Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] - Park Theatre / Tour

Saw this yesterday at the Leicester Square Theatre (one day shy of Tony's 70th birthday - which will be forever forgotten about as it's also the big day for King Charles III).

After selling very well last year, the advertising for the central London version just isn't very prominent.

Have to say, I found this very funny, very zany, and the second half seemed much improved on when I saw this at the first preview last year. There are new/different jokes throughout. About half the cast are new, but all very settled in their roles.

The audience was an interesting mix of people. The theatre was not too full and my heavily discounted ticket got me a prime spot on the third row. It seemed like quite a lot of work to get people from the bars (which are in the theatre) to take their seats.

Just surveying the people around (and not intentionally listening in, but it's hard not to), in front I had a non-English speaking couple who kept saying "Tony Blair" loudly to each other, as if they'd just worked out they were attending a show about a real person, but they weren't sure who. At one side, I had a guy explaining to his boyfriend who Harry Hill was. At another, I had a young woman in a hijab attending on her own who didn't laugh or clap once, but stayed for a second half which could be taken in a particularly offensive way. And behind, a group who were hoping they'd make another event at 9:30pm, with one excitedly explaining how Tony Blair was the prototype for Boris Johnson.

(the last group I presume did make it, as the show ran from about 7:05pm to 8:55pm)

I do think, if you're under about 40 years old or didn't grow up in the UK, this will be a hard show to follow. If you can appreciate the political situation at the time (good and bad) and get the humour, this can be very funny. Somehow, it's a show that has stereotypes that I could usually get offended about, but I can watch totally sober and end up with moments of hysterics. Make of that what you will!

Interesting to see all of the former PMs and spouses rolling up at Westminster Abbey this morning for the formalities. All very kissy kissy with eachother, you’d think they were in the same party. Cherie Blair grabbed John Major’s hand and he had a hard time shaking her off.
Liz Truss showed up…the nerve of the woman!

May I ask where you found a discount? I was looking a few days ago & couldn't find any. As I've detested Blair since 1997 & only want to see the show because of a cast member I don't want to pay the £40-ish that all the tickets on the theatre's website are priced at.

The offer I had access to wasn’t public. I’m also not finding anything I can share, which is surprising, other than to make sure you’re on the discounter mailing lists. It might be worth asking at the box office on the day, or booking a cheaper seat at the book, as there’s likely to be space available to move forward.

Dr Tom Thanks. I was having a look earlier this evening & found a couple of of other sites also with discounts. Presumably they've given up hope of being able to flog sufficient tickets at full price to hide the need to discount. Thinking of going on Thursday.

I really liked Jack Whitle who somehow delivered a really good performance as Blair. I wish I could be positive about the rest. The writing fails on every level.

I can't believe producers have the nerve to present this cheap cr*p. I've been to better funded student fancy dress parties

I saw this in Darlington earlier this week. I had no idea what to expect, but was intrigued. Overall I thought it was fun, even though parts were a bit weird and silly.

I grew up in the 90s, so most of the politics went over my head. But I loved the Peter Mandelson character. And I liked the music, and thought all the cast did a great job.

Glad to have seen it, but wouldn't be bothered about going again. They went to Sedgefield Parish Hall (Tony Blair's constituency) for the end of the week.

I had been looking forward to seeing this. I enjoy Harry Hill's humour, and I Can't Sing was good fun. This was going to be the highlight of my Fringe week. So, it was disappointing to discover it's a dud.

It didn't help that the Edinburgh production (straight through, no interval) is being staged in a conference hall that's not fit for purpose as a theatre. The bare, wooden walls mean there is so much background reverberation/echo that, with my imperfect hearing, I could not discern about a third of the lyrics. (I'm the same with conversations in a loud pub, where I'm always having to ask my husband what's been said. He had no problem here. CORRECTION: He says he did struggle a little.)

Getting annoyed that I had no idea what was sung in the opening number, my mood began to sour, made worse as none of the jokes were landing. Nothing was funny. I sat stony-faced throughout. I don't think I broke a smile once.

When impersonating a character, get the wig right and you're 80% there. The wigs are dreadful. I don't think there was a single politician you'd identify just from looking. The voices and behaviour are well off the mark in most cases. This screams amateur.

The decision to portray Blair as Tim-nice-but-dim makes zero sense. In office, Blair was sharp and Machiavellian. The one thing he wasn't was dim. We are watching an entire fiction. Even historical details here are frequently wrong and there are several anachronisms.

The thing Spitting Image got right was to use exaggerated caricatures for blisteringly sharp satire, but there had to be an essence of truth in the representation for it to work. (The exception was the Brummie Queen Mum, which they freely admitted was because no-one knew what she sounded like.). This musical is a world away from that approach.

The only number that delivered a cutting satirical swipe was the final one concluding that the whole world is run by assholes of whom Blair was merely another, but, by then, this was too little too late.

One star.

Act 1: 19:31-20:22
Act 2: 20:22-21:06