Friday 23 October 2015

Dogfight in Concert, St James Theatre | Review

October 11th saw the reunion of the cast of the critically acclaimed Dogfight 2014 Southwark Playhouse run. This magical concert took place at the St James theatre in Victoria and it was certainly a perfect homecoming.

A number of the cast reprised their roles: Jamie Muscato, Laura Jane Matthewson, Cellen Chugg Jones, Nicholas Corre, Joshua Dowen, Ciaran Joyce, Amanda Minihan, Rebecca Trehearn and Samuel J. Weir, all of whom you could tell from their high energy, emotive performances and their beaming smiles in the curtain call, absolutely loved getting back into the Dogfight world.

Monday 19 October 2015

Shoshana Bean Concert, The Singer's Lounge | Review

On Sunday 4th October I had the pleasure of going to the wonderful Singer's Lounge, hidden below Pizza Express in Covent Garden to watch Shoshana Bean who had returned to London following a sold out run at the Hippodrome to perform a newly revamped show for an extremely excited set of audiences over 3 nights. 

Despite watching Shoshana online and listening to her albums for years, this was the first time I had seen her in concert, and with a 54 below vibe where you can order food and drinks whilst listening to some amazing music, the intimate venue provided the perfect atmosphere to witness the amazingness of Ms Bean.

Thursday 15 October 2015

In The Heights, King's Cross Theatre | Review


From the moment I stepped into the King's Cross theatre and was transported from the busyness of London rush hour to a bustling Subway station in New York, I knew this show was going to be something special. I'd heard the buzz since previews began and with all the hype around Hamilton I was expecting great things from the brainchild of Lin-Manuel Miranda, and oh boy, I was not let down at all!

In The Heights is set over the course of 3 days and centres on a small community living in Washington Heights in the Northern tip of Manhattan- a place where the doors are always open, the music is always flowing and theres always gossip to be heard. The community is full of the hopes and dreams of those trying to build a better life whilst keeping their traditions with them. In The Heights won four Tony awards in 2008, a Grammy Award and was also nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Miranda's mix of typical musical theatre melodies with a rap score perfectly creates an energy and story that you can't help but fall in love with. Combined with Drew McOnie's athletic, racy and hip-swivelling choreography the show has an urban salsa vibe which totally complements the West Side Story-esque plotline.

Each musical number is delivered impeccably by the stellar company and superb band. Sam MacKay's Usnavi tells the struggles of wanting to leave but needing to keeps his roots exquisitely; whilst Joe Aaron Reid's Benny combines both comedic and emotional scenes in a seemingly flawless way whilst interacting perfectly with the other characters namely Kevin (played by David Bedella) and Nina (played by Lily Frazer) both of whom's killer acting and vocals make every scene pop and flow. Jade Ewen's incredible belting skills are shown off in her portrayal of Vanessa and a special mention must go to Victoria Hamilton-Barritt who despite being heavily pregnant still manages to dance and sing like crazy! The whole company are harmonious and truly feel like the community they are portraying.

Luke Sheppard's production creates the perfect night out with an electrifying energy that will leave you wanting to salsa your way to the box office to book another night in Washington Heights.

***** 5 out of 5 stars