Olivier Awards - 28th April 2013

The Olivier Awards are the British equivalent to the Tony Awards, the theatre equivalent (in my eyes) to the Oscars; they are the most prestigious theatre awards in the UK! And when such huge names are announced as attending, you know full well I was going to be there to see them walk down the red carpet.

This year, the awards were held on the 28th April at the stunning Royal Opera House, in Covent Gardens, London. The huge red carpet was laid out from the entrance and straight down the road towards to the turning for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Barriers laid out either side for the fans to stand behind.

We arrived in Covent Gardens at 11:30, a whole 5 and a half hours before the stars were due to walk the carpet. It was a good decision on our part to do so. By midday, we had given into the fact we would have to queue, but luckily there was not too many people waiting. Many were autograph collectors, those people who then sell them ebay. It does annoy me when they turn as they can take the chance away from genuine fans to meet their favourite celebrities. Amazingly, one was actually really nice and texted me a list of confirmed guests coming to the awards!

At 2pm, we finally got to head to the barriers to get our place and we got a great place, at the front about half way up the carpet and away from the press pit. Then all we could is watch what little was happening for the next three hours. Finally 5pm arrived and it was time for the stars to arrive and walk the red carpet. Once the big names started arriving, it went nuts. It was completely crazy, so much noise, but luckily not too much pushing!

We were very lucky to meet Vicky Entwistle, Myleene Klass, Lynda Bellingham, James Bourne, Anita Dobson, Brian May, Tim Minchin, Gina Beck, Louise Dearman, David Suchet, Idina Menzel, Rupert Everett, Daniel Radcliffe and Heather Headley.

We had come up to the event with three specific people in mind of meeting, Matthew Morrison, Idina Menzel and Daniel Radcliffe. Sadly, there was so much noise for Matthew, that despite us calling, we did not get to meet, which did sadden both me and Rachael. But this made up with meeting Idina, though we only got her autograph but at least we met her. But we got to meet Daniel, which really made our day. The publicist who was with him, spotted me and Rachael calling for him and she got him to come over to us. He walked up to Rachael, shook her hand and asked her name, I think Rachael was quite taken aback with just how polite he was. Luckily, he agreed to a photo while he signed an autograph for us, which the Olivier Awards tweeted via Instagram!

A big thank you must go out to both Tim Minchin and Rupert Everett for agreeing to stop for me and Rachael to sign an autograph despite being in rush to go in! Also a big thank you must go to the absolutely delightful Anita Dobson, who was kind enough to go and get her husband, the legendary Brian May to come over and meet us too! Both of them were so great to meet and I must remember to pass on Anita's love to my mum!

We also got to meet Gina and Louise for the third time. Gina did remember us and agreed to another photo as our previous one had not come out as well as I had hoped last time round. Louise also looked absolutely stunning in her black gown and we told her how we were looking forward to seeing her perform as Elphaba in Wicked when we hopefully go in the summer! Imelda Staunton walked past around the same time and actually recognised us from the What's On Stage Awards, so that was a much added bonus!

All in all, the day and experience was absolutely amazing. We may not have met everyone we wanted to meet, but we got to meet Daniel Radcliffe, which for us was the icing on the cake on this amazing event! We enjoyed so much, that we fully intend on going again next year!

Potter Potter - 14th April 2013

Everyone who knows me, knows I love Harry Potter. I love the book series to the point that I would buy the new book at midnight and read it completely within 24 hours! I love the film series that I was prepared to go to the cinema by myself just to see it! And obviously I have been to the studio tour up at the original studios, which is the most magical experience. So when I received an email offering me discounted tickets to see Potted Potter, I immediately booked!

Simply put, Potted Potter is the unauthorised Harry Potter Experience, all seven books acted out in just 70 minutes, a parody written and performed by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, former CBBC presenters. The show started out as a simple street show to keep the fans amused while queuing at midnight to buy the latest book back in 2005. A year later, it had expanded into an hour long show, which eventually went on to be nominated for an Olivier Award and a What's on Stage Award.

The show has toured all around the world even finding its way to the bright lights of Broadway. But today we headed up to the famous Theatreland in the heart of the West End to see the show at The Garrick Theatre, currently home to the musical, Rock of Ages. The theatre is small and intimate which made it a great venue for the play to take place. We had managed to get stall seats just eight rows from the front. These seats were fantastic and there was no worry about someone tall sitting in front of us as the stage is high above the audience, giving a great view to all.

The show was ridiculously funny and despite being a family show, bordered on naughty at times! There were a couple of running jokes throughout the show. First, the lack of great props and scenery, which they jokingly said was because all the money being spent on a fire breathing dragon, which in the end, was just a puppet! Secondly, the fact that Dan had not read the books (obviously he has) and he kept mixing it up with Star Wars, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. They even joked about the stupidness of having The Hobbit (one book) spread out over three movies!

One of the funniest moments for me and I think most people in the audience, was the chance to play Quidditch. Obviously, no expense was spared for the props, with two hoops, hung over the balcony of the circle, a beach ball used for the Quaffle and Jeff dressed up as a snitch! No one scored a goal, but I did get a couple of touchs of the ball myself. To end the match, two children had been invited to be seekers and obviously this involved chasing the snitch (or Jeff in the case). It didn't last long as Jeff was caught by a little girl and literally slammed to floor! Dan used every chance for the rest of the show taking the mickey out of Jeff for being beaten by a little girl!

The show used silly props, a computer presentation and a song set to the tune of " I Will Survive" to tell the stories of the 7 books and was brilliant and so cleverly done! I was crying of laughter throughout the entire performance. This is a definite must see for all Potter fans!

Singin' in the Rain - 9th March 2013

2012 was the year that celebrated many things, including the 60th anniversary since the classic movie, Singin' in the Rain, was released. One part of the celebration was presenting the movie in a new form film/concert presentation, Symphonic Cinema.  It was introduced in 2007. It is where the film, with its original vocals and dialogue is shown in sync with an orchestra playing the original score.

Singin' in the Rain had been remastered and released on Blu-Ray in 2012 as part of the 60th anniversary with new bonus features available for the viewers. It was this version that was used for the concert, with the score performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. However, in 1969, the studio bosses at MGM made the decision to destroy the original scores of their musical catalogue, including Singin' in the Rain. It ended up in a landfill that became a freeway.

John Wilson stepped up to the task of reconstructing the original score by listening to the soundtrack over and over , with some days only producing a few more notes of the score. What he produced, and what was performed, is the closest thing to what the original score written all those years ago.

To introduce the movie and the orchestra, was the wife of the late Gene Kelly, Patricia Ward Kelly. While she was not married to him at the time the movie was shot and released, she spoke with so much passion about Gene, the movie and all the myths that come with it. She reminded us of the huge age difference between Gene (38yrs old) and Debbie Reynolds (19yrs old) at the time of shooting, of how Gene had a 104 temperature the day he shot the famous sequence for the song Singin' in the Rain and how Debbie's vocals for two songs were dubbed by Betty Noyes and how Jean Hagen did not actually speak like her character!

The film itself, was as always, amazing to watch, fantastically funny and with stunning musical sequences. The music felt like it was part of the film, that I had to keep checking the orchestra was actually playing. Patricia noted in the programme how Gene said that nobody thought the film would be a lasting picture, but it evident last night, within the packed auditorium of the Royal Albert Hall, that was not the case and in my opinion it will never be the case, due to the number of children being introduced to movie last night. If you have not seen it, then you must see it!

And if you have the chance to experience Symphonic Cinema, do so!

Girls Aloud - Ten: The Hits Tour - 1st March 2013

October 2012 celebrated ten years since Girls Aloud formed (and also when me and my husband first got together!) and with that a brand new album and a tour! Of course, I immediately ordered my album and brought my tickets! The plan had originally been for me and Jon to go but typically we could not get a babysitter, so Rachael got to come!

We never sit and watch the support act as we always go to the Sky Backstage Bar. So last night was no different! We headed inside and got to use the green screens to have photos of us as part of the Got To Dance panel and as always had our Red Carpet photo. While waiting for Rachael to have her make up done, we got to hear their support act, Amelia Lily. I admit was a fan of hers during her time on X Factor but her music has not really done it for me! But admittedly, she did a great acoustic cover of Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars.

Just as Amelia Lily finished set, we headed down to the arena to find our seats. I had been dreading it as I had not got seats where I usually prefer to be. The presale had not been kind to the fans! But the main thing was we were going and we were there! We had got seats in Block 110, Row M. Once we had found our way to our seats, turned out the view was not as bad as we had expected. It helps I have a great zoom on my camera too! The stage plan had not been officially released, all we knew was the floor was for standing only, rather than seated as normal. So was very pleased to see a B Stage, which provided a fantastic view for us!

The show was meant to start at 8:30pm but typically it begun later than expected! But the wait was worth it as the girls exploded onto the stage! The black drapes dropped to reveal the girls standing on a huge sign of their band name hung above the stage! The first section took us right back to the beginning of their career, singing their hits Sound of the Underground, No Good Advice, Life Got Cold, Wake Me Up and Jump. You would never have guessed that had been away for as long they had as they performed as tightly and brilliantly as they always had!

After after a quick interlude, playing a video showing them getting ready in a dressing room for a show, the girls were back out for their second set which included The Show, Love Machine, Whole Lotta History, Can't Speak French and fan favourite, Biology. It was at this point I notice just how much the crowd were cheering every time Nicola sung a lead part. She has always been underused, but whenever they perform live, she never fails to disappoint with her vocals, sounding so much better than on the recorded tracks! The Show, using elements of Models, began with a little catwalking, which reminded me of a Victoria Secrets Fashion Show or the Notting Hill Carnival due to the additional part their stage costumes that look like the costumes due to either these events.

Another quick costume change and it was time for the girls to head to the B Stage, the part I had been waiting for! The girls got back onto the huge sign of their band name to travel to the smaller, more central stage, while performing Sexy No No No, the version they had used originally on their Tangled Up Tour. Once on the B Stage, they sung Untouchable, On The Metro and Call The Shots. I have to admit, I do love bands who use a B Stage and the girls regularly use one when on tour, as it gives everyone a chance to have a great view, but it also provides a more intimate performance. At the end of that section, the girls braved the crowds by running through them to head back for another costume change!

The final section brought us right up to date, starting with Something Kinda Ooh! Then the shock cover for the night, Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson. It was a great fun cover version, though admittedly I did not realise Nadine was singing the chorus as the crowd were singing along loudly. From there, it was into the song I absolutely love due to the stunning vocals from Nicola, Beautiful Because You Love Me. The final song was Something New, which got the crowds really going and made a great end to the show, before the encore!

There is always a gap between the final song and encore, but this one felt long, long enough that people started leaving! But the girls came back, dressed in stunning red dresses, for two final songs. The first one, surprised me as a choice, I'll Stand by You, But it worked so well due to the old videos of the girls playing on the big screen, as the girls have always stood by each other, throughout their ten years together. The final song of the night, is probably the absolute fan favourite, The Promise! It was a perfect way to finish off the show, that and showering the crowd with ticker tape! And then it was over! It was goodbye for final time! As for the majority of the fans, it will be the last time we see them in concert, as this is their farewell tour! But it was a fabulous farewell!

The Big Reunion - 26th February 2013

So Take That did this little documentary about their time together, which ended leading to a stadium tour, which led to them officially reforming and becoming even bigger than the first time around!

Steps then did a mini series, aired all their dirty laundry and patched up their differences and had a hugely successful arena tour and released a new album!

The Big Reunion took it one step further......

They brought back not one, not two but SIX massive pop acts from the late 90's and early 00's!

The bands were:

• 5ive
• Liberty X
• 911
• Atomic Kitten
• B*Witched
• The Honeyz

The series followed each band through reminiscing about the old days, meeting up and patching up their differences and rehearsing for a one off show at the Hammersmith Apollo. The series has been more successful than I think anyone anticipated and it has led to a full arena tour in May and an additional appearance by Blue at the first show.

I originally missed out on a ticket but was lucky to be able to buy one on Ebay. My friend, Octavia, also managed to buy a ticket as well and amazingly the seats were next to each other despite being sold by two different people! 

View from Block 5, Row X

Arriving at the Hammersmith Apollo about 45 minutes, I was amazed by just how relaxed everything was but yet not surprised that there were no screaming teenagers! Our seats were up in the circle, in row X with bright blue lights shining down to the stage directly behind us! Will not complain about it though as it meant I did not need the flash on my camera! I have to admit I was worried that the view would not be too good but it felt like sitting at the back of Block 112 at the O2 Arena. Though once the show began and everyone stood, I did spend a good part of the show up on my tippy toes, for my feet are suffering for today!

The show was introduced by Andi Peters (who has been doing the voiceovers for the programme) and with that it began! I had expected it for the bands to get 15-20 minute slots in which to do their stuff but instead the bands each came on and performed three mini sets and I have to say it worked better. It did feel slow during the changeovers but I think this will work for the TV due to the little video clips used.

5ive

Opening the show was 5ive or as Abz wants to call them, 4our! Exploding out onto the stage with We Will Rock You, which got the crowd going wild and joining in with the hand movements! It was then straight into Everybody Get Up, with the crowd joining in with the dance moves! On their return to the stage, they performed Keep On Moving, which admittedly I hate due to how much it was played when it originally came out, but the crowd loved it! The vocals were rearranged for this track due to J refusing to partake in the reunion. Their final time on stage saw them performing If Ya Getting Down and still the crowds loved it going crazy! The boys were fantastic onstage together and without J. They were all finally given the chance to show their strong vocals as individuals and as a group! And quite honestly, I completely forgot about J not being there until Octavia mentioned it to me at the end of the show! So if 5ive choose to carry on, there is need for a 5th member, cos they are strong enough as 4!

B*Witched

Raining glitter!

Second on stage were B*Witched. Looking absolutely in stunning, still wearing the denim, but not the double denim and throwing out the trainers for stilletos. Their first performance was C'est Le Vie which included their famous Irish Dancing. Yes, they did it in heels!!! Their second performance was of their follow song Rollercoaster. Energetic as always! Their final performance was with their last number 1 hit, Blame it on the Weatherman, my favourite of their hits! Gracing the stage with umbrellas, the stage rained with beautiful glitter towards the end of the performance! One of the best part of their performance was the breaking up of the lead vocals. This was something that has been noted in the programme as something the girls have had to suffer to being reduced to backing singers, so I am glad to see it rectify and hopefully to continue if the girls decide to give the band another go after the tour.

911 were up next and it was like they never went away! They started with Bodyshakin' still doing all the flips and energetic dance moves! The next performance was A Little Bit More where the lead vocals were shared giving Jimmy the chance to shine like he had always wanted. It was great to be able to hear him sing and prove he was not just a back up dancer! Their final performance was More than a Woman. The fact that these guys are in their mid thirties to early forties and they are still doing these energetic dance routines astounds me. But it would not have been the same, had they not done them!

Liberty X

Next up were Liberty X with Just a Little, with the skintight catsuits on and the original canes from the video. During this song, I could barely here the vocals as the crowd was singing along loudly! On their return to the stage, they performed Thinkin' it Over and Gotta have your Love and their final song of the night was Being Nobody (though I had hoped for Jumpin' instead). They were spot on with the vocals as always (but we already knew how good vocally they were) and fantastic to watch and it was great way to start their goodbye as a band. Kudos to Michelle, who after everything she has gone through these past few months, for getting up on stage and looking absolutely stunning!

Blue

Next up was the last minute addition to the line up: Blue! I had seen them perform live before (it was the first concert Jon and I went to as a couple!) so I knew they would be great! They started with All Rise, a crowd favourite. Simon changed up the vocals to give it a fresh sound! On their return to the stage, they sung their fantastic cover of Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and they ended with One Love, another crowd favourite that had everyone joining in! These guys are always spot with their vocals but last night they were better than ever. Anthony had improved vocally and Lee was spot on with the amazing vocal runs he is reknown for. They have currently only joined for this one off performance, but I do hope, for those who were unable to come to the show, they do join the tour!

The Honeyz

The Honeyz were up next performing in their third line up, but in my opinion the right line up. The response to them was not as crazy but I think once people realised just how fantastic they were, they began to warm up to them. They began with Finally Found, return to the stage for Love of a Lifetime and End of the Line and finished up with my fave, Won't Take it Lying Down. As the girls had finally got the line up right, vocals were split between the three, giving them all a chance to shine and it worked so well!  I also felt that as the line up was the right one, that they all felt make more comfortable as group and performing together.

Atomic Kitten

The final act was Atomic Kitten, back to their original line up. I know most people and the band themselves were anxious about performing in this line up again. But there was no need to be because for me it was like Kerry never left. They begun with the song that had begun their career with, Right Now. On their return to the stage for the second time, the girls performed The Tide is High, a song Kerry had not been a part of but I felt like that song should have been done with as I felt her vocal worked better than Jenny's had. The girls also closed the show with their crowd favourite, Whole Again. This was also the only song of the night where the crowd were given the chance to sing by themselves. To hear the song sung so loudly by the crowd was amazing! Towards the end of the song, you see the emotions of the night starting to show and the song ended with the girls near to tears and a group hug!

With that, the bands were all introduced back on stage as the crowd applauded loudly as ticker tape continued to rain down!  Andi Peters reintroduce them and reminded us that the show can be seen again on TV on March 28th! The show was fantastic and I hope this will again silence the critics on just how good these bands were and still are!

What's On Stage Awards - 17th February 2013

The What's On Stage Awards are currently the only major theatre awards in which all categories are voted for the public. This year, they were held at The Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the heart of Theatreland! Yesterday, Rachael and I spent three hours waiting to meet the stars, not being aware of some of the huge names expected to attend and not aware of how crazy it would be. But as I always say, it was well worth it!

Danny Boyle's genius Olympic Opening Ceremony was up for Theatre Event of the Year (which it proceeded to win obviously) and as a result, the crowds outside were treated to a continuous performance from the Pandemonium Drummers from the ceremony itself. It was great to begin with, but became irritating as it went on, especially when we were attempting to talk to people and could not hear properly! Danny Boyle even posed for photos with them on his arrival but still managed to sneak into the theatre past the fans themselves.

Stars we saw arrive but either did not get to meet or have photos with include: Boy George, Lizzie Cundy, Michael Ball, Jennifer Ellison, Adam Garcia, Andy Nyman, Daniel Crossley, Dean Chisnall, and Tim Minchin to name but a few. Autographs that Rachael collected were from: Jill Halfpenny, Andy Nyman, Gina Beck, Danielle Hope, Natalie Casey, Michael Ball, Jennifer Ellison, Imelda Staunton, Adrian Lester, Melanie C, Will Young, Adam Garcia and Peter Wilson.

I was absolutely thrilled to meet all the people we did and get photos with Jill Halfpenny, Natalie Casey, Imelda Staunton, Adrian Lester and Peter Wilson. I had desperately wanted a photo with Melanie C, but the crowd went crazy when she came out and we were being pushed and shoved so we were just happy to get her autograph!

The best moment for us though was meeting Peter Wilson, London 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist in the Double Trap Shooting. He was so kind and generous, giving Rachael the chance to hold his medal and then suggesting and helping Rachael to wear his gold medal! This made our night and we could not be more grateful to him!

Next year if we attend, we plan to stand away from the photographers as it was just too crazy near them and made it near impossible to meet the people we want, but even despite that, it was well worth the trip.

With Jill Halfpenny

With Gina Beck

With Danielle Hope

With Natalie Casey

With Imelda Staunton

With Adrian Lester

With Peter Wilson