West End Gossip #2

[Mark81]

I don't see why it couldn't be broadway too. Tours get mentioned sometimes. Probably more of a general theatre thread

 

[filthycop]

Saw Eddie in the first week in 2021 and again in March 22 - he was better the second time when he'd settled in - but it was a very physical performance - hunched and with carefully choreographed positions and movements - it was all too carefully contrived - other Emcess didn't feel as though they were acting as much as Eddie did.

Mason Alexander Park, Matthew Gent and Jake Shears all felt like they were having fun when it all started, you could believe that he's had all the Cabaret girls ... and boys. There was a dirty seediness that Emcee needs that Eddie didn't give off. he was asexual and the better Emcees weren't - you believed two ladies with the other Emcess,

 

[silkytoes]

I saw All About Eve a few years ago, that was the first one I saw with a screen and it was novel to me then.

I wonder if this is how things are going to tear young folk away from screens and into a theatre ? Not sure, just speculating.

I don't think it's the shows aimed at younger folk that are doing it really. Like, the teen focused musicals don't do it at all.

I get the impression it's the directors who are trying to be artsy/new/innovative, but it's the same people relying on the same technique too much.

 

[Mark81]

All the west end live performances are being uploaded pretty quickly to the official London theatre youtube account

 

[Mark81]

£97 per month?!!

 

[Mark81]

Love this!

 

[Miss_noseyparker67]

Saw Come From Away tour this week. WOW!! What a show!! Haven't loved a show like this in many years. Preferred it to the hyped Hamilton tbh

I think I must be the only person who hates Hamilton. It must be because I loathe rap music and I've only seen it on Disney+ but it wouldn't make me buy a ticket to see the live version.

 

[LydiaDeetzHat]

OhmiGodHey did anyone see Mickey Jo’s show last night?! Do tell I don’t mind his reviews and discussions, I follow him on YouTube but would t go to a live show of a blogger

also curious. there was apparently a premium ticket up fotr grabs which i posted about on here but nobody was willing to take one for the team. I'm dying to know especially as I saw from his socials one or possibly both of the advertised special guests must have pulled out and their spot was filled by a US content creator/actress.
---
Oh gawd. Mickey Jo Theatre reviewing The Who's Tommy in such a woke pc way that he won't say the words used tn the score/album/movie/show deaf, dumb and bind instead substituting non responsive to sound, non verbal and visually impaired..

May this nonsense stop please

 

[BingoFlamingo]

I wonder what theatre board would make of Soho Place announcing yesterday a short run of a sensory adaptation of Cinderella, designed for audiences with learning disabilities ?!

it appears to be running in half term and in the sohoplace studio, not main theatre but how wonderful to have place in the west end for something like this.

I know most shows do the occasional adapted performance which is also great but something dedicated is a really interesting idea

theatre board were very sniffy about Little Big Things if I recall, so perhaps this Cinderella will annoy them too.

 

[Tangoqueen]

Poor North, she was awful. She is just a kid and probably told she sounded amazing. They have just embarrassed her forever.

 

[Katykatykaty]

I saw the Wizard of Oz matinee yesterday in Manchester (enjoyed it but didn’t love it) and there were lots of young school groups in the audience. It just felt so wrong to have someone sat chugging a pint or a glass of wine (and an actual glass glass too, not a plastic on) while sat right beside a group of ten year olds in uniform. A bottle of water or even a soft drink I can cope with but I don’t see the need for alcohol during any theatre show - if you can’t wait an hour to an interval for a glass of wine or a beer then there’s something wrong. I understand people are going to enjoy themselves and the show may be part of a celebration or wider afternoon/night out but have your alcohol before or after.

 

[lilyannrose]

Bernadette Peters doing a gig in London. Ticket prices predictably astronomical. I know people have to be paid and that's fine but theatre is just so inaccessible for so many at the moment and it's a bloody travesty.

 

[Mark81]

I don't particularly like this production anyway, so it's probably good the casting never appeals lol

 

[LydiaDeetzHat]

Or just everywhere, not sure why I needed a news notification that TS had completed her first concert in the UK.

i got one cos at one of her gigs they had thrown out a couple of ginned up mums

 

[BingoFlamingo]

I’ve spent a few mins scrolling theatreboard and found it full of snobbery, so got out of there quick. It’s not for me.

In other news we got last minute day tickets to see Two Strangers last week. What a fun show! I thought it might be long for a two hander but really enjoyed it. Clever set too.

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

Been to see The Picture Of Dorian Gray tonight with Sarah Snook playing every character, aided by some incredible camera and LED screen work.

Absolutely astonishing piece of theatre. I know the story but even so the last 10-15 minutes she had me on the edge of my seat. Seriously never been so engaged in an Oscar Wilde piece.

Unfortunately it ends on Saturday and there's no tickets left otherwise I'd be insisting my partner go and see it, it's that good.

I wonder if there’ll be a pro shot of it? I always think it’s a shame when an excellent show comes to an end and there’s no record of it
---

he stood on a balcony and waved

How very R&J appropriate!

 

[historyobliterates]

Controversial opinion but I didn’t like the Wicked stage show at all! I was bored by it. The performers were all talented but it was slow and very little atmosphere - also the theatre was half empty. That didn’t help

Not so controversial. I've seen thr show once and could not tell you one thing about what happened in the show. I just find it very forgettable. Obviously with the exception of Drfying Gravity which is a song that's everywhere and Popular which was partially used by one of favourite singers, I couldn't even sing any of the songs.

But yeah, this is coming from someone who also didn't like Spring Awakening or Matilda despite the glowing reviews of both.

 

[Idontknowwhatimdoing]

Stage door at Hamilton is really organised. Barriers at the side of the theatre forming a queue, I assume there is a rota or they sort it out amongst themselves. The first time we went Jamael, Michael, Tarrin and some others came to the very orderly queue. Giles did not and we saw him escaping at pace towards Victoria. Others could take notes on how to do it safely and appropriately. And never appropriate to grab someone, people are so entitled. On the subject of alcohol, food and toilet breaks. This happens at concerts now too and it never used to. You can’t sit for 1 hour without needed to get up and go to loo!
i went to see Romens Raganathan last night, a whole bunch of the third row were really late (might have been transport issues) but they’d still stopped to get drinks on the way in, so rude! and then they were also late back from the interval! He called them out but they were so p***ed they just thought it was funny

 

[Mark81]

This seems to have taken ages to come to trial

He was part of london theatre scene for quite a while in wwry etc

Ex-Spandau Ballet singer 'raped and filmed himself molesting women'

Jurors were told Wild - whose real name is Ross Davidson - had a 'darker' and 'sinister' side with a fantasy to have sex with women while they were asleep.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Mark81]

So thanks to some very pushy fans, the Starlight Express thread on theatreboard is now basically a rave thread. Anyone who doesn't like it is wrong or their posts are ignored by the clique of fans who won't have it that there could possibly be valid criticisms to be had on the 2024 London version. One called ceebee is being especially obnoxious to the point where if ALW got a literal turd, painted it and called it Starlight Express he/she/they would probably be all over it with praise.

Obviously people are entitled to fan as much as they want but that level of pants wetting hysteria style fandom is gross to me.

I find theatreboard too happy clappy anyway, as a rule. I'm glad Tattle allows us grumps to have somewhere where having a moan isn't stigmatised or automatically accused of being mean.

Theatreboard is like that unfortunately, if you don't like the 'in fashion" show then you're in the wrong and an idiot. Ceebee is known for that, they obsessively defended For One Day