Virgin Atlantic introduces The Lord Of The Rings – The Musical! amenity kits for economy passengers

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Review – The Lord of the Rings – The Musical!

“Unleash your imagination” scream the ubiquitous posters for The Lord of the Rings – The Musical! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Well, with so much money thrown at the production the Whingers were rather hoping they could just relax into their seats and not have to imagine anything. They’d coughed up their hard-earned (or possibly in Andrew’s case the result of a little fingersmithery) money, why should they have to do the work?

Unleashing their vitriol was the only thing they were expecting to do.

An exclusive interview with The Lord of the Rings’ director Matthew Warchus

Things really do happen after a Badedas bath. Andrew had had his ritual annual bath only that morning and sure enough a drama ensued.

Star and their Websites 2

Due to the phenomenal interest in the first Stars and their Websites, it’s back by popular demand.

The West End Whingers have been trawling the Internet purely for your edification:

Who’d have thought Liza Minnelli would have her own site? Well the Whingers would actually. Lots of merchandise in the Liza Store and “PLEASE know how much I love and appreciate YOU” (sic), especially if you keep spending.

If a tree falls in a musical and there’s no-one there to see it fall…

Did you see a tree hobbling into the casualty department of your local hospital last night and, if so, did you take a picture of it, and, if so, please would you send it to us?

Side by Side by Barry Cryer

These are nerve-racking days for theatre producers.

If the Whingers can’t make it to the theatre, you can be sure their agents will. Having thoroughy enjoyed Side by Side by Sondheim, the Whingers wondered how much better it might be without the shambolic narration of Christopher Cazanove. Spies were swiftly dispatched to check out the wonderful Barry Cryer who took over the role until last Saturday.

The Eastern Eurovision Song Contest – 2007

Occasionally the Whingers’ minds wander a little off-topic.

Andrew’s mind tends to wander at the best of times, usually when he’s watching something by Andrew Lloyd Webber or planning an interval departure from The Royal Court Theatre.

But what could be more theatrical than the Eurovision Song Contest, this year from Finland’s glorious capital Helsinki? Glitter, cross-dressing, over-produced musical numbers, and politics. It could have been an amalgam of any number of productions in the west end. Or just one at the National Theatre.

Guest review – The Lord of the Rings (the musical!)

Although they may not seem so, the Whingers are committed to balanced reporting. Indeed, Phil always has a glass of wine balanced atop his rusty Remington while writing typing his reviews.

So we were a bit concerned that as people who like musicals but don’t care much for Tolkein, The Lord of the Rings was in danger of not getting a fair review. So we pinned down a close acquaintance who does like Tolkein but doesn’t care for musicals and this guest review is what Lady Skipper had to report.

We have naturally had to add a few annotations and edit a few rough edges but – not wishing to be accused of censorship – we have ensured that all changes are wholly transparent…

The Lord of the Rings – the wigs

Well, The Lord of the Rings didn’t open last night and so it’s not a review that takes up page 3 of today’s Evening Standard although the online version does contain “The+Lord+Of+The+Rings/showReview” in its address. Cake, having, eating, anyway…

Lord of the Rings: lights on, nobody in the house?

The West End Whingers’ anticipation of the theatrical event they are counting on to save their blogging bacon continues to grow by the minute.

Ticket Offer – The Lord of the Rings

CONFIDENTIAL MEMO

To : Andrew
From : Phil
Date : 24 February 2007
Subject : Misery

Andrew

Thank you for your recent memo. Don’t despair. Help is on the way.

Memo to Phil (confidential) re: Closing West End Whingers

CONFIDENTIAL MEMO
To: Phil
From: Andrew
Date: 23 February 2007
Subject: Fun

Dear Phil

Don’t get me wrong, West End Whingers has been great. I’ll never forget the evening we sat down in a Soho pub after watching the execrable (our favourite epithet?) Fool for Love, and devised our strategy for exorcising from the West End the bad value, bad entertainment and the just plain bad. But I wonder if it’s time to call it a day?