Posts Categorized: Editorial

Viva Forever! may not run forever!

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Hola! Well, it’s opened. Viva Forever! The Spice Girls musical has finally opened for reviews. Here is what the Guardian said: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/dec/11/viva-forever-review The Telegraph “banal”, “fatuous”, “ghastly mistake” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9737630/Viva-Forever-Piccadilly-Theatre-review.html The Daily Express “what happened to the oomph, pizzazz and sheer excitement of Girl Power?” http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/364253/First-night-review-Viva-Forever-Piccadilly-Theatre The Daily Mail “Spicy?, No it’s a prize christmas turkey”… Read more »

Stephen Fry’s back in the theatre. Hurrah!

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When Stephen Fry did a runner from the West End production of Simon Gray’s play “Cell Mates” in 1995 and dropped out of public view it was a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. Perhaps he even had Christie’s creation – Poirrot – in mind as he did in deed turn up in Belgium! Poirrot’s… Read more »

Ever nodded off in the theatre?

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Sir Peter Hall went to the theatre on Friday night and nodded off. Well, he is nearly 82 and what he was dreaming of may have been more interesting than the production of Uncle Vanya he had been watching ’til the theatre fairy sprinkled some sleep dust in his eyes. The problem arose when he… Read more »

Blood Brothers bleed their last…

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They say all good things must come to an end. Likewise the same is true for Blood Brothers, which has announced it will close at the Phoenix Theatre in November 2012. Its one of those Marmite shows which you either love or you hate. Willy Russell’s musical is one of the longest running in history having… Read more »

Revivals aren’t what they used to be…

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Simon Gray’s Quartermaine’s Terms which Edward Fox and Prunella Scales starred in in 1981. 1981! It’s a superb role for Rowan Atkinson – much in the public mind after his turn at the Olympics opening ceremony – as the eponymous St John Quartermaine, but it’s not exactly ground breaking.

Shakespeare ’til Henge

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The melting pot that is the Edinburgh Fringe bubbles over once more with a cornucopia of theatrical delights. Look at me blending my metaphors like a Moulinex! Or gosh! – Isn’t there a lot of different stuff on. Your valiant reviewer has been pounding the streets from morning ’til night to bring the best of… Read more »

As Burns once said…

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The Scottish bard had it right when he said “The best laid plans of mice and men…” I was planning to report on themes broad and rich, on new writing with clever links galore. The Fringe in Edinburgh doesn’t quite work like that. It’s more like a magpie’s eye view. What you saw that moment,… Read more »

Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh

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They are coming from all over the world, there will be a marathon of events but its not the Olympics – it’s the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the biggest arts festival in the world. Yours truly has relocated to Edinburgh in advance of the cultural Olympiad. It’s bigger than ever with 2695 shows in all… Read more »