Last night, I went to the press night of Betwixt! at Trafalgar Studios 2. And then I went to the afterparty and took some photos.
In the tiny space of Trafalgar Studios’ basement, a new(ish) musical emerges that embodies the best of the West End and Broadway tradition. It also has one or two of the genre’s pitfalls, but in general Betwixt! The Musical is overflowing with charm, laughs and romance, such that it feels the small space cannot truly contain it.
That’s partly because the space is overflowing with performers - a cast of nine, plus three musicians, fight for space on a stage that is more suited to far smaller numbers. Mostly, though, it’s because there’s an effervescent confidence running throughout.
I’ve written up some thoughts on RC Sherriff’s Journey’s End, currently playing at the Duke of York’s theatre.
I was also at the cast afterparty on Monday night, and have taken some photos.
…the BBC can’t afford decent subeditors, apparently
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I keep forgetting to manually update my Posterous/Tumblr accounts with links back to my blog. Oops.
Anyway, since I last updated here, I’ve blogged a few times. Firstly, with some theatre reviews:
And also with some non-review stuff:
Also over the weekend, I made my first visit to Little Angel Theatre, to see The Magician’s Daughter by Michael Rosen.
Recently, children’s puppetry company Little Angel Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company celebrated the fact that both organisations were 50 years old by collaborating on a puppet version of The Tempest.
I didn’t see that show, sadly. So it was lovely to at least be able to see this sister project – also produced by Little Angel in association with the RSC – in which Michael Rosen creates a mini-sequel of sorts, for children aged 3 and above.
I reviewed the Pleasance’s fringe production of Follies over the weekend.
At times it did feel like there was no way we were watching a troupe of ladies who were once famous Follies – what lovers of the original Priscilla: Queen of the Desert movie will know as “the Terence Stamp problem”. What individual performers may lack is well compensated for, however, by the gusto with which the numbers are attacked. There is certainly no shortage of enthusiasm on offer.
I went to the first preview of Lend Me a Tenor and blogged my thoughts. Hard to see how the show could improve between now and press night, but I’m sure it will…
Over the last couple of days, I’ve caught up with blogging about shows I’ve seen in the past week:
Over on my blog, I finally got round to reviewing Glenn Chandler’s Cleveland Street - the Musical at Above the Stag, which I saw at the press night last Thursday.
