Category Archives: Reviews

ALBUM REVIEW: Emeli Sandé – Our Version Of Events [2012]

I make no bones about it – Our Version Of Events was the album that I was most looking forward to out of all of the albums that have been announced for this year. I’ve been on board as an Emeli Sandé fan from prior to her first release, and was very excited at the idea of a wider context in which to place all of these hurriedly rushed out singles, on the back of her recent successes.

Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed when I came to listen to Our Version Of Events today.

We’ve definitely had her best material released as singles thus far, and I’m hoping that the delay in getting this album out, doesn’t mean they’re going to milk it for more singles – hopefully there will be another album in the coming months. I can’t believe that her album has been out 36 hours, and I’m already ready for the next one.

What I’ve done is to make comments on each track as I listened to it earlier, so whilst my comments are a little disjointed, they do reflect how I felt on the first listen about the track, and I usually stick by my first impression.

Love her style, love her voice, and, undoubtedly, she’s a great asset to the UK music industry – both as a performer and a writer.

SUMMARY: Some songs are anthemic and will speak to you, but if you’ve got the singles already, there is no need to flesh out your Emeli Sandé library further at this moment in time…

HEAVEN

ANTHEMIC! I pegged this last year well in advance of its release as the stand-out track of 2011, and I’m SO pleased that it’s all been borne out. Loving the roughly cut gothic gospel elements, the epic transpose come the chorus, the use of brass, and that phat bass!

MY KIND OF LOVE

I love that you really get the vocal coming through on this track. It’s got a certain level of atmosphere behind it, and that it retains the gospel elements from HEAVEN; making this a great second track and establishing a sense of cohesion/sound. I wouldn’t expect this to be released as a single however.

WHERE I SLEEP

Has a bit of a Destiny’s Child ‘Brown Eyes’ style of vocals to it at the start, which I’ve recently rediscovered, and rather like. A short track at 2:11, it has a beautiful little message, and gives a real sense of life affirming validation to the listener. This is where I feel safe enough to total strip myself back to the person that I really am, this is where the show stops; this is totally me.

MOUNTAINS

This track has grabbed me less than all of the others, I feel. I do like the orchestrations, which I have perhaps missed from some of her previous releases; however, I’d love to hear her do a big Celine style ballad, rather than a song like MOUNTAINS, which kind of just hovers at Pennine level, rather than soaring to the levels of Mount Everest!

CLOWN

After sitting through MOUNTAINS, I think that CLOWN was the last thing that I needed. This is another track that has slightly underwhelmed me, which I hate to even dare say in relation to this artist! On a positive note, the piano and delicate vocal are lovely, and her diction comes across perfectly, which I enjoyed. CLOWN is definitely better than MOUNTAINS, however, and it gets a lot more engaging towards the end of the track – stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded.

DADDY

Another of the singles from the album, DADDY is a fantastic track, a return to the gothic gospel sounds of HEAVEN, which really do work for the artist. One of the album’s standout tracks.

MAYBE

Most of this track had actually gone by, before I realised that I was listening to it. It’s got some nice sentiments and orchestrations to it, but another track that has failed to grab me, I’m afraid. I don’t really see myself ever going ‘oh, I really want to listen to MAYBE’…

SUITCASE

Now this song, I do like! It’s fairly similar to the ones that I’ve not been so warm about previously, however, the song has a rawer message than the others, and the sentiment really comes through – it’s impossible to listen to the song and not get enveloped in to the story. I also like that the song retains a sense of grace and firmness, despite the sad lyrical content – a good contrast.

BREAKING THE LAW

A very stripped back and acoustic song, but ultimately bland, sorry!

NEXT TO ME

CHOOOOOOOOON! Absolutely love this, and very glad it got released as a single – it’s got an awesome bass and melody, and really shows off Emeli’s vocal talents! I could listen to this on a loop all day, happily! Next tooooo meeee-heeeee, ooooh-hhhhoooo! ^_^

This stripped back vocal version for Jools Holland is awesomesauce!

RIVER

Within two seconds, decided that I liked this song. Very elegant and has a great vocal.

LIFETIME

Infectious sounding track, really liked this – hope that it gets released as a single.

HOPE

A bit of a Celine-esque song at last!!!! Really nice, and a bit of a subdued/elegant diva song, good rhythm to it, really puts her up there with other contemporary songstress!

READ ALL ABOUT IT (Pt. III)

The original track, previously sampled on Professor Green’s phenomenal single – whilst I ADORE the Professor Green version, this more stripped back vocal version is absolutely STUNNING! A great way to close the album, and it’s fab to finally get the surprise that perhaps I’d been waiting for from this album!

ALBUM REVIEW: Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas [2012]

I happened to pick up the latest Leonard Cohen album, Old Ideas, on Spotify this morning. T’was purely by chance, as I noticed that he had a song in the Billboard 200, and was intrigued to see what he was kicking out these days, after an 8 year recording break.

What I’ve found is an AWESOME album – there’s still Leonard’s usual smooth style, but now it has a modern twist to it, and it feels WRONG that an old man’s voice growling in my ear is exciting me as much as this! haha! (ANYHOW is especially disturbing in this context, ha!)

Stand out tracks include:

GOING HOME

LULLABY

and DIFFERENT SIDES

Internationally, the album has done fantastically, scoring a top two chart position in most places where it’s been released (including a UK number 2 in the album charts, number three in the US Billboard 200).

Well worth a listen if you have a spare hour, and my advice would be not to approach this with dark pre-conceptions from his old stuff still in your ears – this sound is comparatively modern, refreshing, unique, and bound to please! :)

You can stream the album on Spotify via this link.

REVIEW: The Phantom Of The Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre, London)

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Oh. My. Gosh!

Regular readers of my blog will know that I am something of a musical theatre obsessive, however, tonight was my first time seeing The Phantom Of The Opera actually on a stage in front of me (a shocking revelation, right?!). I came out of the performance this evening and I was actually shaking. Seriously. Despite all my years of amassed musical knowledge, and the vast range of productions that I’ve sat through in my time, I can hand on heart say that The Phantom Of The Opera has totally revolutionised and changed the way that I think about musical theatre, just at a time when I though there was nothing more that could really excite me at present. Even in its 26th year, it still holds that magical power, and you really have to see the show before you to appreciate the true beauty and spectacle of this absolute masterpiece!

The production appears to have benefited well from the 25th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall production, though I really must stress that watching the DVD of this alone is simply not enough! :P

The staging itself was absolutely BREATHTAKING. We had the benefit of being in row H of the stalls, and so everything appeared ‘seemless’ and my eyes popped out of their sockets several times – especially during the Lair scenes, which were even more fantastic than I’d previously seen on the DVD or in photos in books etc. We were also directly under the chandelier, and I tell you now, when that bad-boy is hurtling towards you (they’ve sped it back up again now) then you instinctively duck for cover and yelp a little bit! Amazing!

I was fortunate to be taken to the show by my pal Paul, who actually saw the very original cast, in its first ever week – how amazeballs is that?! He was very surprised to find that absolutely nothing has really changed in the time since – something which amazes me, as the production looks so fresh, and, even now, 26 years on, it is still able to blow my mind, despite all I’ve seen on the stage before! I cannot imagine just how revolutionary this must have been back in 1986.

The orchestra was simply devine. I had goosebumps throughout the production; not just where I normally look for them (Overture, and The Phantom Of The Opera), but in parts of the score where I never usually get them! Absolutely nothing compares to hearing this score played live, and, though the word ‘masterpiece’ is bandied about a lot with this show, it is a very suitable word. This score is one of the ones that really made me get into musical theatre as a kid and regard Andrew Lloyd Webber so highly (I even used to help moderate the official RUG and Phantom message boards), and I genuinely cannot think of another score which moves me as much as this one does.

The ultimate treat was that the Phantom is currently played by musical theatre stalwart Earl Carpenter. For those who read regularly, you’ll know that this is going to be my last West End show for quite some time, as I’m moving back to Manchester on Saturday, and so Phantom was the one show that I desperately needed to see before I went, and, prior to tonight, Earl Carpenter was the only West End legend that I had yet to see before me on a stage. That the two massive desires that I had desperately wanted to fulfil prior to my leaving the West End behind (a massive deal for me!) were made true on the same night will stay with me forever I think (also in keeping with the advertising strap line ‘remember your first time…’ too, ha!). It was made even better as I didn’t even know that Earl Carpenter had returned to the show in advance of my attendance this evening – I only found out at the end! (I had a bit of a Phantom style revelation myself it seems haha!)

Several times, and owing to our proximity to the stage, I found myself staring right into the Phantom‘s eyes, and he chilled me to the core – I had to keep breaking my gaze! The depth of emotion that Earl Carpenter was able to convey was magnificent, and I’m not ashamed to say that come the end of the show, I was in floods of tears! Such a beautiful performance.

Sofia Escobar as Christine was an absolute find. I may get shouted down for saying this, but her voice was even more perfect, for me, than that of Sarah Brightman, who the role was written specifically for! Perfect look for the role, an astonishing voice for someone who is fairly fresh to the wider world of musical theatre, and I really hope that she stays with the production for a long time.

Killian Donnelly as Raoul was fabulous. Raoul is that slightly simpering second male lead role that I usually find it hard to attach to in a musical, however in this case, Donnelly totally grabbed Raoul and gave him a decent pair of bollocks, and completely sold the role to me! Really enjoyed his performance.

I cannot discuss the cast without mentioning Wendy Ferguson’s Carlotta – I genuinely cannot imagine anyone more suited to the role. A gorgeous voice, a fantastic way of portraying the role, and I love just watching her, even if she’s not in the foreground. She’s secretly my favourite! :P

You only have to flick through the programme to see what a wealth of musical theatre royalty is in the current cast – everyone has really fabulous experience in the field, with many people previously appearing in significant roles that I really look up to!

I genuinely, genuinely cannot implore you enough to go and see this show, I guarantee that you will not regret it. I’m not normally a fan of the premium seating model, however for this show, I would definitely recommend those seats, and in fact, for the 25th Anniversary touring production, soon to be in Manchester, I am insisting that Max and I splash out on the premium seating!

I thought that no musical could ever affect me in such a significant way again – I thought that I’d seen all that the West End had to offer, and was ready to face the final curtain, and retire a contented man; especially as I thought I knew what I was getting tonight. However, seeing this show, in the ‘flesh’, has totally reignited the passion that I have for musical theatre, and I now find myself wishing that I could see this show a couple more times before I leave; if only!! For a show to do this, and totally blow my mind, it has to be worth a look, right? :D

The Phantom Of The Opera is playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre, and stars Earl Carpenter as The Phantom up until 17th March 2012. For further information, and to book tickets, please visit the show’s official webpage.

RE-REVIEW: Les Misérables (Queens Theatre) – 2012

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Let me start off by saying that, recently, I have reviewed Les Misérables TO DEATH! Ha!

This will be my last Miz for quite some time!

I’ve just come back from seeing Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre, London and have once again had a thoroughly amazing evening, made all the more poignant because this is the penultimate show that I’ll get to see before I depart the West End for a bit! (the final curtain call, will be The Phantom of the Opera on this – Tuesday – evening).

The casting team for this show are currently famed for their three-month contracts, which currently includes Phantom-extrordinare, and current West End ‘IT MAN!’,  Ramin Karimloo, as Jean Valjean (and who unfortunately does not play on a Monday or a Thursday evening); thus this review is unable to comment on the interesting though historically traditional transition that he’s made over to this other West End stalwart, nor comment on how well he takes on this monumental role.

However, Les Misérables is definitely not a one man show, and for me, I really value to get to see the understudy, as you tend to get someone without the gimmicks or biased pulling power, thus it makes it so much easier to review the performance, as you’ve got no preconceptions, and you tend to get blown away! :) Plus, in an era of such short contracts, it also affords some longevity to this review, in addition to hopefully reassuring that subset of people who oft tend to be a little hard-to-warm to the concept of seeing an understudy.

Incidentally, I also think that the character of Javert is definitely the more interesting of the two principal adult male roles, but that’s by the by, and for another day! :P

So, Monday 23rd January, and the overall performance was, as ever, FANTASTIC!

We had a rather large number of understudies on owing to Principal cast holiday/performance schedules, including Christopher Jacobsen as Jean Valjean, Zoe Doano as Cossette, and the (incredible) Shaun Dalton as Inspector Javert.

I’ll start with the good, and say that Shaun Dalton as Javert was perfect, in my opinion. It’s the one role that I look at closely in this musical, and I found Dalton to be note perfect, incredibly commanding on stage, and a real force to be reckoned with. My plumed 19th Century Inspectors hat comes off to him, and I’d love to see him in a more Principal role come the next cast change.

I was very pleased that Alexia Khadime was in tonight’s performance, as her Eponine is absolutely gorgeous, and always a pleasure to watch. I’ve also warmed a lot more to Craig Mather’s Marius, and Katy Secombe was fantastic as ever in the role of Mme Thénardier. It was my first time seeing Cameron Blakeley as Thénardier, and I thought he did a great job in the role, making it distinct from the great shaping that I felt Matt Lucas brought and added to the role immediately prior.

Christopher Jacobsen took a little while to grow on me as a plausible Valjean, and I was initially a little worried… certainly during the opening numbers, and right up until At The End Of The Day, I felt that his voice lacked the operatic depth that I’ve perhaps become spoilt and used to with previous Valjeans. Having today learnt that he is a meer 23 years old (@tobiased makes a good point in that Valjean is never this young at any point in the entire story); I feel that this explains a lot. However, the ‘older’ Valjean got, the more I found that I became comfortable with Jacobsen’s performance, with his voice becoming more resonant, and, ultimately, I think that you end up with a passable, though not authentic, Jean Valjean. Credit where due, some of the songs were sung with great emotional depth and absolutely pitch perfect.  I probably wouldn’t shy away from a Monday/Thursday performance to deliberately avoid his Valjean, were you not too fixed on definitely seeing Ramin Karimloo.

It was my first time seeing Liam Tamne in the role of Enjolras, and I have to say, as I’d expected, I wasn’t keen. On all my previous visits to the show over the last 9 months or so (and there have been quite a few!), I’ve always had Scott Garnham, and I do much prefer him in this role, if I am honest. Similarly, I still haven’t warmed to Caroline Sheen as Fantine, though, as ever, it is worth noting that the audience are usually receptive to her, and perhaps it’s just that she’s not right for my own vision of Fantine.

Overall, and it’s made harder to judge with so many understudies on this evening, I feel that the cast is fairly strong, though definitely not as strong as when it had its full June 2011 complement, and underwent the mini-re-invention.

Technically, the show was great, and I was very fortunate enough to have had a private tour of the stage a few months back, and so it was great to watch the production with more ‘technical’ eyes. The orchestra sounded brilliant, and the surround sound which was recently installed back in 2011 also did a great job during the first barricade battle scene – even when we were right at the back of the Dress Circle you felt in the thick of it! :)

As ALWAYS, I ended up having a bit of a blub at the end, it’s just such a fantastic show, story and score, and coupled with a great cast, and thus I had a really fab time.

Les Misérables is currently at the Queens Theatre, and running pretty much until forever! If you would like any more information on the show, please visit their official website!

On why SMASH is not GLEE!

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So, by now, I am assuming that you have seen the pilot for the new NBC Drama, SMASH!

(if you have not, you simply must! It’s currently being splashed all over the Internet by NBC).

Having watched the pilot, can I just say that I was suitably impressed, and the many many months that I have been looking forward to this were all well worth it – simply, this smashed it for me!

Unfortunately, I can already see all the comparisons with GLEE, which I wouldn’t mind so much, were they not what people are going to say that they are!

The thing that I like best about SMASH is that it actually has its roots in musical theatre, and not, as is the case with GLEE, where they’ve just bought in some Broadway talent – SMASH actually has a decent creative team behind it, many with a musical theatre background, and the cast are, technically, more accomplished than the season regulars in GLEE. In addition to this, you cannot mention SMASH without rejoicing at the talents of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, whose scoring is, as ever, sublime! There are original songs in SMASH from the outset, and, I would argue that these are actually stronger than the covers (Let Me Be Your Star deserves an award imo!).

Unlike GLEE, which rams a song down your throat every 6 minutes or so, over a tenacious story arc, SMASH is able to tailor the songs to the content in a far superior way owing to the talents of Shaiman and Wittman, and so the whole show just feels a lot more organic, and flows better. Vocally, the voices match the songs a lot better, and there is a distinctly more mature sound to the show. Scripting is also far superior, and plot holes are not as obvious. They’re originally going in for 15 episodes, rather than GLEE’s 22-or-so, and I think that this will help keep the pace up on the story more.

Anjelica Houston is a huge draw, for me, absolutely love her, and I do hope she gets a musical number, or similar, as the show progresses!

It is reported that the pilot cost a staggering $7.5m – and it is very very clear from all the promo that is being done across the World, that NBC are determined to make this show a success, which is great to see.

From the original concept, I note that the plan was to do a new show each season, and for the actual musical at the end of the show to go onto a Broadway stage. This excites me no bounds, and, if this still occurs, then it would be an amazing way to get new, fresh, content onto the Broadway stage! Original musicals, exactly what we need more of – especially if Shaiman and Wittman are involved.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not hating on GLEE, I was watching it well before anyone else in the UK had probably even heard of it, and I still love it, when it’s on form, but I do think that there are a lot of broad differences between the two, which will sadly be overlooked or mistakenly dismissed by the majority. Whilst SMASH is absolutely my current/new favourite thing on TV – I’m on the fence about whether or not SMASH will breakthrough and recoup all the money being plowed into it. Whilst it’s already had rave reviews from the pilot, I can see a shelf-life already, which concerns me a little, thus I am very interested in this new season, new show concept very much. I can already also see the haters and the GLEE maniacs who will try to kill this, ultimately more sophisticated, show off. SMASH is by the Company, for the proper musical fans, and I am not too sure if musical fans alone will be enough for a show – GLEE successfully also taps into the influential and lucrative teen market and subtly introduces them to the concept of musicals, and show tunes, whereas SMASH assumes that the interest is already there. Whilst this is great for me, it’s not going to be great for people who don’t live and breathe musical theatre already.

SMASH is WELL WORTH a look in, and if you’re reading this blog, or following me on Twitter, then I can confidently say that SMASH is going to ring all of your bells and toot your whistle!

For those who have seen the pilot, I’d be very interested to know your thoughts :)

BBC: Lost Christmas [2011]

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So, it’s now less than a week until Christmas Day, and I’ve just taken my first dive into the ever-promising Christmas TV schedule.

Lost Christmas is an ‘urban fairytale’ set in (my hometown) Manchester, following a tragic Christmas Eve and the steps that occur the following Christmas, impacted by what has gone on before.

Starring the magnificent Eddie Izzard, amongst many others, I found this to be a great piece of drama by the BBC. In spite of the time of day of original broadcast (a Sunday at 17:30), it manages to be both sensitive and a little brutal, where it needs to be, and ultimately, through a very fluid narration, handing off from character, to character (which prevents the viewer from becoming bored), it manages to tell a real modern-day style Dickensian tale!

All the classic elements are there, though more subtly than you would know from simply watching – there’s poverty, a real working class feel to the Salford locations and characters, children, a Scrooge, a time-lapse and, ultimately, a reformation.

Should you have 90 minutes to spare between now and Christmas Day, when the BBC iPlayer will deactivate this programme, then I would thoroughly recommend giving Lost Christmas a watch.

Please click here to view the show (UK only).

As a random bit of trivia, Eddie’s hair is short, and dyed a vibrant blonde, as he was required to have a shaved head for another role that he has undertaken for Sky, in their Christmas adaptation of Treasure Island (he plays Long John Silver). As this role in Lost Christmas followed straight after filming for that, and as his hair had not yet grown back, Eddie decided that doing something bold was the only way to make his current hair cut look ‘normal!’ :)

Patrick Wolf – Jerusalem

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Absolutely love Patrick Wolf’s latest EP, Brumalia, largely assembled around the time of the English riots in August 2011.

His version of the quintessentially English classic anthem ‘Jerusalem‘ is fantastic, and perhaps my favourite version of this ultimately fabulous song, especially given the context that this was recorded in.

REVIEW: The Lion In Winter -Theatre Royal Haymarket, London

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In what is becoming an enjoyably intense three weeks of ‘live event going’, this evening saw the turn of Trevor Nunn’s new production of The Lion In Winter; currently in previews at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and starring Robert Lindsay and the FABULOUS Joanna Lumley!

Just the other night, I went to see Chicago with America Ferrera (which is ace, incidentally) and I was absolutely raving constantly about how thrilled I was to be getting to see her, and then gushed on about how I met her very briefly afterwards at stage door. However, less than 48 hours later, that massive deal has already been totally eclipsed, as it’s JOANNA LUMLEY!!!! :D (yes folks, this blog is a VERY fickle place, unfortunately hehe!).

I’ve been a fan of Trevor Nunn’s work for many a year, and I am glad to have had an opportunity to get to see a show that forms part of the Theatre Royal Haymarket’s ‘Trevor Nunn season’, and especially for it to have been this show – which also happens to be the one that has excited me the most, and not just owing to the casting!

The Lion in Winter

By James Goldman
Directed by Trevor Nunn

A family Christmas becomes a family at war. Henry II, not so young as he was, invites his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitane, and his three sons, Richard, Geoffrey and John, to spend the festive season with him, his mistress Princess Alais, and her brother, the young King Philip of France. Will Henry name who is to be his successor as King of England? Their yuletide celebration turns into a combat zone of deceit, betrayal, bitter power games and scabrous wit.

“I am excited to be directing the London premiere of a famous play about a power struggle full of sexual politics and political sex, with two such brilliant actors as Robert Lindsay and Joanna Lumley.” – Trevor Nunn

A play with a simply gorgeous title, set in a fab historical period, with SUCH fantastic artwork (as above), Robert Lindsay, Joanna Lumley and a Christmas setting?! What more could a lad ever ask for?!

I should also mention that I don’t normally *do* plays, I am more of a musicals fan, though when I enjoy a play, I really fall for it, hard, and so this level of pre-show excitement was definitely unprecedented.

With Joanna Lumley especially, I knew from the outset that  I was in for a night of intense aural pleasure! (Note the AU you filthy smutmongers! :) ) – her voice is simply heavenly and her acting is always a joy to watch! (I had to fight the urge to get her to sign adoption papers bearing my name at stage door, instead begrudgingly offering up my programme, haha – more on that later!!).

Having not heard of the play previously, or seen the film version with Katherine Hepburn, I came to this production without any prior notions or basis for comparison, which, when I go to see a play, is often what I prefer, if I am honest – it makes it much easier for me to be able to enjoy it without any pre-conceived hang-ups, and permits me to take the production in as an ‘open book’.

I must say, I really liked this play! 

The story itself is all jolly complex, and at times it becomes almost hellish to try and follow (basically, all you need to know is that everyone is screwing everyone… quite literally! haha; also, it’s good that we’re often as confused as the characters!). In terms of the script itself (which, as an aside, you can purchase for £7 in the foyer), I actually found the play to be well written, and that the piece, as a whole, bounces along very nicely.

The only thing that, perhaps, niggles and takes away a little of the suspense (and only for those in the audience who know their history), is that one already knows that Richard The Lionheart succeeds Henry II, and that Prince John (yes, we’re in the time of Robin Hood), eventually becomes King John. Darn you history! *shakes gloved fist!* haha.

Truthfully I did find Act 1 a little more engaging, as there is a scene in Act 2 where one becomes so bewildered with the story, that it’s hard to know which way is up, and just when you think resolution is in sight, the whole thing tips back up on its head again. Having said that, I do not begrudge this production that scene in Act 2 whatsoever – if that is the script, then that is the script – what I can tell you is that the production was of a very high standard throughout, and that it is very enjoyable! :)

Having said all that, perhaps one of my favourite scenes in the whole play, is the scene in King Phillip of France’s bedroom, it was great to see all the actors sparking off each other, in what felt like the crucial turning point of the whole story.

Speaking of the actors, I thought that everyone was brilliant! I really liked Rory Fleck-Byrne as King Phillip of France, and Tom Bateman as Prince Richard, and of course Joanna Lumley was a magnificent treat! Everyone managed to keep their wit sharp throughout and the chemistry on stage between all characters worked well, I thought.

Seeing Robert Lindsay on stage (as King Henry II) meant that I couldn’t help but compare his character to a 12th Century version of Ben Harper, from BBC One’s My Family sitcom – a lot of the expressions, tone and style of comment were very similar I felt. Not that this is in any way a criticism, not at all, just a casual observation :)

I feel that the set design and lighting team need a massive shout out for their work on this piece – the set was truly beautiful, and I loved the manner in which scene changes happened, and the use of lighting was very effective I felt.

After the show, I slipped back to the stage door, with a hope of catching a quick autograph from Joanna Lumley, and Robert Lindsay. Alas, Robert did not put in an appearance whilst I was there, however, Joanna did, and GOSH, it was perhaps the best moment of my life!!

After about twenty minutes, and armed with her own sharpie (what a pro!), Joanna came out of the stage door and actually apologised to us for keeping us waiting – bless her!! Totally not a problem, we were all thrilled to do so, and would have hung around much longer for just a few kind moments with Joanna, I’m sure!

There weren’t too many people there tonight (which made it even more special; the small number is likely owing to the fact that the stage door is rather obscure) and so after speaking with the first group, she was very quickly on to me. She signed my programme, we had a quick chat, and she seemed very genuinely interested in what we thought (she also said to me that the ‘you were in good company tonight, the Lord Mayor is in!’ (only Joanna could be that fabulously geeky!! heh) to which I mentioned that we’d also seen Ruby Wax, and Joanna said that they were very good friends, and that Ruby may be going back a few times in the coming weeks. Finally, she was also very kind enough to pose for a couple of pictures!

All that I can say to y’all is that Joanna is every bit as lovely as she comes across in her documentaries! (I’d say ‘on TV’, but then you may think I also mean as she was as Aunt Spiker, in James and the Giant Peach, for example, hehe!). She was genuinely genuinely, amazing, very beautiful and so respectful towards the fans. Genuinely, one of the best things I’ve ever done, and one of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting!

If you have opportunity to see The Lion In Winter, I would heartily recommend that you take it up. I found it to be a very enjoyable way to pass an evening, with some top-notch talent, and some fantastic wit and banter on stage, between all characters, and which carries nicely into the audience, making us enjoy watching the performance.

The Lion In Winter is currently in previews at The Theatre Royal Haymarket, and has it’s opening night on November 15th 2011. It’s scheduled to run until 28th January 2012, and is 2 hours and 30 minutes in duration, inclusive of interval (which comes around 20:30). For further information, please see the official production website.

REVIEW: Chicago (starring America Ferrera) – Garrick Theatre, London

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I’ve just come back from seeing the all-new production of Chicago, which has literally just re-opened at the West End’s Garrick Theatre.

First off, let’s get out-of-the-way the fact that I am a MASSIVE Ugly Betty / America Ferrera fan! If I could have gotten away with it, I would have been sat in the audience with a bright poncho, thick glasses and monobrow, possibly with my fellow sisters from the ‘hood of the travelling pants! hehe. Alas to say, my pal Paul strictly forbade me to arrive in this fashion, MUCH to my intense disappointment (hehe!). I do like, however, that Ugly Betty finishes off in Trafalgar Square, and the next place America Ferrera turns up, is in the Garrick, literally 30 seconds up the road – nice bit of roundness there hehe!

Anyway, I have digressed enough – you’ve come to read a review, not help me set up a new America Ferrera fan-site, right? :P

Picture credit: http://www.facebook.com/chicagolondon

My history with the musical Chicago has always been a very chequered one. Whilst I love the story, score and most things about it (and it is not the longest running American musical in the World without reason!), I absolutely loathed the Cambridge Theatre staging, which I felt was allowed to become incredibly tatty, tired, lazy and as far away from sexy as a toothless ol’ granny sucking noisily on a boiled sweet, whilst playing with her chin hair. I feared that what the Cambridge production ultimately became may have done the brand a lot of damage, if I am honest, and I, like most of the West End community, was somewhat relieved to hear that it was closing, and perhaps a little dismayed when we learnt that it was to re-open so quickly again at the Garrick. I, for one though, started to become much more intrigued once again once I saw (very welcome) efforts to kick-start and completely reinvent the production, and therefore, it was with a completely open mind that I came to see the preview performance this evening.

All that I can say is COR! This is a trillion times better than before, and the production definitely now comes up to the West End standard, and all that jazz babbeh!!  :D

As the show itself says, everyone LOVES a reformed sinner! ;)

With the Garrick, comes a lot more stage space, and this clearly shows – there seemed to be a lot more floor-work than previous, more room to project, and the surroundings of the Garrick really lifted the quality of the production on the stage (perhaps it was the Cambridge Theatre that I wasn’t a fan of previously). This time the dancers absolutely oozed sex appeal, and the band were bang tidy, and smokin’ hawt!

What you’re getting with this new production is in fact the very same interpretation as was previously at the Cambridge Theatre, however at the Garrick you are now getting a far sexier, polished and superior show, and I totally commend the production for what it now is – absolutely fantastic!

In terms of casting, the producers seem to have successfully chopped out all of the deadwood from the previous production, retaining a few gems (such as James Doherty as Amos – whose portrayal of Amos remains the only incarnation of the character that I can bear; top credit to how fab I think James Doherty is!), and introducing/re-introducing other fine talent such as Jasna Ivir as Matron Mama Morton (my favourite Morton yet!), Darius Campbell as Billy Flynn, the sensational Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly (a Broadway leading lady no less!), and of course, dear ol’ America Ferrera as Roxie Hart! :D

A lot of people are sure to be here to see what the verdict is on the gorgeous America, and I have to tell you, she is very competent and charming in the role. What she lacks in ferocity, she more than makes up for in ‘cutesy’… it was nice, for once, to have a Roxie that you, and just like the press in the show, could actually fall for, and I felt that she contrasted nicely against Amra-Faye Wright’s deliciously blunt Velma.

Official pictures of America on stage as Roxy can be seen here, incidentally.

After the show, we stayed around to do stage door, which was absolutely MANIC and swamped with professional photographers, who should really be ashamed of themselves for pushing genuine fans (and kids) out of the way to snap a picture. I was one of the first to get an autograph with America and said a few words, however it was a bit of a circus right from the start and I didn’t want to intrude, particularly as America clearly needed a bit of space owing to the frenzy! Amra-Faye Wright was also very kind in signing my programme!

There was also something of a press picture which I may inadvertently be standing in the back of… so keep your eyes out on musical theatre sites, publications and national media eh?! heh! Let me know if I’m spotted, please?! I kinda hope not, as I look an absolute fright, but at the same time, yaaaay, picture with America! haha! ;)

On his way out, my colleague Louise rather brazenly asked (a surprisingly reeeeeally tall!) Darius why he had gone from Darius Danesh to Darius Campbell… turns out he was DC all along! hehe. Darius, incidentally, is fab in this production, and it seems unfortunate that his ‘hit me baby one more time’ rap-sheet still seems to follow him, especially as he has proven himself to theatre-goers to be more than worthy in previous productions!

Also of note was that I still seem to be word-perfect on the script and songs, ha! *epic geek face!* I am guaranteed to be singing the songs for weeks now!

If you’re considering seeing this show, then I would heartily recommend it, and I would also recommend it over many other shows currently playing in the West End at the moment. It’s a great night out, that you’re bound to enjoy, and if, like me, you’ve seen it go round the block a few times, it’s well worth checking it out again, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Chicago is currently playing at the Garrick Theatre, London, and is booking until 26 January 2013. America Ferrera is scheduled to be with the production until 31st December 2011. The show duration is 2 hours 30 minutes, with one 15 minute interval. More information about the show can be found on the official production website.

REVIEW: Final Fantasy – Distant Worlds (Royal Albert Hall, London – November 5th 2011)

Final-Fantasy-Distant-Worlds

On Saturday night, I was VERY fortunate to be in attendance at the Final Fantasy – Distant Worlds concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and in the presence of the mighty Nobuo Uematsu (植松伸夫 ) !!!!

The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra provided the simply divine musicality, with the London Voices the fantastic vocalisations. The Guest Vocalist was the fantastic Susan Calloway, and the orchestra was conducted by the ever fabulous Arnie Roth.

I can say nothing more than ‘this was one of the best nights of my life!’

SERIOUSLY!

It was absolutely phenomenal to hear Nobuo Uematsu’s absolutely amazeballs orchestrations coming from the RPCO, and the visualisations of the Final Fantasy games on the screens was fantastic. I frequently had goosebumps and was often moved slightly to tears!

Picture credit: http://www.facebook.com/ffdistantworlds

Computer game music is often under-rated in my opinion, however the scoring for the Final Fantasy series transcends most modern classical work for me, and is delightfully beautiful both in arrangement and in its ability to tell, and immerse you in, to a story.

The highlight of the evening was, of course, when Nobuo Uematsu took to the stage towards the end, the audience just exploded into applause! He is such a fantastically fab gentleman, and that really came across I thought – I want to be his best friend now!! heh.

Another highlight of the evening was when they played the Royal Albert Hall organ, it was stunning to hear it being played, having visited several times in the past and never before heard it.

For those who missed out, fear not – they will be back on 17th November 2012 as part of a 25th anniversary world tour (tickets on sale in December) and they’ve promised to do something special!

There is also the DVD and 2 CD box set that accompanies this concert (which I *really* want for Christmas incidentally, if anyone wants to chip in?? ;) haha!). It is rather different to what was shown in London, but they do chop and change the songs to suit the audience.

Also, if you want to listen to the concert, you can do so online HERE - though it would be great if you bought it also :P

Speaking of merchandise, please don’t hate me, but I was the chap who bought the very last ‘small’ t-shirt after the show hehe! We honestly couldn’t believe how fast the merchandise was flying off the shelves… in all my years of concert going, I’ve never seen that before – they must have been taking a clear £250 a minute, and that was only limited by the amount of staff that they had to process card payments! Genuinely, it was insane!

Should you get chance to pick up Distant Worlds as it traverses the globe, I cannot implore you enough to do so. Even if you are not a fan of the series (it was fun to see all of the London Voices and RPCO members looking up at the screens in astonishment, ha!) I can absolutely hand-on-heart promise you that you will be absolutely blown away!

An apt way to close this review would seem to be:

Distant Worlds – Suteki Da Ne (Isn’t It Wonderful?).