17th Mar2019

The Twilight Zone (Theatre)

by timbaros

Daniel Crossley - The Twilight Zone - Ambassadors Theatre - (C) Marc Brenner (9958)You will travel through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, the Twilight Zone!

 
Yes, the Twilight Zone is where you landed, also known as the Ambassadors Theatre in Central London, where you will be taken into the unknown, places and situations that could or could not be real, people who may or may not seem who they are, it’s a show with lots of questions and very little answers.
 
Were there 6 passengers on the bus? Then why are there 7 stranded in the diner? Were there three astronauts in the ship, or just one? Why does the jukebox keep turning on and off? Where do those cigarettes mysteriously come from? Who is that little girl who supposedly lives in the building, and why is she so quiet? Is that actualy a black hole to another dimension in the daughter’s bedroom, and is this where she has disappeared into? All these questions and more make up for a night of very little suspense, drama and not a whole lot of terror.
 
The series of eight episodes, selected by the writer Anne Washburn from 156 episodes from the 1960’s television show does not transfer well to the West End stage. Turning eight 30-minute television programs into a two hour show, all interweaved with each other, makes for a bit of confusement.
 
The first half of the Twilight Zone, the television show which was created and hosted by Rod Serling, is a bit messy and lacks suspense because of the multiple story lines, butit’s the second half where the tension keeps you on the edge of your seat. Nuclear missiles are heading towards America, and neighbors are pitted against each other in order to survive, and where one already had a nuclear shelter. Everyone wants to survive so they try to break their way into the shelter, to no avail, but their true colors are revealed in their quest for survival. Intense Stuff! We are also treated to the ventriloquism of Adriana Bertola and her whisky drinking dummy, she is a genius as her dummy comes to life on stage. How does this all relate to the Twilight Zone? You will just have to buy a ticket and see for yourself.
 
To buy tickets, please go to:
 
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04th Mar2019

Follies (Theatre)

by timbaros

FOLLIES by Sondheim ; Directed by Dominic Cooke ; Designed by Vicki Mortimer ; Lighting Designer - Paule Constable,  at the National Theatre, London, UK ; 2019 ; Credit : Johan Persson /

If you are a huge theatre fan, love musicals, and worship the ground Stephen Sondheim walks on, then you’ll love ‘Follies.’

Playing in its second run in two years at the National Theatre, ‘Follies’ is true and pure Sondheim. At the ripe age of 88, Sondheim currently has another hit show in the West End – the critically acclaimed and very popular ‘Company.’ But ‘Follies’ is a certain kind of musical – a musical that will perhaps only appeal to the die hard Sondheim musical theatre fan. 

‘Follies’ lusciously and lavishly tells the story of former Follies girls, in 1971, coming back to their soon to be demolished theatre for a reunion. It is a brilliant idea for a show and is executed to flawless perfection. The women range in different ages and are at various stages in their live, but they will always be Follies girl, past performers of the “Weismann’s Follies” musical revue, that played in that theatre between the World Wars. While the next day the building is going to be demolished to make way for a parking lot, the women have one last night to reminisce about their time as Follies Girls, and their younger and more glamorous selves. 

The book of the musical, by James Goldman, takes a look at these women through rose tinted glasses in a story that is all illusion, smoke and mirrors. 

And while there is no proper character development, some of the women do get to shine in a cast that appears to be dozens (40 actually). Tracie Bennett smashes the Soundheim classic ‘I’m Still Here’ while Dawn Hope passionately sings ‘Who’s That Woman.’ Janie Dee excels in ‘Could I Leave You’ and Joanna Riding drips with emotion while singing ‘Losing My Mind.’ 

Yes, ‘Follies’ is a show that showcases the ladies. And while some of the men (Peter Forbes and his younger self Harry Hepple), and Alexander Hanson, get their moments, Sondheim shows his enthusiasm, appreciation and love for the ladies. For it’s their show, it has and always will be. 

Winner of Best Musical Revival at last year’s Olivier Awards, ‘Follies’ is playing until Saturday May 11, 2019.

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25th Feb2019

9 to 5 the Musical (Theatre)

by timbaros
9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL. Caroline Sheen 'Violet Newstead', Natalie McQueen 'Doralee Rhodes', Amber Davies 'Judy Bernly'. Photo Pamela RaithDolly, no last name needed, brings to the West End the musical of her huge song and hit film ‘9 to 5,’ and it’s a hoot!

How could we forget the film, which starred Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda as secretaries at Consolidated Companies who turn the tables on their misogynistic boss. The song has endured more so than the 1980 film, so it’s perfect that it’s been turned into a musical.

‘9 to 5 the Musical’ had a brief Broadway run in 2009 and finally it’s here in London at The Savoy Theatre. Natalie McQueen is just about perfect and a dead ringer for Parton in the role of Doralee Rhodes, secretary to the flirting and very handsy boss Franklin Hart Jr. (a very good and game Brian Conley). Amber Davies is in the Jane Fonda role as Violet Newstead, who is newly divorced and finds herself starting a new job at Consolidated, while Caroline Sheen is Lily Tomlin in the role of Judy Bernly, who has worked at the firm for years yet keeps on missing out on promotions that go to men. One day Judy accidentally puts rat poison in Mr. Hart’s coffee (or at least she thinks she did), but when Hart finds out he threatens to call the police so the ladies kidnap him and attempt to find dirt on him, which of course they do. But from start to finish, accompanied by fun songs and a dazzling set, and great performances from the cast (which also includes Bonnie Langford as busybody Roz Keith), ‘9 to 5 the Musical’ will drive you happy if you let it!!!

Of course, there are some cringe worthy moments, especially when Mr. Hart grabs his balls and plays with his nipples during one song (‘Here for You’), while society has moved on about this sort of treatment of women in the workplace with the #metoo movement in full force. But overlook these as we all have a good time watching the show. And it’s Dolly who is our narrator in the beginning, middle and ending (a video, not her in real life unfortunately) who sets up the story and then winds it up. ‘9 to 5’ is no longer a rich man’s game, it’s all for of us to enjoy! 
 
9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL plays at the Savoy Theatre, Savoy Court, until 31 August 2019. To buy tickets, please go here:
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25th Feb2019

Come From Away (Theatre)

by timbaros
1-Come-From-Away-lands-at-the-Phoenix-Theatre-on-30-January-2019-Credit-Matthew-Murphy-1Before September 11, 2001, no one had ever heard of the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland. But on that horrible, horrible day, the townspeople (no more than 10,000 people) welcomed in and took in 100’s and 100’s of people who were on Westbound planes that were diverted to this place in the middle of nowhere.
 
This story is told in the musical ‘Come from Away.’ Winning many awards in its Washington D.C. and Broadway runs, this popular show has arrived into London with much anticipation. And the show surely lives up to it.
 
Gander has a small airport, where the nearest Starbucks in 4 hours away, and where there are a total of 550 hotel rooms. But on 9/11, 6,579 people were grounded in Gander. And it was the townspeople who opened up their homes, and hospitality, to these passengers who at the time at arrival had no idea as to what was happening (this was before everyone had mobile phones). 
 
The characters in this show are based on (and is most cases share names of) real Gander residents and the passengers on these planes. The actors play both the passengers and citizens, switching roles every now and then. While it does get a bit confusing in the beginning, as the show rolls on and the music starts to kick in, ‘Come from Away’ gets more uplifting, until it, and the residents of Gander, have really won us over.
 
Beautiful songs such as ‘I Am Here’, beautifully sung by Cat Simmons, whose son was a firefighter in NYC, ‘Stop the World,’ sung by Robert Hands and Helen Hobson who were passengers and ended up falling in love, and ’Something’s Missing,’ sung by the entire company after the 9/11passengers all left Gander – show us how the human spirit was alive and well the week the world changed. With incredible book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and sharp direction by Christopher Ashley, ‘Come From Away’ may not only bring you to tears, but it will also lift up your spirits.
 
It had been announced that there will be afeature film adaptation of ‘Come from Away,’ with Sankoff and Hein writing the script and Christopher Ashley as director. I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie version of this moving and cathartic musical. 
Come From Away plays at the Phoenix Theatre until 19th September 2019. To buy tickets, please click here:
 
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25th Feb2019

Rip it Up (Theatre)

by timbaros
Rip It Up-9200T copyThe 60’s are back in the West End, and add a lot of dancing, throw in a few handsome pop stars, and what you have is an evening of very very light theatre.
‘Rip it Up,’ now playing at the Garrick Theatre, throws into the mix the best songs from the 60’s with beautiful choreography (by Gareth Walker, who is also the Director), and starring four former Strictly Come Dancing Contestants, and heartthrobs.
Louis Smith MBE (former Olympic gymnast and all around hunk), Aston Merrygold (former member of the X-Factor group JLS), Harry Judd (drummer in the worldwide famous pop group McFly), and last but not least Jan McGuiness (from The Wanted). These men, along with a bevy of young and sexy backup dancers, give it their all with fancy dance moves and upbeat music. But the best part of the show is the amazing singing by Jill Marie Cooper and Ant Brant. Cooper wins the audience over in her renditions of songs from Dionne Warwick to Jefferson Airplane, which lifts this show up a couple notches for without them this would’ve been just another jukebox musical without the jukebox.
All of the four male leads are fine, but they are not allowed to individually shine that much. Merrygold only gets to sing a couple songs, while we are treated to an all too short gymnastics routine by Smith (though luckily for he spends most of the time in the show either topless or wearing tight clothes). He is also a very graceful dancer. Judd is allowed a one minute drum solo (the audience wanted more), while McGuiness really doesn’t seem to offer much, though he tries his darndest to keep up with the dance moves.
Emcee Cavin Cornwall does a fine job guiding the audience through the different musical sounds of the 60’s, though he wobbles horribly through ‘Heard if Through the Grapevine‘. Videos of Lulu, Tony Blackburn, designer Zandra Rhodes and the indelible Dionne Warwick tell us what is was really like in the 60’s – show us don’t tell us! And Lulu actually comes on a few too many times.
But ultimately ‘Rip it Up’ will only appeal to fans of the X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing (of which all four stars have danced in). I can see this show selling out – in Blackpool, Bournemouth, etc. But for a London West End stage, it doesn’t quite feel right. 
 
‘Rip it Up’ is on until June 2, 2019
 
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19th Feb2019

The Price (Theatre)

by timbaros

Theatre Royal Bath Aug 2018 Rehearsal The Price by Arthur Miller  Directed by Jonathan Church Designer Simon Higlett Lighting Designer Paul Pyant David Suchet as Gregory Solomon  Brendan Coyle as Victor Franz    Sara Stewart as Esther Franz Adrian Lukis as Walter Franz   ©NOBBY CLARK +44(0)7941-515770 +44(0)20-7274-2105 nobby@nobbyclark.co.uk

There is a price to pay for everything in life, and in the new play ‘The Price,’ this is true.

Now playing at Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End, one of Arthur Miller’s least known plays is a study of two brothers who have not spoken to each other in 16 years yet each have their demons, each have paid a price for decisions they had made in life. Brothers Victor (Brendan Coyle) and Walter Franz (Andrian Lukis) have not seen each other for 16 years, since their father passed away. During this time, Victor has kept dozens of his parents pieces of furniture in his attic, and he’s decided to get rid of them. So he asks 89-year old appraiser Gregory Solomon (a wonderful and definite Olivier Award in this role for David Suchet) into the home he shares with his wife Ester (Sara Stewart). Solomon is a Miller character, and Suchet injects his character with such panache, humor and vulnerability that it’s a master class of acting.

Meanwhile, Walter suddenly shows up, having not returned any, any of Victors’ phone calls over the years. And, yes, there has been a price in not returning those phone calls, and we learn that Victor paid an even bigger price by remaining at home to care for his father when he was getting sicker and sicker. And all Ester wants is to have enough money to be comfortable, and as the going gets rough between the two brothers, Solomon offers a price for the furniture. Is the price a good one? Is there a price for being responsible son, versus one who flies the coop and becomes successful? All of this drama takes place with the backdrop of the great depression in their past.

‘The Price,’ which was written in 1968, is about estranged brothers facing up to the lasting effect of the Depression on their family three decades on. It’s also about not reaching your dreams, and family conflict. The set, where dozens of pieces of furniture are literally hanging on the side of a wall (by Simon Higlett), is genius. Also genius is the acting. Suchet is superb, and Coyle is at ease as the brother who may or may not have been manipulated by his sick father. Under the direction of Jonathan Church, ‘The Price’ is worth the price of a ticket.

Now playing until Saturday April 27th.

THE PRICE

By Arthur Miller

Directed by Jonathan Church

Designed by Simon Higlett

Lighting Design: Paul Pyant

Sound Design: Mike Walker

Composer: Matthew Scott

Associate Director: Emma Butler

Casting: Gabrielle Dawes CDG

Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0DA

First performance: Tuesday 5 February

Opening Night: Monday 11 February

Final performance: Saturday 27 April

Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm

Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm

 

Box Office details:

Website: www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk

Box office number: 0844 482 5151

Prices from £20

 

Twitter: @TheatreRBath

Facebook: TheatreRoyalBath

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16th Feb2019

Boy Erased (Film)

by timbaros
boy_erased_r1_20180606_01_R3Nicole Kidman stars as “Nancy Eamons” and Lucas Hedges as her son “Jared Eamons” in Joel Edgerton’s BOY ERASED, a Focus Features release.Credit: Focus Features

boy_erased_r1_20180606_01_R3Nicole Kidman stars as “Nancy Eamons” and Lucas Hedges as her son “Jared Eamons” in Joel Edgerton’s BOY ERASED, a Focus Features release.Credit: Focus Features

In 2004, at the age of 19, American Garrard Conley was sent by his parents to a conversion therapy program to rid him of his homosexual feelings. This true story is now a film called ‘Boy Erased.’

The amazing Lucas Hedges (‘Lady Bird,’ ‘Manchester by the Sea’) plays Garrard. He is a young man growing up in a small bible belt community in Arkansas. His father Marshall (Russell Crowe) is a respected pastor in the local church while his mother Nancy (Nicole Kidman) believes in everything her husband says. But Garrard is given a choice by his parents when he tells them he is gay: either agree to attend the church-support conversion therapy program where he will have to go to a camp with similar young adults, or risk losing his family, a family that he is quite close to. Garrard has no choice but to go through therapy. Garrard is happy being gay – even entering into relationship with a fellow student at college – but it is his religious upbringing (and a stern father) which helps him make the decision to go to therapy.
Once he is at the Love in Action gay conversion therapy assessment program, he meets fellow young men like himself (including director and actor Xavier Dolan, and Joe Alwyn – at the time of this writing Taylor Swifts boyfriend). They all struggle to not come to terms with they way they are, meanwhile all the time guided by the chief therapist Victor Sykes (writer and director of the film Joel Edgerton). But of course Garrard has urges that he can’t control, while his parents feel that for him to lead a happy life is to lead the life of a straight man.
The real Garrard Conley, of course, luckily survived his time in the therapy program to write the book which is now this film, and it’s a very good film. Hedges, as always, is fantastic. One never knows what he’s thinking because of his inquisitive facial expressions, and he steals the movie from the two heavyweight actors who are playing his parents. Crowe is excellent as the self-righteous father but Kidman is both warm and tender as the mother who loves her husband but perhaps loves her son a bit more. ‘Boy Erased’ is at times heartbreaking, but for the most part it’s triumphant.
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05th Feb2019

My Dad’s Gap Year (Theatre)

by timbaros
030_MDGY_Pamela Raith Photography (Adam Lannon Alex Britt)A father and son take an adventure of a lifetime in ‘My Dad’s Gap Year. ‘
Now playing at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, ‘My Dad’s Gap Year’ is a hilarious comedy about a father trying to bond with his conservative gay teenage son while going through a mid-life crises. Dave (Adam Lannon), dad of 18-year old William (Alex Britt), feels it’s time for them to sow their wild oats. But uptight William is not so wild, he frowns upon everything his unemployed dad does, which includes lying around the messy house not being productive. Meanwhile, William’s mom and Dave’s ex wife Cath (Michelle Collins), being the sensible one, holds a full-time job while maintaining an arm’s length relationship with Dave. But when Dave, at the very last minute, persuades William to go with him to Thailand for some father and son bonding and fun, them, and Cath, have no idea who sort of adventure, and trouble, Dave and William will get into.
 
But once in Thailand, William meets cute architect Matias (Max Percy), while Dave meets beautiful Mae (a lovely Victoria Gigante). While Williams falls head over heals for Matias, Dave does the same for Mae, who works at a bar where all the ‘women there were born boys.’ But Dave’s drinking problem never goes away, while William has his own personal meltdown, leaving Cath to go to Thailand to do damage control.
 
‘My Dad’s Gap Year’ is a fun show with a great cast. At only 90 minutes, it’s crisply directed (by Rikki Beadle-Blair) with funny dialogue and actors who deliver their lines perfectly. And while the show wraps up a bit too neatly at the end, all the actors are very good throughout. Lannon is very good as the father, Collins gives the show extra spark, but it’s Gigante who is extra special as Mae, a girl who just wants to have a happy life. 
 
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03rd Feb2019

Kompromat (Theatre)

by timbaros

11-02-2018-145732-2283-2The unsolved 2010 murder of Gareth Williams is the focus of a new show called ‘Kompromat’ now playing at The Vaults as part of their Vault Festival 2019.

Williams was found dead in his Pimlico flat, naked and stuffed into a red bag. Foul play was the expected cause death as there was no way that he could’ve zipped himself in that bag on his own. Kompromat goes so far as to suggest that Williams, who was suspected of being gay, was targeted by another man, someone he hooked up with at a gay bar, and took him back home, and that this hook-up would be William’s last one. Max Rinehart plays Zac, goodlooking and convincing, enough so that any gay man would be lucky to take him home. Guy Warren-Thomas plays Tom (Gareth), shy, a bit introverted, yet careful who he lets into his life. Zac is very confident, and as we get to learn, he’s been around the block a few times, and as his story unravels, so does the soon to be shortened life of Tom. All of this takes place in the intimacy of The Vaults which has on tap loads of other gay-related stories to tell during the 2 month festival.
Other offerings include:
Open 
Two husbands. One hundred lovers. A modern day romance. Join Chris and Tim for an intimate exploration of their love, jealousy and desire for one another…and many, many others.
23 — 27 Jan 2019
Juniper and Jules
Until Juniper, Jules hadn’t realised she liked girls. Falling headlong into a relationship, in a world where monogamy is the norm, they soon discover they want to do things differently.
23 — 27 Jan 2019
Yours Sincerely
Will has accidentally stolen 300 2nd class stamps, but he’s making them count. A queer comedy about the lost art of letter writing. Stamp collecting has never looked so sexy.
30 Jan — 03 Feb 2019
Greyscale 
Explore the minefields of dating in a post #metoo era. Who do we have faith in when one party believes it’s sexual misconduct, and the other, simply a bad date?
02 Feb — 17 Mar 2019
Bleach (main photo)
Tyler sells his body nightly, but his world is about to be turned upside down when life takes a sinister turn. A soul-jolting story of sex, violence and city living.
06 — 10 Feb 2019
Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Instagram star Tom Lenk portrays iconic actress Tilda Swinton, imagined as an edgy, modern day Mary Poppins in this LGBTQ hit and Edinburgh Fringe favourite.
06 — 17 Feb 2019
 
Marmite
Dylan and Eddie have just moved in together. They’re both really happy. Except Dylan isn’t. Between sex parties and roast dinners, ‘Marmite’ explores gay monogamy.
13 — 17 Feb 2019
ADMIN
OISIN MCKENNA 
Oisín moved to London to pursue his dream of becoming socially mobile. Now, he’s having an existential crisis in a Pret A Manger toilet, trying to remember his mindfulness techniques.
18:1027 — 28 Feb 2019
Coming Clean: Life As A Naked House Cleaner
Sex! Fantasies! Voyeurism! Vacuuming! Come inside the world of a naked cleaner as he explores what we want and what stops us from asking for it.
27 Feb — 03 Mar 2019

General Erection (a political cabaret)
COMPILING THE SHARPEST AND MOST OUTRAGEOUS ACTS ON THE CIRCUIT, HERE IS A VARIETY NIGHT THAT CATERS TO BOTH THE 52% AND THE RACISTS WHO VOTED TO LEAVE!
22:50

07 Mar 2019







Gaylords
“GAYLORD NOUN, PEJORATIVE. Used to describe someone so gay it defies the laws of physics.” A gay hour of comedy from two Gaylords. Work in progress. Breeders welcome.
19:0009 — 10 Mar 2019

For tickets to Kompromat, which ends on Feb. 3, please go here:

Eight weeks of theatre and comedy, immersive experiences, cabaret, live performance and late night parties.

To see the mega program with all the shows on offer, please go here:
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02nd Feb2019

Leave to Remain (Theatre)

by timbaros

Leave to Remain‘Leave to Remain,’ now playing at the Lyric Hammersmith, is a modern love story set to a rock score and brilliantly tells the trials and tribulations of a multi-racial same sex couple dealing with their upcoming marriage.

Alex (Billy Cullum) and Obi (Tyrone Huntley) met just ten months ago but they’re already in love with each other. But American Alex, you see, is 5 years clean from drugs, and the company that sponsors his work permit is moving to Abu Dhabi. Obi, meanwhile, is a successful advertising executive with a nice loft in a trendy part of town. But Alex is not a British citizen, so if his job relocates to another country Alex has to go back to America. So what could be more simple then for Alex and Obi to gett married in order for Alex to remain in the country? Well, it’s a lot more complicated then it sounds.
The complications aren’t with Alex’ past drug history, nor is it with Obi’s secret meetings with a man named James, but the complications lie with their respective families. Alex’s mom Diane (a wonderful Johanne Murdock) is a non-stop talking busy body hands on mom with a relatively patient husband Brian (Martin Fisher). Meanwhile, Obi’s father Kenneth (Cornell St. John) never quite accepted his sons homosexuality, throwing him out of the house when he was just 16, much to the dismay of Obi’s mother Grace (a fantastic Rakie Ayola) and understanding sister Chichi (a great Aretha Ayeh). But with days, and even hours, before the wedding, complications arise, and it’s touch and go if the wedding will happen at all, even in the light of an startling announcement from Alex’s parents and the continuing disapproval from Obi’s father. It’s all set to a rock score that’s just as modern and good as anything you’ll see in the West End. All the songs that are catchy and memorable and are a very good match to the story. Credit for this goes to writer Matt Jones and writer/composer Kele Okereke (Bloc Party) who somehow seemlessly and superbly set this story in present day London to fantastic music. There’s a brilliant, and well-choreographed scene, where both families get together for the first time, and sit around a dining room table set to a song called ‘To Family’ that is both hilarious and memorable. And while not one single cast member really really stands out, it’s the mothers of both young men (Ayola and Murdock) that will most stay with you. A mother’s love for her son will always remain, no matter what. ‘Leave to Remain,’ directed by Robby Graham, is a truly wonderful piece of theatre. 

A Lyric Hammersmith production.

Tickets 020 8741 6850 | www.lyric.co.uk

Lyric Square, King Street, London, W6 0QL

Leave to Remain

Friday 18 January – Saturday 16 February 2019

Mon-Sat 7:30pm

Also Sat at 2.30pm (excluding Sat 19 January) & Wed at 1:30pm (excluding 23 January)

Free First Night: Friday 18 January at 7.30pm.

Previews: Friday 18 – Wednesday 23 January 2019

Press Night: Thursday 24 January at 7pm

Open Captioned Performance: Saturday 9 February 2019 at 2:30pm

Audio Described Performance: Saturday 9 February 2019 at 7:30pm

Tickets: From £10

The soundtrack from Leave to Remainwill be released by Kele Okereke in late January.

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30th Jan2019

Notre Dame de Paris (Theatre)

by timbaros

Cast of Notre Dame de Paris. Photo - Alessandro DOBICI (1) copy6xDFBT1UThe classic ‘Notre Dame de Paris’ comes to London for a limited time, and it’s well worth your effort to attend.

Based on the acclaimed 1831novel Notre-Dame de Paris (and also known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame) by Victor Hugo, Notre Dame de Paris features an international ensemble of singers, dancers and acrobats and tells the tale of the hunchbacked cathedral bell-ringer, Quasimodo, and his desperate love for the gypsy, Esmeralda. The show, which is only in London for 7 performances only, culminates with the 5,000th performance of the show. Playing at the London Coliseum in Covent Garden, this production is the original French production. Composed by Richard Cocciante with lyrics by Luc Plamondon, directed by Gilles Maheu and choreographed by Martino Müller, this production stars Angelo Del Vecchio, Hiba Tawaji, Daniel Lavoie, Richard Charest, Alyzée Lalande, Martin Giroux and Jay, and all members of the principal cast in the current world tour. The singers are be accompanied by the stunning English National Opera (ENO) Orchestra with Matthew Brind conducting.

Del Vecchio is a wonder playing Quasimodo. Italian born, he is the only singer in the world to have performed the show in three languages. 

Meanwhile, Tawaji is wonderful as the beautiful and mesmerizing Esmeralda, a role she has played all over the world since 2016. Esmeralda can have any man she wants, but after being kidnapped by Quasimodo, over time she starts falling in love with him. Think Beauty and the Beast and this is what you’ve got – but operatic style. But ‘Notre Dame de Paris’ is not just opera, it’s grand opera. And in the amazingly beautiful confines of the London Coliseum, it makes for a grand grand show on a grand stage in a grand auditorium. 

And besides the main actors and their amazing singing, there is acrobatics and break dancers interspersing with the story on the stage. 

And the show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Having sold out performances across 16 countries and been translated into nine different languages,Notre Dame de Paris originally debuted at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, 1998. Following its opening, the production was commended in the Guinness Book of World Records 2000 for its record success for a musical during its first year.

Director Gilles Maheu is a multidisciplinary artist: an actor, writer, director, teacher, set designer, choreographer and filmmaker. Gilles Maheu has been a leading director for 40 years, in Canada as much as abroad.  He is also the co-founder of two theatres in Montreal (l’Espace libre and l’Usine C) and, in 2015, he was named a Compagnon des Arts et des Lettres du Québec for his important contribution to Quebec’s cultural life. With his company Carbone 14, he toured over 30 countries and received over forty prestigious awards for his shows Le Rail in 1985, Hamlet-machine d’Heiner Muller in 1987 and Les Âmes mortes in 1996. In 2004, he directed the musical Don Juan by Félix Gray in France, Canada and Korea, winning the awards for best production and best direction in Quebec. In 2007, he was the artistic director for the creation of the musical Butterflies in Beijing and, in 2008, he directed Cirque du Soleil’s Zaïa in Macao, China.

Set Designer Christian Rätz studied in Lyon (École des Beaux-Arts) and Strasbourg (ESAD).  He has designed numerous sets for dance, opera and theatre in France and abroad. He designed the sets for a number of operas by M. Leiser and P. Caurier. As far as the theatre is concerned, over the last few years he has designed sets for the following productions: Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, In the Solitude of Cotton Fields by Bernard-Marie Koltès at the Evora Drama Centre in Portugal, Le Missanthrope, suite et fin by Molière and Courteline at the Théatre de Carouge, Trolius and Cressidaat the Almada Theatre in Portugal. Between 2012 and 2014, he directed Opus Null with texts by Jean Arp, Incidents ou début d’un très beau jour d’été by Daniil Harms and L’heure d’alsacien. He has been in charge of classes at the L’École de Théatre National de Strasbourg since 1978 and he handled the responsibility for training student scenographers at l’ESAD from 2008 to 2011.

Originally a dancer, choreographer Martino Müller, joined the

ADDRESS

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London

WC2N 4ES

 

DATES

Wednesday 23 – Sunday 27 January 2019

 

PRESS NIGHT

Wednesday 23 January 2019, 7pm

 

BOOKING ONLINE *

www.londoncoliseum.org

 

TELEPHONE BOOKING

020 7845 9300

 

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Wednesday 23 January, 2pm & 7pm

Thursday 24 January, 7.30pm

Friday 25 January, 7.30pm

Saturday 26 January, 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sunday 27 January, 1pm

 

TICKETS

£15 to £125 (all preview tickets £50)

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @NotreDameDeParisOfficial
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20th Jan2019

Coming Clean (Theatre)

by timbaros

l-r Elliot Hadley and Lee Knight in COMING CLEAN credit Scott RylanderBefore the late Kevin Elyot wrote his hit 1994 play ‘My Night with Reg,’ he wrote ‘Coming Clean (which opened in 1982). It’s now back in the West End after a recent successful run at the King’s Head Theatre.

 
Both shows deal with the trials and tribulations of being gay, and being in gay relationships. But where ‘My Night with Reg’ had an AIDS backdrop, ‘Coming Clean’ takes place during a simplier time, before the HIV crises and before gay men were dying right and left and center. At the heart of ‘Coming Clean’ is the story of a bi-racial couple who, after five years together, obviously have issues. Tony (a natural Lee Knight) and Greg (Stanton Plummer-Cambridge) still love each other, but there is slight tension in the air. Greg is a successful teacher and writer, while Tony is a not-so-successful writer who writes when he feels like it. And then there is their neighbor William (a fabulous Eliot Hadley), who is funny, camp and all so great to have around. But Tony needs more time to write, and says he doesn’t have time to clean the Kentish Town flat that he and Tony live in, so enter Robert (Tom Lambert), who is hired to clean for them. It’s obvious where this biting play goes next, but it wonderfully takes us with it through sharp wit and extremely funny one-liners. And ‘Coming Clean’ successfully incorporates early 1980’s songs by, among others, Men at Work and Barbra Streisand (where her and Barry Gibbs voices on the song ‘Guilty’ are just like butter) to set the mood of the times. 
 
The actors are all very good, with Hadley just about stealing the show (he comes back near the end of the play as a totally different character – think German Leather), and Knight looks very comfortable on stage. It’s an intimate stage that could double as a large living room (Trafalgar Studios), and it’s even more of a treat for those audience members who sit in the first row, as they get to be very very close to Lamberts’ bits. This show is highly recommended! ‘Coming Clean’ ends on February 2nd, 2019.
 
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25th Dec2018

The Band (Theatre)

by timbaros
TheBandThe new show ‘The Band’ is not, as you might think, a musical about Take That – but it damn well should’ve been.
What we get is a show about four forty-something women who reunite after not having seen other for a long time to see their favorite boy band (now of course no longer a boy band) at a reunion tour concert in Prague. Why Prague you might ask? Because one of the women won a competition to see the band perform there. Why couldn’t one of them have bought tickets to a more local show if they loved the band so much? Well that would’ve been too easy and would’ve left out one of the major plot points of this show – a broken penis.
 
Yes, a broken penis. You see, while the women are in Prague, they get a bit carried away and break the penis off of a priceless statue. Now, if this would happen in real life the women would’ve gotten heavily fined, and perhaps jail time. But when said penis, which is attached to a statue that actually does come to life (before said penis is broken off), with the penis visible for all the audience to see, it makes for one of the most unintentional laughable moments in the West End. It’s not just laughable – it’s shockable! Who signed off on this scene? And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Take That’s big hit ‘Relight My Fire’ is sung while the characters (while still schoolgirls) are on a bus heading home from a concert, with the carefully hand-picked cast of the boy singers dressed up in bondage gear (with horse helmuts). And then all of a sudden out of nowhere one of the girls is killed. Hmmm?
 
Other head scratcher is when the song ‘Never Forget’ is sung by the fab five in an airport lounge. There is also a bit of fat shaming in the show (one of the women is obese). Did I mention that the boys can’t really hold a tune and sing in harmony? Or in tune? Not once is the band introduced as characters, meanwhile they glossfully sing in the background to scenes that have no real connection to the songs.
This is a jukebox musical that is as empty as a machine with no quarters in it. Sure the songs are great (who doesn’t love a Take That song or two), and one of the women happens to be Lesbian, and AJ Bentley has the strongest vocals of all, but what do you expect from a musical show where the singers (boyband) were chosen from a reality television show?
Whoever signed off on this mess should be really ashamed of themselves. Robbie, Howard, Gary and Mark – you listening?
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29th Nov2018

Postcards from London (Film)

by timbaros
Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

A young handsome man from Essex travels to the Big Smoke and encounters unusual situations in the new film ‘Postcards from London.’

Harris Dickinson, who was so sexy and memorable in last year’s critically-acclaimed film ‘Beach Rats,’ is again sexy in this new role, a role where he again plays a gay character. Dickinson is Jim who winds up in, of all places Soho, where he falls into a crowd of male escorts, but these are not the typical kind of escorts one would encounter in any big city – these escorts are of an artistic bend. They, strangely, have a thing for the paintings of Caravaggio – paintings that are all so homoerotic and sexy. And Jim becomes, for one of his paying clients, a character right out of one of Caravaggio’s paintings. But It’s a premise that’s very unusual, including the fact that Jim seems to have some sort of hallucination of planting himself in the paintings, it’s a premise that just doesn’t work. A film called ‘Postcards of London’ should show part of London, especially Soho and all it’s nooks and crannies. But ‘Postcards from London’ was shot on a soundstage, so there’s actually very very little (just in the beginning) shots of the city it’s named after. And while most of the other actors are good, and while Dickinson does his utmost best to try to keep a straight face, I guess the only reason to watch this film is because the most of the actors are scantily clad most of the time.

‘Postcards from London’ is out now

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