Carousel: A dark take on domestic abuse and a Broadway classic
Just getting to the end of a show at the Open Air Theatre when the weather is iffy feels like an accomplishment, for the audience as well as the company.
John & Jen: Rachel Tucker is the only incentive musical theatre fans should need
As much as I was looking for any excuse to return to Southwark, it was the show that lured me back. Or to be more precise, Rachel Tucker starring in the show, musical two-hander John & Jen.
Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat: A joyful nostalgia-fest for children of all ages
When you book to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, you are guaranteed not only a joyful night out at the London Palladium but also a time-travel ticket to your childhood.
Be More Chill: Feeling my age amongst the Squips fans
Well done to the Be More Chill company. This new musical had just had its successful UK premiere and announced a lengthy extension at The Other Palace when Covid shut it down in March 2020.
Amelie The Musical: Mary Poppins meets Once with a French twist
For the show to lure a nervous (but now fully vaccinated – yay!) me back to the theatre after nearly 15 months, it’s hard to imagine more soothing fare than Amelie The Musical.
S&S Theatre: How an awards ceremony evolved into a production company
Fans of new British musicals will be familiar with The S&S Award, the prize that set out to find and give a professional life to the country's best new unproduced musical. After years of sourcing and developing those rich seams of talent, the awards body is now evolving into S&S Theatre Productions.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Zoom Q&As: Writers, director and stars on switching to streaming
New British musical The Sorcerer's Apprentice has been five years in the making and, like all new musicals, has overcome myriad obstacles. Covid threw down an additional hurdle shortly before it was due to premiere at London's Southwark Playhouse: another lockdown.
Cases Zoom Q&A: Sending a lockdown love letter to the arts
In April 2020, I was due to chair a post-show Q&A at The Other Palace for new British musical CASES. Of course, that run was cancelled due to Covid, but when composer-lyricist Dominic Powell decided to give CASES a new lease of life by recording a studio album, he asked me back to chair a discussion via Zoom.
Sinners post-show video and photos: Why did Brian Cox want to direct a play about stoning women?
I saw Brian Cox and his wife Nicole Ansari acting alongside one another in the premiere of Tom Stoppard's 2006 play Rock 'n' Roll. It was wonderful to talk to them about working together onstage again in a very different capacity of a very different play.
Once The Musical post-show video and photos: Do you believe in destiny?
I first fell in love with Once after seeing the original 2007 independent Irish film. Then again when I the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation had its West End premiere in 2013. And now again on the musical's first major UK tour.