Intricate but not in-your-face Falsettos is a must-see reminder of human love; and a great example of how moving music can be.
‘The quality of the on-stage work is undeniable’: FALSETTOS – The Other Palace ★★★★
If ever there was a triumph of delivery over content, then this first London production of the New York Jewish musical Falsettos is it.
‘Elevated by an outrageously good ensemble’: FALSETTOS – The Other Palace
Judging the production at face-value though, Falsettos is well sung, ultra-smart and ultimately gutting. Those who buy a ticket will have plenty to look forward to.
‘I could easily imagine it transferring to the West End’: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Arcola Theatre & Touring
Little Miss Sunshine is impressively directed with a high energy level, the songs are so good that I hope a soundtrack CD is soon released, and overall it’s a very solid four-star musical I could easily imagine transferring to the West End and being a big hit.
REVIEW ROUND-UP: Little Miss Sunshine at Arcola Theatre
This musical adaptation of the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine is playing at the Arcola Theatre before embarking on a UK tour.
‘To an extent, it works’: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – Arcola Theatre ★★
Every time I see a new musical made from a recent-ish film, I wonder if this could be ‘the one’, the one that jumps the shark and enters the canon of the regularly performed.
NEWS: Laura Pitt-Pulford & Gary Wilmot join the cast of Little Miss Sunshine European premiere
The European premiere of Little Miss Sunshine at Arcola Theatre will star Laura Pitt-Pulford as Sheryl, the matriarch of the eccentric Hoover family and Gary Wilmot as Grandpa. The Off-Broadway hit musical opens at the Arcola Theatre, London on 21 March 2019 running until 11 May (press night is 1 April) before embarking on a UK tour.
‘Someone to hold you too close’: 10 takes on ‘Being Alive’ to celebrate Company’s opening
My Top 10 ‘Losing My Mind’ post has been one of the most popular on the site, so I thought I would repeat the exercise with what is arguably Company’s most iconic song ‘Being Alive’.
‘A thing of real, gentle wonder’: FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS – Chichester
Some of the beauty of Flowers for Mrs Harris gets lost at Chichester Festival Theatre but it remains a striking new musical
“It’s a work of art… something not real, made to make you feel”
I had much love for Flowers for Mrs Harris when it premiered in Sheffield a couple of years ago, and so I was delighted to see Daniel Evans deciding to revive it at his new abode over in Chichester. My only cavil came with the placing of this most heartfelt musical in the vast space of the Festival Theatre rather than the intimacy of the Minerva where it might perhaps have been better served.
So much of the beauty of the show (book by Rachel Wagstaff from Paul Gallico’s novel, music & lyrics by Richard Taylor) comes from the fact that it isn’t a bells and whistles epic. It is something far more subtle that truly celebrates the ordinary in extraordinary, as Clare Burt’s charlady Ada Harris dares to dream of owning a Christian Dior dress and in working to achieve that dream, illuminates the lives of those around her.
Largely sung-through, the cumulative effect of Flowers for Mrs Harris is like a ripple billowing through a length of silk fabric, flipping it over – beguiling and beautiful, gentle but ultimately transformative. As Ada’s hard work takes her from Battersea to Paris, some nifty doubling in the cast sees her meeting contrasting figures to those for whom she toils. So Louis Maskell switches from accountant to dreamy photographer, Laura Pitt-Pulford from struggling actress to top model, Joanna Riding aristocracy to couturier, and all impress with their clear delineation.
And Burt is just magnificent the unassuming Ada, slowly coming to realise her place in the world, her worth and her right to a greater happiness than she ever dared dream of in the drudgery of post-war Britain. Lez Brotherston’s design looks superb under Mark Henderson’s well-observed lighting choices, and the conclusion is a thing of real, gentle wonder. Don’t just talk about wanting to see new exciting British musical theatre, go and see it now!
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (with interval)
Photos: Johan Persson
Flowers for Mrs Harris is booking at Chichester Festival Theatre until 29th September
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‘Blooming magical’: FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS – Chichester ★★★★
Flowers For Mrs Harris, a 2016 Sheffield hit for director Daniel Evans when he was there, is the big musical flourish for Chichester Festival Theatre, where Evans is now completing his second year as artistic director.
‘One of the most heartwarming shows I have ever seen’: FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS – Chichester ★★★★★
Flowers for Mrs Harris is one of the most heartwarming shows I have ever seen and a return to the great British musical. The audible gasps, from the audience, at certain parts a testament to both the writing and performances.
INTERVIEW: The Gronholm Method’s Laura Pitt-Pulford
Love London Love Culture’s Emma Clarendon spoke to Laura Pitt-Pulford about her current role in The Gronholm Method at the Menier Chocolate Factory, playing until 7 July 2018.
‘Everyone is engaging, focused & talented with tremendous collective energy’: THE BIOGRAPH GIRL – Finborough Theatre
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‘Makes for fascinating viewing’: THE GRONHOLM METHOD – Menier Chocolate Factory ❤❤❤❤
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‘Zaps you in the last few minutes’: THE GRONHOLM METHOD – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★★
Among other things, The Gronholm Method cheeringly displays how widely in the corporate working world people fear and despise human resources psychologists and tricksy interview techniques…
NEWS: John Gordon Sinclair & Laura Pitt-Pulford are cast in The Grönholm Method at the Menier Chocolate Factory
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‘The ensemble really brings the show to life’: BARNUM – Menier Chocolate Factory
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REVIEW ROUND-UP: Barnum at the Menier Chocolate Factory
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BARNUM – Menier Chocolate Factory ★★★
Officially the star is Marcus Brigstocke, best known as a Radio 4 standup comedian: but actually, the real star is the ensemble.
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