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).