Writer: Michael Gyngell Directors: Samuel Holmes and Nick Winston Reviewer: Richard Maguire According to the song by 1980s band Wham!, Club Tropicana has it all. Free drinks. Fun and sunshine enough for everyone. All that’s missing, George and Andrew sing, is the sea. But this ‘80s jukebox musical of the same name is missing more than the sea. It also lacks ...
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Writer: Helen Stephens Adaptor: Peter GlanvilleComposer: Barb Jungr Director: Peter Glanville Reviewer: David Guest A magical children’s book roars into life as a spellbinding stage show thanks to the considerable joint talents of a Pigtails Productions creative team. How to Hide a Lion is based on the illustrated Helen Stephens book, which is warm and wonderful in itself. In the ...
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Created by: Simon Morley and David Friend Reviewer: Deborah Parry The universe has a history of drawing things together- strawberries and cream, Laurel and Hardy, rhythm and blues. Penises and puppetry, however, isn’t the most logical of pairings and yet, sort of works. This show started life in the late 90s as a calendar idea- a series of photographs showing ...
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Writers: Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) Director: Tara Louis Wilkinson Reviewer: Alex Ramon While it’s still a little bit hard to guess what exactly made Alan Menken and Howard Ashman think that there was the basis for a stage show in Roger Corman’s super-low-budget 1960 B film, there’s no denying that their instincts were correct: Little ...
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Musical Director: Barry Robinson Host / Choreographer: Brendan Cole Reviewer: Georgina Newman Before the action gets underway,‘BC, BC’is what you read in large, unmissable, glitter-highlighted lettering on the back wall of the stage. Our host for the evening, one Brendan Cole (BC), is certainly enjoying his moment in the spotlight – as are his many adoring female fans – ...
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Book and Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire Music: Jeanine Tesori Director: Nigel Harman Reviewer: Deborah Klayman Big, bold and irreverent, Shrek the Musical translates the hit 2001 film into a slick, superbly staged musical romp that entertains family and adult audiences alike. The musical largely follows the same narrative as the film, albeit with some tweaks and a bit of backstory for ...
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Writer: JM Barrie Adaptor: Eric Potts Director: Ian Talbot Reviewer: Stephen Bates For children and others who have never grown up, the great news is that it’s panto time again. Spectacle, silliness, songs and star names are all on display here and, rest assured, the dark themes of JM Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan have already walked the plank ...
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Book: Jeffrey Lane Music &Lyrics: David Yazbek Musical Director: Ben Van Tienen Director/Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell Reviewer: Deborah Klayman A musical adaptation of the 1988 film, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels brings comedy, catchy tunes and the glitz and glamour of the French Riviera to the New Wimbledon Theatre. Updated for a UK audience, Jerry Mitchell’s production has a classic, timeless quality. Marrying ...
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