We Will Rock You - May 2014

Another night at the theatre and yet another show to close this month. That show being We Will Rock You, which will close after 12 years on the West End. I have been meaning to go and see this show for ages, but I have never seemed to have got round to booking tickets (which are not cheap). So obviously with the announcement, and luckily with more advance notice, I booked a ticket for myself to go and see it before it did close. I managed to find a top price seat near the front of the stalls for a decent price, which had a fab view and in the end, a couple of rows empty around me.

Just before the start of the show, it was announced that Oliver Tompsett, who I had been so excited to see, was in fact not performing at the show and that Matt McKenna would be replacing him. Turns out that Oliver had turned up at the theatre to discover he was booked in for a holiday and he got sent home! How anyone can forget they were meant to be holiday is beyond me! I was a little disappointed not to be able to see him, but most of the time, you don't get a warning if a lead is not due to be on.

The show itself was amazing! The selection of songs chosen for Queen's back catalogue was cleverly chosen and worked well within the setting of the story. Ben Elton has put together a fantastic and funny story. The cast as a whole was amazing and the sets and the costumes were elaborate but perfect for the story. The story itself, is set in the future where Earth is now called iPlanet and is under control of Globalsoft and music is banned except for the computerised music provided. The story follows the rebels who no longer wish to conform and want to hear the lost music which set the earth free!

The story uses current references to pop culture, which changes from country to country to suit audience to whom they are playing. In the 12 years it has been playing, references have been updated to suit the current charts, with references to Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, both of whom were not a part of the music scene when the musical first opened. This is perhaps part of its staying power, that it can update and reference to current music scene, which suits the younger audience members. Even the Rebel Leader was named Gary Barlow!

To the cast themselves, who were amazing! Matt McKenna absolutely rocked it in the role of Galileo and I have to thank him for making giggle like a school girl when he started to singing me and my mate during one of the final numbers! Rachael Wooding and Amanda Coutts were outstanding in their roles and their voices are fantastic! Kevin Kennedy was brilliantly funny as Pop. However it is Brenda Edwards who amazed me! Despite knowing what a voice she had after seeing her on the X Factor many years ago, I did not know how talented an actress she was and absolutely killed the role of Killer Queen. Also have to say I loved her glitter lipstick!

After the show, it was off to the stage door in the pouring rain! It was chucking it down so much that we had to give up trying getting our programmes signed as the sharpie was not taking to the soaking pages. I plan to go back before the shows closes to rectify this! However, we did manage to get photos with most of the main cast members, most of whom seem to walk straight into the nearby bar for a post show drink! Bless Brenda, who was concerned about how soaking wet we were and still posed for photos with us!

 The show closes on the 31st of May, with tickets for the final ever performance already selling out, if Twitter is anything to go by. But if you get the chance, go see this amazing show before it closes!

I Can't Sing The X Factor Musical - May 2014

I have been so excited about going to see this ever since the first sneak peek at the Royal Variety Performance at the end of last year! Even more so, as it was a musical I could go and see with my husband, who is not as big a fan of musicals as I am! I booked tickets for the end of May on his birthday as his treat from me, but then two weeks ago or so, it was announced that the show was closing and before we were due to see it! Queue, a very unhappy husband and a very pissed off me!

It was beyond me why it was closing and at such short notice! It had glowing reviews from the critics and fans. It was playing to full or at least near full houses most nights! And from the two songs I had seen, it had fantastic music and an incredible cast! So why was it closing???

I was immediately on the phone sorting out a refund and straight back to the ticketing website to book tickets for one of the final performances. I managed to get tickets thankfully for the night before it closed but it was at the expense of my husband not being able to go, knowing we would not get a babysitter at such short notice. Thank god my mate Kirsty was free!

We had seats at the back of the stalls at the Palladium and despite the overhang of the circle, it was a pretty good view! The show begun a few minutes late with people still arriving just as it was starting. Despite a few odd seats here and there, it was a near full house!

The show was most definitely incredible. It had fantastic and extremely strong musical numbers throughout, performed by an incredibly talented cast, one of the strongest currently on the West End. It was ridiculously funny to the point that I was crying with laughter throughout! The sets were huge and cleverly used. I could go on and on about everything that was so right about it, but I want to pick out certain moments and cast members!

I want to start with the fact that the cast and show as a whole could find a way to joke about the fact they were closing. At one point in the show, Chenice is complaining about the pressure of the show, to which her dog Barlow (played amazingly by Simon Lipkin) notes all the fab things she has done that week as a result of being on the show and he ends with how she went to see the musical I Can't Sing "which the critics said would run and run". At this point huge laughter and cheers from the audience to the point the cast had to wait for it to calm down before continuing with the show!

Next, the amazing and incredibly talented cast. First, the amazing Nigel Harman, who only briefly appeared the first act but made it count when he did. Pulling up to the auditions and getting out of the car and then going back in to pull a car seat with a baby out was a genius move! He appeared for most of the second act, playing Simon as one hell of a camp man! But damn it worked!

Next to Cynthia Erivo, who absolutely shone as Chenice! She quite literally out sung every cast member! The notes that girl can hit amazed me! I said to Kirsty that she should be considered for the lead role in the Bodyguard after Alexandra Burke leaves the production and if she got it, I would be there in a heartbeat! She is THAT good!

But my biggest praise is going to Simon Lipkin who played Barlow the dog! He had probably some of the best lines in the show, some of which I am certain were improvised on the night. He knew how to work with the audience and how far to push it with the jokes. He quite literally was the scene stealer as for whenever he was onstage, chances were my eyes were drawn his way! Praise has to go to the amazing costume team for the fab skates on one leg Simon used to create the illusion the dog was running across the stage!

One of the best things about this show was just how much the audience were a part of it. It didn't matter if you were cheering, applauding, laughing or even screaming, it was so much part of the show! Interacting with the audience played a huge part of this show and it made it all the more enjoyable! So much so, that there was a standing ovation before the final song had even finished! The show was so good, I could go on and on about all the amazing things about it, but I won't, cos we would be here all day!

After the show, it was straight to the stage door, which was packed, more packed that I have ever seen for any show that I have gone to! There was so much love from those waiting for each and every cast member who stopped to sign autographs and have photos taken! I made it clear to Harry Hill, creator of the show, that this show was far too good to be closing! I also finally got my photo with Nigel Harman, ten years after meeting him for the first time! Even spoke about Crystal Palace's season with him as he is a fellow Eagles supporter!

Quite honestly it is still beyond me why this show is closing! It has been incredibly difficult to get shows up and running within the West End of late and to keep shows running for the long term even more so! But when it is a show that is loved by the critics and audiences, playing to near full houses most nights with standing ovations after each performance, it just makes no sense why it would suddenly close! Harry Hill could not even offer up an explanation, just saying "That's Entertainment!" and he is right. I do hope this show finds it way to a tour because so many people are missing out now it has closed!