A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol, Noel Coward Theatre, 2015.

Cast: Jim Broadbent, Adeel Akhtar, Amelia Bullmore, Keir Charles, Samantha Spiro, Jack Parker, Kim Scopes.

Writer: Patrick Barlow

Director: Phelim McDermott

A friend wanted to see this, thinking it would be a nice thing to do for Christmas, and I'm sure I enjoyed it. But I don't think that Christmas needs specific shows apart from panto. Maybe instead treat yourself to something you've wanted to see all year? I imagine this will be the only time I get to see Jim Broadbent on stage.

 

Henry V

Henry V, Noel Coward Theatre, 2014.

Cast: Harry Attwell, Jason Baughan, Norman Bowman, Jessie Buckley, Richard Clifford, Ron Cook, Ian Drysdale, Noma Dumezweni, Michael Hadley, Edward Harrison, Christopher Heyward, Fred Lancaster, James Laurenson, Jude Law, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Rhys Meredith, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Maddie Rice, Matt Ryan, Ashley Zhangazha.

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Michael Grandage

This was the last of Michael's season at the Noel Coward Theatre and I ended up seeing them all although I hadn't originally intended to. I think this might have been on the list of ones I didn't want to see, perhaps because Jude Law wasn't far enough away from the 90 Britpop gossip that he was associated with. I think I'd misjudged him and liked him more than I expected, although I remember nothing about the production. Interesting to see Jessie Buckley in the cast before she became as famous as she is now. Michael is back in the West End now with Ewan McGregor and I was vaguely tempted to go despite it being Ibsen (or Chekhov?) but this week's three star reviews have put me off.

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.