Review: The Philanthropist

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Philanthropist.
This had been on my West End Wishlist since it first opened back in April and I was so excited to be taken to this as a surprise on my Birthday. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as the trailer for the show is great, but the reviews have been mixed. I am very pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and that it was a lot of fun. The Philanthropist is utterly hilarious! The first act had punchline after punchline, every scene in act one got funnier and funnier (act two was a little more serious). I was laughing my socks off, as were the vast majority of the audience. The writing is extremely clever; it is clear that playwright Christopher Hampton is both funny & intelligent. His writing made me laugh out loud a lot, something which I find quite rare of certain comedies. Assisting the writing is the fantastic directing by Simon Callow. Simon Callow has done wonders with this show; it was very clear to me that he had made a large impact on this production. The cast are beyond phenomenal, there are no weak links. They were all on a par with each other (except for Simon Bird, who I'd have to choose as my favourite actor) and they complimented each other's talents nicely. All cast members had very good characterisations, which appeared to have been well thought out. The set, which has been designed by Libby Watson, has been done to perfection. It was extremely detailed and nothing was left out. The costumes, also designed by Libby Watson, were great, especially Matt Berry's costume. Matt Berry wore a purple velvet suit, and after I had seen the play I kept on referring to him as "The Purple Man". The final moment of the show was done brilliantly and it was nice that the final moment was a comedic one, contrasting the majority of act two, which had been fairly serious. On a related note, I felt act two's serious parts fell a little flat. The serious parts did not really work, considering act one had been a hilarious comedy with joke after joke, and I personally think they dragged on for too long. Perhaps it would have been best if the show had stuck with its comedic roots?

The featured star of The Philanthropist is, drum roll please... SIMON BIRD!

This was a cast full of remarkable performances, and yet I was still able to declare Simon Bird as my favourite, which shows he's certainly doing something right. He was absolutely perfect for the role of Phillip. He was the perfect leading man; he was brilliant from beginning to end.

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

I am extremely shocked and surprised that The Philanthropist received mixed reviews, as I thought it was a fantastic production. I would definitely recommend it for anyone wanting a fun afternoon/night out. I imagine that the show would do very well on tour, so who knows what the future for this show may be?

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: 42nd Street (West End)

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of 42nd Street.
As some of you may remember, last year I went to see an amateur production of 42nd Street which, to put it kindly, was not the greatest. It tarnished my view of the show a little bit, but I was keen to see the brand new West End production, as it looked like it was going to be a stunner. Very kindly, my good friend Broadway Bob (@BroadwayBobNYC on Twitter) booked tickets for me to go and see it on my Birthday. Luckily, I adored this revival of 42nd Street. It has shown me that, when done properly, it can be a great show. The show came across as being a big Broadway production. It was clear that a vast amount of money has been put into this production (as evidenced by the extremely large cast and ginormous sets), which is somewhat rare for West End productions. The West End have not had a production like this in a long, long time. The first big production like this that springs to mind is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which, funnily enough, was in the same theatre). The aspect of the show that stunned me the most was the set design. The set design is glorious; it is one of the best I have ever seen. Multiple set changes are carried out and each new set that came out was even better than the last. I was seriously impressed by how much effort had been put into the set; nothing was done second rate. The costumes absolutely dazzle and are excellently designed. The lighting design was also done nicely. Everything about this show was wonderfully designed, I cannot fault a single part of any of these areas. As I previously mentioned, 42nd Street has an extremely large cast. This is very ambitious for a West End show. Such ambition can also be rare in the West End, and it is nice to see something so different to the norm. Cast members who stood out were Clare Halse as Peggy Sawyer, Tom Lister as Julian Marsh, Stuart Neal as Billy Lawlor, Jasna Ivir as Maggie Jones, Christopher Howell as Bert Barry and Graeme Henderson as Andy Lee. All of these actors had brilliant characterisation, plus amazing singing and dancing. Phenomenal doesn't even begin to describe the choreography, which was created by Randy Skinner. It was truly dazzling. My favourite choreography was the tap dance numbers; those were certainly very memorable. There are only two pieces of criticism I have. The first being: in the show there are a few cheesy moments which are a little cringey. That is why I think the book could be edited in certain places, to avoid any cringeyness throughout the show. The second being: the sound design had a few issues. This may have just been at the performance I was at , but there were a few microphone issues. Luckily, that can be easily fixed.

The featured star of 42nd Street is, drum roll please... CLARE HALSE!

I had previously seen Clare in the ensemble of three different shows (Shrek, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Gyspy, however I have never realised what a star she is. Clare is exceptional as Peggy; she is remarkable at acting, signing and dancing. A triple threat! 

Now for my final verdict on 42nd Street. I give 42nd Street...

I struggled with this decision, as it's a show I would rank 4 and a half stars (if I had half stars, that is), but decided to go with 4 stars. It's a brilliant production and I know that any musical lover will adore this.

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: The Addams Family

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of The Addams Family.
Like many of my recent theatre trips, this was booked extremely last minute. Despite the show being almost sold out, I was able to get some tickets for the back row of the dress circle. I knew very little about the TV Show, except the theme song and that it had a huge following, so I went in with a very open mind. The Addams Family musical has its flaws, but overall it is a light-hearted, sweet and funny show with a powerful message. The show has a brilliant cast who, for the vast majority, I cannot fault. The absolute standouts of The Addams Family are the three leads: Cameron Blakely, Samantha Womack and Carrie Hope Fletcher. Cameron Blakely as Gomez was utter perfection in the role. He had a great voice, great comedic timing and worked very well with Samantha Womack They complimented each other very well. Samantha Womack's characterisation of Morticia was wonderful. It was clear the characterisation had been throughly thought out; everything from her posture to her movements were down to a tee. She was also a fantastic dancer and had a powerful voice. Carrie Hope Fletcher has the voice of velvet. Carrie is a phenomenal singer, as she is an actress. She too had brilliant characterisation. I actually think she would make a fantastic Elphaba in Wicked; I was seriously impressed by her voice. The sets changed regularly, which was nicely done and made for a nice effect. Every single costume was made perfectly; I cannot fault a single aspect of the costume design. I've read some criticism about the music in the show; but I personally thought it was fun and worked well. The choreography blew me away, specifically during the opening number and the tango, which is done by Cameron Blakely and Samantha Womack. The orchestrations felt very powerful and really added a lot to the show. It seemed as if they were a top-notch orchestra. Honestly, the book (the backbone of a show and written dialogue) seemed like it could do with some work to it. I'd say the shows main faults definitely stem from issues with the book. There were two major issues with the book. The first being I felt the beginning jumped into the show too quickly. I didn't believe that much care had been taken to establish every single character at the beginning. Secondly, the Uncle Fester segments became a little tedious and dragged on. However, I seem to be in the minority with that, as many people are saying they adored Uncle Fester. Lastly, the lighting design could also do with a little bit of work. This is simply a nitpick and won't affect many, but the lighting seemed to have trouble finding the actors at various stages. This is something which can easily be fixed.

The featured star of The Addams Family is, drum roll please... SAMANTHA WOMACK!

I was really torn as to whether to give this to Samantha or Carrie, as both were on a par, but eventually chose Samantha. It was extremely impressive how much thought had gone into the characterisation of Morticia. I don't actually think I've actually noticed characterisation like this before, so Samantha certainly has the right idea!

Now for my final verdict on The Addams Family. I give The Addams Family...

I give this rating because, despite its flaws, a good time is guaranteed and its the type of show where you leave the theatre feeling really good. It's a lot of fun!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Fracked

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Fracked.
I had an empty schedule for all of my weekend, so I made the decision to go and take a look what was playing at Richmond Theatre. Playing there this weekend was a play named Fracked, which I had actually heard a little bit about via my Mum's friend. I wasn't sure if it would be my kind of thing, but I was able to get a great deal on tickets so went for it. If I had known what the play was going to be like, I would have bought tickets in a heartbeat. Fracked is a political comedy, which focuses on the subject of fracking. The storyline follows an elderly, middle-class and well educated lady, who becomes roped into the war on fracking and ends up leading the campaign against it. Fracked is absolutely hilarious from start to finish. It seemed every single one of the audience members were in stitches. The script is brilliantly written; it is both witty and intelligent. I actually believe it would appeal to a vast majority of people's sense of humour. Not knowing about the issue of fracking would  not be an issue, as they display a short video 5 minutes into the play, explaining as to what fracking is. The cast are all exceptional, they each display high-quality comedic ability. They all bounced off of each other's skills extremely well and through this kept the audience entertained for the duration of the play. Cast members who stood out were James Bolam as Jack, Harry Hadden-Paton as Joe, Freddie Meredith as Sam, Anne Reid as Elizabeth and Steven Roberts as Waiter. Usually in touring productions (especially for plays), the production aspects of the show are a little weak. This was certainly not the case here. Every single part of the production aspects are amazing. The set design, the lighting design, the costume design and the projection design were all remarkable. I was seriously impressed with all of these, it was a really pleasant surprise. It was a vert intelligent idea to use a revolving set, as it meant the show was able to show off different locations (usually touring plays end up having the same location throughout all of the show). Fracked is an extremely intelligent and artistic production, I can find no faults with it! It could definitely have a run in the West End and I think it would do very well.

The featured star of Fracked is, drum roll please... HARRY HADDEN-PATON!

I changed my mind a few times on this decision, because, as I previously mentioned, all the cast did a really excellent job. After changing who featured star was going to be several times, I eventually decided to choose Harry Hadden-Paton. Harry adds a lot to the show; he was the perfect choice for his role. He also bounces off his cast members extremely well. 

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

I did wonder whether to give Fracked 5 stars, however decided to go with 4 stars in the end. Fracked will be heading to Theatre Royal, Bath and the Cambridge Arts Theatre, so if you live near there don't miss out!

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Wonderland

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Wonderland.
My tickets for Wonderland were bought extremely spontaneously, with myself and my Mum only buying our tickets 20 minutes before the show began. It's actually quite rare for me to leave buying tickets to the last minute like this, but it meant we got a fantastic price for great seats, so it was definitely worth it. I had very mixed feelings about the show. There is a large amount of aspects that are great about Wonderland, but sadly there is also a large amount of bad aspects. I'll begin with what I feel can be improved, and will then move on to what I thought worked well. I believe that the root of the shows problem is the book. For those reading this that aren't quite aware what a 'theatre book' is, it is the written dialogue and the backbone of a musical. The book was not well written, with the vast majority of the show making little to no sense. The thought of "What the heck am I watching?' wondered into my mind a few times. Perhaps with a complete re-write of the book, Wonderland could  possibly become a very good show. I genuinely think the book caused around 65% of issues within the show. The book makes Wonderland come across as a pantomime (thinking about it, I think Wonderland would make a glorious panto!). At times, the show seemed stuck with deciding what kind of musical it was. On the one hand, there are some really childish moments. On the other hand, there is some heavy adult innuendo. Once again, this issue leads back to the book. The vast majority of the cast do a terrific job, however I feel as if Kerry Ellis has been miscast as Alice. Kerry didn't seem to be taking the show very seriously and she appeared to be giggling at various points. Having said that, she has a terrific voice. The Cheshire Cat did not work at all. I understand that the Cheshire Cat is supposed to be somewhat annoying, but it got to the point where it became painful to watch. I definitely feel the Cheshire Cat needs to be toned down a little bit. The lighting design itself was quite good, however I think it would have worked better to hide the lights more. As I've mentioned in many of my past reviews, I really, really hate being negative, but as a critic I need to be specific about what I didn't like. Luckily though, that's the end of my list of negatives, onto the list of positives (and there's quite a few!). The main stunner of this show is the music. I adored the music; every single one of the songs was brilliant. My favourite was 'I Am My Own Invention'. Sadly the Wonderland Original Broadway Cast Album has not been released into the UK iTunes Store, which is a real shame as I would have loved to have listened more to this spectacular music. Perhaps they should cut the dialogue and storyline from Wonderland, and turn it into a concert displaying only the music. I'd certainly go and see it again if that were to happen! The majority of the cast were excellent; there are some terrific performances. Cast members who stood out were Wendi Peters as the Queen of Hearts, Dave Willetts as the White Rabbit, Stephen Webb as Jack, Natalie McQueen as the Mad Hatter and Ben Kerr as the March Hare. All of the above cast members had their own songs, which were all delivered to perfection. For the vast majority, the set design was well done, especially Alice's flat. The only set I wasn't too keen on was 'The Looking Glass'. Overall, I don't think this is a dreadful show. Without a doubt, it keeps all of its audience entertained, even though it needs a lot of work with its book.

The featured star of Wonderland is, drum roll please... NATALIE MCQUEEN!

There are some wonderful performances here, but at the end of the show it was Natalie who was the star, no doubt. Her voice raised the roof, it was like no other. She portrayed the Mad Hatter perfectly; she showed a wide variety of craziness, evilness and niceness. I have heard she once portrayed Elphaba in Wicked, which is something I would love to see her do as I imagine she would be a terrific Elphaba.

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

I give this rating because: it has some major problems with this book, but has dozens of redeeming qualities including a phenomenal score and a top-notch cast.

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer

Review: Dreamgirls

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Dreamgirls.
Dreamgirls had been on the top of my West End Wishlist for quite some time, so I was delighted when I was able to get a great last minute deal for the show. When I arrived at the Savoy Theatre, there was a sign stating: "Due to the indisposition of Amber Riley, the role of Effie White will be played by Marisha Wallace". I was a little wary of this at first, especially due to Amber's recent Olivier Award win. However, there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Marisha Wallace is a sublime Effie White, she does wonders in the role! Marisha even received a standing ovation for her solo at the end of act one, "And I'm Telling You". I can guarantee that no one in the theatre will be disappointed with seeing Marisha, as opposed to Amber. She has a stunning voice that truly brings the house down! We are so lucky that Marisha was able to come from America to do the show. Funnily enough, I saw her in Something Rotten (3 times) and she played an egg that actually sung a few lines of Dreamgirls. Something Rotten predicted the future! Marisha's fellow "Dreamgirls", Liisi Lafontaine as Deena and Asmeret Ghebremichael as Lorrell, were both excellently cast. They both had terrific voices and both had a large stage presence, I cannot find any faults with either of their performances. Joe Aaron Reid absolutely nails the role of Curtis. Curtis begins as ambitious and full of dreams, ending with the character becoming deceptive and greedy. A role like this really lets Joe show off his versatility. He is a brilliant actor, singer and dancer; triple threat! I think he'd make a terrific Aaron Burr (sadly though, the cast of Dreamgirls have not been allowed to audition for Hamilton). Tyrone Huntley as C. C. White is a big standout and one of the highlights of the show. Tyrone is an extremely talented singer and funnily enough, I also think he would be a good Aaron Burr (to be honest, I think Tyrone could nail any role role in Hamilton). Ashlee Irish was playing the role of Jimmy at the performance I saw and at stage door Ashlee told me it was only his third time playing the role. I actually did not realise this until intermission, when I went to look at the cast list. I would not have known if I had not checked,as I was very impressed with his portrayal of the role. I also think he will become even better in the role as time goes on. On the creative side of the show, I thought the costumes were outstanding. I couldn't quite believe how sparkly they were! I was also impressed with the choreography, which was excellently performed. I also liked the orchestrations. If I'm honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of the set design. I found the set to be quite bland, which is very disappointing considering it  was the same set designer for the musical  Shrek. That doesn't take anything away from the show, but I still think it's important to highlight.

The featured star of Dreamgirls is, drum roll please... MARISHA WALLACE!

I've used to say in a lot of my old reviews that understudies were under appreciated, but it is thanks to people like Marisha that understudies are really becoming recognised for their hard work nowadays. Perhaps once Amber leaves the show, Marisha will step in to fill her shoes permanently? Who knows what the future may bring!

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

Originally I was wondering whether to give Dreamgirls 5 stars, but it's not quite up there with my all time favourites so I feel this production deserved 4 stars. 

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

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer