WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: King’s Cross Theatre
WHEN: 9/10 (matinee), press night 13/10, runs to 3/1
This musical won four Tonys, had its UK premiere at the Southwark Playhouse last year and returns in 2015 with a mix of old cast and new including former Sugababe and Eurovision star Jade Ewen.
WORTH A LOOK?: **1/2
WHERE: Young Vic (The Maria)
WHEN: runs to 17/10
The most remarkable thing about this revival is the involving way it is staged. At first we see the two former lovers’ faces on screens before us as they sit on a platform above us with their backs to the audience, acting out what we see on screen.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
WHERE: Donmar Warehouse
WHEN: 5/10, press night 7/10 runs to 5/12
Gay suicides in US universities are a sensitive subject and one that receives no easy answers or solutions despite a great deal of exploration from all angles here.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN: 2/10 runs to 18/10
Looking for something truthful, utterly of the West End yet edgy, heartfelt and celebratory? Look no further than Ushers – the front of house musical.
You may have read recently about plans for a tour by a hologram of Whitney Houston, well here the latest 3D technology and digital media makes it appear as if Dusty Springfield is actually singing before us. The hologram performs three songs and a giant screen means archive footage is also used throughout the production to ensure the image of the actual 60s singing sensation is rarely out of our thoughts.
Leslie Bricusse is an 84-year-old British composer, lyricist and playwright with a songbook bursting with tunes that you’ll remember predominantly from musicals or films but not necessarily know he penned. Running at the St James Theatre until 17/10 (we saw the 30/9 matinee), this show features a cast of five singing some of his best-loved songs as characters in a series of scenes without a great deal of dialogue but some storyline. There’s much emotion on show and Goldfinger could be incongruous but is played for laughs in a segment paying tribute to this and his other Bond work. Writing’s On The Wall? Nowhere close.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Duke of York’s Theatre
WHEN: 19/9, press night 29/9 runs to 5 December
Transferring from the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Claire van Kampen’s study of Spanish king Philippe V asks whether music could heal his depression bordering on insanity.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Playhouse Theatre
WHEN: 16/9, runs to 26/9 before nationwide tour
monstagigz hadn’t seen a theatre production of the Rocky Horror Show for about 20 years but decided to go to this one because author Richard O’Brien was appearing for the first time as The Narrator.
WORTH A LOOK: ****1/2
WHERE: National Theatre
WHEN: 15/9 runs to 17/10
It was the involvement of former Catatonia frontwoman Cerys Matthews that encouraged monstagigz through the door for this and we were far from disappointed.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
WHERE: Palace Theatre
WHEN: 13/9, runs to 1/11, then tours nationwide
‘The Commitments are a good times band, perhaps even important, catch them before it’s too late’. Not the monstagigz review, we’d be even more enthusiastic than that, but one the band that shares its name with the musical receives during it.
