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Musicals

The triple-threat of music, dance and drama and another staple of the London theatre scene. There are plenty of musicals on the West End, but it’s the Off West End where you’ll find the new stuff, so don’t be afraid to jump in!

Bare: A Pop Musical, The Vaults – Review

Originally performed in 2000, Bare: a Pop Opera is starting to show its age.  Set in the senior year of a private Catholic school somewhere in North America, it is centred around a relationship between two teenage boys Peter (Daniel Mack Shand) and Jason (Darragh Crowley).  Jason is the self-confident golden boy, whilst Peter is more reserved and cautious.  They have, so far, hidden their relationship from the rest of their year group, most of whom have their own issues ...

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Trump the Musical, King’s Head Theatre – Review

It’s the impossibly distant year 2020, and the world is on the brink of nuclear war. King Nigel Farage rules the Disunited Kingdom of England and Northern Ireland, and Trump’s popularity is higher than ever: “He gave us our jobs back,” exclaims one satisfied voter, “I’m now a full-time Muslim hunter.” Trump The Musical plays, as the central character tells us, to “the biggest musical theatre crowd there has ever been”. A riotous evening of song and dance, satire and ...

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Summer Street, Waterloo East Theatre – Review

The posters displayed around the always welcoming lobby of Waterloo East Theatre ask the questions “Love Kylie? Love the 90s? Love Soap?”. The worrying thing is I can confidently state the answer is “no” to two of these questions; as for the 90s, I have vague recollections of them, usually of being in some dark dingy venue watching long forgotten bands. So even before taking my seat I was a little concerned I was not the shows target audience. Thankfully ...

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Amour, Charing Cross Theatre – Review

Having only lasted two weeks on Broadway in 2002 Amour has finally moved across the pond to try its luck closer to its French setting, with its London debut at the Charing Cross Theatre. Its hard to work out who to attribute blame to in this stoney production, but with moments of brightness it isn’t a completely wasted evening. Following bank clerk Dusoleil (Gary Tushaw), whose lonely existence is transformed by the ability to walk through walls, the story is ...

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Twelfth Night, Rose Playhouse – Review

OVO Theatre’s Twelfth Night opens with Viola and Sebastian performing their dance double-act on a cruise ship. This scene sets up many of the themes and problems that continue throughout the show. These include raucous humour that’s like jazz hands tirelessly shaking for 95 minutes, with the plot being used as a means of taking a step towards the next laugh, the next spectacular event of debauchery. Also a lack of consistent focus; seemingly clever suggestions that subtly reveal some ...

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