42nd Street

 

42nd Street, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 2017.

Cast: C J Johnson, Tom Lister, Clare Halse, Stuart Neal, Jasna Ivir, Christopher Howell, Norman Bowman, Graeme Henderson, Bruce Montague, Mark McKerracher, Emma Caffrey, Ella Martine, Clare Rickard, Paul Knight, Josh Andrews, Greg Bernstein, Philip Bertoli, Sara Bispham, Ronan Burns, Sophie Camble, Freddie Clements, Gabrielle Cocca, Adam Denman, Lisa Dent, Jack Evans, Charlene Ford, Katie Fox, Kirsty Fuller, Kristen Gaetz, Courtney George, Luke George, Ryan Gover, Lean Harris, Victoria Hay, Rebecca Herszenhorn, Kate Ivory Jordan, Jessica Keable, Jasmine Kerr, Annie Kitchen, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson, Martin McCarthy, Dylan Mason, `Sam Murphy, Eddie Myles, Millie O'Connell, Billie-Kay, Katharine Pearson, Katy Riches, Zoe Rogers, Christina Shand, Charlotte Anne Stee, Daisy Steere, Karli Vale, Zac Watts.

Music & lyrics: Harry Warren & Al Dubin

Authors: Mark Bramble & Michael Stewart

Director: Mark Bramble

What a huge cast, which is ironic as I only saw it because the thing I had tickets for that day had a cast of three and one of them was sick and they had no stand in. Sheena Easton was playing the lead in this but not on this afternoon and honestly it didn't matter. I remember it being spectacular. I wish it was on TV somewhere so I could watch it again.

The House they Grew up in

The House they Grew up in, Chichester Festival Theatre, 2017.

Cast: Samantha Spiers, Daniel Ryan, Leonardo Dickens/Rudi Millard, Michelle Greenidge, Matt Sutton, Mary Stockley, Philip Wright, Daisy Fairclough.

Writer: Deborah Bruce

Director: Jeremy Herrin

I remember the set included piles of boxes so I think I assumed the main characters were hoarders but reading the programme I don't think that's what it was about. I also though it was just the two main characters and no other cast so it obviously didn't leave as much impression on me as it could have.

It's one of the few things I still have the ticket for:

Forty Years On

Forty Years On, Chichester Festival Theatre, 2017.

Cast: Richard Wilson, Alan Cox, Danny Lee Wynter, Jenny Galloway, Lucy Briars, Michael Lin, Joe Idris-Roberts, Thomas Bird, Martin Sarreal, Martha Waddington, Oliver Marshall, Silas Wyatt-Barke, Michael Hamway, James McConville, Crispin Glancy.

Writer: Alan Bennett

Director: Daniel Evans

Bennett's first play which is so rarely performed that this is the only time it's been easy for me to see it and even then it involves a 300+ miles round. I remember very little about it although I do remember that I liked it more than the friends I went with did. 

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, The Old Vic, 2017.

Cast: Joshua McGuire, Daniel Radcliffe, David Haig, Louise Beadel, Josie Dunn, Matthew Durkan, Evlyne Oyedokun, Alex Sawyer, Tim van Eyken, Luke Mullins, Helena Wilson, Hermeilio Miguel Aquino, Theo Ogundipe, Wil Johnson, Marianne Oldham, William Chubb.

Writer: Tom Stoppard

Director: David Leveaux

The two leads in this were so good that I'd forgotten it wasn't a two-hander, and when the rest of the cast includes the excellent David Haig that's saying something. I doubt I've enjoyed any production of Hamlet as much as this and I wonder if I should just stop going to see them and just accept that this is the better play now.

Cinderella

Cinderella, London Palladium, 2016.

Cast: Paul O'Grady, Julian Clary, Amanda Holden, Lee Mead, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Count Arthur Strong (Steve Delaney), Natasha J Barnes, Suzie Chard, Wendy Somerville, Liz Ewing, Christopher Howell, James Paterson, Carrie Sutton, Vicki Lee Taylor, Ed Wade, Rhianne Alleyne, Charlotte Alloway, Gianni Aranco, William Atkinson, Pamela Blair, Myles Brown, Lucy Carter, Jacob Fearey, Diana Girbau, Chloe Hudson, Emma Johnson, Ricky Lee Loftus, Holly Prentice, Niall Swords, Luke Woollaston, Tom Woollaston.

Writers: Alan McHugh & David McGillivray

Directors: Michael J Harrison & Andrew Wright

I hadn't realised I'd seen the first of the pantos at the Palladium since they returned - I assumed I wasn't quick enough to catch on that it was just as much for adults as children, but apparently I did and I assume that Paul & Julian in the cast list gave it away really. Shockingly it was the only time I saw Paul on stage. I've had tickets for every one since but have missed two (Covid, trains) and can't imagine stopping any time soon.

No Man's Land

No Man's Land, Wyndham's Theatre, 2016.

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Damien Molony, Owen Teale.

Writer: Harold Pinter

Director: Sean Mathias

I went to this hoping that Patrick & Ian would cast the same magic spell over it as they did Waiting for Godot, making something difficult very watchable. And what could be more difficult than Pinter? I went to see one of his plays when I was at Sixth Form - no idea which one, if I remember rightly there was a kitchen table. But lightning clearly doesn't strike twice as this was incomprehensible - in the interval a friend who was also there asked me if I had any idea what was going on. I didn't.

It's good that they're getting to do stuff they're really interested in but now they're getting older and the chances to see them are getting less it's a pity that what they're interested in wasn't a bit more fun.

Abigail's Party

Abigail's Party, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2017.

Cast: Amanda Abbington, Ben Caplan, Charlotte Mills, Ciaran Owens, Rose Keegan.

Writer: Mike Leigh

Director: Sarah Esdaile

I hated this so much I promised myself I'd never go and see another production of it. It was bitter and nasty, not the retro 70s thing we think it might be. Looking back at all the Mike Leigh stuff I've seen on stage I think it's time to admit he doesn't work for me and I've probably just been pretending to like him because he's the kind of creative that a Guardian reader should love. Sorry Mike, I don't.

Rough Crossing

Rough Crossing, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2019.

Cast: John Partridge, Charlie Stemp, Issy van Randwyck, Matthew Cottle, Rob Ostlere, Simon Sutton, Simon Michael-Morgan, Vicki Davids, Douglas Clarke-Wood.

Writer: Tom Stoppard

Director: Rachel Kavanaugh

I had high hopes for this but I ended up hating it although five years later I can't remember why. I think it might have been John Partridge, which would be a surprise as I'd seen him in a few things before this and liked him more than I expected. I guess my luck ran out.

Promises Promises the Musical

Promises Promises the Musical, Southwark Playhouse, 2017.

Cast: Craig Armstrong, Ralph Bogard, Martin Dickinson, Claire Doyle, John Guerrasio, Daisy Maywood, Natalie Moore-Williams, Lee Ormsby, Paul Robinson, Emily Squibb, Gabriel Vick, Alex Young.

Book: Neil Simon

Music: Burt Bacharach

Lyrics: Hal David

Director: Bronagh Lagan

Possibly the only thing I remember about this is people sitting on desks that were being spun round as they sang and I'm not even certain that was this. It seems rude to forget a musical containing songs by such great writers but apparently I have.

She Loves Me

She Loves Me, Menier Chocolate Factory, 2017

Cast: Callum Howells, Alastair Brookshaw, Katherine Kingsley, Dominic Tighe, Mark Umbers, Les Dennis, Scarlett Strallen, Peter Dukes, Cory English, Rachel Bingham, Matt Crandon, Luke Fetherston, Olivia Fines, Aimee Hodnett, Sarah-Marie Maxwell, Vincent Pirillo.

Book: Joe Masteroff

Music: Jerry Bock

Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick

Director: Matthew White

I'd not heard of this before I saw it but remember it being very sweet and having a really gorgeous set. Callum Howells would go on to appear in It's a Sin which led to him starring in Cabaret (which I really should have seen).

The Commitments

The Commitments, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2016.

Cast: Brian Gilligan, Andrew Linnie, Kevin Kennedy, John Currivan, Padraig Dooney, Sam Fordham, Christian James, Alex McMorran, Peter Mooney, Amy Penston, Leah Penston, Christina Tedders, Rhys Whitfield, Joshua Barton, Jon Bonner, Guy Freeman, Ben Morris, Kristina Paraskeva, Tom Elliot Reade, Hannah Stratton.

Book: Roddy Doyle

Director: Caroline Jay Ranger

I'd read the book and saw the film, although I wonder which order I did that in. I should probably read the book again. I suspect this was unnecessary.  

Into the Woods

Into the Woods, Menier Chocolate Factory, 2016.

Cast: Paul L Coffey, Andy Groteleuschen, Liz Hayes, Harry Hepple, Claire Karpen, Stefan Lloyd-Evans, Patrick Mulryan, Evan Rees, Vanessa Reseland, Laura Tebbutt, Emily Young.

Music & lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Book: James Lapine

Directors: Noah Brody & Ben Steinfeld

After Sondheim died, when I was thinking about which of his shows I'd seen, I'd completely forgotten I'd seen this. Looking at the programme now I think I understand why: it was a transfer from Broadway so a lot of the cast are unfamiliar to me. The only person I recognise is Harry Hepple, who at the time had done Boy Meets Girl on TV so I must have known him (and earlier this week I saw him in Hello, Dolly! so hasn't he done well for himself).

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar, Donmar at King's Cross, 2016.

Cast: Jade Anouka, Sheila Atim, Jackie Clune, Shiloh Coke, Karen Dunbar, Clare Dunne, Leah Harvey, Zainab Hasan, Jennifer Joseph, Martina Laird, Carolina Valdés, Harriet Walter.

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Phyllidia Lloyd

This was on in a temporary theatre on the site that was cleared to make way for the new Google office at King's Cross and I now rather regret not going to more stuff there. I always struggle to remember if Caesar was actually real or a made up God, which won't have made this any easier to understand. I remember the costumes being drab but Harriet Walter being excellent.

Stepping Out

Stepping Out, Cambridge Arts Theatre, 2016.

Cast: Amanda Holden, Angela Griffin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tamzin Outhwaite, Nicola Stephenson, Judith Barker, Rose Keegan, Sandra Marvin, Jessica-Alice McCluskey, Dominic Rowan, Janet Behan, Emma Hook, Marcia Mantack, Katie Verner, Nick Warnford.

Writer: Richard Harris

Director: Maria Friedman

Like most people I imagine I first heard of this when the film came out starring Julie Walters and Liza Minnelli (I wish that was more readily available now). I'd forgotten I'd seen this production, remembering one starring Patsy Palmer and another that got killed off by Covid. I'm surprised there hasn't been a better version of it with all the celebrities who've suddenly found themselves able to dance after Strictly... .