Tag: West End

West End Return – Jennifer Saunders

Today I went to see my first theatre show since Covid began. I was due to see this actual production in March 2020 but something got in the way. Nevertheless, after a long wait, I found myself outside the Harold Pinter theatre again today.

Excited to be back.

I originally heard about this play in 2015 when Angela Lansbury did a turn in the role of Madame Arcati but I was too late to get tickets. So naturally, as soon as I was aware that Jennifer Saunders was taking that role I immediately booked some tickets.

I was lucky enough to see another play with Jennifer in and meet her briefly in 2018.

I looked like a startled ghost but it was good to meet Jennifer.

Anyway, in today’s play she was on top form as a happy ‘medium‘ brought in to make a connection with the afterlife by a well off gentleman and his wife, in the presence of the local doctor.

Written by Noel Coward and directed by Richard Eyre, this production was brilliantly funny. Richard famously directed ‘The Children Act’ with Emma Thompson, ‘Iris’ with Kate Winslet and ‘Notes on a Scandal’ with Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench.

I love when the curtain goes up.

All of the actors were superb. Special mention goes to a very amusing servant (Edith) played by Rose Wardlaw. Her physical comedy was hilarious and added laughs to an already vibrant matinee. Of course, Jennifer played an older lady with crazy amounts of vigour and moments reminiscent of The wonderful Edina in Absolutely Fabulous. With two hour-long acts, this play kept us interested and laughing.

I absolutely loved my first outing to London this year and totally recommend getting tickets for Blithe Spirit if you are nearby.

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The Brilliant Book of Mormon

It was finally time for me to evaluate this much-talked-about West End Show.

Tongue-in-cheek, yet irresistible. That is the way to sum up this masterpiece play by the makers of South Park. Although, those of you with delicate sensibilities may want to stop reading right now as sometimes it borderlines on total ridicule of the Mormon faith.

It has taken a while for me to get round to seeing exactly what this was all about and all I went in with was a knowledge that some people might find it offensive. Luckily for me I do not get easily put off and I went to a Saturday night showing, immediately pleased by the opening song, which takes the mickey out of the door-to-door selling of religion by depicting a Mormon training academy.

The music was great and the lyrics were really quirky (and outright rude at times… be prepared for the C word and some jokes about maggot infested scrotums). One ditty was about switching off any feeling you might have in order to be a positive person. A guy referred to fancying his buddy and having to switch off the gay part of hisself. Another talked about his sister dying and him not being there when she passed away because he was queueing for the latest iPhone. Generally it was pointing to the fact that some of the stories and ideas within this religion were hard to follow or explain but the preachers had to simply forget about those aspects that didn’t quite make sense.

Without giving away the plot, the two missionaries went to Uganda where they tried to convert locals to the Mormon way of life and get them baptised. Suffice to say, this was not an easy task. A local army general was treating the locals badly and creating a barrier to any progress they were making.

This hilarious play was punctuated with spectacular song and dance numbers and its stars really shone with incredible vocals, clever dance routines and great comic acting.

I gave this performance five stars. You really must go and see it for yourselves!