westend – A SPURDLE reviews

Mean girls: The musical

My next show is back in London West End and at the Savoy. A venue I have visited multiple times over the years to see some very good and successful musicals. The show tonight is “Mean girls: the musical”. This particular production opened at the Savoy theatre back in June 26 2024. I have been waiting to see this show again after I watched in previous on broadway back in October 2018 at the August Wilson Theatre. Unfortunately it has not been as well received on the west end as it was on broadway as the show posted early closing and is scheduled on 8th June 2025 around a year after it first opened.

The musical is based on the 2004 Lindsay Lohan movie of the same. This musical version book is written by one of the original movies stars and Hollywood star Tina Fey with music by Jeff Richmond and lyrics from Nell Benjamin. The orginal Broadway show was so successful it spawned the 2024 musical film version of the show which had a couple of songs added and removed for the big screen. I really enjoyed the orginal broadway production and have listened to the orginal cast recording countless times. I have also seen the 2024 film multiple times as it is normally a time filler on my flights to and from broadway. So I was very excited to take my seat in the stall of the Savoy theatre in row M seat 16 to see it again on stage with this London cast.

For those who have not seen either films here is a very brief synopsis. We meet Cady Heron (Charlie Burn) who moves from Kenya to a American high school. It is here she meets Janis Sarkisian (Elena Skye) and her gay best friend Damian Hubbard (Tom Xander). They attempt to help Cady navigate high school life but end up pushing her into the “Plastics” lead by Regina George (Georgina Castle) with Gretchen Wieners (Elèna Gyasi) and they’re not so intelligent friend Karen Smith (Clíona Flynn). After a battle over Aaron Samuels (Daniel Bravo) Cady seems to overthrow Regina who both pay the price over the discovery of the “Burn book”. The shows ends with the high school dance in which status quo seems to prevail.

Before I start to discuss the show and this production I have to mention that I did encounter one of the longest show stops I have had in all my time visiting the theatre. I have not had many mid show stops at all but for this show around thirty minutes into the first act we encountered around a fifteen minute stop. There was no mention of the reason, I did not notice any cast changes and the set design would not lend you to think it would be the root cause of a full quarter of an hour show stop.

The set relies very heavily on the screens that you can see from the view from my seat picture. It is these screens which provide the main set pieces for the whole show. With very good use of the screen technology. There was a few minor set pieces that were used throughout a few scenes with the odd drop in scenery of a toilet block or door way here and there. As a result the use of props were slightly more important however the show as a whole did not rely on the at all. Which was surprising considering the heavy use of screens. As all scene changes were dictated by the full wall of screens. Which did occasionally slide and move out the way to allow the odd larger prop like a bed to appear. On some occasions trap doors allows larger set and props to appear and disappear onto the stage. As you can see from the below image the heavy use of screen was the same within the original production on broadway.

View MezzR row H seat 8 at the August Wilson theatre in 2018

The lighting design did not really have its time to shine due to the volume and interstitial of the screens. The general chronography seems good enough for a west end production but seemed to lack the effectiveness that it should for a west end production. I believe that this was not down to the performers and their talent but the general size of the Savoy stage. As it is quite a small stage it can look and appear very cramped very quick. Which is the general result I found for this shows ensbample dance pieces. This theatre does not lend itself to large ensbample dance break and routines. This is proven by every musical I have seen their in the past did not attempt such large ensbample dance routines shows like legally blonde and pretty women did not have such volume of routines.

Unfortunately it did seem that a lot of the book was lost on the UK audience. Which could explain the much shorter run on the west end stage. I don’t recall as much of the scripted jokes falling as flat with the broadway audience from 2018. There did seem to be attempts to apply it to a 2025 audience which all seemed in-vein. Perhaps it needed the broadway/American audience for the high school dynamic jokes to land. I found myself laughing when I should be but no a limited numbers of others were. It’s a great shame as it did distract from the overall impact of the show compared to the first time I watched it. Tina Fey book was brilliant on the broadway but did not have the same effect with a UK audience.

Now for some of the individual performances. Before seeing the show the only actor I was previously aware of was Grace Mouat as Karen Smith however I was presented with the third cover for a Karen and her debut in the role Clíona Flynn under who played the role perfectly and is a prime example of why not only p understudies are under estimated within the West End. But the ensbample and all covers to be the third cover and a debut of the role and foe me not to even be aware shows the talent of these individuals.

First of all Charlie Burn as Candy Heron was perfection casting. Her vocals were flawless and her ability to gradually transition from a geek to a full on “Plastic” was perfection. Her credits are very limited within the theatre and musical theatre world but deserves many more roles in her musical theatre future.

Another role which is critical for the story progression is Damian Hubbard portrayed by Tom Xander. However the general role and impact and comedy that it should bring to the show again seemed to miss the mark. This was not due to Damian ability or talent as he wa Streatham in the role. I feel it was the London British audience who could fully get behind the character like an American audience could.

Along side him was Elena Skye as Janis Sarksian who was brilliant at not only the characterisation but vocals. Having some of the most challenges and demanding songs in the shows Elena was able to deal with them effortlessly. She was such a strong member of the cast.

A final mention has to go to Georgina Castle as the one and only Regina George. Overall her performance was great with the dominance it required while backing it it with some amazing vocals.

I am such a huge of the music and lyrics for this show. Having listened to the original cast recodering countless times and even continued to listen to it on my journey home after seeing the show. It has some amazing songs that are great as standalone but really have a different decision when put into context of the story and show. I highly recommended you watch the 2024 musical film and also listen to the orginal cast recodering which is available on all major streaming platforms. For me my favourite songs that I could and do listen to on respect regularly are “I see stars” and “Rather be me”

Orginal Broadway cast recording of “I see stars”

More details from the show can be found on their website.

Overall 3 out of 5 stars, a great show fuelled by my love of the orginal Broadway show back in 2018. Unfortunately the book does not seem to land the same way with an UK audience. However still contains some of my all time favourite musical theatre songs. Recommend listening to the originally broadway cast recording and watch the 2024 film.

“Alterations” review

My next review takes me once again back to the national theatre and the Lyttelton stage for another NT young patron club night. This time for a show which is currently still in previews and officially opens on 27^th Feb and scheduled to close on 5th April 2025. This play is originally written by Micheal Abbensetts and directed by Lynette Linton. It has a running length of one hour and fifty five minutes with no interval.

Like many plays and productions I see I was not aware of the text or ideas of the play so once again entered the Lyttelton theatre with an open mind of what was to come. I took my seat which was chosen by the NT development team. The only other people apart from myself who I trust to choose a seat for me. And once again they did not dissapoint with a seat in the stall in row G seat 24.

The play transports us back to the 1970s where we enter Walkers (Arinzé Kene) tailors shop. Where he dreams of become a suit designer and maker. Were we spend the next nearly two hours living 24 hours in the life of Walker trying to complete a demanding trouser alteration order from Mr Nat (Colin Mace). With the help of his trusty expecting to be father friend Buster (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) and his young driver Courtney (Raphel Famotibe). With the help or as it becomes more obvious hinderance of Horace (Karl Collins). Along with the occasional appearance from Walkers wife Darlene (Cherrelle Skeete). We learn of the hopes and dreams along with the struggles these characters have to face on a day to day basis of being black in the 1970s.

Before the “curtain up” as there was no physical curtain a number of the ensemble cast started to appear on stage with boom boxes and push bikes. Attempting to prepare us for this step back in time to the 1970s. The set itself was basic and is shown in almost in is entirely within the view room my seat image above. As the play is based in a short timeframe of the same location it meant that there was no need for large set pieces of even major scene changes. However momentum of the play and time changes were achieved by rotating the whole set within the centre of the the Lyttelton stage. This allowed for the actors to seamless move from the front of the shop to the back simply by walking through the hanging clothes rack while the whole set piece was rotating. At very few occasions the front of the stage was used as a scene setter. The only main addition to the common stage was during Walker dream sequences when additional set pieces appears from the wings with ensamble replicating a suit shop. With the aid of very simple light design the different scenes and timings of the play were able to be progressed and portrayed.

As usually with the NT the set design was perfect for the play and the props were amazing. With the expected NT attention to detail not disappointing. When looked at closely you are able to see the exact detail of the tailors shop from the cotton to the time period sewing machines. Once again the NT prop department did not dissapoint with not a single prop or item on stage being out of place for a 1970s alteration shop. It is this small attention to detail that makes the NT so impressive.

Talking about relevant time period aspects the costumes were amazing. The style and fit of each costume was perfection for the time period. Not only the costumes being worn by the actors but the outfits that were hanging as effectively props and set where exactly in style and design. I can only imagine the fun that the creative team had walking through the many racks of the NT green store to find these outfits. Again the attention to detail that makes an NT production an NT production.

In the same vain but slightly different tack the attention to detail within the accents of the characters was great.If not a little difficult to start with by the end of the play it seemed very natural. Each actor had what I can only assume is a very authentic accent which was needed for the original text which was written by the late native Guyanan Micheal Abbensetts. However for me this is where the play had problems. As the original play was written in 1978 by a native there were at times certain dialects and phases/comments that were made which went totally over my head and only hit with a very small proportion of the audience. As well as these more specific references I found a lot of the more comedy aspects and points of the play didn’t land with me and also didn’t seem to land in general with the audience of this preview night. I don’t believe that this text originally from 1978 really has a place with a modern London National Theatre/ West End audience. Although you can see the play attempting to hit some very major topics which are still relevant today including race, dreams and strong women. The style in which it is presented in the play does not fit for me a Morden audience.

The running time of nearly two hours straight with no interval also did not seem to fit this perticular play. I am huge fan of straight through plays with no interval. However for this production there were many different opportunities for a break in proceedings and not having one just seem to elongate the play rather than keep the audience on side and on board. Perhaps by the time the play has opening night in a few days the timing may get shrunk a little.

Although Karl Collins was marketed as the “main star” of the prodcution. I recall it was his face that appeared on the slide show presented by Rufus during the launch of his last season. I was surprised to see him not in the title role. However I really enjoyed Arinzé Kene portrayal of Walker. He was able to portray the character and emotions brilliantly. Really making the audience buy into his dream of the suit shop as well as the heart ache he endures nearer the end of the play. Along with these two actors Gershwyn Eustache Jnr was able to reduce such an endearing character as the expectant father.

The other two actors which deserve a special mention is first the only female character of the play Darlene played by Cherrelle Skeete. Cherrelle was able to bring that strong female energy to the stage and if you see the show you we see the power and control she has to make a discoing which would not normally occur in the 1970s. The other actor to mention is Raphel Famotibe playing the young Courtney who simpployises the hope of youth and the belief that the future will be not only internet but better. These two actors had some great scenes in which they were able to show their great talent.

As per above the actors and production value of this play was as ever the National Theatre very high standard, it was just the orginal text not fitting in with this modern audience.

Overall I give this play 2 out of 5 stars. A great NT production of the original 1978 play, portrayed by some great actors. However unable to save what seemed to be a inaccessible text for most modern London theatre goers.

For more information on this show, further details can be found on the National Theatre website here

“The curious case of Benjamin Button” review

Tonight’s show is The curious case of Benjamin Button new musical. Which opened this run at the Ambassadors theatre on 10^th October 2024 and has now extended its run to now close in May 2025. The show was originated at the the Southwark playhouse. The show has a running length of around two and half hours. The production has music and lyrics by Darren Clark and directed by Jethro Compton.

This was my first musical in the west end and in general for a quite a few months. With the last musical being Sunset on Broadway back in October on Broadway. I was so please to be back in an auditorium waiting for a musical to start. For this show I choose the front row (Row A) of the circle in seat 13. I choose this seat as I was aware how small the theatre is in general with a little rack in the stalls and a very high stage. You have to be so far back in the stalls you loose the full scale of the set. As a result the front row of the circle meant for an amazing unobstructed view.

Like most people I was aware of the concept of the story of Benjamin Button however had not seen a show or film based on it including the 2008 Brad Bit film of the same name. However I was pleased to read that this perticular version was a re-imagination of the original F.Scott Fitzgerald story. As it was going to be taking place in a small fishing village in Cornwall. The reason for this is described in the programme by the director Jethro Compton as they state “home in the sense of where we feel we belong” and for as that is the heart of the story for them and North Cornwall is that place.

For some clarification here is a brief overview of this particular musicals story. Benjamin Button (John Dagleish) is born an old man much to the guilt and embarrassment of his Mother and Father. As time moves on it becomes just Benjamin and his dad (Benedict Salter) and as Benjamin grows younger he ventures out the house to the local pub “The pickled crap” in which he falls in love with the bar maid (Clare foster). The rest of musical charts their flourishing relationship through the back drop of WW2. Then through the birth of their children along with the turmoil that comes with this extrodenary life. Highlighting the joys and issues that come with getting younger as time goes on. Charting the full life of Benjamin Button from start to finish.

The Ambassadors theatre seems a perfect theatre for this production. As due to its small and intermediate nature it really added to the wholesomeness of the whole show. The theatre has also created its own “Picked Crap” bar outside the theatre which served Cornish themed food and drink. The set design for this production as you can see in the “view from my seat” picture was amazing. A fully authentic fishing boat/harbour design. With no set piece being changed through t the whole show. What you see at the start is the whole stage for the rest of the prodcution. The use of lighting and the odd prop changes and description from the script narration is all used brilliant to depict the changes in scene.

These scene changes seemed even slicker due to the almost magical appearance of props from hidden cubby holes in the stage floor. Which were opened to retrieved or stow the necessary props and even relevant a sandpit at one point. Along with the few actor props there was six boxes which were utilise to represent many different things throughout the play and really set the scene. All smoothly transitioned due by the whole cast who didn’t really leave the stage.

Now to talk about the cast and general production of this show. Which is very unique and not really like any other musical I have seen. The main reason for this was because the whole cast was the on stage band, ensemble and remaining characters. Which there were lots and all varied from each other. Not only were the whole cast on stage the whole production they were playing every instrument and while singing in every song. Which as this was a musical was every single scene. I was unable to list them all in the synopsis section of this review as they simply played to many characters. However they deserve a mention here so the 12 strong band/cast were Matthew Burns, Jonathan Charles, Oonagh Cox, Katy Ellis, Anna Fordham, Clare Foster, Philippa Hogg, Damien James, Elliot Mackenzie, Ann Marcuson, Emily Panes and Jack Quarton. Each and everyone of them are legitimate quadruple threat. As each was a brilliant actor, singer, musician and even dancer with some simple choreography. Along with John Dagleish and Benedict Salter as the main characters they produced an amazing folk inspired style musical.

The whole folk style of songs meant that the story was able to be explained and progressed through the lyrics. Which created most o the time lots of high energy numbers and creating a really feel good atmosphere amongst the audience. While still able to provide some real hard hitting scenes. The folk style in general fitted perfectly with the Cornish fishing village vibe while still being able to hit a huge musical theatre punch. The harmonies created by the whole cast were amazing throughout lots of the songs and add at time a sea shanty style while at other times creating an almost haunting feeling.

As well as the songs lyrics the main milestones of the story where provided in a narration style by each member of the cast. While providing the updates along with the exact time and or duration. Which kept reminding the audience of the concept of time and how precious it is no matter if you are running out of it by getting older or in Benjamin’s case running out of it by getting younger. Especially towards the end of the show the use of this narration was able to really drill home the sadness of Benjamin getting younger while everyone around him grows older. Providing a very emotional last ten minutes of the show.

One slight issue I did notice throughout the show was at times the sound levels were slightly off. Making it at times a little harder to hear exact members of the cast narration pieces. However this is to be expected hen you have around 14 cast members all mixed up moving and dancing around the stage while playing instruments live. It did not distract from the performance at all and if anything gave a more authentic feel like you were just in a pub in north Cornwall where the folk band has just sparked up.

This authentic love letter (As the director points out) to Cornwall was no more obvious than with the accents. Each character (Not actor) had they own voice while all still sounding 100% Cornish. This was without it being over the top and exaggerated and did not feel like an impersonation at all. The accents were also held throughout all the songs. This gave a truly authentic feel and meant that the transition between speaking and singing was seamless and exactly what you want in a good musical theatre production.

Another aspect of this musical which strayed from the musical theatre norm was that there did not seem to be a stand out title stand out song. With many of the second act consisting of reprises. Which is not normal in most Morden musical theatre. However as mentioned before the story was still able to be progressed easily and quickly. There is yet to be a full cast recording (I only hope this will change in the future). However there is an EP esc album on all the streaming platform which consists of three of the songs room the show. These three songs are also shown as a live recording on the Benjamin Button musical YouTube channel. My favourite of the three is linked below however I highlight recommend you check out all three.

When E`re she looked at me

Kudos really does have to be given to the director Jethro Compton for coming up with such a unique concept and amazing production. Being able to to great something so unique with the whole band being the cast on a static stage while still portraying a musical theatre production. Was pure genius as it is a musical theatre show but so unique and like none I have ever seen before.

A quick note on the costumes which were perfect for the early 1900s fisherman vibe that the set and story portrayed. Although almost no major costume changes, the subtle changes were very effective. For example the some of the earths that occurred during the show were marked by removing small parts of the costume like a skirt. It was also the costume along with some prop work which was able to dictate the younger versions of Benjamin. Again suitable changes like changing from a three piece suit to just a jacket to no jacket etc…

It was not only the costume changes which were able to dictate Benjamin becoming younger throughout the play. But the brilliant talent from John Dagleish. Who was effortlessly able to portray the de-aging process with small but effective physical changes. Which meant that you were able to witness a 80 something man become a 20 something man without really noticing it.

The whole production reminded me of “Come from away” with a hint of “Choir of man” two great musicals. And if you like either of them you will love this. Although reminding me of these shows at certain times this production and show is like no other and really does have to be seen to fully appreciate it.

If not already obvious I really enjoyed this new musical and can’t wait for more from it hopefully in the form of a full cast recording and maybe even a live recording. More details about the show can be found on their website.

As a result I give “The curious case of Benjamin Button an unordinary musical” 4 out of 5 stars.
It is an unordinary musical to say the least. A brilliant new musical lead by John Dagleish but the whole cast who are also the band are the stand outs in his unique new musical. A must see.

“Elektra” review

My next show is Elektra currently playing at the “Duke of York theatre”. Which transferred after its very short run at Theatre Royal Brighton from 13^th to 18^th January 2025. The show started its 11 week run at the Duke of York theatre on 24^th January and is currently scheduled to close on 12^th April 2025. The show has a running time of around 75 minutes with no interval. Which as mentioned before is a format I really enjoy for a West End show. This particular production has been translated by Anne Carson and directed by Daniel Fish with Hollywood star Brie Larson in the tile role. More on her later.

The Duke of Yorks Theatre 3rd February 2025

I watched this production on the evening performance starting at 19:30 on the 3^rd February 2025. I did forget how small the Duke of York theatre was and as a result I don’t believe there is a bad seat. However for this production I choose Row A seat 8 in the Royal circle. The main reason for this seat choice was due to the little to no rake within the stall of the theatre. It happened to be that when I booked the show earlier in the day this solo seat was available. As it did not disappoint as per the below image you see there was a fully uninterrupted view of the whole stage.

For those who are not aware of the origins of Elektra. This is Anne Carson adaptation of the Ancient Greek story complied Sophokles. This production keeps the orginal character names. Here is very brief outline of the story while introducing the actors partying them in this production.

The story is based around the death of Agamemnon and the revenge that his daughter Elektra (Brie Larson) is seeking from her mother Clytemnestra (Stockard Channing) and her new lover Aegisthus (Greg Hicks). While involving and dragging her brother (Patrick Vaill) and sister Chrysothemis (Marième Diouf) along. All the time supported by Elektra chorus made up of (Hannah Bristow, Wallis Currie-Wood, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, Nadia Ruth, Rebecca Thorn and Adeola Yemitan).

This particular adaption did not seem at all story driven. I am not sure if that is due to the orginal story lacking any depth. However Anne Carson was not able to add any during this production. Although short in run time did at points scenes seemed to drag as if to use up the running time rather than progressing the story. Of which from my understanding there was not much of. With no real start, middle or end. The whole play is a slow plod to the final confrontation with their fathers murder. A very basic storyline that was not advanced on at all. There was lots of dialogue however it was not used to add or progress the story.

The direction and general production had lots of unique theatre tricks. However were seemed to become more gimmicky due to the lack of progression of story. The production style and direction was the only thing that kept the show alive. With lots of tricky and different direction and media use which is not seen in a traditional play, of which this was not. However instead of using this theatric/direction differences sparlying throughout the play. The whole production relied on it and was the only thing it was giving the audience.

The main theatrical gimmick One of the these theatrical gimmicks was the use of a hand help microphone used by Brie Lawson throughout 90% of the show. Instead of using it on the odd occasion to add emphasis, which I have seen in other plays, it was used all the time. The use of a second microphone was an attempt to emphasis certain points however just seemed more random than useful. There was also a use of effects pedal which changed the vocals of the main microphone however again did not add anything just pull the audience out of whatever train of though Elektra was having at the time. I felt that the constant use of this microphone took away from the show instead of adding. For example due to the use of the microphone by Brie Larson any other actor on stage who was using a normal stage mic seemed to be very quite. I don’t thin this was a sound level issue but just the comparison between a handheld mic and normal stage mic. As well as creating a one dimension performance, on which I will explain more later when discussing Brie Larson. Only having one actor using a handheld microphone created a barrier when interacting with other actors. It hindered the performances between the great cast as they were unable to bounce of each other and each exchange seemed stunted due to the microphone.

The direction choice of a almost constant spinning centre stage also hindered the play part of the production as actors were rarely opposite or facing each other. As a result also unable to bounce off and perform with each other. An interesting choice and again if used more sparely could have been effective. Along with the direction choices the set design or lack of set also hindered the play aspect of the production. While it was an empty Duke of York stage apart from a white back sheet is used as the “set”. The lack of set pieces meant that the whole stage was exposed which resulted in no wing or backstage space for the actors. Which meant for most of the play the actors were on stage on benches at the back of stage like they were on a sub bench for a football match. As the play progressed they eventually peeled of stage.

Due to the lack of set the importance of lighting become more apparent. The lighting played a critical part in attempting to dictate some kind of story line by hinting at scene changes. Which worked well but again was hindered by the total lack of story and story progression.

As well as lack of set there was not a huge use of props either. Which is not normally the case when a production lacks set it makes it p with prop usage. However this production did not. There multiple chairs and mic stands many used by the ensemble (More on those later). As mentioned before the microphones were critical however overused and did not provide the effect I assume they were trying to achieve. One prop which was very interesting and unique was the black spray painting machine. Which when used live spray pained a black line across the white backdrop. Which was proved to be real as it dripped down when raised above the stage for the rest of the prodcution.

The black line was used throughout the costume design as well. I assume for some symbolic reason which was not broadcasted to the audience. The ensemble cast had a Greek style tabard costume which was very fitting with the origin of the story. The black line was also portrayed across Aegisthus chest during his final scenes of the play.

One of the theatre gimmicks which did work at certain stages of the play was the harmonisation of the ensemble. Again with handheld mics who attended to progress the story while providing a backup singer situation for Elektra. However once again the ensemble sections where overused and lost their impact due to the amount of time the feature was used. With towards the end of the play their scenes/ performances seemed unnecessarily elongated. Having said that each cast member who made up this ensemble was very talented. As a musical theatre fan I was able to appreciate their performances as stand alone events but for me did not add anything to the story or the production. Along with the musical theatre theme there was some great microphone stand choreography.

One aspect of the production which did well at modernise a literal ancient text. Was the general fast pace nature of the dialogue. A lot of the monologues where very fast paced and wordy while still keeping the diction and as a result were still understandable. A perfect example of this was Patrick Vaill who main monologue was so fast pace and rhythmic that it resembled more of a rap that a play monologue and was as a individual piece very impressive. Along with the fast general speech pace the use of music and volume at times did create a very frantic enters however due to the lack of story did not have the dispersed effect it was meant to.

Now to talk about Brie Larson who was a main selling point for this production and was used heavily during the advertising of the show. Even the front of the programme lists it as “Brie Larson IS Elecktra”. As mentioned bewilder the sole us of a microphone by Brie Lawson created a very one dimensional perofmrance. I don’t believe this is a reflection of her stage acting talent. Unlike Sigourney Weaver in the tempest from a few weeks ago. It did feel like Brie was treating more as a film role which was highlighted by the commencement she made by having a buzz cut which I can only assume was real and showed her commitment to this stage role. General Brie performance showed lots of conviction and stage acting potential. But very let down by the script and directing choices which produced a very one dimensional performance and not a reflection of her ability.

Now for some of the other cast. Starting with Greg Hicks playing Aegisthus who had a very limited dialogue and only really spoke onwards the end of the play and did not add anything to the plays dynamics. Stockyard Channing as Clytemnestra was again one dimensional. However once again I believe this was not as a result of her ability but the limitations of the text and lack of story. As mentioned earlier with the speed of dialogue Patrick Vaill was very impressive in his monologue abilities as Orestes.

Overall I give this production 2 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for a traditional play then look away. The use of theatre and direction tricks were an attempt to modernise an ancient text however heavily overused and created a very underwhelming and story lacking production.

Further details can be found on Elektra website here.

“The importance of being Earnest” review

My next show brings me back to the National Theatre and for another NT Young Patron club night. This time for “The importance of being Earnest” which opened at the NT Lyttelton theatre on 28^th November 2024 and scheduled to closed on 25th January 2025. However has a NT live streaming date for 20 February 2025. The show has a running time of two hours and forty five minutes. It just so happens that I watched the show tonight and will also be seeing it again tomorrow night for the NT Annual supporters celebration which will be tomorrow. It will be at this event we get to hear from some of the creatives and stars of the show. Which I am now very much looking forward to.

Having had this production open back in November I have only heard very good things. From not only the NT staff who one has confessed to seeing the show four times during its run. But also from other theatre going in friends who rated it their favourite show of 2024. So as I took my seat in the Lyttelton stall row K seat 14 I was hoping for good things. I was not disappointed for reason that will be explained throughout this review.

The importance of being Earnest is a well known Oscar Wilde play first performed in 1895. However like most shows I have not seen or studied it before and as a result had no idea of the story. For those who were like me and do not know the story here is a brief synopsis.

The story of two gentleman friends one from the London Algeron Moncreif (Ncuti Gatwa) and one from the country Jack Worthing (Hugh Skinner). Both use a made up relative or friend as an excuse to spend time away from their respective places of origin. Algeron lives in a city house with his trusty butler Lane (Julian Bleach). While using his made up friend Bunbury as an escape to the country mainly from his aunt Lady Bracknell (Shereener Browne, understudy for Sharon D Clarke) and her daughter Gwendolyn Fairfax (Ronke Adekoluejo). While Jack uses Earnest a wicked younger brother who lives in the city. All this to spend time away from his ward Cecile Cardew (Eliza Scanlen) and her mentor Miss Prism (Amanda Lawrence and his butler Merriman (also Julian Bleach). All seems to be fine until Jack attempts to propose to Gwendolyn who only knows him as Earnest. Things get even funnier as Algeron attends Jacks country estate posing as the wicked brother Ernest only to fall in love with Cecile. In the background we also have the love in interest between Reverend Canon Chasuble (Richard Cant) and Miss Prism. Pure comedy ensues especially when Gwendolyn arrives at the country house. As both Algeron and Jack have their want to be engaged partners together at the same time of which neither know the men’s true identity. With an endless amount of revelations throughout the show all producing hilarious twist and turns.

Even though the original Oscar Wilde play was from the 1890s it is surprising how relevant the topics raised throughout the play still are to this day. With topics such as relationships, status and expectation all featured and all more than ever relevant into todays world. This meant that the comedy was still has effective as it was over a hundred years ago. As a comedy play this did not disappoint with fits of laughter an inevitable result of every scene and in some cases most lines. Mainly from the brilliant text which as mentioned the modern day audience was still able to resonate with.

There was some slight modernisation in direction and script changes. This came in the form of some subtle and very funny sexual innuendo sprinkled throughout the play. The sporadic but extremely effective use of modern swear words provided some of the biggest laughs throughout the show. There was also the use of very modern songs in which some of the characters were singing acapella including James Blunt “Your beautiful” which was perfectly timed within the sene and made it even funnier. These little touches of modernisation just built on the already very funny text.

Along with the verbal comedic events, the use of physical comedy was brilliant weather it was a stagger own the seemly steep hill to the physical confrontation of the actors. Both the verbal and physical emphasis on certain words during delveiry just made a funny line even funnier. This is where credit has to be given to the director Max Webster as it was at this places and times when he could really push and rely on the brilliant cast to push comedy point through. For me personally some of the funniest movements came in the form of the audience sides or acknowledgment of the audience. It was this along with the odd forth wall breaking comment which had me laughing extremely out loud. For example comments regarding “We should move on now as we have covered the set change” were brilliant and gave it a more modern feel to the whole play.

This brilliantly directed and written play was not let down by the set and staging at all. In typical NT fashion the set design and attention to detail was outstanding. There was three main scenes/set designs. The first being in side the London house which was very grand, this was the stark contrast to the garden of the country house which was rolls of hills and flowers beds. The last scene was inside the country house in the entrance hall with two very large staircases surrounded by floor to ceiling books shelves. Each set had amazing attention to detail and on a scale which engulfed the whole stage. Each scene was perfectly framed with the ornate almost picture frame quality which can be seen in the view from my seat image above. Each scene was as slick as expected with one minute a London house suddenly after the drop of a curtain a very large garden appeared. The lighting design for all the scenes especially the contrast from the house to the very bright and vivid garden was very impressive.

Not only was the larger set pieces attention detail but as expected from a NT production the prop attention detail was outstanding. With food being mentioned a lot throughout the play the fact that most of the props on stage had to be edible and were consumed on stage again a time to much comedic effect. Just goes to show the amount of work and effect the backstage crew have to put into each production. Not only the edible props were great attention to detail the chairs and larger props were perfectly chosen and added to the whole plays era.

The most impressive part apart from the comedy brilliance was the costume. The costume department at the NT is always amazing however they really did out do themselves with this production. They costume designer Petrova Kourtellaris had a dream scenario with this prodcution. And did not disappointment. Costumes were such an important part of portraying the characters and their personas especially within Algernon Moncrieff. The most impressive part was the “Pretty Women” inspired outfit try on scene. The style for every outfit flambouent or not was perfection and really did steal the show and needed for this production. Below is a link to an NT YouTube video where you hear from some of the costume department talking about this show.

NT video on “Dressing Algeron Moncreif”

Now for a quick mention of some of the amazing cast individually. However all the cast was perfectly casted and not one disappointed in their role or participation in the production. I will mention a few of the standouts for me personally.

Ncuti Gatwa as Algernon Moncrieff was amazing casting and was born to be on the stage and especially in this role. The casting choice here was genesis could not think of anyone who would and could play this role any better than Ncuti. This was the first time seeing him on stage and the performance was amazing, Ncuti is wasted on TV, lets hope he does more and more theatre in future.

Hugh Skinner as Jack Worthing was perfection. Hugh has a lot of theatre and NT credits however this has to be his stand out performance. The comedic timing and physical theatre was amazing. The connection between himself and Ncuti was superb and fitted the characters brilliantly. He was able to match Ncuti all the any and at some point take over the scene from Algeron.

Julian Bleach as two butlers of the bubbling idiot of Merrimack to the sophisticated Lane. The ability to play both butlers which were polar opposite is a true showcase of brilliant comedy acting. The equal amount of comedy he was able to bring to both very different roles shows a great talent.

On this performance Understudy for Sharon D Clarke as Lady Bracknell was Shereener Browne. Who did not disappoint and for me Sharon D Clarke was not missed at all. I was however surprised that this role was not a larger part due to the high profile casting and for it being such an iconic role.. Either way Shereener brought enough energy and power to the role that was needed.

Eliza Scanlen as Cecile Cardew was brilliant the dialect and accent was perfect for this character and prick used some of the funniest moments with her one liners and report with Ronke as Gwendolyn.

If it is not obvious from this review, I really really enjoyed this production and it definitely lived up to the hype produced by everyone in the theatre world I know. Full details can be found on the NT website.

As a result I give this production 4 out of 5 stars. A brilliant version of the hilarious Oscar Wilde play. With simply perfection casting and amazing costumes. A great production which keeps you laughing and entertained throughout the whole show, with Ncuti Gatwa and Hugh Skinner excelling.

Titanique review

My next show is “Titanique” at The Criterion Theatre which opened in the West End on 9^th December 2024 and is currently scheduled to close on 8^th June 2025. Apart from this West End run the same production is continuing its off broadway production which opened in 2022 with a new cast taking over from February 4^th. The show runs for 100 minutes (one hour and Forty minutes) with no interval.

As I took my seat in the stalls row J seat 15 the auditorium was filled filled with 90s and early naughty pop classics, which set the mood very well . It was one of the very few remaining tickets when I booked earlier in the day. My main driver for seeing this show was Lauren Drew and Rob Houchen as on the face of it this show would not normally be in my wheelhouse. However I was pleasantly surprised and will explain why throughout this review.

The show as the name suggests is based on the story of the titanic and the film adaptation in particular. However with a major twist which is Celine Dion. The show starts with a tour round the titanic museum which is interrupted by Celine Dion (Lauren Drew). She explains she was on the titanic and this is how she remembers it. In this bizarre Celine Dion dream like world. We are whisked through the high level story of the titanic film. Still centring around Jack (Rob Houchen) and Rose (Kat Rooney) crescendoing with the iceberg portrayed by Layton Williams as Tina Turner. During the journey we meet the expected character s from the film including Roses fiancé Cal (Jordan Luke Gage), Roses mum Ruth (Stephen Guarino), Molly Brown (Charlotte Wakefield), The ship builder Victor Garber (Darren Bennett) his seaman (Also Layton Williams). On stage during some of Celine Dion bigger numbers she is supported by her backing singers (Adrianne Langley, Madison Swan and Rodney Vubya). Here is a quick 30 second explanation from the brilliant cast.

I don’t feel you can critique and review this show like a normal play or even WestEnd musical. Due to the fact it is unlike anything I have seen before and not in a bad way. The whole show does not take itself too seriously and this review will reflect that. The show consists of a wide mix match of cover songs which are semi shoe horned into the story some better than other. The songs include “River deep mountain high, beauty an the beast, the prayer” and of cause “My heart will go on”. A fully list of the songs can be found on the Titanique website here. Unlike a normal jukebox musical the songs in most cases did not develop the storyline. Due to the variation in songs and styles I was reminded of Moulin Rouge however much more camp. Unlike in a normal jukebox musical or even Moulin Rouge each song was a only a small snippet which for me left me wanted more of each one due to the supreme talent of each actor which I will discuss in more details later.

The staging was static and simply designed which was a simple stair design with open space within center stage, in which most of the performing was done. The stair design was flanked by the brilliant four piece band with two members on each side of the stage and on view to the audience the whole time. The stair designed was very well utilised for the famous end of the boat scene. The cast entered and exited of the scenes mainly via the auditorium which allowed for a simple static set design. I highly suggest if you are watching his show to watch is from somewhere in the stalls. As the performances start as soon as the actors enter the auditorium which can be well before their on stage appearance.

The lighting again like the staging was simple but very effective. The whole rear stage wall was effectively a light box which was able to change colours based o the song being performed. This along with the rest o the lighting design which a lot of the time illuminated the audience as well. This along with the lighting colour choices really added to the fun and camp vibe of the whole show and matched the energy form the actors perfectly.

The costume design was perfect for the show and Celine Dion dress was perfection for the attention seeking role that is was designed for. There was very limited use of props and like the staging was not needed due to the nature of the whole show. It was not a musical theatre production it was more a concert of amazing West End Musical theatre talent having a great time and bring the audience along with them.

Apart from the stand out singing performances there were a outranges about of references to modern day culture most of which I can not explain here. You have to see them in context which had my cheeks hurting due to the amount of laughing and smiling I was doing during the 100 minute show. The writing and delivery of the references and jokes were perfect. With a lot of fourth wall breaking audience sides and references were brilliant. To the point were it was almost a pantomime esc performances at times.

The whole cast were amazing which each actor being able to sing to perfection. As mentioned before some fo the cast were the reason for me seeing the show and they did not disappoint but also each actor on their own made the show worth watching.

Lauren Drew as Celine Dion is casting perfection the mannerisms to the insane vocals were spot on. The ability to insert herself into most scenes which code you timings and side looks were brilliant.

Rob Houchen also did not disappoint. His voice singing anything is mind blowing. If you haven’t heard of him or seen him before. I highly recommend searching for him on YouTube as there are some amazing performances at concerts and shows he has done. He has such a unique and amazing musical theatre voice whatever he sings is perfection.

A stand out performer for me not such much for their vocals but their performance was Stephen Guarino playing Ruth. The comedic timing and delivery of this role had almost the actors on stage corpsing. It was very much the panto dame vibe but with adult humour and had me and the rest of the theatre laughing out loud most of the time he was on stage.

Jordan Luke Gage vocals as expected were amazing and is on the rise if not already there as one of our West End young musical theatre talents.

Layton Williams showed surprisingly amazing vocals as well as the expected dancing ability. Having not seen him in “Everybody talking about Jamie” I was glad to catch him live on a West End stage.

All the actors mentioned in the synopsis at the start were amazing singers which was needed for this concert esc show. I was just gutted that each song and perofmrance did not go on longer.

Overall I give this show 4 out of 5 stars. A camp and at times panto like concert of amazing musical theatre talent wrapped around the story of the Titanic film. A show that does not take itself seriously and you shouldn’t either. It’s 100 minutes of cheek hurting fun with some great songs performed by some of our current best West End theatre performers.

More information and tickets can be purchased on the Titanique website.

The Tempest review

My first show of 2025 is The Tempest at the Theatre Royal Dury Lane. This was my first visit to the the theatre since it’s £60 million refurbishment that occurred over the COVID period. It opened following the pandemic with Frozen which has now given pass to The tempest.

Theatre Royal Dury Lane 13th January 2025

I was very impressed with the refurbishments of the theatre as a whole. Now when you enter you instantly get the same impression and feel of when you walk into the London Coliseum. The auditorium itself has been renovated but not modernised which is a very nice touch. The majority of the costing must have come from the foyer areas which are now unrecognisable and very impressive. The Theatre Royal Dury Lane now has to be one of if not the best theatre foyers in the West End.

The tempest opened on 7^th December 2024 and is scheduled to close on 1^st February 2025. However is the first in the Jamie Lloyd company Shakespeare season at the theatre royal with Much to do about nothing to follow next month. I assume an opportunity that has betrothed the Jamie Loyd company after the huge success of Sunset Boulevard with Andrew Lloyd Webber. As this was a thank you from ALW to host this Shakespeare season in one of his best theatres. My seat for this production was in stalls in seat F23.

I will keep the synopsis for this review very brief as it is a very well-known Shakespeare play. However, one that I personally had not studied or seen before. Which meant that I have no comparison to make for this production.

After a storm magicked by Prospero (Sigourney Weaver) creates a shipwreck which strands the King of Naples Alonso (Jude Akuwudike), his son Ferdinand (James Phoon) and Sebastian (Oliver Ryan). Along with Gonzalo (Selina Cadell) and Prospero brother Antonio (Tim Steed). We learn of the link between Prospero and the others along with the introduction of Caliban (Forbes Masson) the monster like charecter who inhabits the island. Ferdinand instantly falls in love with Miranda (Mara Huf) who is Prosperos daughter. It is at this point we are introduced to Ariel (Mason Alexander Park) who is Prosperos sprit like servant. Stepheno (Jason Barnett), Trinculo (Mathew Horne) along with Caliban dominante the scenes which ends with their intent to kill Prosperos which fails due to Ariel’s intervention and a trap, results in them abandoning all hopes in a drunken frenzy. The finale sees Miranda and Ferdinand together and all other characters free to continue their lives as Prospero gives up on magic.

I have to mention that during this show I did encounter one of the very few mid show stops. This was due to a microphone issue which plagued Selina Cadell during her opening dialogue and continued with James Phoon at which point the show was stopped about twenty five minutes into it. However thankfully the backstage and sound Engineers were able to resolve the issue in around five minutes and the show resumed with no further issues.

As mentioned this is part of the Jamie Lloyd company Shakespeare season. With Jamie LLoyd directing and the Jamie LLoyd company as producers. I was very excited to see what Jamie could do with Shakespeare after the huge success of Sunset Boulevard. Which as per my review here I could not speak highly enough of Jamie Lloyd genius production and direction. However I am afraid to say this production did not meet the extremely high standards I set it before hand. I will delve into why that is throughout this review.

To start with I found the general story very hard to follow based solely on this production, I was pleased to have read a brief synopsis beforehand. Which gave me a slight fighting chance to grasp what was going on. This lack of story telling was obviously not from the writing but how it was portrayed on stage.

The set design as per what seems to be Jamie Lloyd signature was extremely minimalist. With just a large rock formation making up the island which never moved or altered. With no other set pieces and just the rocks engulfing the whole stage including all wings and backstage again like Sunset, highlighted just how vast these theatre stages are. There was no attempt of hiding the wing or rear stage spaces as lighting rigs where visible throughout the production. This did unlike Sunset make it feel like you were watching a show not fully ready for a live audience. The large cloth shown in the view from my seat picture above was used a few times throughout the production in an attempt to give the stage and some scenes some depth which did work surprisingly well.

As per Sunset such basic staging meant that lighting and sound were relied very heavily on. However, the lighting design for this production was very simple but was very effective and at certain stages able to create scene and mood changes with just a lighting change. Strong sound and lighting changes were able to add drama and tension throughout the show which without them there would have been none.

Again in very Jamie Lloyd fashion there were no real costume changes throughout the show. While the costume design seemed suited to the production and setting era. The lack of props also did not help with the struggling story telling. As like many Shakespeare plays there is lots of reference to props like swords and different clothing. However in this production there were no props and all references were simply mimed by the actors. Again giving to a feeling that you were watching a production that is not fully ready. The minimalist approach did not work for this Shakespeare play. The only prop throughout the whole production was a stool in which Sigourney Weaver sat on throughout most of the production. I did not strike me that this was for the story of production but more to allow Weaver to have the ability to sit down on stage.

Talking about Sigourney Weaver. I was very disappointed with her performance. Her diction and speech throughout the whole show was very poor. Which when performing in the west end is important but none more so than when attempting Shakespeare. Along with her speaking issues her general performance seemed very one dimensional. I am not sure if this is suited to the character of Prospero. Even if it was, there were definite points when the energy and enthusiasm should have changed however with Weaver it did not. Her performance is a prime example of why I have concerns over “celebrity” or famous casting. It really goes to show that film and theatre is very different. The main take away from Weaver performance was how it highlights how difficult Shakespeare is to perform on a West End stage.

Apart from Weaver there were some other very well known names from within the world of theatre. The first being Mason Alexander Park who played Ariel. Her performance was perfection. Exactly what you needed and expected from this character of the angel sprit type. Mason is more known for her musical theatre credits which were not ignored during this production. With some perfect acapella singing which provided a haunting mood to some scenes. It seemed to me that Jamie Lloyd was able to flex his creative muscles with not only the character but with Mason as an actor as well. Asking of her the singing and to spend most of the time suspended above the other actors. This character and performance really give you a taste of what could have been if more creative attention was portrayed across the rest of the production.

Another recognisable name and face to most UK audiences was Mathew Horne. I was aware Mathew has done endless theatre productions in the West End. However was still very surprised by his ability. The performance as one half of the comedy characters of Trinculo and Stephano. Was brilliant the ability to turn Shakespeare words into comedic scenes was very impressive. He was able to bounce off Jason Barnett very well and both made their scenes a pleasure to watch and some light relief during the very confusing production. They were also supported by Forbes Masson playing the monster who really came into his own with them during these scenes.

The rest of the supporting cast including Selina Cadell, Oliver Ryan and Tim Steed were very good and exactly what I would expect from a Shakespeare production on the West End. The clarity, diction and passion was extremely good. For me some “proper” old school Shakespeare actors.

Overall I give this production 2 out of 5 stars. It showed glimmers of what Jamie Lloyd genius could do. However even the great supporting cast and Mason Alexander Park performance could not save Sigourney Weaver in this confusing and underwhelming Jamie Lloyd company production of the Tempest.

Further details of this show and others at the theatre royal including the remaining of the Jamie Lloyd Shakespeare season can be found on the Theatre Royal Dury Lane website.

“Ballet shoes” review

My next show brings me back to the NT and once again forms part of a Young Patron club night. The show in question is “Ballet shoes” which is currently running in for previews and has its press night scheduled for tomorrow night (5th December 2024) and is scheduled to close on 22nd February 2025.

The show is based on the best bestselling book by Noel Steatfeild from 1939. It is has been adapted for the NT Olivier stage by Kendall Feaver and directed by Katy Rudd with brilliant choreography from Ellen Kane. As I was seeing the show as part of a NT club night I did get to choose my exact seat however as usual the NT development staff did not disappoint and allocated me row K seat 37 in the stalls in which I was ready for the 7pm start for this two hour and forty minute show.

From Olivier Theatre stalls Row K seat 37

We are introduced initially to Great Uncle Matthew [GUM] (Justin Salinger) who is an eccentric professor and adventurer who is fascinated by fossils. He is suddenly burdened with having to look after his unknown great niece Sylvia [Garnie] (Pearl Mackie) with the help of the maid Miss Guthridge [Nana] (Jenny Galloway). We quickly learn of how he manages to rescue three babies during three separate exploration trips each with their own dramatic story. The babies grow up into Petrova Fossil (Yanexi Enriquez), Pauline Fossil (Grace Saif) and Posy Fossil (Daisy Sequerra). Once GUM has not returned for many years the introduction of three lodgers occur who are the actor/performer Theo Dane (Nadine Higgin), garage owner Jai Saran (Sif Sagar) and English doctor, DR Jakes (Helena Lymbery). We discover that these three professions align with the interest and talent of each of the children. Act one concludes with the children realising GUM is not returning, as they must now vow to support the house and their family. Act two depicts the continuous stage roles the children are taking in order to raise some money. This gradually delvoples to a brilliant conclusion in which each children along with their respective mentor manages to live out their dream of appearing in films in America for Pauline Fossil, training at a prostegious ballet school in France for Possy Fossil and after the dramatic return of GUM Petrova gets to have the opportunity to live near Croydon aerodrome and live and work around planes. Mackie and mechanic idiain get married.

Before I continue with the review I have to point out that this show is this years NT festive (Christmas) family show. As a result there are lots of signs of this surrounding the whole show. To start the program is not a traditional NT program as it has an activity book at the back and the cast list includes interview questions with the principle cast giving the younger audience a insight into the actor and characters. Another great difference was that the ensemble cast were mingling throughout the auditorium before the metaphorical curtain up. It was great to see actors engaging in character with the audience members and especially the younger ones with some proving ballet lessons and getting pictures taken. A small change to normal play etiquette but great for the children. During the production there were many scenes when the actors appeared running through the stalls and lower part of the dress circle. Another great way of engaging the children in the audience. As part of the concept of making theatre and this show more accessible and to inspire to the younger / next generation. The NT each year organise a great initiative in which you can donate money which will pay for a around 1000 young people tickets so a child would would not have the ability to see this show or any West End production. A great initiative to inspire the next generation. As an adult you recognise these slight differences however they do not distract or take anything away from the show. The rest of the review will be keeping this in mind.

The set design as you can see from the view from my seat image above was as brilliant as ever from the NT. The usual attention to detail from the NT production team was outstanding. Each item and fossil on the huge set was its own individual prop that looked amazing. And the detail perfection was able to portray GUM fossil obsession. This set did not really change throughout the whole show. At a few points it was used to produce the second floor of the house. Generally it was normally just used as a backdrop for all the scenes. However the transition into each scene was so slick. His was orchestrated by the brilliant ensemble cast effortless sliding in of larger prop items such as doors, beds and baths. This being accompanied by the use of again brilliantly detailed smaller props. The lighting was used to focus the audience attention on the relevant sub section of the stage where these limited props create the whole scene without the need for large set pieces. I cannot commend enough the stage management on how slick the transitions were. The effortless scene transitions meant the story was able to flow from one stage another.

One of the largest props was the full size car which was used in multiple scenes throughout the whole show. However especially came into its own in the second act when with the use of brilliant lighting design and sound somehow appeared to speed through roads at break neck speeds when in fact it was only really being pushed round in large circle by some of the ensemble cast.

Another stand out moment for me and I’m sure any young audience member was when Yanexi Enriquez playing Petrova literally flew into and over the stalls on a stage high wire. The use of dramatic lighting and music really made this a stand out part of the show.

You can’t have a show called “Ballet shoes” and not mention dancing. I am no expert when it comes to dancing and especially ballet. The dance intrudes were often but not over done and did not last for elongated amount of time. It really was a perfect way to showcase the ballet art form to not only the younger generation but the total ballet novices like myself. The dancers especially Xolisweh Ana Richards who plays the young Madame Fidolia “Katherine Federovsky” gave a real top class ballet performance. Along with Daisy Sequerra who practice and finale routines were very impressive.

A quick mention of the the costumes which were perfect for this era. They also provided some amazing on stage quick changes especially at the opening of act two.

Now for the actors, there were many main characters as mentioned in the synopsis but also a number of the actors played multiple parts. And no one more brilliantly than Justin Salinger playing the eccentric GUM but them for a large portion of the show playing Madame Fidolia the dance teacher of Possy Fossil. Both characters were polar opposites but bot portrayed perfectly.

Both Pearl Mackie and Jenny Galloway were brilliant in providing an authenticate parental and guardian figures to the children. With Mackie really showing the struggle of trying to look after the well-being but also the childhood of these three children while not being old enough to be their mother and too old to be their sister.

The stand out actors have to be Grace Saif, Daisy Sequerra and Yanexi Enriquez playing the three children. There ability to portray the ambition and caring orphans while epscailly Daisy Sequerra having to dance ballet was brilllaintly. For me out of the three Grace Saif slightly edged it for me as a stand out of the three, the characterisation Pauline Fossil was brilliant and was able to provide some humour and drama throughout the whole show.

The ensemble cast for this show really made it something special. Without them the scene transitions would have not been the same and would have resulted in a more clumsy portrayal. With them it was given a dream like flow.

Overall for me personally 3.5 out of 5 stars but for a young audience member it would be 5 out of 5 stars. It is a great family and young audience friendly show. With the expected perfection of NT production. A great introduction to the theatre, ballet and the NT for any younger audience member.

Further information on this show can be found on the NT website.

The Duchess review

Tonight’s show is The Duchess (of Malfi) at the Trafalgar Theatre. This is my first show at this space since it was refurbished during COVID. I remember seeing lots of shows in the previous theatre spaces of Trafalgar Studios one and two. So was excited to see the newly combined much larger space.

The show in question opened on 5th October 2024 and is scheduled to close on 20th December, with a running time of two hours and thirty minutes. This production is an adaptation of John Webster original play “The Duchess of Malfi” from the 17th century. This particular production is adapted and directed by Zinnie Harris.

As I took my seat in the stalls of this fully redeveloped theatre in row C seat 12 I was intrigued to see how this piece of drama has been adapted for a modern stage, more on my feelings of that later. The theatre refurbishment itself is well done. It is a unique feeling for me to be able to enter a London theatre space for the first time and for it all to be new. I am personally not sure if I like such a dark design everywhere in the auditorium. But it does seem a nice way to modernize a classic theatre space. I was surprised with quite how close this seat was to the stage hence the slight fish eye lens on the image above as otherwise on camera not the whole set would be visible. However from viewpoint it was very easy to see the whole set and stage.

Now for a very brief synopsis for those like me who are not familiar with the original text. We meet a widowed Duchess (Jodie Whittaker) and her twin brother Ferdinand (Rory Fleck Byrne) and their brother the cardinal (Paul Ready). We learn very quickly of the love and bedroom marriage of the duchess and her book keeper Antonio (Joel Fry) officiated by the maid Cariola (Matti Houghton). The marriage leads to the birth of twins much to the disgust of he duchess brother. During the first at we are introduced with name projection to the remaining characters which include the horse hand Bosola (Jude Owusu). Antonio friend Delio (Hubert Burton) and his wife Julia (Elizabeth Ayodele) who is becomes the mistress under some duress to the cardinal. Act two descends into madness quite literally for some of the characters. As the duchess is tortured within her basement by Ferdinand. This progresses into a Shakespearean tragedy esc second half in which the majority of the characters are killed off all in front of the audience, Creating some of the most goriest scenes in theatre I have seen. With one traumatic murder after another. Unlike the more Shakespearean writing instead of the murder being implied or symbolized the audience have to whiteness it first hand live on stage.

The writing and whole show is trying to be a modernization of a classic drama piece from the 17th century. As a result it uses mostly old style English /Shakespeare inspired script. However occasionally slips in the odd modern day phase or slang. I see what Zinnie Harris is attempting here but it doesn’t ever hit the mark. The attempt to modernize the production is not just in the script but also within some of the theatrical embellishments that are used. Like the use of some characters singing into full on stage microphones during the first act. Once again I see the attempt however this just seems to be out of place and random within the scene instead of modernizing it. I am huge fan of the odd song within a straight play however this was not seamless enough and just stood out and felt random. The use of microphones during the second act for the dead acting to almost haunt the still alive characters was well done and did to some degree feel like it worked modernizing play but this was not enough on its own. The side stories around the the remaining characters also seemed more random than useful for enhancing the story. I could see how they were trying to portray powerful women though the duchess and maid but then equaling it with the physical power of the men. However again the way these was portrayed was not seemless enough for a modernisation of the classic text.

The gore of the second act just felt like he story telling had given up and instead of moving the story on. The shock factor of so many brutal murders happening live on stage seemed t be the whole point of the second act.

Set, good use of stairs and floating walkway during the first act allowed actors to enter the scene very smoothly and give that third dimension to the staging. The manipulation of the set to alter the stairs for a ladder and the production of a large cube to replace the basement for the torture was very good. The closing of the slits on the back way during the second act to depict the basement and removing any “natural” light was a good symbolic gesture. Use of curtain and sliding rails for scene changes were a nice way to keep the simple set basic without overwhelming it. Again a nod to the modernization which within the set design I think did kind of work and the promised has a great discussion with the set designer about how this was completed.

The use of props where effectively used to depict scene changes with most being able to be slide on from stage right and left and the large items such as the bed in the first act and then the basement “prison cell” in the second act being pulled from back stage of center stage. The use of projection during the torture scene to open act two was very effective and with the bull horn and sudden light changes really did make you sympathize with the duchess during these scenes. After the large use basement prison is moved back stage a large section of the back wall remains exposures with no set design and the raw backstage elements being shown. Again another attempted of modernization which kind of worked but again didn’t add to the scene.

The lighting was used a few times troughout the production to dramatically change the dynamic of the scene. It was also very well used during the second act to allow the dead characters to move around in a ghost like movement. The bright sunshine style lighting was well used to portray the very limited glimmer of hopes that occurred during the show mostly used around the children.

The use of lighting and general stage production was impressive especially during all the murder scenes. Which included fighting, suffocation, and lots and lots of blood splatter everywhere. Along with the sudden appearance of blood when not expected like from the bath and from body which were not shot This was an effective way to symbolize the guilt the murder was facing. At one point the blood splatter was so intense it unintentionally hit some of the front row. All this stage production was very impressive for a theatre fan.

Now to mention the star of the show and who was used to heavily it advertise the production. It was Jodie Whittaker first time on a London stage in over ten years since her role in Antigone at the NT. Her performance as the Duchess did not disappoint at all. The passion shown through the production was brilliant. At some points you could see the literal tears or turmoil in her eyes, as I said the seat was very close. I did at some point her accent dropping and her natural accent coming through. I was unsure weather this was intentional or not. As it seemed to suit the mix of old English with then modern slang and phrases.

Rory Fleck Byrne role as Ferdinand did not come into its own until the second act. While the first act was him working well opposite Paul Ready. The madness that Ferdinand slowly descended into from the start of act two during the torture scene to the full breakdown toward the end. Was brilliantly acted and the intensity matched the tension of the final crazed murder scenes.

As mentioned Paul Ready played the cardinal and was very well done. I had only seen Paul on screen in the role of Kevin in BBC`s “Motherland”. Which is a polar opposite character and role to this character. It’s already great to see an actor be able to portray such polar opposite characters however to portray this oppose role on stage, is really impressive and shows his true acting credentials.

Another stand out performer for me was Jude Owusu in his portrayal as Bosola. Who developed from a vulnerable horse hand to the key murder during the second act. His ability to portray this same character but very differently as the play progress was very good. He did perform a few audience side monologues which Gaian made gave the impression of more traditional Shakespearean type theatre. Even though they did once again seem a bit out of place to the whole plot. This is not a reflection on his performance as they were performed very well just the structure just seemed a bit random and out of place.

Another performer and role which really impressed me was Joel Fry portrayal of Antonio. I really liked his ability to become over powered and controlled by the Duchess in the first act. Which added to highlighting the strong characters of the duchess and the maid Cariola (Matti Houghton). But was also able to show the strength determination of a husband and father who literally fights for his wife and family in the second act.

The last person I am to mention is Hannah Visocchi who played “The singer” who did exactly this. During the first act this role was just supporting with a guitar the random singing that occurred . However was used much more effectively during the second act as her singing was perfectly haunting during the “ghost” type scenes one allowing the murder victims to rise form their death and move around the stage. The whole role seemed o have been designed or the second act then shoe horned into the first.

2 out of 5 stars an attempt at modernizing a 17th century piece of text. Which doesn’t quite hit the mark as it gets confused between traditional and modern English language. Saved slightly by Jodie performance and the theatrical skill of the many unnecessary and gory on stage murders.

Further information about this show and the theatre space in general can can be found the Trafalgar website

“A Tupperware of Ashes” review

My next show takes me back to the NT and to my favourite stage of not only the NT but London as a whole the Dorfman theatre. This time to see “A Tupperware of Ashes”. Which is the last show to be staged at the Dorfman before its closes for a few months. In order to complete what I have been reassured by senior NT staff as boring but very important work.

This show opened on 25th September 2024 and closed on 16th November 2024. It is written by Tanika Gupta and directed by Poona Ghai. I managed to grab a last minute ticket the day before show closure. Hence the seat in the circle of dorfman. However as is the beauty of the Dofrman there is no bad seat and this last minute seat confirmed it. The production had varies start times throughout its run however this particular show had the more traditional start time of 19:30.

The show depicts the whole “life cycle” of an Alzheimer’s patient. From the initial suspicion, to full diagnosis and throughout the reality of trying to care and support someone with this disease. While ending with the inevitable conclusion of death. This story is centred around a Indian family and their mother “Queenie” (Meera Syal) the Alzheimer’s patient/sufferer and her three children, oldest son Raj (Raj Bajaj), his younger bother Gopal (Marc Elliott) and their doctor sister Kamala (Natalie Drew). With auntie Indrani (Shona Gulati) and Queenie long dead husband Ameet (Zubin Varla). With the rest of the characters being portrayed by Stephen Fewell and Avita Joy but more on them later.

The set was very static however was initially and remained more traditional theatre staging. This is not the normal scene within the Dorfman however the very large set jutting into the audience and first front rows of the Dorfman pit auditorium was utlerised very well. The set main feature as seen in the image above is a very long large set of steps. Which was used very well throughout the show. Mainly for characters especially the dead husband of Ameet to appear from behind. Especially at the start and end of the show these steps cascading into the rear centre stage replicated the banks of a river in which Queenie initially was frolicking with Ameet to the ending in which her ashes were scattered from the Tupperware container.

Although not spectacular set the prop usage was brilliant. Firstly from the table which seemlessly appeared from the center stage steps. The props were used to depict the different scenes through the shows with this one table being varying representative from a doctors consultation table, to the family dining table to the visa operators desk. It was not only the use of this and other props throughout the show which were very impressive. The use of also magic/sleight of hand and stage trickery at different parts of the stage took myself by surprise. There was multiple occasions where this stage trickery was used to highlight/simluate the confusion occurring in Queenie mind. This includes Ameet sliding into a suitcase on the stage floor and disappearing, a very smooth quick change from Indrani, the sudden production/appreance of mango in Queenie hands. All this magic/ trickery was used to highlight the confusion that Queenie had and to give the audience a glimpse into her confused mind created by the Alzheimer’s desease.

It was not only the slick prop manipulation which helped the audience have a glimpse into the conufused mind of Queenie. The use of sound to muffle the supporting cast voice during some scenes, was used very effective. It really did let us feel like we were seeing the scene from Queenies perspective. The use of sound effects to replicate the sound of water and the ocean was used very effectly at the start and conclusion of the play. This use of perfect sound timings meant that the actors were able to “splash” the water around. As well as tap on the glass/window that separated the family and Queenie during COVID.

Not only the sound but the lighting also helped draw the audience into the state of confusion that gradually increase and become more common throughout the play. The use of light to flick between current real time and Queenie memory’s and story’s/interactions with her dead husband. This flick in lighting was subtle but effect to help provide that glimpse into Queenie point of view and outlook to life and the “real world” as she was seeing and experiencing it.

The whole show was very well written with comedic aspects at comedy the start and throughout. While also showing the real symptoms and side effects of Alzheimer’s and how it affects not only the patient but their supporting family around them. The events that occurred were a realistic glimpse into the harsh reality of such common but hugely effecting illness of Alzheimer’s. Many scenes depicting real symptoms from the illness that I have heard and experienced first hand from sufferers of Alzheimer’s. This ranged from the not eating, to not remember who you are, to aggression to totally alienation of the real world. Being able to write the whole “cycle” of the disease provided a a real hard hitting insight into not only the patients view point but the family who are trying to support and look after the individual.

The costume design was simple and effective to portray a real life family dynamic of Indian culture.

Meera Syal performance was outstanding. The ability to depict the gradual decline as the Alzheimer’s took hold was brilliantly done. From the simple forgetfulness episodes of a Michelin star chief forgoing the menu to the more consuming stages of the disease and the aggression that brings all the way through the the blankness and shell of the person. All these stages were displayed perfectly and gradually revived themselves throughout the show and you could see this person deteriorate in front of your eyes. Anyone who has dealt with any dementia type illness will recognise and appreciate how well Meera Syal portrays this characteristic do not have enough praise for Meera’s performance. You have to catch this show on NT @ home if it becomes available just for this performance alone.

The three actors of Raj Bajaj, Marc Elliott and Natalie Drew portrayal of the three quarrelling siblings was a perfect reflection of a family dynamic. Especially one having to deal with such a difficult and effecting disease. Each of then able to highlight the day to day practicality struggle that exists when having to attempt to care for a loved one with such illness. Including the internal turmoil of having to make that eventual call to put their loved one into a care home for their own safety. The reality and hard hitting nature of this production is only enhanced by these three actors performances.

I was expecting the show to be more based around the Indian cluture however it did not concentrate in to much detail on the culture or background. With a few scenes and costume design to remind you of the culture expection that comes from India. The start of the second act and the conclusion scenes and the reason for the Tupperware transport gave a great insight into the cultural need around the family. The main driving force of the whole show was not around the culture but the impact that this type of illness has on the individual and family regardless of your background or success.

Apart from the main family members Stephen Fewell portrayed many of the supporting characters which were critical at each stage of the show. Each character Stephen played was totally different from each other. They ranged from the expert doctor providing the diagnosis to the foreign care home worker. Each one totally believable and without his brilliant performance the show would not be the same.

Further information can be found on the NT website for this show and I hope to see it appear on the NT at home platform.

Overall it’s a real tear jerker especially if you have had any first hand experience of Alzheimer’s or any other debilitating type illnesses. Overall 4 stars out of 5, an unapologetic glimpse into the life and support needed for an Alzheimer’s patient. A whole “Life cycle” of the disease and the impact it has on the patient and the family’s trying to support them.