By Stacey x

This weekend I went and watched the tour cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. I’ve not seen this show before but it has been on my list for a long time. I’d only heard one or two songs before so I was going in with no ideas of what it was like and I found it very enjoyable. Background This is based on the true story of 16 year old Jamie New who dreams of being a drag queen as well as wearing a dress to his prom. Throughout the show we see Jamie go through a journey of self discovery which has so many highs and lows. Along the way we meet people who are and aren’t supportive of his dream and how much prejudice he has to contend with. The show first opened on the West End in 2017 and is currently on its second UK tour. Cast The cast of this show were fabulous, unfortunately didn't get to see Ivano Turco play Jamie, Finton Flynn was incredible in those red heels. He portrayed the emotion of playing Jamie perfectly as well showing the young silly ...

I  have been very fortunate to see Carrie perform in an array of shows over time but this is the first time I’ve seen her as herself. I loved the concept of this show that we had to help her finish the script so we were inside her head.  Prior to the show there was a link on Carrie’s social media and a QR code at the venue to help choose what stories she told us. Certain stories I think she tells in every show but then the rest are decided by us the audience. I’m not going to spoil anything about the stories or the songs but I loved hearing her sing songs from shows she has performed in and songs that suit the stories, some I knew and some I didn’t. Carrie has such a knack for storytelling and they were heartbreaking and heartwarming. I love how relatable Carrie is as a person and these stories just amplify that with how her thoughts and feelings in certain situations she has gone through in life. I love the intimacy of the staging as well, set up like a room at home and the o...

For my birthday my fiancé bought tickets to see Disney’s Newsies at the Troubadour Theatre in Wembley. This show opened in November and has just extended its run until 30th July. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was blown away with what I saw. Background This musical is adapted from the 1992 Disney movie News Boys. Based on the true story of the Newsboys strike in 1899 in New York against the papers of Joseph Pulitzer after he put the prices of their bundles up. The original musical opened on Broadway in 2012 and was filmed live on stage in 2017 which you can watch on Disney +. This is the first time that UK audiences will be able to experience this new innovative production. Staging I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the theatre and I was in awe of the staging. You have the main stage which has the metal structure but around the outside of the seating they had extra structures that the actors ran around and up and down to get around and back onto the stage. It has to be...

  Hello 2023 I know it is February and nearly March and it's probably a bit late to be talking about goals for the year but I've been inspired by seeing other people's goals, I thought I would share mine so I can hold myself accountable. 2022 was a mixed year for me I had some amazing highs but on the flip side of that some very low lows. I hit rock bottom about March last year and have been building myself back up. Additionally, we lost some family members and were both involved in a car fire. On the flip side we had some amazing highs I saw various theatre shows and concerts, we watched our best friends get married which is a feeling unlike any other and we finally we went on the holiday of a lifetime to Florida for three weeks in September- October.  2023 is a big year as we are getting married in August so all our energy and money are going into this. I have a few goals and things I would like to happen this year around the wedding, I have really struggled with goals th...

Earlier this month I booked tickets to see the new Inspiring Walt Disney exhibition at the Wallace Collection in London. This is about how French design inspired Walt Disney in his films especially Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. The exhibition is located on the bottom floor of the building, and you can either pre book your slot or pay when you get there. There is also an optional digital tour guide and head set for free, which I did pick up but struggled with the headphones so ended up listening to bits I wanted to as opposed to the whole exhibition. I would recommend picking up one if you have time and you are really interested in the animation side, as they speak to the animators at Disney and how they produced the various ideas for the films. The exhibition starts with a quote from Walt Disney on the wall. It then goes into how Walt visited Europe for holidays and to gather visual references for his films. There was a black and white film of Walt and his family on holiday in P...

At the beginning of April on what was our third attempt at booking this show, me and my friend finally saw Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Cinderella itself a show that has been delayed on numerous occasions due to the pandemic. I love Cinderella it is one of my favourite fairy tale stories and the fact that Carrie Hope Fletcher plays the title of role of Cinderella, I was intrigued what this version had in stall for us. This modern adaptation of Cinderella is created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Emerald Fennell and is set in the town of Belleville which is known for being the most beautiful town. Everyone in the town is epitome of perfection and they loathe anything or anyone who does not fit the norm. Cue Cinderella who is the gothic outlier towards this perfection, losing Belleville the prize for the most beautiful town by defacing a statute of the beloved Prince Charming who has disappeared. Into his shoes comes the awkward younger brother Prince Seba...

In March, me and two of my friends went to see Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite Disney films and I was excited to see what this interpretation had in stall. The fairy-tale was first adapted into the much-loved Disney animated film in 1991 and became a Broadway production in 1993. The show opens with the familiar voice of Angela Lansbury and the enchanting music that we all recognise and with the help of the beautiful rose projection we are transported into the magic. Director Matt West leaves the story exactly how it is, only adding extra bits of comedy here and there which the audience engage with easily. The cast all suit their characters and portray them to perfection. Grace Swaby- Moore, understudy to Courtney Stapleton, was the embodiment of Belle, she captured the innocence of the character and belted the songs to perfection. Shaq Taylor portrayed the Beast will emotion and ferocity when needed. His voice ...

For Christmas, our friends bought us a Private Pod Dining experience at Craft in Birmingham. Craft is located at the back of the ICC and designed with a British Garden theme, with the pods overlooking the canal. It has its own entrance way through a beautiful floral archway. On arrival, our pod was ready slightly earlier than our booking time and we were shown to our private pod. The pod was incredible it was private, but we could still see and be seen. It had its own temperature controls and the bonus of its own speaker which you could connect to through Bluetooth which added to the atmosphere. The kitchen is helmed by Andrew Sheridan who has appeared on the Great British Menu. All food and wine are sourced within the UK and the experience we had included a four-course menu and a free bottle of Fizz. The free bottle of Fizz was a Halfpenny Green Sparkling White Rose from Shropshire. The menu included information about what we were having, the idea behind the dish and the creativity an...

Following a hugely successful run at the Noel Coward last summer, 2:22 A Ghost Story makes a limited return to the Gielgud Theatre. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the amazing Giovanna Fletcher as she was recovering from injury. From the get-go we are startled by high pitched screams and flashing red neon lights. Jenny (Rhiannon Hardy) is painting the house her, and husband Sam (Elliot Cowen) have recently bought and moved into with their daughter Phoebe. Jenny is alone whilst her husband is away for work and the ominous clock that ticks to the time of 2:22 and we hear muffled sobs and footsteps. Jenny hears this every night at the same time. Upon Sam’s arrival home they decide to hold a dinner party and invite his long-term friend Lauren (Stephanie Beatriz) and her new boyfriend Ben (James Buckley). Over the course of the dinner wine is flowing and tensions start to run high at the mention of the paranormal activity that seems to be happening within the house. Thus, opening conv...

What a month December was, definitely one of the busier months we have had in a while. I didn't feel that Christmassy this year. However, we still managed to have a good month so here are 5 happy snippets from it. Christmas Lights in Trentham Gardens On the 12 th December we visited the Christmas Lights around Trentham Gardens in Stoke-on-Trent and they were lovely. I’ve never done anything like this before and it was the perfect thing to do for Christmas. The gardens were big, and the trail went all the way around them in a big circle. I was quite ill as well this weekend and so felt like this was the best thing to be out in the fresh air and just taking time to appreciate the lights. I’d 100% do it again next year and would like to visit the gardens when it isn’t Christmas. Jersey Boys UK Tour On the 18 th me and my fiancé’s family went to the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham to see a matinee performance of the Jersey Boys UK Tour and it was good. It was a unique show, and the...

I think it’s safe to say that I will be very glad to see the back of 2021 it’s been a mixed year. The second half has been better than the first half. The main thing was being able to start doing normal things and being able to enjoy them even more. I thought I would pick out some of my highlights from the year. Getting Engaged In February I got engaged and it was amazing, it was at home, and it was very simple. Darren got me a card with some nice words and a rose and asked me in our living room. I had no idea even though looking back now it all makes sense. We have booked our wedding for summer 2023 and I am so excited for it. I have a wedding blog post that I will link,  Wedding Planning Part 1 Holidays We have been very lucky to have been on holiday within the UK twice this year and I am so thankful that we were able too. In June we went to Brean in Somerset for 5 days which was lovely, we stayed with my family in a lodge that had a hot tub. We also had lovely weather as wel...

On Saturday 18 th December me and my fiancé’s family went to see the Jersey Boys UK tour matinee show, which is on at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. I have not seen this show before and this was the first time I saw a musical at the Alexandra Theatre. I thought I would share my thoughts on the show and the theatre. Synopsis & Cast Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and how they developed over 20 years within the group. The story is told in four chapters using each one of the stars as a narrator, over 2 hours and 15 minutes with interval. We start with spring told by Tommy DeVito played by Dalton Wood, Summer told by Bob Gaudio played by Blair Gibson, Autumn told by Nick Massi played by Lewis Griffiths and finally Winter told by Frankie Valli played by the alternate Luke Suri. The narration is easy to follow throughout the show and gives you a story from each person’s point of view. The first half really sets the scene for how the band came toget...