We Will Rock You

          I've resisted seeing this for such a long time as I'm a Queen fan, but my god had I been missing something special.

          The Dominion Theatre has played host to We Will Rock You since its debut in 2002. The theatre hasn't really had many notable productions before this one, other than the musical adaptation on Beauty And The Beast from 1997 to 1999. I've resisted going to see it as I'm a fan on queen and I was worried about the show possibly ruining their songs for me. I know that Brian May and Roger Taylor collaborated on the show but I was still anxious. Also, the show was written by Ben Elton, the English comedian, author, playwright, actor and director, who wrote for such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder and also wrote the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera Love Never Dies (and produced, for some reason, by Robert De Niro) I trust Ben Elton, but I've never been the biggest fan of his work (though I love Blackadder).

          The theatre is lovely and large, with a capacity of 2,069. Although the foyer areas feel vast, the actual theatre feels relatively contained. Sat there in an audience full of all different nationalities and all ages it one of the few times I got even more excited about the show because of the audience I was sat in. As soon as it started I was excited. The whole theatre shook, like your body does when a car drives past with the bass in its stereo system turned up loud. this went on for longer than I had been expecting and really built my expectations.

          I have to say though I left a little disappointed. The plot was poor and, quite frankly, stupid. The acting was good, though I saw better in the production of Fiddler On The Roof by Potters Bar Theatre Company in 2011. I mean don't get me wrong it was enjoyable, but it wasn't great. Why then did I put at the beginning that I had been 'missing something special'? Well it wasn't the plot or the acting. It was the music. Blimey can the cast sing. Well most of them. The best singer, in my opinion, by far was Amanda Coutts as Meat. She was brilliant. Its a shame that such a talent is in theatres and not selling records around the world. She was engaging and stayed true to her character throughout, and on a number of occasions sent shivers down my spine. The two main performers Oliver Tompsett and Rachael Wooding, playing Galileo and Scaramouch respectively, were also fantastic. There voices were sublime and like Amanda Coutts their talents seem wasted in the theatre.

          Another singer/performer was Brenda Edwards as Killer Queen. She is being treated like a star by the producers by having the longest cast bio in the programme and also her debut solo single for sale with merchandise in the foyer. I mean I had no idea who she was (or even is). Apparently she reached the semi-finals of The X Factor in 2005 and got the Screen Nation Award for Favourite Reality TV Star in 2007. In 2006 she played Mama Morton in Chicago: The Musical in the West End. Know who she is yet? Me neither. I searched for her X Factor clips on YouTube and I think I remember her but not really. Either way it feels as though she is getting star treatment, which she definitely doesn't seem worthy of. The audience was paying more attention to her breasts practically falling out of her costume then her singing. Her singing is good, yes, but there are people in the show far better than her.

          Something I was excited about was finding out that Arlene Phillips, known mainly now as a judge on TV shows such as Over The Rainbow and Strictly Come Dancing, was the choreographer. She's worked as a choreographer on a number of theatrical productions in the West End, including Starlight Express, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease and The Wizard Of Oz. She has also worked on many films and television programmes. As I, like many people, know her only as a TV judge I was interested to see her in her actual profession (I did see Starlight Express and Grease, but I was young and wasn't really concentrating on the choreography). I have to say that she has done some brilliant work with the show. She has waved her magic wand and has really lifted the show, and trust me it needs every lift it can get.

          The show is unfortunately closing on 31 May 2014. Why is it a shame? Some of the cast are fantastic singers and I think its a shame that there will no longer be a show bringing Queen music to the masses. I know I haven't exactly given a stellar review but I think that everyone needs to see it before it goes. I'm only giving it the star rating that I am because of the music. If that hadn't been there ....................... I don't think I've ever given a 1/2 star before. Info and tickets

The Full Monty

          This was very much a spur of the moment buying of a ticket. It had been a while since id seen a show and when I saw this was coming back to the London stage I went ahead and got myself a seat. I saw the film on television back in the late 1990s/early 2000s. It was released in 1997 but I know I saw it on the television rather than in a cinema. To be totally honest I only remember certain aspects in the film mainly about the story rather than the performances of the actors. I will say though that after seeing this production I will definitely be watching the film again.

          When seeing the show the very first thing you will probably notice is nothing to do with the show at all, but about the audience. Its mainly groups of women between the ages of 35 to 60. There are a few groups of gay men and the occasional husband and wife, but the audience is most definitely groups of woman. certainly when I went most of these woman had been drinking before the show. How do I know? Well it wasn't that difficult to notice their inebriation. For a while it was fun but after a while, especially during the performance, there constant talking behind me did get annoying. I'm not saying its a given that this will happen at every performance, but just prepare yourself. I was sat a little closer than half way back in the stalls and just three seats in from the edge of the seating. One might assume that this would really effect the view, but I must say my seat was fairly close to perfect.

          The set was brilliant. It stayed exactly the same throughout the production, however with certain lighting and the adding or movement of extra minor elements they managed to journey to a variety of locations. A long winded sentence, I know, but I hope you get the idea. The basis of the set was the interior of the steel works factory where the main male characters all work/worked. From the moment the lights and safety curtain went up, there was almost a universal intake of breath. I really have to commend the work of both the designer, Robert Jones, and the lighting designer Tim Lutkin.

          The acting was definitely above average but I wouldn't say it was brilliant and faultless. Kenny Doughty, who plays the lead character of Gaz, was probably the best actor of the whole cast. With a knack for portraying emotion, even if a little over acted in places, and with good comic timing he creates an extremely well rounded character and was a joy to watch. Craig Gazey was also a joy, bringing a brilliant comic streak throughout the show. Kieran O'Brien was also brilliant with comic timing. He also played a lot more with/to the audience making one very aware you were part of a show and leaving one unable to get sucked into the show. Usually I would class this as an issue, but for this show it made it much more enjoyable. The main acting issue I had came in the form of Roger Morlidge. I'm not saying he was shot, but his performance wasn't the most stable and there were moments I felt he had forgotten lines and/or was feeling very self conscious on stage.

          I would definitely recommend everyone to see this show, though I am well aware it will appeal more to a female audience. If you want to go, you need to be quick. The show is only on for a limited season, which ends on 14 June 2014. After that it will be going on tour all over the UK, so check the website for details. Tickets and Info