A German Life

A German Life, Bridge Theatre, 2019. 

Cast: Maggie Smith

Writer: Christopher Hampton

Director: Jonathan Kent

If this ends up being the only time I see Dame Maggie on stage then I'll be happy with that. It was a one woman show and was absolutely brilliant. Dame Maggie played a German women who accidentally became a Nazi as she didn't notice the rise of fascism around her and just went along with it.

The staging was incredible - the set moved imperceptibly forward until by the end she was right in the middle of the stalls. It moved so slowly that at first I couldn't be certain it was happening.

I was out and about on the day the tickets went on sale and ending up buying them in a lay-by near a big roundabout locally and given those circumstances it's a miracle I got them at all.

Cymbeline

Cymbeline, Barbican, 2016.

Cast: Hiran Abetsekera, Romayne Andrews, Gillian Bevan, Doreene Blackstock, Eke Chukwu, James Clyde, James Cooney, Bethan Cullinane, Marieme Diouf, Jenny Fennessy, Kevin N Golding, Marcus Griffiths, Oliver Johnstone, Byron Mondahl, Theo Ogundipe, Natalie Simpson, Graham Turner, Temi Wilkey, Kelly Williams.

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Melly Still

I really don't like the theatre at the Barbican and will no longer go to it and I wonder if this was the production that finished me off. I think I found the plot impossible to follow or maybe just didn't care, but I'm determined to see everyone of Shakespeare's plays so it needed ticking off a list.

The Boys in the Band

The Boys in the Band, Park Theatre, 2016.

Cast: Daniel Boys, Jack Derges, Mark Gatiss, Ian Hallard, James Holmes, John Hopkins, Greg Lockett, Ben Mansfield, Nathan Nolan.

Writer: Mart Crowley

Director: Adam Penfold

The film of this hasn't aged well and is quite an unpleasant watch now so I was a bit nervous about this but seem to remember liking it more thanks to the good cast (poor Mark Gatiss in that wig) and a nice set. And it was on in a lovely theatre too which helped.

 

La Cage aux Folles

La Cage aux Folles, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2017.

Cast: John Partridge, Adrian Zmed, Marti Webb, Dougie Carter, Alexandra Robinson, Samson Ajewole, Paul F Monaghan, Su Douglas, Jon de Ville, Richard Leavey, Matthew Ives, Louie-George Daniels, Jordan Livesey, Micah Holmes, Liam Paul Jennings, Luke Byrne, Jane Quinn, Rachel Cumino,.

Music & lyrics: Jerry Herman

Book: Harvey Fierstein

Author: Jean Poiret

Director: Martin Connor

This was, I think, the second of the three times I've seen this and the only time I've seen it outside London. Touring productions of gay stuff can be a bit tricky and are either unsupported or turn into a hen night (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was a horror), so I remember being apprehensive abut this. Partly too because I didn't know if John Partridge would be any good but he was. This might end up quietly becoming one of my favourite musicals.

Chicago

 Chicago, Adelphi Theatre, 2005.

Cast: Sally Ann Triplett, Anna-Faye Wright, Darius Danesh, Victor McGuire, Chrissie Hammond, Alex Weatherhill, Cathie Carday, Mike Denham, Natalie Edmunds, Jenny Gayner, Steven Grace, Gavin Keenan, Cameron Leigh, Lisa Norman, Bonnie Parker, Rachel Pressland, Andrew Rees, Djalenga Scott, SarahSoetaert, Dean Street, Christian Valle, Scott Ryan Vickers, Tobias Walbom, Simeon Weedall, Ed White.

Composer & lyricist: John Kander & Fred Ebb

Director: Walter Bobbie

I had front row seats for this which were astonishingly only £36.00 - front row seats for the touring production that's coming to Norwich next year are £59. I wish I'd known how relatively inexpensive theatre tickets were in the olden days and gone more. I think in truth it was slightly too close to people dancing in tight and revealing costumes and I may sometimes have had to look away.