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News: line-up for Monday Night at the Apollo #2 revealed

The star line up has been confirmed for the second concert of the series for Monday Night at the Apollo – which will be performed in front of a socially distanced audience at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue on Monday 14 June, and simultaneously livestreamed to viewers at home via the theatre discovery platform Thespie, which is dedicated to bringing the best live and recorded theatre to audiences around the world.

Shan Ako (Les Miserable, Xfactor), Arthur Darvill (Once, Doctor Who), Sophie Evans (Wicked, Wizard of Oz), Sandra Marvin (Waitress, Emmerdale) and Oliver Tompsett (&Juliet, Wicked) will join on-stage for an intimate night of music and theatrical chat, featuring ovation worthy performances of songs from their favourite genres. Host Greg Barnett (Miss Littlewood, Swallows and Amazons) invites his audience behind the curtain to catch these castmates as you’ve never seen them before. Sharing their most cherished memories and experiences from their careers, alongside performances of music personal to them, West End royalty celebrate the craft and industry they’ve so dearly missed. Continue reading “News: line-up for Monday Night at the Apollo #2 revealed”

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Graduates at Cadogan Hall concert #2

Round 2 of Graduates at Cadogan Hall sees a second set of 13 performers from the 2020 and 2021 graduating classes getting the chance to showcase their talents that COVID-19 so cruelly robbed them of. And as with the first concert, we’re doing things a little differently – click on an image below to read mini reviews of each and every one.

Presented by a chirpy Luke Bayer with messages of support from Bonnie Langford, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Oliver Tompsett and Sophie Thompson, this initiative from Ameena Hamid Productions and The Grad Fest is such a bright, uplifting thing and with plans for reopening theatreland creeping onto the schedule as well, feels full of hope.    Continue reading “Graduates at Cadogan Hall concert #2”

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News: I Dare You – Charity Single To Be Released on 16 March

The Make A Difference Trust today announce the release of the charity single I Dare You. The track featuring a host of stars of the West End stage will be released on Tuesday 16 March 2021, to mark the anniversary of the day UK Theatres went dark in 2020.

With an appeal by Vanessa Williams, raising funds for the MAD Covid-19 Emergency relief Fund, singing together for the first time are Aimie Atkinson, Samantha Barks, Sharon D Clarke, Kerry Ellis, Shaun Escoffery, Shanay Holmes, Francesca Jackson, Cassidy Janson, Aisha Jawando, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Jamie Muscato, Eva Noblezada, Natalie Paris, Jay Perry, Louise Redknapp, Oliver Tompsett, Faye Tozer, Sally Ann Triplett, Rachel Tucker, Marisha Wallace and Layton Williams. Continue reading “News: I Dare You – Charity Single To Be Released on 16 March”

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Musical news to brighten up a February day

Remember remember the fifth of November but Treason is coming in March… Ricky Allan and Kieran Lynn’s new musical will be premiering live online from Cadogan Hall from 12th-14th March and it is now revealed its cast. alongside a creative team with direction by Hannah Chissick, musical supervision by Nick Pinchbeck and orchestration by Matthew Malone.

The company includes Lucie Jones (Legally Blonde, Waitress), Oliver Tompsett (& Juliet, Kinky Boots), Daniel Boys (Falsettos, Nativity Rocks!), Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton, Memphis), Bradley Jaden (Les Misérables, Wicked), Emmanuel Kojo (Oklahoma!, Show Boat), Rebecca LaChance (School of Rock, Beautiful), Cedric Neal (Chess, Memphis), Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Caroline Or Change) with Debris Stevenson (1st Luv, Poet in da Corner) as the show’s narrator. Continue reading “Musical news to brighten up a February day”

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Review: All I Want For Christmas Is Theatre

If you’re feeling festive and missing musical theatre, then All I Want For Christmas Is Theatre is the place to be

“But it’s not like Christmas at all
I remember when you were here”

Thespie’s Reunited series has been a fun way of getting your musicals fix over the past few weeks and in a rather clever move, they’ve managed to put together a Christmas special featuring the companies already featured, plus some brand new special guests. So All I Want For Christmas Is Theatre so we get to see Team Schwartz and Team Girl Power again and my personal faves, Team Juliet as they tackle a range of festive classics.

For me though, it was the promise of concerts to come that proved most exciting. The tight harmonies of Heathers alumni Sophie Isaacs, Jodie Steele and T’Shan Williams were a particular delight on both ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ and ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ and the women of Pretty Woman are in wonderfully high spirits on both ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘Santa Baby’ so consider my appetite whetted for their forthcoming gigs. Continue reading “Review: All I Want For Christmas Is Theatre”

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Review: Oops!… I Streamed It Again

Alumni of & Juliet reunites for Oops!… I Streamed It Again, a wide-ranging and effective mix of pop, rock and musical theatre

“Maybe I’m brainless
Maybe I’m wise”

The second of Thespie’s Reunited Series concerts reassembles some of the core cast of & Juliet and sets them loose on a wide-ranging songbook that encompasses pop, rock, musical theatre and a bit of Disney too.  Whereas the first gig had its focus firmly on Stephen Schwartz and revelled in its evening dress and swanky hotel setting, the looser feel of Oops!… I Streamed It Again makes it feel more like a genuine cabaret rather than a statelier theatrical show. 

The easy informality between the five performers is evident from the start, as inter-song banter reveals bromances and full-on fangirling when it comes to a particularly Wicked reunion. And because the vibe is just that much more chilled, an eclectic setlist that leaps from David Bowie to Anastasia, Hadestown to REO Speedwagon feels entirely organic and will have most people reaching for the Crazy Coqs cocktails list to complete the mood. Continue reading “Review: Oops!… I Streamed It Again”

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Review: Unlimited: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz

Check out Wicked alumni Nikki Bentley, Sophie Evans, Alice Fearn, Alexia Khadime, Liam Tamne and more in Unlimited: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz

“Out of our night of struggle
Can we see a ray of hope?”

From Godspell and Pippin to Wicked and The Prince of Egypt, Stephen Schwartz has been composing musicals for more four decades now and so has amassed quite the songbook. So it makes sense that it is to him that Thespie have turned to launch their Reunited Series, a set of four filmed concerts premiering throughout December and featuring some pretty amazing musical theatre talent.

First up is Unlimited: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz, which gathers together nine alumni of the London production of Wicked, now in its 14th year, to cherry-pick their favourite songs and deliver them in socially-distanced concert style in the swanky Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel. Not only that, there’s a guest appearance from the man himself, Schwartz introducing the gig from his piano with a soaring snatch of Pippin. Continue reading “Review: Unlimited: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz”

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News: A West End Christmas for the MAD Trust

 The Christmas Show Must Go On! 

Put on your sparkles, your reindeer Christmas jumper, switch on the Christmas tree lights and settle down for an evening of festive fun and music.  The Make a Difference Trust has announced A West End Christmas, the most Christmassy Christmas show ever and the perfect antidote to these extraordinary and difficult times.

With a cast of 80 and a 17-piece orchestra, including stars from The Phantom of the Opera, Only Fools and Horses, Wicked, Come From Away as well as the West End Kids, A West End Christmas will also feature special guest performances from Tom Allen, Samantha Bond, Kerry Ellis, Clive Rowe, Oliver Tompsett, Marisha Wallace and Robin Windsor & Anya Garnis. Continue reading “News: A West End Christmas for the MAD Trust”

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News: Thespie to stream concerts throughout December

Theatre discovery platform Thespie has announced the Reunited Series, bringing together more than two dozen of the UK’s top musical theatre artists for a series of filmed concerts premiering throughout December.

Developed by Aimie Atkinson, Thespie’s Creative Producer and the Olivier nominated star of Pretty Woman and SIX), each concert presents ensemble music performances (filmed in COVID-secure London venues), and ranges from musical theatre hits, to pop music, to favourite Christmas songs. The program of each concert has been developed by the artists involved and will also include intimate interview footage. Continue reading “News: Thespie to stream concerts throughout December”