Streetcar is my favourite play. The Donmar is my favourite producing theatre. I about had kittens when they announced this production and have been eagerly anticipating my visit ever since I was on the phone at one second past 9am on the morning that tickets went on sale.
Maybe it was inevitable, therefore, that I was a little disappointed. I can't even really quantify why. I think the trouble is that because I know the piece so very well, I have really clear ideas of how the characters should be and for the most part, these portrayals just didn't match up with how I see them. I do think Rachel Weisz is too young to be Blanche and I definitely think that Ruth Wilson was too young for Stella. It didn't bother me too much when they weren't on stage together but I really struggled to care about the Blanche/Stella relationship.
Elliot Cowan, in contrast, was exactly how I see Stanley. Gruff, brooding, imposing, terrifying but attractive and appealing at the same time. Special kudos also for the guy playing Mitch (whose name I've forgotten) who I thought was terrific.
My biggest bugbear, though, was the costumes. During the course of the play, I picked out pieces I recognised from H&M, Office and Primark... whilst partly just indicative of the amount of time I spend window shopping, the sheer laziness of it really bothered me. The set was beautiful and so in keeping with the period so to see so much costumes wise that looked like it had been grabbed from a dash down Oxford Street really irritated me.
I'm glad I saw it... but can't help feeling a bit let down.
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Friday, 28 August 2009
Dreamboats and Petticoats
I must admit I didn't hold out much hope going into see Dreamboats on a midweek matinee. Certainly I was about 30 years younger than anyone else in the audience (apart from the odd grandchild who'd been dragged along) and this unfortunately led to some rather tuneless singing along on the part of those around me.
Despite all that, I loved it. Okay so it's not Shakespeare. It's not going to change the world and if you're looking for theatre that will move you to your core then I wouldn't suggest you rush out and buy a ticket, but it's great music, really well performed against a backdrop of a higher-production-values-than-normal from Mr Kenwright. Everyone left the theatre with a big smile on their face and you can't really argue with that, can you?
Despite all that, I loved it. Okay so it's not Shakespeare. It's not going to change the world and if you're looking for theatre that will move you to your core then I wouldn't suggest you rush out and buy a ticket, but it's great music, really well performed against a backdrop of a higher-production-values-than-normal from Mr Kenwright. Everyone left the theatre with a big smile on their face and you can't really argue with that, can you?
Friday, 10 July 2009
A Little Night Music
I must prefix this by saying I am not really a Sondheim fan. I'm one of those weird people who would consider themselves a musical theatre fan without liking Sondheim OR Andrew Lloyd Webber (though I actually actively, intensely, dislike ALW and the same can't be said for Sondheim). So although I'd heard good things about this production of A Little Night Music, I wasn't especially enthusiastic about seeing it.
I've never enjoyed a Sondheim more.
Primarily, this was down to the cast. Hannah Waddingham is, simply, a goddess. Though not your traditional Desiree, she just holds the stage beautifully. Maureen Lipman gave a real tour de force performance and Alex Hanson and Gabriel Vick were also fabulous. Jessie Buckley failed to convince me of her abilities anymore than she had done during I'd Do Anything but given how irritating the character is, I could quite happily dislike her without it having an impact on the show.
Star of the show, in my opinion, was the fabulous Kaisa Hammarlund, whose Miller's Son was just fantastic. It's one of the few Sondheim songs that I do actually really like anyway but even allowing for that, she still managed to completely blow me away.
No-one was more surprised than me by how much I want to rave about this show!
I've never enjoyed a Sondheim more.
Primarily, this was down to the cast. Hannah Waddingham is, simply, a goddess. Though not your traditional Desiree, she just holds the stage beautifully. Maureen Lipman gave a real tour de force performance and Alex Hanson and Gabriel Vick were also fabulous. Jessie Buckley failed to convince me of her abilities anymore than she had done during I'd Do Anything but given how irritating the character is, I could quite happily dislike her without it having an impact on the show.
Star of the show, in my opinion, was the fabulous Kaisa Hammarlund, whose Miller's Son was just fantastic. It's one of the few Sondheim songs that I do actually really like anyway but even allowing for that, she still managed to completely blow me away.
No-one was more surprised than me by how much I want to rave about this show!
Friday, 26 June 2009
Zanna, Don't!
I fell in love with Zanna last summer, when RSAMD did it at the Edinburgh Fringe and so was excited to see it getting its London premiere finally, not least because it was featuring one of my lovely clients!
Having failed to make it out to The Space to see it, I caught it late on in its run at Upstairs At The Gatehouse. It was as funny and kitsch and cute and charming as I remembered. I defy anyone who has ever felt like an outsider not to feel a little shiver inside in the final moments.
Though the direction and, especially, choreography were unimaginative (and, at moments, bordering on boring), the cast were, for the most part, strong and clearly enthusiastic about the piece. It's a lovely little show that deserves a bigger run than it's had anywhere so far.
Having failed to make it out to The Space to see it, I caught it late on in its run at Upstairs At The Gatehouse. It was as funny and kitsch and cute and charming as I remembered. I defy anyone who has ever felt like an outsider not to feel a little shiver inside in the final moments.
Though the direction and, especially, choreography were unimaginative (and, at moments, bordering on boring), the cast were, for the most part, strong and clearly enthusiastic about the piece. It's a lovely little show that deserves a bigger run than it's had anywhere so far.
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Sister Act
I've been looking forward to Sister Act for a good few months now. It's been a while since the West End had a big hit, and this seemed like the most likely suspect for the shows opening in the first half of this year.
Went along to opening night this week and LOVED IT. Absolutely adored it. I think the first 15-20 minutes are a little slow but after that it just zips along and is so slick. The nuns, as you would expect, do steal the show. All the characters you'd expect from the film are there, with all their quirks and characterisations. The set is absolutely mindblowing - makes full use of the scale of the Palladium and just is constantly evolving.
It doesn't matter that the music is different. It seems a bit odd to start with, but then Menken's score is so infectious that you forget that part of you was expecting to hear I Will Follow Him. Raise Your Voice and Take Me To Heaven are especially strong.
Patina Miller really is a star - she fills that massive stage with what seems like no effort at all. Her voice is beautiful and she can really act. The supporting cast are all strong also but really pale in comparison next to her (especially Ian Lavender - you barely even know he's in the show!).
Surprised that the reviews were so distinctly lukewarm. Word of mouth is overwhelmingly positive, so hopefully it will defy the critics and keep the nuns singing for some time to come.
Went along to opening night this week and LOVED IT. Absolutely adored it. I think the first 15-20 minutes are a little slow but after that it just zips along and is so slick. The nuns, as you would expect, do steal the show. All the characters you'd expect from the film are there, with all their quirks and characterisations. The set is absolutely mindblowing - makes full use of the scale of the Palladium and just is constantly evolving.
It doesn't matter that the music is different. It seems a bit odd to start with, but then Menken's score is so infectious that you forget that part of you was expecting to hear I Will Follow Him. Raise Your Voice and Take Me To Heaven are especially strong.
Patina Miller really is a star - she fills that massive stage with what seems like no effort at all. Her voice is beautiful and she can really act. The supporting cast are all strong also but really pale in comparison next to her (especially Ian Lavender - you barely even know he's in the show!).
Surprised that the reviews were so distinctly lukewarm. Word of mouth is overwhelmingly positive, so hopefully it will defy the critics and keep the nuns singing for some time to come.
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Tick, Tick, Boom!
Somewhat contraversially, I think I prefer Tick, Tick, Boom! to RENT. As a show, RENT effects me much more, but when they're broken down, I prefer TTB's music. I don't think it has as much of that clunkiness that put me off RENT for so long.
Having missed the production at the Menier a few years back (I was due to go on the day 2 weeks on from July 7th when there was another huge security alert and took the decision to stay home instead), I'd never seen TTB staged before last week.
I left feeling underwhelmed and a little disappointed. A lot of Larson's beauty is in his harmonies and the three voices on stage just didn't seem to blend. It struck me that they had been cast as individuals without much thought for their chemistry. I've never been a fan of Julie Atherton's voice... I appreciate its technical strength but it's so nasal that it goes through me like nails on a blackboard. And it's so very distinctive that, despite her strong acting, whenever she sings, I feel like she's playing the same character. I'd loved Paul Keating in Little Shop but his voice was clearly very tired and was cracking all over the place. Can't fault his characterisation though, and the whole section after he finds out that Michael's HIV+ and leading into Why was just incredible. Leon Lopez was much as I expected - good, solid, but unremarkable.
The strength of the material really shone through but the production itself? Could take it or leave it.
Having missed the production at the Menier a few years back (I was due to go on the day 2 weeks on from July 7th when there was another huge security alert and took the decision to stay home instead), I'd never seen TTB staged before last week.
I left feeling underwhelmed and a little disappointed. A lot of Larson's beauty is in his harmonies and the three voices on stage just didn't seem to blend. It struck me that they had been cast as individuals without much thought for their chemistry. I've never been a fan of Julie Atherton's voice... I appreciate its technical strength but it's so nasal that it goes through me like nails on a blackboard. And it's so very distinctive that, despite her strong acting, whenever she sings, I feel like she's playing the same character. I'd loved Paul Keating in Little Shop but his voice was clearly very tired and was cracking all over the place. Can't fault his characterisation though, and the whole section after he finds out that Michael's HIV+ and leading into Why was just incredible. Leon Lopez was much as I expected - good, solid, but unremarkable.
The strength of the material really shone through but the production itself? Could take it or leave it.
Monday, 2 March 2009
Saturday Night
Managed to bag myself the last ticket to see Saturday Night at Jermyn Street last Wednesday. I'm not really a Sondheim fan (with a couple of exceptions) but went along to support a friend involved with the show and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
It was slick, classy and uplifting. The music reminded me a lot of Bugsy Malone (in fact, I have spent the 5 days since the show humming 'We Coulda Been Anything We Wanted To Be') but I thought it was staged nicely and the cast were great - never underestimate how hard an actor/muso works! My only criticism was of the use of the space - having part of the stage raised meant that they halfed their usable space at any one time. The ensemble numbers seemed crowded and the choreography got a little bit lost as a result. But that's a minor niggle really and on the whole was very impressed, and very pleased to see a fringe production so well attended!
It was slick, classy and uplifting. The music reminded me a lot of Bugsy Malone (in fact, I have spent the 5 days since the show humming 'We Coulda Been Anything We Wanted To Be') but I thought it was staged nicely and the cast were great - never underestimate how hard an actor/muso works! My only criticism was of the use of the space - having part of the stage raised meant that they halfed their usable space at any one time. The ensemble numbers seemed crowded and the choreography got a little bit lost as a result. But that's a minor niggle really and on the whole was very impressed, and very pleased to see a fringe production so well attended!
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Spring Awakening
I went to Spring Awakening not having been impressed by the CD but having had my expectations raised by the phenomenal buzz surrounding the show. At the interval I thought the first act had, on the whole, been beautiful and was really warming to the show as a whole. By the end of the second act I wanted to tear my hair out and scream. I hated it. HATED IT.
I cannot fault the cast. They are immensely talented (especially Moritz, who I just think was phenomenal) and I have such admiration for how organic the casting process for the show has been. But the show itself was just awful and the direction swayed between flashes of brilliance and moments that made me want to gouge my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.
Its identity was completely lost.... it went from a lot being just implied (ie the violence) to other things (ie the sex scene) being comparatively explicit, making the latter just seem totally gratuitous. I loved the lighting... and the use of the images on the back wall, but the only bits that came close to moving me were Ilse and Martha's song in the first act and when everyone was dropping flowers on the coffin. The weird moving chair bit across the back wall was just thoroughly bizarre - my friend likened it to Rent Remixed when Angel went up the stairs wearing wings... just thoroughly cringeworthy and completely unnecessary and I couldn't agree more.
There is no change of pace at any point in the show. It just kind of lumbers along. There isn't really even a story line, just a sequence of fairly unrelated events. With the exception of Melchior and Wendla, there aren't really relationships between any of the characters and half of them have half a song's worth of 'ooh this is my big solo moment' and then they disappear again.
I felt massively let down by the whole thing and actually a little bit angry that such a talented cast who have worked undoubtedly very hard to get to be in the show are, in my opinion, completely wasted by the fact that the music goes absolutely nowhere.
(I also found it very alarming the degree to which all the cast reminded me of other well known people... so I ended up feeling like I was watching Hermione from Harry Potter having sex with the love child of Lee Mead and Elijah Wood whilst Christina Ricci watched on....!)
I cannot fault the cast. They are immensely talented (especially Moritz, who I just think was phenomenal) and I have such admiration for how organic the casting process for the show has been. But the show itself was just awful and the direction swayed between flashes of brilliance and moments that made me want to gouge my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon.
Its identity was completely lost.... it went from a lot being just implied (ie the violence) to other things (ie the sex scene) being comparatively explicit, making the latter just seem totally gratuitous. I loved the lighting... and the use of the images on the back wall, but the only bits that came close to moving me were Ilse and Martha's song in the first act and when everyone was dropping flowers on the coffin. The weird moving chair bit across the back wall was just thoroughly bizarre - my friend likened it to Rent Remixed when Angel went up the stairs wearing wings... just thoroughly cringeworthy and completely unnecessary and I couldn't agree more.
There is no change of pace at any point in the show. It just kind of lumbers along. There isn't really even a story line, just a sequence of fairly unrelated events. With the exception of Melchior and Wendla, there aren't really relationships between any of the characters and half of them have half a song's worth of 'ooh this is my big solo moment' and then they disappear again.
I felt massively let down by the whole thing and actually a little bit angry that such a talented cast who have worked undoubtedly very hard to get to be in the show are, in my opinion, completely wasted by the fact that the music goes absolutely nowhere.
(I also found it very alarming the degree to which all the cast reminded me of other well known people... so I ended up feeling like I was watching Hermione from Harry Potter having sex with the love child of Lee Mead and Elijah Wood whilst Christina Ricci watched on....!)
WhatsOnStage.com awards concert
Sunday night was a work related outing to the WoS awards do at the Prince of Wales. Not your typical show but a great evening nonetheless.
James Corden and Sheridan Smith were fantastic as hosts. Yes they (he, especially) came close to crossing the line a few times but I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
Think the awards themselves were, on the whole, predictable. No major shocks. Though I was a little surprised by the margin that Sofia Escobar won Best Musical actress by.
I swayed between "very impressed" (Elena Roger and Kim Criswell) and "really disappointed" (Jersey Boys and Sarah Lark) on the performances front. A nice selection of songs but it would have been good to have more detail on the shows they came from.
A great night out though and would certainly go again next year.
James Corden and Sheridan Smith were fantastic as hosts. Yes they (he, especially) came close to crossing the line a few times but I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
Think the awards themselves were, on the whole, predictable. No major shocks. Though I was a little surprised by the margin that Sofia Escobar won Best Musical actress by.
I swayed between "very impressed" (Elena Roger and Kim Criswell) and "really disappointed" (Jersey Boys and Sarah Lark) on the performances front. A nice selection of songs but it would have been good to have more detail on the shows they came from.
A great night out though and would certainly go again next year.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Entertaining Mr Sloane
Another £15 TheatreFix treat and last night I saw a preview of Entertaining Mr Sloane. I knew of it but had never seen or read the play so had little idea of what to expect.
I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. The theatre was absolutely packed - great to see for a preview on a rainy Tuesday evening at the end of January. I have long been a fan of Imelda Staunton (most recently loving her in A Bunch of Amateurs) but she completely surpassed my expectations - just hilarious.
I was disappointed with Mat Horne. I think he's great on TV (having recently been converted to Gavin and Stacey during the second series) but he came across as a typical TV actor who is still unsure of how to be on stage. He seemed a little awkward and his facial expressions were limited which was a shame as there was little, if not nothing, else I'd criticise about the production. I think he'll improve though - after all this was one of their first performances - and he certainly wouldn't put me off recommending it. Honestly, get a ticket now because I imagine the reviews will be fabulous and it'll be even harder to get a ticket than it was for the people queuing last night.. transfer on the way?
I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. The theatre was absolutely packed - great to see for a preview on a rainy Tuesday evening at the end of January. I have long been a fan of Imelda Staunton (most recently loving her in A Bunch of Amateurs) but she completely surpassed my expectations - just hilarious.
I was disappointed with Mat Horne. I think he's great on TV (having recently been converted to Gavin and Stacey during the second series) but he came across as a typical TV actor who is still unsure of how to be on stage. He seemed a little awkward and his facial expressions were limited which was a shame as there was little, if not nothing, else I'd criticise about the production. I think he'll improve though - after all this was one of their first performances - and he certainly wouldn't put me off recommending it. Honestly, get a ticket now because I imagine the reviews will be fabulous and it'll be even harder to get a ticket than it was for the people queuing last night.. transfer on the way?
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Hairspray
So a little slow off the mark, but thanks to TheatreFix, I finally went to see Hairspray on Thursday night. I'm still trying to work out if I liked it or not.
We had understudies for Link and Penny but Michael Ball and Leanne Jones were both on, which I was glad about. I'm not a massive Michael Ball fan but honestly, I completely forgot it was him after about five minutes. He was just brilliant, and You're Timeless To Me just made the show completely.
In total contrast, I was majorly disappointed by Leanne. Her breath control was dreadful throughout, but as soon as she had to sign and dance simultaneously, she was out of tune more often than not. She really seemed just to be going through the motions, and was gabbling half the script which made it seem like she just wanted it to go quicker. Having heard such fantastic things, she really let me down.
Of course it's good fun... I don't see how you could fail to come out after that finale feeling in a good mood and totally uplifted but aside from Edna/Wilbur and Penny/Seaweed, I wasn't massively impressed with the cast and felt that there was a lot of untapped potential in the show that was just wasted because the cast seemed to be very much in the middle of their three month dip. Still, not bad for £15.
We had understudies for Link and Penny but Michael Ball and Leanne Jones were both on, which I was glad about. I'm not a massive Michael Ball fan but honestly, I completely forgot it was him after about five minutes. He was just brilliant, and You're Timeless To Me just made the show completely.
In total contrast, I was majorly disappointed by Leanne. Her breath control was dreadful throughout, but as soon as she had to sign and dance simultaneously, she was out of tune more often than not. She really seemed just to be going through the motions, and was gabbling half the script which made it seem like she just wanted it to go quicker. Having heard such fantastic things, she really let me down.
Of course it's good fun... I don't see how you could fail to come out after that finale feeling in a good mood and totally uplifted but aside from Edna/Wilbur and Penny/Seaweed, I wasn't massively impressed with the cast and felt that there was a lot of untapped potential in the show that was just wasted because the cast seemed to be very much in the middle of their three month dip. Still, not bad for £15.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Perfect Pitch
So last week I sat through all 6 Perfect Pitch new musicals in around 26 hours. Though I did find myself a little confused as to what show I was watching and how many more I had to go at a couple of points, on the whole I was very impressed. My thoughts are in the order I saw the shows and nothing else...
Lift
From the concepts I'd read prior to seeing the shows, Lift was the one I was most intrigued by. I was a bit disappointed, therefore, to find the score so much stronger than the book. I think it's got a lot of potential but don't think it is quite there yet. Fabulously cast though - a very tight knit ensemble. And the 'Lost In Translation' song is a real stand out moment.
The Diary of Me
I knew a little about the show beforehand, but not much. Again, another with a stronger score than book. I think it has limited appeal because whilst it is very poignant for its target audience, that audience is quite small in my opinion. That said, I can see it having life through drama groups, NYMT, schools etc.
Can You Keep A Secret?
Probably the one I was looking forward to the least because I wasn't a fan (to say the least) of Only The Brave in Edinburgh. I was pleasantly surprised. I think the character development was the strongest of the 6 shows (especially impressive given the 45 minute time slot) and I actually really liked the music. I did find myself a bit irked by the 'magical' part of the story line though and was much happier watching the parts in 'real' life. I wonder how it could work in a full scale production. I would actually want to see a full scale production of this though, which is much more than I could say for Only The Brave!
The Lost Christmas
Beautifully festive and magical, it does exactly what it says on the tin. This is a show that I'd oh-so-selflessly offer to take every under-12 year old I know to see it and actually probably enjoy it myself even more than they would. Funny, touching, great music and fabulously Christmassy - loved it.
Rebels and Retail
This is the one I really can't decide about. Of the 6, I knew least about it beforehand and had the smallest number of preconceptions and expectations. It was bizarre, but in a strangely good way. A bit of Jerry Springer, a bit of BatBoy, a bit of Sweeney Todd.. I'm not sure how much identity it had of its own. That said, it was very very funny. In reality I don't think it was as strong as the other 5 shows, but I am completely intrigued as to what the writers will do next given how scarily young they both are!
Through The Door
I knew bits of the music from Through The Door but not much of the story. My biggest issue is of how accepting they were of suddenly finding themselves in 18th century France out of nowhere.. that jarred a little with me and I'd like to think that could be addressed in a bigger production. Musically great - it's 3 days on and I can't stop singing 'Lenny We're Smiling'. I think it has the most identity of all the shows and it's the one that seems most ready to go on to bigger and better things. We shall see...
Lift
From the concepts I'd read prior to seeing the shows, Lift was the one I was most intrigued by. I was a bit disappointed, therefore, to find the score so much stronger than the book. I think it's got a lot of potential but don't think it is quite there yet. Fabulously cast though - a very tight knit ensemble. And the 'Lost In Translation' song is a real stand out moment.
The Diary of Me
I knew a little about the show beforehand, but not much. Again, another with a stronger score than book. I think it has limited appeal because whilst it is very poignant for its target audience, that audience is quite small in my opinion. That said, I can see it having life through drama groups, NYMT, schools etc.
Can You Keep A Secret?
Probably the one I was looking forward to the least because I wasn't a fan (to say the least) of Only The Brave in Edinburgh. I was pleasantly surprised. I think the character development was the strongest of the 6 shows (especially impressive given the 45 minute time slot) and I actually really liked the music. I did find myself a bit irked by the 'magical' part of the story line though and was much happier watching the parts in 'real' life. I wonder how it could work in a full scale production. I would actually want to see a full scale production of this though, which is much more than I could say for Only The Brave!
The Lost Christmas
Beautifully festive and magical, it does exactly what it says on the tin. This is a show that I'd oh-so-selflessly offer to take every under-12 year old I know to see it and actually probably enjoy it myself even more than they would. Funny, touching, great music and fabulously Christmassy - loved it.
Rebels and Retail
This is the one I really can't decide about. Of the 6, I knew least about it beforehand and had the smallest number of preconceptions and expectations. It was bizarre, but in a strangely good way. A bit of Jerry Springer, a bit of BatBoy, a bit of Sweeney Todd.. I'm not sure how much identity it had of its own. That said, it was very very funny. In reality I don't think it was as strong as the other 5 shows, but I am completely intrigued as to what the writers will do next given how scarily young they both are!
Through The Door
I knew bits of the music from Through The Door but not much of the story. My biggest issue is of how accepting they were of suddenly finding themselves in 18th century France out of nowhere.. that jarred a little with me and I'd like to think that could be addressed in a bigger production. Musically great - it's 3 days on and I can't stop singing 'Lenny We're Smiling'. I think it has the most identity of all the shows and it's the one that seems most ready to go on to bigger and better things. We shall see...
Monday, 27 October 2008
Me and My Girl
After the Old Vic 24 hour plays found themselves shortchanged by the clocks going forward earlier this year, clearly Showtime's 48 hour musical challenge thought they'd cash in by going for the weekend where the clocks went back, therefore gaining themselves an extra hour.
On the whole, I was impressed. Bill and Sally (names escape me) were both very strong and carried the show well between them. I thought the tightness of the ensemble numbers was commendable, given the limited rehearsal time, though I did feel that some of the choreography wasn't particularly imaginative. The orchestra (also only rehearsed in 48 hours) were, perhaps, the unsung heroes.
I could have done without Les Dennis and Mel Geidroyc, and especially their overly long drawing of the raffle, but a good evening nonetheless.
On the whole, I was impressed. Bill and Sally (names escape me) were both very strong and carried the show well between them. I thought the tightness of the ensemble numbers was commendable, given the limited rehearsal time, though I did feel that some of the choreography wasn't particularly imaginative. The orchestra (also only rehearsed in 48 hours) were, perhaps, the unsung heroes.
I could have done without Les Dennis and Mel Geidroyc, and especially their overly long drawing of the raffle, but a good evening nonetheless.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Blood Brothers
Went to the matinee of Blood Brothers yesterday.
I will admit my bias, as the lovely Niki Evans is one of my clients. Her playing Mrs J is also the first West End lead that we've secured since I started work, so suffice to say I was a little excited.
She was even better than I expected. Vocally it just oozes out of her, seemingly without any effort whatsoever, and her 'Tell Me It's Not True' at the end was just completely heartbreaking.
It's not a show I'd ever really think of as one of my favourites. I've only seen it once before and that time, I was a bit disappointed. I think it's a very strong cast at the moment though (Steven Palfreman as Mickey especially) and was absolutely in floods.
To say Nik's only 8 shows in, she has found her feet exceptionally quickly. She's already a force to be reckoned with; God help us once she's properly settled in.
I will admit my bias, as the lovely Niki Evans is one of my clients. Her playing Mrs J is also the first West End lead that we've secured since I started work, so suffice to say I was a little excited.
She was even better than I expected. Vocally it just oozes out of her, seemingly without any effort whatsoever, and her 'Tell Me It's Not True' at the end was just completely heartbreaking.
It's not a show I'd ever really think of as one of my favourites. I've only seen it once before and that time, I was a bit disappointed. I think it's a very strong cast at the moment though (Steven Palfreman as Mickey especially) and was absolutely in floods.
To say Nik's only 8 shows in, she has found her feet exceptionally quickly. She's already a force to be reckoned with; God help us once she's properly settled in.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Well
Saw Well by Lisa Kron at Studio 2 at Trafalgar Studios last night.
I'd heard good things about Natalie Casey, but even despite those, I was still blown away by her. There is always that awkward cross-over when you go from TV to stage, because on stage you have to be so much bigger, in every sense. Then to have to find a middle ground in a theatre that seats less than 100 is, I imagine, very difficult. She managed it though... quite beautifully. The cast around her was strong too, but I would quite happily have loved it just as a one-woman show - I was that enthralled by her.
So yes... very pleased to have seen it and loved seeing Studio 2 so packed out. I don't doubt they'll be sold out all this week til they finish.
I'd heard good things about Natalie Casey, but even despite those, I was still blown away by her. There is always that awkward cross-over when you go from TV to stage, because on stage you have to be so much bigger, in every sense. Then to have to find a middle ground in a theatre that seats less than 100 is, I imagine, very difficult. She managed it though... quite beautifully. The cast around her was strong too, but I would quite happily have loved it just as a one-woman show - I was that enthralled by her.
So yes... very pleased to have seen it and loved seeing Studio 2 so packed out. I don't doubt they'll be sold out all this week til they finish.
Friday, 12 September 2008
War Horse
I am ashamed to admit that this was my first ever theatrical visit to the National. Of course I'd been before, and I'd seen their productions elsewhere previously, but I'd never actually sat in one of their theatres before. Very glad that is now rectified.
Anyway, War Horse more than lived up to expectations. I remember absolutely adoring the book when I was younger and was disappointed not to have seen it last time.
It was beautiful... elegant and subtle and just lovely. I thought the cast, in general, were strong.
My only negative was that after spending the first act thinking I recognised him, I placed Patrick O'Kane (Freidrich) at the start of the second act as having been the Macbeth that I walked out of in Stratford recently. Given that this is the only time I have ever left a theatre early in my life, it gives some indication as to the strength of my feeling against his acting.
To give him his dues, he wasn't as bad as I remembered him as Macbeth, but I was so annoyed by that entire theatrical experience that it irritated me throughout the second act of War Horse.
Loved it, despite that. As ever, I am in awe of any actor with that level of physicality. Amazing.
Anyway, War Horse more than lived up to expectations. I remember absolutely adoring the book when I was younger and was disappointed not to have seen it last time.
It was beautiful... elegant and subtle and just lovely. I thought the cast, in general, were strong.
My only negative was that after spending the first act thinking I recognised him, I placed Patrick O'Kane (Freidrich) at the start of the second act as having been the Macbeth that I walked out of in Stratford recently. Given that this is the only time I have ever left a theatre early in my life, it gives some indication as to the strength of my feeling against his acting.
To give him his dues, he wasn't as bad as I remembered him as Macbeth, but I was so annoyed by that entire theatrical experience that it irritated me throughout the second act of War Horse.
Loved it, despite that. As ever, I am in awe of any actor with that level of physicality. Amazing.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Jet Set Go
Thrilled to see Jet Set Go again at Theatre 503 during its London run. Thought its staging was stronger for being straight on to the audience (as opposed to the three sides they had in Edinburgh), though they did lose a little as a result of the stage being narrower.
Much tighter than it was when I saw it in Edinburgh (which I think was only its 3rd or 4th show). Everyone very settled into the characters and clearly having an absolute ball.
Lovely to see it still with so much momentum, even after Edinburgh.
Much tighter than it was when I saw it in Edinburgh (which I think was only its 3rd or 4th show). Everyone very settled into the characters and clearly having an absolute ball.
Lovely to see it still with so much momentum, even after Edinburgh.
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