These Theatre Thoughts

  Tickets: Free Date: 29th September 2023 Seat: My Sofa Rating: 4 Stars We’re not gamers (is that even the right word?) in this family; we’re theatre nerds (as if that wasn’t obvious), so I’ll admit to being a little unsure when we sat down to watch RuneSical , a musical about the game RuneScape. There was no need to be anxious, and no need to be into computer games; Gigglemug’s fantastical and fun frolic through Gielinor to find the Mirror Dragon is a joyous and daft bit of entertainment that kept us hooked throughout, laughing out loud, gasping at one point (there’s a twist!), and just generally getting into the spirit of things from the comfort of the sofa. Wearing pyjamas.  Because here’s the thing: as well as being a great musical in its own right, RuneSical is online, in its entirety, and you can watch the whole thing on YouTube any time you want – which I thoroughly recommend you do.  In fact, you’ll want to watch RuneSical more than once because here’s the other thing: it’s a

  SUPERYOU MUSICAL TO HAVE A STAGED CONCERT IN THE WEST END ON 15 NOVEMBER 2023 AT THE LYRIC THEATRE   WRITTEN AND COMPOSED BY LOURDS LANE AND STARRING TV & WEST END STAR LUCIE JONES   SuperYou Musical ,   starring Lucie Jones ( Wicked/Waitress/Les Miserables/X-Factor ) ,   is an uplifting musical, written and composed by Lourds Lane , that centers around the transformative journey of a comic book artist who discovers self-love and her own voice as her superheroine creations spring to life. It will make its West End debut, in a concert version, at the Lyric Theatre for one performance only on 15 November 2023.   The musical’s score is a dynamic rock soundtrack that seamlessly incorporates a wide range of musical styles, including pop, hip hop, swing, blues, gospel, country, and soulful power ballads.   By delving into themes of discovering inner strength, while fostering acceptance, inclusivity, and celebrating kindness, both towards others and, crucially, ones

  Tickets: Paid for Date: 27th September 2023 Seat: C27 Rating: 4 Stars There are two things I love most when it comes to my viewing options – theatre and horror films. So when those two things are combined, I’m excited. When they’re combined well, like they are in Shock Horror , I’m ecstatic. And terrified. And those are good things to be in my book.   Shock Horror tells the disjointed and upsetting story of Herbert, who grew up in an old cinema called the Metropol, where something unspeakable happened. He lived there with his mother, Norma, father, Jack, and something else too: the Darkness. Herbert has returned to the cinema, possibly the one place he felt safe in his life (although ‘safe’ is certainly a relative term in this case), one last time before it’s demolished. He doesn’t exactly want to be there, but someone’s got to keep the ghosts in the walls and the Darkness in check.   Written and directed by Ryan Simons, Shock Horror is a cleverly realised story that takes place pa

  Les Enfants Terribles and HOME Manchester announce   the London premiere of their magical and moving production    The House with Chicken Legs   at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall this winter  with a festive run from 13 – 30 December 2023     The Olivier-nominated theatre company Les Enfants Terribles and HOME Manchester will present the London premiere of their highly acclaimed co-production The House with Chicken Legs this Winter with a Christmas holiday run at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 13 until 30 December 2023 (press night: 15 December, 7pm).    Bringing Sophie Anderson's best-selling novel to life, this critically acclaimed show transports audiences to a world inspired by Baba Yaga through live music, intricate puppetry and projection. The story follows Marinka, a young girl who dreams of a normal life, where she can stay somewhere long enough to make friends; but there’s one problem – her house has chicken legs and moves on w

  AHOY THERE LANDLUBBERS! WEST END CAST ANNOUNCED FOR CAUSING PAN-DEMONIUM THIS CHRISTMAS AT THE LYRIC THEATRE By Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields Based on Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie   Mischief , creators of the multi award-winning global sensation The Play That Goes Wrong , The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Royal Television Society award-winning BBC comedy series The Goes Wrong Show , announce the West End cast of Peter Pan Goes Wrong which sails into the West End for 7½ weeks only at the Lyric Theatre this Christmas ( Thursday 23 November 2023 – Sunday 14 January 2024 , with a Gala Performance on Tuesday 28 November ) before continuing to tour the UK.   Returning to the West End following successful runs on Broadway and in Los Angeles are Matthew Cavendish (Max), Harry Kershaw (Chris), Chris Leask (Trevor), Ellie Morris (Lucy), Charlie Russell (Sandra), Greg Tannahill (Jonathan), and Nancy Zamit (Annie, 23 Nov – 17 Dec & 11 – 14 Jan). They are joine

  HIGHTIDE ANNOUNCES CAST FOR GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT     HighTide today announces full casting for the upcoming tour of Ghost Stories By Candlelight. Elayce Ismail directs Katie Cherry (Sara and Izzy), Elizabeth Crarer (Natalie and Mary), and Loren O’Dair (Balladeer) in this modern twist on the genre.   Written by Kelly Jones , Shamser Sinha, and Nicola Werenowska with music and songs composed by Georgia Shackleton, the production begins at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds on 13 October, with press night at The Old Library Colchester on 18 October, and tours to a further 21 venues including many non-traditional theatre spaces in the East of England. The production will also run at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe from 23 – 25 November.     A HighTide production, in association with Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Harlow Playhouse and Shakespeare’s Globe: GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT  Written by Kelly Jones , Shamser Sinha, and Nicola Werenowska

HALLOWEEN WEST END PREMIERE FOR NEW-FOR-’23 STAGE PLAY DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? London theatregoers are invited to celebrate Halloween experiencing hit touring stage show Do You Believe in Ghosts? as it enjoys its West End premiere at The Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday, October 31. Fans of all things that go bump in the night are promised “an experiential ghost story, unlike anything you have ever experienced before” by the producers of the new-for-2023 play.   Show creator James Taylor, of the UK’s leading theatre show producers Entertainers, guarantees “a haunting night at the theatre”. He asks: “Are you feeling brave?  “If you are, join us, and we tell you all the secrets of what goes on when the theatre goes dark. When the only thing to guide you is the Ghost Light.”  The Ghost Light is a theatre tradition whereby stages are lit with a single light, even when there is no performance taking place that night. Tradition has it that it affords ghosts the opportunity to perform when the th

 UNVEILED – WEST END DEBUT AT THE ADELPHI THEATRE FOR AN EVENING OF BURLESQUE See It For Yourself on 10th October!  A scintillating night out of sparkling entertainment, the UK’s longest-running Burlesque show is back touring the nation, and it’s bigger than ever. The producers of An Evening of Burlesque describe the show as “a good old-fashioned variety show that blends stylish cabaret, circus and burlesque,” and its UK tour comes to town in the coming weeks. “It’s time to ‘roll up, roll up’ for an extravaganza of glitz and glamour,” says James Taylor or Entertainers, the same theatre production company that has brought smash hits The Magic of Motown, Lost in Music, Fastlove, The Rocket Man and Thank You to the Music to the stage over the past 20 years. James says that An Evening of Burlesque has experienced a huge resurgence in popularity following the pandemic. Photo credit: Andy Payne “I think the country as a whole needs a night out where they can leave all their worries at the do

OVO, the acclaimed theatre production company, is set to stage Brecht's Threepenny Opera at The Cockpit this month. I had the privilege of conducting an interview with Adam Nichols, the visionary director behind this groundbreaking production, delving into the background of what this show is really all about.  Photo credit: Elliott Franks For those who may not be familiar with the Threepenny Opera , could you provide a brief overview of the story and its central characters? Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum, the “boss of London’s beggars”, owns a shop where he outfits and trains beggars in return for a cut of their takings. When Peachum and his wife learn that their daughter, Polly, has married Macheath, a.k.a. the notorious bandit Mack the Knife, they hatch a plan to bring about Mack’s ruin. Other principal characters include “Tiger” Brown, the chief of police and an old friend and ally of Mack; Brown’s daughter, Lucy, to whom Mack is also secretly married; and Jenny, a prostitute with w

  LEGENDS OF AMERICAN COUNTRY Wednesday 1 November 7.30pm, The Hawth Crawley   Now seen by over 350,000 fans live and watched by millions on TV, the award-winning Legends of American Country returns for another fantastic night of toe-tapping Country nostalgia. The 2023 show showcases highly acclaimed tributes to Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Don Williams, Patsy Cline, and Kenny Rogers and new tributes to icons Hank Williams, Charley Pride, Glen Campbell, Tammy Wynette, John Denver, and Jim Reeves with countless other well-known singalong hit songs in a must-see musical extravaganza. The show features 3 superb singers, Kelan Browne, Tracey McAuley, and Antony McBrien, accompanied by a talented live band of musicians with that authentic Tennessee sound coupled with an authentic stage set and state-of-the-art production that will transport you all the way hand clapping and toe-tapping to Nashville and back in one night. One thing is for sure: if it's Country music you like, t