The Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical "The King and I" has landed at the Birmingham Hippodrome this week transporting audiences to Siam with a strong company, tight vocals and even tighter choreography.

From the moment the overture began and projections and shadow puppets filled the stage the audience was captured with the beauty of the piece. Being anxious to begin with I wasn't too sure on what to expect from the Leicester Curve Theatre's revival but I was engrossed from start to end with the captivating love story of an English school teacher and the King of Siam.

David Needham's contemporary Asian inspired choreography is a wonder to watch and is brought to life on stage by a company made up of international dancers. Dare I say this is some of the most interesting choreography I've seen in musical theatre for a long time? Meanwhile, Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic score resonates through the theatre via a live orchestra presented onstage. I had forgotten how lush this score was until I heard some of the most iconic musical theatre songs sung with such passion and control with a wonderful orchestra as the underpinning of the show. Although the set was slightly lacking an "oomph" factor, two giant Buddha's and sliding panels worked well to set the scenes.

Josefina Gabrielle (Anna) and Ramon Tikaram (The King) keep the show churning as they develop the plot with hilarious delivery of dialogue having the audience chuckling along throughout. Their comedic playing is only upstaged by the dramatic ending and their scenes together the last twenty minutes of the musical. Gary Wood as Prince Chululongkorn is captivating to watch as he watches his father dying. A strong company all round, the show's casting director got it perfect.

Originally I wasn't expecting to enjoy this show, a three hour classical musical that I've never been to keen on doesn't seem like the most appealing way to spend an evening, however, my preconceptions were soon diminished when I saw the skill, passion and talent behind this production. It's three hours of what musical theatre should and puts a lot of shows out there to shame... An enjoyable night for anyone.

"Oliver!" Lands in Birmingham

Cameron Mackintosh's production of "Oliver!" has brought Charles Dickens' London to 21st Century Birmingham leaving last night's audiences asking for more.

With such a strong cast it's hard to figure out who leads the show: Neil Morrissey had the perfect comedic appeal as Fagin making audiences love such a slimy character, Ian Fletcher's Bill Sykes was evil yet enchanting whilst Samantha Barks played a gutsy Nancy that can belt out a tune or two, establishing herself as a true musical theatre leading lady. Max Griesbach and Harry Polden were the press night's Artful Dodger and title character, holding their own on stage and having audiences roaring at the end of their solo performances. The supporting cast and ensemble all deserve a special mention for excellent performances as well, comedic duo Suzie Chard and Jack Edwards were hilarious as Widow Corney and Mr Bumble and the ensemble brought to life the East End of London with uplifting musical numbers.

Totie Driver and Adrian Vaux's design for the show in outstanding, using an array of staircases, bridges and stunning backgrounds to bring to life Bloomsbury London, Fagin's den and a whole host of other locations where the musical takes place - the set alone is worth a ticket. The staging of this classic musical is genius too - one moment I was gaping at the sheer beauty of the stage being filled with dancing milkmaids and rose sellers in the number "Who Will Buy?" while the next moment I was gaping with anticipation watching blood thirsty Londoners running through to streets looking to kill Bill Sykes.

All the classic songs are there, "Food Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", "Where is Love?" and "As Long As He Needs Me", all performed with commitment, energy and full emotion by the cast and the beautiful orchestra. Matthew Bourne's choreography is a joy to watch. It's hard to pick out many faults with this classic production. Everyone involved was dedicated and helped to craft one of the best pieces of theatre I've seen in a long time. I even found myself welling up as Oliver finds his happy ending (and believe me, I didn't even cry at "Ghost"... Everyone cries at "Ghost"!)

One small annoyance with this production: was it really necessary to throw in a Bob the Builder reference to get a few cheap laughs for Neil Morrissey?

Tracie Bennett's End of the Rainbow on Tour

Judy Garland once graced the stage of the Birmingham Hippodrome and now over 40 years after her death Tracie Bennett brings "End of the Rainbow" to the theatre giving audiences a dramatic insight into the final events of her life.

Judy starts off as a camp diva, refusing to go on stage and ends up flailing around her London hotel as she is forced into drink and drugs by the life she's led. The emotional ending really hits home. And a few references to The Wizard of Oz are sure to keep the audience chuckling.

Bennett gives a truly magnificent performance as Judy. One moment I found myself chuckling away at her over the top camp performance and the next I was taken aback as she wobbles around stage drunk and dosed up on drugs. It's not surprising that London audiences loved her, and it's not at all a surprise that Bennett will be reprising her role on Broadway. From Judy's voice to her dramatic personality, Tracie Bennett embodies the character.

The show features many of Garland's much loved songs including "The Man That Got Away", "The Trolley Song" and "Over the Rainbow"... Not only are these songs orchestrated beautifully by a small band, but the likeness in the leading lady to Garland's voice is uncanny. Bennet really does capture that deep husky tone that Judy was famous for.

Hilton McRae, Norman Bowman and Robert Maskell give excellent performances to as Anthony (Judy's pianist) Mickey (her fiancée)  and various other roles. The relationship between the men in her life and Garland was portrayed beautifully by these fine actors.

I couldn't help but feel emotional as we see the events leading up to the star's tragic overdose after which Bennet performs "Over the Rainbow" to a standing ovation. The shows leading lady definitely gave it her all and fully embodied the Hollywood star.

Finally, a piece of pure class entertainment is getting the recognition it should! This show deserves every success it gets and it's easy to tell that Broadway will lap this production up. 

See this show on the rest of the UK tour... It's one not to miss.

For tickets and information visit http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com 

Evita Returns to the Hippodrome

The Bill Kenwright tour of “Evita” returns to the Birmingham Hippodrome this week to delight audiences with a sweet production.

Abigail Jaye delights as Evita.


Abigail Jaye gives a stunning and sassy performance in the iconic role of Eva Peron. With vocals that melt your ears she overpowers the orchestra and gives a memorable performance of the show tune anthem “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”. Jaye laps up the audience’s applause and it’s easy to see she’s in her element in the title role. Co-stars Mark Powell and Mark Heenehan (as Che and Peron respectively) support their leading lady well and offer good vocals and steady performances throughout. My highlight performance goes to Sasha Ransley in her role as the Mistress as she melts audience’s hearts with her rendition of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall”. Reuben Kaye as Eva’s lover Magaldi provides a strong character and luscious vocals. The show’s ensemble support the leading players and deliver strong harmonies (and lots of costume changes). The quirky ensemble number “Peron’s Latest Flame” offers a good build up to the act one finale of “A New Argentina”.

The ensemble in the showstopper "Buenos Aires"

Conductor David Steadman has a great Andrew Lloyd Webber score to work with and the musical arrangements are a feast for the ears as audiences are delivered some of their most memorable musical theatre songs ever written. With music ranging from tango to rock, the score helps to develop the story along nicely and allows for some great vocals from the ensemble with haunting harmonies. Matthew Wright’s design stole the show, with a set composing of moving staircases, sliding balconies and shadowing Argentinean pillars, the visual aspect for audiences is delightful.

The production is a nice show, it has all the right elements – good leads, good score, good set but I can’t help but think something is lacking. Maybe it’s the overload of slow ballads, or the lack of “wow factor” effects; I don’t know. Whatever I think, it’s clear to see that audiences love the show from its great success: it’s been playing the UK for a good few years and has even had an international leg on its tour.

Finally a big shout out and round of applause for some of my buddies who are appearing in the show in the Birmingham stop of the tour... I was like a proud father watching you.

A True Night at the Theatre for “Top Hat On Stage” at the Birmingham Hippodrome

“Dress to impress! It's Black Tie and Tiara night...” As I walked the red carpet at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre last night I could tell I was in for a true night out full of glitz and glamour. Even before the show began I immediately felt like I had been taken back in time to 1930s Broadway: there were ties and tiaras galore and the people of Birmingham had really gone all out for opening night.

The house lights dimmed and to the audience’s delight the conductor appeared and conducted the 23 piece orchestra under the glow of a follow spot; a definite throw back to the golden age of musical theatre. Three times Olivier Award nominee Summer Strallen and Strictly Come Dancing star Tom Chambers are the perfect duo to lead the strong company of 31 in this musical farce based on love and false identity. They play the roles made famous in the film by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, happy go lucky Broadway star Jerry Travers and the sassy Dale Tremont. Tom Chambers delights the audience with his Fred Astaire tap numbers, especially the act one finale when he is joined by the rest of the company, whilst Summer Strallen charms us with her beautiful rendition of “Better Luck Next Time” as she realises her love life is falling to pits. A personal highlight for me was watching the two leads fall in love in a London park as they tap and sing to “Isn’t It A Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain?)”. Pure brilliance! Other highlights include Martin Ball and Vivien Parry’s act two duet “Outside of That I Love You” as they bicker over their marriage, whilst Ricardo Afonso and Stephen Boswell give genius comedic performances as the Italian fashion designer Alberto and the slightly deluded butler Bates. The cast of 31 continue this delightful performance as they simultaneously tap away in company numbers and bring to life scene including a Broadway stage, an upper class London hotel and a Venice beach.

A big round of applause is in order for choreographer Bill Deamer, mixing ballroom, tap and vaudeville styles to create a visual feast for theatre goers. It all looks perfect on a set designed by Hildegard Bechtler who uses sliding flats, beautiful backcloths and revolving beds to take us to nearly 30 locations. And what’s this show without the music? Although the film only had 5 songs, the creative team dug through Irving Berlin’s back trunk to create a beautiful score that takes us back to the golden era of musicals. Although, I couldn’t help but get distracted by some of the sliding flats getting stuck during scene changes, a few backcloths rising too early (and I’m pretty sure Tom Chambers might have been miming a few of his numbers, forgive me if I’m wrong...)

A big cheer should also go to the Hippodrome staff for hosting the “black tie and tiara” dress code and laying out a red carpet. It’s funny how theatres have spent the past few years making shows more accessible by diminishing dress codes and the affluent nature of the theatre, yet a sense of nostalgia filled the air as the audiences agreed that the theatre should be a place where you can get dressed up and feel elegant.

A 5 star production that deserves every success it gets, and if not more! It’s really good to see a piece of new commercial theatre that’s bringing something fresh to audiences. This show feels old in a sense that it takes you back to a time when theatre was an elegant night out, yet it feels fresh and exciting.

The show plays at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 10th September, before continuing its UK Tour.

Visit for tickets and for details on the show and the rest of the tour.

Hippodrome Rocked Out By Brian May and the Cast of “We Will Rock You”

Theatre goers and Queen fans were united on Thursday at the Birmingham Hippodrome for the Press Night of the national tour of “We Will Rock You”. The title certainly fits the electrifying musical from the moment the auditorium is filled with smoke, strobe lights and the sound of the band striking up. The music (conducted by Jim Henson) rose deafening heights as the auditorium began to shake with the excitement of 26 of Queen’s hit songs. The popular songs fitted nicely with the storyline about two rebel outcasts in a technological future where real music has been replaced by auto tuned pop songs: it is there mission to save rock and bring back individuality to the Planet Mall and override the Killer Queen and the robotic GaGa kids.

The cast features a lot of well known faces: X Factor’s Rhydian, Hear’Say’s Noel Sullivan, Leon Lopez (Brookside), Jenny Douglas (BBC’s Over the Rainbow) and Ashley J Russell (BBC’s I’d Do Anything) supported by a high energy, slick, and good looking ensemble with dozens of West End credits between them, including the London and international casts of We Will Rock You. There’s not a sign of celebrity stunt casting in sight as each member of the company gives a solid five star performance.

The audience lapped up the vocals from the cast and the interval was full of “aren’t the vocals amazing?” comments. Tiffany Graves (as the Killer Queen) gave us riffs galore during her number “A Kind of Magic” whilst leading lady Amanda Coutts (as Scaramouche) sends shivers through the audience in her opening song “Somebody to Love”. Musical theatre people singing rock songs? Works a treat if you ask me, and just goes to show the versatility of these trained performers.

Full of modern references – characters called Britney Spears and Meat Loaf, numerous Facebook jokes, and cheeky digs at Simon Cowell and his X Factor empire – Ben Elton gives us a script that keeps the audience chuckling along nicely. Arlene Phillip’s original choreography is performed to perfection during the opening number “Radio GaGa” and is heightened by four LCD screens providing us the backdrop of a futuristic world.

The Press Night audience were even treated to a special performance from Queen band member Brian May, playing a exhilarating guitar solo in an encore of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Winner of the 2011 Olivier Audience Award, it is clear to see how the show has been selling out across the world since 2002. Even though this tour features a smaller scaled set from the original production it is still a visual feast and will continue to amaze audiences at the Birmingham Hippodrome for another five weeks. Get tickets now or you will be GaGa to miss it.

Visit the Birmingham Hippodrome site HERE for tickets.

West End Alert: Sister Act to close in London?

A few weeks ago I posted the following blog:
"As I was lerking around Twitter today I came across some suprising rumours... Sister Act the musical looks like it might close! (insert dramatic chords here)

However shocked I am it all seems to make sense... According to my inside theatre people, the London Palladium is set to house the new West End production of "The Wizard of Oz" (with the Dorothy that Andrew Lloyd Webber has been searching for) and Sister Act is rumoured to be going on a UK tour.

Complete bad times! The show has been open for roughly a year, not long enough at all in my opinion. However "Oz" isn't set to open until Spring 2011. Does that mean we might have Sister Act playing atleast until the end of the year?

Meh, that's showbiz. Remember, you heard it here first!"

Now it seems it's all true! (insert more dramatic chords here)

The show is to close 1st Jan 2011 and from the 31st May 2010 Simon Webbe (from boyband "Blue" fame) will be joining the cast as Curtis Shank.

In it's place at the London Palladium, "The Wizard of Oz" will commence it's run from 29th March 2011...

So, get your tickets for both shows before the Sister's make way for Dorothy!