Jackstage

 🌟The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair 🌟 16 August 2023 at 7:00pm at Curve Theatre Studio, Leicester ★★★★ National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) stage adaptation of The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair was originally written as a novel by Lara Williamson and it plays this week at Leicester’s Curve Studio. This new enterprise is such a refreshing hit of family theatre comfort and joy, and it simply feels like a big warm theatrical hug for tonight’s opening night audience. This musical’s world premiere, penned by Jordan Li-Smith, is phenomenally successful for its first fully-staged presentation. It encapsulates a relatability for all ages of viewers making ‘Armchair’ a solid family show. It explores the story in much greater depth than an average kid’s show. At the age of 19 myself, the childhood aspect feels incredibly close to me and it becomes inspiring to see so many significant moments of my life and relationships represented and very relatable to anyone in the au...

 🌟 Miss Saigon 🌟 12 August 2023 at 2:10pm at The Crucible, Sheffield ★★★★★ As the musical enters it's final week at Sheffield's The Crucible, the first regional non-replica of Miss Saigon is a dominant theatrical feat, reinventing the 20th century show where the style feels incredibly modernised, without losing any of the original conventions or settings amongst the Vietnam War. Miss Saigon is well renowned for being one of the most successful musicals of all time. With Brohn's divine orchestrations in songs such as 'Movie In My Mind' and 'You Will Not Touch Him', the new found intensity and haunting visions of this production is set to go down as a revolutionary change. This Boublil and Schönberg musical, featuring parallels to Puccini's Madama Butterfly in 1970's Saigon, is typically seen with very grand, monumental sets. Although this minimalistic interpretation, designed by Ben Stones, features a more symbolic form of staging, leaving audience ...

 🌟 Kiss Me, Kate 🌟 09 August 2023 at 7:00pm at Curve Theatre Studio, Leicester ★★★★ Presented by National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), the musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate is a true delight for audiences, a timeless story filled with squabbles, confused love, gangsters and madness. Featuring a wonderful score, with songs including ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’ and ‘Wunderbar’, the bouncy musicality makes you want to bob  along in your seat with joy. This company really highlights everything we love about traditional musical theatre and the sharp choreography and dreamlike interludes make the piece flow beautifully. Directed By Alex Sutton, , the show generates a witty charm that will guarantee a smile on your face from beginning to end, although the story at times can be somewhat whimsical and eccentric. The plot centres around a Baltimore theatre group in 1948, staging a musical interpretation of Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew and the action delves into both onstage and off...

 🌟 La Bamba! 🌟 03 August 2023 at 7:30pm at Curve Theatre, Leicester ★★★★★ The new jukebox musical La Bamba! leaps onto the stage of Leicester's Curve Theatre, and immediately demonstrates an outpour of love, passion and remembrance. Audiences are introduced to an emotionally stirring war between tradition and the modern day, placing Latin American heritage at the heart of life. Some of the songs, such as 'Livin' La Vida Loca' and 'On The Floor', are instantly recognisable for me, though it is wholly investing as these hits are transformed in another light, moving away from simply performing the original record. An impressive multilingual score is utilised, and although not all language is understood myself, the intensity of emotion through the actor's expression is beautifully felt. Named after the single from the late Ritchie Valens, La Bamba! follows Sofia's (Inês Fernandez) music journey, beginning as a shy ukulele playing child from Mexico to an in...

 🌟 The Choir Of Man 🌟 22 July 2023 at 7:30pm at Arts Theatre, London ★★★★★ Before my first visit to The Jungle, I was feeling somewhat apprehensive about The Choir Of Man, particularly it's style of performance and interactions with audiences. However, from the moment you walk through the doors to the Arts Theatre, there is just an incredible buzz, a general air of friendliness and joy. I don't ever think a theatre show has exceeded my expectations and surprised me more than The Choir Of Man. It made me laugh, cry, and feel so grateful to see such an honest representation of what it really means to be a 'man' in the modern day, where it's so rare to talk about in the everyday. As you enter the initial bar space, I really loved the stylings specifically for the show, with ornaments on the wall which are reminiscent of a pub atmosphere. And before you enter the main auditorium, there is an option to purchase a Jungle Token, redeemable shortly after. Walking down the...