THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rent Party – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    THEATRE REVIEW | Rent Party – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    ★★★★★ |  Rent Party – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    You are invited by Stuart, the fiercest, pony-tail-wearing, weave flailing diva this side of the breadline, to his Rent Party, where you get to hear the stories of four young people and decide, in monetary value, what each of their stories deserve. The tales of being a single mother, a strong matriarch, a self-confessed geek and a statuesque, roller-skating voguing sensation are mixed with song, dance and vicious social commentary of what it is like to be young, gifted, black, gay and poor.

    Photo Credit – Sam Taylor

    Part party, part entertainment and part immersive theatre, this is one production which doesn’t hold back on its scathing attack on a society in times of austerity and hits home the harsh reality faced by young people in the community. Debts, social struggles and domestic abuse all feature amongst the stories, as does a host of talent from the five performers. But what makes it more poignant is the fact that these are not actors, but people each telling their own true story.

    Kamille is working in Asda, and struggles as a single mum but doesn’t let this stop her, whereas Lenai talks about her family, led by a strong and confident matriarchy, who put her through dance school; and piano playing AJ has a flair for all things science, and shares stories the love he has for his boyfriend who surprises him on a family holiday. But it is Jason sharing the tale of his escape from a controlling and abusive relationship with his boyfriend which hit the hardest and his recounting of the experience stunned the audience and garnered a genuine emotional response.

    Inspired by the rent parties of Harlem in the 1920’s, where people would host a shin dig to earn their rent money by entertaining their guests, each audience member is given some rent party money to pay the artists what they think their stories and performances are worth; and there are some party favours and a shot or two or liquor thrown in for good measure.

    But it is not all about the struggles. Kamille belts out Fabulous Baby from the Sister Act musical; Leani and AJ charleston and tap dance their way through a fun routine, Jason’s voguing would stand out in any club and Stuart’s bittersweet and enthusiastic party hosting binds the whole thing together.  Add a dance-off, a limbo competition and some party games with the audience, and you have an original and entertaining piece of theatre, with the whole thing having an overarching tinge of being in a gay club in the 80’s.

    Rent party is a fierce, unflinching and uncompromising look at life where race, poverty, sexuality, talent and ambition collide.

    Rent Party is at Sheffield Theatres until the 23rd December 2017. Visit their website for details and tickets.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | La Bohéme – Trafalgar Studios, London

    ★★★★★ | La Bohéme

    La Bohéme, an opera in four acts, had its world premiere in 1896 in Turin, Italy. Since then, it’s been copied and re-interpreted in so many different ways that each version is unique in its own way. Another reincarnation of this very famous opera has just recently opened up at Trafalgar Square Studios, and it’s definitely one Londoners can identify with.

    This version of La Bohéme, written by Adam Spreadbury-Maher and Becca Marriott, had its debut at the King’s Head Theatre last year. And luckily for us, it’s making a return in a central London venue. Set in present-day East London, the show presents to us broke and down and out young men and women who can barely scrape together money for the rent, or in one case, to buy drugs.

    Ralph and Mark (Roger Paterson and Thomas Isherwood) are roommates in a flat on Christmas Eve in Dalston, and when someone knocks on their door, they instinctively hide because they suspect it’s their landlord collecting rent – they even have a window that acts as a backdoor to escape. Then there is Mimi (Marriott), broke and very thin, and always cold, who finds her way into the boys’ flat and meets Ralph – they have an instant connection and take a liking to each other.

    Then there is Musetta (Honey Rouhani), who, with her beautiful looks and luscious lips and curves that go on for miles, is the troublemaker and ingénue who sweeps in and out and leaves her mark. If these characters sound familiar, they also make up some of the cast of the characters of Rent – that classic 1990’s musical rock opera that won a slew of awards, with very memorable songs such as “Seasons of Love” and “Take Me (For What I Am)”. Rent has withstood the test of time as one of the greatest musicals ever made.

    La Bohéme is also very good – it’s an opera for this generation, a generation that seems to live life through their mobile phones 24/7. And this La Bohéme involves a bit of audience participation – Musetta gets cosy with some uncomfortable-looking male members of the audience, while Mimi asks for spare change – it’s surreal and hard-hitting but even more so when those who get asked all shake their heads and say no, with a look of guilt on their faces. Trafalgar Studios is quite a cosy place to put on a show this big, but it works. The cast is all amazing, and by the end, I almost really believed what I saw was real. The cast (some of the actors rotate with other actors on various nights) are accompanied by the Musical Director, Panaretos Kyriatzidis, on piano and Alison Holford on cello. It’s a must see!

    La Bohéme is now playing at Trafalgar Studios until January 6, 2018

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Victory Mansion, Stoke Newington, London

    ★★★★★ | Victory Mansion

    Dalston is a hive of Kabob shops, loud bars and clubs, and lots and lots of Turkish supermarkets. But a bit further north in Stoke Newington is a place that stands out on Stoke Newington High Street just down the road from the local Wetherspoons – it’s Victory Mansion.

    Victory Mansion is both a restaurant and a bar and is doing things a bit different, delicious and decadent, than most, if not all, of the places on this side of town.

    Victory Mansion, named after a mansion block that used to be on this site, is a restaurant/bar that intertwines its food and drinks with literature to create an amazing and memorable experience.

    Victory Mansion, first off, has an absolutely amazing cocktail menu that’s practically scientific in its design. There’s an amazing array of drinks, drinks that are named after characters in famous books. There’s the Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye), a drink includes Aylesbury duck vodka, lillet rose, raspberry, apple and soda and the Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) which has Wild turkey bourbon, plum sake, lychee, lime, chilli & peach bitters and ginger, among many others. We had a few of the others – one was the Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) which was a superbly delicious blend of Calle 23 tequila, banana and chocolate wine – it needs to be tasted to be believed! If you like it sweet, and who doesn’t, then please try the Henry Chinaski (the literary alter ego of Charles Bukowski) which was blended with Plantation pineapple rum, cognac, limoncello and pineapple sugar – it’s so sweet and so good. Victory Mansion’s cocktail menu is like a book, and I recommend you read it from cover and cover and sample as many as you can. It’s is an absolute standout menu.

    But it’s not just the drinks where Victory Mansion is king, it’s their new Ta-Ko menu, introduced a month ago, that’s also a standout.

    There are so so many choices of tacos (or as they would like to call them Ta-Ko) that you’ll be spoiled for choice. I highly recommend their Crispy Cauliflower, black bean & tamarind ragu with avocado and pepper mayo. It’s crunchy and is absolutely delicious. The charred sprouting broccoli & spring onion is also a standout – it sits in a nice dollop of salted duck egg relish for a creamy delight. Both the Nahm jim chicken and the Palm Sugar glazed beef short rib are deliciously filled – the chicken with pickles, crispy onions and mayo – and the short rib with pickled watermelon and blackberry sriracha, which were a burst of flavours in the mouth. All their Asian-inspired tacos are so good they really need to be tried. And while they are not Mexican-style (i.e. large) tacos, if you order several of them they will quickly fill you up. Each flavour comes with two tacos – so perfect for sharing for two so that you both are able to try each one. Other tacos that we didn’t get to try, but no doubt probably just as delicious as the ones we had include tacos with Blackened river trout, torched seabream, red pepper pork neck as well as one with fermented yellow bean leas, halloumi, sweet potato and mustard relish – it’s one I would definitely go back for. As a matter of fact, I would go back to Victory Mansion for pretty much the entire experience again. My dining companion and I enjoyed everything so so much, we want to go back again, and next time bring more friends. It’s just that kind of place, warm, hip but not trying to be, knowledgeable and very friendly staff, it just ticks all the boxes. Even the prices – those amazing cocktails previously mentioned go for between £8 to £10 each, and the Ta-Ko’s range in price from £3.50 to £4 and their absolute must sides (Asian cole slaw, charred corn, shredded beetroot, and MSG fries – basically Nori friend potatoes that are a must), all go for between £3 to £4 each. So there you go, all the above are reasons why you should go to Victory Mansion – what are you waiting for?

    Victory Mansion does a 2 for 1 – 12 pm to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday Brunch where you get brunch Ta-Ko’s and £5 brunch cocktails.

    There is also a basement that is perfect for private birthdays or dinner parties, for 30 – 70 guests.

    18 Stoke Newington High Street
    London N16 7PL

    https://www.victorymansion.co.uk

    Closed Mondays
    Bar
    Tuesday – Thursday
    5 pm – 1 am
    Friday
    5 pm – 2 am
    Saturday
    Noon – 2 am

    Restaurant
    Tuesday – Friday
    6 pm – 11 pm
    Saturday and Sunday
    12 pm – 5 pm
    6 pm – 11 pm

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Wizard of Oz – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Wizard of Oz – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    ★★★★| This Christmas, Sheffield Theatres whisks you off to the Land of Oz, to join Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl, who follows the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to find the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. On the way, she is joined by the scarecrow, the tin man and a cowardly lion, all of whom have something to ask the Wizard themselves. But the four of them are pursued the Wicked Witch of the West, and Dorothy soon comes to realise that there is no place like home.  

    Photo Credit: Johan Persson

    The Wizard of Oz needs very little introduction, and has been embraced by the gay community for many years – after all, with anything that is the source of the phrase “friend of Dorothy”, you can expect high camp and an iconic gay status.

    The four main leads fill their characters with charm, in particular Max Parker as the Tinman, who brings a great singing voice and some nifty robotic steps to the stage. Andrew Langtree’s scarecrow is wonderfully reminiscent of a rag doll and Jonathan Broadbent’s Lion adds much of the comedic element. Gabrielle Brooks portrays Dorothy with innocence and wide-eyed wonder, although she did sometimes get a little lost amongst her more boisterous on stage travelling companions. But the real testament to her performance was her beautifully sung version of Over the Rainbow, with Brooks nailing the iconic moment with ease. Toto was portrayed by both a scene stealing puppy in Kansas and as a brilliantly performed puppet skilfully (and convincingly) operated by Rhiannon Wallace in Oz, helping to establish that the girl in gingham certainly wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

    The production as a whole is beautifully done, in particular, Janet Bird’s set design is ingenious, and the transformation from Kansas to Oz is an unexpected delight. The stage is illuminated underfoot to form the yellow brick road, and everything from a large multi-purpose ensemble to puppetry to practical effects are used to great effect to bring the Land of Oz to life. Add to that a lighting design which is colourful, vivid and incredibly well thought out and some stunning costumes and you have a production which is a visual treat.

    The majority of issues with the Wizard of Oz are primarily down to the book, rather than this production. The show itself takes a while to hit its stride, but then, so did the film; and once Dorothy starts to meet her travelling companions, the momentum starts to build, yielding to a much better second act. There were times when the show encroached into pantomime territory on occasions and the Wicked Witch was not particularly menacing, although this was more likely due to being toned down for a family audience rather than Catrin Aaron’s performance or ability. For a musical, the show is also relatively light on musical numbers, with only a handful of songs, but director Robert Hastie makes the most of them, especially in the rather jaunty opening to the second act.

    With its high camp value and its snappy presentation, Sheffield Theatre’s production is light, airy and so colourful that rather than being taken over the rainbow, you are placed slap bang in the middle of it.

    The Wizard of Oz plays at Sheffield Theatres until 20th January 2018, alongside their pantomime, Mother Goose playing until 7th January 2018 and their interactive production Rent Party until 23rd December 2017. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Callisto a queer epic, Arcola Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Callisto, Arcola Theatre London

    CREDIT Lidia Crisafull

    Callisto is four tales for the price of one in a time travelling epic concerning queer people in different eras. They’re not stand alone stories but are interspersed and entwined with each other. Basically, it’s a poor man’s ‘Cloud Atlas’ but with LGBT people. The first tale is about opera singer Arabella who’s married to another woman and about to be exposed and get herself in some serious trouble. Secondly, Alan Turing is talking to the mother of the boy who was his first love. Thirdly, Tammy is on the trail of a hot porn actress who she’s become infatuated with. Finally, CAL is an A.I. in the future who’s fallen for a human.

    They’re a mixed bag of plays which don’t all work as well as they might and there’s something derivative about the whole set-up at times. The scenes about the 17th-century female couple are the strongest and the Alan Turing scenes are cleverly written but lack much drive, floundering in parts. The other two sections fare less well, especially the futuristic part. If the future involves talking in strange mixed up speech whilst wearing bicycle lights shining down your legs and tee-shirt, culottes combos with odd side ties then count me out of it.

    The production has merits with strong acting and a wry sense of humour but doesn’t quite fill its potential. Regardless, it’s an engaging evening and worthy of a look.

    Callisto a queer epic is playing at the Arcola Theatre, London

     

     

  • FILM REVIEW | Daddy’s Home 2

    DADDY’S HOME 2 – The relatively unwanted sequel to the standard 2015 family comedy but STOP PRESS, shock horror this is really good – hell has just frozen over and pigs are landing at Heathrow & Gatwick.

    Nutshell – The modern family two fathers one mother is ramped up a notch by the arrival of the stars two hugely different dads in Mel Gibson and John Lithgow and obviously comic mayhem soon follows. Now what makes this so much better than the original is the decision to make it a full on Christmas movie. It is happy, funny, entertaining and hugely engaging only diminished by association with its average predecessor movie which may put of some. As a standalone this is great.

    Running Time – 100 minutes; Certificate – 12A.

    Tagline – ‘More Daddies, More Problems’

    THEGAYUK Factor – The muscle hunk Marky Mark Wahlberg himself just oozes sex appeal and here he plays the hard real man to Ferrell’s weaker boy which is hot. Mel Gibson has the DILF thing down for sure and reeks of someone here who probably bats for both sides but best of all you get everyone’s favourite WWE wrestling sex god John Cena known in true horny fashion as The Marine.

    Cast – Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, John Cena’s ass, John Cena’s bulging packet, John Cena’s huge muscles, John Cena’s massive chest and some women actors too.

    Key Player – This is the boys’ film, Wahlberg is Exec Producer and Ferrell is the main Producer and they just do these movies for fun apparently which is infectious as that is what comes out of the screen. Everyone seems to be having a laugh rather than there for the paycheck Cumberbatch, Affleck or Hardy style.

    Budget – $69 Million way up on the first film and boy was that a good move with it making its costs back in two days and now sailing way over $100 million and off towards the top 250 grossing films of all time list at a rapid rate of knots.

    Best Bit – 1.02 mins; The destruction of a live model nativity scene and post-fight is a real hoot and great set-piece but this movie is much more about small jokes than big slapstick moments. Do people really dress up as nativity statues – that’s a new one on us.

    Worst Bit – 0.33 mins; A snowblower goes haywire and destroys a never-ending set of outdoor Christmas lights and then property and vehicles just like the motorbike in the original. Too slapstick and overlong and a bit childish here in a film where the kids are away getting pissed on eggnog and shooting guns.

    Little Secret – Mel Gibson plays Mark Wahlberg’s father. although he is only fifteen years older than him cue greying up Gibson’s hair and softening Marky Mark’s but who cares. Originally the two dad’s were going to be Chevy Chase and Robert De Niro which would have been about as successful as a Trump presidency or Prince Harry getting the stag-do he actually wants.

    Further Viewing – Daddy’s Home 1, All four of the Meet The Focker‘s canon, The Anchormans , Blades Of Glory, Elf and Mel Gibson’s previous comedic roles in The Lethal Weapons and What Women Want as he has great comedy timing – who knew Mad Max had a budding Robin Williams, Jim Carrey in him all along.

    Any Good – This won’t win any Awards in the next 3 months of the trophy season but it is just truly great fun and a very happy film with loads of great Christmas music and may even see Band Aid back in the charts for the 5th time. A massive step up from a film that originally just got lucky with a clever release date counterbalancing a Star Wars film two years back. It’s now a winning franchise to follow and one of the biggest and nicest surprises of the year as it should have been a shit cash in but instead, it delivers on every level and some.

    Rating – 74% out of 100.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Little Mermaid – Leeds Grand Theatre

    ★★★★| The Little Mermaid – Leeds Grand Theatre

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Little Mermaid - Leeds Grand Theatre

    Northern Ballet return with their third new ballet this year, The Little Mermaid. Based on the much loved fairy-tale, the ballet tells the story of Marilla, the little mermaid who dreams of life above the waves, and who falls in love with Prince Adir after she saves him from drowning. But her love is unrequited; as the Prince falls in love with another young woman who he mistakenly believes saved him. Exchanging her tail for legs, and with her voice lost, Marilla sets about trying to win his heart.

    David Nixon’s choreography is well conceived, and executed, with a keen eye for detail and a style that lends itself well to the underwater setting.  The nuances of the choreography are impressive, with a real fluidity of movement in the underwater setting, reflecting life beneath the ocean and the gentle swaying of the current. Nothing stays still underwater, whether it is the beautifully designed flowing costumes, the mermaids held aloft as they weave and bob across the stage, or the ever-active limbs of the ensemble cast, with the sequential movement of the dancers accurately depicting the ebb and flow of the tide. But perhaps the crowning glory to this is Nixon’s use of the ensemble cast at one entity – the sea – and using these multiple bodies as one to form the ocean into a character in itself.

    The original score, which has been composed by Sally Beamish, flits between the primarily light and playful to the romantic and finally to the dramatic, feeling cinematic and engaging. The costumes work very well, with long flowing skirts that accentuate the gesticulation and mobility of the cast. Joseph Taylor was engaging and charismatic as Prince Adair, whilst Abigail Prudames enchanted as the titular character and the delicate movements of the cast as a whole was technically well executed.

    The ballet itself appears deceptively simple.  The demarcation between land and sea seems to be little more than a lighting change, and two large concave structures are used to good effect to set each location; thrusting the narrative to the forefront and portraying that with ease and clarity.  The narrative is decidedly darker than the familiar saccharine Disney version, adhering more closely to the source material, but is all the better for it. What the audience is left with is a production which requires very little thought as a viewer, allowing you to simply be able to be swept away by the music and movement on stage.

    The Little Mermaid is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 17th December 2017, before moving on to Edinburgh, Milton Keynes and Leicester in the New Year. In 2018, Northern Ballet will be touring with a Mixed Programme, Jayne Eyre, The Three Musketeers and The Nutcracker. Visit Northern Ballet’s Website for details.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Birmingham Rep

    ★★★★ | The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Birmingham Rep

    REVIEW | The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Birmingham Rep

    tail-waggingly brilliant.

    The Hundred and One Dalmatians, a childhood favourite, presented by the Birmingham Rep, had fun, laughs and tasty treats of darkness. The puppets, designed by Jimmy Grime, were a show-stealer. The way in which they moved and looked was so real – you had to blink to realise they were not real.

    A very commendable performance for all the artists who held/manoeuvred the animals. The dogs looked bizarrely realistic, with the heads at the right scale of the real species – most realistic was the Afghan Hound. The puppetry/dog handlers were incredibly agile, mixed with exquisite acting and singing really enhanced the narrative. Oliver Wellington (Pongo) was particularly impressive with his dextrous movement and voice. The way he showed the jovial and clumsy nature of Pongo was a good connect to pet owners in the audience, receiving many laughs. Equally, Emma Thornett (Missis) did very well with the emotional scenes with the movement adding superbly to the drama. The astute projection of the dog’s feelings by Emma onto Missis was incredibly captivating. You could hear the emotion in the artist’s voice and felt naturally compassioned while watching the puppet.

    The second duo who really entertained were the Badduns: Jasper (Lewis Griffin) and Saul (Luke Murphy). The two men hired to do the deed with the puppies were hilarious and really lifted the show. The actors’ mastery of comedic timing, audience interaction, and versatility of movement raised the level of brilliance. Lewis, in particular, gave every bit of himself with Jasper, leaving no stone unturned in making the kids and adults laugh.

    Cruella De Vil (Gloria Onitiri) was excellent and as cruel and devilish as I had hoped. I am sure Glenn Close would have really enjoyed her performance too. Her appearance was perfectly fitting to the role; her voice was harrowing and malevolent, creating darkness so subliminally. My favourite moment of the whole show was when Cruella sang ‘Skin It’ and hitting the last note with such deep and menacing tones really was a goosebumpy moment.

    Mr and Mrs Dearly played by Morgan Philpott and Nadi Kemp-Sayfi respectively were great too. Morgan showed good variety with playing the Sheepdog. I think the puppets drowned them out a little though, and sometimes the puppet actors speaking for the dogs, mixed with Mr and Mrs Dearly talking, created a distraction and was not always sure who was talking, or where to look.

    This show has to be watched, and though there were heavy Christmas overtones, it is a classic I would watch all year around.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | La Soiree, Aldwych Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | La Soiree, Aldwych Theatre, London

    La Soiree has garnered quite a reputation on the cabaret scene over the past few years.

    They’ve won a couple of Olivier Awards, headlined the circus field at Glastonbury and globe-trotted around in various Spiegeltents and opera houses. Now they’ve gone all upmarket and are inhabiting the lovely old but freshly repainted Aldwych Theatre. Don’t worry though. They might be in the West End but there’s still plenty of filth and subversion to keep you dirty birdies happy. Or not. If you want to take your nan and your nephew there’s a toned down version sans smut called ‘La Petite Soiree’ (aimed at ages 8 and upwards).

    They’ve re-jigged the theatre to make it look like a cabaret venue with on stage seating and rows of in the round stalls seats. You’ve got to have nerves of steel if you’re planning on sitting on stage, by the way. There’s a distinctly ‘cabaret’ atmosphere (i.e. slightly drunken) and it’s a fast-paced frenetic show with little chance to pause for breath. Unlike a lot of cabaret shows there’s no compere and no filler. It’s just back to back acts. If you’ve seen it before you might be looking forward to the pole dancing city gents and their amazing pecs. Sadly, they’re not here this year but don’t fret. There’s plenty of buff male flesh including a comedic set piece with two chaps barely hiding their two old chaps behind skimpy towels.

    It’s the usual mix of comedy, acrobatics, hoola-hooping, puppetry and plain weirdness (a woman spinning around in an aerial display, suspended by her hair? I rest my case M’lud). Perfect for a Christmas night out or for raising you out of a case of the New Year doldrums.

    La Soiree plays until 3rd Feb 2018

  • THEATRE REVIEW | ELF: The Musical, Lowry Theatre, Salford

    ★★★★★ | ELF: The Musical

    Tuesday Night was a star-studded affair as the North West’s celebs walked down the red carpet at The Lowry Theatre adorned with a large red sleigh. Everyone from Corrie’s Kym Marsh and Brooke Vincent, Real Housewives of Cheshire Lauren Simon and even X Factor star-turned-gay pin-up Lloyd Daniels (yes, he’s just as gorgeous up close) were in attendance. The reason? ELF: The Musical.

    To sum it up in one word would be an injustice but if had to do it’d be: transcendent. I entered the theatre with slight apprehension that one of my favourite Christmas films would be turned into a mushy pantomime but I am thrilled to say I was wrong. A script scattered with hilarious jokes (though some more New York-based one-liners didn’t quite resonate with a Salford audience) about everything from Donald Trump to the recent news headlines about certain “physical misconduct” were paired with amazing feats of physical comedy.

    The show’s star, Ben Forster, is a tour de force channelling his inner Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. Everything from his mannerisms to his body movements had all the audience members in hysterics and you couldn’t help but feel his pure joy. Ben remained high energy throughout, hitting you even harder during his low points. Joe McGann is divine as Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s Dad, a workaholic who has no time for Christmas nor his family and is backed up ably by the fantastic Jessica Martin as wife Emily and a confident turn by the young Lochlan White as his son Michael. A personal highlight for me was Liz McClarnon in the role of Jovie, Buddy’s girlfriend. The ex-Atomic Kitten star sounded amazing and watching her turn from jaded New Yorker to a Believer was thrilling at every turn.

    I could also write endlessly about the extremely talented supporting cast and the high energy and very game ensemble but I have to single out Lori Haley Fox as Deb, Walter’s hapless secretary. Rare have I seen such amazing comedy timing. Reminiscent of Julie Walters, Lori’s slapstick movements and characterisation remained high-energy throughout the entire show and was pure comedy from the start. Every appearance she made was met with pure joy from the audience and, deservedly, received huge applause at the end. I felt, in that moment, I was watching a star.

    The songs themselves were not particularly memorable but I enjoyed every single one. Unlike many other musicals, Elf doesn’t seek to impart any larger metaphorical wisdom with its songs instead allowing every number to play a vital part in moving the story along. Highlights include ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ where we get a feel for Buddy’s enthusiasm and desire to have a present and caring Father which makes it even more crushing during the reprise, when Buddy begins to lose hope. Then there’s the call-to-Christmas-arms barnstormer ‘Sparklejollytwinklejingley’ (complete with impossible-to-imitate hand-ography). ‘A Christmas Song’ invites us all to simply sing to get into the Christmas Spirit whilst Act Two’s ‘Never Fall In Love With An Elf’ is a hilarious listicle of why dating an Elf may be a bad idea. However, as much as the choreography and energy of each number was comparable to the best and brightest of Music Theatre, the songs themselves failed to provide any sort of earworm. Shows like Wicked have their anchor numbers like ‘Defying Gravity‘, Elf was missing that big song you can’t get out of your head.

    The show went all out and the investment was clear. The entire cast acted and sang with all their heart and their hard work showed on the stage. It was a balls-to-the-wall feast of glee. The lighting and special effects were world class, complete with in-theatre snow and a flying sleigh. Elf did not leave you feeling that it was missing anything and I defy anyone to watch the show and not be excited for Christmas. The show is also very inclusive, with a diverse ensemble which included two gay characters, one of whom is told by Buddy that you can “never have too many boyfriends”.

    I can not recommend this show enough. Whilst the ticket pricing is a little steep if you’re a larger family, it is worth going if you can or I fear you will risk missing possibly the best musical to come to Manchester to date.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Boys in the Buff, Kings Head Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Boys in the Buff

    The Full Monty. Naked Boys Singing. And put Boys in the Buff in that category.

    Yes, these are shows where the male cast take their clothes off and sing and act (a bit) for the audience. Of course, The Full Monty was the biggest of the bunch (biggest I mean most popular – ahem). Naked Boys Singing was the gayest, and Boys in the Buff is in a category all by itself – the campiest!

    Four good-looking young men and a voluptuous compere entertain us with their flare, razzle-dazzle, and their bits (well not the compere – who is female!) in a show with witty and cute songs and dialogue but perhaps lacking in good taste, and in a couple of cases, passable acting! But singing, and acting, is not what this show is all about – we’re left in anticipation of waiting, and wanting, for the boys to take their clothes off. In the meanwhile, we are treated to really fun songs like ’Size Doesn’t Matter,’ ‘Does My Bum Look Big in This,’ and ‘Let it All Hang Out,’ and dreadful ones that include ‘Dancing in the Semi-Nude’ and ‘My Foreskin and Me.’ There’s also audience participation much to the delight (not) of the audience. But in the intimate confines of the Kings Head Theatre, where the first two rows are so close to the stage it’s almost a crime, the boys really pour out their hearts, and display their bits, for us soldieringly. Adam Mroz is so cute and sexy; you just want to take him home and put him on your bookshelf! Hunky Adam O’Shea, who was in the original production at the Lost Theatre this past summer, brings his muscles with him, – he’s certainly got pecs-appeal! Daniel Timoney is along for the ride, as is Eli Caldwell. But Shani Cantor is just fab fab fab as the hostess with the mostest! All in all, it’s one hour of fun!!!

    Boys in the Buff plays at The Kings Head Theatre until Dec 9th, 2017