Guys and Dolls

Guys and Dolls, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2016.

Cast: Richard Fleeshman, Maxwell Caulfield, Lucy Jane Adcock, Anna O'Byrne, Jack Edwards, Mark Sangster, Peter Harding, Cameron Johnson, Craig Pinder, Anthony McGill, Melanie Marshall, Christopher Howell, Lucy Ashenden, Hannah Cauchi, Chloe Chambers, Eamonn Cox, Jamal Crawford, Ross Lee Fowkes, Jonny Godbold, Abigayle Honeywill, Bethany Linsdell, Kiel Payton, Danielle Stephen, Ruthie Stephens, Matthew Whennell-Clark, Aron Wild.

Music & lyrics: Frank Loesser

Book: Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows

Director: Gordon Greenberg

I thought I'd only ever seen this in London and although I knew I'd seen Maxwell Caulfield in something I'd have said it was Chicago. I think that after the recent revival at the Bridge Theatre this is probably something I don't need to see again - it's hard to imagine anyone doing it better, and as it's not something I adore there's no point in seeing it just because it's on.

Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole, Hampstead Theatre, 2016.

Cast: Georgina Rich, Claire Skinner, Tom Goodman-Hill, Penny Downie, Sean Delaney.

Writer: David Lindsay-Abaire

Director: Edward Hall

I've no idea now why I saw this - it's the only thing I've ever seen by this writer, there's nobody notable in the cast, it's not even a subject I'm particularly interested in (family stuff). I can only assume that it got good reviews and a friend was interested and I thought it might be interesting. I do like the Hampstead Theatre and would like to visit it more often.

Funny Girl

Funny Girl, Menier Chocolate Factory, 2015.

Cast: Sheridan Smith, Natasha J Barnes, Luke Fetherston, Gay Soper, Valda Aviks, Marilyn Cutts, Joel Montague, Maurice Lane, Matthew Croke, Rebecca Fennelly, Emma Caffrey, Darius Campbell, Stuart Ramsey, Bruce Montague, Sammy Kelly, Joelle Dyson, Leah Harris, Kelly Homewood.

Music: Jule Styne

Lyrics: Bob Merrill

Book: Isobel Lennart revised by Harvey Fierstein

Director: Michael Mayer

I've spent so long overthinking Sheridan Smith that I've convinced myself I didn't like anything she's ever been in, so I'm not going to think about this any more. I wish the Menier would get its groove back - it's a lovely theatre and I've seen some great things there and want to again.

 

Closer to Heaven

Closer to Heaven, Union Theatre, 2015.

Cast: Katie Meller, Jared Thompson, Amy Matthews, Connor Brabyn, Ben Kavanagh, Craig Berry, Ken Christiansen, Ellie Mitchell, Tamsin Blake, Grace Reynolds, Martin Harding, Ben Somerside, Jamie Firth, Alex Tranter.

Music & lyrics: Pet Shop Boys

Book: Jonathan Harvey

Director: Gene David Kirk

My second viewing of this show but possibly not the first revival of it - I think it had been done in Brighton and Australia before this. Lovely little theatre in some railway arches that I really should go back to. This was the first time the last song got changed and it all made a bit more sense.

As Is

 

As Is, Trafalgar Studios, 2015.

Cast: Natalie Burt, Bevan Celestine, Giles Cooper, Dino Fetscher, Jane Lowe, Russell Morton, David Poynor, Steven Webb.

Writer: William H Hoffman

Director: Andrew Keates

I have a strong but misleading memory of this: it was on in the small studio space in the theatre and when we entered the auditorium Steven Webb was already sitting on the stage. (That's him on the programme, and at the time he'd recently been Stephen Fry's boyfriend.) As we took our seats he winked at me, in character, and of course I lost my nerve and looked away. That made me think that this was a one man show when it clearly wasn't. But it was obviously a powerful moment if it made me forget the presence of handsome Dino Fetscher.

High Society

High Society, Theatre Royal Norwich, 2013.

Cast: Marilyn Cutts, Katie Lee, Sophie Bould, Teddy Kempner, Michael Praed, Alex Young, Daniel Boys, Kieron Crook, Craig Pinder, Anthony McGill, John Bowles, Matt Corner, Ashley Knight, Steven Butler, Rachel Spurrell, Zoe Doano, Jill Armour, Carol Heffernan, Lisa Ritchie, Ben Redfern,

Music & lyrics: Cole Porter

Book: Arthur Kopit

Director: Anna Linstrum

My second viewing of this (the previous one was in 2005) and this time with a slightly better cast. If it tours again I'd hope I'd have the willpower to say that twice was enough but I'm not sure I would.

The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2016.

Cast: Ian Kelsey, Patrick Robinson, Owen O'Neill, Ian Barritt, George Evans, Kevin Mathurin, Owen Oldroyd, Joe Reisig, Leigh Jones, Declan Perring, Ged Simmons, Julian Mack.

Adapted by Owen O'Neill & Dave Johns

Director: David Esbjornson

I'm actually cross with myself for having seen this. While I imagine there was a lot of chat about going back to the book instead of just bringing the film to the stage it's the film that everyone knows. This didn't need doing or seeing.

 

Berry Blue Eyes

 

Betty Blue Eyes, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2014.

Cast: Laura Baldwin, Tobias Beer, Kit Benjamin, Adam C Booth, Amy Booth-Steel, Jenni Bowden, Ricky Butt, Matt Harrop, Oliver Izod, Rachel Knowles, Lauren Logan, Rebecca Louis, Sally Mates, Joe Maxwell, Haydn Oakley, Anthony Ray, Kate Robson-Stuart.

Book: Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman

Music: George Stiles

Lyrics: Anthony Drewe

Director: Daniel Buckroyd

Surprisingly, because it was written by Alan Bennett, I've never seen A Private Function, the film this is based on. Perhaps that's why I didn't love it as much as I might have done. It keeps getting revived because clearly someone is desperate to make it a hit but I'm not sure a show about fattening up a pig is the new Les Mis.

The Full Monty

The Full Monty, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2014.

Cast: Gary Lucy, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Rupert Hill, Martin Miller, Bobby Schofield, Liz Carney, Stephen Donald, David MacCreedy, Philip Knight, Andy McSorley, Laura Mould, Jo Mousley, Kate Wood, Raid Clarke/Fraser Kelly/Evan McKevitt/Cameron Stenhouse.

Writer: Simon Beaufoy

Director: Roger Haines

It's disappointing to delve into the box and find a programme for another adaptation of something from another medium. The film this is based on has just celebrated a significant anniversary and there was a lot of stuff about how important it was, which I suspect didn't translate into the stage show (men getting their clothes off will do that).

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

 

Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2013.

Cast: Emma Kingston, Ellie Leah, Laura Mansell, Alan Hunter, Jason Donovan, Julie Stark, Regan Shepherd, Richard Grieve, Giles Watling, Frances Mayli McCann, Leon Kay, Harry Burns/Aaron Ford, James Cohen, Wayne Fitzsimmons, Dann Kharsa, Liam Marcellino, Ashley Rumble, Katie Birtill, Ian Oswald, Aaron Sweeney-Harris, Bleu Woodward.

Book: Stephan Elliott & Allan Scott

Director: Simon Phillips

I loathed this. The mood in the theatre was "hen night" with pink cowboy hats and feather boas because straight women love the gays. All that camp misses the point that it's actually quite a sweet and poignant film but I don't suppose straight people want that from the gays.

Cabaret

Cabaret, The Broadway Theatre, 2013.

Cast: Will Young, Siobhan Dillon, Lyn Paul, Matt Rawle, Linal Haft, Valerie Cutko, Nicholas Tizzard, Carly Blackburn, Emily Bull, Luke Fetherston, Simon Jaymes, Alessia Lugoboni, Callum MacDonald, Alastair Postlethwaite, Oliver Roll, Alexzandra Sarmiento, Shahla Tarrant, Cydney Uffindell-Phillips.

Book: Joe Masteroff

Music: John Kander

Lyrics: Fred Ebb

Director: Rufus Norris

My second viewing of this production on its second tour, and I think there might have been a third for both of us. It was my first time in this theatre, which seemed to have reopened after being closed for a while, but something happened and it changed its name and got taken over by the council. I still want to visit it again. And I'd still like to see Will Young act again, if he's in the mood for it.

Present Laughter

Present Laughter, Cambridge Arts Theatre, 2016.

Cast: Daisy Boulton, Sally Tatum, Martin Hancock, Phyllis Logan, Samuel West, Rebecca Johnson, Patrick Walshe McBride, Toby Longworth, Jason Morell, Zoe Boyle, Elizabeth Holland.

Writer: Noel Coward

Director: Stephen Unwin

I liked this a lot. It's a funny play about an actor being self-obsessed and slightly awful, which is always a fun thing to watch, and Samuel West is just excellent. More recently Andrew Scott did it at The Old Vic although I only got to see the filmed version and I loved that too. Perhaps that means this is my favourite Noel Coward play (although I doubt I've seen more than three or four, which is a very small proportion of his work).

Gypsy

Gypsy, Savoy Theatre, 2015.

Cast: Billy Hartman, Damian Poole, Isla Huggins-Barr/Scarlett Roche, Holly Hazelton/Lara Wollington, Imelda Staunton, Harry Dickman, Tom Hodgkins, Peter Davison, Lara Pulver, Gemma Sutton, Dan Burton, Kieran Jae, Roger Dipper, Luke Street, Jack Chissick, Julie Legrand, Natalie Woods, Clare Halse, Danielle Morris, Anita Louise Combe, Louise Gold, Lauren Hall, Lucinda Shaw, Liz Ewing, Lauren Ingram, Tom Murphy, Philip Catchpole.

Book: Arthur Laurents

Music: Jule Styne

Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Director: Jonathan Kent

Was this the making of Imelda Staunton? Up to this point I'd only seen her in an underwhelming Joe Orton play although I'm sure she'd worked a lot but suddenly everyone paid attention. This was an absolute triumph and her performance was incredible.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Noel Coward Theatre, 2013.

Cast: Stefan Adegbola, Rachel Barry, Stefano Braschi, Jack Brown, Padraic Delaney, Richard Dempsey, Henry Everett, Susannah Fielding, Gavin Fowler, Katherine Kingsley, Alex Large, Sheridan Smith, Lorna Stuart, Sam Swainsbury, Craig Vye, David Walliams, Leo Wringer.

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Michael Grandage

This play is top of my list of Shakespeare's plays that I never want to see again - it's ridiculous. And it's interesting how times have changed for the casting - these two were quite the big deal at the time but now I'm unlikely to go near either of them: Sheridan has been overexposed and isn't maybe as talented as everyone suggested, and Walliams is a cunt. 

Putting it Together

Putting it Together, St James Theatre, 2014.

Cast: David Bedella, Daniel Crossley, Janie Dee, Damian Humbley, Caroline Sheen.

Writer: Stephen Sondheim

Director: Alastair Knights

This was the first thing I saw at this theatre, only their second production after opening. I had high hopes that it might be an interesting new addition to theatre in London but so far I've only been back once more. They're not very good at publicising what's on so I forget that they're there and also theatre in London has changed and the small, unknown stuff they put on has other outlets now. As for the show, it's a review of Sondheim's song - I'd be astonished if I didn't love it.