LEGALLY BLONDE (UK Tour) August 2012

I first saw Legally Blonde in London, pretty soon after it opened with Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods - the ditzy blonde of the Delta Nu sorority who goes to law school to win back her boyfriend. It is almost impossible not to compare this touring production to the highly successful West End version and there are quite a few differences (i.e downscaling) to the show but this tour definitely keeps to the camp, fun spirit of the original production.

Faye Brookes, relatively unknown before Legally Blonde takes the role of Elle. She is perfectly cast. With the blonde wig she bares a striking resemblance to Reece Witherspoon from the 2001 film version. You can't help but fall in love with her character who grows to become the strong independent legally blonde. Iwan Lewis is also a loveable Emmett. He has great charm and works alongside Faye Brookes to create the perfect pairing.

Celebrity casting is not new to Legally Blonde and the tour has previously seen stars such as Ray Quinn, Liz McClarnon and Claire Sweeney. Joining the cast as Warner Huntington III is PopStar Gareth Gates and Jennifer Ellison as Paulette Buonufonté. Jennifer in particular was a surprising treat in the role. Her reunion with her dog Rufus is particularly sweet. Gareth Gates is great as Warner but I couldn't help feel his young PopStars image, which is still present, was absolutely right for the character of Warner. Nonetheless he played the part well.

Audience reactions clearly highlighted the scene-stealers of the show. Lewis Griffiths as Kyle the UPS Guy and Jon Reynolds as Kiki the colourist. Tracey Penn is a delight as Vivienne - her vocals soar above the rest, particularly in the Legally Blonde Remix. The ensemble are on fine form - energy aplenty even with the lack of space. What you get is the same performance but a scaled-down version of the London production - there is no Delta Nu house front for a start, that made a great opening image in London. A lot of scenes suffer a cut back in design, which is a shame but the original feel of the production remains.

With the production in London now closed the tour is the only option for those wanting to see it. There aren't many dates left but if it comes to a town near you soon or in future tours it is definitely worth a fun, care-free night out. It is definitely the feel-good show everyone loves.

STARLIGHT EXPRESS (UK Tour) Review August 2012

Starlight Express is the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on toy trains that sing, dance and race each other... it shouldn't work, but it does.

When I first seriously started going to London for shows Starlight Express had already departed from the Apollo Victoria Theatre and Wicked had just taken up residency. I missed the Starlight tour that followed and was very depressed that I would never get to see the show I'd always wanted to see - at least not soon. It was New Years Eve, December 2011 when Arlene Phillips tweeted that Starlight Express would return in the new year. The dates soon followed and none of my beloved local theatres were on the list. So it was off to Nottingham I went!

The set for this tour, is simple and uses mainly lighting. It works as a toy train set, and the little train going round and round as the audience take their seats is a cute little entertaining feature. The only downside to the design is that the curtains in the wings are constantly flying open and the lights are on the other side - so you can see everything. You can also see the stage-hands waiting on stage to move the ramps around which is a little distracting. 

Perhaps the biggest change (aside from the ever-changing musical numbers) in the show from the London production is the 3D screen that drops in to show the races. It is completely impractical to build the huge racecourse tracks around the auditorium like the original production and so the 3D is perhaps the most modern and exciting way to do this. The 3D glasses were those cardboard ones and I'm not sure whether it was the glasses or the quality of the screen that let down the quality of the 3D slightly. It was slightly blurry, dark and not always clear. Perhaps the recent influx of 3D movies has spoilt our idea of 3D quality. The 3D sequences were still exciting to watch but it was good to take the glasses off and get back to watching live actors.

The cast however put all the little niggles about set to the back of your mind - they are fabulous. Many of them have been in the London production, previous tours and the production currently running in Bochum. Understudying the role of Pappa was Gavin Ashbarry who took on the elder role with ease and perfection. The Hip-Hoppers Robert Nurse, Lex Milczarek and Glenn Robb provide the modern edge and impress with their dance skill. Mykal Rand is a delight as Electra - all eyes on him and he dominated the stage. Also worthy of mention is Amanda Coutts who takes on the role of Pearl. Amanda has always been one of my favourites after seeing her dominate the roles of Scaramouche and Meat in the London and touring productions of We Will Rock You. She is fantastic as Pearl and oozes charisma and charm. She thoroughly deserves her place on the stage. 

Overall this production, however scaled down, and however different from the original works wonderfully and is a delight of a production. I would see it again and again if it wasn't for the distant venues. Thoroughly enjoyable, upbeat and a fun family night out. 

Starlight Express plays at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall until Saturday 1st September and continues on a UK tour into 2013.

Website: http://www.starlightexpressthemusical.com

DRESS CIRCLE: The End Of An Era.

"Tell me it's not true, say it's just a story..."

Dress Circle, Monmouth Street, heralded as "The Greatest Showbiz Shop In The World" is exactly that, and news of it's closure is a devastating loss for the West End. The delightful shop has been trading all things theatre for 33 years and was open for years before some of our longest running musicals, Phantom Of The Opera and Les Miserables. It began in 1977 in the lobby of the Drury Lane Hotel, soon moving to Covent Garden market before taking residence on Monmouth Street. For many, losing Dress Circle will be just as big a deal for London as would the closure of Phantom or Les Mis, musicals that have shaped our West End, just as this shop has. 

I just wanted to reflect on what has made Dress Circle a much loved part of London and why it's uniqueness will be sorely missed. 

The downturn in the economy is to blame, tragically, a shop representing our theatre world is just not big enough to compete with giants such as Amazon and the download practicalities of iTunes. It such a shame, it's not what the public want, it's not what the staff want and so sad that it must close. I'd much rather have a signed cast album than an iTunes download any day, it's much more special and personal.  It is something Dress Circle have specialised in and at no extra cost to the RRP.

(Jill Halfpenny, Alex Gaumond, Sheridan Smith and Duncan James at the Legally Blonde cast album signing.) 

Dress Circle has not only been a promotional tool for the big musicals who often hold cast album signings in-store but for raising the profile of up-and-coming musical talent such as Chris Passey and Tim Prottey Jones, both Midlands talent taking London by storm. This is the shop to give their work a home, somewhere to launch it from, somewhere credible. Stuart Matthew Price brought out his solo album and through Dress Circle was able to sell it to customers who were otherwise unaware of it. 

(Chis Passey (front) and Tim Prottey Jones (far right) with Lauren Samuels, Ross Hunter, Stevie Webb, Simon Lipkin, Zoe Rainey, Jeremy Legat and Allyson Ava-Brown) (Photo by Roy Tan)

Dress Circle is also notably famous for it's stock of show merchandise. Where else can you get a Mary Poppins umbrella from the production which closed in 2008? Dress Circle for me came in most useful when Billy Elliot ran out of t-shirts at the theatre, I really wanted one. I went to Dress Circle and there they were - you could always count on that. I also find it useful for buying my Broadway cast recordings that aren't often released in the UK. It's rare stock is something the shop offers unlike anywhere else. A reasonably priced import of the Sister Act Hamburg cast recording? The 1994 Original UK Tour Little Shop Of Horrors cast recording? Priscilla Queen Of The Desert programme from the Milan production? Without a doubt Dress Circle, unlike anyone else, brings theatre all over the world together in London.

(Barry Manilow, a customer since the early 80's,  CD signing in store) (Photo by Roy Tan) 

Having trouble with finding sheet music for auditions? Dress Circle was also the place to go with an extensive catalogue downstairs. Even West End legend Kerry Ellis says " Dress Circle has been a part of my life for many years from way back when I was buying sheet music for my auditions." The Queen Mother would even telephone order her Noël Coward recordings from the store. 

(Mark Evans signing in store) (Photo by Phill Cowndley)

Musically talented or not so, famous or not so, but enthusiastic about theatre the variety of customers (myself included) will undoubtably miss the store, but perhaps the silver lining is that it will live on, online. The internet is not just for porn Trekkie Monster, but for helping Dress Circle survive long after its Covent Garden store closes its doors. I am a regular visitor to the website and purchase all my new cast recordings and albums from there. Dress Circle's postage is second to none, you don't get such a speedy delivery from Amazon without seriously paying! An online store will not be the same, but I do hope that it will continue to offer signed and rare goods that are difficult or impossible to get anywhere else. 

That is just my account, I'm sure everyone has many other stories to be told about their experiences in-store, and you should share them too. 

To owner, Murray Allan, and to all the staff past and present, thank-you for giving us this wonderful store for so long, to Stuart Matthew Price and James Yeoburn for the benefit gala that helped raise awareness of the store.  

Visit www.dresscircle.co.uk and continue your support.