Posts filed under 'London Theatre'
Love Never Dies… the Phantom is back!
After many long years, the Phantom has returned for the much-anticipated sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.
As much as I – like many people – am apprehensive about sequels, I’m excited about this one. Lloyd Webber even said himself that he considers it less of a sequel and more of a standalone piece, which gives me high hopes for when it hits London in March next year.
Love Never Dies is set 10 years after the original musical (which was set in 1881) and takes place on Coney Island, New York, where the Phantom had fled to following his tragic ending in Paris. When leading lady of the original Christine Daaé accepts the chance to perform at Coney Island, it is not until she, her husband and their son arrive that she discovers just who it was that extended the intriguing offer.
The new musical promises to continue the Phantom’s intricate themes of obsession and mystery with a dynamic new score by Lloyd Webber and will I can’t wait to see the genius maniac Phantom return in his attempt to prove that the musical’s title is true – love never dies.
The current Phantom at the West End, Ramin Karimloo, is going to leave the production in order to begin rehearsals in January alongside Broadway’s Sierra Boggess, which I think is an especially nice twist of events. Having actors that are already so familiar with the characters they play is sure to enhance the experience, particularly for those who have already enjoyed seeing Karimloo’s stunning performance in Phantom of the Opera at the West End.
We’ve already started arranging Love Never Dies theatre breaks here at Superbreak in the excitement that the news of the sequel has brought on. I know where I’m going to be in March next year!
Add comment 09/10/2009
One night in London may not have been enough
After my one night in London last weekend, I’ve definitely been feeling that it wasn’t enough. Although I had an amazing time taking in a few sights and the fabulous stage version of Sister Act at the West End, it would’ve been even better to have at least one more day in the big smoke!
Still, beggars can’t be choosers – and it’s not as if I’m not off to the amazing Edinburgh Festival this weekend, so I can’t really complain. But I was checking out other breaks in London and wanted to share this exclusive London hotel and attraction package with my blog readers, which includes entrance to four of London’s most famous attractions – one of which I visited the other day and had a lovely time at.
That was the London Aquarium, which I really enjoyed. The chance to see all those fish, rays, sharks and absolutely huge turtles was really special and I’d definitely recommend it. Also included in the deal is entry to Madame Tussauds, London Dungeons and a flight on the London Eye – all parts of the quintessential London experience. All in all, you save around 20% than if you’d gone to everything separately, so it’s definitely worth thinking about if you’re going to London with the family soon. Staying at the 3 star Hampstead Britannia hotel for two nights with a family of four costs only £391 – definitely an eye-catching price when you’re looking for recession breaks.
Phew – I better stop thinking about the capital when I’ve got another capital to set my sights on. Edinburgh, of course! The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is in full swing now and I’ve already booked my tickets to a few shows, as well as the Military Tattoo in Saturday night. I really can’t wait to head up north to Scotland this afternoon and soak up the festival atmosphere – in fact, it’s nearly time for me to get home and catch the train! The joys of an afternoon off – see you after the weekend!
Add comment 14/08/2009
Sister Act at London’s West End
Well, I’m back from my short break to London and I have to admit that the weekend couldn’t have gone quicker! We left early on Saturday morning and arrived in the city centre around lunch time. The first thing we did was check into our gorgeous hotel before going out for a walk and some food. We were both starving after rushing around all morning and skipping breakfast in the excitement, so when my boyfriend suggested a fairly expensive restaurant my purse normally would’ve overruled my stomach but this time I said yes.
London is full of amazing restaurants and I wish I had the time to visit more of them. There’s so much variety, from fast food sushi outlets to celebrity chef owned places and I really love finding somewhere cheap and cheerful around Soho – but Saturday’s trip to Pearl Restaurant was nothing if not exquisite. We had the most delicious French food I’ve ever tasted and it really got our trip off to an amazing start.
Following that, we visited the London Aquarium for a couple of hours before it was time to get back to the hotel and get changed for the show! Anybody who’s started following me on my Twitter account will know that my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to Sister Act and I have to say that this show is really unmissable. Patina Miller is fantastic as Delores and they got the casting just right for all of the other characters. We were totally impressed by how good it was – it just made for a wonderful theatre break.
I really love getting away, even if it’s only for one night. This last weekend was really fantastic and it was great to get away to a completely different environment and soak up the culture. I don’t know what I’m going to do come September and all of my short breaks suddenly come to an end – this weekend I’m going to Edinburgh for a few days to take in the Edinburgh Festival. The highlight will definitely be the Military Tattoo as I’ve never been before, but I really can’t wait to get back to such an amazing city. And at festival time, it really comes to life.
Hmm, that means I’ll be visiting England and Scotland’s capitals within a week of one another – maybe I should think about Ireland and Wales too – after all, there is that bank holiday coming up 
Add comment 10/08/2009
The West End will prevail!
I was checking out the news this morning and saw an article saying that, despite the recession, ticket sales and audience numbers in the West End are going up as people look for great new entertainment on one of the quintessential London experiences.
I couldn’t help but feel good that at least that’s one area of the industry the recession hasn’t hit. We’ve seen a lot of people changing their travel plans here at Superbreak, usually choosing to ‘holiday at home’ instead of heading abroad, but, to be honest, I think it’s pretty fantastic. There’s so many undiscovered places in Britain that people who’ve lived here all their lives didn’t even know existed that taking a city break in another UK destination can be a real eye-opener when it comes to our broad-ranging culture. It’s always refreshing to hear about people from Manchester discovering what it’s like to visit the Scottish Highlands, or Blackpool residents discovering big cities like Birmingham or London.
It’s really good to see that people are still determined to enjoy themselves – and the West End is certainly one of the best ways to go about doing that. I love the theatre and you can always be sure that any show you take in at the illustrious London West End will be a good one. I’ve seen a few shows down there and I’ve loved it every time. The quality is superb, and it seems like I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Okay, so I’m not just writing about this just because I saw the news this morning – though that was certainly a coincidence. My boyfriend also sprung it on me that he’s booked a surprise theatre break for the two of us and I’m already really excited. August is going to be an amazing month – London this weekend, the fabulous Edinburgh Fringe the next – I don’t know when I’m going to have time for anything else with all this travelling.
Worst of all, he’s not telling me what we’re going to see – it could be anything! Wicked, The Lion King, Phantom – I’ve no idea, but I’ll be sure to write all about it when I get back – both here and on my new Twitter account which you can follow at SarahSuperbreak. I’ll be Tweeting about my travels and the fantastic deals I find at Superbreak so be sure to follow me if you’re a member!
Add comment 07/08/2009
The Shawshank Redemption coming to the West End
I was looking back at some of my early posts on this blog for organisational purposes today and came across this one I wrote in January on Hairspray and how big musicals are increasingly stealing their ideas from Hollywood, rather than the other way round.
About an hour later, I saw this story about The Shawshank Redemption – one of my favourite films – being adapted for the theatre and I feel vindicated in my opinion!
Ok, it’s not quite a musical but it will be a significant West End show when it comes to the Wyndham Theatre in London. It’s a much loved film – rated number one by users on the Internet Movie Database – so I imagine it’s the kind of thing that people will take theatre breaks for and plan well in advance to ensure they get tickets.
The story itself – if you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to give away too much, but it’s about an epic prison breakout – is so dramatic and powerful, I have no doubt that it’ll make a fantastic show, if done correctly. At the same time, I do feel like there’s something dangerous about tinkering with a story that works so wonderfully well in its existing format.
What’s more, it’s not the kind of move that’s going to bring new audiences to the storyline – I mean, I love the theatre but most people I know would rather go to the cinema than see a play. So while releasing the film of The Shawshank Redemption in 1994 probably directed a lot more people towards the original Stephen King novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, I doubt that the play will do the same.
Still, I think it sounds like an exciting project and I am looking forward to seeing it. It’s already been performed in Dublin but I can’t find any reviews – can anyone help? Or, if you went to see it, I’d love to hear your opinion!
1 comment 03/07/2009
Tales from Auld Reekie
I’m back from Edinburgh after a gorgeous weekend! The weather was cracking – well, on Saturday and Sunday at least. Monday wasn’t so great, what with the cloudy skies and the blustery weather that’s typical of Auld Reekie (that’s Scots for ‘Old Smoky’, after the many smoke-spouting chimneys it once sported) at any time of year.
I love the Scottish capital and visit it often, but this weekend was definitely one of those trips that really reminded me of how we’re so lucky in Britain not to have travel too far from our doorsteps to enjoy great short breaks. Most of Saturday was spent wandering around the Royal Mile – already so busy and it’s still months until the Fringe! – and scouring the Edinburgh Farmers Market. This has to be one of the most scenic farmers markets in the country, with Edinburgh Castle in stunning view behind the array of stalls.
I also spent some time in the Grassmarket – an area that’s best avoided by the fainthearted due to its popularity with noisy hen and stag parties, although its new pedestrianised look has really transformed it. There’s a shop here called Armstrongs that sells the best vintage stuff, and a French restaurant called Petit Paris that’s an old favourite of mine too. I also ate in a restaurant on Rose Street called the Mussel Inn, which is amazing if you love seafood as much as I do!
But probably the highlight of the whole weekend was going to see a preview of Hoors by Gregory Burke at the Traverse Theatre on Sunday. I caught Burke’s Olivier Award-winning Black Watch at the Barbican in London last year and was totally floored by it so I was really excited about his new play. The subject matter is completely different – a man dies on his stag night in Amsterdam and his detached fiancé tries to deal with the fallout – and it’s fantastically funny, so I really hope it gets good reviews following its official premiere tonight.
So that’s one May Bank Holiday weekend over, and one more to go… I’m still a little unsure of what exactly I’m doing. So far, it’s down to catching the last weekend of the Brighton Fringe or staying with a friend in Newcastle. Who knows, maybe I’ll go to Gloucestershire to catch cheese-rolling in action! There’s plenty of time to decide yet…
Add comment 05/05/2009
Pondering Jade Goody The Musical
Wow – this business about a Jade Goody musical has really had me reeling. She really did have a surreal life, from her explosive television debut in Big Brother to her finding out about her fatal cancer on the Indian version of the show. It does seem a little soon to be talking about such a commercial venture but at the same time, if the West End musical is well-written, has catchy songs and is well executed, I don’t see anything wrong with it.
However, I am hearing conflicting reports on who’s going to play Jade if this musical extravaganza goes ahead. Apparently, one betting outfit is offerings odds of 3/1 on Scottish actress Ashley Jensen (from Extras and Ugly Betty) to land the role. Close behind are Eastenders stars Michelle Ryan (4/1) and Lacey Turner (6/1), as well as my favourite Doctor Who sidekick Billie Piper (6/1).
Of the four, I get the impression that Lacey would be the best. She’s got that scrappy but admirable spirit down pat in her Eastenders character Stacey and I can totally see her embodying Jade on stage. She even looks a little bit like her! Having said that I have no idea if she can sing… but if she does, I think my money’s on her.
At the same time, it seems that the BBC is reporting that Jade’s former business partner Danny Hayward is talking about doing a TV talent show to find a regular girl to play the reality TV star. Although no deal has yet been determined, MTV and ITV2 have been rumoured and some are suggesting that Max Clifford – Jade’s former publicist – could be a judge on the show.
I actually think this might be a better way to go about casting the role. After all, Jade made her career out of being a reality TV star – creating a new reality show to find someone to play her seems apt, and could give someone a much-needed big break. I really like the idea of Max Clifford being a talent show judge as well – I can totally see him occupying a Simon Cowell/Piers Morgan type role on TV!
I’m sure we’ll find out more about the project soon. I think it’s an interesting one and I’d like to see it become a fully-fledged London hit – hopefully, I’m not the only one.
Add comment 30/04/2009
Justin Lee Collins in Hairspray? And Legally Blonde on stage too
It’s been a while since I wrote about what’s going on in the West End theatre scene in London – but a few news articles I’ve read recently have definitely given me the impetus to correct this!
For starters, anyone that reads this blog regularly will know that I’m a huge fan of the musical Hairspray. I’m yet to see the current West End version (trying to get tickets for June, fingers crossed) but I’ve just read a report from The Stage, which says that TV presenter Justin Lee Collins may be playing the role of Edna Turnblad – currently embodied by Michael Ball – at some point in the future…
I’m not too sure how I feel about this. I’ve always been a little ambivalent towards the Friday (and Sunday) Night Project, which is the only TV show I know Justin Lee Collins from. However, I’m sure he’s a very talented musical performer – in fact, his performance as Amos Hart in the musical Chicago last year seems to have been well received. Plus, I was sceptical about John Travolta playing Edna in the 2006 film – and in the end, I thought he was fantastic.
In other West End news, Legally Blonde looks set to get a stage makeover! I have to say, I really loved the first film with Reese Witherspoon (but liked the second one less), and the original book by Amanda Brown is entertaining too. But it does make me wonder how easily the whole chick-lit atmosphere will translate into the theatre. I mean, can you imagine Bridget Jones on stage? With the right selection of pop hits, I think it could be a great musical – but it would be hard to pull off.
In non-musical news, the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden has recently announced its new programme, and I’m pretty excited about it. Rachel Weisz will be in a new production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, for example. And better still, British actor Dominic West is going to be in a version of Life is a Dream, a play that I must admit I’ve never heard of.
West is in HBO drama The Wire, one of my favourite TV shows ever – watch it now, if you haven’t yet! He’s absolutely great in it – which makes me think he’s the perfect addition to London’s theatre scene.
Add comment 23/04/2009
I love Hairspray!
I’m sure that anyone who read my post on Gareth Gates being the new Joseph in November is in no doubt that I love musicals! But while I pride myself on being fairly knowledgeable about musicals in general – from old stalwarts like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to newer classics like Rent – there was one legendary musical film that I was ashamed to say I hadn’t seen. Ashamed, that is, until this weekend when I finally watched Hairspray – and I adored it.
Ok, well I should probably admit that it wasn’t actually the original 1988 film but the new remake starring John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron. For anyone that doesn’t know what Hairspray is about, it’s set in 1960s Baltimore and revolves around Tracy Turnblad, a plump teenage girl who wants to be a dancer on a popular TV show; she eventually fights to get the programme racially integrated – but don’t worry, I won’t spoil the ending.
The film’s colourful exuberance really whetted my appetite for seeing all the other versions – including the current West End show in London, which features Michael Ball’s critically acclaimed performance as oversized 1960s housewife Edna Turnblad. The latter is probably more urgent for me since Michael stops performing in the show from mid-March, so I’m definitely taking a theatre break to see it very soon.
It did get me thinking though about the sheer volume of shows based on original films that are currently operating in the West End. There are more well-established successes like The Lion King and Billy Elliot but then there’s also Dirty Dancing, the upcoming Sister Act and even Priscilla Queen of the Desert, based on the off-the-wall Australian movie.
Pair these next to shows like Grease, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Chicago and Mamma Mia – all of which were turned into successful movies after their stage debuts – and it makes me wonder: have musicals started stealing their ideas from Hollywood, rather than the other way round?
I’m still making up my mind, but suffice to say that my newfound love of Hairspray has made me very grateful for the stage version – it’s just even more Hairspray goodness for me to soak up!
2 comments 21/01/2009
Gareth Gates: the West End’s newest Joseph
Posted by Sarah
Who would have thought that Gareth Gates would go from the stammering teen we saw on Pop Idol all those years ago to a fully fledged West End Star? This week’s news that Gareth is going to be the newest Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat has me absolutely shaking with glee.
As a teenybopper in the early 1990s, I actually went to see then-heartthrob Jason Donavon play Joseph in the musical’s first ever West End premiere and the memory is permanently etched on my brain. From the soaring notes of “Any Dream Will Do” to the depths of despair conjured up by “Close Every Door”, it was one of my first experiences with musical theatre and I’ll always be grateful to my mother for taking me – thanks mum!
Gareth’s definitely got large boots to fill, as Jason was just the first in a long line of top class entertainers to portray the biblical character. Past Josephs include This Morning’s Philip Schofield, Donny Osmond (who played the role from 1993 to 1997), Ian Watkins – better known as H from Steps – and Boyzone’s Stephen Gately. And let’s not forget the wonderful Lee Mead, winner of last year’s BBC talent competition Any Dream Will Do, from whom Gareth takes over.
But I for one think he’s up to the challenge. In addition to his effortless boyish charm and endearing demeanour, he seems to have a real passion for the role – as well as a history of playing Joseph outside the West End. Following the announcement, he said: “Joseph is something I have wanted to do since I was a kid – the first time I was on stage [at school] I was Joseph, so for me to be here now on the West End stage as Joseph is the most amazing feeling in the world.”
Gareth will be taking to the stage at the Adelphi Theatre in his Technicolor dreamcoat in February 2009. But if you can’t wait until then, or you’re just looking for theatre break this Christmas, go see him play Prince Charming in Cinderella at London’s New Wimbledon Theatre from December 5th. If you look closely, you might see me in the front row!
2 comments 27/11/2008
