Thirty Million Minutes

 

Thirty Million Minutes, Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2014.

Cast: Dawn French

Writer: Dawn French

Director: Michael Grandage

Dawn French is always a joy and it was a treat to see her in a smallish venue. Very funny, occasionally moving, a joy.

Show Boat

 

Show Boat, New London Theatre, 2016.

Cast: Simbi Akande, Georgie Ashford, Gina Beck, Christina Bennington, Lucy Briers, John Coates, Danny Collins, Joshua da Costa, Laura Darton, Adam Dutton, Kit Esuruoso, Dale Evans, Nolan Frederick, Victoria Hinde, Linda John-Pierre, Linford Johnson, Emmanuel Kojo, Javar La'trail Parker, Sandra Marvin, Kate Milner Evans, Maria Omakinwa, Tom Partridge, Chris Peluso, Ryan Pidgen, Mykal Rand, Leo Roberts, Malcolm Sinclair, Rebecca Trehearn, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Alex Young, Lauren Coby/Mia Young.Isabella Manca/Grace Schneider.

Music Jerome Kern

Book & lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II

Director: Daniel Evans

If I'd been left to my own devices I probably wouldn't have seen this - all those old musicals that were always on TV on Sundays during my childhood don't always appeal to me anymore. The songs might be good but the stories they're attached to haven't always aged well and they're invariably too long. But a friend who I really only see at the theatre suggested it and I haven't often been to this theatre so I said yes.

I remember it making spectacular use of the big stage and feeling like it was a great theatre that I should go to more often and I don't think I've been back since.

Assassins

 

Assassins, Menier Chocolate Factory, 2015.

Cast: Carly Bawden, Stewart Clarke, Simon Lipkin, Mike McShane, Harry Morrison, Andy Nyman, Jamie Parker, David Roberts, Melle Stewart, Catherine Tate, Aaron Tveit, Marc Akinfolarin, Adam Bayjou, Greg Miller Burns, Aoife Nally.

Music & lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Book: John Weidman

Director: Jamie Lloyd

This show is the cause of one of my favourite theatrical memories. It was staged with the audience on two sides of the floor with the action taking place in the middle. At the end the cast turned to the audience and pointed guns at them. Jamie Parker stood directly in front of me and pointed a gun at me and I didn't shut my eyes, I held his gaze. Except I wonder if that's a false memory and I really did shut my eyes?

I'm surprised to see this was directed by Jamie Parker, who is currently annoyingly hot despite making some weird choices.

West Side Story

 

West Side Story, Sadler's Wells, 2013.

Cast: Anthony Festa/Liam Tobin, Elena Sancho Pereg/Jessica Soza, Penelope Armstead-Williams, Pepe Munoz, Mark Mackillop, Doug Rees, John Wojda, Mel Shrawder, Eric Rolland, Mitchell Woodcock, Luke Hawkins, Matthew Couvillon, Andrew Purcell, Michael Bullard, Beau Middlebrook, Nicholas Sipes, Brandon Patrick Stonestreet, Christie Portera, Dominique DeNinis, Alexa de Barr, Blue Cervini, Hannah Balagot, Melanie Wildman, Nick Nerio, Charles South, Christian Elan Ortiz, Adam Soniak, Michael Bishop, Travante Semale Baker, Armando Yearwood Jr, Maya Flock, NaTonia Monet, Natalie M Williams, Tiffany Mellard, Sheridan Mouawad, Naomie C Walley.

Book: Arthur Laurents

Music: Leonard Bernstein

Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Director: Joey McKneely

What I remember about this is how long it was until the first song. There's something a bit cool about it - not as in hip but as in cold - which makes it slightly hard to love (the more recent film was the same). Perhaps it's the precision and perfection of it. It tries a bit too hard. It might be a masterpiece but it's not as much fun as it could be.

Rent

Rent, Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2014.

Cast: Rory Taylor, Paul Ayres, Mykal Rand, Kenny Thompson, Lisa-Marie Holmes, Ian Stroughair, Kerry Ellis, Ruthie Stevens, Beth Humphries. David Hinton-Gale, Joel Harper-Jackson, Kate England, Tim Prottey-Jones.

Book/music/lyrics: Jonathan Larson

Director: Daniel Wood

This was a concert version of the show rather than a full production although there were costumes and lighting. It's as near as I've got to a proper experience of Rent. Four years previously I saw an amateur production at the ADC in Cambridge but since this I've not managed to see it. There was a reinvented version directed by Kylie collaborator William Baker (whatever happened to him?) but it was badly reviewed and I didn't go. There appears to have been the odd touring production since then but perhaps the moment has passed and it's not a bit dated and I don't actually need to see it.

Bakersfield Mist

 

Bakersfield Mist, Duchess Theatre, 2014.

Cast: Kathleen Turner, Ian McDiarmid.

Writer: Stephen Sachs

Director: Polly Teale

A friend suggested we see this and I guess the appeal was Kathleen Turner who had only been on stage in London once before and hasn't come back since, so it was a good decision. I don't remember much about the play although I seem to think the set was two chairs around a fire outside a caravan or house, but that might be completely wrong.

Pygmalion

 

Pygmalion, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2014.

Cast: Alistair McGowan, Rula Lenska, Jamie Foreman, Rachel Barry, Paul Brightwell, Lewis Collier, Katie Haygarth, Jane Lambert, Russell Layton, Andrew McDonald, Anna O'Grady, Charlotte Page, Joseph Sentance, Louise Templeton.

Writer: George Bernard Shaw

Director: David Grindley

I find it astonishing that someone saw this and thought, "that would make a great musical!" and am equally astonished that having made the musical anyone wanted to go back to the source material. I didn't need to see this.