Review: Forbidden Broadway at the Menier Chocolate Factory

Forbidden Broadway
Menier Chocolate Factory
Reviewed on Thursday 3rd July 2014

Have you ever wondered what the stagiest person on earth dreams about when they fall asleep? If so, Forbidden Broadway is the show with all the answers!

Forbidden Broadway has returned to the Menier and this new version of the hysterically funny show has been updated to point fun at the West End's newest productions including Miss Saigon, The Book of Mormon, Spamalot, Once, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as old favourites such as Les Miserables, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia. The evening is broken up with nods to some of theatre’s biggest stars including Liza Minnelli, Idina Menzel, Patti LuPone, Elaine Paige and Angela Lansbury. 

Gerard Alessandrini's writing is absolute comic genius. The observations and jokes are often more spot on than the reviews! Regardless of whether you agree with the jokes, the writing is undeniably funny. I don't want to give too many of the gags away, but the adjustment of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's 'Pure Imagination' to 'The Show With No Imagination' left me in huge fits of laughter.

The cast of four are phenomenal. Forbidden Broadway is more than just a bit of fun, is is a carefully oiled machine. Backstage must be a frantic place with extreme costume change after extreme costume change and, on top of that, it's a huge sing for all four cast members; however, neither Anna-Jane Casey, Damian Humbley, Sophie-Louise Dann or Ben Lewis show the slightest sign of tiredness.

To see Casey and Dann, two of the West End's most respected and lovable divas, reunited on stage is quite something. There is no note they cannot hit, no character they cannot play and no comedy line they cannot deliver to perfection. I was blown away by Casey's powerhouse vocals during 'Defying Gravity' and ‘Let It Go' and tears streamed down my cheeks when Dann crawled on stage as Elaine Paige, made a sexual joke and snorted. 

Humbley (aka the Menier's reigning King) and Lewis are the definition of versatility; the pair come together for a very clever nod to The Book of Mormon and Humbley shone during the tremendous Les Miserables section. It's impossible to imagine a stronger cast for this production. 

I may have taken time to warm to the show and found the second half funnier than the first, but Forbidden Broadway was everything I could have possibly wanted it to be. There's nothing else like Forbidden Broadway (well, there wasn't until Spamalot came along - but that's dealt with in the show). Transporting the audience to stagey heaven, if you are someone who sees all the big musicals in London you have to book tickets to see Forbidden Broadway immediately.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

Forbidden Broadway runs at the Menier Chocolate Factory until Saturday 16th August 2014.

Please visit www.menierchocolatefactory.com for further information and tickets.

Read our interviews with Anna-Jane Casey, Damian Humbley & Sophie-Louise Dann

Photo Credit: Alastair Muir

Follow @West_End_Frame