Review – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

With so much riding on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory it’s a wonder it doesn’t buckle under the weight of expectation and disappear through the Drury Lane stage. No wonder the little Oompa-Loompas have such tiny bent legs. Perhaps it’s them carrying the show?

With Roald Dahl‘s Matilda doing well on both sides of the Atlantic, another children’s classic from the same man takes to the stage in musical form. And this is a story that most people know from the famous film adaptations, plus music and lyrics from Hairspray collaborators Scott Whitman and Marc Shaiman and all under the directorship of Sam Mendes who must be glowing still from the success of making the Bond franchise watchable again.

We must cut to the chase. This was a preview but only a couple of nights away from the press being allowed in over five rather bizarrely non-consecutive performances. We had heard reports from early previews that there were problems with Act 1 but now it seems there is now only one problem with Act 1 – Act 1.

Review – Peter Pan, Barbican Theatre

With the Whingers finding their theatrical diaries peculiarly empty four star reviews in the FT and in the Daily Telegraph*turned the Whingers’ last minute fancy to the new version of J M Barrie‘s  Peter Pan at the Barbican Theatre.

Money being quite tight at the moment following the excesses of the West End Whingers’ party, Phil phoned the Barbican’s charming (it turns out) press officer to see if they might consider giving generously only to be told that the centre’s policy was not to supply comps for bloggers unless they were affiliated to some sort of august journal (we’re paraphrasing slightly).

Phil shoved his gearstick of charm into top gear and after a little deliberation the Barbican relented and agreed to give the Whingers one free ticket (you can see why Phil doesn’t try speed dating) but the Whingers would have to buy the second one. Yes it was just like those supermarket Buy-One-Get-One-Free Offers. At least on this occasion Phil was given a BOGOF rather than being told to BOG OFF for once.

So with their noses slightly out of joint (well, one nose out of joint) the Whingers thought it only appropriate they should produce half a review – maybe just the bad bits or every other word, perhaps. Better still: every other letter!

J h (B a k W t c) T f a y’s N t o a T e t e o S o l n‘s c -p o u t o  w t  t e B r i a o D v d G e g‘s g i t y n w v r i n of J  B r i ‘s P t r P n h s e t n u s e  a l a s c a i n  w t p n t .

Review – Midsummer (a play with songs), Soho Theatre

Oh dear, this rating system is going to be the death of the Whingers.

“Well, definitely a robust 4,” said Andrew confidently as they trailed down the staircase of the Soho Theatre after Midsummer (a play with songs) on Monday (Yes! Monday! That’s how long this has been rumbling on!).

“Mngh,” countered Phil. “3”.

But then it turned out after a bit of discussion that Phil was in fact actually rating his bladder which – dicky at the best of times – had been sending impatient complaints to his brain for the final half hour of the 105 minute uninterrupted running time.