Theatre 2022

[Alex]

Ok Cock was brilliant, was a little concerned what we were getting with the ARTY opening bit but it really worked.
The sex scene was hilarious, staging was so simple but really effective plus fantatic actors. Also Jonathan Bailey just

 

[Ellie]

Wow. So Jerusalem lived up to expectations. First time seeing Mark Rylance perform in a theatre and he’s truly a cut above the rest

 

[Christian]

Ok Cock was brilliant, was a little concerned what we were getting with the ARTY opening bit but it really worked.
The sex scene was hilarious, staging was so simple but really effective plus fantatic actors. Also Jonathan Bailey just

I'd forgotten about this

I enjoyed it but thought the play a bit old fashioned, even though it's only 10 years old. The physical production was great and the actors excellent. Taron Egerton's replacement was a hot piece

 

[Christian]

Wow. So Jerusalem lived up to expectations. First time seeing Mark Rylance perform in a theatre and he’s truly a cut above the rest

I should really go and see this, but it looks rather hard work and I find him a bit MUCH

 

[Ellie]

I should really go and see this, but it looks rather hard work and I find him a bit MUCH

I originally pre-booked for a Monday evening thinking as they were in demand, I’d pick the least desirable time to go. Then they changed their schedules and Mondays were dark days, so they moved my tickets to a Sunday 3pm matinee.

That was perfect for us as it was 3 hours 15 minutes total (3 acts, 15 minute interval after 1st and then 5 minute “pause” between 2nd and 3rd). I’d have been exhausted doing a weekday evening.

 

[BoysForSeles]

Theatre go-oers. Would you go to a (non musical) show if you had a bit of a cough? Not a persistent cough but still more than maybe a few coughs for the duration of the show?

Bear in mind you’re going with one other person and flights & hotels have been booked.

 

[Ellie]

Theatre go-oers. Would you go to a (non musical) show if you had a bit of a cough? Not a persistent cough but still more than maybe a few coughs for the duration of the show?

Bear in mind you’re going with one other person and flights & hotels have been booked.

Hmm, I have a rather annoying cough at the moment, but I’ve long suspected it’s due to the pollution in my local area so it’s actually OK during the day and just bad on evenings at home. It still occasionally flares up, but not persistently.

It’s pretty manageable and not noticeable to those around if you take something to cough in to (in the winter I use a scarf, so maybe a clump of tissues in the summer). Maybe if you had tickets in the front stalls, be a bit more mindful. And obviously out of personal responsibility, take an LFT before going.

 

[BoysForSeles]

To be honest I am recovering from a pretty unpleasant dose of covid. However, I’m out of the isolation/infectious period and today tested negative for the first time although still have lingering cough and fatigue. I’ll obviously continue to rest until the show day (later this week) but feel I owe it to other person to go. I guess worst case scenario I could leave and sit in bar area while they finish the show.

 

[BoysForSeles]

Scratch that the positive line just appeared on the LFT ffs.

 

[Ellie]

Dear Evan Hansen closing on Broadway now too

Oh WELL

But Tina! in for the chop too, which is surprising. I wonder how that is doing in London.

 

[Kate]

May I just recommend Starcrossed at Wilton’s Music Hall. A re-telling of Romeo & Juliet but with Mercutio & Tybalt as the lovers. Only three actors - those two characters, and another guy who plays several others, mostly in a very comic way. All excellent <3

 

[Ellie]

May I just recommend Starcrossed at Wilton’s Music Hall. A re-telling of Romeo & Juliet but with Mercutio & Tybalt as the lovers. Only three actors - those two characters, and another guy who plays several others, mostly in a very comic way. All excellent <3

Nice. I’ve only been to that venue once.

 

[Kate]

Oh it’s a fabulous venue too just lovely to sit and have a drink tbh.

 

[Phoenix]

The Tony winners

Best Musical
A Strange Loop

Lead Actress/Musical
Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square

Lead Actor/Musical
Myles Frost, MJ

Lead Actress/Play
Deirdre O’Connell, Dana H.

Lead Actor/Play
Simon Russell Beale, The Lehman Trilogy

Best play
The Lehman Trilogy

Best Revival of a Musical
Company

Best Book of a Musical
A Strange Loop Michael R. Jackson

Featured Actor/Musical
Matt Doyle, Company

Best Revival/Play
Take Me Out

Best Featured Actress/Play
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew

Best Direction/Musical
Marianne Elliott, Company

Best Direction/Play
Sam Mendes, The Lehman Trilogy

Best Featured Actress/Musical
Patti LuPone, Company

Best Featured Actor/Play
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Take Me Out

WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING ‘ACT ONE’ PRE-SHOW

Best Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon, MJ

Best Orchestrations
Simon Hale, Girl From The North Country

Best Sound Design of a Play
Mikhail Fiksel, Dana H.

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Gareth Owen, MJ

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Six: The Musical Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss

Best Costume Design of a Play
Montana Levi Blanco, The Skin of Our Teeth

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gabriella Slade, SIX: The Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Es Devlin, The Lehman Trilogy

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bunny Christie, Company

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jon Clark, The Lehman Trilogy

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Natasha Katz, MJ

 

[Phoenix]

And Jennifer Hudson is now an EGOT since she is a producer on A Strange Loop.

 

[lolly]

 

[Ellie]

 

[VoR]

 

[dUb]

Theatre adjacent, I watched the Spring Awakening reunion documentary last week ("Those You've Known"). It's really the Groff & Michele show (fine by me), with the others getting an occasional look-in. No footage of Lea beating people up in the toilets or chucking their sandwiches in the bin, but it didn't seem quite as cozy as they were trying to make out.

Now if ever there was a show which you probably shouldn't revisit 15 years later, it's this one, but they give it a decent crack but inevitably look like old people trying to be young - the antithesis of the show really. The score is still 50% incredible but also 50% embarrassing, especially when you're pumping it out in your late 30s. Ooh, those naughty swear words

Some juicy gossip is spilled though and the woozy weekend they have at the Groff's country farm is a lovely fuzzy moment.

@Ellie @dUb have you given it a try?

This is on NOW now! I'll be watching shortly

 

[dUb]

Oh I thought it was WONDERFUL! It’s reignited my love for the show and that SCORE! I must have seen the doomed UK production 10 times between Hammersmith and the West End and I just loved it so much

 

[VoR]

I’m not very au fait with these things, but that seems quite fast, does it not?

 

[dUb]

It’s definitely a bit on the abrupt side!

Strong rumours are A-SWIRLING that it’s actually going to be Lea Michele who replaces

 

[Christian]

It’s definitely a bit on the abrupt side!

Strong rumours are A-SWIRLING that it’s actually going to be Lea Michele who replaces

I'll be on the first plane out if so

Is that why she rocked up to the Tonys?

 

[Christian]

I’m not very au fait with these things, but that seems quite fast, does it not?

VERY fast. Jane might have been on a short contract, but Beanie would have had a year at least.

 

[dUb]

Is that why she rocked up to the Tonys?

Supposedly! We love an orchestrated subliminal rehabilitation campaign!

 

[Christian]

Supposedly! We love an orchestrated subliminal rehabilitation campaign!

Didn't everyone still hate her on Twitter though?

Though that's nothing that a groundshaking version of "Don't Rain On My Parade" couldn't fix in an INSTANT. Those theatre queens are nothing if not FICKLE

 

[Christian]

Will Lea be in it by the time I'm in New York in August? Come on Lea, get Beanie out of that dressing room PRONTO

 

[dUb]

Beanie's there til Sept! But you might get her standby, who's wonderful by all accounts!

 

[Christian]

And now I will start living TODAY, TODAY, TODAY
I close the door
I got this new beginning and I will FLY
I'll fly like a CANNONBALL
(into Beanie)

 

[Christian]

Beanie's there til Sept! But you might get her standby, who's wonderful by all accounts!

Nothing an unfortunate slip down the stairs couldn't fix

I heard about the understudy though - she seems FAB

 

[Finn]

Do we think Jane Lynch was leaving before she heard Lea might be joining, or-?

 

[Ellie]

Went to Grease again tonight and took my mum for Jason Donovan’s debut as the Teen Angel. He was quite shockingly bad.

The rest of the cast all utterly awesome, but JD stumbled in like he’d just been pushed on stage. There are supposed to be some antics with him teasing and pushing Frenchie around and she was falling all over the place as she was supposed to for the laughs, but he was barely interacting with her at all.

 

[Ellie]

Both Mary Poppins and Come From Away have announced closures. I’m actually not surprised for the latter. I personally thought it was a bit overrated.

I wonder if Bedknobs and Broomsticks will take over the Prince Edward theatre.

 

[lolly]

Both Mary Poppins and Come From Away have announced closures. I’m actually not surprised for the latter. I personally thought it was a bit overrated.

I wonder if Bedknobs and Broomsticks will take over the Prince Edward theatre.

Is it definitely going into the West End?

I toyed with the idea of getting tickets but thought it might be too long for my youngest great niece.

After I read the reviews I was glad I decided against it.

 

[Ellie]

Is it definitely going into the West End?

I toyed with the idea of getting tickets but thought it might be too long for my youngest great niece.

After I read the reviews I was glad I decided against it.

Nothing announced, but with a big production like that and a Disney theatre freeing up (intake it they’ve leased something with Cameron Mackintosh) it makes sense. Still, it’s a bit of a gamble if Mary Poppins hasn’t managed to last.

 

[Berly]

Last night I went to see the touring production of Sister Act that will be going into the Event IM Apollo albeit with a different Delores (Beverley Knight coming in) which is probably for the best because whilst she was a decent actress and definitely warmed up to the songs it took some work and it wasn’t that strong.

Leslie Joseph and Keala Settle were both a triumph and the person playing Sister Mary Roberts can SANG but came over quite awkward - not sure if it was a character choice.

Jennifer Saunders was just DIVINE! She was (herself admittedly) shaky on the dance steps and you could see in the finale she was super focussed on the moves she all but forgot to sing/move her mouth but it did not matter one jot.

She gave a comedy and acting masterclass and ate every scene. Quite a privilege to watch.

Had we got her and Whoopi as intended I might’ve actually peed.

 

[Berly]

Also, potentially going to see Frozen next week as my friends fiancé has been cast as Olaf and my beau is currently in Beauty and the Beast and gets a few free tickets

 

[Ellie]

Well I was wrong about the Prince Edward Theatre. Seems that Ain’t Too Proud might be transferring there and MJ The Musical to follow in 2024.

 

[Christian]

Oh that's GREAT news

 

[lolly]

The Bedknobs and Broomsticks tour finished in May. Is it unusual that it hasn't got a West End home or dates yet?