I loved the recent outrageously lavish West End production of 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, but was annoyed I didn’t get a chance to return to see the recast before it finished earlier this year – which saw Bonnie Langford return the adaptation of this Hollywood Golden Age musical 25 years after she first starred as the show’s young ingenue.
REVIEW ROUND–UP: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical on Broadway
Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, show based on Tina Turner’s life and career, which has transferred to Broadway.
‘A real treat to watch from start to finish’: 42ND STREET CINEMA ★★★★
This special cinema release of the recent West End revival of 42nd Street captures even more detail of this spectacular production.
‘The cast can certainly sing’: SOHO CINDERS – Charing Cross Theatre
With a few modern updates, this new interpretation of the Cinderella story in Soho Cinders boasts several top notch musical theatre ballads.
The Show People Podcast: Paul ‘Paulus’ L. Martin loves Marmite
The Show People Podcast is back and in this episode host Andrew Keates is joined by Paul L. Martin, best known for being the Marmite judge on the BBC reality series All Together Now.
‘Utterly recognisable & thoroughly fresh’: LES MISERABLES – Touring ★★★★★
Bartlett Sher’s new production of Les Miserables may not have the cosy familiarity of the original Trevor Nunn (I still miss the revolve) but it makes up for that with a relentless energy.
‘Nothing lost & so much gained’: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – Chiswick Playhouse
A genuinely updated I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a really rather lovely thing at the newly renamed Chiswick Playhouse.
‘Will have you constantly smiling’: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change – Chiswick Playhouse ★★★★
I love you, you’re perfect, now change lives up to its name as Chiswick Playhouse give us an extensively re-written 2018 version of an Off-Broadway gem that ran for 12 years straight since premiering in 1996.
‘Ultimately a feel-good show’: REPUTATION – The Other Palace ★★★
Despite the plot holes, this is a charming musical that has potential. This might be the first outing for Alick Glass’s 1930’s set musical but there is still plenty of potential to be found in it despite the flaws in the plot and number of songs included in it. Taking place in 1935, Michelle is… Read More
NEWS: Jason Donovan & Jac Yarrow return to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2020
Jason Donovan and Jac Yarrow will be back at the London Palladium in 2020 when the hit production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat returns following its season this year.
‘Moving & beautifully crafted performance’: LIGHT FALLS – Manchester ★★★★★
Light Falls is Sarah Frankcom’s swan song as artistic director at the Royal Exchange. And what a moving and beautifully crafted performance to leave on. Light Falls is one of the best performances I have ever seen at the Royal Exchange and the most perfect work to bow out on.
PHOTOS: Imagine this on the big screen! The largest-ever staging of 42nd Street
On 10 and 12 November 2019, 42nd Street will be screened to more than 650 cinemas across the UK and Ireland. Critics were sent into a frenzy over this largest-ever staging of the Tony® Award-winning Broadway musical classic during its run at the West End’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. We’ve rounded up review highlights.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Ghost Quartet at Boulevard Theatre
Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for the Boulevard Theatre’s inaugural production.
‘Written & directed with elegance’: THE GREEN FAIRY – Union Theatre ★★★★
The Green Fairy is a realistic and different musical. It doesn’t shout or leave you speechless because of special effects but it is an entertaining and emotional story about love, parenting, life’s choices and much more.
‘Think Robin Hood meets Oklahoma meets Columbo’: CURTAINS – Touring ★★★★
Curtains creates a glimpse into the onstage and backstage antics of theatre folk, well until the untalented and unpopular leading lady of this production of Robin Hood gets murdered during the bows.
‘An alternative festive treat’: SOHO CINDERS – Charing Cross Theatre
This amiable revival of Soho Cinders makes for an alternative festive treat at the Charing Cross Theatre.
NEWS: Sara Bareilles reunites with Gavin Creel to make her West End debut in Waitress
Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics for the hit musical Waitress, will be making her West End debut next year in the show, reuniting with Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor Gavin Creel following their acclaimed reception in the Broadway production.
‘Takes the building blocks of the genre in a new & unusual direction’: GHOST QUARTET – Boulevard Theatre
If this inaugural show, Ghost Quartet, means the new Boulevard Theatre is setting out its stall for a programme of unusually staged and challenging productions in the future then there is every reason to come back soon.
‘The stuff musical theatre dreams are made of’: THE GREEN FAIRY – Union Theatre
New musical The Green Fairy is a bold experience at the Union Theatre, featuring the unmissable, almighty voice of Julie Atherton.
Best of the Blogs: The Mates give their verdicts on When The Crows Visit, Different From The Others, On Bear Ridge, Soho Cinders & more
In our continuing series, editor Lisa Martland picks out some of her Top Picks from the last week of theatre (to 3 November 2019). Libby Purves emphasises the significance of Anumpama Chandrasekhar’s new play When The Crows Visit at the Kiln Theatre.