[title of show]
Landor Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 12th August 2013
It was a very brave decision for the Landor Theatre to stage the London premiere of [title of show] at the same time as the musical is receiving its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Having seen the show in Edinburgh just two days earlier, it felt a little strange to be reviewing another production of [title of show] so soon. Of course it would be impossible not to compare the two productions.
[title of show] is a musical... about two guys writing a musical... about two guys writing a musical. While this sounds greatly confusing, the piece is cleverly written and very easy to follow. Once again the Landor Theatre has gathered a cast of experienced West End and Broadway performers, it's fantastic to see the four stars perform in such an intimate theatre.
[title of show] is a wonderful musical, there really is nothing else like it. The script is very spontaneous - while it's not intensely gripping, neither does the show ever become too predictable. The music is catchy and has an identifiable sound. [title of show] features many theatrical references so is the perfect choice for anybody passionate about theatre. As I mentioned in my Edinburgh review, my only fear is that not everybody will love the show as much as me.
What I loved most about the Edinburgh production (which I awarded five stars) was the simplicity. However, in this production projections are used, the lighting design is more complex and the acting style is more 'over the top'. I wish the Landor production was more stripped back as it lacks the special, raw edge that the show has in Edinburgh. The projections and lighting design bring a little comedy in places but the Edinburgh production was more detailed and cleverly put together.
Scott Garnham steals the show as Hunter, he won the audience over in seconds with his charm and impressive vocal talents. Simon Bailey (Jeff) has a unique vocal tone which suits the score nicely. Sophia Ragavelas (Heidi) steals the spotlight on many occasions while Sarah Galbraith is perfectly cast as Susan. Her performance is incredibly funny, at one point during the show the cast had to pause to wait for the audience to stop laughing after one of Sarah's lines. [title of show] is an exciting piece of theatre and I'm sure this run at the Landor will be hugely successful.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins
[title of show] runs at the Landor Theatre until 14th September 2013.
Please visit www.landortheatre.co.uk for further information and tickets.
Related
Review of [title of show] in Edinburgh (5 stars)
Interview with Sarah Galbraith (Susan)
Interview with Scott Garnham (Hunter)
Review of Simon Bailey's album Looking Up (5 stars)
Photo Credit: Darren Bell
No comments:
Post a Comment