Australia’s theatre capital takes its turn to host the Room Where It Happens, as Hamilton arrives in sensational form, setting off a theatrical powder keg at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne.
‘The routines are without fail breathtakingly good’: BRING IT ON – Queen Elizabeth Hall then Touring
Fabian Aloise’s banging choreography spikes, basket-tosses and split-lifts this cracking production of Bring It On – the Musical.
‘This is a fun night out with some top moves’: BRING IT ON – Queen Elizabeth Hall then Touring
It’s been ten years since Bring It On was first made into a musical. These days it has an interest as a piece of Lin-Manuel Miranda juvenilia, pre-Hamilton and co-created with others.
‘Tear-jerkingly beautiful as ever’: HAMILTON — Victoria Palace Theatre
You know how it is, when a ticket to Hamilton falls into your lap, you can’t really say no to this… So a return to the Victoria Palace Theatre, my first since this behemoth of a show actually opened up and one which was surprisingly rewarding, over and above the pleasures of the show itself.
Book Review: Hamilton & Me – Giles Terera ★★★★★
Illuminating about both the craft of acting and the glorious show that is Hamilton, Giles Terera’s book Hamilton And Me takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through what was clearly an incredibly important period in the performer’s life.
‘A significant step forward’: In the Heights plays its part in the evolving genre of movie musicals
As a modern movie musical, In the Heights employs many of its shot, direction and choreographic techniques to create a swirling visual experience that immerses the audience in the story.
Now & forever? What is the legacy of Cats 40 years on?
There’s hardly a more insistent ear worm of a song in all of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ear-wormy repertoire than ‘Memory’, the breakout hit of his 1981 musical Cats, which last night celebrated the 40th anniversary of its premiere at the then New London Theatre (now itself renamed for Gillian Lynne, the choreographer whose work on the show ignited a revolution in global musical theatre, and accidentally created the West End’s first authentic dance-based musical).
NEWS: West End productions of Hamilton, Mary Poppins & more set return dates
Jeffrey Seller and Cameron Mackintosh, producers of the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, are delighted to announce that from 19 August 2021 the show will resume performances at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
FROM DOWN UNDER – Hamilton in Sydney
Deservedly drenched with international awards and accolades, megahit musical Hamilton arrives in Australia in pristine form, the terrific local cast members not throwing away their shots at future superstardom.
Will an older generation of creatives be altruistic enough to make room for young talent?
A constantly recurring theme as we hopefully start emerging from this pandemic — and even long before it actually happened — was about creating space for new voices and talents, and preferably younger and more diverse voices, whether as writers, directors, producers, designers, actors or even theatre critics.
Mark Shenton asks why a person of colour has never played the West End Phantom?
It’s both surprising, and not, in the light of this that Phantom — a fictional character whose physicality is almost entirely shrouded by a cloak and whose face is 50% covered — has never been played by a black or Asian actor yet in its 35-year run in the West End.
NEWS: Bring It On The Musical will play a London season at the Southbank Centre in December 2021
Selladoor Worldwide has announced that Bring It On The Musical will play its delayed London season at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 8 December 2021 to 22 January 2022, following eight performances at the New Theatre, Peterborough from 30 November to 4 December 2021.
‘There’s a real joy in hearing the 100% live vocals’: WEST END MUSICAL DRIVE-IN – Stream.Theatre (Online review)
This capture of last summer’s West End Musical Drive In delivers much of the thrill of live performance, with Shan Ako and Layton Williams in particularly fine form.
‘It is emotional to watch from start to finish’: HAMILTON – Disney Plus (Online review) ★★★★★
Spectacularly unique and filled with passion, this filmed version of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton is exquisite to watch – no matter how many times you have seen it.
Decade Round-Up: The Musicals
And so here it is… my top 10 musicals of the decade. It turned out to be a slightly emotional journey. But it turns out musicals meant a lot in that time and I’ll fight anyone who says musicals aren’t a serious artform.
10 of Ought To Be Clowns’ top moments of the decade
Ever behind the curve, I present 10 of my top moments in a theatre over the last ten years (plus a few bonus extra ones because whittling down this list was hard, and it will probably be different tomorrow anyway!).
Film Review: Mary Poppins Returns
Fifty-four years is quite the wait for a sequel but the sweetness and charm with which Mary Poppins Returns lands on our screens makes it pretty much worth it.
‘We dream in the dark’: The power of Hamilton track ‘The Room Where It Happens’
The Hamilton track ‘The Room Where It Happens’ stands up well as a track to listen to on the cast recording, but something really special happens when you watch it being performed.
NEWS: Ten new cast members join the London cast of Hamilton as the show enters its second year
Ten new cast members will be joining the London company of Hamilton which is going into its second year at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The production is booking to 30 March 2019.
Post-Edinburgh Mark Shenton offers his round-up of the week ahead in London & New York
Mark Shenton rounds up the latest news, reviews, podcasts and more from London and Broadway, including Prince Harry at Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda at Southwark Playhouse.