Guest Review: wonder.land at the Manchester Palace Theatre

wonder.land
Saturday 11th July 2015
Manchester Palace Theatre
★★★★

As 2015 is the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's famous novel Alice in Wonderland, it seemed only fitting that one of the centre pieces of this year's Manchester International Festival was a new musical inspired by this classic story. 

Guest Blog: A change in the air…

Jonathan Slinger in Urinetown

For many years, London's West End was known for being full of Jukebox Musicals. Shows such as We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia and Rock of Ages dominated theatreland, bringing audiences to their feet night after night. However, jukebox musicals aren’t for everyone as there are many who would prefer to see something totally new. 

2014 has been very different, there seems to be a change in the air – there has been a sudden influx of original shows. New plays and musicals are taking the West End by storm and proving that you don't need a famous well known score to send audiences out from a theatre with smiles on their faces.

I was very lucky to witness three of these brand new original shows in a recent visit to the capital and they all made an impact on me in very different ways. 

Do musicals always have to have a happy ending? Well - not that I will be spoiling anything here… but over in Urinetown (currently at the Apollo Theatre) you are certainly made to question that idea. Jamie Lloyd's brilliant production of the Broadway musical, which had a sell-out run at the St James Theatre earlier this year, is continuing to pull in the crowds since its West End transfer back in September. 

Guest Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Reviewed on Friday 18th April 2014

In an ever changing West End world, where shows seem to be coming and going faster than you can blink, many continue to question what makes an audience return to a show over and over again – what is that special ingredient?

A love story? A quest for a brighter tomorrow? A surprise ending? Or is it a celebrity performer in a leading role? For me, there is one show that doesn’t need any of these features – as it already has one special ingredient of its own.

MAGIC.

Guest Blog: New casts at Les Mis and Phantom

Theatre fan Olivia Edmonds shares her thoughts on the new casts of Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera

As a Theatre lover - and a proud one at that - nothing makes me happier than to see such a wide range of new shows, be it plays or musicals, coming into the West End, particularly at the moment. With such a diverse range as The Commitments, Strangers on a Train, The Light Princess and Once, as well as many more on the horizon, it looks like the theatre industry will be thriving for many years to come. 

But one of the key ingredients of a thriving theatre industry for me is that all of this new 'wonderfulness' is balanced out by the long running classics - the shows which have been running for many years and continue to bring in the audiences night after night. 

Review: Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre

Matilda The Musical

Cambridge Theatre

Reviewed on Saturday 26th October 2013

Take one of the most well known children's stories of all time, add in the stunning book by Dennis Kelly and the lyrical genius of Aussie comic Tim Minchin and one of the most versatile companies currently in the West End - and what do you get?

Review: Barnum at the Chichester Festival Theatre

Barnum 
Chichester Festival Theatre

Reviewed on Saturday 10th August 2013

Humbug. The art of humbug.

Before you think I've gone mad - I am not referencing the Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol", nor am I making reference to the popular boiled sweet enjoyed by many! What I am talking about is the deception and trickery masterclass delivered by the charismatic Christopher Fitzgerald, currently leading the majestic cast of Barnum at the Theatre in the Park, Chichester.