Musical Geek - Musical Theatre Reviews

I've seen more than my fair share of musical theatre and ridden that emotional rollercoaster on numerous occasions however, TFTR Productions have built their own theatrical 'white knuckle ride' of a production with Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's, Calendar Girls - The Musical and if you don't shed a tear or two you are probably in the wrong theatre. I guess the story about a Women's Institute in Yorkshire producing a nude calendar after the death of one of their husbands is well known but, it's the interwoven friendships and challenges before that happens that is at the core of this production, not to mention the 'Big C' which I imagine has sadly touched everybody at some point. There is of course a central friendship between Chris (an ebullient and vocally exceptional performance from Natalie Baggott) and Annie who has lost her husband to that terrible disease and played with a gold medal level of emotion and a captivating vocal by Sarah Coussens. It is

Always a joyous trip to Duloc (is that an anagram of Cloud, I've often wondered?) isn't it and if you'd like to journey to that mythical land of ogres, donkeys and fairytale characters then you can do so by joining Redditch Operatic Society at the Palace Theatre for their production of Shrek the Musical. You will of course have to deal with he who is short on stature and large on ego in the form of Matt Bridgewater's characterful portrayal of Lord Farquaad, full of an evil cackle (although perhaps a little more like a giggle) and a deluded belief that any princess might want to marry him. There is a princess of course, Fiona by name, beauty by day, cursed ogre by night, played with abandon and in the words of Patsy Cline a little 'crazy' in many ways but, with a vocal to 'charm the savage beast' by Sophie Hill. Locked in a tower and guarded by a Dragon, very much a cameo role but, I have to confess with an amazing song to sing and does Lucy Traves sing i

Don't think it was Agatha Trunchbull that invited me to the final dress rehearsal of WBOS Youth Theatre's production of Matilda the Musical Jr but, I was very happy to attend and Harley Pearson's larger than life and distinctly unnerving performance as said headmistress is nothing short of a triumph (with a supporting credit to Pat Badger as Wardrobe Mistress for this and every other costume). There is a seething undercurrent of energy in this production from an extensive and talented youth cast that I am confident will blow the audience away at every performance and you can't really beat kids playing kids with some phenomenal individual performances led by a gloriously understated yet vocally gigantic portrayal of bookworm Matilda Wormwood by Holly Edwards. Couple this with the appetite (I am not sure I will ever be able to face chocolate cake again!) and booming vocal (particularly in the classic number 'Revolting Children') of Nathan Thevar-Ward as Bruce Bogt

So, the Christmas Adverts are starting to appear on television, and I imagine there are many itching to start putting up the decorations, however perhaps a visit to the Core Theatre in Solihull should be on the agenda for all as there is full-on Christmas available on stage as St Alphege Musical Production Society (STAMPS) perform Elf - The Musical. If you haven't seen the 2003 Movie with Will Ferrell or another stage production (bearing in mind that you will be lucky to see a performance on the amateur circuit as it is usually dominated by professional productions, this time of year) here is a quick synopsis: Human baby falls into Santa's Sack and is taken back by accident to the North Pole to be brought-up by the elves, even though he is twice their height and really doesn't look right in elf clothes (don't think Lord of the Rings, you are way off-track for these elves!). Finds out who his real father is and goes to New York (still dressed as an elf) to find him but,