CATS - THEATRE REVIEW

CATS AT THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

Theatre Run: Tuesday 09 - Saturday 27 September 2014

Performance Reviewed: Wednesday 10 September (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

'Memory' seems to be a very potent ingredient in the tastes and penchants of current theatre-going audiences. As noted in my review of London's highly successful and celebrated Miss Saigon revival last month, there is clearly a demand and yearning for the familiar both in the West End and beyond, as nostalgia and the proven seem to be edging out the original and unknown. By no means is this particularly unusual or new, we live in a creative climate where the industries' Olivier awards have an entire category dedicated to revivals in recognition of their number and popularity, but it does seem to have hit something of a boiling point in recent years. Fortunately, for all of the pedestrian, perfunctory cash-cow productions being rolled out to ride this particular wave of demand, it also is the perfect environment to witness the return of some true musical greats, amongst which Andrew Lloyd-Webber's cherished and prolific Cats undoubtedly deserves to be classed.

MISS SAIGON - THEATRE REVIEW

MISS SAIGON AT THE PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continuing
Performance Reviewed: Thursday 31 July 2014

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

‘Out with the new and in with the old’ seems to be the current dominant ideology pervading the West End at the moment, as even new productions by the industries’ heaviest hitters flounder whilst revivals and re-imaginings wade in over their corpses to rapturous reception and unprecedented box office (this show supposedly broke London pre-order ticket records). A trifle melodramatic an opening, perhaps, but one that is both true and quite tonally fitting for Cameron Mackintosh’s lavish, celebrated resurrection of the mawkish, histrionic yet spectacular Miss Saigon. Lloyd-Webber and Rice recently brought us the likes of Stephen Ward and From Here To Eternity respectively, and London even dipped its toe into the mass mass market with Harry Hill and Simon Cowell X-Factor pastiche vehicle I Can’t Sing. An ecclectic and diverse musical trifecta, yet all three suffered poor sales and abrupt, early closure, and in their place we have seen West End return announcements for the likes of Cats, Evita and, of course, Saigon. 

GOOD PEOPLE - THEATRE REVIEW

GOOD PEOPLE AT THE NOEL COWARD THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Runs until Saturday 14 June 2014
Performance Reviewed: Thursday 05 June 2014

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Good People is ostensibly a show about class. Or rather peoples relationship with class and the social, financial and even emotional barriers it places upon oneself. Do we allow ourselves to be both defined and confined by our roots and upbringing, or is the idea of any choice in the matter a fickle illusion orchestrated by a mixture of luck and lifes happenstance? It’s a concept that is far from new to theatre, but in this, David Lindsey-Abaire’s Boston-set drama, it is given fresh life and perspective by dint of being filtered through the American psyche and in the form of two flawed, interesting, contradictory yet strangely complementary lead roles beautifully performed by Imelda Staunton and Lloyd Owen.

URINETOWN - THEATRE REVIEW

URINETOWN AT THE ST JAMES THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continuing (Limited Season ending Saturday 03 May 2014)

Performance Reviewed: Saturday 08 March 2014 (Press Night 1/3)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

The name.

That name.

Going into Urinetown, I was confident I would be prefacing my review with some astute, witty reference to the production’s characterful, if somewhat potentially off-putting titling. ‘Despite it’s bizarre name, Urinetown is...’ was just one of the potential openings already formulating as I took to my seat in the compact yet impressively sleek and contemporary confines of St James’ Theatre in Victoria. However, within literally minutes of this barnstorming, gleefully anarchistic and wonderfully unconventional musical theatre delight beginning, Urinetown had already pulled the rug from under my feet by seeing fit to poke fun at both itself, its title and the natural pre-conceptions and potential audience stigma surrounding it.

“Who’s gonna wanna see a show called that?”

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.

SPAMALOT - THEATRE REVIEW

SPAMALOT AT THE PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continuing
Performance Reviewed: Monday 20 May 2013

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

It’s impossible to deny the massive cultural impact Cleese, Idle, Palin and pals had on the comedy landscape with their brilliantly original and decidedly before-it’s-time output of the 70’s, 80’s with Monty Python and beyond, and it’s no hyperbole to say the impact of their invention and inspired ludicrousness can still be felt in a swathe of comedy performers, shows and writing to this day, so it is with little surprise that Spamalot remains one of the most eccentric, self-reflexive and downright postmodern shows in the West End. It is also a heck of a lot of fun, being disarmingly witty, frequently hilarious and gloriously silly from the off. Loosely following (or ‘lovingly rips off’ as the show prefers) the plot of the 1975 Python classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, following the exploits of King Arthur and his colourful troupe of knights on their hunt for the titular chalice, consequently replicating some of the films most beloved sequences whilst allowing for cameos from favourites such as the The Black Knight (complete with detachable limbs) and the shrubbery-demanding ‘Knights who say Ni’. 

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!).

THE BOOK OF MORMON - THEATRE REVIEW

THE BOOK OF MORMON AT THE PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continuing
Performance Reviewed: Thursday 21 March (Opening Night Premiere/Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Hello! My name is Elder Pedley, and I’d like to share with you the most amazing show!

Shockingly predictable and derivative a review opener as that may be, the sentiment is nonetheless completely accurate. The Book of Mormon is indeed nothing short of amazing, and the kind of whirlwind, tour-de-force injection of genius, originality and vigour into the arm of musical theatre that comes along very rarely indeed. Indiscriminatingly adult and plenty high on shock factor without ever being cynical or mean-spirited, and despite it’s breadth of potentially offensive or insulting content, Mormon deftly avoids being crass or overtly vulgar, thanks mostly to the remarkable honesty and truth in the writing throughout. For a show that tackles the likes of the Africa AIDs pandemic, some of the inherent absurdity of the Mormon backstory and murderous warlords with a penchant for female circumcision amongst others, this is no mean feat, and is a testimony to all involved that the message and tone of the show overall is an incredibly positive, celebratory and empowering one.

SHREK THE MUSICAL - THEATRE REVIEW

SHREK THE MUSICAL AT THE THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continuing
Performance Viewed: Matinee, Sunday 18 November 2012 (as press)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Shrek the Musical was always going to be a relatively easy sell, but not necessarily so artistically sound. The original 2001 smash hit movie was a fresh, unexpected riff on the fairytales of old and their Disney re-imaginings; witty, playfully irreverent and treading the perfect balance of appeal for young and old alike. So much of it’s dialogue, humour and characters have become instantly recognisable, quotable and inimitable that it was difficult to imagine a stage-bound musical adaptation being anything other than a slavishly loyal re-tread with key sequences stretched out to accommodate a showtune or 17.

Fortunately, Shrek the Musical manages to mostly carve out its own identity whilst staying true to the film whilst rekindling a dash of the originals wit and post-modern spark by turning it’s parodic, referential gaze to other West End/Broadway shows and peeling back a few more of those onion layers of it’s key characters. It’s two leads, Shrek and Fiona, for instance, are given slightly more established backstories that instantly cement them as kindred spirits, a neat touch that is now surprising in its obviousness and absence from the movie, and villain-of-the-piece Lord Farquaad is likewise given some exposition which, rife with irony and allusions to the fairytale creatures he is so intent on expelling from his kingdom, is again a clever, illuminating addition.

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.

LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL - THEATRE REVIEW

LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Theatre Run: Tuesday 28 August - Saturday 1 September
Performanced Viewed: Tuesday 28 August

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Legally Blonde: The Musical is one of those musical theatre productions from which you can glean a great deal before the curtain even rises and the upbeat frenzy of sparkle and feel-good whirs into action. It’s decidedly female-oriented (though with plenty of sex appeal and wit to cater to any husbands and partners who may be reluctant to tag along) and the first Act in particular is an explosion of humour and irony mostly focused around its central protagonists sorority-centred outlook on life; fashion, sisterhood, romance (of the most surface kind) and her handbag-carried pooch Bruiser. Whilst this may sound far too atypical (or Kardashian) to be bearable to some, it is a testimony to the strength of the characters involved and the clever handling of plot that, like the journey of it’s central protagonist Elle Woods, the initial surge of colour, camp and bling gives way to both characters and plot that, whilst confidently and re-assuringly over-the-top, are nonetheless refreshingly smart, brilliantly witty and hilariously post-modern. 

Based on the 2001 comedy starring Reese Wetherspoon in the lead, Legally Blonde recently completed a highly successful, Olivier-award winning run in the West End and is now touring across the UK. It tells the story of a heartbroken sorority girl, Elle Woods, who decides to enroll at Harvard Law School in order to pursue and impress her morally dubious ex boyfriend. It’s a relatively predictable affair from start to finish but is executed with such energy and conviction, and peppered with such irrepressible characters and sharp comedic writing that it’s extremely difficult not to be won over, charmed and thoroughly entertained.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL: THEATRE REVIEW

MATILDA THE MUSICAL AT THE CAMBRIDGE THEATRE, LONDON

Theatre Run: Continual

Performance Viewed: Press Night Wednesday 13 June 2012

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Occasionally a musical theatre production will come along that is so strikingly original and confidently self-contained in its execution that you can't help but be instantly won over by it. Matilda the Musical, based on the beloved children's novel by Roald Dahl (and thankfully nothing to do with the egregious 1996 movie adaptation) is one such experience and quite simply one of the richest, freshest and most irresistible musicals to hit the West End in quite some years.

As with the book, the show follows the story of Matilda Wormwood, an exceptionally gifted young girl with talents and abilities beyond more than just her age, as she is forced to endure unappreciative parents (Steve Furst and Josie Walker, both excellent) and the horrors of her new school and it's larger-than-life behemoth of a headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull (Bertie Carvel, more on whom later...). Amongst the suitably Dahl-esque mischief and mayhem, Matilda finds solace and comfort in her kind-hearted teacher Miss Honey (a beautifully tender and earnest Haley Flaherty), telling stories to local librarian Mrs Phelps (Melanie La Barrie) and befriending some of her fellow terrorised pupils.