23rd Oct2019

Ian McKellen On Stage (Theatre)

by timbaros
CLEARANCE REQUIRED BEFORE ANY USAGE. SPECIAL PRICE APPLIES. British actor Sir Ian McKellen.

CLEARANCE REQUIRED BEFORE ANY USAGE. SPECIAL PRICE APPLIES.
British actor Sir Ian McKellen.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

This is a famous quote from ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare, and it can also be applied to Sir Ian McKellen, and his performance in his one-man show ‘Ian McKellen On Stage,’ a show that is both very entertaining, engaging, brilliant and great!

McKellen has been touring this solo show all over the UK – 80 theatres for his 80th birthday, and now 80 performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.
And I strongly encourage you to go – do whatever you can to get a ticket. It is a tour de force performance, so unlike anything I’ve ever seen in live theatre. And it’s rare to see someone of his caliber, celebrity, candor, wit and knowledge on a West End Stage.

McKellen takes us through his life during this show, which includes his work in both film (especially ‘Lord of The Rings’ where he famously played Gandalf) and theatre, working with legends any actor can only dream of working with (Laurence Olivier). There is also a huge suitcase on stage, a suitcase littered with stickers of theatres where he has performed this very same show (The Space in the Isle of Dogs, the Young Vic, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Leicester Curve Studio…..the list goes on and on). But in this suitcase are books by William Shakespeare, and McKellen gets the audience involved by asking them to call out the names of any Shakespeare book, which McKellen plucks out of the suitcase and proceeds to tell a story about said book, until all the books have been talked about – pure genius.

Ian McKellen on Stage is what I suspect is the real Ian Mckellen off stage; genuinely warm, friendly, self-assured and confident and making you feel this way too, and by the end of the night he makes the audience feel that they were let in on his life, with some secrets told, and some gossip about other famous people, and opening up his life to us in a way no other performer (that I know of) has ever done. And we feel that we want to share our lives with him at some point as well. Ian (yes I feel comfortable enough to call him Ian) collects money in the lobby after the show for theatre charities (proceeds from this show also goes to theatre charities). Taking this show to 80 theatres around the country was an 80th birthday present to himself – it is also a birthday gift to us and is a once in a lifetime experience for us as well.

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23rd Oct2019

tick tick…BOOM (Theatre)

by timbaros
_JSS2304-2Jonathan Larson, the genius behind ‘Rent’ – perhaps one of the greatest musicals of all time – created a show about his struggle with getting a show produced before ‘Rent’ – the show is ‘tick tick…BOOM’ – and it is now playing at the Bridge House theatre in SE20 – Penge.
Larson, who died sadly and unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm in January, 1996 – a few weeks before ‘Rent’s’ world premiere – at the age of 35 – was very talented, and as the Writer, Composer and Lyricist of ‘tick tick…BOOM’ his extreme talent was just starting to bloom when he died. But ‘tick, tick…BOOM’ is actually what turns out to be a celebration of his life – telling the story of Jon (a very good Alex Lodge) getting ready to turn 30 and still waiting tables for a living but soon to workshop a show he has written called Superbia. He’s besotted with his girlfriend Susan (a good Georgie Ashford) and is not very jealous of his rich gay best friend Michael (James Hume), who seems to have it all but in all actuality does not. So ‘tick, tick…BOOM’ takes us through the trials and tribulations of Jon’s struggle with the upcoming workshop, and his relationships with his girlfriend and best friend. Songs in this show, including ‘Therapy’ and the opening number ’30/90′ pre-tell the songwriting style of Larson and what was to come in the masterpiece that was ‘Rent.’ If you, like me, are a fan of ‘Rent’ and have never seen ‘tick, tick….BOOM,’ it’s worth the journey to Penge to see this show (the theatre is conveniently located next to Penge East overground train station). If you’ve never seen ‘Rent,’ then this show is also worth a watch as the story is relevant to pretty much all of us as we struggled to become successful in our first jobs. And the cast are all wonderful, and Lodge is just about perfect as Jon, with a glimmer of a sparkle in his eye that tells us the real Jon knew he had a gift.
The show was first performed Off-Off-Broadway in September 1990 by Jonathan Larson in a workshop at the Second Stage Theatre under the title ‘Boho Days.’ It originally premiered in London with Neil Patrick Harris as Jon at the Menier Chocolate Factory and ran for three months. This production ends on October 27th, so book now.
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01st Oct2019

Mamma Mia! The Party (Theatre)

by timbaros

IMG_4234Enter the world of ABBA, and Greece, by attending MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY at The O2 London – it’s the best in immersive theatre. And what a great idea!

Yes, it’s the 02, but once you enter you are transported to a Greek-style courtyard (on the Greek island of Skopelos no less) where it will make you forget the horrific Jubilee Line ride that took you there.

It’s a romantic courtyard that seats over 200 people with tables scattered on top of balconies, lower levels, stage level and the ground floor – surrounded by Greek-style leaves hanging down from the walls. And at the centrepiece of all this is the water fountain in the middle of the room. You have to see it to believe it – it literally stops you dead in your tracks when you enter the room where you automatically want to start snapping photos and selfies with you and your friends.

But as it’s a party, there is food and drink involved, as well as great singing and dancing, performed by a cast that belongs in the West End! But it’s the East End – far from the West End, but never mind – for three hours you will forget this and suddenly Greek language will spew forth from your mouth.

And the show that is performed right before your very eyes is the story of Nikos and his wife Kate who run this exotic and wonderful restaurant together with their family and friends. Told through dialogue and ABBA songs, it’s a warm, romantic and funny story which evolves and unfolds during the evening, taking place around the guests as they sit at their tables enjoying a delicious Greek meal. The evening ends with the main floor bring transformed into a 1970’s disco where audience members are welcome to stay and dance.

On arrival, you’ll be greeted with a smile and a complimentary welcome cocktail, after which you are welcome to purchase drinks from the several taverna bars.

The London cast includes Fed Zanni as Nikos, Steph Parry as Kate, Joanna Monro as Debbie, AJ Bentley as Adam, Julia Imbach as Konstantina, Elin König Andersson as Bella, Kimberly Powell as Nina, Pauline Stringer as Grandma, Gregor Stewart as Fernando, with Linda John-Pierre playing Debbie at certain performances and Allie Ho Chee playing Bella at certain performances.

In between all this are yummy starters such a mezze selection followed by succulent meat dishes paired with tempting sides, and it all ends on a deliciously sweet note with authentic Greek desserts.

Ticket prices start from £135 per person including VAT.

This includes a welcome drink, a set four-course meal, a show and an ABBA disco at the end of the evening.

There are different types of tickets to choose from: Premium, Band A, Band B, Band C (on some performances) and Band D. Premium and Band A ticket holders are seated at tables on the ground floor in the Courtyard and on the Terrace levels, and Band B and C ticket holders are seated at tables in the Terrace levels and Balcony. Band D seats, which offer a partially restricted view, are located in the Terrace levels.

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY has music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (some songs with Stig Anderson), and a story by Calle Norlén, Roine Söderlundh and Björn Ulvaeus, adapted for the UK by writer, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig.

However, there are three things that could be improved.
1.) The queue. Arrive early as you will be waiting at least 30 minutes to get inside. Doors open at 18:30 (12:00 for daytime shows) but you definitely want to be seated sooner rather than later and before the food starts to arrive. Any later and you might miss the first course. Get there at 6 so you can be one of the first in, and then you can soak up the room before it fills up.
2.) The heat inside the venue. We were very warm the whole night and didn’t feel any air. It could be cooler in the venue – perhaps they can create a nice beach breeze to make the too a bit more bearable and comfortable temperature-wise.
3.) The food. We were a table of 4 and received the same portions of food as the single guy sitting at the next table (and he had the best seat in the house). If they can proportion the food according to the table size that would make much more sense.

These quibbles are valid quibbles, but they won’t ruin your night. And while the show is not cheap (prices from £130 to £218) you will get your money’s worth, whether or not you like/love ABBA. ‘You are my Dancing Queen…..’.

https://www.mammamiatheparty.com/gb/en/

 

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