe Lycett as he looked and sounded like him. The audience around me were lapping it up though, particularly the women behind who were screeching at every peurile joke- another reason I left as I didn't think I could stand another hour of that. Freddie must be spinning in his grave.... |
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Post by intoanewlife on Jan 28, 2020 21:39:34 GMT
Total sell out (the tickets and the show). How bad is it richey ? Freddie must be spinning in his grave.... He's been spinning for 18 year since the day it opened on the West End, surely he's used to the nausea by now x |
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Post by richey on Jan 28, 2020 21:44:24 GMT
Freddie must be spinning in his grave.... He's been spinning for 18 year since the day it opened on the West End, surely he's used to the nausea by now x well he would be spinning faster then lol. This new rewritten version should never have made it to the stage. |
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Post by djp on Mar 5, 2020 0:04:51 GMT
An interesting experience. Show was sold out in Canterbury . Good reception, standing ovation, crowd sing along , and can actually sing well.
Changes to the story and script are actually not that great- the problems are in the detailed changes. Elena sounds good , just looks younger, slighter, and less sassy than a Sabrina or Lauren, or Lauren, or Amanda , or Helen. Ian McIntosh worked as Galileo. Amy Di Bartolomeo is a very good Meat (or would be but for a name change to Oz )- she sounds excellent and brings physicality to the role - she actually looks like she could take anyone in a fight. Michael McKell brings out all the comedy in his lines well and has an excellent connection with the audience. Jenny O'Leary has a basic problem in that she looks like the Killer Queen's daughter, and its difficult to look domineering when some of your props and choreography are not in this production .
Whats odd is the nature of the changes from the original . For some reason the script has been sanitized, and made politically correct for the woke generation .Meat has become Oz - for no logical reason other than to perhaps stop vegans collapsing of shock in the aisles? Killer Queen has no ray gun- because guns will frighten the audience - so she kills with weird dancing? the torture of the bohemians is less effectively, and convincingly, done. Buddy can do his bike scene where his protuberance issues ,stay in the script, but he can't tell us where he has hidden the videotape any more. The opening routine with lots of bare flesh on display from both sexes, has been replaced by some grey and unisex outfits that leaves everything to the imagination. And Brit's chest and muscles , have been hidden in another grey coverall outfit. And Scaramouche doesn't get to flash her union jack underwear - presumably as the woke anti-imperialists or anti knickers fanatics would be offended.
Its all bizarre. Brit is rendered less sexy , while Meat keeps her revealing outfit. Scaramouche remains sexy, but can't show her underwear. Everything is more PC , and with it the threat and the sex and some of the humour is downplayed. But at the same time as all perverse sensibilities are being played up to, Elton manages to slip in some new jokes about the sexually confused woken folken - that mirror those he's put Into Upstart Crow .
Better to have left the script alone and just adjusted to reflect the fact that the cast is smaller , and a few scenes from the original are impractical on tour.
Worth a look though, if just to hear some of the songs, watch this Meat, and listen to Bohemian Rhapsody at the end.
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Post by Figaro on Apr 6, 2020 15:41:39 GMT
Just had my tickets for July in Ipswich cancelled and moved to March 2021.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2020 16:56:48 GMT
Newcastle, scheduled for June 2020, has moved to the end of March 2021
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Post by iamamazing on Apr 6, 2020 20:42:52 GMT
Cardiff has been moved to January in the commitments tour slot 18th till 23rd January. 2020
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Post by richey on Apr 7, 2020 9:52:01 GMT
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Post by djdan14 on May 26, 2020 16:37:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2020 16:49:27 GMT
I don’t think this is their production? I think they were the producers of an international tour that was meant to be going out. The UK tour is produced by Phil McIntyre Entertainments and Queen. |
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Post by richey on May 26, 2020 16:59:15 GMT
That's a different, international tour. Just confirmed on Whatsonstage
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Post by Figaro on Oct 21, 2020 8:25:26 GMT
Has the rest of the tour been cancelled? Just been told Southend has been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2020 10:48:26 GMT
Has the rest of the tour been cancelled? Just been told Southend has been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled. I’ve had tickets for Cardiff rescheduled to July 2021, so maybe they’re trying to squeeze in as many dates as possible for later in 2021? |
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Post by itsemily on Oct 21, 2020 16:19:12 GMT
Has the rest of the tour been cancelled? Just been told Southend has been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled. I’ve had tickets for Cardiff rescheduled to July 2021, so maybe they’re trying to squeeze in as many dates as possible for later in 2021? Had my Wimbledon tickets rescheduled to for February, feel like that probably isn't going to happen either though! |
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Post by iamamazing on Oct 21, 2020 20:14:00 GMT
I’ve also had tickets for Cardiff changed to next July?  Was ment to go in Apri (2020) then changed to jan (2021) because of covid now it’s been changed to July (2021) |
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Post by iamamazing on Oct 21, 2020 20:14:14 GMT
I’ve also had tickets for Cardiff changed to next July? Was ment to go in Apri (2020) then changed to jan (2021) because of covid now it’s been changed to July (2021) |
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Post by iamamazing on Oct 21, 2020 20:32:46 GMT
I hope this tour will still go ahead ?
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Maybe it was also the delivery of the lines that made them less funny. I just couldn't get into it. 
Was ment to go in Apri (2020) then changed to jan (2021) because of covid now it’s been changed to July (2021)