I had the chance to see the understudy run of the play Nine Night at Trafalgar Studios.
Why a performance by everyone on stage. The play was written well and directed beautifully. There is no way one would have know that there were some understudies on the stage watching this show. The cast worked flawlessly together.
Even though a joke or two flew over my head I can say I laughed more than I had expected too and at one point I even had a tear in my eye. The audience watching the show were backing the actors throughout and they regularly roared with laughter. There were even some grunts of accuracy by a few audience members. The show tells a story of death which is always a sad subject but it does it in a way that the audience understands that some people celebrate they life of one who has recently passed on rather than mourn initially.
I had a perfect view from my seat in Row D slightly off-centre. The high backs of the seats I found relatively comfortable and it helped my posture a little too. There was a good amount of leg room.
If you get the chance to see this play please do. Productions by the National Theatre are usually some of the best I have seen and it was a privilege to see the understudy run today.
I had the chance to see the West End 2018 production of Company recently and I must say that the show was flawless down to every detail from the singing to the timing of the performers dancing on the stage.
A Sondheim production will always be a flawless production as this man writes great work and it should always be performed so. Though the works are considered a little harder sometimes by testing abilities of performers with word-y numbers the music is a joy to listen too.
The stories which Sondheim tells are stories that applies closely to people’s lives – so in some ways people feel attachment to the shows in some way or another and when one feels an attachment emotions begin to take hold and before you know it a tear is falling down your cheek as you realise part of what you are watching is your life.
It is always good to have people keep you in check about ones live but sometimes it is harder to hear in the spoken word and a musical which depicts some of your life is a slightly easier way to hear what people may be thinking about you.
I myself have reached an age where over the past few years family members have said when are you going to get married and have children. These are both things that I think I do want but seeing some relationships go sour it has made the idea of marriage a little harder especially as I have been brought up Roman Catholic (or Catholic) where divorce is not an option. To add to this I have had some people in my live discuss marriage with me but I had to turn them down as politely as one can as I realised I am not ready for it. I recently went to through a long term relationship (just over 2 years) where at the end of it the other person said we should end it over the phone. Now do not get me wrong I know there are worse ways to have ones heart broken but as far as break ups go that was not pleasant and it has definitely set me back in pursing another committed relationship.
I have some medical issues that I have had over the years which may mean that I cannot have children. This is not a definite but if a partner wanted a child and I was unable to have one of my own — I know one can adopt or foster — then sometimes that can put a strain on a relationship.
This show also made me think about career. I would currently say I have a good job which I get a lot of enjoyment out of and it definitely has some work perks which once received or used make one feel lucky shall we say but having gone down a few different routes in terms of work I still feel I need maybe even a year or so for me to find the job I would want to be in before I am to marry and potentially have children.
I would say as far as a show where in this case many aspects apply to my life – I mean like the person in the show I would say I have a wonderful group of friends who do a wonderful job daily of reminding me to enjoy what life throws at you – I watch a show like this through different eyes to someone who is several years younger than I, married with or without children.
The show has been modernised in a way with it’s changes but these do not take anything away from the show, if anything they make it even more relevant to the world we live in now. The cast are wonderful and seem to have such a great chemistry together. Special mention to the wonderful Patti Lupone who seems to help bring the standard of performance by everyone in the show up a little more with her presence.
The show is wonderful and I am glad I finally got to see it due to TodayTix but unfortunately I will not be able to see it before it closes. Please do not miss out on this show as it is a wonderful show that definitely deserves a much longer run in the West End.
Notre Dame de Paris is a beautiful musical and to hear the show in French definitely added to the emotion one may feel watching the story about Quasimodo and Esmeralda.
Every member of the cast has an incredibly strong voice and each one of the featured ensemble is given a chance to show of what they can do vocally.
Having the english translation above the stage was useful and I did not find it to distracting. Unfortunately as my French is not too good these days I did have to use it a little meaning I would miss a little of the choreography.
The dancers and acrobats deserve so much credit for their skills throughout the show.
Quasimodo made me cry with his final number of the show which I was not expecting at all.
The show was quite dark but it almost felt more real the story with the darker elements added in.
The bow sequence deserves a mention especially when the cast got the audience to join in singing with them. It was a beautiful moment to be apart of, the audience picked up the lyrics quick and simply and joined it. It felt as though there was a connection with everyone in the room.
I would be intrigued to see this show in English. It is such a shame that it has such a short run as it was a full four levels when I was at the show today and I am sure if it had a longer run it would have done a wonderful job of being 4 full levels for the run.
Maybe we in London will be lucky enough to see the show again in the future, whether in English or French I hope that it comes back to the West End.
Songs For Nobodies is on at the Ambassadors Theatre until the 23rd February, don’t miss out on this one woman show of amazement.
Story telling is an art and to be able to tell several stories and add in the beautiful dulcet tones of each of the singers is a true talent and Bernadette Robinson’s is a true talent indeed. She has a beautiful tone to her voice and wonderful clarity, every note she sings touches the soul and you can feel it.
I really liked the smell of tea drifting around the theatre, with each new cup of hot water mixed with something that was made the smell grew richer and sweeter, it made me want to go tea tasting after the show.
I teared up a little when a story was told about the stars, it was a delicate moment in the show.
You can book your tickets in person at the theatre, and some lovely folk they were to me or you can book online.
I have had the opportunity to watch Mary Poppins Returns twice already this year. The first time I went to the film I was a little tentative because the original Mary Poppins film from 1964 has always been one of my favourite Disney films of all time.
What can I say, the film was wonderful, I laughed so much at the comedy and the music and small references to the original films. I cried a little every time I heard a motif of the original music cleverly hidden in the various songs.
The second time I went to the film I laughed even more than the first time and cried just as much. Disney did a wonderful job with the music writer’s for this film as they really caught the essence of the original films music in this film. I came out of the cinema singing a few of the songs and they are still going around my head non-stop.
I have been told for many years I am a bit like Mary Poppins – whether it is to do with my tidying habits or how much I can fit into my bag. I even once dressed up as Mary Poppins for a fancy dress evening with Guides back in the day. The character is very special to me for that reason.
It was wonderful seeing places in London that I recognise from walking down on my journey’s around the city, especially a certain street that reminded me of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.
I highly recommend seeing this film if you have not and if you feel like it watch the original Mary Poppins film before you go as I did. I am sure you will enjoy the film and come out singing a song or two.
Summer and smoke is an interesting play and the words have an element of rhythm to them sometimes.
The way the piano’s are used in this version of the play was very clever, all the piano’s looked and sounded beautiful especially when they were all played together. I was a little sad to see board’s had been taken off the pianos but the way they used the instruments in so many different ways was really interesting to watch. It really proves how much of a versatile instrument piano’s really are.
All the actors did a wonderful job especially all the actors who were playing multiple roles and would instantly chop and change between them.
Both the songs in the show were beautifully written and each one performed with such care and ease. They did not seem to out of place in this adaptation of the play.
If you know a little background about the author of the play you would know he had an over-bearing father which is seen quite frequently in his plays and he also had a sister he was very close to which in this play can be seen with the relationship with a couple of characters.
A Very Very Very Dark Matter is an interesting play giving the viewer a different view on a couple writers, namely, Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Anderson.
This was the first time I had the chance to see Jim Broadbent on stage and he did not disappoint at all, a wonderful actor who held the attention most of the time when he was on stage.
The play was very funny and the audience laughed a lot, even though some of the jokes were simple they still gave the audience a proper laugh.
I initially thought that the play would be good mainly for kids but after watching the play I would say that a slightly older audience will appreciate the jokes and message in the play, I feel a younger audience may miss some of the jokes. Though there were a couple of serious messages throughout the play it worked well as a 2 part play performed straight through without an interval.
If you want to see a slightly different play in a modern venue then please give it chance. As with many things, go in open-minded.
The Bridge Theatre is a beautiful new theatre that is very hip. I was sat in the Stalls section and had a clear view and most seats in this area seemed to, even the seat around the stalls appeared to have a clear view. Relatively comfortable seat. The cafe and bar upstairs seemed quite popular as it is a place you could go to hang out or have a meeting even if one was not seeing a show in the venue. The staff were very polite and helpful.
Mythic the musical was an enjoyable piece of theatre that taught me a little about the Greek Gods that I did not know before.
The pop/rock musical was fun and I did find myself leaving the theatre singing a song or two from the show. There are themes in the show which resonate with aspects of my own life so I am able to feel how certain characters may be feeling.
The cast all have wonderful voices, all very strong as well as being quite soulful which is always pleasant to listen too. All the actors on stage looked as though they were enjoying themselves, this always seems to make performances more entertaining to watch.
The audiences take a little warming up the show but a few songs in they seemed to be enjoying themselves and the show more as it progressed.
The Charing Cross Theatre is a wonderful little theatre where there is a great view from every seat and even sitting more than half way back one has a perfectly clear view of the stage. There is also a wonderful bar for those lucky enough to arrive early enough to sit in it.
I am very much looking forward to the release of the cast album. It seems quite rare nowadays for an off-west end production to have a cast recording but I am very glad this one will.
Watching The Wipers Times I wondered how a play about World War 1 could be so funny and entertaining, yet it was.
The play covers aspects of the first world war which are serious but it is wonderful to see that even in times of such depression and sadness that there were glimpses of light with a slight distraction such as writing a newspaper.
The wonderful writers of the piece Ian Hislop and Nick Newman have both written a wonderful play with wonderful wit.
For a play based on a true story it is very clever how it is put together. The added elements of the music hall which was very popular at the time adds an element of entertainment one might not expect. It is a beautiful tribute to the people who actually created the wipers times during the war and even though as with so many things there were some people who did not agree with the writings it served its main purpose which was to be a cheery distraction for the men fighting such a dreadful war.
If you get the chance I would highly recommend this play and it is one I wold gladly sit through again.
I had the opportunity to see the play The Height of the Storm in the west end recently and I found it to be very thought provoking. I will not spoil the story for those who have not seen it but it definitely touches on some are of personal life that many people may have experienced themselves. I know elements of it I have seen during my life time and through my family.
The actors in the play were wonderful and brought each character to life in a believable way. There are a few twists in the play which really make you wonder where the play is going and what is real and what is not.
The play have been translated from a French play originally seems to have translated well and even though covering a serious topic there were a few moments of laughter during the play.
As the play is only 1 hour and 30 minutes straight through you do not feel as though you are sitting still for that long. The scene changes are quick and the set is simple which I think helps with the quick scene changes.
