SteveDRice.net - reviews:events:england:london

Review of 'American Idiot'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'American Idiot' A high-octane high-energy story of a young man, “Johnny” (Aaron Sidwell) looking for meaning in his life as he moves to the big city, succumbing to the appeal drugs. This is also a tale of two of Johnny's friends:

Review of 'Red Bull Air Race: London'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Red Bull Air Race: London' An amazing event - Where else can you see small aircraft less than 100 feet off the ground racing through an obstacle course of 25m inflatable pylons. We attended on the actual race day, Sunday (Saturday is qualifying). The day was not just racing, of course, but had a number of additional air displays including

Review of 'Taste of London 2015'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Taste of London 2015' Taste of London is the annual festival showcasing many amazing, generally, high-end restaurants from around the city as well as other local food and drink suppliers. The restaurants each offer three dishes and, in recent years, a more expensive

Review of 'Compassion - The Foundation of Well-Being'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Compassion - The Foundation of Well-Being' Dalai Lama When we found out the Dalai Lama was coming to London to give a talk in the O2 I was quick to grab tickets. How often does one get a chance to hear from one of the most iconic people of our time? The spiritual leader of Tibet who has been in exile for 56 years now living in India having fled the Chinese invasion of his country.

Review of 'FIA Formula E Visa: London ePrix 2015'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'FIA Formula E Visa: London ePrix 2015' This was the finale of the first Formula E season - An all-electric racing tour that ended it's first year in Battersea Park in London. Tickets There were tickets for grandstands around the track but visibility was difficult throughout with the trees getting in the way but also meaning the track was very narrow. The best place to see probably would have been in a grandstand looking down one of the straig…

Review of 'Inside the Head of Terry Gilliam'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Inside the Head of Terry Gilliam' Terry Gilliam has always been someone I have admired. Originally it was for his work with the Pythons with his unforgettable animated clips between sketches but later it was through his quirky and intriguing films such as the iconic

Review of 'Ai Weiwei'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Ai Weiwei' So, all I really knew about Ai Weiwei before attending this exhibition was that he was not terribly well-liked by the Chinese government, had had problems getting a Visa for the UK and had some really interesting looking artwork. After attending this show on a very busy Saturday I now know much more about the man and his art. You are given an audio guide as part of the admission and I would recommend you pick it up…

Review of 'Hamlet'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Hamlet' Benedict Cumberbatch Having sold out in minutes Benedict Cumberbatch makes an appearance as Hamlet on the National Theatre stage in the Barbican. We were a bit unfortunate in not being able to get tickets at the time and did not fancy queuing in the morning for day tickets so watching the play live in the cinema seemed like a good option and, as it turns out, it was. We are able to see the nuances of the …

Review of 'Secret Cinema Presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Secret Cinema Presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' Now that the event is over I can actually tell you about it. Secret Cinema is an organization that stages massive and immersive recreations of popular films. Last year it was Back to the Future (see

Review of 'Cats'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Cats' This is the latest revival of the classic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on the poems in “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Elliot meaning that, famously, it does not have much in the way of what you might call a story. I have to admit that this is probably the fourth or fifth time I have seen this musical but never on the London stage and the first time seeing a slightly more permanent (rather than touring) production.

Review of 'Gypsy'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Gypsy' Gypsy is the story of the famous stripper Gypsy Rose Lee's mother, Rose who is played with incredible passion here by Imelda Staunton. Rose's desire for her two daughters, June (Lauren Henson/Islad Huggins-Barr/Scarlet Roche playing the young June and Lauren Hall playing her as an adult) and Louise (Rose Walker/Lara Wolington playing the young Louise and Gemma Sutton playing her as an adult), to succeed in the theatre is the theme here with …

Review of 'Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games' Lord of the Dance I have to first start and say that I can't say I ever really paid too much attention to Lord of the Dance but, of course, before the show I knew of Michael Flatley and his amazing Irish

Review of 'Christmas at Kew 2015'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Christmas at Kew 2015' We wanted to see this last year so we were more than happy to go this year particularly when we had discounted tickets but, even so, it is not expensive anyway (Â£16 for adults, Â£10 for children). At Christmas time every year Kew open their gardens at night for a magical light display in their grounds. Simply put, it is amazing. Very well done. Seasonal food and drink is offered at rea…

Review of 'The Railway Children'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Railway Children' Based on both the well-known movie and book of the same name this play tells the story of three children - Bobbie (Sophie Ablett), Peter (Matt Jessup) and Phyllis (Beth Lilly). After their father leaves under mysterious circumstances the children move from London with their mother to

Review of 'Sadler's Wells Sampled'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sadler's Wells Sampled' A great way to see a number of different dance styles, “Sadler's Wells Sampled” is now a yearly event. The experience goes beyond what is on the stage though with a number of live performances in the foyer as well as, this year, a number of films. The price is also amazing at about Â£15 a ticket.

Review of 'Magical Lantern Festival'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Magical Lantern Festival' This is the first year that the Magical Lantern Festival is appearing in London and it is quite the premiÃ¨re. We visited early on a Thursday night and it was quite busy which bodes well for it returning next year.

Review of 'Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age' Ever since this exhibition was first announced I have wanted to visit to learn more about something that often we in the west know little about: The Russian space program. That and I am interested in anything to do with space

Review of 'Big Bang Data'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Big Bang Data' Being in the computer industry the “Big Bang Data” exhibit immediately appealed to me but I seemed to put off getting tickets until for the very last day...Which, of course, meant it was quite busy. Indeed, it is my impression it has been very busy and well received since it first opened. Taking place in the

Review of 'Drive In Film Club: Mad Max Fury Road'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Drive In Film Club: Mad Max Fury Road' The Roof Top Film club has been around for a while now where they show films on the top of several iconic (and not so iconic) buildings in London. I am attracted to the unusual ways and places to see movies so when I learned of the Drive In Film Club a few years ago I was determined to give it a go. The cost (Â£22) might seem steep but when you consider this is the cost of the car - no matter how many people ar…

Review of 'Sunset Boulevard'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sunset Boulevard' Glenn Close The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical returns in style to London with Glenn Close reprising her Tony Award winning performance from Los Angeles and Broadway. The Sunset Boulevard musical is a pretty faithful translation of the classic movie directed by Billy Wilder staring Jack Lemmon and Gloria Swanson. Norma Desmond (played here by Glenn Close) is a former silent-screen actress living out her retiremen…

Review of 'Sunset Safari at ZSL'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sunset Safari at ZSL' The Sunset Safari is a great way to see the zoo - after hours and with limited numbers. On offer are talks from scientists and keepers, a street food market, various bars, live musical entertainment, street performers, and much more. On arrival you are given a map that also has timings of

Review of 'Alan Parker's Bugsy Malone'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Alan Parker's Bugsy Malone' A stage version based on the 1976 movie musical, Bugsy Malone has an all-child cast telling the story of a prohibition-era “wise guy” Bugsy Malone. Centered around the successful speakeasy Fat Sam's, Bugsy is attracted to a struggling entertainer, Blousey Brown who dreams of travelling to Hollywood to make it big. Fat Sam is worried his rival Dandy Dan will be trying to take over his business a…

Review of 'Whose Line is it Anyway?'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' I was a fan of the “Whose Line is it Anyway?” television series - Not the newer American one, but the original UK edition. The quickness of the comedians as they improvised in tremendously funny ways was astounding to me. So, for those who are not familiar with the show, Clive Anderson is the host with five comedians on the panel who perform various games - Often with material suggested by the audience members (or even involving the audience members). N…

Review of 'Just for Laughs London - Champions of Magic'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Just for Laughs London - Champions of Magic' “Champions of Magic” is one of the acts in the London Just for Laughs festival in 2016 that features 5 of the “world's best” magicians - “Edward Hilsum”, “Fay Presto”, “Alex McAleer” and “

Review of 'André Rieu's 2016 Maastricht Concert '

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'André Rieu's 2016 Maastricht Concert ' André Rieu This was a broadcast of the André Rieu, “the king of waltz”, and his “Johann Strauss Orchestra's 2016 Maastricht Concert broadcast to many cinemas around the world. The interval included a tour of the backstage by Rieu's son which really added to the appreciation of the event. The concert took place, as it does traditionally, in the town square of Maastricht in Amsterdam - The h…

Review of 'Groundhog Day: A New Musical'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Groundhog Day: A New Musical' A new musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin (of “Matilda” fame) based on the film of the same name (staring Bill Murray). In it we see Phil Connors, an arrogant Pittsburgh TV weatherman, visiting the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the annual Groundhog Day celebrations (February 2nd) where the town gathers to witness whether or not the town groundhog sees his shadow. After doin…

Review of 'The Hive Lates'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Hive Lates' When we heard about Kew offering a late-night event where we could view “The Hive” lit up at night, we could not resist. “The Hive” is a newly installed art work at Kew that is a large square structure with an round interior that you can enter and look out of - Inside there are lights that pulsate and music that reacts in response to the activity in a nearby bee-hive. Of course, during the day it has no where near the impact as seeing it at night

Review of 'Great Fire Forensics'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Great Fire Forensics' This free afternoon talk was presented by Fire Investigator Peter Mansi as part of the Great Fire 350 festival - A festival commemorating the 350th anniversary of the “Great Fire” of London in 1666. In this one hour talk Mr. Mansi explained how he was commissioned a few years ago by the

Review of 'Billy Joel'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Billy Joel' In 1988 I had tickets for “Face to Face” in the old Wembley Stadium, to feature Billy Joel and Elton John. Sadly, Billy Joel had to pull out so I had never seen him in concert (on the plus side Elton, by himself, put on a three hour concert). Nicely, Joel made reference to his aborted gig with Elton in this amazing concert to a pretty much sell-out crowd. Joel commented that his last concert in the UK…

Review of 'Tony Robinson - No Cunning Plan'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Tony Robinson - No Cunning Plan' Write on Kew Tony Robinson was at the Write on Kew festival to promote his new “No Cunning Plan” autobiography that was released only a few days previously. For about 45 minutes Robinson talked about his early days as a child actor then ended with him talking about his big break as an adult in Blackadder with Rowan Atkinson. He interspersed his talk with readings from his book which he vividly brough…

Review of 'An Afternoon with Alexander McCall Smith'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'An Afternoon with Alexander McCall Smith' Write on Kew Alexander McCall Smith was interviewed by Alex Clark about his prolific writing for about 45 minutes. He was thoroughly enjoyable throughout making up some bizarre stories including him renting a bulldozer in Italy because they ran out of cars at the rental shop (

Review of 'Cirque Ã‰loize: Id'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Cirque Ã‰loize: Id' “Cirque Ã‰loize” is a 23-year-old circus group from from Montreal that regularly tour with “Id”, one of their first shows. In the confines of a smaller theatre such as the Peacock you would wonder that they would be a bit tight on space but, in fact, they make very good use of what is available.

Review of 'No Man's Land'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'No Man's Land' “No Man's Land” begins with Spooner (Ian McKellen) visiting an old, successful, man, Hirst (Patrick Stewart), convalescing in a lighthouse. The two drink copious amounts of alcohol as they talk about a number of things though come up against a brick wall when Spooner asks Hirst about his wife. Hirst refers to be drawn into that conversation (though we return to this later in the play for a dramatic revelation from Hirst). Spoone…

Review of 'Nice Fish'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Nice Fish' The reviews have been amazing for Nice Fish and I have been keen to see it for some time now so when last minutes tickets came available I jumped at the chance. The play consists of two friends, Erik and Ron, ice fishing on a lake in northern America simply talking about life. They are joined on occasion by others such as the local DNR (Department of Natural Resources) official checking to make sure they have fishing licences then an…

Review of 'Foodies Festival Christmas with Top Chefs (2016)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Foodies Festival Christmas with Top Chefs (2016)' I was not planning on visiting the Foodie Festival this Christmas after a bit of a disappointment last year but a ticket offer came up that I could not refuse so attended again. The festival this year was located largely on the first floor of the Truman Brewery with the larger demonstration area on the ground floor. Last year the ground level also had additional stalls but these were …

Review of 'Taste of London at Christmas (2016)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Taste of London at Christmas (2016)' I am a big fan of the Taste of London shows (see Taste of London) as they give me a chance to try food from a number of the cities' best restaurants for not a lot of money never mind meeting chefs I admire. The large assortment of stalls selling food and drink are also a highlight. I do not tend to be interesting in seeing the cooking displays and demonstrations - They do tend to be a bit on the small side w…

Review of 'Billy Connolly High Horse Tour'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Billy Connolly High Horse Tour' Billy Connolly I am a great fan of Billy Connolly and it has been some time since I have seen his show either in person or on television. To see him come on stage to a full house of fans at the SSE as he is now was a bit of a shock - The hair is very white now (he is looking more like Moses every day) and he obviously is struggling with his Parkinson's though, good on him, he stood for the entire two hour show initia…

Review of 'Christmas at Kew 2016'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Christmas at Kew 2016' After last year's Christmas at Kew we definitely wanted to return to see the wonderful lights at Kew. It is a bit more expensive this year at Â£18 per person but still well worth a visit. This is becoming a bit of a Christmas tradition now for us, I would guess and it is certainly a highlight of the London Christmas season.

Review of 'Cirque du Soleil - Amaluna'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Cirque du Soleil - Amaluna' I have always been attracted to the wonderful Cirque du Soleil. To me as a child Cirque was the ultimate circus show yet always it was out of reach with it's expensive tickets. Now I have been lucky enough to have attended some of their many shows that have travelled here to London but also to their shows abroad. The shows are similar in general nature but I still enjoy the…

Review of 'The Legends of Darts Masters 2017'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Legends of Darts Masters 2017' A demonstration darts show featuring some famous faces from the world of darts - Both retired who are also occasionally to be found playing in tournaments. Staged at the Indigo at the O2, this was a rowdy night of darts

Review of 'School of Rock: The Musical'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'School of Rock: The Musical' Dewey Finn (David Fynn) is a failed unemployed rocker living with a friend of his from his earlier performing days Ned Schneebley (Oliver Jackson) who is now working as a substitute teacher and his somewhat uptight girlfriend Patty Di Marco (Preeya Kalidis). Under financial pressure Dewey accepts a position intended for Ned with the up-tight Horace Green prep school as a substitute. The principal of Horace Green…

Review of 'Sadler's Wells Sampled (2017)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sadler's Wells Sampled (2017)' We attended the “Sadler's Wells Sampled” event last year (see my review here) and really enjoyed it, so much so that we jumped at the chance to attend again this year. Sadly we did not have as good seats (this time in the top of the balcony in the second last row) but other than a bit of vertigo and heat exhaustion we very much enjoyed the show this year as well. This year we made su…

Review of 'Whoopi Goldberg: Stand Up Live'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Whoopi Goldberg: Stand Up Live' I have always been a fan of Whoopi Goldberg with her no-nonsense attitude and fun sense of humour so when we heard that she was coming for a one-off stand-up show at the Palladium we could not resist...

Review of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' Imelda Staunton makes a strong return to the London stage with this adaptation of Edward Albee's “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” We really enjoyed her in the musical Gypsy a few years ago with an incredibly powerful performance so when tickets became available we immediately picked them up. Staunton is a master of the stage performing her characters with complete conviction and here she does not disappoin…

Review of 'Sherlock Jr + The Cameraman'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sherlock Jr + The Cameraman' Lillian Henley As part of the “Cinema Matters: Industrial Light and Magic” series this was two of the best of Buster Keaton's films “Sherlock Jr.” (directed by Buster Keaton) and “The Cameraman

Review of 'André Rieu 2017 (London)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'André Rieu 2017 (London)' André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra André Rieu is a bit of a “love him” or “hate him” performer. My wife and I largely fall into the former category finding him quite nice indeed to listen too. Yeah, sure, it is not

Review of 'Yamato - Chousensha - The Challengers'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Yamato - Chousensha - The Challengers' Yamato I love taiko drumming since I first saw it on the Southbank when I was in the second row - I could feel the drumming and there was something primal and exhilarating about the experience. Yamato gave me this same feeling. Am amazing experience.

Review of 'The Oxford & Cambridge Goat Race'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Oxford & Cambridge Goat Race' Offering an alternative to the massive Oxford/Cambridge Boat race, the ninth annual “Oxford & Cambridge Goat Race” was, as always, a sold-out affair seeking to raise money for the non-profit Spitalfields City Farm in the heart of the city. Not surprisingly, the highlight of the day is the goat race held later in the afternoon.

Review of 'The Moscow State Circus: Gostinitsa'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Moscow State Circus: Gostinitsa' The last time we visited the Moscow State Circus their performance was called “Rasputin” which we found quite dark and a bit creepy so we were a bit hesitant before booking tickets to their new show

Review of 'City of Glass'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'City of Glass' “It was a wrong number that started it...” One night Daniel Quinn (Mark Edel-Hunt/Chris New), a crime writer, receives a phone call asking for “Paul Auster” of the “Auster Detective Agency”. Quinn tells the caller that no one by that name lives there and hangs up the phone. As the phone calls continue in the nights that follow Quinn gets more and more frustrated until he eventually relents and says that he is…

Review of 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead' Focusing on two minor characters from Shakespeare's “Hamlet”, “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead” weaves in and out of the narrative of Hamlet as we see the courtiers contemplating life and generally confused about what is happening in the life of their friend Hamlet (Luke Mullins). Guildenstern (Joshua McGuire) is the more intelligent of the two, though neither are li…

Review of 'David Baddiel â€“ My Family: Not the Sitcom'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'David Baddiel â€“ My Family: Not the Sitcom' I have always enjoyed David Baddiel's dry though sincere humour in his various television appearances so when tickets came up for this, his autobiographical stage show, I had to jump at the chance to see him in action.

Review of 'Farewell to the West End: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Farewell to the West End: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' I have to admit that I found reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time very difficult. A story told completely from the perspective of Chrisopher, a young boy with Asperger syndrome (a form of autism). It was at once challenging but also intriguing and unique from anything else I had read or have read since with it's odd chapter…

Review of 'Penn & Teller: UK Tour 2017'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Penn & Teller: UK Tour 2017' Penn & Teller are the “enfant terrible” of the magic world turning much of what we believe about magic on it's head. From the revealing of tricks to the love of the macabre and fantastic they have been drawing crowds to their show in Las Vegas for 21 years.

Review of 'West End Live 2017'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'West End Live 2017' For 13 years now West End Live has brought us a free sample of various music acts from the West End stage on a weekend in June and I have tried to attend every year. It is a good opportunity to see whether you might be interested in attending any of the shows that perform here. Every year, however, it gets bigger and bigger from it's humble beginnings in Leicester Square under the trees to now dominating Trafalgar Square. Arriv…

Review of 'British Summer Time 2017: Phil Collins'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'British Summer Time 2017: Phil Collins' Have always wanted to see Phil Collins so when tickets came up to see him as part of the British Summer Time series of summer concerts, we grabbed several straightaway. We did not cough up the money for the much more expensive tickets that gave access to the area immediately in front of the stage opting instead for a general admission ticket.

Review of 'Evening Standard Food Month: Night Market'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Evening Standard Food Month: Night Market' I first was told about The Evening Standard Food Month when I, like many others, received a copy of the programme of events along with our copy the evening paper. In addition to a number of special deals at London restaurants in the guide was the signature event, the

Review of 'The Art of the Brick: DC Super Heroes'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Art of the Brick: DC Super Heroes' In 2014 I was lucky to attend Nathan Sawaya's “Art of the Brick” display when it visited London's Brick Lane. Being a long time fan of the plastic bricks it was amazing to see how the artist and brought real art to the toy. When I heard he was returning with another art exhibit,

Review of 'King Kong Comedy'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'King Kong Comedy' A tremendously fun show that never takes itself very seriously. “King Kong Comedy” is a spoof of the King Kong story told from the perspective of Carl Denham (Rob Crouch), the wannabee director of a film based on Skull Island, home to the giant ape King Kong. The play has the feeling of a typical Edinburgh Fringe show with the slapstick as well as tongue-in-cheek childlike humour throughout such as the presence of

Review of 'Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make Machines Human' Robots are man's attempt at recreating itself and so are often the subject of great fascination. This exhibition has been at the Science Museum since early this year but I only just recently had the opportunity to visit during one of their late night Friday openings.

Review of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' On the morning of Thursday, August 4th, 2016 I opened the booking web site for the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” play where, we were promised, many thousands of tickets were being released for purchase. I joined the queue. Position 11,000 (or so) did not bode well so I left the page open and went about my day's work keeping an eye on the counter periodically as it slowly dropped. Eleven hours later…

Review of 'Into the Unknown: A Journey Though Science Fiction'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Into the Unknown: A Journey Though Science Fiction' I am a fan of Science Fiction so when I heard of this exhibit at the Barbican I knew I had to come to check it out. The reviews have not been all that positive but I wanted to give it a shot. The paid access to

Review of 'Zip World London'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Zip World London' Billing itself as “the biggest, fastest city zip wire in the world” ZipWorld has pitched up in a small park opposite the Houses of Parliament for the summer until October 1st. At Â£25 for a single ride for adults it is not cheap but it does offer a 30 second adrendaline rush for thrill-seekers with pretty good views.

Review of 'Foodies Festival: Alexandra Palace (2017)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-11-10T13:25:41+00:00

Review of 'Foodies Festival: Alexandra Palace (2017)' We have been busy with all sorts of food festivals this summer. There seem to be quite a number of them and we seem to pretty much go to all of them. Last weekend we were at the Waitrose Summer Festival which was quite fun and laid back. This (long) weekend we now visited the

Review of 'Five Guys Named Moe'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Five Guys Named Moe' “Five Guys Named Moe” is a musical featuring the music of 1940s R&B legend Louis Jordan. The somewhat superfluous story is that music-lover “Nomax” (Edward Baruwa) is having trouble with his love life when five guys (yes, all named

Review of 'Kinky Boots'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Kinky Boots' Kinky Boots is most definitely a British musical both in body and soul. It tells the story of Charlie Price (David Hunter) a young man whose father runs a men's shoe factory in Northampton. Charlie and his fiance Nicola move to London for her to pursue a career in real estate but a short time later Charlie is called back to Northampton when his father dies. Charlie is left in charge of the factory which he learns has severe …

Review of 'Margaret Atwood'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Margaret Atwood' I have always been a fan of the outspoken Margaret Atwood not because she is a fellow Canadian but because she is an excellent author with interesting things to say (said in interesting ways). She has often courted controversy with her comments but she has always been willing to defend them. When I heard of her coming to London to talk at the Southbank Centre I bought tickets straightaway an…

Review of 'Young Frankenstein'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Young Frankenstein' Mel Brooks' sprinkles some more magical theatre pixie dust in adapting his film “Young Frankenstein” as a musical. This is the first UK production and has been favourably received. Frederick Frankenstein (“

Review of 'Dali / Duchamp'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Dali / Duchamp' The contrast between Dali and Duchamp is plain to see yet they shared a lot in common as this exhibit at the Royal Academy seeks to point out. Not only were the two artists good friends (Who knew? Ok, I didn't...) but early in their careers they even created very similar pieces as is plain to see in the first room of the exhibit,

Review of 'Saint George and the Dragon'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Saint George and the Dragon' National Theatre I was not quite sure what to expect but I know it was not what we experienced. The play begins with a despondent Saint George (John Heffeman) visiting a village under siege by a dragon. He has experience with another dragon who he previously failed to destroy but he is convinced he can conquer this one soon after falling for Ann Fielder (Suzanne Ahmet), the youn…

Review of 'Follies'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Follies' NT Live We are huge fans of Imelda Staunton since we saw her in the wonderful Gypsy a few years ago at the Savoy Theatre. With the new production of Stephen Sondheimâ€™s musical “Follies” in which she stars it was expected that it would pretty much sell out

Review of 'Taste of London (Christmas 2017)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Taste of London (Christmas 2017)' Taste of London is back in Tobacco Dock again for the Christmas version of their massive Taste of London show in the summer. It was held on a cool weekend in November and, as always, was very busy.

Review of 'Laurel & Hardy - Silent Magic'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Laurel & Hardy - Silent Magic' We could not resist this showing of some classic Laurel and Hardy films with live accompaniment by Donald MacKenzie on the Regent Street Cinema's original 1936 Compton cinema organ and we were not disappointed. I just love it when I get to hear and see such old films the way they were intended to be shown and when it is done live by a master of the cinema organ, I simply cannot…

Review of 'King's College Choir'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'King's College Choir' When the list of Christmas events came up at the Royal Albert Hall we had browse and this performance was the only that really caught our eye. My companion is from Canada and does not like the sing-a-longs here as many of the tunes used in British carols are not the same as in Canada so are not really the same for her

Review of 'RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017' Let's make one thing clear: I am not really that much of a gardener but I do like gardens and enjoy puttering about in one if one is to hand. But as far as recognising different types of plants I am afraid I am quite hopeless and my capabilities are sub-amateur at best. Having said that, I have always wanted to visit THE most famous plant show of them all

Review of 'Dick Whittington'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Dick Whittington' A traditional Christmas Pantomime, and one that is quite specifically London-based Dick Whittington at the amazing Palladium has to be a theatrical pinnacle of the holiday season in London. Of course, as with most pantomimes, the story is very much just an excuse for the stage shenanigans. In this case we follow the story of young Dick Whittington (Charlie Stemp) who leaves his home in Lancashire travels to London with hi…

Review of 'Aladdin'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Aladdin' I really enjoyed the stage adaptation of the “Lion King” animated film so was looking forward to seeing Aladdin. Sadly, I was disappointed. This musical tells the story of Aladdin (Matthew Croke), a boy living on the streets of the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah who meets and falls in love with Princess Jasmine (Jade Ewen) when she escapes one day from her sheltered and unsatisfying life in the palace to visit the market. Unfortunat…

Review of 'Hamilton'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Hamilton' After the incredible reviews for the musical coming out of New York I was anxious to get my hands on tickets for Hamilton when it came to London. I was one of the lucky few that has had my wish granted. Hamilton is the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. A colourful character whose energy and outspokenness made him many enemies eventually leading to his death in a duel. After an exposition…

Review of 'Cirque du Soleil - Ovo'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Cirque du Soleil - Ovo' After seeing many of Cirque's shows over the years I still often hesitate when a new show comes around. The tickets are often very expensive but I never regret it when I have been to see the show. So, was “

Review of 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie' Last year at the free West End Live festival in Trafalgar Square the cast of “Everybody's Talking About Jamie” performed a few pieces including the title song. At the time I found it a breath of fresh air with a sense of vitality and fun missing from new musicals. During this year's regular off-season

Review of 'Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: Bernstein at 100'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: Bernstein at 100' I am a huge fan of the master trumpeter Wynton Marsalis so a year ago when I heard he was coming with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to the Barbican I had to have tickets. He was here for a series of concerts: A tribute to Benny Goodman (King of Swing), a tribute to Leonard Bernstein (born 100 years ag…

Review of 'National Wing Day 2018'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'National Wing Day 2018' When we heard about “National Wing Day” and the event being held at the Old Truman Brewery with a number of very good street vendors selling chicken wings we thought: Why not? We are both big fans of chicken wings (though a bit wimpy with regards to HOT wings) so we picked up two tickets for the eventually sold out show.

Review of 'Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-18'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-18' While I booked my ticket for “Ferrari: Under the Skin” I was offered a deal on including admission to “Hope to Nope” and I am very glad I chose this option. An amazing assortment of displays and interesting information are on offer charting the graphic design of protest in the last 10 years.

Review of 'Ferrari: Under the Skin'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Ferrari: Under the Skin' A fan of Formula 1 and of the Ferrari brand (yes, I have been to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi) I could not pass up the “Ferrari: Under the Skin” exhibit at the Design Museum. A tremendously popular exhibit there was a queue to get into the exhibit and it was crowded throughout though it did not help that I attended on it's last weekend.

Review of 'The Grinning Man'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Grinning Man' Based on “The Man Who Laughs” by Victor Hugo, The Grinning Man is an enjoyable and amazing piece of theatre. We are first introduced to the court-jester character of “Barkilphedro” (Julian Bleach) who serves as narrator of the show but who goes on to become an integral part of the story as he slinks about over and under the stage. An unusual act has come to the

Review of 'Chess'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Chess' Chess is a musical that is seldom staged nowadays so when I heard it was coming to the Coliseum with a big star (Michael Ball) though, unfortunately, Murray Head (from the original production) pulled out of the production as the last minute. The Coliseum is a great place for such a classic (now) of west end theatre and added a certain gravitos to the evening. Yeah, full admission: I am a big fan of the musical so I am going to be a bit…

Review of 'Hollywood Nights'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Hollywood Nights' Part of “The Heart of Hollywood” world tour, “Hollywood Nights” is a short evening live performance of excerpts from famous musicals underneath the towering “H” from the original “Hollywood” (“Hollywoodland

Review of 'The Muppets Take the O2'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Muppets Take the O2' I have to admit, we had not originally planned on going to see the Muppets and primarily it was because of the cost (Â£45 to Â£100 for seats) but also not knowing what to expect. When we were given an amazing offer on tickets we really had no excuse and we are very glad we went as the show was absolutely amazing, full of the fun and humour that we have always enjoyed from the Muppets.

Review of '250th Summer Exhibition'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of '250th Summer Exhibition' Royal Academy of Arts I was not sure what to expect from the Summer Exhibition as I have never attended but in this it's 250th anniversary (yes, 250 years) I really had to go and am very glad I did. [Big Display in Wohl Central Hall - #49 "Royal Valkyrie"] The Summer Exhibition is a traditional summer show at the Royal Academy that features works of art hung by, generally, a famous art…

Review of 'Sounds and Sorcery: Celebrating Disney's Fantasia'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sounds and Sorcery: Celebrating Disney's Fantasia' Ever since I heard about this show I was intrigued being a fan of the original experimental film “Fantasia” from Disney - Classical music accompanied by animation. So, when I was given a great offer on tickets I had to go.

Review of 'Carnaby Street Eat Food Festival'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Carnaby Street Eat Food Festival' Ever since receiving an email about the Carnaby Street Eat Food Festival I had been debating whether or not to go. I was thinking it was going to be quite busy and probably not really all that cheap. I was right on the one point but not on the other.

Review of 'Painted Hall Ceiling Tours'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Painted Hall Ceiling Tours' First off, a confession: I have never actually visited the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich nor have I ever visited the nearby Cutty Sark or the even closer National Maritime Museum. It is often so difficult to get out to Greenwich by public transport (DLR, a bus, or a river boat are the main options) it seems it is often neglected in our time in the city. So when I read about the Painted Ha…

Review of 'Manilow: Live in London!'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Manilow: Live in London!' Barry Manilow We really enjoyed Barry Manilow when we saw him in Hyde Park in 2009 as part of “Proms in the Park”. He has such a wonderful voice and is so much fun, never taking himself too seriously. When an offer came up on tickets to his concert at the O2 in London we jumped at the chance to see him again.

Review of 'Company'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Company' The legendary Steven Sondheim musical “Company” returns to the stage with a wonderful new, modern production at the Gielgud Theatre, London. Bobbie (Rosalie Craig), rather than the original male lead “Bobby”, is celebrating her 35th birthday in New York City but facing self-doubt and pressure from others to be in a relationship. The story involves her visiting various friends and seeing how they cope (or not) with their own relationships …

Review of 'Camelot in Concert'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Camelot in Concert' I am not entirely familiar with Lerner and Loewe's classic musical “Camelot” which is not entirely unexpected given that it is only rarely performed nowadays. The opportunity to experience Camelot in a one-off concert performance at the Palladium I could simply not pass up and I am very glad I didn't.

Review of 'Battle of the Burger'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Battle of the Burger' Burgers are not fancy but we do love a good one. When we were told that Time Out was hosting a “Battle of the Burger” event we could not resist. The Â£20 admission charge gave you a “quarter burger” from each of the 8 contestants (in reality many of the restaurants offered larger samples

Review of 'Film Screening: Your Name with Producer Genki Kawamura'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Film Screening: Your Name with Producer Genki Kawamura' I am a big fan of film director Makoto Shinkai and one of his latest works “Your Name” (see here for review). When the opportunity came with The Japanese Foundation to see the film and hear a talk by the producer Genki Kawamura I simply could not resist.

Review of 'Stop Motion Animation which Never Stops: A Talk by Tsuneo Goda and Hirokazu Minegishi'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Stop Motion Animation which Never Stops: A Talk by Tsuneo Goda and Hirokazu Minegishi' Stop motion animation is unusual in Japan but there are some notable exceptions. Tsuneo Goda is such an exception most notable for his “Domo”

Review of 'Sketching'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Sketching' James Graham When tickets for this show came up the idea sounded so good we could not pass up. It consists of a series of small plays about Londoners that, as the show progresses, we find are increasingly interconnected. The pivotal story around which all others end up connecting is

Review of 'Pizza Pilgrims Gino's East Takeover'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Pizza Pilgrims Gino's East Takeover' When I heard that the legendary Gino's East pizza chain was visiting London I just had to go to sample their wonderful deep-dish pizza again. I have had their pizza before when I ordered delivery from them during a visit to Chicago in 2000 (see

Review of 'Frieze Sculpture 2018'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Frieze Sculpture 2018' Held every summer in The English Gardens in Regents Park (on the east middle side of the park) this is a free display of some truly wild sculpture. The web site offers a free map to the sculptures as well as a (recommended) mobile phone app. The map is really required as it is easy to overlook some of the pieces such as one hanging from a tree

Review of 'Ziauddin & Malala Yousafzai In Conversation'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Ziauddin & Malala Yousafzai In Conversation' Ever since the incident where Malala Yousafzai, a young school girl, was shot by the Taliban in her home town in Afghanistan she has had the attention of the world through her efforts towards female education. Her story was told in her biography

Review of 'SFX Book Con 2'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'SFX Book Con 2' I make no secret of the fact that I love Science Fiction and Fantasy books (see Science Fiction). Having attended many World Science Fiction conventions in the past I am always interested in any literary events that come up having to do with the genre so when I heard of the

Review of 'Switzerland'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Switzerland' Patricia Highsmith (played coolly by Phyllis Logan), the queen of the thriller and best known for her novel “The Talented Mr Ripley”, has retreated to Switzerland to write her next novel when she is visited by a young man (Calum Finlay) who has been sent by her New York publisher to convince her to write a new Tom Ripley novel. Highsmith is now a bitter old woman and she verbally assaults the young man who perseveres in his efforts. Her threats suggest physical viole…

Review of 'Hokkaido Chef's Table at Ichiba'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Hokkaido Chef's Table at Ichiba' I am a fan of Japanese culture and, of course, food. This event promoted by Japan Centre was something I could not really miss as it provided the opportunity to not only learn about an area of Japan I know little about but also to meet a local chef and sample some of the food. Tickets were Â£15 which included the talk, a drink and a small portion of food.

Review of 'Skate at Somerset House (2018)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Skate at Somerset House (2018)' Skate at Somerset House returns for another year signalling the Christmas season has arrived! Somerset House is a great setting for a small skating rink. While not for serious skaters, it is good for a bit of a giggle. Standard adult tickets for a 45 minute session (occasionally one hour, depending on the time/day) are Â£11 with concessions/children at Â£8.50 including skate hire (th…

Review of 'Natural History Museum Ice Rink (2018)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Natural History Museum Ice Rink (2018)' An amazing setting for the annual skating rink at the National History Museum in the corner of the museum grounds. It is also a larger rink, a square of ice with a large Christmas tree in the middle. A long, often crowded, temporary building runs the length of the rink having change rooms on the ground and cafe on the first floor.

Review of 'Noel Fitzpatrick Live Tour 2018 - Welcome to My World'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Noel Fitzpatrick Live Tour 2018 - Welcome to My World' My wife and I have always loved animals. We always have a pet at home who keeps us company and on whom we lavish attention (yes, Apple, I am talking about you). One of our favourite television shows is

Review of 'Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium of Reason 2018'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium of Reason 2018' Brian and Robin's Christmas Compendium of Reason 2018 Read more at A while ago we received tickets to see the taping of radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage which is a slightly irreverent look at Science staring the (somewhat serious) Physicist Brian Cox and (somewhat not serious) Comedian Robin Ince. Through all the laughs we learned a lot and it was a really fun experience. Certainly Cox i…

Review of 'Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons:The Farewell Tour'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons:The Farewell Tour' The absolute legend that is Frankie Valli touring for the last time played the O2 on December 2nd to a rather large and enthusiastic crowd. Belting out such favourites as “Rag Doll

Review of 'Circus 1903'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Circus 1903' Ever since we saw the advertising for “Circus 1903” we were hooked - The promise of an old-fashioned circus on the Southbank complete with it's much-vaunted life-size elephant puppets (operated by performers from War Horse). We were most definitely not disappointed.

Review of 'Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The London Mastaba'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The London Mastaba' Visiting Hyde Park last summer you could not help notice a rather large pyramid of barrels floating in the middle of the Serpentine. This is “The London Mustaba” by the artist Christo and Jeanne-Claude was made up of 7,506 horizontally stacked 55 gallon barrels on a floating platform, 20 m high, 30m wide and 40m long.

Review of 'Songs for Nobodies'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Songs for Nobodies' Bernadette Robinson An amazing one lady show staring Bernadette Robinson showcasing some of the greatest woman singers of all time. The simple staging of a sitting room with a few basic props (a drinks cabinet, fully stocked, chairs and a dresser) has Robinson telling five separate stories of

Review of 'Joan Collins: Unscripted'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Joan Collins: Unscripted' I can't say I am a huge fan of Joan Collins but I certainly am aware of her and find her interesting. When the opportunity came up to see her at the Palladium I could not pass it up. Our seats were half way up the top (second) balcony, the

Review of 'Good Grief, Charlie Brown!'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Good Grief, Charlie Brown!' The “Good Grief, Charlie Brown!” exhibit at Somerset House is an interesting mix of material from the “Peanuts” comic strip's creator Charles M. Schulz (who passed away in 2000) then in the second half of the exhibit, an eclectic mix of contemporary artist's interpretation of it.

Review of 'Ian McKellen on Stage'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Ian McKellen on Stage' Ian McKellen Ian McKellen is a living legend having not only proven himself on the stage but also in film. I have enjoyed him in Beckett's “Waiting for Godot” at Theatre Royal, Haymarket where he famously starred with Patrick Stewart and also in

Review of 'Waitress'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Waitress' The hit Broadway show “Waitress” finally transfers to London's West End starring “American Idol” star “Katharine McPhee”. I was a huge fan of “Alice” when it was on television...er...quite some time ago, which had a similar premise to

Review of 'An Evening with the Hairy Bikers'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-10-27T18:50:41+00:00

Review of 'An Evening with the Hairy Bikers' The Hairy Bikers I am a fan of the Hairy Bikers, Si King and Dave Myers -- a pair of “ordinary blokes” from “up north” who mix their every day style of cooking with travel and, of course, humour. I suppose they are a bit of an acquired taste and can be a bit grating, I just think they are fun and more than a bit silly, oh, and they can cook quite well too. The…

Review of 'Hair'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Hair' I have put off going to this musical primarily because it notoriously includes full-cast nudity but I have always been a fan of at least some of the music it features. However, this is not a musical for the squeamish as it espouses the hippy ethos of free-love and thinking including drug use. It is is certainly in your face even now on it's 50th anniversary. Not so sure it is my thing

Review of 'Twilight Zone'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Twilight Zone' The Twilight Zone American television series from the 1950s/1960s is iconic with a certain style and type of story that always had a sting in it's tale and always a bit “out there” with most stories straying easily into Science Fiction and Fantasy. This play takes this and transfers it, quite effectively, to the stage. As you enter the theatre the stage curtain is a

Review of 'Man of La Mancha: The Musical'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Man of La Mancha: The Musical' Kelsey Grammer stars as Don Quixote in the revival of this musical classic for a limited run at the ENO Coliseum. After a short overture the curtain comes up to reveal an inquisition prison in the basement of a decaying museum. The stairs descend for it's newest inmate: The author Miguel de Cervantes (Kelsey Grammer) accompanied by his faithful manservant (Peter Polycarpou). The inmates led by self-…

Review of 'Neil Gaiman: Good Omens'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Neil Gaiman: Good Omens' I have always enjoyed reading the fantasy books of Neil Gaiman and his collaborator on the novel Good Omens the late (Sir) Terry Pratchett. When I was given the opportunity to hear Gaiman talk about the adaption of this novel to six episodes on Amazon Prime (airing the day after the talk), I could not pass it up. The auditorium of the Festival Hall was packed with a mixture of…

Review of 'Early Japanese Animation'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Early Japanese Animation' I am a fan of Japanese Animation so was interested when this even came up in my inbox. The entire description is “Early Japanese Animation (PG*) + live accompaniment by the Guildhall's Electronic Music Studio + live Benshi narration by Tomoko Komura

Review of 'An Evening With Ben Aaronovitch'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'An Evening With Ben Aaronovitch' Ben Aaronovitch is the writer of the popular “Rivers of London” series of fiction books featuring (see my review of the first book here) the adventures of Peter Grant, a young officer in the (London) Metropolitan Police who becomes involved in the branch of the police dealing with the supernatural set in modern day London (and, recently, occasionally abroad).

Review of 'Come From Away'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Come From Away' “Come From Away” is the hit musical relating the touching and uplifting story of the airline passengers diverted to Gander, Newfoundland (Canada) after being caught up in the grounding of all flights during the 9/11 disaster in New York City. There were 7,000 people on 38 planes that were forced to land at Gander which, due to being a former fuel stop for transatlantic flights, had sufficient tarmac space for such a large number …

Review of 'Red Bull Soapbox Race London 2019'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Red Bull Soapbox Race London 2019' We have always been big fans of the Red Bull Soapbox races we have seen on television. The sheen lunacy of the spectacle has always been appreciated as amateurs in the races around the world attempt to build and race soapbox vehicles (wheeled carts with no engine) down steep courses with various hazards along the way simply striving to make it to the finish line. When we heard it was coming to it's

Review of 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Exhibition'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Exhibition' The new Netflix show “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” brings us this exhibit at the BFI on the Southbank that gives an insight into how the show was made and, of course, stir up some interest for the show itself.

Review of 'Jones & Russell Watson In Harmony Tour'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Jones & Russell Watson In Harmony Tour' As a fan of Russel Watson I am always interested in seeing any of his performances so when he intriguingly teamed up with Aled Jones, who is perhaps best known for his bestselling single “Walking in the Air

Review of 'Stephen Fry Mythos - A Trilogy: Heroes'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Stephen Fry Mythos - A Trilogy: Heroes' We are big fans of Stephen Fry. He is so intelligent, witty, and entertaining he enthralled any time he opens his mouth so coupled with his arid-dry humour he is a force to be reckoned with. Recently he has written several novels retelling the stories of ancient Greece using modern speech (though, it has to be said, in no way changing the settings or names): Mythos, and Heroes. Following on from these he…

Review of 'Solaris'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Solaris' As a bit of a SF enthusiast I am familiar with the “Solaris” film and the original book written by Stansislaw Lem so when I heard it was, unusually, being adapted into a play I could not pass it up. Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Polly Frame) is sent to a space station orbiting

Review of 'Chihuly Nights'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Chihuly Nights' Dale Chihuly is a truly amazing artist who can twist glass into the most amazing, organic shapes. His work hangs from the top of the atrium at London's Victoria and Albert museum which has always really captured my eye. When we heard he was putting on a exhibition at Kew Gardens this immediately drew our attention and I promptly purchased tickets for one the

Review of 'Moving to Mars'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Moving to Mars' I was unsure how an exhibit entitled “Moving to Mars” was related to the “Design Museum” ethos but now having seen the exhibition I think it is quite obvious - There are many aspects of design in the idea of moving to Mars from the planning of habitation to the Mars films that inspire us. This is an exhibit that is full of ideas along with great hands-on activities and information that will, indeed, inspire. At…

Review of 'Pub in the Park 2019: Chiswick'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Pub in the Park 2019: Chiswick' I really enjoy good food. I don't think I know a lot about it but I keep trying to learn more about it. One of the things I do is watch a lot of television cooking so am familiar with many of the big names in British fine dining including

Review of 'National Geographic Traveller Food Festival'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'National Geographic Traveller Food Festival' The inaugural “National Geographic Traveller Food Festival” was held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London in July. Being the first I was not entirely sure what to expect but had been promised tastes from around the world

Review of 'The Gollancz Festival 2019'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Gollancz Festival 2019' The annual “Gollancz Festival” held in the top floor of Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London is a one day event consisting of either a “Reader” or “Writer” programme. I attended the “Readers

Review of 'Christmas at Kew 2019'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Christmas at Kew 2019' It is hard to believe the last time we visited “Christmas at Kew” was in 2016. This annual event sees Kew Gardens opening in the evening, transformed with a trail through the gardens taking you from one festive light installation to another. What was particularly notable about this year's display is the introduction of music throughout in addition to several amazing new displays. Sadly, unless you have a…

Review of 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong' Mischief Theatre We recorded a performance of this play from the BBC last Christmas. Since then we have watched it a number of times and shown it to our visitors also as we enjoyed it so much. Performed (in real life) by the

Review of 'A Very Merry Christmas'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'A Very Merry Christmas' There are a lot of concerts leading up to the Christmas season in London and so we tend to be a bit picky about what we go to but when we saw the programme for “A Very Merry Christmas” performed at the Barbican Hall we knew we could not resist. Full of modern Christmas music from the 20th century including

Review of 'Christmas with Alan Titchmarsh'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Christmas with Alan Titchmarsh' A last minute ticket offer had us visiting the Royal Festival Hall for a performance of Christmas carols by the London Philharmonic Choir and the London Concert Orchestra, hosted by television celebrity (and keen gardener) Alan Titchmarsh. Titchmarsh did an admirable job providing light touch introductions to the various pieces, directing the audience when our partici…

Review of 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh' When we heard that artefacts from King Tutankhamun's tomb were travelling outside of Egypt for the last time we were quick to grab tickets for their visit to London. The tickets are not cheap at Â£28.50 for adults plus another Â£5 for an audio guide so expectations were set quite high. Unfortunately, we left feeling a bit disappointed.

Review of 'Madam Butterfly'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Madam Butterfly' Puccini's Madam Butterfly is a wonderful if terribly tragic opera and we were lucky enough to see it staged at the beautiful London Coliseum. The story follows a young naive Japanese woman Cio-Cio-San (Natalya Romaniw) falling for a young US navy lieutenant F. B. Pinkerton (Dimitri Pittas). Pinkerton, knowing how easy it is to divorce in Japan, marries Cio-Cio-San then shortly leaves to return to duty. Three years …

Review of 'Drive In Film Club - Alexandra Palace'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Drive In Film Club - Alexandra Palace' Set in the car park on the north-east side of the palace, the “Drive In Film Club” (operated by the “Roof Top Film Club”) takes place every summer. This year, with the COVID epidemic things were a bit different with attendees told not to leave their cars which are also socially distanced from each other. The audio is provided via your FM radio though, for us, a disadvantage was that…

Review of 'The Luna Drive In Cinema - Gunnersbury Park'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Luna Drive In Cinema - Gunnersbury Park' Another drive in cinema in a summer where they have proliferated due to the COVID epidemic. “Luna Drive In” sets itself above the others with an amazing, professional experience: Number plate recognition on entry, self-contained audio devices and food/drink delivery to the car. The cost is per car and is quite expensive.

Review of 'The Luna Cinema - Royal Hospital Chelsea'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Luna Cinema - Royal Hospital Chelsea' Situated on the back lawn of the “Royal Hospital Chelsea” and accessed via the south gate on the Thames embankment, “The Luna Cinema” is one of the largest outdoor cinemas in London and is operated by one of the biggest outdoor cinema groups. As with everything this year, the name of the game is social distancing with their comfortable director-style chairs arranged on the grass in groups …

Review of 'Poetry + Film / Hack - Spirited Away'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Poetry + Film / Hack - Spirited Away' I can't say I am a huge fan of poetry but I can say I am a huge fan of Japanese Animation and, in particular, the films of “Hayao Miyazaki”. This virtual event from the London Barbican Centre attempted to take in both elements beginning with a watch of the film followed by several poets providing their artistic interpretation of some aspects of it.…

Review of 'London Transport Museum: Museum After Dark'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'London Transport Museum: Museum After Dark' I have enjoyed the “London Transport Museum” for many years, taking in not only the museum but also the “Acton Depot” (on open days) where they have the majority of their material in storage. During the recent COVID troubles we jumped at the chance to visit the museum during one of it's

Review of 'The Cosmos with Professor Brian Cox'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Cosmos with Professor Brian Cox' Brian Cox and the BBC Symphony Orchestra Professor Brian Cox believes that music and science are interdependent ways we use to make sense of the world. In this concert held live at the Barbican but also via live stream (the later of which was used by this reviewer) Cox and the orchestra would respond to one another in turn with Cox talking poetically ab…

Review of 'Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas' A charming live version of the Raymond Briggs classic “Father Christmas” which was offered online this year due to the pandemic. We follow Father Christmas (Barry McCarthy) as he prepares for the big day then follow him as he travels around the world delivering presents for the children.

Review of 'Tunnel Walk'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Tunnel Walk' When I first learned of the opening of the underground “Mail Rail” in London to the public I was incredibly intrigued. “Mail Rail” was a railway that transported mail quickly between mail facilities in London for 76 years only closing in 2003. After being moth-balled for years the nearby

Review of 'The Art of Banksy'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'The Art of Banksy' We are fans of the work of street artist “Banksy” (whose identity remains a mystery) despite, of course, the fact that he often breaks the law his wit and insight are masterly evident in his work. Incidentally, on the subject of breaking the law a Banksy quote from the exhibition:

Review of 'Notre Dame de Paris'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Notre Dame de Paris' I must admit that I did not know anything about this musical before I actually stepped into the theatre, only relying on a number of positive reviews I had seen and the massive advertising campaign that the promotors have been putting on.

Review of 'Taste of London 2021'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:50+00:00

Review of 'Taste of London 2021' The “Taste of London” festival in Regents park has become a fixture of the London restaurant scene over the years though, of course, with the pandemic last year's festival had to be cancelled. This year the event has been spread out over the course of two weeks (instead of the normal one), taking place between Wednesday and Sunday of each week, with one session during weekdays and two on the weekends. Some of the restaura…

Review of 'London Zoo Twilight'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'London Zoo Twilight' We have long enjoyed attending the various after-hours adults-only events at the London Zoo (see my review of Sunset Safari (2016)) where we can explore the zoo in peace and calm as well as tuck into some street food (all street food vendors accepted plastic).

Review of 'Carousel'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Carousel' Carousel is the story of a young woman, Julie Jordan, who falls for a Carousel barker Billy Bigelow. Billy has just lost his job and Julie loses hers when she begins her relationship. After marrying Billy begins to be abusive towards Julie but when she tells him she is pregnant he is determined to provide for his family, agreeing to rob a wealthy local businessman.

Review of 'Marble Arch Mound'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Marble Arch Mound' Ever since we saw the “mound” being assembled at Marble Arch we have been astounded that such a thing would ever be built. It is a structure composed of a huge amount of scaffolding covered with turf and trees evidently so we believe a 22.5 meter hill actually sprung up magically overnight in the middle of one of the busiest junctions in London. This was built by Westminster City Council to attract visitors back into Lond…

Review of 'The Shark is Broken'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Shark is Broken' What a great title: “The Shark is Broken” tells the story of the three principal actors from 1975 film Review of 'Jaws', Roy Schneider (Demetri Goritsas), Richard Dreyfuss (Liam Murray Scott), and Robert Shaw (played by his son Ian Shaw) as they wait on board the fishing boat, the

Review of 'Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella' This is the latest, long awaited musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber featuring Carrie Hope Fletcher in the title role at the Gilliam Lynne Theatre (formerly the New London Theatre). We originally had tickets for December last year but, of course, there was a global pandemic which pushed our dates back no less than four times but, thankfully, the stars have aligned and we were able to finally able to see the…

Review of 'Hidden London: Piccadilly Circus: The Heart of London'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Hidden London: Piccadilly Circus: The Heart of London' I have been a fan of the London Underground since even before I had ever used it myself. It's amazing network of efficient trains transport you quick and easily to anywhere in the city with their iconic colours and, indeed, stations. I have attended the London Transport Museum's regular

Review of 'Aladdin'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Aladdin' This year's panto at the Lyric Hammersmith is “Aladdin” which had its premiere on the night we attended, long delayed after last year's pandemic. You would have thought the delay would have meant the show is polished and professional but sadly this is not the case. The night we attended was full of technical issues such as microphones not working (indeed, sound problems throughout resulting in the audience missing many of the lin…

Review of 'The World's Most Expensive Stamp'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The World's Most Expensive Stamp' Ever since my grandmother got me interested in collecting I have collected stamps (see Stamp Collecting (Philately)) so I read with great interest the purchase of the world's most expensive (and rare) stamp, “The British Guiana ONE CENT black on magenta

Review of 'Pantoland at the Palladium'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-12-07T18:02:39+00:00

Review of 'Pantoland at the Palladium' Having been forced to cancel last year's pantomime due to the pandemic the London Palladium return in 2021 with “Pantoland” which is a salute to pantomime rather than making any sort of attempt at telling a story as you might normally expect. The simply dressed stage is surrounded by posters of previous Palladium pantomimes featuring the great and the good of the entertainment business over the many years it has bee…

Review of 'Dear Evan Hansen'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Dear Evan Hansen' An amazing American musical featuring a young man Evan Hansen (played by an incredibly gifted, and very convincing, Sam Tutty) who suffers from social anxiety. As part of the treatment his confused, busy, but well meaning, mother (Rebecca McKinnis) he is encouraged to write himself letters talking about his feelings. Having printed one of these letters for his therapist in which he expresses feelings for Zoe Murphy (a wonderf…

Review of 'Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2021'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2021' Winter Wonderland has to be the biggest annual Christmas Market in the UK, returning to Hyde Park, in London (near Marble Arch) having been cancelled last year due to COVID. This year they now charge for entrance during peak times. Non-peak times are very few and a free ticket must still be obtained before visiting. Everyone attending must show not only their ticket but also proof of COVID vaccination. We…

Review of 'David Suchet: Poirot And More'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'David Suchet: Poirot And More' David Suchet I always found David Suchet's portrayal as Agatha Cristie's fictional detective “Poirot” on television fascinating and so was intrigued when I learned of this show opening in London where he talked not just about this role but other parts of his life that I was not terribly familiar with. Indeed, in this show Suchet himself recognizes that many wh…

Review of 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' This is the National Theatre's stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book The Ocean at the End of the Lane telling the story of a boy (played by an incredibly talented Tom Mackley) who witnesses a fatal accident near to a local farm. On the property he meets Old Mrs. Hempstock (Penny Layden) as well as Ginnie Hempstock (Subhan Harrison) and daughter Lettie (Nia Towle) with whom he quickly establishes a friendship. Lett…

Review of 'Six'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Six' “Six” is a riotous rock musical telling the story of each of the six wives of Henry VIII. Over the course of 80 minutes (no interval) each of the wives tell their story via amazing choreography and song. This is an amazing

Review of 'Sister Act'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Sister Act' There is a story here. Back in October 2019 we were told that Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders would be staring in a special revival of the “Sister Act” musical (which was based on the highly popular film). We jumped at the chance and immediately booked our tickets for August 2020. Of course, come 2020 and the world as we know it changed with the pandemic disrupting everything

Review of 'Back to the Future The Musical'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Back to the Future The Musical' Yes, you read that right, they have made a musical out of the much loved 1985 film Back to the Future and, surprisingly, it is actually quite good. It doesn't replicate the film but does a bit of it's own thing with a number of nods not only to location but also pokes playful fun of the musical genre in general. The show has been tremendously successful selling out performances even after a year in the west…

Review of 'A Sherlock Carol'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'A Sherlock Carol' Sherlock Holmes (Ben Caplan) is finding himself in an existential crisis following his adventure at Reichenbach Falls where his arch-enemy Moriarty met his doom. What more is there to do when the “Napolean of crime

Review of 'Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-30T18:21:51+00:00

Review of 'Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour' Elton John On November 16, 2018 I purchased tickets for Elton John's November 4, 2020 show at the O2 in London. Circumstances overtook this with the postponement of the show due to Covid in 2020 then later Elton had medical issues forcing him to postpone yet again to, finally, April 5, 2023, 4 years 4 months and 20 days later. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Of course n…

Review of 'Abba Voyage'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-10-01T13:24:07+00:00

Review of 'Abba Voyage' Abba The announcement that Abba would be creating a venue in London to host a show where their digitally de-aged avatars would perform was generally received with some amount of trepidation: How was this possible, and, more importantly, would it be any good? On this second question I can offer some reassurance: It is extraordinarily good and extremely convincing. It is as if they are really on the stage performing with only the most extreme…

Review of 'Glide at Battersea Power Station (2023)'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-12-31T15:40:25+00:00

Review of 'Glide at Battersea Power Station (2023)' Following a successful first year in 2022, the “Glide at Battersea Power Station” skating rink returns for another season in front of the iconic power station on the south bank of the Thames.

Review of 'My Neighbour Totoro'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-12-31T16:16:55+00:00

Review of 'My Neighbour Totoro' Royal Shakespeare Company After a first sold-out run in late 2022/early 2023 the play “My Neighbour Totoro”, an adaptation of the Japanese anime of the same name, returns to the Barbican for an extended run in late 2023/early 2024. I had tried to get tickets for the initial run but was unsuccessful so as soon as this new run was announced I was quick to grab ticket…

Review of 'Spirited Away'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-05-27T16:25:00+00:00

Review of 'Spirited Away' I am a big fan of Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki so in recent years I have been blessed with not only the stage production of his classic animation My Neighbour Totoro but also this adaptation of “Spirited Away”. Two of Miyazaki's best animated works and two plays that have been adapted quite successfully.

Review of 'The Fiddler on the Roof'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-10-13T13:43:22+00:00

Review of 'The Fiddler on the Roof' I can't remember when I first heard the music of “Fiddler on the Roof”. Likely it was listening to the album (LP) conducted by John Williams and featuring violinist Isaac Stern. This is the soundtrack of the incredible motion picture and I remember being enraptured by the music which I know now largely know by heart. The Regents Park Open Air Theatre production of the musical has been widely acc…

Review of 'The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2024-10-13T16:53:06+00:00

Review of 'The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks' This was my first visit to the Lightroom, a modern art display venue just a short distance from the Coal Yards behind NRLOGO Kings Cross. I have to say I was impressed with the venue and the show

Review of 'Starlight Express'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-04-26T15:39:15+00:00

Review of 'Starlight Express' I originally saw Andrew Lloyd Webbers ground-breaking “Starlight Express” when it played at the Apollo Victoria in the centre of London. In this new revival of the musical it shifts to a, necessarily, heavily modified theatre out in Wembley Park.

Review of 'The World of Tim Burton'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-04-27T13:27:47+00:00

Review of 'The World of Tim Burton' Tim Burton I am a huge fan of Tim Burton's films with their eerie, gothic imagery, and slightly off-kilter view of reality. This exhibit at the Design Museum in Kensington brings together artefacts from his childhood and directorial career in a fun and entertaining way. Photography of some exhibits is explicitly forbidden but many attendees take pictures anyway as this is quite an amazing dis…

Review of 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-04-27T14:10:24+00:00

Review of 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' My wife and I are big fans of the Netflix series “Stranger Things” with it's fun Goonie-esque vibe, great characters, and nostalgia for the 1980s when the series is set. To be honest though I have trouble recalling specific series details over the four seasons it has been on the air and it is these details that would likely help anyone planning on attending the play

Review of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Live'

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-02-15T14:48:48+00:00

Review of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Live' We were in London for a bit of a break (and visit to the dentist) so took advantage of the annual New Year's Sale of London theatre tickets which sees prices slashed by as much as 50%. One of the shows that had intrigued me was the

London

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-02-15T14:48:48+00:00

London There is always something happening in London. I find just walking the streets of the city you will stumble across something happening any time or day of the year. To figure out what is going on I generally use Time Out (online but also the magazine which is available free on the streets every Tuesday) but I also subscribe to a

List

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2026-02-15T14:48:48+00:00

List