Tag Archives: Musicals

Director: Thea Sharrock Choreographer: Karen Bruce Reviewer: Helen Tope A hit film with a killer soundtrack, The Bodyguard tells the story of superstar Rachel Marron. After receiving threatening letters from a stalker, Marron’s management hires the best protection in the business. Frank Farmer is a former Secret Service agent. Not impressed by Marron’s diva attitude, the new bodyguard tries to ...

Director: Jonathan O’Boyle Book / Lyrics: Gerome Ragni and James Rado Music: Galt MacDermot Reviewer: Helen Tope It’s 1967 and the Hippie Movement is at its height. Young Americans, disappointed and disillusioned, are seeking a different path. Rather than live out the lives of their parents, they want to live freely, with no limits or expectations. We meet a group of hippies, co-habiting under one ...

Writer: Emma Reeves (based on novel by Jill Murphy) Director: Theresa Heskins Composer: Luke Potter Reviewer: Helen Tope  Goofy, clumsy and a spectacular failure, Mildred Hubble is the ultimate thinking girl’s heroine. Since the publication of Jill Murphy’s novel The Worst Witch in 1974, Hubble has entertained generations of children. A newly-inducted member of Miss Cackle’s Academy, Mildred’s dubious grasp of even the most ...

Director: Thom Sutherland Book: Peter Stone Music / Lyrics: Maury Yeston Reviewer: Helen Tope The recipient of five Tony Awards, Titanic the Musical deserves to be better known than it is. Making its debut in 1997, this revival returns to the stage, a leaner production. The focus on telling Titanic’s story becomes more determined. We know how it ends, but the challenge posed is ...

Director / Choreographer: Gary Lloyd Musical Supervisor / Arranger: John Maher Reviewer: Helen Tope Now in its 9th year, Thriller Live wears its heart on its sequinned sleeve. Sketching the outline of Michael Jackson’s career in music and dance, this musical hasn’t lost its ability to capture an audience’s attention. Bold, brash and unapologetically so, it charts the Motown-inspired roots of The Jackson Five, through ...

Director: Des McAnuff Book: Marshall Brickman / Rick Elice Music / Lyrics: Bob Gaudio / Bob Crewe Reviewer: Helen Tope If you had to place a bet on how Jersey Boys begins, I would imagine a French rap would not figure at the top of your list. A startling opening for a jukebox musical, Jersey Boys declares its point of ...

Director: Nikolai Foster Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber Book / Lyrics: Don Black / Christopher Hampton Reviewer: Helen Tope Evocative and darkly glamorous, Sunset Boulevard is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most unlikely hit. A fading beauty, hanging onto former glories; infatuation that sours into obsession and deceit. Sunset Boulevard is a musical set in a minor key, and every black note is ...

Director: Paul Kerryson Book: Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Music / Lyrics: Marc Shaiman / Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman Reviewer: Helen Tope Hairspray is a musical that moves to its own beat. Born rebellious, the musical derived from John Waters’ 1988 film, is a tale of inequality, difference and why we should care. In 2018, against a background of ...