Andrew is on sabbatical but Phil is soldiering on to help you decide between the Merlot and the Marlowe and generally putting London's West End theatre to rights
Show Boat‘s coming!
Well actually Daniel Evans‘ production from a run at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre is here, almost intact, though Michael Xavier (who played, ahem, Gaylord) went off into the Sunset with Glenn Close.
Phil’s third Show Boat, having seen the Opera North/RSC version at the Palladium and the Broadway/Hal Prince production at the Prince Edward Theatre. Incredibly Andrew’s first, though of course he’s seen one of the film versions. Read the rest of this entry »
There’s a branch of Blockbusters that’s still open and it’s called the West End.
We’ve already got (or recently had), to name but a few, Dirty Dancing, The Lion King, Strangers on a Train, The Bodyguard, Billy Elliot, Once, From Here to Eternity, and The Commitments and with Fatal Attraction, Back to the Future, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Let the Right One In, yet to come. Adaptations of popular films seem to be the only way to secure an audience.
We were at the opening night of The Full Monty so you’d expect the audience to be wildly enthusiastic, the cast and people behind the show have their chums in after all. But one woman in a stage side box got up and danced along, not just at the obligatory standing ovation curtain call, but during the show. Perhaps she was trying to attract the eye of one of the many celebrities present. But which one? Richard Wilson? Sir Derek Jacobi? Mark Almond? Biggins? Read the rest of this entry »
No, nothing murky or salacious. But with Biggins seemingly stalking the Whingers it seemed only fair to return the favour. And besides it was for charity. He was giving his BIGgins Night Out at the Richmond Theatre, a variety show with the promise of quick-change artists, magic, puppetry, song and dancing dogs – not to mention liberal helpings of the National Treasure himself. What could possibly not be to like? Read the rest of this entry »
Showtunes fans only need read on… Nothing for anyone else here. Move along now…
The problem with owning an Ethel Merman’s Greatest Hits CD is that whenever you hear anyone else sing “Throwing a Ball Tonight” or “Make It Another Old Fashioned Please” you just think, “That’s not right”.
That was the main lesson taken away from last night’s A Swell Party at the Cadogan Hall. Of course, you can’t un-buy a CD and there is no known medical intervention which can remove Merman memories from the brain so think carefully before you purchase such a thing. Read the rest of this entry »
A West End Whinger 