Category: Theatre Reviews

This was the world premiere performance of this play a caption of the book that was tuned into a blockbuster film. The stars of the play included Hayley Mills, Rula Lenska and Paul Nicholas.

There were some minor problems with the play not pausing for laughter or clapping to stop, which meant some lines were missed and it started a few minutes late resulting in it over running- this wasn’t helped by everyone in the fill stalls and circle having to leave by the main entrance rather than emergency ones.

However, the negatives did not spoil the night at all. The play is about a group of Brits who, for various reasons, decide to spend their twilight years in India at the Marigold Hotel. It was funny and poignant, like the film, and I got a bargain seat special offer using my Ambassadors Theatre Group card. It was also interesting to be there for a first public performance of a new play and also for a recorded performance with cameras in 2 of the boxes and at least another couple in the stalls.

9/10

I came up in the Lottery with TodayTix and got front row tickets for £20 for each part on the same day (£40 total).

The stage is a bit high but not much is missed. The storyline is a bit rope and it created continuity issues with the way it ignores the cannon from both the books and the films.

The performers were good as were the front if house staff (including an announcement for the audience to wear face coverings – mostly ignored but at least the theatre tried – most of the info I saw implied customers were welcome to wear them, so possibly many didn’t have any with them.

The theatre was reasonably cool which was nice. It is a bit of a labyrinth of corridors at the stalls level.

7/10

Another £25 Rush ticket. It was in the 3rd row and the stage was a bit too high but I don’t think much was missed in this musical about the hospitality of New Foundlers on and after 9/11when their population grew overnight due to displaced passengers.

7/10

Got a good seat through TodayTix’s Rush Tickets. I paid £25 and saved around 66% on face value.

I had seen the movie version of this year’s ago on DVD and was a little concerned about the possibility of it dragging along with a running time of 2 hours 50 mins including an interval but it felt much shorter.

It isn’t ever going to be my favourite Rogers and Hammerstein musical set in WW2 as it doesn’t have enough nuns or Alps and is a bit sadder, but it is a close second!

7/10

I got a £25 Rush Ticket from TodayTix to see this. It had understudies for Sisters Mary Lazarus and Mary Patrick (Anne Smith (debut in the role) and Caroline Bateson, respectively). Both were very good.

Jennifer Saunders played the Mother Supiriour for laughs and was very funny, and she got a big applause when she first appeared asdid Beverly Knight as Deloris.

I did see the original production at the Palladium. There have been changes notably the song How I Got The Calling has been replaced with a new sing “It’s Good To Be A Nun”.

It was my first time at the Eventium Apollo. It had a lot more bars than a normal theatre and had quite a lot of space, but although the seats were cushioned, they felt temporary, wobbled if anyone on the row fidgeted and weren’t offset, so if you had a tall person in front you might have problems seeing everything.

9/10

The show was hilarious as ever and this time had “helpful” audience members who informed if the location of the ledger and further members who suggested oh yes it is a panto, when challenged.

I got a reduced day seat from TKTS online.

10/10

After enjoying last year’s production so much, I decided to see this year’s company. There was an understudy, Sammy Kelly, on for Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeny as and she was great as were the other “big names” Bonnie Langdord as Evangeline Harcourt, Simon Callow as Elisha Whitney and Denis Lawson as Billy Crocker, and the rest of the cast too – many of which were in last year’s production.

I got a £25 rush ticket on my first attempt and the seat was much nearer the stage than last year.

I was not disappointed! I think there were some minor differences but nothing to take away from the enjoyment in this hillarious and at times, absurd musical farce.

10/10

Got a great value top price stalls seat on the day online for £13.10 thanks to a special offer. 

The audience at the Saturday matinee might of been a bit on the little side in number, but they got to experience an enjoyable couple if hours watching the story of a shy timid girl, who is pushed into  singing by her overbearing mother and devious manager.

7/10

Got a great seat through a £25 rush ticket from TodayTix.

This was a very funny dark comedy about a dysfunctional family with a terminally ill father and 3 grown up siblings who don’t get on. The ending was quite abrupt but the rest of it was good.

It stars David Harbour and Bill Pulman and seemed to have no under studies for the Saturday matinee.

The theatre is quite small and the stalls are possibly quite close to a tune tunnel as every so often I could hear and feel rumbling.

9/10

I got on the day £30 Rush Tickets from TodayTix. It was a good stalls ticket with a face value that seemed to be £80.

The alternate played the lead, and 2 understudies were on & they, along with the rest of the cast, were very good.

The musical tells the story of Evan Hansen, who is a teenager with social anxiety who, following a misunderstanding, then finds himself into fabricating stories about a friendship he never had with a classmate who committed suicide.

Despite the subject matter, there are funny elements and some good songs, and if it weren’t closing later this year, I would consider seeing it again in the future – although the space in the toilets is incredibly cramped!

9/10