There’s nothing not to like here. The songs are great, if occasionally forgettable, the cast nail it and the story is watchable. It’s fun and occasionally thought-provoking. Well worth seeing.
Author: Chris Bridges
Chris is a theatre and book obsessed Midlander who escaped to London. He's usually to be found slumped in a seat in a darkened auditorium.
CABARET REVIEW | Black Cat: Bohemia
★★☆☆☆ | Black Cat: Bohemia The Black Cat cabaret has been slinking its way round the London circuit for a good few years and frankly, it’s starting to look a bit mangey round the haunches. This autumn’s incarnation is themed around Bohemia with an attempt at a demi-monde atmosphere but which has about as much relation…
THEATRE REVIEW | Kiss Me Kate, London Coliseum
Miss this at your peril. It’s riotous fun and yes, it’s pretty darn hot but don’t fear, it’s also ideal for a sultry summer night in the air-conditioned Coliseum.Â
THEATRE REVIEW | Chicago, Phoenix Theatre
★★★★★ | Chicago, Phoenix Theatre It turns out that Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart hadn’t gone away for good, they were just polishing their revolvers, sharpening their tongues and napping in a cell somewhere. To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the West End production of Chicago, those murderous bitches are back to shake things up…
THEATRE REVIEW | Devil With the Blue Dress, The Bunker
★★★★☆ | Devil With the Blue Dress, The Bunker If you’re old enough to remember 1998 then you’ll recall a lot of fuss about a certain chalky stain down the front of Monica Lewinsky’s dress and a gag-worthy tale of a cigar being inserted into somewhere distinctly non-oral. Old news? Well, yes and no. Whilst…
The Inheritance, The Young Vic
★★★★★ | The Inheritance, The Young Vic It’s a bold move to schedule nearly 7 hours of theatre about the lives of gay men, by a writer who’s largely unknown in the UK and hope that people take a punt on it without fear of boredom or backache. It’s paid off here though, as the…
THEATRE REVIEW | Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Menier Chocolate Factory
★★★☆☆ | Kiss of the Spiderwoman Manuel Puig’s story of two men incarcerated in a brutal Argentinian prison is a funny and moving take on masculinity and oppression. Molina is a campy window dresser with a love of old B movies who’s inside for ‘gross indecency’ whilst Valentin is a gruff political activist, bristling with…
THEATRE REVIEW | Brief Encounter, Empire Cinema Haymarket
★★★☆☆ | Brief Encounter Emma Rice’s tribute to Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter is back after 10 years away and in an unusual venue: a cinema in the West End. Sadly it’s not a triumphant return and is a bit of a mixed bag. Part parody, part homage; it just doesn’t quite know what it is…
THEATRE REVIEW | Harold and Maude, Charing Cross Theatre
★★☆☆☆ | Harold and Maude If you’ve never seen the 1971 cult classic film ‘Harold and Maude’ then you’ve missed out. Poignant, darkly humorous and with a lilting soundtrack by Cat Stevens, it’s a thing of beauty. Sadly, the same can’t be said about this relentlessly trying-too-hard-to-be quirky revival of the later stage play. Harold…
THEATRE REVIEW | A Princess Undone, Park Theatre, London
★★★☆☆ | A Princess Undone Long before Diana, there was a princess who was a definite queens’ queen. Fags, booze, a withering put down and a tragic relationship history: she’d probably have had a lot in common with most of the regulars in your local gay bar. Richard Stirling’s witty play looks at the ageing Margaret…
THEATRE REVIEW | Dust, Soho Theatre
★★★★★ | Dust, Soho Theatre Alice, the central character of Dust, is dead, looking on as the aftermath of her suicide causes unexpected reactions. Don’t expect Patrick Swayze style saucy potters’ wheels or James Stewart’s revelations about how wonderful life is, though. This is certainly not one of those kinds of stories. Life for Alice…