Most review publications rate shows on a five-star basis. But even full fives across the board from every theatre critic in the country won’t guarantee a hit. So what does? Over his 30-odd years working in theatre – creating, building, running and marketing venues, shows and festivals – my friend Chris Grady has come up […]
Theatre bloggers unite for drinks and free tickets
On Monday night, I had the pleasure of attending the second official gathering of the London theatre bloggers, an amorphous group of 30-odd who you can follow collectively at #LDNTheatreBloggers on Twitter. While mainstream critics have come under increasing pressure, the bloggers are baying and hammering at the gates – although very politely and enthusiastically. […]
About time? Guy Fawkes inspires new musical
My first thought when the folks behind a new musical based on Guy Fawkes tweeted me this morning was: what a great idea for a musical! My second thought was: why hasn’t it been done before? or has it? (My third thought was: Well done, book writer Michael Matus. I had no idea that Michael, an […]
Must-see musicals: Memphis and Kinks-filled Sunny Afternoon
In my Theatre Diary last week, I recommended two new musicals – Urinetown and The Scottsboro Boys, both originated in New York and given UK premiere productions Off-West End before transferring in the past few weeks. Now, I can add two more major new West End musicals to your must-see list, which I had the […]
My theatre diary: The Distance, Electra, Lord of the Flies, Urinetown, Next Fall
Having escaped back to Mallorca for a week (god, I love that place, my little piece of heaven), there are at least two weeks of theatre I want to catch up with. My must-see list just keeps growing and growing and has, more accurately become, a might-see list … if I can find a mammoth […]
Simon Callow reaches 21 with The Man Jesus. What next?
After catching Simon Callow’s latest barn-storming performance in The Man Jesus, which stopped off last night (6 October 2014) at the West End’s Lyric Theatre as part of a national tour, I had a lightbulb moment. Similar to what Colin Watkeys is doing with his annual Face to Face Festival of Solo Theatre, which opened […]
How to make your professional stage debut, aged 53
Take me out to the ballgame… There’s a lot of new talent on show in the Landor Theatre’s boisterous revival of 1955 Broadway baseball musical Damn Yankees, but I must declare a personal interest in the cast’s oldest newcomer: 53-year-old Gary Bland. I’ve known Gary and his wife Deborah for many years. They were regulars […]
Have you voted yet in the West End Wilma Awards? Here’s why I have
I voted in the inaugural West End Wilma Awards this morning – and experienced an intense feeling of déjà vu. My own awards past Fourteen years ago, I founded the WhatsOnStage Awards almost by accident. That year, when the Olivier Awards released its shortlists in January, I published them on the website and invited people […]
Spoiler alert: My favourite Forbidden Broadway spoofs
Forbidden Broadway was just what the doctor ordered for me the other night – I haven’t laughed so hard in ages. The renowned Broadway institution (going since 1982) has been slightly Anglicised and specially tailored for the West End in 2014 – Cameron Mackintosh, Elaine Paige, Robert Lindsay and revivals of Evita and Cats be warned (you’re […]
My theatre diary: King Charles III, True West, Toast, Eye of a Needle and Breeders
Knowing that my theatregoing – and overall mental and emotional bandwidth – would be going into tailspin this week, I packed in as many shows as I could over the past fortnight. Amongst them, the five notable plays below. As usual, I’ve listed them in closing date order. Don’t delay with the first two in […]
Video and photos: Spoiling debate ahead of Scottish referendum
“Talk about handling a hot potato,” Gabriel Quigley said to me after I chaired a post-show Q&A with her and her co-star Richard Clements following last Thursday’s performance of Spoiling at Theatre Royal Stratford East. John McCann’s new play, a co-production between Stratford East and Scotland’s Traverse Theatre, is ferociously topical – taking as its […]
All by myself: Solo theatre at the Face to Face Festival
Four of the nine Festival Highlights shows I worked on in August were solo pieces. And over the years of visiting the Edinburgh Fringe, I estimate that at least 60% of all those shows I’ve seen there have been solos – and that’s not including any stand-up. Personally, I love a good solo piece. If […]
Photos and podcast: With the original Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley
I’m excited to attend the gala opening tonight of Michael Flatley’s revamped Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games. I got a sneak peek recently when a few extracts were performed at a preview event at the London Palladium. In addition to the pounding Irish dancing – performed by a 40-strong company of world champions – […]
Photos and podcast: The Lion post-show Q&A with Benjamin Scheuer
As I mentioned in my Theatre Diary today, I cannot recommend Benjamin Scheuer’s The Lion highly enough. This is a beautiful one-man musical about a boy and his father and how that boy became a man and fell in love with playing music. Last night, after being blown away by the 70-minute performance, I had […]
My theatre diary: Streetcar, My Night with Reg, Muswell Hill, The Lion and Dogfight
Edinburgh aside, my August theatregoing has been sporadic, but here are a few shows I’ve seen recently that are worth catching if you can, especially now that the late summer sunshine seems to have abandoned us. As usual, I list them below in closing date order. If you follow me on Twitter (@TerriPaddock) – please […]
Photos and podcast: Therese Raquin post-show Q&A
What a turnout! After a Twitter RT frenzy with the cast of Therese Raquin yesterday, every single one of them joined me for a post-show Q&A after their sensational performance last night at the Park Theatre – including, as promised, feline star, Francois the Cat! We were also joined by Nona Sheppard, who adapted Emile […]
My theatre diary: From tears to laughter with The Crucible, The Events, Invincible and Shakespeare in Love
I’m really doing well for play choices in July. Don’t let the warm weather put you off catching these compelling productions, which scale great heights and depths of emotion. (Apart from the entertainment, most of these theatres were lovely and cool on the hot summer evenings I attended. So you’ll get a respite from the […]
Mobile switch-off: My role in the Theatre Charter movement
Have you lost count how many times a mobile has gone off when you’re at the theatre? I have. And I marvel at the timing. Doesn’t it always seem to be at a quiet, crucial moment of performance? In truth, what’s started to annoy me even more than mobiles ringing – it is possible accidentally […]
Why is Jamie Lloyd and Martin Freeman’s Richard III set in a 1970s open-plan office?
When the production shots for Richard III were first released earlier this week, showing that director Jamie Lloyd had located the Bard’s bloody history play in a 1970s office block, my interest was piqued. After seeing the show at Tuesday’s opening night, my first reaction was to describe the resulting effect as “Get Carter meets […]
Photos and podcast: The Frida Kahlo of Penge West post-show Q&A
I had a great time last night (3 July 2014) hosting the post-show Q&A at the hilarious new “two-woman comedy about putting on a one-woman show”, The Frida Kahlo of Penge West. I was joined by writer/director Chris Larner and the show’s two stars, Cecily Nash and Laura Kirman. Amongst the topics discussed were: comedy […]