Tag Archives: Musical

Writer: Thomas Meeham Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Martin Charnin Director: Nicolai Foster Reviewer: Francesca Parker The classic rags-to-riches story has once again been brought to life on stage. Despite being set in New York at the time of the Great Depression, Annie is the anything but downbeat. The heart-warming tale of a young orphan whose life changed irrevocably after a chance encounter, ...

Book and Director: Robyn Grant Lyrics:  Robyn Grant and Daniel Elliot Music: James Ringer-Beck Reviewer:  Richard Maguire As we come to the final week of this year’s VAULT Festival, it may seem that V stands for Vault, but actually V stands for Vulvarine, the new superhero created by Fat Rascal Theatre. She’s sassy, kooky and brave. She will save womankind. ...

Writer: Joseph Stein revised by David Thompson Music: Charles Strouse Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz Director:  Bronagh Lagan Reviewer: Dave Cunningham With themes including difficulties faced by immigrants, the conflict between individualism and the collective good, cultural identity and the exploitation of workers there is no question that Rags the Musicalis relevant to a contemporary audience. But relevant does not necessarily mean ...

Writer: Eleanor Bergstein Director: Federico Bellone Reviewer: Dominic Corr With Ghost: The Musical leaving the city last week the spirit of Swayze lives on in Edinburgh through Dirty Dancing. The touring stage musical of the 1987 movie lives on, refusing to sit in the corner and stay silent for long. Francis ‘Baby’ Houseman can do no wrong. Fast-tracking her way ...

Writer: Harvey Fierstein Composer: Cyndi Lauper Director & Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell Set Designer: David Rockwell Costume Designer: Gregg Barnes Lighting Designer: Kenneth Posner Reviewer: Leah Tozer Trust your feet in Price and Son, our work is tried and true: practical, pragmatical, steadfast, and steady, too. So echoes the omnipresent theme of Price and Sons shoe factory, yet this musical is as far from practical and pragmatic as the ...

Writer: Berry Gordy Composers: The Motown Catalogue Director: Charles Randolph-Wright Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The blurb for Motown the Musical promises ‘The Songs, The Sound, The Story’ and, for once, we have a show that comes close to fulfilling the advance publicity. In 1984, a concert is organised to celebrate the 25thanniversary of Motown Records. Artists such as Diana Ross (Karis Anderson) ...

Book, Music and Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein Director:  Christopher Ashley Reviewer:  Richard Maguire It’s surprising that this Tony-nominated musical has taken so long to reach London. Come From Away, about plane passengers diverted on the day of 9/11, is the perfect show to thaw the cynicism of our current times. When America closed its airspace after the attack ...

Creator and Performer: Paul O’Donnell Reviewer:  Richard Maguire Paul O’Donnell, who brings his one-man jukebox musical, featuring the songs of Bon Jovi, to the third week of the VAULT Festival, is literally livin’ on a prayer. No actors, no band, no dancers, no pyrotechnics: instead just an empty stage, and a whole lot of imagination. We’ve Got Each Other may ...