The intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway in Manhattan marks the epicentre of New York’s theatre district - customarily referred to as “Broadway”. There are 8 theatres on 42nd Street and any self-respecting blockbuster musical wants to or needs to, get an opening there if it’s going to succeed big-time. Thus when Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble (book), Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics) penned their “Broadway-based” musical in the early eighties, “42 Street” sat easily as their … [Read more...]
West End Reviews: The Comedy About A Bank Robbery
Go down to the Criterion Theatre, take your seat, sit back and be prepared to be astounded by this non-stop, hyperactive, pun-fest of an uber-farce played to destruction by a cast which is in constant danger of being arrested for riotous assembly. In fact, last night saw the arrival of the new cast - the show premiered in March 2016 - and the transition was as seamless as a onesie and begs the question: “Can there really be more than one team of such anarchic, unruly, uproarious pranksters … [Read more...]
West End Reviews: Thriller Live is an ‘artistic and energetic celebration
On the 25th June 2009, the world lost an icon. Now, that word is used a lot but what does it mean? Well according to the internet, an icon is “a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration” and although the word is used a lot, in this particular case, as we mention the death of American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, actor, and philanthropist Michael Jackson, it is definitely apt. When he died, he left behind a huge backlog of some of the best … [Read more...]
West End Reviews: Dreamgirls – Savoy Theatre
Dreamgirls is one of those musicals with a whole load of singing in the first half and a stronger focus on plot and character development in the second. I went to the Savoy Theatre wanting the show to really shine, and live up to the hype that’s been surrounding it for some time. I was actually rather disappointed with it come the interval, as I felt I didn’t know much about the characters by this point, beyond them involved in the music business. But it’s in the second half that the narrative … [Read more...]
West End Reviews: School of Rock – New London Theatre
School of Rock opens with an announcement from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. He said he is asked all the time whether the children really do play their instruments live. "The answer is an emphatic yes, they do." Already, the audience was cheering. Our world needs a bit of the feel-good factor at the moment, and this is the ultimate feel-good musical. The 13 children, aged 10 to 13, are talented and joyous but so are the adults. Ebullient David Fynn as wannabe rock star and imposter … [Read more...]