By Stacey x

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 ...

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...

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...

After 21 months and a pandemic, on Saturday 14th August, I finally stepped back into a London theatre. It’s been a testing year with the stay at home orders, social distancing and mask wearing. It was emotional and an absolute joy to experience live theatre again. Originally, we had booked to see the Prince of Egypt in August 2020 but obviously couldn’t so we moved it to the same weekend in 2021. However, we were very close to missing the show again due to COVID as the show had a case and shut down for about 10 days or so but reopened on Thursday 12th August. I’m so thankful we were still able to go. In regards to the pandemic and safety within the theatre, I thought it was done really well. The day before I was sent a text message with a link to e-tickets and also where I could provide track and trace details and assign the tickets. Additionally, on the e-ticket it gave us our staggered arrival time of 6:55pm-7:10pm. Once at the theatre, there were separate doors for the stalls and ci...

On Sunday 5th May the lovely Rob Houchen's West End Does company celebrated their one year anniversary by hosting West End Does: Magic of Animation 2 at Cadogen Hall nearly a year to the day after they opened with West End Does: Magic of Animation at the same venue last year. I loved last year's concert so I was in no doubt as soon as this was announced that they were going to do another version this year I just had to go. This year's line up included some old favourites from last year in the forms of Carrie Hope Fletcher (Heathers, Les Mis), Celinde Schoenmaker (Phantom, Les Mis) and Bradley Jaden (Wicked, Les Mis). Scott Paige (Eugenius) and Dan Buckley (Eugenius) were the co-hosts for the night and they were so funny as they don't take themselves too seriously and play up to the audience it's just so much fun. Joining them were Laura Baldwin (Waitress, Eugenius), Rachel John (Hamilton), Jenny O'Leary (Heathers) and John Ellis (Phantom), as well as Rob Houc...

On Saturday 2nd March it was my 25th birthday and to celebrate me and Darren went to London from 1st-4th staying at the Travelodge in Wembley the High Road one which is directly above Wembley Central Tube station. We’ve stayed here quite a few times it’s cheap and convenient being a above the tube station and with Bakerloo line trains into Central London quite frequently. We got there late on the Friday so not enough time to do anything. On the Saturday we woke up early and I opened all my birthday cards and got my surprise present from Darren which was tickets to see Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre. I have seen it before but it is closing in August this year and I wanted to see it again before it closed. After grabbing some breakfast in the hotel we took the tube into Central London starting with the Disney Store on Oxford Street which is one of the best stores so much stuff in there that you don’t really get in the others, I didn’t buy anything in there. We then walked d...

Based on the 1950 film, All About Eve is an intense production about jealousy, theatre, love, friendship and ambition. Margo Channing is the best actress there is and the one everyone loves and wants to work for, she is then introduced to her biggest fan Eve. Doing what she thinks is right Margo takes in Eve who becomes her closest friend. However, over time Eve starts to find a taste for wanting the spotlight and becoming a big actress herself but where does that leave Margo? A stellar cast help tell us All About Eve, firstly we have Gillian Anderson who plays Margo Channing, Margo is the best actress and she knows it, she is shallow and very insecure but behind all that she is very vulnerable and Gillian portrays this amazingly she was incredible and we got to know the character and her thought process. Then we have the gorgeous Lily James as manipulative Eve Harrington, a very different role for Lily and she thrived within as she is very good at playing the sweet character t...

As well as being a huge Disney fan I am also a massive Theatre fan particularly Musical Theatre. So I thought I'd share what my Theatre Plans are for 2019 because I really enjoy sharing and talking about the shows I have seen and are going to see.  All About Eve (Noel Coward Theatre, London) Picture credit: All About Eve Twitter The first show I am seeing this year is the play All About Eve which is playing at the Noel Coward Theatre until May. I will be completely honest and say me and my friend Amy booked this because Lily James is in and she's our favourite actress and we try and support her in everything she does but since then I have got a better grasp of what this play is about. It's all about a big star actress called Margo Channing who is being played by Gillian Anderson who's biggest fan called Eve played by Lily James comes into her life and I think all hell breaks loose from there. It's presented as a rollercoaster of a play that has a lot of jeal...

On the 20th October I finally saw Heathers the Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. After an amazing sell out run at The Other Palace back in September Heathers made the big West End transfer to the Haymarket for a strict 12 week run and they haven’t looked back.  September 1st 1989 and Veronica Sawyer is starting her senior year of high school. All she wants is to get through unscathed and for people to leave her alone. She ends up helping out the it girls of the school called the Heathers, made up of Heather Chandler who is the leader of the group, Heather Duke and Heather McNamara. Due to these actions she is taken in by the Heathers and this is the ideal situation because it means everyone will leave her alone. However, the Heathers are not nice people and Veronica gets sucked into this. Then she meets the mysterious JD who convinces her to get back at the bad people around her and takes drastic actions, which opens a whole can of worms that gets progressive...