Official Blurb: Join us for a rather wonderful adventure. The multi-award winning ‘marmalade-flavoured masterpiece’ (The Daily Mail) PADDINGTON The Musical, is now playing in London’s West End. When a small, lost bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a new home, a chance encounter with the Brown family leads him to the wonderful world of Windsor Gardens. But London isn’t all afternoon teas and friendly faces – and even the happiest families have their cracks beneath the surface. So when a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns embark on a thrilling rescue mission, realising they need this special bear as much as he needs them. Packed with show-stopping songs, dazzling choreography, mishaps and mayhem at every turn – and of course, marmalade sandwiches – PADDINGTON The Musical is based on the iconic characters from Michael Bond’s books, with a story inspired by the award-winning 2014 film. old on to your hats! PADDINGTON The Musical is now playing in London’s West End.
My take: This show was heartwarming, joy inducing and it left me with a smile in my face that didn’t go away for a while. It transports you to the magic of childhood, of the perfect bedtime book come to life, to a place where everything is possible. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. It provided all the emotions a wonderful musical should: I laughed, I cried and I was moved throughout. The way they do Paddington is just spectacular. Both the physical and the voice performances are stellar and you feel all its emotions. Also all the other actors and singers surrounding him are great, absolute stellar performances. I specifically loved Mrs Brown and Jonathan. Yo I also have to give it for the camp performances of Tom Edden and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt – storybook villains in the best of ways.
What impressed me most is that, despite being a big, lavish musical, it never loses its heart. The production values are enormous, but they always serve the story rather than overwhelm it. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, and this show does it beautifully. And what a production it is. The sets are stunning, the costumes are endlessly inventive, and the musical numbers are vibrant, joyful, and gorgeously choreographed. While I can’t say I left humming a specific song, I know I was having an absolute blast from beginning to end, which ultimately matters far more. This is one of those rare shows that truly works for everyone. Whether you’re five, ninety, or anywhere in between, there’s something magical waiting for you here. Paddington is a celebration of kindness, imagination, and wonder—and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
My friends take: A wonderfully nostalgic show that perfectly captures and balances magic with top-quality theatrical storytelling
Official Blurb: You Know The Music. Now Meet The Man. Sinatra The Musical is now playing in the West End, brought to the stage by a world class creative team including two-time Tony Award-winning writer Joe DiPietro (What’s New Pussycat? and Memphis) and Olivier Award-winning and three-time Tony Award-winning director & choreographer, Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes and Top Hat). Joel Harper-Jackson is stepping into the iconic shoes of Frank Sinatra in Sinatra The Musical – joined by Ana Villafañe as the movie goddess Ava Gardner and Phoebe Panaretos as Frank’s first wife, Nancy Sinatra. It is New Year’s Eve, 1942, and a skinny 27-year-old Italian-American singer is about to step onto the stage of New York City’s Paramount Theatre and give a performance that will change music history. But as Frank Sinatra’s voice captures a nation, his heart is torn between his wife, Nancy, and movie goddess, Ava Gardner. When scandal and a hostile press send his career into a tailspin, the young crooner fights back and stages the greatest comeback in show business history. Featuring over twenty classic hits, including “That’s Life“, “One For My Baby“, “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “I‘ve Got the World on a String“, Sinatra: The Musical is the most revealing portrait ever told about the legendary singer.
My take: This musical is where my expectations went to die. Not because it’s bad—it’s actually a perfectly enjoyable evening in the theater—but because it wasn’t the show I thought it was going to be.
What worked for me? The music, of course. With a catalogue like Sinatra’s, it’s hard to go wrong. I also appreciated the choice to focus on a specific period of his life rather than the height of his fame. We’re so familiar with the legend that it was refreshing to see the beginning and the in-between years—the story of how Sinatra was made, rather than simply celebrating how great he became.
What didn’t quite land for me? For a Susan Stroman musical, there was far too little dancing. The whole production feels surprisingly small-scale, and I kept wanting it to be bigger, bolder, and more kinetic. Perhaps that feeling is amplified by the fact that I’ve spent the last few years dancing to some of these songs in class. I know how beautifully they lend themselves to choreography, so it was disappointing not to see that potential fully realized onstage.
The cast was good across the board, but no one truly wowed me. Nothing was remotely terrible—I enjoyed everyone—but I never found myself in awe. Joel Harper-Jackson does solid work as Frank Sinatra, but is he great? Is he the magnetic, larger-than-life presence I want at the center of a musical? Not quite. He’s capable, professional, and entirely believable, but he doesn’t feel like a star in the making.Unfortunately, I missed Ana Villafañe, whom I’ve enjoyed in previous performances. Her understudy was lovely, but it was clear the costumes weren’t quite ready; some pieces looked improvised rather than fully integrated into the production. Phoebe Panaretos, as Nancy Sinatra, was perfectly fine, but I was left with the same feeling I had throughout much of the show: something was missing, and I could never quite put my finger on what.
In the end, I liked the musical more than I loved it. There’s a lot to enjoy—the songs alone make it worth seeing—but I left wishing it had embraced more of the scale, energy, and star power that Sinatra himself embodied.
Official Blurb: A joy-filled new musical based on an incredible true story. Summer 1984. The country is in turmoil. With Thatcher battling to dismantle the coal industry, and a lethal pandemic on the rise, 24-year-old activist Mark Ashton founds an unlikely new alliance with the pit communities of South Wales: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Funny, fierce and filled with joy, what follows is the incredible true story of two disparate communities joining forces – and making history. This brand-new musical unites Matthew Warchus and Stephen Beresford, director and writer of the hit film Pride, with composers Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen, and DJ Walde. Together they share the inspiring story of these real-life events, featuring original songs inspired by protest anthems, pop, rock, disco and the Welsh choral tradition.
My take: This was the complete opposite of Sinatra for me. I went in with virtually no expectations—other than the certainty that the National Theatre rarely disappoints, and that a National Theatre musical ought to be something special. As it turned out, that instinct was spot on. I absolutely adored this show. It has an enormous amount of heart, and I found myself completely captivated from beginning to end. It never lost my attention for a moment, and by the time it was over, I wasn’t ready to let it go.
What made the experience even better was that I knew nothing about the story beforehand. Discovering it as it unfolded was an absolute delight. Now I’m eager to watch the film that inspired it and read more about the remarkable real-life events behind it. It’s the sort of show that will have you laughing one moment and wiping away tears the next, striking that perfect balance between joy and poignancy. Samuel Barnett and Jhon Lumsden are both exceptional. The former delivers a wonderfully camp performance, pitched perfectly and impossible not to enjoy. The latter possesses that rare quality of true stage presence—he simply commands your attention whenever he appears. You can’t take your eyes off him for a second.
My friends take: A heart-warming comedy that will make you renew your faith in humanity’s ability to bridge gaps that divide them.
Official Blurb: Hailed as five-star ‘pure theatrical escapism’ by the Times and ‘studded with diamond performances from a top-notch cast’ (Financial Times), High Society is the most swell party of the year. Helen George (Call the Midwife) leads the cast as the glamorous Tracy Lord, joined by stage and screen favourites Felicity Kendal (Rosemary and Thyme), Freddie Fox (Slow Horses) & Julian Ovenden (South Pacific). Nigel Lindsay (Kiss Me, Kate), Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anything Goes, A Chorus Line) return to the Barbican, joined by Malcolm Sinclair (Pie in the Sky). Performed with a full-size orchestra, the production features a score overflowing with the best of Cole Porter’s songbook. Join the 28-strong cast as plans for the society wedding of the year descend into chaos with old flames and new sparks vying for attention as a sharp-eyed tabloid reporter hunts for a scandal. Brought to life by an award-winning creative team, including Rachel Kavanaugh & choreographer Anthony Van Laast, High Society is ‘this summer’s perfect party!’
My take:Sometimes a good old-fashioned Cole Porter musical is exactly what you need. It doesn’t try to be anything more than it is, but what it does, it does exceptionally well. This was a lavish, beautifully mounted production, and I’m very glad I got to see it.
Julian Ovenden is stellar, bringing effortless charm and an abundance of charisma to the role. As a longtime Call the Midwife fan, it was also a real pleasure to see Helen George on stage. She is wonderful live; while her voice may not be the most powerful, it has a lovely quality to it, and she is thoroughly endearing in the role.
She feels perfectly suited to the character—perhaps a touch older than one might usually expect, but opposite Julian Ovenden it works beautifully. Together they make a thoroughly engaging and charming pairing.
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