Review: Shadowlands

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Shadowlands.
Having not been to the theatre in quite a while, Mum was having a look online to see what shows were on locally in upcoming weeks. Upon looking at Richmond Theatre's website, she came across 'Shadowlands'. She read the synopsis of the play and thought it would be a good show to see. The show follows the true love story of CS Lewis and Joy Gresham. Lewis, a leading Christian academic and author of many classic books including The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, , remained a bachelor until his fifties, when he met Joy Davidman. He was enchanted by this remarkable American woman, a divorcee with two young children. They fell in love and were secretly married. Lewis' ensuing encounter with love and suffering led him to reconsider many of the beliefs he had held so staunchly before their fateful meeting. This is a play that I found to be really moving and thought provoking, especially as the character of Joy suffers with cancer, something my Mum is a survivor of. The play delivered such a strong message, it really shows you how important it is to spend time with those close to you and not to sweat the small stuff. I came away from the play with the thought that time is very precious. I was so engrossed in the story and following the play my Mum even did some more research into C. S. Lewis. He was such a remarkable man and it was so interesting to follow his story. Cast members who stood out were Stephen Boxer as C. S. Lewis, Amanda Ryan as Joy Gresham, Denis Lill as Major W. H Lewis. The whole cast were a delight to watch! Stephen Boxer's portrayal is utter perfection. He put so much emotion into the role, he was so well cast. The costumes and lighting were both really well designed. The set was fantastic, which I didn't expect as most of the touring productions I see have minimalist sets. I did some research about the play and found that it had been to the West End and Broadway many years ago. A revival was done in the West End 9 years ago, how about another one? ;) This production has a really mesmerising cast, especially it's leading actor and actress and is definitely West End worthy.

The featured star of Shadowlands is, drum roll please... STEPHEN BOXER!

Stephen gave such a powerful performance and managed to portray C. S. Lewis so masterfully. His strongest point comes towards the end of act two, which really is phenomenal. His performance was definitely the highlight of the whole show and I hope to see him in more productions soon.

Now for my final verdict on Shadowlands. I give Shadowlands...

Before writing this sentence, I went to look up what venues Shadowlands will be playing next. Sadly Richmond Theatre is Shadowlands last stop on the tour, with closing night tonight. To anyone thinking whether to see the show before it closes... do it! You won't regret it!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: The Comedy About A Bank Robbery

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery.
After Mischief Theatre's big hits 'The Play That Goes Wrong' and 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong', they have returned to the West End with a new play, but not one that goes wrong. Instead they have created a play which is basically... a comedy about a bank robbery. I had seen The Play That Goes Wrong 2 times so was curious to see this. What was interesting was that the writers seemed to take a step out of their comfort zones to write this show, and I really do think it works.. Sometimes it is really good to see writers step out of their comfort zones and see what they do. I thought the show provided a clever concept and I laughed my socks off! I'm not usually a huge fan of slapstick comedy, but I found it impossible not to laugh. It is definitely one of the best comedies in the West End at the moment. The cast features Henry Shields as Mitch Ruscitti, Charlie Russell as Caprice Freeboys, Dave Hearn as Sam Monaghan, Henry Lewis as Robin Freeboys, Jonathan Sayer as Warren Slax, Greg Tannahill as Neil Cooper, Nancy Wallinger as Ruth Monaghan, Jeremy Lloyd as Officer Randal Shuck and Steven Rostance who was understudying as Everyone Else. The show has such a great cast who all work so well with each other. They all really gel together. A nice surprise was that the set was fantastic, I did not expect this show to have such a good set. Costumes and the lighting design were also fantastic. The show added music, sung live onstage, during scene changes which I thought had a good effect. I am not sure this show will appeal to everyone as the humour features a lot slapstick so please keep this in mind. If you're like me and don't mind slapstick too much then I'd definitely recommend it. It's so much fun to watch!

The featured star of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is, drum roll please... DAVE HEARN!

Dave was perfect for playing 'Sam', I really enjoyed his portrayal of the character, he was the highlight of the show for me! Funnily enough, just before writing this review I read an article of dream casting for Hamilton when it comes to London and this person said Dave would make a great King George. I would have to agree! I don't know whether Dave is a good singer, but he definitely has the comic timing that is needed for the role of King George.

Now for my final verdict on The Comedy About A Bank Robbery. I give The Comedy About A Bank Robbery...

That is now the end of my theatre marathon, I'm glad I ended on a funny note with this play. The play is currently booking until April next year and it doesn't look like it'll be closing any time soon, the West End is lucky to have this comedy!

Think it should've got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should've got a lower rating? If so comment below. 

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Aladdin

Hey readers
It's time for my review of Aladdin.
Show number 3 of the theatre marathon! Aladdin was the first ever Broadway show I saw. Whilst I wasn't overly keen on it as I found it extremely panto-ish, I found the cast, set and costumes to all be really good. I thought I'd give the West End production a go and it really pains me to say this, but I did not like this production. I always feel really bad writing reviews of shows I didn't like, but here I go... I  found this production to be disappointing. First of all I did not particularly like Dean John Wilson as Aladdin. Aladdin is supposed to be a lovable, charismatic underdog, but I didn't feel Dean had the charisma to pull it off and to be a West End leading man. For Aladdin it is really important to have a strong leading man and I think Dean was miscast. As I said, the B.Way production was panto-ish, but at least it made up for it in other aspects. The West End cast just did not gel well with each other. Some actors were overacting panto style, others were acting normally, it just didn't work for me. There were several other cast members, who I won't name, who I just felt were either uncharismatic or too 'panto'. One complaint I've heard about the show is that several ensemble members are having trouble harmonising with each other and I would have to agree. There also seemed to be problems with choreography, with cast members being out of time with each other.  I think the sets and costumes are roughly the same as B.Way, but they just didn't seem the same. Onstage they looked really cheap and badly designed, but maybe I just can't remember the B.Way production that well. I am starting to wonder if I just went at a bad performance because even hats fell off and props malfunctioned. I am really sad that this production pushed out the wonderful Miss Saigon. I love The Lion King, Disney's other production currently playing at the Lyceum in the West End, so I was surprised that I disliked this so much. I would make exceptions for things like malfunctions props if this were previews, but it is actually a month past opening night. Felt like such a Debbie Downer writing all of that, now time for some positives about the show! Cast members who stood out were Jade Ewen as Jasmine, Trevor Dion-Nicholas as Genie and Don Gallagher as Jafar. I think Jade Ewen completely stole the show, she was the saving grace and completely outshone Dean as Aladdin. Amazing vocals, good acting and she's also a great dancer. Trevor was great and provided a lot of sparkle to the production. It was quite amazing how much energy he had. Don Gallagher was fantastic as Jafar and I thought he was on an equal level to Jonathan Freeman, who portrays Jafar on Broadway.

The featured star of Aladdin is, drum roll please... JADE EWEN!

Jade was perfect for the role and it is disappointing that the other cast members aren't on her level. She completely outshines everyone, I was really impressed by her performance. Hopefully Aladdin will be a chance for Jade to be noticed by casting directors and fingers crossed that she will be doing some more theatre soon.

Now for my final verdict on Aladdin. I give Aladdin...

I really do feel bad about writing a review of a show that wasn't to my liking. Please do not let this review put you off going to the show, you never know, you may like this production more than I did. I'd say the production is more suited to children up to the age of 8, so if you have young children I'd recommend it.

Think it should've got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should've got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Guys and Dolls (July 2016)

Hey readers!

It's time for my review of Guys and Dolls...
Playing in the West End since December last year, 7 months later Guys and Dolls has recruited Rebel Wilson to join their cast, in what is some very inspired casting. This was actually my third time seeing the show. The first time I went was on New Years Eve, last December and I went because I was really eager to see this classic, having studied it at school earlier in the year. The first time I saw the show I thought it was good, I enjoyed it, but due to it still being in previews there were several things that could've been improved. I then went back several months later in March due to Richard Kind joining the cast and I LOVED it. Samantha Spiro joined Richard Kind as Miss. Adelaide and they were both amazing. I decided to go back one more time, during my theatre marathon, to see Rebel Wilson and it was, by far, the best the show has ever been. The show is completely different and there are several changes to the script to appeal to the younger audience that are going to see Rebel Wilson. The show has had a big shake up and as much as I loved the show last time, I think it was great to modernise it! Cast members who stood out were Simon Lipkin as Nathan Detroit, Rebel Wilson as Miss. Adelaide, Jonathan Stewart who was understudying as Sky Masterson, Siubhan Harrison as Sarah Brown, Gavin Spokes as Nicely-Nicley Johnson and Jason Pennycooke as Benny Southstreet. Simon Lipkin is a new addition to the cast and he is my new favourite Nathan! The past two Nathan's in the production, David Haig and Richard Kind (Nigel Lindsay also did a limited run, but I didn't see him), have both been actors who have been older and played more of "Good old, reliable Nathan, but Simon gives a completely new and fresh portrayal. His Nathan is as unreliable as England's weather! I had read thoughts similar to this on a theatre forum I go on and and wasn't sure I'd like that sort of portrayal, but it was just so clever. It's so great to see an actor put a different spin on a role. I really liked seeing Jonathan Stewart as Sky, having seen him in Shrek over 5 times! I always love seeing an understudy perform because I always know they will put 110% into their performance. Jonathan seemed so natural in the role, he is just as good as Oliver Tompsett, who plays Sky full-time. Now onto Rebel... Rebel's take on Miss. Adelaide was one of the most funniest performances I have ever seen. I really loved Samantha Spiro in the role, but I feel that Rebel has the edge as my favourite Adelaide. She was hilarious from start to finish and just had such a clever take on the role. She changed the role so much and definitely for the better. I laughed my socks off! Rebel was perfect casting, great coming timing, brilliant singer,  and fantastic actress. Siubhan was great as always, she never fails to deliver a good performance! The choreography, costume, lighting and orchestra were all really good too, as they have been all three times and it was good to see them all once again. I believe it is one of the best shows in the West End at the moment, it would be impossible not to  have fun at this show!

The featured star of Guys and Dolls is, drum roll please... REBEL WILSON!

When I first heard Rebel was going to be in Guys and Dolls, I was sort of surprised as it was not someone I would've expected to see in the role. The casting directors made such a clever choice casting Rebel, she is such a joy to watch and I really hope she is enjoying playing the role. I have my fingers crossed that she will do more theatre soon!

Now for my final verdict on Guys and Dolls. I give Guys and Dolls...

Sadly it was announced earlier this week by reporter Baz Bamigboye that the show would be closing early which I find to be a real shame. A show like this deserves to run longer! I advise all Rebel Wilson fans to rush to see the show before she departs on the 21st August.

Agree with my rating? Think it should've got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Titanic

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Titanic
Titanic had been on my 'wish-list' for quite some time now, so finally decided to see it as part of my theatre marathon! I wasn't really quite sure what to expect as I knew it was a small theatre, so I went in with an open mind. To round up my thoughts after the show: "Oh my god, WOW!". The score is utter perfection. Since seeing the show last Wednesday I have been listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording and the music, which even without any singing, tells a story by itself. My favourites from the score were 'Barret's Song' and 'We'll Meet Tomorrow'. Both songs are really well written and I just haven't been able to get them out of my head. It was definitely one of the best score's I have heard for a while. There have been a lot of people suggesting this should go to a bigger theatre, and as much as I feel it deserves to play to a bigger audience I really think a small intimate theatre works for this show. I had heard the show was good, but I didn't quite realise how good before seeing it. Cast members who stood out were Philip Rham as Captain Smith, Siôn Lloyd as Andrews, David Bardsley as Ismay, Niall Sheehy as Barrett, Matthew Crowe as Bride, Dudley Rogers as Isidor Straus, Judith Street as Ida Straus, Claire Machin as Alice Beane, Peter Prentice as Edgar Beane, Shane McDaid as Jim Farrell and Victoria Serra as Kate McGowan. The cast are all so stunning, great acting, great singing and great dancing from each and every one of them, a faultless cast! The lighting design is without a doubt one of the best designs I have seen at a show and it really delivers at the show's 'big moment'. Costumes were also well designed. I read one review calling the show one of the best staged productions in London and I honestly cannot argue with that statement. I was really eager to see how they would handle the sinking and I was not disappointed. I was in tears throughout all of act two, it really was devastating to see all of these people lose their lives and it makes you stop and think... what would you do in that situation? The show delivered such a powerful message. The only negative I have about the show is act one perhaps went on for too long. In a way, it's act one and act two were similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Both acts use the first act, which is longer than act two, to establish who everyone is and then act two has the big event. Both Charlie and Titanic would benefit from shorter act one's, but Titanic's act one was still a lot more enjoyable than Charlie's.

The featured star of Titanic is, drum roll please... SIÔN LLOYD!

Sion performs the show-stopping number 'Mr. Andrews Vision' and he does not disappoint. Throughout the show I was having difficulty picking a favourite, but after watching Siôn's performance of this song it was obvious who my choice would be. I was completely blown away by this song, especially the ending. It was the best solo song I have seen since Jessie Mueller's 'She Used To Be Mine' in Waitress on Broadway. Was really impressed with everything from the show-stopping number, Siôn's emotion he shows throughout the song, the music and lyrics and the big ending to the number.

Now for my final verdict on Titanic. I give Titanic...

So happy I included this on my theatre marathon as it was so great to finally see it. For those that are interested in seeing Titanic, it is playing at the Charing Cross Theatre until 13th August.

Agree with my rating? Think it should've got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: The Spoils (West End)

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Spoils.
As some people may have seen on my Twitter account, last week I went on a 'Theatre Marathon', with five shows in three days (plus one movie). The first theatre show I saw was The Spoils which I had seen in New York over a year ago on my Birthday. I really loved the show and was ecstatic when I found out the show was transferring to London. The Spoils is in my top 5 plays of all time and it was such a privilege to be able to see it again. The show follows Ben; nobody likes Ben. Ben doesn’t even like Ben. He bullies everyone in his life, including his roommate Kalyan, an earnest Nepalese immigrant. When Ben discovers that his school crush is marrying a straight-laced banker, he sets out to destroy their relationship and win her back. The play is written by and stars Jesse Eisenberg, who is phenomenal in being both a playwright and an actor. The show is so cleverly written, Jesse is an utter genius. They were selling the script to the show, which they weren't in NY, so I was very eager to get it. It was very interesting to see the differences to the NY production. It was definitely more of a comedy, or perhaps it just seemed like that due to the audience responding differently to the NY audience. The London audiences were in stitches laughing, whereas in NY the play appeared a lot more serious. I honestly cannot tell if there were any changes to the script, they're might've been one or two changes, or it could've been the way the lines were delivered. I found it to be very interesting how the two different audiences reacted. The cast features Jesse Eisenberg as Ben, Kunal Nayyar as Kalyan, Alfie Allen as Ted, Katie Brayben as Sarah, Annapurna Sririam as Reshma. I had actually forgotten how good Kunal Nayyar was in this. I'm a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory (on which he stars as Raj) and on the show Kunal is really funny, but in The Spoils I saw a whole new side to his acting, a side I had not seen before. The play is really thought provoking; due to Jesse's writing I find the character Ben so fascinating. It's such a unique show, there is nothing like it. Jesse gives a fascinating portrayal as Ben and I cannot imagine another actor ever doing this role like he does. For those who are regular readers of my blog, you'll remember I nominated Jesse (and the play as well) for awards earlier in the year.

The featured star of The Spoils is, drum roll please... JESSE EISENBERG!

I had a look at my review of the show when I was in NY, back in May 2015, and I called Jesse one of the most intelligent people I know of. I still stand by that comment. To be able to come up with an idea like this play is genius. He's such a talented actor as well and I would love to see him do more theatre, especially in London. I haven't seen too many films of his, but I'm going to try and watch a few more as he brings so much depth to the character's he plays.

Now for my final verdict on The Spoils. I give The Spoils...

Sadly the show is only playing for a limited run until 13th August, which I feel is a real shame as I'd love for the show to continue beyond that. Oh well, I guess all good things must come to an end! Please note Kunal Nayyar will not be performing from 1st-13th August. 

Agree with my rating? Think it should've got a lower rating? If so comment below. 

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Breakfast at Tiffany's was announced to be touring the UK and ending up in the West End over a year ago and the wait has finally come to an end.(where did all that time go?) It began performances in the West End a week and a half ago. I was lucky enough to see it last Wednesday and I loved it! Set in New York in 1943,  Fred, a young writer from Louisiana, meets Holly Golightly, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good-time girl. Everyone falls in love with Holly – including Fred. But Fred is poor, and Holly’s other suitors include a playboy millionaire and the future president of Brazil. As war rages on in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with Fred – just as her past catches up with her. In the show Pixie Lott makes her theatre debut as Holly Golightly, and considering she has never done theatre before she was pretty good. I imagine Pixie will get better and better as the run of the show goes on and it'd be great to see her for musical theatre in the future as I'm sure she would be brilliant at it. Despite it being a play, the show does feature some music, with songs including 'Moon River', which is beautifully sung by Pixie. The cast also featured Matt Barber as Fred, Victor McGuire as Joe Bell, Tim Frances as the Editor and Rusty, Charlie De Melo as Jose, Robert Calvert as Doc, Naomi Cranston as Mag, Sevan Stephan as OJ Bearman and Dr. Goldman, Melanie La Barrie as Madame Spanella and Stern Lady Boss, Andrew Joshi as Yunioshi and last but certainly not least... Bob the Cat. I really thought Matt Barber was excellent and you could really see the character develop throughout the play. I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Bob the Cat! He is, by far, the most cutest and best animal actor I have ever seen on the stage. He was just so sweet! The set, lighting and costumes were all great and complemented each other well. Before opening night, one thing I would perhaps change the first 20 minutes, as that part seemed to drag on a little. I really had a great afternoon out, great cast, great story and great production!

The featured star of Breakfast at Tiffany's is, drum roll please... MATT BARBER!

Matt really took the audience along the journey of his character and showed great character development. He has very good chemistry alongside Pixie and had a great charisma! The perfect leading man!

Now for my final verdict on Breakfast at Tiffany's. I give Breakfast at Tiffany's...

The show is a limited run until September at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, so if this sounds like your type of show or you're a fan of Pixie Lott make sure to get yourself a ticket!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Brideshead Revisited

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Birdeshead Revisited.
I must admit, originally I was a little reluctant to go, due to the quality of some productions I have seen at Richmond this year being very hit and miss, but my Mum really wanted to go so I decided to go along. I am so happy I did, because otherwise I would've missed out on one of the best productions I have seen at Richmond for a long time. The play had a really strong cast, who all had great chemistry. They were each  and every one very good actors in their own ways and all played their roles so convincingly. The cast featured Brian Ferguson as Charles Ryder, Christopher Simpson as Sebastian Flyte, Rosie Hilal as Julia Flyte, Nick Blakeley as Anthony Blanche, Father Mackay and Samgrass, Caroline Harker as Lady Marchmain and Nanny, Samantha Lawson as Cara and Celia, Kiran Sonia Sawar as Cordelia Flyte, Paul Shelley as Lord Marchmain and Mr. Ryder and Shuna Snow as Bridey Flyte, Kurt and Rex Mottram. The show is set during the midst of World War II, Captain Charles Ryder finds his past and present blur as he confronts memories of his first youthful encounter with the Marchmain family at Brideshead Castle. Falling under the spell of their privileged lives, Charles looks back at the way his own life would be changed forever by the summers spent with the seemingly charming Sebastian and his beautiful sister Julia. I found it really interesting to watch Charles Ryder's life and I was so engrossed in the story. You really couldn't help but feel empathy for the character. The show is really well directed and cleverly staged. The set is rather basic, but it is used very masterfully so it is very effective. Lighting and costumes were also both really well designed. The play is very West End worthy, so I wouldn't be surprised of a transfer! The only negative of the show that I can think of is I felt Christopher Simpson was really underused. He is such an astounding actor and sadly in act two he is not in the play that often and I was left wanting more of his performance.

The featured star of Brideshead Revisted is, drum roll please... CHRISTOPHER SIMPSON!

I found that Christopher completely stole the show and managed to really capture the charm of his character, Sebastian. I would've loved for him to have been written in to act two a little bit more, but I am still so glad I got to see his performance.

Now for my final verdict on Brideshard Revisited. I give Brideshead Revisited...

Sadly the Brideshead Revisited tour has come to an end and I am very fortunate I was able to see it. As I said, this production is really West End worthy so fingers crossed for a transfer!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Heartbeat

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Heartbeat.
I have to be honest, this show wasn't particularly a favourite of mine. I'd read mixed things about the show but went in with an open-mind, to find myself being a little bit disappointed. It's an odd play, because there were some badly written scenes with bad acting, however there were some really funny scenes with good acting. I'd say by the end of the play, the good and bad was split 50/50, but the bad side stuck in my mind more. The show got off to a really slow start which was hard to sit through, to be fair though it did get better. Some actors chose to overact a little, while others chose to act normally and didn't all gel. I had never watched the TV show prior to seeing the play, which I wondered may be the reason the show wasn't to my liking. I decided to look online to see what other people, who were fans of the TV show, thought of the play and it seemed to divide opinions. This seemed to be a show where you loved it or hated it. I really do think that some people would enjoy it and could definitely understand why they would as it would bring nostalgia. Despite disliking certain parts of the show, I did find it quite entertaining. Actors who stood out were David Lonsdale as David Stockwell, Steven Blakeley as PC Geoff Younger, Matt Millburn as PC Joe Malton, David Horne as Bernie Scripps and Callum O'Neill as Aidan McGuire. David Lonsdale and Steven Blakeley both had great coming timing and I found them to be the saving graces of the show. Act two did get a lot better and at the end of the day I was still glad I went. It wasn't a bad play, just not a great one, but it was nevertheless entertaining.

The featured star of Heartbeat is, drum roll please... STEVEN BLAKELEY!

I was torn on whether to give 'featured star' to Steven or David Lonsdale, but I just have to go with Steven. I really think he did such a great job and absolutely saved the show. 

Now for my final verdict on Heartbeat. I give Heartbeat...

I'm really not quite sure what to make of the play, as I'm sure you can tell. I did enjoy it, but there was some bad acting and writing which were hard to forget about. As I said, it really is 50/50 when it comes to good and bad.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer