…escaping to new adventures at curtain up…
Wednesday 27th February 2019 at the Phoenix Theatre, London. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Come From Away is first and foremost an excellent piece of ensemble theatre. The show doesn’t fuss with multiple sets or big costume changes and it completely bypasses the formulaic approach found in many musicals. It’s 1hr 40 with no interval, which allows the swirling... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 16th October 2018 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cilla The Musical is based on Jeff Pope’s ITV mini-series and it’s a love letter from Director Bill Kenwright and creative team to its muse, Cilla Black. As far as biopic musicals go, this work from Pope and Kenwright as a joint... Continue Reading →
Saturday 22nd September 2018 at Manchester Palace Theatre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Roald Dahl’s Matilda is an undisputed modern classic and this stage musical from the RSC is truly worthy of Dahl’s original magic. It’s a whole lot of fun with a thin veiling of darkness and melancholy as befits any of Roald Dahl’s tales - but particularly... Continue Reading →
Wednesday 15th August 2018 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds (final Dress Rehearsal). Calendar Girls is inspired by the real women of a Yorkshire WI who created a nude calendar after a loved one was lost - first a real story, then a play and a film, and now a musical; this is certainly... Continue Reading →
Monday 4th June 2018 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bill Kenwright defends his position as heavyweight in the world of musical theatre with This is Elvis, a new musical presented by Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield. The success lies with the perfectly cast Steve Michaels who is a force of nature as... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 1st May 2018 at The Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You’ll see the word rousing used everywhere in relation to The Last Ship, and with very good reason; the musical is a celebration of northern pride and also a call to arms for all those working within dying industries. In what is... Continue Reading →
Tuesday 24th April 2018 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Based on the Paramount movie and original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart, An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical brings a movie classic to the stage. But despite big hits, big sets and generous drama, it doesn’t quite deliver the magic of... Continue Reading →
The Last Ship is Sting’s debut musical - having first courted Broadway, garnering favourable reviews, this uniquely framed and personal new musical is set for a 4-week season in Newcastle before embarking on a major UK & Ireland Tour (venues, dates and ticket links below). I went along to the launch at Leeds City Varieties... Continue Reading →
Saturday 20th January 2018 at the Apollo Theatre, London. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is truly a reflection of our times and the leaps of progress being made by the young and the bold. As a story, it speaks to that gut feeling of support for someone brave and our indignation when we see someone... Continue Reading →
