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‘Gloriously re-imagined’: BEAUTY & THE BEAST / WICKED — Liverpool Empire / Apollo Victoria

In Children's theatre, Features, Films, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Other Recent Articles, Regional theatre, Reviews by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

Mark Shenton: First of all, apologies that I was missing-in-action yesterday. I was in London — and at a hotel without desk space in the rooms, so unable to write. (And the dog ate my homework, too). So no, that’s not the entirety of my excuse. But sometimes I need to take a break, too. There may be days when the newsletter fails to materialize!

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Can honest critics have theatre professionals as friends?

In Broadway, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Online shows, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

I’m unashamedly a friend and champion of the theatre; but I can never been a simple cheerleader for it, regardless of the circumstances or my connections with people in a show I’m seeing. As honest critics find out all too often, we’re loved when we love something we see; but that can quickly pivot to becoming the enemy when we don’t.

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Remember all the many creatives who have brought us theatre online, not just the big-hitters

In Broadway, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Online shows, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

There’s no question that, apart from his undoubted brilliance as a composer of instantly memorable melodies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest gift is as (self) publicist. He’s just wonderful at getting people to speak about him and his shows; and thereby promote them.

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Mark recaps last week: Ruthie Ann Miles, Ian McKellen, Moulin Rouge, big openings & best reviews

In Broadway, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews, Touring by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

From news headlines and Twitter gems to must-read columns and the biggest openings in London, New York and Edinburgh, Mark Shenton – currently resident in Provincetown, Massachusetts for the summer – rounds up the most interesting theatre goings-on that made his finely tuned radar. Ian McKellen, Rosemary Harris, Laura Wade, Mark Rylance, Dominic Dromgoole and desperate EdFringe review pleas all feature this week…

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Diary of a Theatre Addict: 49 shows in six weeks, getting up to date

In Features, Interviews, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

I’ve not updated my diary of a theatre addict for six weeks now — I was last here on January 31 — since when I’ve seen all of 49 shows, including outings to Newbury, Dartford, Clwyd, Manchester, Bromley and Cardiff, plus a week in New York. I’ve also taken an active part in two more shows by appearing onstage as a contestant in a theatrical re-run of Mr and Mrs with husband (so it was really Mr and Mr, we’re pictured above with host Samuel Holmes) and as part of David Bedella and Friends, his monthly chat show at the St James Studio.

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Diary of a Theatre Addict: From New York to Edinburgh & Eastbourne, plus meeting Judi Dench

In Awards, Broadway, Features, Interviews, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

I’ve not been here with my usual weekly diary of a theatre addict for a month now. 

So today I’m catching up, not on a week, but on an entire month — during which time I’ve been to Edinburgh, Barbados, New York, Eastbourne and of course London. I’ve interviewed Andy Nyman, Sheridan Smith, Joe McElderry, composer Lucy Simon, Janie Dee and Diana Rigg.