THREE PHANTOMS - THEATRE REVIEW

THREE PHANTOMS AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Performance Reviewed - Saturday 14 September 2013

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Musical gala evenings and touring concerts have continued to prove popular around the country in recent years, with this weekend seeing the arrival of Three Phantoms at the Wolverhampton Grand, bringing with it a splash of operatic flair and style along with the impressive vocals and (mostly) superlative line-up of hits and favourites from the musicals. 

ONCE THE MUSICAL - Theatre Review

ONCE THE MUSICAL AT THE PHOENIX THEATRE, LONDON

Performance Run: Continuing
Performance Reviewed: Thursday 18 July 2013

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Having only been reviewing professionally for the past year or so, and doing so with both touring and West End productions, it has meant playing quite the game of catch up. Luckily though it has also meant being able to experience a real wealth and variety of some of the big, musical heavyhitters such as Les Miserables, Cats, Blood Brothers, The Lion King, Spamalot, Avenue Q etc. as well as newer favourites and recent success stories including the likes of The Book of Mormon, Matilda the Musical, Ghost the Musical, American Idiot and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Considerate it high, and relatively experienced, praise then, to preface this review by saying that Once the Musical is not only one of the most original, unique and utterly irrepressible shows I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, but also a very strong contender for the best show you can experience in London, or indeed anywhere in the UK, right now.

WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND MUSICAL AND MOTOWN MADNESS (DOUBLE REVIEW)

DOUBLE REVIEW - 'BEYOND THE BARRICADE' AND 'MOTOWN'S GREATEST HITS: HOW SWEET IT IS'

Beyond the Barricade

Performance reviewed: Wolverhampton Grand Theatre - Thursday 18 April 2013

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Approaching it's 15th year in existence, Beyond the Barricade is the longest running and amongst the most popular musical touring concerts in the UK. Comprising of a quartet of experienced, proven stars of the West End and beyond (the two ladies performing on the evening we reviewed, Rebecca Vere and Katie Leeming, both feature on the soundtrack for the motion picture version of Les Miserables, for instance) what is evident from the outset and throughout is the genuine love and passion the team involved have for the industry and medium of musicals, and compared to other more perfunctory concerts of this ilk, the whole evening and affair comes across very much as a labour of love. The current incarnation of the tour features a satisfying and eclectic mix of hits from shows including the likes of The Lion King, Blood Brothers, Miss Saigon, Carousel, Phantom of the Opera as well as less prolific or instantly recognisable productions such as Chess and Godspell. Co-founder of the show, quarter member and endearing compere David Fawcett guides the evening along with warmth and wit, allowing for a well-judged amount of history and reasoning behind the show itself and the numbers/productions selected, peppered with entertaining, family-friendly and winningly localised banter.

GOLDEN (A) AWARDS 2013 - THEATRE

Last week we announced the winners of our Golden (A) awards in Film and Television, with acclaimed independent critical darling Beasts of the Southern Wild taking home Best Film and CIA thriller Homeland being selected as Best Television Series.

We now turn our attention the very finest in theatre, taking into consideration the wealth of theatre productions both West End-based and touring in 2012. Any performances seen in early 2013 (for instance Book of Mormon, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert the Musical, Cats and The Rocky Horror Show) will all be in contention for next years awards and were too late to be considered for this years awards (2012 performances only!).

GOLDEN (A) AWARD WINNERS 2013 - FILM AND TELEVISION

It's been quite a year for us here at (A)musings - this time last year this blog was operating as purely a personal blog for editor Kyle's own personal ruminations and ramblings on the world and works of Film and Media, and beginning last April it has really bloomed into an active, press-accredited journalism venture which, amongst many highlights, has affiliated with major film studios and distributors such as Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios UK and Universal NBC, worked with a range of the top-tier Film, Theatre and Media PR companies and agencies nationwide, been accredited for and attended the 56th BFI London Film Festival and been invited to such prestigious events as the worldwide premiere of Les Miserables in London, the Royal Film Performance and London Film Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in the presence of Prince William, Sir Peter Jackson and the films cast and crew, and most recently the London opening night premiere of the record-breaking US musical smash hit The Book of Mormon.

(A)MUSINGS OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2013

It's that time of year again when Hollywood rolls out the glitz and glamour for the most prestigious date on the entertainment calendar - it's Oscar time!

As with last year, Editor/Founder Kyle Pedley presents his predictions on who will and won't be going home empty handed when the ceremony kicks off later this evening.

GOLDEN (A) AWARDS 2013 - THEATRE NOMINATIONS

With the awards season kicking into gear at this years Oscar nominations having been announced (the full list of nominees can be found on the official site here) we are kicking off our own mini awards season by announcing the first set of nominees for our GOLDEN (A) awards - celebrating the very best in Film and Theatre from our first full year of reviewing, promoting and exploring these two terrific entertainment industries.

Please note that naturally the nomination process can only take into consideration performances and films which have actually been viewed and as such are at the editors discretion. Think of them as our (A)musings 'Editors Choice' of the Year awards.

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

* AMERICAN IDIOT - UK Tour, Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre

* AVENUE Q - UK Tour, Coventry Belgrade Theatre

* LES MISERABLES - The Queen's Theatre, London

* MATILDA THE MUSICAL - Cambridge Theatre, London

* SISTER ACT - UK Tour, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

LES MISERABLES - FILM REVIEW

LES MISERABLES

Release Date: 11 January 2013 (UK)

Director: Tom Hooper

Running Time: 158 Minutes

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen

Screening Reviewed: National Press Screening

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Given the renaissance of musical movies and adaptations which seemed to kick into gear with Moulin Rouge and Chicago in the early 00’s, it is a little surprising that it has taken so long for the longest running and most celebrated musical theatre production of all to get it’s big screen adaptation. In many ways the show seems a natural fit for the big screen - its ensemble narrative handling both the grandiose and the tender and passing as it does through time and geography at a relatively brisk pace. Yet for all of the cinematic flavourings of the stage show, it also presents a number of curiosities which make this screen adaptation a less atypical affair.

Les Miserables is for all intents and purposes entirely musical, with the majority of its dialogue sung rather than spoken, and there being very little in the way of stopping for set pieces or choreography - from the bombastic opening shipyard sequence through to its tender finale, this is a story told almost exclusively through song. The benefit of this is apparent from the offset, deftly avoiding any of the stop-and-start nature that plagues so many musical adaptations. These are not show numbers attempting to further the story - they are the story itself, the essence of the film and tale being told. The unfortunate downside of this perma-musical approach is that occasionally the more indulgent or frivolous moments from the stage show which could easily have been cut threaten to venture into self-parody or redundancy on screen.

LES MISERABLES - THEATRE REVIEW

LES MISERABLES AT THE QUEEN'S THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continual
Performance Viewed: Matinee, Wednesday 10 October 2012 (as press)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Les Miserables is one of those seminal entities already etched firmly into the history of musicals - becoming ‘now the longest running musical in the world’ (according to the show’s official website) and it isn’t hard to see why. This is classic, grandiose and affecting musical theatre at it’s most raw and bombastic, and this original production, now in it’s 28th year and currently residing at the Queen’s Theatre, London, has lost none of it’s relevance, impact or almost incomparable quality.

For a show of so many years the most notable praise must go first and foremost to it’s ambition and spectacle. Where the producers, designers et al could quite comfortably have leant on the shows legacy and repute to acquire it’s audience, instead this current production continually impresses and at times amazes with faultless costume design, remarkable technical artistry and an almost astonishing number of elaborate, complicated sets that surpass practically anything currently on show in the West End. With almost every scene transition comes a moving, turning, growing location; piecing itself together and moving into place, the whole production continually feeling vibrant and alive as a result.  The seamless and utterly convincing sense of place that is evoked throughout, from the hushed chambers of the Bishop of Digne through to the bustling, elaborate slums of Paris and militaristic fortifications of the revolutionaries barricade, displays a craftsmanship and scope that is thankfully met by Les Miserables’ sweeping story, engaging and diverse cast of characters, a now-classical score and a genuinely terrific cast bringing it all to life with power, conviction and heart.