Wednesday 26 October 2022
Five Reasons to see Bat Out of Hell on Tour
On its last tour stop with its current cast, Bat Out of Hell remains a fiery, energy-packed explosion of a show which is drawing audiences in and providing a rocking night out. For a full review of the touring production, click here, but for today I'm sharing with you my top five reasons to take a trip to see the show at its current venue, the New Victoria Theatre, Woking.
It's a Complete Escape From Reality: I don't think I've seen a show which is as larger than life as Bat Out of Hell. Not only is the story completely futuristic and flamboyant, but the staging, special effects and performances are like nothing else. From fire, to confetti this show has it all and is a spectacle to behold.
It Has Comedy in All the Right Places: The show is set in an apocalyptic world where groups of people are stuck at 18 years old so spend their days hiding out in an underground world and riding around on Harley Davidson's, so needless to say, you need to suspend your belief while watching. Thankfully, the show helps you do so by providing humour in moments which could be otherwise phoney. This is mostly done through the outstanding performances by Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton as Falco and Sloane who continually poke fun at one another. Through a series of one-liners and silly interactions the humour runs throughout and also adds to their character depth. Plus their vocals are stellar.
There Are Backstories Woven In: A personal favourite aspect in a show is when there's a story beyond the main story. This is extremely prevalent in Bat and adds a whole level of interest that just expands each time you see the show. All of the ensemble not only have names, but have their own stories figured out. Depending on who you watch you can see romances blossom and fall apart, jokes carry on and so much more.
The Performances Take the Roof Off: A show like this couldn't be performed with lacklustre vocals, thankfully it's the complete opposite. The entire cast are face-meltingly good and are the definition of energy throughout. Written by the late Jim Steinman this show was always written to be performed as a jukebox musical so the songs just work in this setting when performed by such a unanimously strong cast.
It's Fun For All Ages: While it may not seem it on the tin, this really is a show which caters for everyone. Of course there are a few risqué moments which parents might not want their kids to see but overall it's just a whole lotta fun and they'd probably go over their heads anyway. For those who grew up with the music of Jim and Meatloaf, the show is a fantastic way to reminisce and hear the songs in a new light and for those new to it, it's a perfect introduction. The audiences are made up of a whole variety of people who are all brought together by this wacky and wonderful show.
After the deaths of both Jim Steinman and Meatloaf, the musical is even more poignant and provides even more of a reason for you to visit and share in the legacy of the musical icons. If the joyous audiences are anything to go by, you'll thoroughly enjoy this show!
Bat Out Of Hell runs at the New Victoria Theatre until 5th November
photo credit: Chris Davis
Jeremy Jordan's Band Age of Madness Announce The Lonesome Frets and Sammie Jay To Perform Alongside Them
Jeremy Jordan and his band AGE OF MADNESS are delighted to announce that George Maguire and Rachael Wooding with their band, THE LONESOME FRETS and singer-songwriter SAMMIE JAY will be joining them at their debut UK shows at HERE at Outernet on Sunday 13 November 2022 at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale now from www.fw-live.com/aom
Jeremy Jordan said:
AGE OF MADNESS is the passion project of Broadway, television and film actor Jeremy Jordan in collaboration with long-time friend and guitarist Mikael. Combining elements of modern alt rock with nostalgic throw backs to the 90s/2000s and a touch of the classical, AGE OF MADNESS are storytellers in epic rock form, their songs a testimony to where we came from and where we stand in today’s world.
THE LONESOME FRETS are George Maguire and Rachael Wooding. They met as performers on the London stage and began writing and gigging together in 2016. They have created a unique sound which focuses on well-crafted and catchy lyric driven songs. Their dynamic live shows are completed by a four-piece band and together the six deliver a tight and exciting show. The pair are no stranger to rock n roll royalty with George having worked on projects with both Ray and Dave Davies and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry and Rachael with Brian May.
SAMMIE JAY is a singer-songwriter whose powerful voice encompasses several genres of music. Her professional career started playing Little Cosette in Les Misérables in the West End, followed by appearing on television in Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush. Staging her own band in Nashville with a solo performance on the prestigious Grand Old Oprey, Sammy Jay has duetted with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company and Free and performed concerts at University Studios Hollywood, Monte Carlo and supported Shalamar at The London Palladium.
JEREMY JORDAN is a Broadway performer who is best known for Newsies (Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk nominations), Bonnie and Clyde (Theatre World Award), American Son, Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, Waitress and Rock of Ages. On television he has appeared as a series regular on Supergirl, Smash, and Disney's Tangled. His film credits include The Last 5 Years, Joyful Noise, American Son, Newsies. He will soon star as the tenacious record industry giant, Neil Bogart, in the upcoming feature film, Spinning Gold. Jeremy is also a singer-songwriter whose concerts and cabaret shows have won awards and acclaim worldwide.
Fourth Wall Live (FWL) is a live entertainment company that produces events, concerts and on-stage shows. This January FWL presented Bonnie & Clyde the musical in concert for two nights to a sold-out audience at Theatre Royal Drury Lane starring Broadway favourite Jeremy Jordan. This concert broke Drury Lane box office records selling out a 2-night run in less than 6 minutes.
FWL regularly brings Broadway artists to the UK, previous concerts include Broadway and TV regulars Chita Rivera, Keala Settle, Laura Benanti, Sierra Boggess, Kelli O’Hara, Laura Michelle Kelly, Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Jeremy Jordan, Matthew Morrison, Erich Bergen, Eden Espinosa, Julia Murney and Cynthia Erivo. Other concerts include West End and UK Stars solo concerts including Michael Ball, Matt Cardle, Kerry Ellis, Oliver Tompsett, Hannah Waddingham, Sharon D Clarke, Bonnie Langford and Jenna Russell.
Tori Amos’s musical The Light Princess was presented to critical acclaim, as a special one-off concert in the summer of 2018. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Zorro The Musical were presented with musical-all-star-casts in 2019 and 2020 respectively to sold out audiences.
Fourth Wall Live also regularly partners with the Hippodrome Casino, in November-December 2020 they produced 25 nights of socially distanced entertainment, proudly being the first live concert event post lockdown in the UK. Season two at the Hippodrome concerts ran from September 2021 to December 2021 and featured 20 nights of musical entertainment from the world of musical theatre and pop cross over.
Jeremy Jordan said:
“I am beyond excited to bring my band to London and we’re thrilled to be adding George and Rachael’s band, The Lonesome Frets and Sammi Jay to the line-up for this great night. George and I shared the stage for Bonnie and Clyde in Concert at the start of this year, so it’s fantastic to be reunited through our mutual passion for our bands and music, he and Rachael will blow you away!”
AGE OF MADNESS is the passion project of Broadway, television and film actor Jeremy Jordan in collaboration with long-time friend and guitarist Mikael. Combining elements of modern alt rock with nostalgic throw backs to the 90s/2000s and a touch of the classical, AGE OF MADNESS are storytellers in epic rock form, their songs a testimony to where we came from and where we stand in today’s world.
THE LONESOME FRETS are George Maguire and Rachael Wooding. They met as performers on the London stage and began writing and gigging together in 2016. They have created a unique sound which focuses on well-crafted and catchy lyric driven songs. Their dynamic live shows are completed by a four-piece band and together the six deliver a tight and exciting show. The pair are no stranger to rock n roll royalty with George having worked on projects with both Ray and Dave Davies and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry and Rachael with Brian May.
SAMMIE JAY is a singer-songwriter whose powerful voice encompasses several genres of music. Her professional career started playing Little Cosette in Les Misérables in the West End, followed by appearing on television in Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush. Staging her own band in Nashville with a solo performance on the prestigious Grand Old Oprey, Sammy Jay has duetted with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company and Free and performed concerts at University Studios Hollywood, Monte Carlo and supported Shalamar at The London Palladium.
JEREMY JORDAN is a Broadway performer who is best known for Newsies (Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk nominations), Bonnie and Clyde (Theatre World Award), American Son, Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, Waitress and Rock of Ages. On television he has appeared as a series regular on Supergirl, Smash, and Disney's Tangled. His film credits include The Last 5 Years, Joyful Noise, American Son, Newsies. He will soon star as the tenacious record industry giant, Neil Bogart, in the upcoming feature film, Spinning Gold. Jeremy is also a singer-songwriter whose concerts and cabaret shows have won awards and acclaim worldwide.
Fourth Wall Live (FWL) is a live entertainment company that produces events, concerts and on-stage shows. This January FWL presented Bonnie & Clyde the musical in concert for two nights to a sold-out audience at Theatre Royal Drury Lane starring Broadway favourite Jeremy Jordan. This concert broke Drury Lane box office records selling out a 2-night run in less than 6 minutes.
FWL regularly brings Broadway artists to the UK, previous concerts include Broadway and TV regulars Chita Rivera, Keala Settle, Laura Benanti, Sierra Boggess, Kelli O’Hara, Laura Michelle Kelly, Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Jeremy Jordan, Matthew Morrison, Erich Bergen, Eden Espinosa, Julia Murney and Cynthia Erivo. Other concerts include West End and UK Stars solo concerts including Michael Ball, Matt Cardle, Kerry Ellis, Oliver Tompsett, Hannah Waddingham, Sharon D Clarke, Bonnie Langford and Jenna Russell.
Tori Amos’s musical The Light Princess was presented to critical acclaim, as a special one-off concert in the summer of 2018. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Zorro The Musical were presented with musical-all-star-casts in 2019 and 2020 respectively to sold out audiences.
Fourth Wall Live also regularly partners with the Hippodrome Casino, in November-December 2020 they produced 25 nights of socially distanced entertainment, proudly being the first live concert event post lockdown in the UK. Season two at the Hippodrome concerts ran from September 2021 to December 2021 and featured 20 nights of musical entertainment from the world of musical theatre and pop cross over.
Monday 24 October 2022
A Gig For Ghosts, Soho Theatre | Review
A Gig For Ghosts
Soho Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 21st October 2022 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
As you enter the upstairs space at the Soho Theatre, you instantly feel welcomed. The bustling audience seem so joyous to be together and it's almost as if you're in a room full of long lost friends. This feeling becomes even more poignant as you watch A Gig For Ghosts unfold in front of you as it tackles a number of emotive topics which make you want to hug those around you a little tighter.
A Gig For Ghosts is a heart warming and heart breaking tale of the romance between Lily and Amy, two ladies living in London who feel alone in the world. Amy (Hanora Karmen) has the dark job of administering the deaths of people who have been left alone and forgotten; while Lily (Rori Hawthorn) is new to London and finds herself temping whilst desperately searching for her rom-com love story. The two seemingly opposite characters (Amy is dealing with the realities of death while Lily is facing impermanence in her work life) end up falling in love. Their sweet romance evolves as they struggle to truly find their place and balance with one another.
This is a glorious show which creeps up on you and envelopes you in emotion out of nowhere. Fran Bushe's script expertly finds harmony between intense emotion and light-hearted humour, and paired alongside Becky CJ's wonderful score it just provides a treat of a show. A combination of full out folk songs, humourous songs and more intimate pieces, the score perfectly fits the story and never detracts from the emotion and pacing of the show.
The cast are incredibly talented, playing instruments as well as singing and acting; the gig theatre style really is perfect for this type of show. Completing the trio of performers is Liz Kitchen as Maud who is hilarious as she multi-roles throughout and provides an excellent through line to the story.
One of the most heart warming pieces of theatre I've seen this year, A Gig For Ghosts is a brilliant way to spend 80 minutes which will leave you feeling warm and loved.
photo credit: Mercedes Assad
Thursday 20 October 2022
But I'm A Cheerleader, Turbine Theatre | Review
Turbine Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 19th October 2022
★★★
Since its opening in 2019, the Turbine Theatre in Battersea has been a leading player in showcasing new musicals, while providing a safe space to try out modern and exciting work. Their most recent is a musical version of the cult classic film But I'm a Cheerleader. Producer, Paul Taylor Mills has been championing this show for several years and after personally seeing it as a workshop version at MT Fest, it's great to see how the musical has developed and progressed to its current form.
But I'm a Cheerleader tells the story of a seventeen year old wannabe professional cheerleader whose world is thrown into turmoil when her family and friends suspect she's a lesbian so send her to a rehab centre. It's a show which focusses on some real emotional topics, but does so on a way that is witty, enjoyable and oh so current, if at times a little cringe.
There's certainly heart to the story and the basis is good but a chunk of the show feels shoehorned in and doesn't really add to the story, At two and a half hours it could definitely be cut down to be more concise and effective. Despite lacking material, the cast are made up of stars who do the absolute best with what they've got. Jessica Aubrey is charming as Megan, giving a really heartwarming performance with killer vocals to match. In the role of the grungy Graham, Megan Hill is humours and engaging, but also shows a softer side at various points in act two, plus their vocals are effortless throughout. Ash Weir is especially entertaining as she multi-roles as a cheerleader and a larger than life Australian campmate; whilst Michael Mather is also hilarious is both his roles and gets a laugh every single time he steps on stage.
Bill Augustin and Andrew Abrams' score has some strong points and some weak points. There's a level of character that fits perfectly with the show and some of the songs are great, namely Seeing New Colours which is glorious, but on the other hand, much of the music blends into itself and becomes repetitive.
Overall that's really the theme of the show: some stand out moments amongst a lot of sameness. That being said, there's certainly a loving group of fans for But I'm A Cheerleader and after some further development it's sure to improve. For it's first real run, it's a pretty solid start with a strong core.
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