Sordid glamour, beautiful sex workers, gunfire, roistering G.I s and, of course, that helicopter – this can only mean one thing. Yes, 15 years after its West End closure, Miss Saigon is back! Based on Madame Butterfly, the tale of a young Vietnamese girl abandoned by her soldier lover after the American evacuation of Vietnam in 1975 is strangely as relevant and fresh as it was back in 1989 when the show first opened. And Cameron Mackintosh’s barnstorming production makes sure that Miss Saigon … [Read more...]
Review of Shakespeare In Love at the Noel Coward Theatre
Finally, Shakespeare In Love is where it belongs; in the theatre. A joyfully simple, rambunctious romp such as this can only suffer from the distancing afforded by the silver screen; it needs the intimacy and the immediacy of the theatre in order to be fully appreciated, with the smell of sweat and greasepaint in the air and the groans and cheers of the audience ringing from the rafters. This is no deep, intellectually study of the trials and motivations of the bard, it is a tale of … [Read more...]
Review of The Sonneteer at The Landor Theatre
Many people have noted, analysed and theorised over the strong aura of homoeroticism which pervades several of Shakespeare's sonnets, particularly those dedicated to the Fair Youth. There is much debate as to whether the bard was actually homosexual or merely a passionate admirer of beauty in all its forms and great speculation as to the true identity of the young man to whom Shakespeare dedicated the verses, the mysterious Mr W.H. In The Sonneteer, Sebastian Michael, Ros Philips and Tom … [Read more...]
Thriller Live review Lyric Theatre London West End 2014
Firstly, you have to know that Thriller Live is not the story of Michael Jackson. Which is a relief in many ways; despite his long career, stupendous success and undeniable musical genius, an in-depth analysis of the life and psyche of this complicated, troubled man would hardly be a feel-good romp. Consisting of a long stream of hits, interspersed with short commentaries from the vocalists, Thriller Live is simply a loving tribute from lifelong fan and Jackson expert, Adrian Grant, who devised … [Read more...]
Review of JUST A HOUSEWIFE at Ye Olde Rose and Crown
Don’t be fooled by the posters; Pippa Winslow’s new one-woman show is no kitsch, whimsically comic revue of the trials of home management and the difficulty of cleaning behind the fridge. These things are touched upon, but only in passing. Just A Housewife is actually an endearingly frank semi-autobiography, with songs. Pippa, once a professional actress and now a housewife – “there’s no ‘just’about it!” – talks us through the trials and tribulations involved in auditioning on Broadway, the … [Read more...]