One bespectacled, anxious-looking Virginia Woolf in a sensible brown skirt and dreary cardigan is never enough, so Michael Grandage’s production of Orlando at the Garrick Theatre generously opens with a whole pack of Woolfs – nine of them – in Neil Bartlett’s new version of the author’s classic whimsical-feminist fantasy.
‘Definitely a show that’s been revived at the right time’: ORLANDO – Garrick Theatre ★★★★
Thought to be inspired by Virginia Woolf’s romance with Vita Sackville-West, Orlando depicts a boisterous protagonist whose journey spans five centuries and two genders. Its awareness of gender politics and expectations as well as the way is defies them is really something special, and it’s astounding that Woolf wrote such a groundbreaking piece of work in 1928 and that it remains so relevant now.
‘It was exhilarating’: Disney’s Frozen offers the most perfectly packaged present for all ages
I don’t have children so the 2013 release of Disney’s animated film of Frozen largely passed me by. It wasn’t until a Christmas a couple of years later that I finally saw the film.
Mark Shenton takes a look at what critics thought of Disney’s Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
I’m interrupting my time on the beach to deliver this bulletin with the reviews of Frozen that opened officially at the West End’s refurbished Theatre Royal, Drury Lane last night.
‘Really keeps the audience emotionally invested’: FROZEN THE MUSICAL – Theatre Royal Drury Lane ★★★★★
As much as it is visually spectacular, Frozen the Musical also has added depth to the story that makes it feel more poignant than the film.
’It’s a decent enough Christmas show’: FROZEN THE MUSICAL – Theatre Royal Drury Lane ★★★★
Phew. The Broadway-rooted, Disneylicious, long-awaited red-carpet premiere night of Frozen featured (of course) an ice-blue carpet. And the throng bursting out to meet the paps afterwards was met by actual snow-blowers, so that our soggy heatwave outfits blended nicely into the evening’s actual rain as we skittered out of range.
‘There’s something for everyone in this show’: Oliver Ormson relishes his role as Prince Hans in Frozen the Musical
Actor Olivier Ormson chatted to Love London Love Culture about bringing Frozen the Musical to the West End and playing Prince Hans.
Can honest critics have theatre professionals as friends?
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.
Mark Shenton’s weekly chart of forthcoming theatrical comings & goings has some new entries
This weekly column keeps track of the shows that are coming back, or are newly being announced, as theatres prepare to re-open from next month onwards. It will be updated weekly until such time as it becomes a reality, and from then on will provide a weekly update to that week’s openings and future ones.
Returning & new productions heading for the West End & beyond post-lockdown: Are you up to date?
Meanwhile, I want to start keeping track of the shows that are coming back, or are newly being announced, in a new feature here that will be updated weekly until such time as it becomes a reality, and from then on will provide a weekly update to that week’s openings and future ones.
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.
NEWS: Opening dates confirmed for West End’s Frozen
The West End production of Disney’s Frozen will open for previews at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 27 August 2021, with a press night on 8 September.
As more productions are postponed, we can only fantasise about what theatre will look like ’when Covid is over’
Far from returning to ‘normal’, the latest rush in trying to re-open theatres – albeit under supposedly Covid-secure conditions – seems to have created a further climate of chronic uncertainty and even more financial losses.
NEWS: Lockdown measures force West End production of Disney’s Frozen to be postponed
The West End production of Disney’s Frozen, planned to open at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 14 April 2021, with previews from 2 April, has been postponed due to the current national lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions.
Mark Shenton kicks off his new ShenTens podcast with a top ten favourite musicals
I’ve launched a brand-new weekly podcast, called ShenTen, in which I will countdown my personal top tens in different theatrical categories.
‘No production need die anymore when the final curtain comes down’: How NT Live became a game changer on the road to digital streaming
ll producers going forward will build digital preservation of their productions into their business models — and a future revenue stream will be available that means that no production need die anymore when the final curtain comes down, either.
‘Demonstrates the power of art to thrill & challenge’: RED – The Shows Must Go On! (Online review)
Red beautifully demonstrates the central thesis that sons must challenge fathers, the old must give way to the new and art and theatre must constantly evolve and change in order to survive – a lesson which has been all too evident as Lockdown2 comes to a close.
NEWS: Productions including Kinky Boots & 42nd Street are made available on new streaming platform Stage2View
The first stage shows to be released on brand new streaming platform Stage2View will include the critically acclaimed, Tony and Olivier Award-winning productions of Kinky Boots and An American In Paris, as well as the recent Drury Lane production of 42nd Street.
NEWS: West End cast is announced for Frozen – now opening in April 2021
Casting has been announced for the West End production of Disney’s Frozen, now opening at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 14 April 2021, with previews from 2 April, due to the ongoing impact throughout the theatre industry of Covid-19.
‘A kind of strange hybrid form’: THIRTY MILLION MINUTES (Online review)
A life distilled to its essentials: 30 Million Minutes indicates the rough length of time that Dawn French had been alive at the time of her solo show recorded in its final incarnation in 2016.