All the world's a stage, What to see this month - Part III : LOCAL LOVES

Hello lovely London lovers! As promised, here is your monthly 'oh my god, you HAVE to see this show' list of suggestions from me and I've got three corkers - a wonderful West End transfer, a Downton delight and some Savoy sparkle.  

MORROW'S MONTHLY MUSINGS!

GHOSTS

  

Ghosts, by Henrik Ibsen, is utterly heartbreaking. But it is so brilliantly heartbreaking that it’s been getting spectacular 5* reviews! It is the story of Helene, a long suffering wife, newly widowed, whose son returns from many years of travelling only to ask his mother to assist his suicide. Helene is played by the fabulous Lesley Manville who recently won Best Actress at the Critic’s Circle Awards for her performance. She truly grabs your heart and gives it an almighty squeeze. Helene has spent her life protecting her son Osvald from his philandering father but even now that he has gone Osvald is not safe. 

Osvald is played by Jack Lowden who I have had a huge talent-crush since I saw him in Chariots of Fire at the Hampstead Theatre – he is bloody brilliant. He goes from swaggering, opinionated lathario to helpless child within an hour and at no point do you question this transition. His commitment to the role, especially in his final scene, is completely blub-worthy. 

So, as you can see, this isn’t the cheeriest of evenings in the West End but it’s ‘proper theatre’ at it’s best – an hour and thirty minutes straight through this is a massive whack of of it. The Trafalgar Studios is wonderfully intimate, you honestly feel as if you are intruding on the sitting room in which the play is set. I won’t spoil the ending for you but the final scene is so horribly private that it almost feels like you shouldn’t applaud, that you shouldn’t break into that moment.  

It really is brilliant stuff and you should get yourselves over there before it ends! And with it being only 90 minutes long you can head out for dinner after.... ;)  

WHAT: Ghosts
WHERE: Trafalgar Studio 1, 14 Whitehall
WHO: This is a serious play for serious play lovers - go if you want to see a classic or if you want to see some truly fantastic acting
TUBE: Charing Cross or Embankment (remember the Northern Line is closed at the latter until November)
TICKETS: ATG Tickets
DATES: On until Saturday 22nd March 

THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTON 

This should could not be more different than Ghosts, even though it is housed under the same roof – it is ridiculously silly and unreservedly raucous. If there is even the smallest Downton fan in you it really is a must-see. 

Downton is in trouble; Lord Grantham has yet again lost the family fortune but there is a wedding to pay for. How will he keep this from the family? Who is getting married to who? And how can Downton be saved?? 

Now the character list for this is fairly lengthy so bear with me...you will see Lord Grantham, Carson, Bates, Lady Mary, Thomas, Mrs Hughes, Cora, Daisy, Mrs Patmore, the Dowager Countess, Branson, Molesley, O’Brien, Cousin Matthew and Alfred. But that’s not it. You also meet Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry, Mel & Sue,  Alan Carr, Tom Daley, Rylan, the X Factor Judges, Dermot O’Leary, Alexander Armstrong, Bruno Tonioli, Andy Murray, Boris Becker and John McEnroe....to name but a few.  

And here’s the impressive bit – all of those characters are played by ONE MAN. Yes, impressionist virtuoso, Luke Kempner plays every single one of them! Not only are his impressions spot on, the speed at which he switches between them is incredible. 

It is completely and utterly hilarious – my face ached from laughing. I won’t tell you what actually happens but that character list alone should get you to grab a ticket! 

Here’s a little sneak preview of those Downton delights from Luke’s Radio 2 appearance.... 

 

WHAT: The Only Way is Downton
WHERE: Trafalgar Studio 2, 14 Whitehall
WHO: Downton fans, big and small.
TUBE: Charing Cross or Embankment (remember the Northern Line is closed at the latter
TICKETS: ATG Tickets
DATES: On until Saturday 22nd February

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, based on the film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, is coming to the West End! I'ts about to open in Manchester, pop to Aylesbury for a little bit, then jazz-hand its way into the Savoy Theatre – and it’s going to be fab.

I haven’t seen a full run just yet but was lucky enough to go along to the press launch at Alford House recently and it’s shaping up to be a great show. It is set in the French Riviera and revolves around ‘Laurence’ and ‘Freddy’, two professional con men, who are competing for the biggest swindle of the season. 

Starring Robert Lindsay (Laurence), Rufus Hound (Freddy), Samantha Bond and Katherine Kingsley it’s your all-singing, all-dancing go-to for a dazzling night in the West End. Robert and Rufus effortlessly bounce off of each other, having you laughing your socks of within minutes. As does Katherine in her dippy blondeness. And Samantha? She’s such a Bond Girl through and through, you just can’t stop watching her!

The show is opening at the Savoy Theatre at the end of March so why not book yourself in and before you head to the theatre pop into the Savoy Hotel next door for a thoroughly decadent cocktail in the Beaufort Bar?
 

WHAT: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
WHERE: Savoy Theatre, Strand
WHO: Any and everyone really!
TUBE: Charing Cross or Covent Garden
TICKETS: ATG Tickets
DATES: The first performance is Monday 10th March and the show will be there for the foreseeable future - hurrah!

All the world's a stage, What to see this month : LOCAL LOVES

MORROW'S MONTHLY MUSINGS.....

As you all know, I'm a bit of a theatre junkie and not only do I spend my entire working day doing theatre-y things but most of my evenings too. And because of this I am forever getting messages from pals asking what is good to see at the moment so shall I start doing monthly updates of what I think is brill?

I've got two corkers to get you started - Mojo and Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense.

Mojo, written by Jez Butterworth, is completely and utterly brilliant. It's got the killer combo of a cracking script and a stonkingly good cast - Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame, Ben Wishaw who is the current Q in the Bond movies, Brendan Coyle aka Mr Bates from Downton, Colin Morgan from Merlin and Daniel Mays from Mrs Biggs.

Yep, read that list again - what an amazing cast! I'd been excited about this one for months and it didn't disappoint. Set in 50s Soho, slap bang in the rock n' roll era, the play takes place in a dingy club after hours. But the completely male cast aren't giving you a glimpse of lads in their heyday, instead we see lost boys in the big city battling to survive. Drugs, booze, murder and music. Oh, and truly great hair.

The funny thing about this one is that not a lot actually happens - the main action of the show occurs off stage and right at the start of the play. So instead what we see is the guys waiting for the fall out and it's Jez Butterworth's fantastic way with words that makes this show so exciting, funny, sexy and ultimately haunting. It really does stick with you for days, especially Colin Morgan's last scene. I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it - their performances, the brooding violence and the gymnastic articulation. Really just bloody good theatre.

If you're looking for something with star quality but don't want all-singing, all-dancing jazz hands and hollywood smiles then this is exactly what you need. My favourite review quote comes from the Time Out critic, "If you've ever fantasised about TV's Merlin, Ron Weasley and Q from James Bond going mental with knives, guns and amphetamines then this it the show for you." True dat.

Previews sold out extremely quickly and the rest of the tickets are heading that way fast...so get a wriggle on!

WHAT: Mojo 
WHERE: Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street
WHO: This if definitely not one for kids and even comes with a 'explicit language and adult themes' warning on it. Maybe not one for Granny either..
TUBE: Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus
TICKETS: http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mojo/harold-pinter-theatre/ A limited number of day seats are available for £10 on the day of each performance - people tend to queue from very early in the morning to grab them though! 
DATES: Now until Saturday 25th January

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense! is absolutely hilarious! Definitely one to watch with the parentals, it is about a very posh young man called Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves. Together they tell the audience the story of a ridiculous predicament that Wooster previously found himself in along with the help of another butler, Seppings. Jeeves and Seppings run around the stage creating all the scenes and playing every character under the sun....just as every other dutiful butler would do!

Chaos ensues and you find yourself laughing non-stop for the next two hours and twenty minutes. Stephen Mangan, who plays Wooster, was born with funny bones, he's just fantastic. His comic timing is spot on and, in the nicest way possible, you just can't look at that face without laughing! To you and me he's probably most well known for his turn as Dr Guy Secretan on Green Wing but you can see everything else he's been in here to jog your memory.

Jeeves is played by Matthew Macfadyen who is probably most well known as Mr Darcy in the Keira Knightly version of Pride & Prejudice. Take a look here to see what else you'll know him from. He's just perfect for the role - his straight laced, stiff upper lip-ness just makes you want to giggle even more. Like getting told off by the headmaster when his flies are undone. Or when the tube driver says 'Cockfosters' over the tannoy.

WHAT: Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense!
WHERE: Duke of York's Theatre, St Martin's Lane
WHO: The whole family, the oldies will know the original tv show starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and the youngsters will love the silliness!
TUBE: Leicester Square
TICKETS: http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/jeeves-and-wooster/duke-of-yorks/  Day seats are available to this show too so pop along early for a bargain!
DATES: Now until Saturday 8th March



Let me know what you think of this little 'theatre you should totes see' blog - I'll keep doing them if you like them. But hey guys, what a perk of being a Londoner, these shows are on your doorstep!