‘Shrek: The Musical’ theatre review

March 13, 2024March 13, 2024Leave a comment

On Thursday 7th March 2024, me and my best friend Robyn hopped on the train to go see ‘Shrek: The Musical’ at Hull New Theatre, the matinee performance. She very kindly bought my ticket as a birthday treat, as my birthday falls on the end of this month… The show was absolutely spectacular! 😄😄

Shrek (2001) is iconic as an animated Dreamworks comedy fantasy film. The grumpy stinky ogre Shrek is content in his solitary swamp life, isolated and alone. So he will do anything, such as go on a far travelled quest, with an annoying steed, to rescue a beautiful fair princess, cruelly imprisoned in a huge dragon guarded castle, to win back his beloved swamp, peace and quiet. Some fairy tale folk had inhabited Shrek’s land you see, but Lord Farquaad had promised to get rid, so long as he gets the girl, aka Princess Fiona 😛😛

William Steig (the writer) did a fantastic job introducing such brilliant characters – Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, alongside other familiar fairy tale creatures. In terms of ogres, over the centuries there have been different imaginations; big heads, fat bellies – green, brown, red or even orange – ugly, smelly! With extra toes and fingers, horns and claws! They are usually depicted as villians, hence why William Steig’s reimagining is deemed so progressive, and a welcome change in storytelling

What stood out greatly to me in the stage production was the incredible singing voices of the cast, especially Cherece Richards as the dragon. She was just phenomenal. The dragon was played by her but additionally there was a gigantic red dragon puppet controlled by puppeteers holding strings. Very aesthetically impressive!

Shrek’s Scottish accent was on point – his mardy demeanour well executed – Donkey both pesky and lovable, Princess Fiona sweet and super sassy, Lord Farquaad flamboyant and ever so pompous

There were many comical aspects, especially with Donkey’s exuberance. And a bit of… flatulence! “Better out than in!”

The array of fairytale characters; the three bears, sugar plum fairy, the big bad wolf, the three little pigs, pinocchio, fairy godmother, the ugly duckling, Peter pan and the white rabbit, etc, really brought the production to life (no, sorry pinocchio, you still aren’t a real boy, haha) 🤣

The choreography was so creative and the scenery/props to be admired

The final song ‘I’m a believer’ (as in the film also) – everyone in the audience were up on their feet, singing and dancing, a standing ovation! Incredible!

For my next blog post, it may be a pub painting as classes resume in April. I also have a ‘Stitch’ and a sunset diamond art to start 🎨 💎

Thank you as ever for reading/viewing. Lots of love, Lauren xx

‘The Wizard of Oz’ theatre review

February 6, 2024Leave a comment

The 1900’s children’s novel ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ was declared by the library of Congress as ‘America’s greatest and best-loved homegrown fairy tale’. The classic 1939 MGM film ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was voted one of the best 10 American films of all time, in 1977, 38 years after its release.

The tale has been widely translated in over 40 languages and adapted for other cultures. The themes of the story are so universal – the constant battle between good and evil: “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” The yearning for a better life beyond the rainbow 🌈 Is the grass greener? Actually, no, we discover (or are reminded) “There’s no place like home”

It is hardly surprising the tale has over the years dominated television, screen and stage. One notable and popular retelling is Gregory Maguire’s ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ book, or more simply in the smash hit musical adaptation ‘Wicked’. In 2018 for my birthday, me and my mum (before she got too poorly) went to see Wicked at the Liverpool Empire theatre. Here the ‘Wicked Witch’ is portrayed in a totally different light, and not as the heinous villian audiences have been previously accustomed to.

Disney’s ‘Return to Oz’ 1985, a sequel, adapted from the other Oz series of books is a franchise I am familiar with, though this version was quite the flop at the box office unfortunately and never got near anywhere as successful as the 1939 favourite

It is undeniable that elements of the tale; Ruby slippers, emerald city, munchkins, the yellow brick road etc are so iconic and embedded in modern culture. Musicians for instance take massive inspiration, such as Elton John’s ‘Goodbye yellow brick road’.

The protagonist heroine ‘Dorothy’ was intriguingly based on a daughter L Frank Baum desperately longed to have (he fathered 4 boys). The excitement she would have felt reading of such fantasy and wonder. But he was also intrigued by The Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The ‘Scarecrow’ fascinatingly had a real original! Standing in Baum’s childhood’s home’s field for a multitude of years.

There’s the background introduction 😜 now how about the Sheffield Lyceum production…

The ‘Vivienne’ was undoubtedly the star of the show. The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the first champion, she has evolved into a massive global fabulous diva, both internationally and in the UK. The first drag queen impressively also to compete in a reality TV series, ‘Dancing on Ice’. Her performance as the ‘Wicked Witch’ was teasing and tantalising, excellently executed, and domineering. Each word a dagger, each move a danger. Her witches cackle a high pitched cruel torment and threat: “I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!”

Aviva Tulley, only a very young actress it must be mentioned, played ‘Dorothy’ superbly, very believable. Her voice singing ‘Over the Rainbow’ was absolutely breathtaking. ‘Toto’ was actually a puppet controlled by a puppeteer! Benjamin Yates as the ‘Scarecrow’ was charismatic, cheeky and cheerful (even if brainless), Marley Fenton as ‘Tin Man’ certainly not rusty – with his funky robot street dancing skills, and Nic Greenshields ‘Cowardly Lion’ admirable and adorable, even when afraid. Alex Bourne as ‘Professor Marvel/ the Wizard’ was simply awe-inspiring and Emily Bull as ‘Glinda/ Aunt Em’ mesmerising and majestic

The entire production was perfect and flawless. My, my best friend Robyn, and friends Sheridan and Tyler had a WONDERFUL time 😍

The show was such a spectacle, the scenery superb. Smoke special effects, lighting, prop design – the yellow brick road continually fragmented and then wheeled back together, the cast dancing with choreography from one section to the next. Impressive video on a huge retractable screen to compliment the storytelling. ‘Glinda’ cruising by on a girlie pink scooter. The melting of the ‘Wicked Witch’, disappearing as marvellously as any magician. The costumes, especially of the munchkins and the winkies- remarkable! Such a joyous day out! 😁😁

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my theatre blog, it is very much appreciated! 😀 The next blog post will be progression photos of my ‘Leonardo the Lion’ diamond art 💎 🎨

Much love, Lauren xx

Further information:

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

Four Christmas pantomimes – theatre review

January 30, 2024January 30, 2024Leave a comment

Beauty and the beast:

On 14th December, me and my best friend Robyn went to Cast Doncaster to see ‘Beauty and the beast’ the family pantomime. The theatre script was written by Neil Hurst and Tess Seddon directed

Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve wrote the first version of the fairy tale beauty and the beast, but it was adapted and abridged by Jeanne Marie le Prince de Beaumont, a French novelist. This is the tale we are most familiar. Influenced by ‘Cupid and psyche’ Ancient Greek stories, and the second century AD ‘The golden ass’. In terms of folktales, 4000 years ago it is estimated to have originated – and to this day there are still plentiful variants all around the world

The pantomime was spectacular, the acting superb. ‘Dame Cherie Trifle’ (Ben Eagle) was hilarious, as was ‘Philippe Philoppe’ (Harry Gascoigne), with fantastic frolics and fun throughout. ‘Emile’ (Max Gallagher) was everything you want in a baddie, and more. Arrogant, narcissistic, with a wicked laugh and a pompous pose. ‘Fairy Nuff’ (Claire Storey) was an absolute delight, a breath of fresh air, with her kindness and calming presence. ‘Beauty’ (Zweyla Mitchell dos Santos) was elegant and mesmerising, the ‘Beast’ (Kofi Dennis) transformed from irritable, moody and impatient to charismatic, charming and compassionate. With a brilliant modern song playlist, to fabulous costumes and aesthetics, it certainly did not disappoint.

Me and Robyn were on aisle seats near the front so we were frightened they’d pick on us, haha! As it happens, the poor bloke in front of us was ushered up onto the stage, handed a pink apron and shower cap and encouraged to dance and make a slight fool of himself, ha!

There was great audience participation, as with all pantomimes.. He’s behind you! Oh no he isn’t! Oh yes he is! Plus, as expected, rivalry in a sing off at the end – those on the left versus those on the right of the theatre! Amazing 😁

Aladdin:

On 21st December, me, my best friend Robyn, Matty, Chris and Joanne went to see Doncaster’s Little Theatre Christmas pantomime of Aladdin. My friend matty was especially looking forward to it

The story of Aladdin originates from the Arabian Nights, One Thousand and One Nights, enchanting Middle Eastern tales. The French translation of 1704 by Antoine Galland popularised the tale. In early versions surprisingly it is set in China (not Disney’s Agrabah) and features a lazy boy residing with his mum, not the orphaned favourable ‘rags to riches’ Street urchin we know today

The cast of the Little Theatre’s amateur production include; Aladdin, Wishee Washee, Widow Twanky, Abanazar, Princess Jasmine, Sultan Pepper, Policeman Snap, Policeman Crackle, Genie of the lamp, slave of the ring, and Duck Norris.

In particular, I was impressed by Paul Stelling’s Abanazar (a banana!) – he was very convincing in his portrayal of a baddie, with deep voiced powerful projection of his words. Likewise, the pantomime dame, Widow Twanky, was highly enjoyable to watch, and the Genie of the lamp flamboyant and sassy

However, it was quite evident Aladdin was only an amateur performance and not in the same league as say Cast, but for what it was, it was really good fun 😀

The Wizard of Oz:

The Wizard of Oz 1939, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1990 children’s fantasy book, is one of my favourite films of all time. Young kansas farm girl Dorothy (Judy Garland) wooshed away with her little dog Toto to the magical world of Oz. Ruby slippers, the yellow brick road, emerald city, the wicked witch of the west, munchkin land – fragments of the story embedded firmly in most of our psyches. It truly is a terrific tale

I must say ‘The wonderful wizard of oz…the panto!’ by Hatfield Woodhouse Phoenix Theatre Group, to which me, my best friend Robyn and her parents attended on 7th January, was the best amateur production I have ever seen!

The girl who played Dorothy (Faith Cousins) had a beautiful voice, I was spellbound listening to her ‘Over the rainbow’ 🌈 The props, scenery and costumes were out of this world. The producer/ director Tina Bradbury, actually noted the incredible effort of the backstage team, ahead of schedule weeks before the opening performance – cast learning their lines and songs eagerly – phoenix members sacrificing their own precious time to paint and make scenery

It was so funny and highly entertaining. Custard pies thrown out into the audience, water pistols squirted.. the cowardly lion running petrified all around the premises! There was a flying house (extremely clever effects), creativity with expressing the cyclone, ribbons gushing- flying monkeys, cool hip munchkin outfits, and blue mohawk wigs. It was incredible. The acting was top notch – the cowardly lion, scarecrow and tin man executed perfectly, and Chloe Allen as ‘Grotbag’ the wicked witch, booed and heckled. In fact, the entire cast were awesome. I was so impressed and would 100% go to another Phoenix Theatre Group production 😄

Puss in Boots:

On 26th January, me, my best friend Robyn, Chris, another Chris and John and siobhan attended the Little theatre for a ‘backyard’s production’ Puss in Boots pantomime.

Our lovely friend Jack played both the king and Scottish ogre. He was marvellous as the ogre, with such a distinctive Scottish accent, even if the scary green mask frightened some children in the audience!

I must admit, you could definitely tell it was only an amateur production, but they tried their best. The music choices were nice, as we’re the costumes, and the singing voices were mostly in tune. Also, the dame was particularly decent. The actual plot was rather inventive and impressive. Felix the cat, persuading his master (not really royalty) Harry to slay the nasty ogre to win the princess’s hand in marriage. Very fitting for a pantomime. It was quite clever however and artistic, the ogre being defeated by magically turning into a mouse in the transformation cupboard! The show concluded with a good old sing song! 😄

I am so excited because on 1st February me and Robyn are off with two more of our friends, Sheridan and Tyler, to the lyceum theatre Sheffield to see a professional performance of ‘The Wizard of Oz’.. 🥰 The ‘Vivienne’ playing the wicked witch of the west, I can’t wait!

So please, look out for another theatre review coming very soon. I am also on with a Lion diamond art, so watch this space! 🎨💎🦁

Thank you as always for reading/viewing. All the best, Lauren xx

‘Charlie and the chocolate factory’ theatre review

September 18, 2023September 18, 2023Leave a comment

SPOILER ALERT

On Thursday 7th September, me and my best friend Robyn went to see ‘Charlie and the chocolate factory’, at Hull New Theatre

Before the show started, we were moved to actually better stalls seats, because a massive group of school children all desired to sit together. We sat in our new stall D seats with our snacks and drinks, highly anticipating the performance

This stage version actually started it’s journey at Leeds playhouse, a reinvention of the Broadway/West end productions. We were delighted with memorable songs, such as ‘The Candy Man’ and ‘Pure Imagination’ from the original 1970s Gene Wilder film

Roald Dahl is indisputably a genius of Children’s fiction. A young, impovished boy living with his poverty stricken family, his dreams and hopes. 5 golden tickets, the opportunity of a lifetime – to go where no child has before, inside the magical world of Willy Wonka and his fantastical chocolate factory

The set was spectacular, amazing aesthetics, video design and brilliant costumes

I particularly enjoyed Augustus Gloop getting stuck in the tubular pipe, having scoffed his face with liquid chocolate from the forbidden fountain, just like in the film… or, Violet Beauregarde’s dress expanding until she practically becomes an enormous blueberry! A huge blue/purple ball then rolling on the stage, with a fake scarecrow like head, that was very comical! Also, Willy Wonka and Charlie ascending the glass elevator, that was cool

A shock, and how I felt the production deviated the most from expectation were the oompah-loompas. I was expecting little dwarfs with bright orange faces and green curly hair, haha 😄 Instead, they actually looked rather mechanical, and very steampunk. A little frightening perhaps for very small children

Gareth Snook who played Willy Wonka was flamboyant and quirky, Isaac Surgen who played Charlie Bucket cheerful and likeable and I actually thought Michael D’Cruze who played Grandpa Joe, extremely animated and full of zest, for an oldie 😛

It was funny Veruca Salt determined a ‘bad nut’ and exterminated in the trash by a giant squirrel, and Mike Teavee pixelating on TV

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the musical, and are so pleased we decided to go. We are all booked up for ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in February next year, at Sheffield Lyceum

Thank you so much for taking the time to read 😄 Many thanks, Lauren xx

(All information taken from bought programs)

Manchester / ‘Thriller Live’ February 2020

March 1, 2020March 1, 2020Leave a comment

This February, we celebrated my gorgeous boyfriend Howard’s 29th birthday by enjoying a weekend away together in Manchester, to go see ‘Thriller Live’ at Manchester Palace Theatre. Please see below a description of our travels, with accompanying photography. Hope you enjoy 🙂 🙂

Saturday 15th February (Howard’s birthday!)

We arrived on the train at Manchester Piccadilly station early afternoon on Saturday 15th February, then checked in early at our Britannia Sachas Hotel, situated in the Northern Quarter, near Piccadilly Gardens. I have stayed at Sachas before, last year with my mum in April, when we came to see ‘Ghost – The Musical’. The accommodation is cheap and cheerful in my opinion, my return based on the hotel’s extremely convenient location, close to all the action, and ‘smoking room’ option, allowing myself to use my e-cigarette inside, haha! 😛 The weather was absolutely atrocious, chucking it down, so we made the wise decision to partake in indoor activities during our stay should the weather not improve. After a quick unpack, we headed to Bella Italia to fill our bellies with delicious Italian cuisine, yum yum.

First on our itinerary was the National Football Museum. Not exactly top on my list I must admit, but Howard was keen and eager to visit, and it was his birthday after all! 😛 Being a big Manchester United fan, he was certainly in his element. In the ground floor entrance hall Howard had his photograph taken with the FA Cup and Premier League trophies, so that was definitely a great opportunity, hehe. Level 1 displayed various other dazzling trophies, it delved into the history of the ‘beautiful game’; matchday experiences, the fans, the stadiums, the players, the clubs and the portrayal of these all in mainstream media – a creatively interactive exploration throughout. There was much more physical interactivity offered furthermore on Level 2, such as ‘shot stopper’, ‘penalty shootout’, ‘one-two’, and ‘pass master’, where visitors are encouraged to test their reactions and show off their football skills. Likewise, many toys and games and in particular the ‘discovery zone’ was there to keep youngsters entertained. The ‘football for all’ area demonstrated well how football has full capability of being always an inclusive sport, enjoyed by players of all abilities. The ‘Strip! How Football got Shirty’ exhibition occupied Level 3 of the museum, educating visitors on the history of team shirts. Although I was reluctant and hesitant to explore the National Football Museum at first, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by its content, so I would therefore recommend a visit for those like myself, not massive fans of football, it’s still worth a look around for sure.

As evening approached, we passed pretty Piccadilly Gardens and the beautiful and stunning luminous water fountains, on our way to Palace Theatre.

On Saturday evening, we saw the highly anticipated ‘Thriller Live’ at Palace Theatre, Manchester! 🙂 🙂 Michael Jackson was, in many people’s opinion, the ‘undisputed King of Pop’, and the greatest entertainer the world has ever known. Michael’s musical genius, from The Jackson 5 to his solo career, dominated pop charts and wowed audiences in a four decade span; he’s sold an exceptional 750 million records worldwide, and counting! The iconic Thriller album remains the best selling recording in the world, like ever! How incredible is that?! What a legacy Michael has left when he sadly passed away in 2009. ‘Thriller Live’ is ultimately a huge celebration of Michael Jackson; the man and the performer. The show has now played in over 30 countries, including; Italy, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Germany, China, Singapore and France, among more, dazzling over 5 million fans across the globe – luckily for us, arriving at Palace Theatre, Manchester this February, 2020 [Official Thriller Live Souvenir Programme].

There are many vocalists in the production that sing Michael’s songs, not just one individual singer; Kieran Alleyne, Jason Brock, Shaquille Hemmans, Joseph Thomas, two female vocalists Ceante Harris, Adriana Louise and resident director/ vocalist Britt Quentin, singing both solely and collaboratively on stage. Act 1 features Michael’s earlier Jackson 5 hits and disco and funk classics such as; ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’, ‘Rockin’ Robin,’ ‘Blame it on the Boogie’, ‘Shake Your Body’, ‘Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough’ and ‘Can You Feel It’, whereas Act 2 focuses of Michael’s solo career acclaimed songs, including; ‘Beat It’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Smooth Criminal’, ‘Man In The Mirror’, ‘Earth Song’, ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Bad’, ‘Black or White’, and of course, ‘Thriller’! The costume designers, Rob Jones and Catherine Teatum, did a fantastic job designing the amazing diverse and vividly colourful costumes, and obviously the dancers brought the stage completely to life with the eccentric moves, street dance, back-flips and of course iconic moonwalks showcased. Magical. [Official Thriller Live Souvenir Programme].

Of all the theatre shows I have attended over the years (and I’ve seen a fair few!) I have never known an atmosphere quite like it! The place was on fire. Everyone was up on their feet singing and dancing, waving their glowing flashlight merchandise wildly in the air. They were congregating in the aisles, much to the theatre staff’s dismay ha, and screaming their heads off to all of the lyrics, it really was something else. Manchester was mad! (In a good way 😛 ). Unsurprisingly, the show concluded with a very well deserved standing ovation, as most of the crowd were already on their feet, hehe. Spectacular.

Sunday 16th February

There was a continuing heavy downpour of rain on the Sunday morning unfortunately. After a satisfying full English breakfast at Sachas, we took refuge in and decided to cheer ourselves at The Printworks entertainment centre, adjacent to Arndale shopping centre. I recommended Printworks to Howard, as I had been before last year, myself and mum. To try something new, different and fun and challenging however, me and my boyfriend thought we’d first give an escape room a whirl!

Escape Reality, Manchester features a diverse array of exciting , enthralling, mysterious themed rooms, all in which challenge participants, 2-6 players, to escape in a one hour time frame – a fully immersive experience in which players must use their problem solving skills and their own intuition to crack codes, decipher mystic clues / puzzles and outwit strategies purposefully planted to prevent escape. The complex offers 8 themed realities, all varying in levels / difficulty; ‘Auron’, ‘Tortuga Pirates’, ‘Enigmista’, ‘Bank Job’, ‘Asylum’, ‘Alcatraz’, ‘Ritual’, and the one we attempted – ‘Legend of the Mummy’.

The basic concept of ‘Legend of the Mummy’ is that a renowned Professor of Archaeology recruited the dangerous responsibility of retrieving lost Ancient Egyptian treasure has gone missing – we, as an assigned Archaeological replacement team, must continue the professor’s work; steal the treasure from ‘the dark depths of the Ancient Pyramids’ or face entrapment inside the triangular walls of the Ancient Pyramids forever, mwahahaha! Well, we were absolutely pants! I knew I’d be useless, but I hoped we might have a half decent chance of escaping with Howard as he regularly plays similar games on this smartphone/Xbox. ‘Legend of the Mummy’ was supposed to be one of the easier rooms, only level 3 of 5 in difficulty apparently. However, we didn’t find some of the hidden clues we were supposed to, and the ones we did find were so cryptic, half way through we were still only in the first of three sections – a staff member even had to come inside to help/guide us, what a disaster, haha! … INESCAPABLY, we didn’t escape lol… It was so much fun though. I would definitely like to try alternative escape rooms in different cities for sure, we can only improve 🙂

Our next pursuit was Treetops Adventure Golf – an 18 hole ‘Tropical Trail’ jungle trek, and another 18 hole ‘Ancient Explorer’ of mystical magic. Last time me and Howard played crazy golf at Valley Centertainment Leisure Park, Sheffield, I was victorious, this time however Howard beat me by a long shot 😛 At the end, he even struck the golf ball in the awkward 19th hole, winning us another free game, which we decided together to kindly pass on to a family with young children who told us they come to Treetops regularly. A nice gesture on our part methinks 🙂

After all the days’ activities, we were definitely ready for some good grub. Where better than a Hard Rock Cafe? For those of you following my blog from the very beginning, this will all sound very familiar, as you will know I have already visited Hard Rock Cafes in Amsterdam, Prague and once before in Manchester in fact. They’re so cool. I just love all the rock memorabilia adorning the walls, such a great sight to see, so captivating and intriguing. We ordered mocktails and our ‘Legendary Steak Burgers’ were, as always, divine, yum yum 😛

As dusk approached, we thought we’d have a casual wander around Arndale shopping centre. We found a really quirky shop selling impressive high quality music, film, TV and games fan gifts and merchandise; t-shirts, framed posters, figurines, original art etc. I got distracted in the ‘Stranger Things’ section, brill show. There was even a ‘Only Fools and Horses’ yellow Reliant Regal model van, lovely jubbly! Howard bought me a new white snakeskin handbag from my favourite, River Island, lucky me, and then afterwards I was like a big kid in a candy store inside the Disney shop! Hey! 😛

On Sunday evening, our last night in Manchester, we were contemplating a comedy club but Howard convinced me to go to a casino alternatively. No wonder people lose money easily gambling unless they’re super lucky, it’s so expensive on the slots, I never realised! Howard isn’t able to drink excessive amounts of alcohol unfortunately as it may trigger his epilepsy, however we still had an enjoyable time hitting a few cocktail bars – Yates and Slug&Lettuce to be precise 🙂

Monday 17th February

Another Full English breakfast included in our hotel price Monday morning, and back we were on the train South Yorkshire bound!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read / view, your support is always very much appreciated!

Please keep a look out for near future amateur art blog posts. I am considering deviating from the norm of portraiture and drawing something a little bit different, original art perhaps inspired by famous artists, I’m mulling over ideas in my mind… So watch this space 😛

Much love, Lauren xx

‘We Will Rock You’ – Musical Theatre Description / Review

February 24, 2020Leave a comment

Earlier this year, on Thursday 16th January, myself, my mum, my boyfriend, dad, gran and auntie all went to Hull New Theatre to see the matinee performance of ‘We Will Rock You’; the hit musical by Ben Elton, celebrating the amazing music of one of the best bands ever in rock history, the one and only, Queen… Please continue reading for a description / review of the performance, with accompanying photography, hope you enjoy! 🙂 🙂

‘We Will Rock You’ smashed London’s Dominion Theatre for a whopping 12 years, (dazzling a record breaking 6.5 million people!) until 31st May 2014. The epic musical, written by Ben Elton, has rocked and toured in 28 countries all around the world, reaching over 16 million viewers in total! [Official WWRY UK and Ireland 2019-2020 programme]. The show has been an absolute triumph in popularity, winning numerous top awards, including Best New Musical in the Theatregoers Choice awards in 2003 and the prestigious Olivier Audience Award in 2011. Now, the 2019-20 touring production showcases a stunning and striking celebration of Queen and their undeniable musical legacy, luckily for us, bringing the exceptional performance to Hull New Theatre in January 2020.

SPOILER ALERT. The basic concept of the story is that ‘Galileo’ and ‘Scaramouche’ (‘Galileo’ being the main protagonist) live in a futuristic cyber world, where musical instruments are forbidden and live rock ‘n’ roll is all but forgotten. ‘Galileo’ is praised by a bunch of rebel Bohemians in a bleak conformist dystopian reality as ‘The Dreamer’ – as he dreams the lyrics of Queen songs! He holds the key to reigniting the rock flame, as the Bohemians fight for the freedom of individuality; to express themselves, to freely exchange fashion and thought – and to feel the exhilaration of listening to live music, to break free – to love, and to love rock, with a champion passion! 🙂 🙂

The musical features, to be expected, all the iconic hit Queen songs, including; ‘Radio Ga Ga’, ‘I Want to Break Free’, ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Killer Queen’, ‘Under Pressure’, ‘A Kind of Magic’, ‘I Want it All’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ in Act One, and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’, ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘We Are The Champions’, and so on, in the second half of the performance. I must say, we were immensely impressed with the vocals of the cast, in particular, Elena Skye, who played ‘Scaramouche’, has an absolutely superb voice in my opinion; she absolutely belted out the high notes, incredible, a very talented young lady. Ian McIntosh, who played the main protagonist ‘Galileo’, brought a lot of enthusiasm and energy to the role, we were equally as enthralled by his portrayal. Jenny O’Leary, playing ‘Killer Queen’, brought the attitude and sass to the adaptation, accompanied by Michael McKell, as the eccentric and charismatic, cheeky Bohemian, ‘Buddy’; delighting us with playful puns and humour.

SPOILER ALERT: Just as we thought the final curtain was to close, ‘Galileo’ raised the roof once more with his wonderful rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, resulting in a very well deserved standing ovation from the audience! 🙂 🙂

Please keep a look out for my next blog post, a description of mine and my boyfriend’s trip to Manchester to see ‘Thriller Live!’, with accompanying photography… Don’t stop me now, I’m having such a good time! Haha 😛 😛

Thank you as ever for taking the time to read/view, much appreciated.

Peace and love, Lauren xx

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Category: theatre