Jackstage

 🌟 Calendar Girls 🌟 30 January 2024  I  7:30pm  I  Alhambra Theatre, Bradford  I  AD - PR Invite ★★★★ Calendar Girls sees the story of a Yorkshire Woman's Institute, comprised mostly of older ladies who pose for a nude calendar to fundraise after the loss of member Annie's husband. As a 19 year old male, it might sound that I'm not necessarily the target demographic for such a show. And to be honest, it wouldn't be one I'd typically book. However, I am very lucky to have received an invite from the fabulous Alhambra Theatre in Bradford to attend, and I found myself pleasantly surprised by what Calendar Girls stands to represent. The importance of human connection, and how insightful a different generation and gendered experiences can be, with lessons on friendship, love, loss, confidence and most of all resilience. Being from the north of England, there is such a cosiness in both the accents and general attitude, the heartiness of people supporting p...

 🌟 The Wizard Of Oz 🌟 27 January 2024  I  2:30pm  I  Hull New Theatre ★★★★★ I have to be honest, and I feel like a terrible theatre kid for saying that I have never seen the 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard Of Oz, based off the L. Frank Baum original novel. I have seen clips from this fan favourite, and Nikolai Foster's direction is somewhat like a wild hallucination of colour and spectacle. However this is everything that draws me in to a musical. The production value is immensely impressive, with a hybrid multimedia design that revels in creative staging opportunities, enhancing the true magic of Oz. There's no place like... Hull when The Wizard Of Oz is here!! Returning to the style of multimedia, Douglas O'Connell's projection work breaks the traditional boundaries of what a stage musical can do, experimenting with such vivid imagery to bring the magic of the story to fruition. Set pieces (designed by Colin Richmond) are often fleeting, where combination...

 🌟 Stranger Sings! A Parody Musical 🌟 13 January 2024 at 7:30pm at St George's Hall, Bradford ★★ Stranger Sings!, The Parody Musical of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things is out on the road after previously successful runs from London and beyond. With the genre of parody comes this expectation of exaggeration, though for me many moments felt senseless, struggling to get laugh out loud punches. Indeed, the show has its highlights which make me smile with it's childish stupidity of humour, yet a choppy structure and lack of originality didn't give me enough love for this production. In terms of discovering it's own independent show, this is something where the comedic stylings feel too forced at times. There are plenty of gags to keep Stranger Sings! afloat, but bouncing off some of the TV series' humour falls flat. Yes it is a safe hit for fans, but it's natural to crave uniqueness, and potential to find hilarity in the unexpected. Nor did the timings of th...

 🌟 Evita 🌟 4 January 2024 at 7:30pm at the Curve Theatre, Leicester ★★★ Evita, the historical musical collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, follows the late First Lady of Argentina Eva Perón, on a social climbing journey against the odds, to become one of the most popular female politicians internationally. Directed by Nikolai Foster, the Curve Theatre present a striking new adaptation, likened by many to Jamie Lloyd's Sunset Boulevard (which you can also find my review for!). However I will not be comparing the two shows, viewing Evita entirely as it's own respective show. This musical holds a lot of power, and I really felt this force, yet where Eva captures the hearts of the nation, I couldn't help but feel disconnected. Michael Taylor's set design is monumental, and it is hugely impressive to see a new wave of capabilities the Curve Theatre holds. Beyond the typical 'stage', the set has been entirely stripped back, where usual backstage a...

 🌟 Pacific Overtures 🌟 31 December 2023 at 3:00pm at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London ★★★★★ Usually I tend not to have preconceptions on a show, but I had a gut feeling that Pacific Overtures, a Sondheim and Weidman collaboration, wouldn't be the show for me. However Matthew White's adaptation of the 1976 musical at the Menier Chocolate Factory blew me away with creativity, a visual spectacle that reflects on a colonised generation in the heart of Japan. The orchestrations are divine, each song leading with such sentiment, as the threat of westernization grows more menacing. As musical director, award winning Paul Bogaev is tremendous in leading a small orchestra to create such magical sound. We arrived in the auditorium early, so Bogaev came for a brief chat about how much he adores the production itself. And to be mindful of our feet, as such an intimate venue on one of the traverse's front rows is extremely close!! These moments are a real honour, to talk to indust...

 🌟 Cabaret 🌟 30 December 2023 at 7:30pm at the Kit Kat Club / Playhouse Theatre, London ★★★★★ Following such an entrancingly masterful performance back in April, it was never a question of if we would return to the Kit Kat Club, but when! Kander & Ebb's illusive Cabaret continues to thrill London audiences, treating the experience not simply watching a musical, rather invited to a lustful club night, with expression at the heart of everything. Since our previous visit, the cast has significantly changed, and Cabaret really thrives on these cast changes. Every role brings an essence of melodrama, or rather such a potency with emotion. It becomes so fascinating to see a new actor step into these roles, and the breadth of their adaptation to make the character artistically their own. This really keeps the show fresh and alive, The minute you walk into the side door, you are thrown into the roaring 1920s, the highlight of West End immersion. Unless you have taken a visit, it is i...