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Shrek The Musical
by louisechackett During my latest visit to London I knew that I wanted to take my son to the West End to see a show as I felt he was old enough to appreciate it and to take note of what was going on at six years old. As we needed to see a show on a Monday night we were quite limited on what we could see as many shows don't show on a Sunday or Monday ... night but luckily for us the show Shrek was showing and my son, my sister and I were all keen on seeing it. ==Booking tickets== Ordinarily I would book tickets for a show when I got to London using the tkts booth in Leicester Square but as this was a new show I was concerned that they may not be selling the tickets or that they would not have any when we got down there so I decided to book the tickets through ticketmaster. The ticket prices really do vary with some of the best seats costing upwards of ninety pounds but we settled for mid range tickets towards the back of the stalls which apparently were limited view which cost £55.00 per ticket but had booking fees and such like on top making them around £60.00 per ticket. Considering that I had got a good deal on a Travelodge hotel and train travel it actually meant that mine and my sons tickets combined were costing more than two nights in London and return travel from Manchester so we were hoping that the show would live up to our expectations! ==Getting there== Now every single time I go to see a show in London I end up getting lost in the streets and having to ask for directions. This time I was organised and went on to the internet to find directions before we travelled. The print out I had showed a map and a few directions and have to say they were just perfect and we found the theatre without any trouble at all. The show is at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (I just love the fact that it is at Drury Lane as the film makes reference to the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane!) and so the nearest tube station is Covent Garden. You quite literally need to walk out of the station down a row of shops, down by the piazza and then after a minute you will see the theatre in the not to far distance. I would say it is a five minute walk, if that, from the tube station. You will spot the theatre immediately as it has a large green "S" with ears on the front! ==The theatre and merchandise== The theatre looks very grand as they all seem to do in London's West End. There are lots of attendants around to help you with getting in to the theatre and to let you know where your seats are and show you if required. Inside the foyer there is a sparkly green "S" which is the perfect place for photographs to mark your trip to see the show as you are not allowed to take any photographs whilst in the main show area regardless of whether the show has started or not. There are plenty of staff wandering around inside there selling merchandise who will jump on you if you try and take a photo! As with all shows of this kind there is merchandise being sold as well as sweets, drinks and ice cream and such like. They have t shirts, key rings, programs, soft toys, shrek ears and even whoopee cushions for sale here. My son decided he would like me to buy a small donkey soft toy which was £9.00 and I opted to buy a programme for £6.00 so he would have a memory of the day to take away with him. My sister chose a key ring which was £7.00. The merchandise is nice but over priced as always. A bag of sweets will set you back around £3.00, a drink £2.80 and a small tub of ice cream £3.50....yes we bought all of them because that's what you do at the theatre! ==The show and my opinion== For those of you who are not aware of whom Shrek is...where have you been?! Shrek is a green ogre who is feared by many but who is probably misunderstood really. Set a challenge to rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon guarded castle, Shrek sets off on an adventure which will change his life. From the onset I knew that this show was not going to be a carbon copy of the Dreamworks film and this was something that I was pleased about because whilst I love the Shrek films I didn't want to pay £60.00 per ticket to see something copied on to the stage from the big screen when I could watch it at home. The show of course follows the themes of the film and will also have some of the more iconic moments added in to it such as key phrases and moments but it is different as well and tells us a bit more about the background of Shrek and Fiona's life just as an example. The songs in the show are brilliant I have to say and are sung really well. They are frequent and often really funny too and they really do keep your attention so well. The set is also brilliant and changes effortlessly and looks really professional. One scene is Lord Farquaads castle and it actually looks like it is a three dimensional castle and I think this is wonderful seen as it is on a stage. The dragon used in the show is phenomenal and I am not exaggerating when I say that at all...it looks amazing and is well controlled and at one point flies right over the audience which is just spectacular. The change over from when Fiona is a normal looking Princess to when she is a green ogre is also done remarkable quickly and something that I was really impressed by. Shrek is played by Nigel Lindsay and whilst he is apparently someone who has been on a few things on the television he is not someone that I was aware of at all. He plays Shrek excellently and lumbers around the stage just like you would expect an ogre to do. He acts the part really well and shows both Shrek's scary and more misunderstood and vulnerable side brilliantly. He sings the songs really well too and was believable as the character. Fiona is ordinarily played by Amanda Holden and I was looking forward to seeing her play the role even though I had seen some clips and was aware she wasn't the strongest singer. When we got to the theatre though we were made aware that Amanda wouldn't be playing Fiona during our show and whilst initially disappointed I was soon in awe of Alice Fearn who was playing the part that night. Alice was funny as the character as well as an excellent singer and I think she was brilliant at the role. Richard Blackwood plays Shrek's loyal companion Donkey and to be honest I was expecting more humour from him as I knew him as a comedian first and foremost. He played the part quite well but I felt Donkey could have been more stand out at times. For me the absolute stand out performance in the show was that of Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad. In the film Lord Farquaad is a very small man with illusions of grandeur and this is portrayed in the stage show with Nigel Harman on his knees with false legs attached to his costume. It is hilarious seeing the legs move as Nigel rushes along on his knees and they are able to use this to create some hilarious moments. The show is suitable for children age five plus and my son is six. He loved the show and was laughing out loud at many points. The show will not go over a child's head, especially if they have seen the film, and they will enjoy all the singing, dancing and energy that the show has to offer. From an adults point of view the show is hilarious in points but much like the film it has little moments where only the adults in the audience will understand and be amused by what is going on but that it is not enough to make the children question what is going on as well. An example of this is Lord Farquaad dancing and opening up his artificial legs whilst making reference to how wonderful he is. As adults we were amused but the children just think he is dancing. There are many cast members involved in this production some of which will be familiar to those who have seen the films such as Pinocchio, the three bears or Gingey the gingerbread man but there are also other fairy tale characters such as Humpty Dumpty, the uckly ducking and red riding hood which I have never noticed in the film. The additional cast members who are not "main" characters are still really prominent in the show and provide some excellent entertainment by the way of singing and dancing. My son's favourite parts of the show where when Fiona and Shrek discovered they had a little bit more in common than first thought as they burp and fart through a song and when the dragon comes flying over the audience. We were covered slightly by the over hang from the seats above so perhaps missed out on a little of the effect but he still felt it was wonderful all the same. I can honestly say I would love to see this show again and so I cannot give it anything but my full recommendation. It was funny, well thought out, energetic and entertaining and I would definitely say go and see it if you can because it is wonderful! I can guarantee at the end of the show you will be on your feet singing, dancing and clapping! Thank you for reading my review! Read the complete review |
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Batman Live Arena Tour
by hollywoodmum Batman Live World Arena Tour Batman is DC comics most popular superhero. To date as well as the comics, there has been cartoons, TV series films and a whole load of merchandise. But now for the first time ever Batman has his first live stage show. The Story Batman Live is set (like you would expect) in ... Gotham City, a city where criminals out number the police. The police have to rely on Batman to help them bring criminals to justice. The show tells the story of the death of Bruce Wayne's parents and his transformation into the Caped Crusader. from then on he meets the Flying Graysons, who are murdered right in front of his eyes when their Trapeze wires are cut. The Graysons leave behind a teenage son, Dick, who is intent on avenging his parents death. Meanwhile the criminal element are all hanging out at the Penguin's Ice Berg club, while the joker takes over the circus. With the help of Batman some of the criminal element are captured and thrown into Arkham Asylum. The Joker comes up with a devious plan to take over the asylum and lure Batman to his doom, leaving him free to take over Gotham city once and for all. Characters Batman/ Bruce Wayne - Superhero and multi-millionaire. firm believer in justice over revenge. Commisioner Gordon - Police Commisoner works closely with Batman. Alfred Pennyworth - Batman's butler and confidante The Penguin - Rackateer. Owns The Ice Berg club where the criminals of Gotham hang out. Dick Grayson/Robin - Lives with Bruce Wayne after his parents are murdered. soon becomes Batman's side kick. Poison Ivy - professional criminal who has powers over plant life. Her kiss contains deadly toxins. Two-Face - Homicidal maniac. Half good, half evil but the evil side makes the major decisions. The Riddler- Genius and criminal mastermind. The Joker - The Clown Prince of Crime, Criminal mastermind & homicidal maniac. Harley Quinn - The Joker's lover, wicked sense of humour. Catwoman- Professional Thief. Struggles with identity has strong sexual tension with Batman. Venues & Dates MANCHESTER-MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS ARENA 19 - 24 JUL NEWCASTLE-METRO RADIO ARENA 27 - 31 JUL GLASGOW-SECC 03 - 07 AUG SHEFFIELD MOTORPOINT ARENA 10 - 14 AUG BIRMINGHAM-NIA ARENA 17 - 21 AUG LONDON-THE O2 ARENA 24 AUG - 04 SEP LIVERPOOL -LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA 07 - 11 SEP NOTTINGHAM-CAPITAL FM ARENA 14 - 18 SEP DUBLIN-O2 28 SEP - 01 OCT BELFAST-ODYSSEY ARENA 05 - 08 OCT Tickets and Prices Tickets can be bought by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 875 9000. Prices vary from £20-£35 There are special Gotham City seat available which are closer to the action, these are limited and cost £45. A family ticket is £79 this is for four people and group must contain at least one adult and at least one child. For a group of 12+ a discount is available of 10% but only for weekday performances. About The Show The show is not just about the story. it has been specifically designed so it would only work in an arena setting. The show contains flying, in air stunts a100ft video wall, which acts as the backdrop for the show and a specially designed Batmobile. My Experience A few weeks ago I received an email from a web site called showfilmfirst.com. It mentioned free tickets for a family show in Manchester. as the summer hols were coming up I decided to have look as I'm always looking for ways to entertain the kids. I followed the link and taken to a page telling me what the show was and what dates were available for free tickets. I was a little amazed as I'd seen the the show advertised on telly, but thought there would be noway I'd be able to afford to take the kids. I was issued a printable voucher for 4 free tickets for Sunday 17th July. at this point I began to think it was a con as I knew the show didn't start until 19th. But the day before I received a reminder email from the site asking me to contact them if I was unable to attend. So last Sunday myself, my boyfriend and my two boys aged 4 and 6 headed off to MEN arena. I actually have 3 kids but my 9 year old daughter had pulled her face at the mention of batman so I took the fella instead. Shame really because after watching it myself Im pretty sure she would have loved it. When we got to the arena the website had been allocated its own box office where you could trade in your voucher for your tickets. So that was easy, the trouble is that in order to do this we had to be there an hour before the start time, which means we were hanging about with my boys that are very easily bored. Lucky for me the MEN has a McDonalds in the foyer. Once the doors opened it was very easy to find out seats, refreshments and the toilets. There was only around 200 people there. Before the performance started Anthony Vaanlaast, the creative director and James Powell, the creative director came on stage and explained that the free tickets we issued as this was a dress rehearsal and the first time the cast have performed the show to an audience. The stage was amazingly eye catching, the video wall changed as the scenes changed so you didn't notice props and scenery being changed on the stage. The performers didn't just act, they performed stunts, danced, and took part in beautifully choreographed fight scenes. While the sound and lighting really set the scene. My children were amazed and sat in awe throughout the whole show. The first act last 50 minutes with a 15minute interval. The second act lasted approximately 40 minutes. There was a small hiccup at the beginning of the second act when Batman hurt his leg during a fight scene, the show stopped for a few minutes while he was sorted out, it was then announced he was fine to carry on. The show picked up from where it left off, and small hitch didn't seem to effect any of the performances given. The show was fast paced and action packed. it was a sight and sound extravaganza. Myself and the boys really enjoyed it. Overall I usually wouldn't be able to afford to take my kids to anything like this but if you can go. It's brilliant, all kids would love it not just the boys, as it contains strong female characters too. i also believe that it's suitable for any age. The only downfall is that refreshments and merchandise are quite expensive. It was £1 for a bag of crisps, £2 for a small bottle of water. £2.45 for a large soft drink (which was actually the same size as a regular soft drink at McDonalds) There is plenty of merchandise available, T-shirts, posters, luch boxes, etc. I paid £12 for 2 batman masks. If you go I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Read the complete review |
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Whistle Down The Wind
by kylecoare Whistle Down The Wind - Andrew Lloyd Webber And Jim Steinman - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - So this may come as a shock to people who read my stuff, I actually am quite worldly, I may be a rocker and a punk but at the same time I love just as much to sit ... and listen to an ALW musical!! Andrew Lloyd Webber is a... do I really need to tell you?!?!? Surely everyone knows Lord Webber by know!!! Well if you don't he Composed and created many of the most classic musicals of the last few years, such as "Evita", "Phantom of the Opera" and "Jesus Christ superstar" that's without mentioning all the others!!! Oh and this may surprise you ill give one song he wrote now, and another at the end of the review!!! He made the hit single Doctor Spin - tetris!!!, yep he was the genius behind making the Tetris theme tune a dance hit in the 90's lol!!! But the second reveal is better that's coming later!!!!!! Anyway along side Webber you need a good Lyricist, Webber can make a piano say words we cant imagine, but only a Lyricist can make his words come to life, and in Steinman he has picked someone with a different sort of history here than his normal collaborators Steinman is most famous for his work with Meat Loaf on the Bat out of Hell albums, and various other ventures that were never quite as well received. THE MUSICAL Well better talk about what im not being paid for!!! Well we have the story of a small town in Louisiana, originally it was somewhere in Lancashire, as this is based on a novel by Mary Hayley Bell, it is also set 10 years earlier, but rest of the story is pretty much as is!! The story starts with a choir and a choral church setting, letting you know that this is a religious town, which does impact on the children of the story, and the children are the story.... A cold blooded killer has escaped prison, and will obviously do anything to not be spotted caught!! Well he decides to hide in the children's hiding area, they bump into him, pretty much literally, asking who he is he replies "Oh Jesus Christ" at the shock but the children see that as literal, and as such the story then tells itself...!!!! The criminal hiding gets children who look up to him for their own reasons which are explained so lovely and carefully over the cause of the story!!! That's where I leave the plot, that's quite early in the story, and I don't want to ruin it for others. MUSIC Oh this is a musical isn't it, better tell something about the sounds!!! Not sure which version you may buy, ive listened to London 1998 cast, normally it doesn't matter that much, though I listened to evita original versus film remake and original was 10 times better!!!! The songs jump all over the place yet fit beautifully, you have some typical opera type numbers, some 50's jazzy type numbers and some really rockin rock and roll numbers, the whole soundtrack is beautiful, it manages to mix styles and colours beautifully. The well known songs from this are boyzones no matter what which is an almost completely different song here, but still recognisable! And the title track which is beautiful and moving and holds you close to tears before kicking you, making you cry more!!! OVERALL Steinman and Webber have done a wondrous thing here they have made a musical thriller that needs other people to listen to; it's created a show where kids of all ages really show talent! These kids are great. Depending on which version you get im sure you will be happy, ive listened to London cast, but im sure Us cast would be as good, Lloyd Webber doesn't normally cast badly!!! If you like this then, try all Lloyd Webber and all Steinman, it's almost the perfect mix!!! Kylecoares greatest moment will arrive soon, but then he will fall further than any coare as ever fallen On the astroroid known as Ciaofun, also known as the place a good man will look for a beer Oh and just so to finish the review I almost forgot the other major single by mister Llyod Webber was...... Should I tell you? Its gonna be painful unless you know, your never gonna believe such a great musician was behind this..... Ok here goes... "Itsy Bitsy teeny weenie polka dot bikini" by timmy mallott!!!!!!! All true!! As one last bonus I say look up me first and the gimmie gimmies doing phantom of the opera on you tube!!!! Youl see the song so different!!!! Goodnight good morning Read the complete review |
England Theatre / Musical National |
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3 reviews Theatre / Musical National / Glynis Henderson Productions, 69 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4PJ - STOMP has no words - everyone can understand it. It has little or no melody in the traditional sense, so it doesn't matter if your taste in music is jazz, classical, dance or pop. STOMP is about rhythm, which is common to ... |
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7 reviews Theatre / Musical National / Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, Monarchs Quay, Liverpool, L3 4FP Tel:0844 8000 400 - Echo Arena Liverpool is a state of the art 10,000 plus seater arena. A versatile space that is the perfect venue for concerts, comedy, family entertainment and sport. |
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Theatre / Musical National / 42-44 King Street, Maidenhead, SL6 1DY, Tel: 0871 22 44 007 |
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15 reviews Theatre / Musical National / Kirilov International Productions Proudly Present:- From The Moscow, Ukraine and Bulgarian State Circuses A Spectacular All New Show with acts never before seen in the United Kingdom 2008 Tour Now On. Tel: 077 66 55 22 11 |
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Address: The Green / Theatre / Musical National / Hunstanton / Norfolk PE36 5AH |
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Address: 27-29 King Street / Theatre / Musical National / King's Lynn / Norfolk / PE30 1HA |
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Address: Tuesday Market Place / Theatre / Musical National / King's Lynn / Norfolk / PE30 1JW |
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1 review 15 Gordon Street / Theatre / Musical National / London / WC1H 0AH / Tel: 020 7388 8822 |
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3 reviews Life Cafe, 1a Bold Street, Liverpool, L1 4DJ. Tel: 0151 707 2333 / Theatre / Musical National /0151 256 5555. |
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4 reviews Address: Guildhall Road / Theatre / Musical National / Northampton / NN1 1DP / England |
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