January 19, 2023
A Quick Trip to A Classic Fave: Berlin, Germanyby Randi / August 6, 2018
August can be such a boring, dead month – everyone is on holiday, work is slow, so many things are closed, and this summer in particular it’s too hot to want to do anything. Thank goodness that London is overflowing with great theatre to see, even in these dog days of summer. This time of year can be a quiet time for theatre, as the big awards-focused shows haven’t opened yet and many of last season’s best have already closed. But luckily this August has lots of exciting, mostly new musicals. Before the incredibly exciting premieres of, for example, the gender-swapped “Company” (with Patti LuPone! PUT THOSE PHONES AWAY!) and Broadway’s heartrending darling “Come From Away”, there’s plenty to see right now on the West End and off.
Everyone always asks me for recommendations, and while I recommend that you, like me, see everything possible, I realise (I do I really do!) that my schedule of constant theatre isn’t feasible, or desirable, for most people, especially for the many tourists interested in just a few tips for their short London visits. So here are my top musical recommendations – in no particular order – that you can go see right now (well, one requires a bit of planning but you get the idea!).
5. THE KING AND I
London Palladium, until September 29
Most theatre fans will have fond memories of when they first saw “The King and I”, whether of watching the movie with their families or seeing an earlier production. Even people who don’t think they know musical theatre can sing along to “Getting to Know You” (just don’t sing along in the theatre!). But apart from the Broadway production that begot this West End transfer, this current rendition is the best there’s been.
And this is mainly due to its star, Kelli O’Hara, showing London what a true musical genius of a performer can do. O’Hara is probably the greatest soprano working in musical theatre today, and she’s providing a master class on acting through singing and on restraint as a powerful tool. Having this chance to catch her one last time in her Tony-winning role is a lucky opportunity that no one should miss. Her “Hello Young Lovers” is without a doubt the loveliest interpretation of the song ever witnessed and the most glorious musical achievement currently happening in London right now. That film star Ken Watanabe has also returned to the show, to reprise his role as the King of Siam, adds to this production’s appeal. His King easily alternates between goofy and cruel, yet he is always completely charming. And the recent return of the great Ruthie Ann Miles to the stage, here sharing the role of Lady Thiang, would be reason enough to see this production.
Catching this talent while you can is a must, although I have realised upon my latest visit that “The King and I” is kind of a weird show. It’s not necessarily that it has aged poorly, like other Golden Age shows have, but there’s an obvious direction the show would follow today (that someone at some point would ask Anna and/or the King, “Why do we have to pretend to be westernised to prove we aren’t barbarians? And why do we have to prove anything to prevent invaders from taking over our country illegally?” after which would come a story of being proud of your heritage or something) instead of the odd route it takes (“giant skirts and high heels will prevent conquest!”). Nevertheless, it’s a classic for a reason, and this is the production to see while you can.
London Palladium, until September 29
Most theatre fans will have fond memories of when they first saw “The King and I”, whether of watching the movie with their families or seeing an earlier production. Even people who don’t think they know musical theatre can sing along to “Getting to Know You” (just don’t sing along in the theatre!). But apart from the Broadway production that begot this West End transfer, this current rendition is the best there’s been.
And this is mainly due to its star, Kelli O’Hara, showing London what a true musical genius of a performer can do. O’Hara is probably the greatest soprano working in musical theatre today, and she’s providing a master class on acting through singing and on restraint as a powerful tool. Having this chance to catch her one last time in her Tony-winning role is a lucky opportunity that no one should miss. Her “Hello Young Lovers” is without a doubt the loveliest interpretation of the song ever witnessed and the most glorious musical achievement currently happening in London right now. That film star Ken Watanabe has also returned to the show, to reprise his role as the King of Siam, adds to this production’s appeal. His King easily alternates between goofy and cruel, yet he is always completely charming. And the recent return of the great Ruthie Ann Miles to the stage, here sharing the role of Lady Thiang, would be reason enough to see this production.
Catching this talent while you can is a must, although I have realised upon my latest visit that “The King and I” is kind of a weird show. It’s not necessarily that it has aged poorly, like other Golden Age shows have, but there’s an obvious direction the show would follow today (that someone at some point would ask Anna and/or the King, “Why do we have to pretend to be westernised to prove we aren’t barbarians? And why do we have to prove anything to prevent invaders from taking over our country illegally?” after which would come a story of being proud of your heritage or something) instead of the odd route it takes (“giant skirts and high heels will prevent conquest!”). Nevertheless, it’s a classic for a reason, and this is the production to see while you can.
4. BRING IT ON
Southwark Playhouse, until September 1
The fact that I’m recommending this show even though the small black box theatre is not air-conditioned proves how much fun it is. Even though the audience (and the cast!) was dying from the heat, everyone was having a ball, because the exuberant cast’s energy mixed with the fun music makes for a winning, perfect-for-summer combination.
“Bring it On” is inspired by the famous Kirsten Dunst movie (possibly the best movie ever) and subsequent franchise but with a completely different story – a move I greatly appreciated from book writer Jeff Whitty, as it lets the musical stand on its own merit instead of being compared to a much tighter movie. With mostly vivacious music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Kitt, and Amanda Green, “Bring it On” makes it easy to have a good time. There may be too many lackluster ballads, and they generally fail to further the story or the character development, but even just a few of the lively ensemble numbers make it all worth it. Especially given the very young, fresh (and yes inexperienced) cast, that’s really where this show shines and where everything seems to come to invigorating life.
It’s not a great musical – it’s not going to be considered one of the classics of the age or anything – but it’s an incredibly easy show to enjoy right now. The humour and energy and of course the cheerleading will have you smiling pretty much the whole time. And, I can’t think of any show that will make young people more excited to return to school.
Southwark Playhouse, until September 1
The fact that I’m recommending this show even though the small black box theatre is not air-conditioned proves how much fun it is. Even though the audience (and the cast!) was dying from the heat, everyone was having a ball, because the exuberant cast’s energy mixed with the fun music makes for a winning, perfect-for-summer combination.
“Bring it On” is inspired by the famous Kirsten Dunst movie (possibly the best movie ever) and subsequent franchise but with a completely different story – a move I greatly appreciated from book writer Jeff Whitty, as it lets the musical stand on its own merit instead of being compared to a much tighter movie. With mostly vivacious music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Kitt, and Amanda Green, “Bring it On” makes it easy to have a good time. There may be too many lackluster ballads, and they generally fail to further the story or the character development, but even just a few of the lively ensemble numbers make it all worth it. Especially given the very young, fresh (and yes inexperienced) cast, that’s really where this show shines and where everything seems to come to invigorating life.
It’s not a great musical – it’s not going to be considered one of the classics of the age or anything – but it’s an incredibly easy show to enjoy right now. The humour and energy and of course the cheerleading will have you smiling pretty much the whole time. And, I can’t think of any show that will make young people more excited to return to school.
3. HAMILTON
Victoria Palace, open run
You can’t talk about musical theatre anymore without mentioning Lin-Manuel Miranda’s behemoth masterwork, and that’s for good reason. “Hamilton”, one of the most astounding, brilliant musicals ever written, has changed the game, infiltrated all realms of culture, and proved that musical theatre is relevant. One of the few properties to actually surpass the insane hype surrounding it, “Hamilton” has the most incredible score, and it’s the only show that teaches you more than an entire year’s worth of U.S. History could, all while being entertaining instead of like school.
If you are one of the few people who haven’t yet memorised the entire score, “Hamilton” tells the story of one of America’s formerly-overlooked-but-now-most-famous founding fathers, who worked his way out of a life of poverty in the British West Indies. His determination and brilliance helped him escape endless trauma and become an influential part of the American revolution and the foundation of the new republic. Yet his ambition and wit get him into trouble too, giving him a lifetime of experiences most rappers would love to write about. A hip-hop musical about the founding fathers seemed crazy at first, but now it’s entirely accepted as incontestable that this type of music should tell this story.
So I know you can’t buy tickets for this weekend, but don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. It will be playing for a looong time. And if you are the semi-spontaneous sort (it is done two days in advance, so it’s not the thrilling ‘ahh I won and the show starts in 30 minutes!’ type of exciting ticket lottery), you can enter the daily ticket lottery for only 10 quid at this website. Otherwise, you can start looking for tickets for a few months in advance (the benefit of seeing it in London and not New York). Be warned that, because of its cultural infiltration, the show has become its own sort of tourist attraction, and the audience can be rowdy. The Delfont Mackintosh staff at the Palace can’t (and won’t) do much to curb the talking, the singing along, and the phone use (and subsequent filming and photo taking), but if you can stomach that (which, to be fair, is increasingly happening at all sorts of shows nowadays), you’ll have the time of your life.
Victoria Palace, open run
You can’t talk about musical theatre anymore without mentioning Lin-Manuel Miranda’s behemoth masterwork, and that’s for good reason. “Hamilton”, one of the most astounding, brilliant musicals ever written, has changed the game, infiltrated all realms of culture, and proved that musical theatre is relevant. One of the few properties to actually surpass the insane hype surrounding it, “Hamilton” has the most incredible score, and it’s the only show that teaches you more than an entire year’s worth of U.S. History could, all while being entertaining instead of like school.
If you are one of the few people who haven’t yet memorised the entire score, “Hamilton” tells the story of one of America’s formerly-overlooked-but-now-most-famous founding fathers, who worked his way out of a life of poverty in the British West Indies. His determination and brilliance helped him escape endless trauma and become an influential part of the American revolution and the foundation of the new republic. Yet his ambition and wit get him into trouble too, giving him a lifetime of experiences most rappers would love to write about. A hip-hop musical about the founding fathers seemed crazy at first, but now it’s entirely accepted as incontestable that this type of music should tell this story.
So I know you can’t buy tickets for this weekend, but don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere. It will be playing for a looong time. And if you are the semi-spontaneous sort (it is done two days in advance, so it’s not the thrilling ‘ahh I won and the show starts in 30 minutes!’ type of exciting ticket lottery), you can enter the daily ticket lottery for only 10 quid at this website. Otherwise, you can start looking for tickets for a few months in advance (the benefit of seeing it in London and not New York). Be warned that, because of its cultural infiltration, the show has become its own sort of tourist attraction, and the audience can be rowdy. The Delfont Mackintosh staff at the Palace can’t (and won’t) do much to curb the talking, the singing along, and the phone use (and subsequent filming and photo taking), but if you can stomach that (which, to be fair, is increasingly happening at all sorts of shows nowadays), you’ll have the time of your life.
2. FUN HOME
Young Vic, until September 1
I have so much faith in this extraordinary musical that I’m recommending it even though I haven’t seen this production yet (next weekend!). With an accomplished, emotional score by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, “Fun Home” feels so intimate and so real that you’ll feel as if you are a part of the family. Based on Alison Bechdel’s beloved graphic novel about her family and her childhood, the musical weaves between present and past as Alison looks at three different stages of her life to consider her relationship with her parents.
“Fun Home” is the rare kind of show that lets the poignancy of quiet family life stand on its own merit, without booming belted stand-and-plant solos or excessive dance numbers to distract from the emotion. It’s a difficult show that relies on the abilities of child actors to do a lot of the heavy lifting, but when it works and you connect to the material, it’s a uniquely special theatrical experience.
Young Vic, until September 1
I have so much faith in this extraordinary musical that I’m recommending it even though I haven’t seen this production yet (next weekend!). With an accomplished, emotional score by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, “Fun Home” feels so intimate and so real that you’ll feel as if you are a part of the family. Based on Alison Bechdel’s beloved graphic novel about her family and her childhood, the musical weaves between present and past as Alison looks at three different stages of her life to consider her relationship with her parents.
“Fun Home” is the rare kind of show that lets the poignancy of quiet family life stand on its own merit, without booming belted stand-and-plant solos or excessive dance numbers to distract from the emotion. It’s a difficult show that relies on the abilities of child actors to do a lot of the heavy lifting, but when it works and you connect to the material, it’s a uniquely special theatrical experience.
1. MATILDA
Cambridge Theatre, open run
So unlike the rest of this list, “Matilda” isn’t recent to London by any means. But I realise that there are no British musicals on this list of what to see in London right now, which just seems wrong. Luckily, I’m not just including this to tick off a “British musical” box – “Matilda” is really and truly the best British musical, modern or classic, and I will happily argue with anyone who says otherwise.
This genius adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved book proves Tim Minchin as one of the best lyricists in the business right now. While I eagerly wait for his next project, I’m grateful that “Matilda” is still playing in the West End since it features the only truly great, complex original score that we’ve seen here in far too long. And not only is the score beautiful, affecting, and funny, the book is one of the best of modern musicals, in a time where musical book-writing as an art seems to be given less and less respect. Although it’s ostensibly a show for children (a little girl I once sat next to had an accident, bless her), Dennis Kelly’s intricate, eloquent book and Minchin’s beyond clever lyrics ensure that even adults will need to pay attention and, like the show’s heroine, use their smarts.
Cambridge Theatre, open run
So unlike the rest of this list, “Matilda” isn’t recent to London by any means. But I realise that there are no British musicals on this list of what to see in London right now, which just seems wrong. Luckily, I’m not just including this to tick off a “British musical” box – “Matilda” is really and truly the best British musical, modern or classic, and I will happily argue with anyone who says otherwise.
This genius adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved book proves Tim Minchin as one of the best lyricists in the business right now. While I eagerly wait for his next project, I’m grateful that “Matilda” is still playing in the West End since it features the only truly great, complex original score that we’ve seen here in far too long. And not only is the score beautiful, affecting, and funny, the book is one of the best of modern musicals, in a time where musical book-writing as an art seems to be given less and less respect. Although it’s ostensibly a show for children (a little girl I once sat next to had an accident, bless her), Dennis Kelly’s intricate, eloquent book and Minchin’s beyond clever lyrics ensure that even adults will need to pay attention and, like the show’s heroine, use their smarts.
As for those big newsworthy shows coming later in the year, I suggest you buy your tickets now for the aforementioned “Company” and “Come From Away”, as well as “Hadestown”, Don’t say I didn’t warn you when they all sell out!
Get your tickets to these shows and more at Encore Tickets!
*Post sponsored by Encore Tickets*
Get your tickets to these shows and more at Encore Tickets!
*Post sponsored by Encore Tickets*
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Tokyo Rose: New Musical has Potential but Needs Attention, + VEGAN PIZZA!
It’s Theatre Thursday! Today’s show is Tokyo Rose, a new musical that played the Southwark Playhouse until October 16.
A new musical about a true story out of World War II recently played the Southwark…and I’m not talking about Operation Mincemeat! Seriously, if this is the new direction that Southwark Playhouse is going in, I’m not complaining. What a fun niche to specialize in! Today’s actual show, Tokyo Rose, has been making the lower rounds in the past few years and after some edits and extensions, it has hit London. It has promise and potential, but it needs further work to capitalize on that.
Tokyo Rose tells the story of Iva Toguri, the Japanese-American who became a wartime radio personality in Japan and was accused, convicted, and later pardoned of treason for possibly sharing Axis propaganda. Above all, Iva was an American-born young girl whose parents send her to Japan IN THE MIDDLE OF A GOTTAM WAR because her aunt is dying and her mom wants someone to be there with her sister, even though auntie and Iva never met ever and did I say it’s the middle of a GOTTAM WAR? Iva’s mother couldn’t go ostensibly for documentation reasons and that’s very sad but like how unbelievably stupid do you have to be to send your Japanese daughter to Japan IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR? (Also, I did further research and apparently Iva didn’t have a US passport either when she left…um…oh gosh. Maybe the mother just thought since Iva was a citizen she wouldn’t have any trouble? JE. SUS.) True Japan wasn’t yet in the war against America (that would come mere months after Iva’s arrival overseas) but for crying out loud it was already at war with China and Manchuria and Inner Mongolia and French Indochina and MORE and had already signed up with Germany and Italy by this time! I MEAN WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?
This makes it hard for me to believe that this family could really be this ignorant of what her trip would mean. But the musical does not portray her story as though there is any grey area around Iva’s intentions, or her alleged traitorous behavior as something for us to determine for ourselves. Instead, this show is firmly and unshakeably putting forth that she was the victim of horrible injustice with endless bad luck. And it’s probably true, that it was just a series of unfortunate events and bad decisions that led her to being found guilty of treason against the USA, but man, those are some REALLY bad decisions.
The musical tells of how Iva was just an adorable little college student ready to study medicine and become just the cutest little doctor you’ve ever seen, but then the parents make their horrible decision and off she goes to begin a life of injustice and survival. The book is pretty well constructed: It begins with her treason trial and tells the story of her life through flashbacks, coming back and forth to the trial along the way. (We have enough to talk about so I am not going to rail against the creators for not being legal experts in the portrayal of the trial, but can I just mention that the trial occurred in San Francisco, so not everyone needs to have southern accents.) Although I have one huge recommendation re the trial: At one point late in Act II, the judge says ‘we will now take a 20 minute recess.’ MY GOD, how did the people involved not make that line the interval break! I MEAN COME ON YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A DRAMATURG FOR THAT ONE! Would be absolutely hysterical.
Also — the whole part of her being on the radio in Japan – you know, like the main thing she’s known for – is very confusingly done. It wasn’t clear what was happening and what if anything was going to come back to bite her, so if you didn’t know the facts coming in I imagine you’d be lost. Especially since her big ‘ooh I’m broadcasting to soldiers’ moments were loud club numbers that didn’t tell story.
And so where the show needs to focus its revisions is mainly on the score. This score makes this show effectively the shrieking Olympics. Maya Britto as Iva can sing her heart out, but wow, she shouldn’t have to destroy her voice. People complain about how badly Wicked ruins voices but all these new British scores trying to be like Six are way too heavily reliant on belting, and oftentimes it’s just shrieking. And this is very clearly trying to be like Six and & Juliet and too many more. Anyone training in classical musical theatre nowadays would not be able to do this stuff long-term. But even more frustrating, the existing score is a lost opportunity for an original original score. This shit is taking place in the 1940s, and instead of amazing Big Band numbers and a take on the Andrews Sisters, we get dance club and flashing lights. I get that the whole ‘historical tale with modern music’ is a genre now but at this point in this genre’s hopefully not-too-long shelf life, it just feels tired.
And unfortunately, the lyrics don’t do the same-sounding songs any justice. The lyrics are primarily generic platitudes, repeated over and over, like greeting card messages. It’s a bit cringey too often. I think it full out needs a new score, maybe minus 2 songs (like Iva’s big 11 o’clock number, that was fairly strong.)
One more thing I found a little eek-face is that, in the last section, they kept repeating how Iva could be the first person ever pardoned after a conviction for treason, and framing it like it was this huge moment for justice to finally be done. But, guys, her situation was very specific. Hers was a huge injustice, but they said it like everyone’s was, like it was always a criminal charge that shouldn’t exist? But everyone else convicted of treason deserved it. It was a weird thing to harp on as though treason were an unfair thing to be accused of, you know?
Honestly this show has a lot of potential because the story it tells is interesting. I hope it works on the telling and gets to do it again.
INFORMATION
Yes we are incredibly behind schedule, sorry that this already closed but hopefully my opinions can guide revisions (lol fat chance).
It was almost exactly 2 hours 30 minutes, beginning at 7:30 and ending at 10:06. It’s felt a little too long.
Southwark, like every other London theatre, does the whole ‘we recommend you wear masks but we can’t make you’ farce and so most people were not wearing masks. (Luckily the people behind us were.) Aside from that, the audience was…pretty bad! Lots of phones and talking and, our favorite part, during Iva’s big climactic moment, there was an important silence and this asshole near the front decided to OPEN A CAN OF SODA during that moment. I just. what are people. burn it all down.
PIZZA
SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE HAS A PIZZA OVEN NOW. And they have vegan options (not just one!). And it was really good! They said they use Sheese cheese, which no one has used in years since Violife etc came on the market and honestly I am really happy with that decision. It’s much better than I remember and no one else is using it so it’s a strong choice. We are seriously going to have pizza there before every show. Could not be more excited for a theatrical development (except for mask mandates).
“Shakespeare in Love” on the West End: It’s A Mystery Why It’s Not A Musical But It’s Still Worth Seeing
I never thought I would miss or even appreciate Gwyneth Paltrow. Sure, she was never hocking $200 white t-shirts and fair-trade moccasin shavings in her movies, but her Gooping activity has infiltrated most people’s memories of her acting history. Her film career is clouded with the smoke emanating from her custom glass gilded barbecue for macrobiotic mushrooms and meat from animals she petted with Mario Batali. But she was a pretty good actress, remember? And her Viola de Lesseps in “Shakespeare in Love” was fantastic, Oscar-worthy and Oscar-winning stuff.
So why did I all of a sudden recall Gwynnie’s ‘90s-era acting ability with such fondness? It’s kind of mean, but it’s because I just saw the new play version of “Shakespeare in Love” on the West End. It’s a lovely, fun show that you’ll enjoy, especially if you liked the movie. But if, like me, you loved the movie, so much so that you confront the 90% of the populace that still likes to argue that it shouldn’t have won Best Picture over “Saving Private Ryan”, then you will also, like me, find various quibbles with this show’s lack of editing, its pushing of easy physical laughs, and…the crazy voice of its Viola. (I mean, you don’t have to have even seen the movie to agree with the latter.)
Now listen. The actress playing Viola, Lucy Briggs-Owen, is wonderful. Especially in the second act, she absolutely won me over and made me cry and stuff. But I still just cannot get over her voice. She has the raspy, gravelly voice of a 2-packs a day night-shift trucker who counts Marge Simpson and Harvey Fierstein as close relatives. During Act 1, I was wide-eyed with disbelief that a character whose entire purpose rests on the gloriousness of her speaking voice was cast so surprisingly. It’s actually hilarious. The story will hook you nonetheless, as the producers perhaps try to prove that one’s voice doesn’t matter as long as you are beautiful, or something? I doubt that was their aim.
Anyway, yes, so the story is indeed centered on Viola’s voice, or what she does with it: act. She is a noble lady promised to marry a truly awful man named Wessex, but she just wants to be an actor, especially in Shakespeare’s plays, because she has an enormous literary crush on him and yearns for her life to be filled with poetry, as all young girls do. Fortunately for her, she’s actually a superb actor. Viola calls up all her courage and auditions for a new play disguised as a man, meeting the bard himself during her ‘amazing’ audition. This is when I started to roll my eyes a little. At this point, Will Shakespeare is super down in the dumps, dirty-haired, shirt-unbuttoned, totally out of sorts and depressed that he’ll never be able to find a star for his new play “Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter”. We see awful no good actor after awful no good actor butcher auditions as Will sinks deeper. But then Viola, disguised as Thomas Kent, enters and begins her monologue from “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, and it’s supposed to rouse Will from the darkness, give him hope in his play, and make him fall in a sort of awe-inspired love. But…but…but…her voice! I didn’t believe that the anti-smoking ad that Viola seemed to make out of “What light be light if Sylvia be not seen” would have changed Will’s life so. Well, but it did, so I’ll stop mocking the poor girl’s voice. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a fantastic actress; I just didn’t get her for this part where the purity and beauty of the voice is so important! The best is in the famous canoe scene, when Will is describing to ‘Thomas’ his feelings for Viola, and she’s like “tell me about her beauty; what’s her hair like?” and Will’s like “long and blonde so nice” and Viola’s like “and her lips” and Will’s like “erma, such lips” and then Viola’s like “and her voice?” and I cackled.
Anywayyyyy, so Will’s like erma p. gerd, I found my Romeo, and at about the same time, he sees the undisguised Viola at a ball he crashed, and is like, erma p., I found my muse and my love because I loves me some long blonde hair and influenza-ridden smoker voice. I’m sorry now I’m done. So Will Shakespeare, this beyond brilliant best playwright of all time, OF ALL TIME, doesn’t realize that they’re the same person even though all his plays feature gender-bending disguises. I guess all those plot-twists come after this point in time, inspired by Viola. Cute.
Oh besides the voice, the craziest change from the movie is how stupid Will seems before he meets Viola/Thomas. The play starts with him trying to write Sonnet #18, “Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day”, with the whole company watching. It’s kind of funny, how he can’t finish the first line, but then it gets tiresome when we hear the sonnet for the 9th time in one act. Also, Christopher Marlowe helps him write it, or really writes most of it for him. He also gives Will most of the groundwork for the main conflict of “Romeo & Juliet”, plus the name Juliet. In the play, it’s completely different from the not-so-good-natured playwright rivalry of the movie. Instead, the play shows them as pretty much BFFs, with Marlowe being the brains of the operation and Will being brilliant only when inspired by love. Marlowe’s death is that much sadder, and I loved their boyish friendship. But I didn’t like how the entire first act made Will sort of a buffoon. It is very easy and effective to show writer’s block as the movie did – somewhat subtly and realistically. It doesn’t need to be over the top. Who doesn’t know what writer’s block is! It’s unnecessary to show writer’s block by having the writer seem stupid. Now that’s just offensive to all writers. I did, however, really like the actor playing Marlowe, and I am glad they made the part so much bigger and meatier for the play for his sake, so let’s call it a draw.
The rest of Shakespeare’s acting troupe included a mustachioed yet winning pirate with long greasy hair playing the Ben Affleck role, a young pretty-faced boy who plays the girl parts while he can, and a tailor given the prologue whose stutter we’re supposed to laugh at?? In the film, the stutterer was someone you rooted for and cheered with when he conquered it with performing. But in the show, it felt more like the stutter was on display for the audience to ridicule. Not a good change. Please, if you see this or any other show ever, you’re probably a douche if you laugh at disability on display.
Queen Elizabeth, the role Judi Dench won an Oscar for despite only having like 4 lines and being onscreen for a shorter time than it takes me to tie my shoes, is played more humorous than regal here, which is somewhat off-putting. I don’t know Lizzie the I like I know Lizzie the II, but I’m pretty sure neither of them would be humorous in front of the general public. In front of family and friends, sure, but not in front of poor people. This Queen was written, directed, and acted just a little too familiarly. I want my queens bitchy, stern, and formal, thanks.
My favorite minor character I didn’t even realize was my favorite until the program verified it afterwards. Paul Chahidi, who was the glorious maid in Twelfth Night on Broadway last season (with Mark Rylance, originally at the Globe), played the Geoffrey Rush producer part of Henslowe. Paul Chahidi is superb and I want to see him as the humorous sidekick in pretty much every single play, even those without humorous sidekicks. Rush gave the movie its major memorable line, as he said at various points, to explain how things sort of work themselves out, “It’s a mystery!” and it was adorable, and we liked it, and we loved it. Chahidi’s Henslowe says it once early on and I smiled…but then in Act Two, he started saying it more and more. In the final 20 minutes, I think he said it 4 times. That is too many. That’s the writer’s fault, not Chahidi’s (Paul’s likeability is what saves us from groaning) but that’s something that should have been caught. That overuse and the 9 times we have to listen to Sonnet #18 should have been addressed by editors.
Regardless of these quibbles, the play is overall enjoyable and should make you laugh and cry and laugh and cry some more if you are not a robot. They really should have taken the opportunity to make this a musical and try to elevate it above and beyond the movie, rather than aiming to equal it, but I’ll leave that development to future artists. The story is strong enough without music, I guess. Will and Viola fall in love, Will is totally inspired and writes the genius “Romeo & Juliet” (it’s genius, even if you’re still sick of it from middle school), and Viola has to follow the queen’s and her father’s orders and marry Wessex. This oh this was also much worse than the movie. Wessex is a total shit in both, just a horrible awful man, but at least in the movie he looked like Colin Firth so you didn’t feel toooo badly for Viola. Here he’s just a normal so it’s real sad. Also, her father (whom I don’t think we see in the movie) is an even worse shit. So at least she gets away from him. The maid, the best part of the movie because it’s Imelda Stanton, is just okay here. She kind of milks her “It is a new day!” line to get laughs from the audience when really it should only be the set-up for Viola’s “It is a new world” reply, which is instead tossed aside.
Tom Bateman as Will works unbelievably hard, so hard that the sweat literally pours off of him throughout the show. His hair was soaking wet the entire time, even at stage door. I was like, “I don’t know how you are going to do a second show tonight” and he said “I don’t know either!” which is funny and self-deprecating but then he lit a cigarette and I was like, oh so you want to struggle to keep up, I get it.
So, anyway, no matter how you felt about the movie, this show is worth seeing. It’s not perfect, and like 99% of shows (/movies/television/books/anything), I wish I was able to edit it before it was considered set and finished, but alas, it has a few flaws. Luckily, these flaws won’t keep you from enjoying the show, and at least in the case of Viola’s uncharacteristically husky voice, some of them will help you enjoy it more. Okay now I’m done making fun.
Anyway, yes, so the story is indeed centered on Viola’s voice, or what she does with it: act. She is a noble lady promised to marry a truly awful man named Wessex, but she just wants to be an actor, especially in Shakespeare’s plays, because she has an enormous literary crush on him and yearns for her life to be filled with poetry, as all young girls do. Fortunately for her, she’s actually a superb actor. Viola calls up all her courage and auditions for a new play disguised as a man, meeting the bard himself during her ‘amazing’ audition. This is when I started to roll my eyes a little. At this point, Will Shakespeare is super down in the dumps, dirty-haired, shirt-unbuttoned, totally out of sorts and depressed that he’ll never be able to find a star for his new play “Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter”. We see awful no good actor after awful no good actor butcher auditions as Will sinks deeper. But then Viola, disguised as Thomas Kent, enters and begins her monologue from “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, and it’s supposed to rouse Will from the darkness, give him hope in his play, and make him fall in a sort of awe-inspired love. But…but…but…her voice! I didn’t believe that the anti-smoking ad that Viola seemed to make out of “What light be light if Sylvia be not seen” would have changed Will’s life so. Well, but it did, so I’ll stop mocking the poor girl’s voice. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a fantastic actress; I just didn’t get her for this part where the purity and beauty of the voice is so important! The best is in the famous canoe scene, when Will is describing to ‘Thomas’ his feelings for Viola, and she’s like “tell me about her beauty; what’s her hair like?” and Will’s like “long and blonde so nice” and Viola’s like “and her lips” and Will’s like “erma, such lips” and then Viola’s like “and her voice?” and I cackled.
Anywayyyyy, so Will’s like erma p. gerd, I found my Romeo, and at about the same time, he sees the undisguised Viola at a ball he crashed, and is like, erma p., I found my muse and my love because I loves me some long blonde hair and influenza-ridden smoker voice. I’m sorry now I’m done. So Will Shakespeare, this beyond brilliant best playwright of all time, OF ALL TIME, doesn’t realize that they’re the same person even though all his plays feature gender-bending disguises. I guess all those plot-twists come after this point in time, inspired by Viola. Cute.
Oh besides the voice, the craziest change from the movie is how stupid Will seems before he meets Viola/Thomas. The play starts with him trying to write Sonnet #18, “Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer’s Day”, with the whole company watching. It’s kind of funny, how he can’t finish the first line, but then it gets tiresome when we hear the sonnet for the 9th time in one act. Also, Christopher Marlowe helps him write it, or really writes most of it for him. He also gives Will most of the groundwork for the main conflict of “Romeo & Juliet”, plus the name Juliet. In the play, it’s completely different from the not-so-good-natured playwright rivalry of the movie. Instead, the play shows them as pretty much BFFs, with Marlowe being the brains of the operation and Will being brilliant only when inspired by love. Marlowe’s death is that much sadder, and I loved their boyish friendship. But I didn’t like how the entire first act made Will sort of a buffoon. It is very easy and effective to show writer’s block as the movie did – somewhat subtly and realistically. It doesn’t need to be over the top. Who doesn’t know what writer’s block is! It’s unnecessary to show writer’s block by having the writer seem stupid. Now that’s just offensive to all writers. I did, however, really like the actor playing Marlowe, and I am glad they made the part so much bigger and meatier for the play for his sake, so let’s call it a draw.
The rest of Shakespeare’s acting troupe included a mustachioed yet winning pirate with long greasy hair playing the Ben Affleck role, a young pretty-faced boy who plays the girl parts while he can, and a tailor given the prologue whose stutter we’re supposed to laugh at?? In the film, the stutterer was someone you rooted for and cheered with when he conquered it with performing. But in the show, it felt more like the stutter was on display for the audience to ridicule. Not a good change. Please, if you see this or any other show ever, you’re probably a douche if you laugh at disability on display.
Queen Elizabeth, the role Judi Dench won an Oscar for despite only having like 4 lines and being onscreen for a shorter time than it takes me to tie my shoes, is played more humorous than regal here, which is somewhat off-putting. I don’t know Lizzie the I like I know Lizzie the II, but I’m pretty sure neither of them would be humorous in front of the general public. In front of family and friends, sure, but not in front of poor people. This Queen was written, directed, and acted just a little too familiarly. I want my queens bitchy, stern, and formal, thanks.
My favorite minor character I didn’t even realize was my favorite until the program verified it afterwards. Paul Chahidi, who was the glorious maid in Twelfth Night on Broadway last season (with Mark Rylance, originally at the Globe), played the Geoffrey Rush producer part of Henslowe. Paul Chahidi is superb and I want to see him as the humorous sidekick in pretty much every single play, even those without humorous sidekicks. Rush gave the movie its major memorable line, as he said at various points, to explain how things sort of work themselves out, “It’s a mystery!” and it was adorable, and we liked it, and we loved it. Chahidi’s Henslowe says it once early on and I smiled…but then in Act Two, he started saying it more and more. In the final 20 minutes, I think he said it 4 times. That is too many. That’s the writer’s fault, not Chahidi’s (Paul’s likeability is what saves us from groaning) but that’s something that should have been caught. That overuse and the 9 times we have to listen to Sonnet #18 should have been addressed by editors.
Regardless of these quibbles, the play is overall enjoyable and should make you laugh and cry and laugh and cry some more if you are not a robot. They really should have taken the opportunity to make this a musical and try to elevate it above and beyond the movie, rather than aiming to equal it, but I’ll leave that development to future artists. The story is strong enough without music, I guess. Will and Viola fall in love, Will is totally inspired and writes the genius “Romeo & Juliet” (it’s genius, even if you’re still sick of it from middle school), and Viola has to follow the queen’s and her father’s orders and marry Wessex. This oh this was also much worse than the movie. Wessex is a total shit in both, just a horrible awful man, but at least in the movie he looked like Colin Firth so you didn’t feel toooo badly for Viola. Here he’s just a normal so it’s real sad. Also, her father (whom I don’t think we see in the movie) is an even worse shit. So at least she gets away from him. The maid, the best part of the movie because it’s Imelda Stanton, is just okay here. She kind of milks her “It is a new day!” line to get laughs from the audience when really it should only be the set-up for Viola’s “It is a new world” reply, which is instead tossed aside.
Tom Bateman as Will works unbelievably hard, so hard that the sweat literally pours off of him throughout the show. His hair was soaking wet the entire time, even at stage door. I was like, “I don’t know how you are going to do a second show tonight” and he said “I don’t know either!” which is funny and self-deprecating but then he lit a cigarette and I was like, oh so you want to struggle to keep up, I get it.
So, anyway, no matter how you felt about the movie, this show is worth seeing. It’s not perfect, and like 99% of shows (/movies/television/books/anything), I wish I was able to edit it before it was considered set and finished, but alas, it has a few flaws. Luckily, these flaws won’t keep you from enjoying the show, and at least in the case of Viola’s uncharacteristically husky voice, some of them will help you enjoy it more. Okay now I’m done making fun.
