Mouthpiece

          I'm in two minds about Soho Theatre. Its a nice theatre space, thought the foyer is extremely small and the bar gets very busy. This makes the time waiting to be let into the theatre itself rather annoying/awkward. Soho Theatre has three performance spaces; Soho Theatre, Soho Upstairs and Soho Downstairs. By having these three spaces, it means multiple shows are able to start at similar times, which only adds to the overcrowded and cramped conditions of the waiting areas. Staff are always lovely, and do the best they can in the conditions in which they have to work. As I said, the theatre itself is lovely. The seats in the main theatre space are a little close to one another, though overall its a good environment to watch theatre. With roughly 150 seats the theatre has a wonderful intimate feel, and the seats have a good enough rake that views of the stage aren't impaired. This means shows like Mouthpiece can really grab you by the scruff on the neck and shake you about.

          The show started slightly slow and didn't grab my interest from the start. However, by the end I was hooked. I was committed to the story, and was interested to see where it led. The performances by Lorn Macdonald and Neve McIntosh were brilliant, and I was convinced they were real people. With histories, lives, troubles, dreams and aspirations. The set, or lack there of, didn't distract from but only enhanced the bleakness of the story. This was an extremely clever choice by the designer Kai Fischer and director Orla O'Loughlin. The play has been exceptionally written by the Scottish playwright Kieran Hurley, probably most known for his award winning play Beats (which was also performed in the Soho theatre back in 2013).

          The show was hard hitting and emotional. Not something I always enjoy but I was so in the mood for it on this occasion. A lot of the time I just want something light and fluffy, but this time around I was in for something that just punched me in the stomach. This didn't disappoint. Mouthpiece is one of the most honest and true pieces of theatre I've seen in a very long time. It brings up important messages of lack of support there is for those considered destitute of in the lowest section of society. It shows how manipulative society and people can be. But it also, in some small way, gives hope that with just a little support people can flourish and prosper. Now the show rips this to shreds, but the original message in no way gets lost.

          Kieran Hurley has gained a new fan. I'm very much looking forward to his future projects, including a new film based on his play BEATS which is to be released later this year. Interestingly the film stars the actor from this show, Lorn Macdonald.

For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

Come From Away

          When I explained to people that I was going to be seeing a musical based on events that occurred on September 11th 2001, I had some very confused looks. I fully understand where these looks were coming from. Its not about the actual terrorists attacks in new York City or Washington, but instead the events that unfolded in the town of Gander in Newfoundland Canada. Gander is a smallish town with a population of around 11,500. On September 11th, after the terrorist attacks and the closure of US airspace, 38 plans carrying almost 7,000 passengers were diverted to its airport as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. Why Gander, well it has a large international airport that was used in the past for planes making transatlantic flights when they needed to refuel. Most planes don't need to do this anymore, so the airport was no longer the hive of activity it once used to be.

          This is a show full of comedy but also at times is completely heart wrenching. The story, understandably, follows a very linier pattern, with moments of narration be multiple characters, to explain what's happening and fill in some gaps. These moments push the story along nicely. There are however moments I found it very hard to understand exactly what characters were saying. Mind you in the first song of the show, 'Welcome To The Rock', one of the first lines is:

Welcome to the rock if you come from away

You probably understand about a half of what we say

          I should have guessed I might have an issue understanding some things. Not that this affected me enjoying the show however. I just took it as part of the show.

          When looking up information about the show, I mistakenly got the impression the show was focused on the character of Beverley Bass. She was one of the pilots of a diverted aircraft that landed at Gander. Coincidentally she was also the first female Captain for American Airlines. Rachel Tucker expertly performs the role, though it would be unfair to the rest of the cast to call her the lead. By no means do I wish this to undermine her performance as she was engaging and full of energy, also giving the sensitive nature of the subject the respect it needs. Her role was a sort of anchor for the show, every now and again showing what she was up to in a way to place the show at a specific time or to gage what was happening.

          There was in fact no main character whatsoever. All the characters had equal representation within the musical score as well as script. In fact that's one of my main take aways from the show. Its very much an ensemble production, something almost unusual on the stage at the moment. How nice it was to see such a thing. There also wasn't a bad, or less than adequate, performer in the entire cast. Again, something unusual though not unwelcome. In fact I cant really criticize any cast member at all. All performed there roles perfectly and with such enthusiasm it was infectious. I would like though to give a special mention to Jenna Boyd, who plays Beulah Davis. She was a complete breath of fresh air, bringing the most laughs and continually making me smile. I connected with her. I will be watching out for her in the future.

          Anything based on the events of the 9/11 attacks is bound to me moving and emotional. The story shows the best of human kindness and of all things that are good with humanity. There were a couple of moments I was moved to tears. Not at all during tragic or sad moments, but at times of true kindness. One was when people were trying to communicate with a couple who spoke no English and so were very scared of the situation as they had no idea what was going on. The person started communicating by pointing to lines from the Bible. If you know a line from the Bible, you can find it no matter what language the Bible happens to be in as it will always be in the same place. This completely moved me and really touched my heart.

          The show is just sublime. A fantastic piece of theatre that I'm sure will go down in theatre history. It turns one of the most shocking moments of recent history into one of the most uplifting and empowering stories of human kindness and our resilience in the face of adversity. I would happily go see this show over and over again, and I couldn't recommend it more.

          The show is currently showing on Broadway in New York City and the West End in London. It is also currently touring the USA and is currently playing in Toronto Canada until September 29th 2019. It will also be opening in Melbourne Australia in July 2019.

For information on the Broadway production and US tour, click here

For information on the London production, click here

For information on the Canadian production (booked to run until Sept 2019), click here

For information on the Australian production, click here

Waitress

          My partner and I have been eager to see this show since it was first announced as coming to Broadway back in 2015. The fact the show has now been nominated for 19 awards, winning 2 of them, made it even more appealing. I'll be referencing the wins later. We both loved the music, which along with the lyrics has been written by 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, as well as the characters and had been eagerly awaiting a London transfer. When it was finally announced I snapped up tickets as quickly as I could. I have to admit though I've never seen the 2007 film, of the same name, starring Keri Russell. I have now purchased it and will be watching it soon. That does mean though, other than listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording, I have no preconceived ideas around what to expect.

          I'm sorry to say though we both left the theatre disappointed. Now this wasn't because of the story or the music or indeed the theatre itself. It was mainly down to one actor, and one actor alone. Before I talk of this, let me talk about aspects of the show that I enjoyed, and there are a number of them.

          Lets start with the story. A lady, who is extremely good at making pies, has an unwanted pregnancy. She hates her abusive husband and ends up cheating on him with a married man. All this against the backdrop of a dead end job she has at a diner. A very unconventional story line, that I'm sure will not be to everyone's taste. In fact a couple of people in front on me walked out halfway through the first act. I was a little unsure myself, however this is a reality for many people that's hardly ever spoken about. Its nice and refreshing to see a musical show real life, not some jumped up exaggerated story with songs. Not that I don't like that sort of thing I might add, sometimes its just nice to have something different. The staging is exceptionally good with set pieces rolling in from stage left and right, including a podium which carries the band. I was drawn into the story, and felt like I was a fly on the wall of the diner. The story is hard hitting but, as I said, based in many peoples realities. Its certainly an interesting and unusual subject on which to base a film let alone a musical.

          Katharine McPhee gives a wonderful performance in the title role of Jenna, enabling audiences to feel empathy with a character whose actions many would disapprove of. Katharine's voice reverberates around the auditorium, and has a distinct warmth to it. She resonates friendliness and immediately brings the audience in. She has great chemistry with her waitress co-stars, Marisha Wallace and Laura Baldwin. Their friendship seems completely real and I get the impression they have fun on stage every night. Katharine isn't the best performer I've seen on stage, though she is more than adequate in her portrayal of this role.

          The character of Becky, played by Marisha Wallace, is the friend who's also looking outside of her marriage for sexual pleasure, but for completely different reasons than Jenna. The role of Becky was originally performed of Broadway by the fabulous Keala Settle, now most known for her role as Lettie Lutz in The Greatest Showman. Its unfortunate for Marisha, as she will always have that comparison made with Keala. Marisha brings a whole new attitude to the character of Becky, more understated and complex. She does however have many comic moments, bringing at times some much needed comic relief. I was unfortunately at times however reminded of the song Random Black Girl from the show Homemade Fusion, by the writing due Kooman and Dimond. I'm not saying this in a positive way. If you have no idea what I'm talking about id recommend looking it up. Saying this though, she was an excellent performer. She made Becky into a fully realised 3D personality. It was a joy to watch. Laura Baldwin is also brilliant in the role of Dawn. I immediately loved her, wanted the best for her and felt protective of her. In many ways she reminded me of one of my dearest friends I've known since university. Her character like Becky, gave many comedic moments when it was much needed. She has a wonderful singing voice and gave a performance that outshone many of the cast.

          Now onto the part that, for me, completely ruined the show. Jack McBrayer as Ogie. I know some people have enjoyed his performance, but for me it was lacklustre and quite frankly one of the worst performance I've seen on a main West End stage. Saying that, he was a perfectly competent actor though nothing amazing. As for his singing, well ………… there is definitely ALOT of room for improvement. The fact that in the programme his biography focusses more on who he's acted with rather than what he's been in, says a lot about his lack of experience. He is slightly funny, though completely overacts it, throwing himself around the stage which affects the already lacking quality of his singing voice. Now Christopher Fitzgerald, who played the role on Broadway, was stunning. He had exactly the right balance of comedy and creepiness that made you love the character. Chris is a seasoned performer, having appeared in Wicked and Young Frankenstein to name just two, and it shows in the quality of his performance. (UPDATE:- Joe Sugg is now playing the role of Ogie, and his voice sounds much better, which is surprising seeing as this is his stage debut and McBrayer was supposedly a 'professional')

          Its a very interesting show and a breath of fresh air for the West End, even if the subject matter may be hard for some people to deal with. I imagine it will be on in London for a while, though I doubt it will last as long as the Broadway production is likely to last. It's also been announced that it will be going to Australia in 2020, though there has been no announcement as to the cast.

For information and tickets for the Broadway production, click here

For information and tickets for the West End production click here

For up to date information on the Australian production please click here

Company

          I have been sooooooo excited to see this show. Anything by Sondheim is something I want to see. Not because I favour him over others, just simply that I find his work interesting and believe he has made a real mark on the theatre industry during his life. I also met him years ago when I went to see Gypsy (read my review here) and he was an absolute gent.

          There were also two other factors that played into wanting to go. Firstly Patti Lupone was returning to the London stage, after having last been here in 1997 for a production of the Terrence McNally play Master Class. The final and maybe the more important reason was the change of gender for some of the characters, Rosalie Craig in the title role of Bobbie (rather than Bobby) and Jonathan Bailey in the role of Jamie (rather than Amy).

          Lets first start with the renamed Jamie. Creating a same-sex relationship within this much loved, and some would day iconic, piece of theatre, will I'm sure annoy and frustrate many lovers of Sondheim and non-lovers alike. Why? Its updating it and making it more suitable and relevant to todays audiences and society in general. It doesn't affect the story, the meaning of what's said/sung or indeed any part of the show at all. If anything it actually made the show, for me, far more enjoyable. It felt like a more modern and up to date show than a lot of Sondheim I've seen on stage. This was undoubtable helped by the heartfelt and honest portrayal of the character by Jonathan Bailey. He makes one of the most realistic and true to life gay characters on stage. In some way I feel more so even than the fantastic cast of  the sublime show The Inheritance (I will be writing a 'Trip Down Memory Lane' review of this show soon). As soon he appeared on stage I felt connected to him. I saw aspects of myself, and of every gay person I know, in him. He felt like a friend. Like someone I've known for ages.

          Now as for the character of Bobbie, this gender change is something I'm sure will be even more of a sacrilege to the show than the character of Jamie. It was however an absolutely geniuses decision. Why cant a woman be unapologetically single? why cant they live a promiscuous sex life? Musicals, and shows in general, more often than not show women as wanting or even needing a man to feel fulfilled. They just cant be happy single. If they are single, or loveless, then they are normally portrayed as being either elderly and widowed or having something wrong with them. This obviously couldn't be further from the truth. There are thousands, if not millions, of women out there who are happily single. This is a very underrepresented group of women in theatre. Why? Rosalie Craig performs Bobbie wonderfully, and is someone Sondheim himself I'm sure will be proud of. She devours this role. Never mind the character now being a woman, Rosalie bring a whole new perspective and dimension to the role. Her portrayal made me bempathise and love the character so much more than I ever have done.

          With Bobbie now being female, the song You Can Drive A Person Crazy, one of my favourite songs I might add, is now sung by three men. The characters of Kathy, April and Marta and now Andy, Theo and PJ. They are expertly performed by Richard Fleeshman, Matthew Seadon and George Blayden respectively. These three performed the song wonderfully and in fact get one of the biggest applauses of the night. And rightly so. I'd go so far as to say that I felt three men seemed to connect more with the lyrics than ive ever felt when its been performed by women.

          The Dame of theatre herself, Patti Lupone was great. Not the best I've ever seen her, but still an overwhelming presence on stage. A master of her craft. She knows this show backwards, and it shows. She performs the role effortlessly, having previously performed it at the New York Philharmonic Concert in 2011. I was surprised to find Mel Giedroyc was also superb as Sarah. Who knew she had a lovely voice and was a great actress? I certainly didn’t. The whole cast have a sublime chemistry and just make everything work. 

          The staging complements the story and the actors brilliantly. From the tiny box representing Bobbies home to the spacious kitchen of Jamie and Paul. Oh, on a side not, the staging of ‘Not Getting Married’ was one of the best pieces of comedic theatre I’ve seen. Perfect performance by Jonathan Bailey. Never did I say to my self, in regards to staging ‘why have they done that?’ or ‘oh that could have been better if they’d done this’. Everything just worked. 

          I couldn’t recommend this show more. It finishes on March 30th (2019), so if you want to go you’ll need to be quick. You can purchase tickets here.

My Return

          Well its been almost 4 years since I last posted on here. Its not because I fell out of love with the theatre, or that I stopped seeing shows. It was simply I found I had less and less time to devote to writing reviews. 

          I've come to realise just how much I miss doing my reviews on here though. How much I enjoyed interacting with my readers from all over the world. I've still not got much time, but I'm going to make the time to do something that I enjoy.

          This blog has officially reopened. I will once again be posting reviews from all the shows I go and see. I cant guarantee I'll be posting regularly, but I will be posting everything I go and see. If there is a bit of a gap between shows, I might even post a review from a show I've seen while I've been away. A 'Trip Down Memory Lane' if you will. I mean I've seen a lot of interesting shows I'd just love to talk about.

          The first review I'll be posting is of a show that been on for a while but I feel its important to talk about. It's a revival, though it had a few changes made. Then ill be posting about a couple of transfers from America.

Little compilation of images below might give you a few ideas.