Rock of Ages Theatre Breaks

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Linda
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Rock of Ages Theatre Breaks

In Rock of Ages we travel back to 1987, the era of big bands and even bigger hair! The year that every day was a bad hair day in the era that style forgot. Justin Lee Collins and Shayne Ward star in this funny, energetic show.  Like most stuff Justin Lee Collins does the show is slightly tongue-in-cheek but basically an affectionate trip down Memory Lane. It is full of  classic 1980s tunes like Don’t Stop Believin‘, The Final Countdown and loads more. Expect lots of air guitar and hair tossing as Rock of Ages  previews at  the Shaftesbury Theatre from August 31st 2011 and opens on September 27th.

(This is the Broadway cast on the 2009 Tony Awards show but you get the idea! )

The Story of Rock of Ages

The story of Rock of Ages is set in 1987 on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. We follow the adventures of Drew a city boy from South Detroit who clears tables while he dreams of becoming a rock star. His ambition takes him to Los Angeles’ most famous rock club, where he meets country girl Sherrie who has just arrived from Kansas. There they fall in love to the greatest songs of the 80s.

But really Rock of Ages is all about the music

Rock of Ages features 80s hits from Bon Jovi, Journey, Whitesnake, Poison and Pat Benatar with over 20 hits including “Sister Christian”, “I Wanna Rock”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, “Come on Feel the Noize”, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “The Final Countdown” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” , “Dead or Alive”, “We Built This City”, “I Wanna Know What Love Is” and others from bands including Styx, Twisted Sister, Poison and Bon Jovi. Ironically, the Def Leppard song from which the show takes its title doesn’t feature in the musical as the band would not approve the license,

Rock of Ages premiered in Los Angeles in 2006, before transferring to Broadway in 2009. The Broadway run of Rock of Ages was a huge hit and won five Tony Award nominations.

There will be a film version of Rock of Ages in 2012 with  Tom Cruise, Malin Akerman, Russell Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

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Check dates for Rock of Ages theatre breaks

The cast performed for the first time in June 2011 on West End Live after only two days of rehearsals. Sadly this showed in their performances and although we do have video of that I think it would be unfair to show it here.  There were a couple of technical glitches that threw them totally and then a torrential downpour!

The Cast of Rock of Ages

Amy Pemberton (Footloose and Jersey Boys) will play Sherrie and Oliver Tompsett ( Wicked and Mamma Mia) will play Drew. They join Justin Lee Collins, who will play Sunset Strip club owner Dennis Dupree, and Shayne Ward, who will play over-the-top rock star Stacee Jaxx.

The cast will also feature Simon Lipkin (Lonny), Rohan Tickell (Hertz), Rachel McFarlane (Justice/Mother), Jodie Jacobs (Regina/Candi) and Sandy Moffat (Franz), as well as Nathan Amzi, Natalie Andreou, Grant Anthony, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Cordelia Farnworth, Ian McIntosh, Twinnie-Lee Moore, Jamie Muscato, Andrew Spillett, Zizi Strallen, Amy Thornton and Dylan Turner.

The show goes for a rock concert atmosphere and I think Rock of Ages theatre breaks will appeal to anyone who enjoys We Will Rock You or has any nostalgia for the 1980s, which, after all, is most of us!

 

 

 

 

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Shrek the Musical Theatre Breaks

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Linda
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Shrek the Musical theatre breaks - see what's available

Shrek the Musical is a great choice for family theatre breaks. The music is excellent, costumes and puppetry have to be seen to be believed and the show can genuinely be enjoyed by all ages.  The show is perfect for family groups but funny enough to keep adults entertained too. Shrek the Musical is currently playing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Shrek The musical is based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book Shrek! and the Oscar-winning film about the lovable green ogre. There can’t be many people with children who don’t know the story. The films have been so popular on video that many children, and some of their parents, will know them off by heart. The stage show stays close to the film but there are some surprises too.  It is your basic boy meets princess/donkey meets dragon fairy tale with a few delightful twists.

The show has lots of new songs and even a version of Neil Diamond’s I’m A Believer, which was a big hit for The Monkees. It played on Broadway from December 2008 to January 2010 and won a Tony Award for Best Costume Design.

We really enjoyed the excerts from the show at this year’s West End Live:

The official trailer looks good too:

The Cast of Shrek The Musical

Amanda Holden

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Shrek The Musical Amanda Holden

Amanda Holden is perhaps best known as one of the judges from Britain’s Got Talent and plays Princess Fiona, the female lead in Shrek The Musical. You might be surprised to learn that she has a good track record in West End musicals and was nominated for an award for her performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Nigel Lindsey

Nigel Lindsay plays Shrek. You might have seen him in any number of TV shows including Spooks, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks and Between the Lines. He was last seen in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatrein the David Eldridge play Under the Blue Sky.

Nigel Harman

Nigel Harman has been cast as Lord Farquaad . You’ll probably know him from EastEnders where he played  heart-throb Dennis Rickman. He has also worked extensively in theatre, with roles including Three Days of Rain at the Apollo, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre and on tour, True West at the Sheffield Crucible and Privates on Parade at the Donmar Warehouse.

Richard Blackwood

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Shrek The Musical Donkey meets Dragon

Richard Blackwood plays the Donkey. You might think of him as mostly a comedian and media personality but he is good actor too. Last year we saw him when  he played Brightie in Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the Braodway cast including  Adrian Lester and James Earl Jones at the Novello Theatre in London. He is ideal for this role as the fast talking, wise cracking donkey, originally created in the film by Eddie Murphy.

 

You can hear the cast talking about their roles and explaining why the show is not just for children in this little video:

Shrek the Musical Theatre Breaks

The show is selling well so, as is often the case with popular shows, booking Shrek the Musical theatre breaks is a good way of getting tickets. Check this link to see what is available Shrek the Musical Theatre Breaks

 

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Ghost the Musical – theatre breaks

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Linda
Ghost the Musical theatre breaks Ghost the Musical Theatre Breaks

See what's available for Ghost the Musical Theatre Breaks

Ghost the Musical is currently playing in the West End and makes a great choice for a theatre break. The show opened on July 19th, at the Piccadilly Theatre, after previewing since June 24th, 2011. Before the London run Ghost was tried out in Manchester and was very well received there.  Ghost has recently extended its run  and is now booking through to 13 October 2012.

Ghost tells  a beautiful and moving story of the power of love. The film Ghost (1990) starred  Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg and was a huge hit. It has remained a video favourite ever since.

The film and the show both tell the sad story of Sam and Molly.  Sam and Molly walk back to their apartment after a night out, but Sam is mugged and killed in a shocking attack. After his tragic death Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next. He is convinced that the killer will go after Molly next  so he tries to warn her through a phoney psychic in the hope of saving her. Despite the sad theme there are actually lots of laughs in the show and an uplifting ending. Probably the most famous scene in the film is the one with the potter’s wheel and you will be delighted to hear that makes it into the musical as well.

Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy  play Sam and Molly in Matthew Warchus’ stage musical adapatation.  Sharon D Clarke takes the part of the fake psychic  Oda Mae Brown and Andrew Langtree plays Carl.

Ghost  has new music and lyrics by Grammy award winning Dave Stewart (ex-Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard as well as featuring the iconic song Unchained Melody. Oscar winning Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his original screen play for the stage.

The music is lively and Sharon D Clarke has plenty of bluesy numbers to get her teeth into, like this one:

Caissie Levy was most recently seen in last year’s production of Hair. She has a lovely mellow voice with a smooth jazzy feel to it. Here she is singing With You:

 

The critics reviews are mixed but then film critics all hated the film. Needless to say it was a huge box office hit.  Charles Spencer  in the Daily Telegraph liked it enough to give it 4 stars. He said:

“Like the film on which it is based, Ghost the Musical proves the guiltiest of pleasures. Indeed, in many ways, Matthew Warchus’ production strikes me as superior to the 1990 movie … In the movies, you can make anything happen. In the theatre, it takes real ingenuity to summon up ghosts and physical disturbances from beyond the grave. Warchus succeeds spectacularly, here with the help of the illusionist Paul Kieve … The use of state-of-the-art video and projections… has great panache, too … Though the story is a touch corny, and often gloopily sentimental, there is something genuinely distinctive about Ghost … Sharon D Clarke is a comic joy in the role, making the part entirely her own despite following in the Oscar-winning footsteps of Whoopi Goldberg … Clarke almost blows the roof off the theatre with her raucous rendition of the show’s best original number, ‘I’m Out of Here’ … Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy need to ignite a touch more stage chemistry … But Andrew Langtree and Ivan de Freitas prove genuinely sinister … The show’s ending… proves unexpectedly touching and is magically staged. This may not be a great musical, but it is a highly entertaining one that looks set to keep audiences laughing, gasping and sniffing back tears for a long time to come.”

Charles Spencer is right about it being a guilty pleasure. The show is a great choice for a romantic theatre break for couples or perhaps, for a girly weekend, maybe even a hen night given how gorgeous Richard Fleeshman is!

Check for Ghost the Musical theatre breaks

 

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Betty Blue Eyes

Posted on February 13, 2011 by admin
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Novella

Originally uploaded by sjmaxson

Betty Blue Eyes

Betty Blues Eyes is based on Alan Bennett’s screenplay A Private Function.

Previews start at the Novello Theatre on 19th March 2011 and the show opens on 14th April. It is currently booking until 22nd October 2011.

The cast is led by Reece Shearsmith playing the hen-pecked chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers and Sarah Lancashire as his wife. Ann Emery who played Billy’s gran in the musical Billy Elliott is playing Mother Dear with David Bamber (Swaby), Jack Edwards (Allardyce), Mark Meadows (Lockwood) and Adrian Scarborough (Wormold).

Betty Blue Eyes Betty Blue Eyes The Musical

Betty Blue Eyes The Musical

They will be joined by cast members Ian Conningham, Claire Machin, Kirsty Hoiles, Annalisa Rossi, Rachael Archer, Laura Medforth, Andy Mace, Gemma Wardle, James Barron, Dan Burton, Neil Ditt, Chris Howell, Hollie Taylor, Howard Jones, Holly Dale Spencer, Veronica Hay and Rebecca Louis.

Written by Alan Bennett, adapted by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, with a score by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

The company also includes David Bamber as Swaby, Jack Edwards as Allardyce, Ann Emery as Mother Dear, Mark Meadows as Lockwood and Adrian Scarborough as Wormold, directed by Richard Eyre.

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Dracula in Greenwich

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Linda

Dracula – 9th Nov – 5th Dec Greenwich Playhouse

Dracula in Greenwich Pic 2 300x225Dracula – doesn’t the very name make you shiver? Vampires are ‘in’ at the moment but most of the current ones seem a little tame compared to Count Dracula, that grand old man of horror.  We all love a good, creepy show and this production at the tiny studio space at Grenwich Playhouse (aka the Galleon Theatre) certainly delivers.

In the spring of 1893 Jonathan Harker, a young English solicitor, visits Castle Dracula in Transylvania for what he believes to be a routine deal with the nobleman Count Dracula. Harker soon realises that he is not a visitor at all, instead a prisoner to the deadly Dracula, who sets off to find Mina, Harker’s fiancée, and her sister Lucy.

The more Harker investigates his confinement, the more he fears his deadly captor. Can someone stop Dracula before he unleashes his supernatural powers on his first victim?

In this tragic tale of power and redemptive love, the lines between the sane and the insane become dangerously vague.

A few weeks ago Andy and I were contacted by Sophie Holland ((Florrie Heathersage) and offered tickets for the show so Friday night found us braving the downpour  and making our way to the Grenwich Playhouse. The dark stormy night set a perfect scene for the performance that followed. Liz Lochhead’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic is full of fine word play and the sort of rhythm and metre you might expect from a fine poet. The production has a wonderfully intense and creepy atmosphere. Lots of repressed emotions and the dark, scary side of female sexuality. The show relies on suspense, atmospheric music, and acting rather than special effects and it’s all the better for that. Neither of us enjoy gore fests so this was something of a relief!

Many of us will remember the Hammer Horror film telling the story of Jonathan Harker, the archetypal innocent abroad, Mina Westerman, his anxious fiance, Lucy her younger sister, gorgeous but frail in mind and body, madman Renfield, Van Helsing and Count Dracula himself. These stock characters are are brought brilliantly to life but grounded in reality in Liz Lochhead’s classic adaptation of Dracula. First played at the 1980s this is a play much loved by amateur companies. Lochhead adds more depth with the parts of Florrie, Mina and Lucy’s maid and Mrs Manners, nurse at the madhouse.

All the cast were good, and obviously confident in their roles after their successful month long tour of Scotland. They’ve had some very good reviews already.  A special mention must be made for Louis J. Parker’s Dracula, a truly sinister presence on the stage. He really gave me the shivers and my dreams were decidedly interesting on Friday night!

The cast:Dracula in Greenwich pic 4 300x225

Laura Blackmore – Mina Westerman,

Daisy Burns – Lucy Westerman,

Matthew Grace – Jonathan Harker

Kieran Hennigan – Renfield

Sophie Holland -Florrie Heathersage

Louise Ann Munro – Mrs Manners

Louis J. Parker – Dracula

Alexander Pritchett – Van Helsing

Ellis J. Wells – Arthur Seward

Pub theatres are an interesting part of the London theatre scene and are becoming more adventurous all the time. I’m hoping to explore more of what they have to offer as they are a great way of adding a totally different kind of show to your theatre break.

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Love Story

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Linda

Love Story Love StoryLove StoryLove Story, the new musical based on the iconic 1970 film and book, opens at the Duchess Theatre in the West End after a sell-out season at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Originally booked for only 10 weeks the show has already extended and is now booking previews from 27 November 2010 through to April 30th 2011.
Love story is a romantic, heart warming and heart rending story of love and loss. It certainly captured Michael Ball’s heart as he is co-producing this ‘chamber musical’. He says:

I saw Love Story in Chichester and immediately fell in love with this enchanting new British musical. The production is inspired by Erich Segal’s best-selling iconic novel, also one of the most romantic films of all time and is scored by the Emmy and BAFTA award winning composer Howard Goodall. This combined with the moving and witty lyrics by Stephen Clark and a fabulous cast add up to a wonderful evening at the theatre that is a bittersweet celebration of love and life. I’m so thrilled to be part of the team that is bringing you this critically acclaimed production. See you at the Duchess Theatre soon.

The production has music by Howard Goodall (The Hired Man, Days of Hope, Two Cities), a book by Stephen Clark and lyrics by Goodall and Clark. The 90-minute piece is a co-production with Chichester Festival, where it premiered in June to critical and audience acclaim.
You can get a taste of the show from this behind the scenes video:

Will it extend again and can it be even more successful than the last Chichester transfer Spring Awakening? I’m not sure but I think it has a good chance. Wouldn’t it be great, though to see new money and talent backing a really original musical? Rather than yet another film adaptation. What do you think?

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Top Hotels for your London Theatre Break

Posted on November 5, 2010 by admin

London theatre breaks are a great way treat for your loved one this winter, maybe for an early Christmas present. But the thought of choosing which show or musical to see is daunting due to the amazing selection, and that’s without considering which hotel to stay in to complete your theatre break. The obvious choice would be to select a hotel in London that is situated close to the venue you are visiting. No one wants to ruin their night by having to travel half way across the city to get to bed. In this blog post, we are going to look at some of the top shows and musicals currently playing in London and some of the top hotels you could stay in on your break.

Grease

Barely needing any introduction, Grease, the smash hit musical is in its fourth year at the Piccadilly Theatre and is still going strong. The world famous story of high school sweet hearts Danny and Sandy is bound to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Currently starring Matthew Goodgame and Lauren Samuels, this sing along show features all your favourite songs from the film including “Greased Lightnin’”, “You’re the one that I want” and “Summer Nights”.

But where is best to stay after you have boogied the night away with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies? Less than a quarter of a mile away and just off Trafalgar Square is the four star Royal Trafalgar hotel. It’s not only close to many of the theatres in London but also is perfect for shopping on Oxford Street and Regent street.

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London theatre district

A slightly cheaper option, though a little further away, is the three star Curzon Plaza Mayfair. Located just half a mile from the theatre (a fifteen minute walk) you can either hit the hay or head out and enjoy the nearby nightlife of Leicester Square. If you have enough energy for shopping the next day, you will be well set to hit the streets of both Regent Street and Bond Street.

Jersey Boys

The Tony Award winning Jersey Boys is another great show to see as part of a London Theatre Break. The story follows the rise to fame of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons from their humble beginnings in Newark, New Jersey to the success they found singing hits such as “Can’t take my eyes off you” and “Oh, What a night”. Winning awards for “Best Musical”, “Best Actor in a Musical”, “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” and “Best Lighting Design of a Musical” you know you are in for a good night seeing Jersey Boys.

Currently playing Prince Edward Theatre on Old Compton Street, there are plenty of Hotels to choose from when booking your Theatre Break. The Grade 1 Listed Thistle Charing Cross is a 4 star contemporary hotel located on the Strand. This stunning hotel is centrally located, making it not only easy to reach from your theatre but many of the great London Landmarks like Buckingham Palace are a short walk.

Another option when going to see Jersey Boys, is staying at the Elegant Kingsley Hotel. With a three star rating and location in the heart of Bloomsbury, the hotel is under half a mile from the Prince Edward Theatre and has a rich history due to it once being home to the British Library and attracting legendary authors such as Dickens and WB Yeats. Nearby attractions include The British Museum and Covent Garden.

Mamma Mia

Over 40 million people have seen the sensational musical Mamma Mia, and it was London where the show was first shown in 1999. Now adapted into a smash hit movie, even more people are queuing up to see the hit musical. Incorporating the songs of Abba, Mamma Mia tells the story of a women’s journey to identify her father on an Island that they had last visited with her mother 20 years ago.

Prince of Wales Theatre on Coventry Street has many hotels within a short distance for you to stay in on your theatre break. If you really want to treat your loved one, then the 5 star Royal Horseguards is under half a mile from the theatre.

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London Eye

Sitting on the banks of the Thames and styled on a French château, this hotel really is impressive, especially as it has just been awarded the AA London Hotel of the Year 2010-2011. Like most central London hotels, the Royal Horseguards is a great base for seeing the sights of the city.

It really is worth booking a London Hotel and theatre tickets together in a Theatre Break package as you will be able to make considerable savings over buying them separately.

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Theatre Breaks by Coach

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Linda

Theatre Breaks by coach are  perfect for no-fuss theatre trips. They have three main advantages, convenience, capacity and cost.

Usually you will pick up the coach quite near your home and be whisked off to London in some comfort. Modern coaches are usually quite luxurious so you can just sit back and relax.

No worries about dragging your luggage around on the tube, parking in London, or getting back to the hotel after the show. Arriving back is less stressful too for the same reason, particularly on a Sunday when there are so many problems with train services.

Then there is how much you can fit in to your break. Of course you want to make the most of it but it can be hard to find time to do everything you want.

Finally, and maybe most important there is the cost. Not just the cost of rail fares, parking or congestion charges. There are all those hidden extras like taxis, extra meals and entertainment. They all add up. A coach break can give you a much cheaper way of doing everything you want without worrying about extra costs.

*Check Availability for Your Theatre Break by Coach*

Helping you find the right theatre break by coach

Theatre Breaks by Coach Theatre Breaks by Coach 292x300We know that people are coming to our sites looking for theatre breaks by coach and until recently we’ve not been able to help much. We are very happy to introduce you to our new partners Omega Holidays who have lots of experience in providing theatre breaks from all over the UK. They are offering our readers some very good value London Theatre breaks by coach. (They also offer rail and even theatre breaks with flights but that’s for another post!)

What you can expect on your theatre break

Your break will include a stay in a top quality hotel, usually in outer London. They offer excellent value particularly for 2 or 3 day  theatre breaks by coach. The  breaks come with dinner and dancing included in the price.
The weekend breaks include a Saturday matinee performance of the top West End show, and then enjoy dinner at your hotel followed by an evening of dancing.
You still get plenty of free time in London for sight seeing, shopping or whatever takes your fancy.

A typical 2 day Theatre, Dinner and Dance Coach Trip

A typical 2 day Theatre, Dinner and Dance trip looks like this:
Day 1 – Early morning departure from your local area, arrive in central London around lunchtime/the early afternoon. You will be dropped off near to your theatre where you will be able to enjoy a matinee performance of your chosen show. After your show, the coach will pick you up from the same point and transfer you to your hotel. Relax and then enjoy dinner in the hotel followed by an after dinner disco.
Day 2 – After breakfast you will be dropped off in central London for a morning of sightseeing or shopping. Later you’ll be picked up by your coach make your journey home during the afternoon.
Of course the 3 day break is more leisurly with more free time in London

The Cost of Theatre Breaks by Coach

It has to be said, theatre breaks by coach are not only convenient but also a considerable saving on breaks by rail. For example a 2 day coach break ,with dinner and dancing to see a top show like Billy Elliot, will cost from around £119.95 per person. The same deal by rail starts at around £179 each. If you are rushed for time you can even do an overnight Saturday Night trip, with no extras from just £102 each!

3  Reasons to Choose Theatre Breaks by Coach.

Just to repeat myself for a moment, consider:

  1. Convenience – easy pick up points, no luggage to carry round, no worries about tubes, trains, black cabs or parking.
  2. Capacity – this is all about making the most of your trip. With these breaks everything is laid on. No worries about restaurants, tickets for shows or other entertainment arrangements.
  3. Cost – theatre breaks by coach are just a lot cheaper than breaks by rail. You often get a better class of hotel in outer London for a lower rate. You’ve no hidden extra  costs like late night black cabs or after-show restaurant bills.

3 great reasons to choose Theatre Breaks by Coach.

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Enlightenment

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Linda

Enlightenment is a fascinating play by Shelagh Stephenson (Memory of Water) which is having it’s UK premier in a production by Edward Hall at the Hampstead Theatre in London. Although originally set in the US the play translates seamlessly to an anonymous middle class UK setting.

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The starting point of the story is enough to set the blood of any parent of gap year children running cold. Lia (Julie Graham) and Nick (Richard Clotheir) are the parents of a missing backpacker. One day he just stopped communicating. Six months later the parents are left in limbo, looking for answers, trying as the playwright says “to construct a narrative”. A narrative emerges but not, perhaps, one that any of them were expecting.
The play is described as a ‘tense psychological thriller’ but it is more than that. This is a play about truth and not truth, about the way we construct the narrative of our children and ourselves as parents.
We saw it last night and I was very impressed. The play uses a dark humour to make the unthinkable approachable. I found it deeply moving at times and at times almost unbearable to watch. A sparse set and subtle use of back projection add greatly to the atmosphere.

The production runs until October 30th. If you are in London and looking for a good play I’d certainly recommend it.

Enlightenment at The Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3EU

Cast: Daisy Beaumont, Richard Clothier, Paul Freeman, Julie Graham, Polly Kemp, Tom Weston-Jones

London Theatre Plays – Play Tickets and Hotel Packages

Enlightenment London Theatre Plays Play Tickets and Hotel Packages

London Theatre Plays, Play Tickets and Hotel Packages


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Love Never Dies Tickets Competition

Posted on October 8, 2010 by admin
Love Never Dies Tickets Competition LoveNeverDies TheatreBreaks

Love Never Dies - Theatre Breaks

If you are very quick and can make it to London’s West End for Saturday 9th October 2010 you could very well win two free tickets to see Love Never Dies at the Adelphi.

There’s a quick fire competition over on the Love Never Dies blog to win two top price tickets and all you have to do is leave a comment.

Love Never Dies continues the story of the Phantom of The Opera with Raoul, Christine and the Phantom ten years later set in Coney Island, New York around 1910. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s big musical has been running in London since February 2010 and is due to open in Australia and Toronto soon, then eventually Broadway, New York.

Easily one of the best big musicals in London, Love Never Dies is a feast for eyes and the ears from the start and keeps your interest right the way through with some very clever changes of tone and scene.

To win two tickets urgently, you’ll need to go over to the Love Never Dies blog right away and leave a comment saying why you’d like to see the show on Saturday.

Here’s the link again:

http://loveneverdiesphantom.co.uk

Good luck!

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Love Never Dies Tickets Competition LoveNeverDies launch

Love Never Dies Tickets Competition LoveNeverDies TheatreBreaks

Love Never Dies - Theatre Breaks


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Dreamboats And Petticoats

Posted on October 8, 2010 by admin
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Theatre

Originally uploaded by Samantha Elle

Dreamboats and Petticoats is still going down well at the Playhouse Theatre in London, until 26th November 2011.

It’s been a surprise hit of the summer and would be great for half term theatre breaks for fans of 1960s rock music.

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South Pacific comes to London

Posted on October 2, 2010 by Linda

South Pacific comes to London southpacificI wish I could tell you about South Pacific. Where it will actually be. The huge set. The enormous orchestra. The music, lovely beyond description. The waiting. The timeless repetitive waiting….
According to an article in the Guardian Harold Panter, head of the Ambassador Theatre Group said:

“We are going to be bringing over the Lincoln Centre’s wonderful production of South Pacific – extraordinary moving piece of work, basically about men at war,” he says. Only with some nice songs? “Mr Hammerstein and Mr Rodgers knew a thing or two about creating wonderful music, yes, but the core of it is that it is about something. It is wrong to lump all musicals together.”

Personally I can’t wait. I love South Pacific and grew up listening to it’s gorgeous melodies. Song like Bali’hi, Nothing Like a Dame, Happy Talk and I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair were part of the soundtrack of my childhood.

However it seems there is a problem. If we are to see the lavish Lincoln Centre production complete with huge orchestra rather than the smaller touring production the show will need to go into one of the largest London theatres and none of them are free for the foreseeable future.

I’m off to wash my hair South Pacific comes to London icon smile


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When is Theatre Blogger Week?

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Andy

Over on  the MusicalVerse blog, Jesse Owen has taken the initative to organise a “Theatre Blogger Week” which has some laudable aims and deserves to be supported by as many as possible of the growing band of theatre bloggers, and not just here in London.

Before I explain more, the most important detail is probably the date:

Theatre Blogger Week will run from the 25th – 29th October 2010

Aims:

* to get more theatre bloggers commenting on each other’s blog posts

* to unearth more theatre blogs which are out there.

I’ve been blogging about Theatre breaks in London myself since 14th September 2007 when I published a short general article on my own Andy Roberts blog called “Theatre Breaks in London“  and then later joined forces with Linda to produce the London Theatre blog here, amongst other things. I was aware then, of one or two other theatre bloggers, mostly concentrating on reviews, and then started to notice some colourful characters who work in the West End starting up blogs, some of which continue, but hadn’t realised there might be enough out there now to form the basis of some kind of theatre blogging community. Now seems to be as good a time as any to try and pull it together a little bit, and that’s where the plan for a theatre blogger week comes into it.

There’s also the people who take part in the regular theatre quiz on twitter via @westendupdates . The twitter hashtag for #theatrebloggerweek can be used to track blogger participants, and we have a Theatre Blogger Wiki page now, which should make it easy enough for anybody else to add their own theatre blog into the list of bloggers joining in.

So if you are interested in following more theatre blogs, or starting one yourself, or have one to register on the list, keep an eye on developments on the Wiki page there and look out for new posts and comments about theater blogger week on the Musical Verse blog ( RSS ). That’s where Jesse will be unveiling further plans as we draw closer to October 25th.

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What’s On In The West End – Musicals

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Andy

What’s On Now In The West End

We thought it might be useful to provide a quick reference of musicals in alphabetical order to help show what’s on in the West End as we go into the winter season. Starting with just the top musicals for London theatre breaks

Last Chance to see:

Avenue Q finishes on October 30th 2010 then embarks on a UK tour.

Sister Act also finishes on October 30th 2010

Sweet Charity closes on November 6th 2010

Oliver! finishes 8th January 2011

Grease with Lauren Samuels closes on 30 April 2011

What’s on *Soon* in the West End:

There are lots of short run plays and comedy acts coming up but these are the confirmed musicals in the pipeline:

Love Story A new musical version for the stage produced by Michael Ball, opens Saturday, 27 November 2010

Shrek The Musical Replaces Oliver! at the New London Theatre January 2011

The Wizard of Oz – with Danielle Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as The Wizard opens March 1st 2011

Ghost the Musical a stage adaptation of the sensational film opening in July 2011

Viva Forever A brand new musical story using the songs of the Spice Girls opening in 2012

Whats On In The West End Musicals whatsoninthewestend 300x295

What's on in the West End




Posted in London Theatre Breaks, Musicals | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New Year Theatre Breaks

Posted on September 14, 2010 by admin

New Year Theatre Breaks 2010

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New Years Eve Theatre Breaks - Big Ben

New Year theatre breaks are a great way to bring in the new decade. As it falls on a Friday night this year lots of shows have performances on New Year’s Eve and London is, of course, a fantastic place to be on such an important night. I’ll go through each of the shows, suggest some central hotels, cover some of the great things on in the city centre after the shows close, and suggest some things to do on New Year’s Day.

Shows for New Year Theatre Breaks

All the following shows have  performances  on New Year’s Eve 2010 . As of today these all still have some tickets, many only as part of theatre break packages. They are going fast so if you want a New Year’s Eve Theatre Break act now.

*Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break*

Musicals:

Billy Elliot

Blood Brothers

Chicago

Dirty Dancing

Jersey Boys

Legally Blonde

Les Miserables

Mamma Mia

Matilda, A Musical

Oliver! (Matinee only)

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

The Lion King

The Phantom of the Opera

Thriller Live

We Will Rock You

Wicked

Plays:

Deathtrap

The 39 Steps

When We Are Married

Woman in Black

Yes, Prime Minister

*Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break*

Hotels for New Year’s Eve Theatre Breaks

You really want to be central to make the most of being in the capital at New Year.  I’ve seen quite a few locally organised breaks advertised where they whisk you back to an out of town hotel for a celebration after the show. This is fine but it does mean you miss out on the fun and excitement of Big Ben’s chimes and the magnificent fireworks displays. To me this is part of why you’ve come to the capital. To miss out on it stuck out of the city, no matter how nice your hotel, would be a shame. I’ll explain more about the fireworks and the New Year’s Day Parade later in the post.

Ideally you want your hotel to be in the central area, say not more than 1 mile from the theatre. Sounds expensive? Actually surprisingly not too bad. I looked at good tickets for Phantom of the Opera and 2 nights and found I could get a 3* very central hotel for £250ish per person.  This isn’t much different to a normal weekend rate.

New Year Theatre Breaks by Rail

Advice – Come By Rail if You Possible Can

This is one weekend you do not want to have a car in central London. Really, it’s better to come by rail usually anyway but New Year sees vast numbers of road closures and a car is really going to cramp your style. The theatre breaks agencies usually allow you to include your train tickets and can save you up to 40% on the normal price.

After the Show – the fireworks.

You won’t get out of the theatre in time to grab a prime position for the displays. They will all be filled by about 10pm. However, no need to despair. Wrap up warm and get yourself to a spot where you can see the London Eye and you will be able to see a really spectacular show. The chimes of Big Ben are broadcast down the length of the river and then the display starts.

If you prefer you can head for Trafalgar  Square. There are no events planned but there is a huge screen which will relay the countdown and chimes and then show the fireworks. Just try to keep out of the fountain! No, really, it’s a really bad idea.

Once it’s over you can smugly watch everyone head for the overcrowded tube as you stroll back to your cosy central hotel.

By the way alcohol is not prohibited in the centre of London on New Year’s Eve so if you did happen to have a hip flask with you it might be a very nice way to bring in the New Year!

New Year’s Day Parade

After a full English breakfast, ( see hip flask above!) and a gentle potter round the hotel it’s time to head off for the parade. This has become a really fun event. It starts at 12 and goes on till 3. This year is the 25th anniversary of the parade and it looks set to be an extra special one.

There are numerous marching bands, floats and performances.

You can get a taster of it from this video:

Ideally why not book tickets for one of the grandstands. They are not too expensive with even the V.I.P. one at Whitehall only costing £20 each. These give you the best view of the parade.

*Check Availability for Your New Year Theatre Break*


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