Having seen the ways that people can come together in a crisis in the uplifting Come From Away last week, this week brought a more anarchic and nihilistic view of post-9/11 America from American Idiot, the rock opera based on the Green Day concept album of the same name.
‘Musically this is properly exciting stuff’: AMERICAN IDIOT – Touring ★★★★
The tenth anniversary tour of Green Day’s American Idiot kicks up a storm as this Selladoor production arrives at the Playhouse for a week.
‘Hard to fault the show in terms of performance’: SUMMER HOLIDAY: THE MUSICAL – Touring
Long before the Inbetweeners movie was even thought of, there was Summer Holiday, the classic 1963 film in which Cliff Richard and The Shadows enjoyed a far more innocent – but apparently just as action-packed – European adventure.
Knights of the Rose Q&A video: Is this the ultimate cover-to-the-rescue story?
At the Knights of the Rose post-show Q&A, the fun-filled audience discussion included riffing demonstrations, costume quips, a Wicked confession, coining of the term “rockspeare” for the show’s new genre combining classical text with classic rock music, and a milestone birthday sing-song.
‘Takes itself far too seriously’: KNIGHTS OF THE ROSE – Arts Theatre
A Knight’s Tale takes itself far too seriously, missing a camp comedy open goal in its attempt to be intelligent – it’s well sung, but everything else leaves a lot to be desired.
‘Needs to embrace the cheesiness’: KNIGHTS OF THE ROSE – Arts Theatre
While Knights of the Rose show is definitely entertaining and boasts a fantastic cast and band, it needs to take a breath and lighten up so as to embrace the cheesiness that it so obviously contains
‘The only credit to come out of this mess of a musical is the singing’: KNIGHTS OF THE ROSE – Arts Theatre
With plastic swords and rubber mezzanine set – complete with safety rails – that wobbled as it lurched from one scene change to another, the only credit to come out of this mess of a musical is the singing.
‘A complete fantasy’: KNIGHTS OF THE ROSE – Arts Theatre
Knights of the Rose comes from a female team of director and choreographer Racky Plews and writer Jennifer Marsden but it is a masculine tale of Knights of the realm and their fair maidens.
‘Like a bootleg World of Warcraft game’: KNIGHTS OF THE ROSE – Arts Theatre
All the advance publicity for Knights of the Rose gave me a sense of foreboding. I thought the Arts Theatre had hit rock bottom with Ruthless but it seems there is further to go.
‘Properly entertaining evening of innocent fun’: SUMMER HOLIDAY: THE MUSICAL – Touring ★★★
A properly entertaining evening of innocent fun pitched at a level which remembers the old days as being good but without ever indicating they would be worth going back to.
‘An infectious and joyful spirit throughout’: SUMMER HOLIDAY: THE MUSICAL – Touring ❤❤❤❤
Packed with humour, fun and nifty footwork, this stage adaptation of the Cliff Richard film Summer Holiday is a joy to watch.
‘Perfect for warm summer nights of escapism’: SUMMER HOLIDAY: THE MUSICAL – Touring ★★★★
Summer Holiday: The Musical is lighthearted fun, perfect for those who want to reminisce about the 60s as well as those experiencing the story with fresh eyes.
The MTA way: You can’t teach what you don’t do
In his 1903 play Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw famously observed that ‘He, who can, does. He, who cannot, teaches’. And it still hits the nail on the head.
FOOTLOOSE – Peacock Theatre ❤❤❤❤
There is great support from Gareth Gates as Willard – surprisingly funny and sweet throughout. Even if at times some of his mannerisms are slightly over the top, he is always endearing.
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE – Touring
Based on the 1967 film and the original 1956 British musical Chrysanthemum, Thoroughly Modern Millie is a bundle of joy with its over the top characters, tap dancing and of course bringing the 1920’s vibrantly to life.
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE – Touring
Pop quiz. Hum a song from Thoroughly Modern Millie, which is at the Playhouse until Saturday. Aha, Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen’s title number. Very good. And?
VANITIES THE MUSICAL – Trafalgar Studios
With Racky Plews’ production, and some 40 years after Jack Heifner’s play premiered in New York, Vanities in its musical iteration finally crosses the Atlantic to make its London debut. A three-handler, Kathy, Mary and Joanne are Texan women who we meet as teenage high school cheerleaders on the day of what was to be Kennedy’s assassination.
Cheerleaders get a bad rap: Vanities and four other musicals with pep
Watching Vanities The Musical made me remember a cheerleader from my own all-American high school who got her comeuppance – but did she really deserve it? And how many other musicals with cheerleaders can you name?
VANITIES THE MUSICAL – Trafalgar Studios
This all-American musical tells the story of three best friends growing up in Dallas at a time when image and style were more important than brains and ambition. With never seen before material and all new direction and choreography from Racky Plews, this run is the perfect way to celebrate the original play’s 40th anniversary.
VANITIES THE MUSICAL – Trafalgar Studios
This light and bubbly musical is receiving its European premiere at the Trafalgar Studios leaving the audience uplifted and asking: why has it taken so long to reach the stage in Europe? At its most simple, Vanities is a story […]
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