The Ladykillers has returned to London and so it should…read more If you are familiar with the Ealing Studios Comedies then you will be familiar with this brilliant black comedy starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers about a group of con men who hire a room in a little old lady's house and impersonate musicians whilst actually planning to rob a bank! This story has been adapted for stage by Graham Linehan of Father Ted and The IT Crowd fame and has been done so with brilliant dexterity. Set entirely in the house with some extremely clever set design this is a dark comedy like no other. Some brilliant gags, some with much more subtlety so watch out, but all played out by some fantastic character actors that will be familiar to many. The Professor (Guinness character in the film) is played by John Gordon Sinclair who may be remembered for the recent Marple, Murder in Mind, theatre credits include The Producers but will now be remembered for his extremely long scarf which causes much havoc in the play. Also accompanied by Simon Day from numerous comedy shows including the fast show, Ralf Little from The Royale Family amongst others and Angela Thorne as Mrs Wilberforce, fondly remembered by me for her role in To the Manor Born as Marjorie's friend!! On stage we see a clumsy, wonky house that shakes every time the train to Newcastle goes by (plot device), and an ailing parrot hidden in a cage, lots of jokes about the Colonel! The house revolves to reveal a model railway, car chases and a roof top exterior and the interiors are all at angles which I can only imagine you have to really get your balance on when acting. The group are nearly caught out on numerous occasions, they 'practice' in a room with a record player going, ready with their instruments they can't play in case a knock on the door arrives, an impromptu concert is arranged with a bunch of old ladies who appear ready for anything and the group have to overcome each other's hilarious foibles, all of which provide some brilliant timed gags throughout. A genuinely funny show which will have you laugh out loud and amazed at the ingenuity of the set design!! I'm not sure how long it will be on for but a must in my book. Was really pleased to see this play!! xyz

Watched Matilda while visiting London. Show is amazing for all ages. The view from dress circle was…read moregood. The stage and effects were brilliant. The place was clean as well. Would recommend this if you are looking for a light and enjoyable show.

Colourful, energetic, inspired and captivating, Matilda is everything a musical suitable for…read morechildren should be! I was tempted to take a photo of the wonderful set but refrained as I know it would be a shame to spoil the pleasant surprise of seeing it for the first time for anyone planning to. Refreshing in its differences to the film and funny both to children and adults alike, Matilda must be a great musical for a family night out in the centre of London.   There's a hint of magic, masterful choreography and well positioned lighting. Plus, there is even entertainment during the interval and they sell slush-puppies! Oh the rottenly devilishly childish brilliance of it all! What more could you ask for do I hear you say? Well it pains me to say that I felt some of the lyrics in the songs got lost in translation and were more complicated that necessary; and the songs perhaps lacked a certain hook. Nevertheless, there were some memorable numbers that were beautifully sung and played. I thought it was a nice touch to see the musicians come up on stage at the end; deservedly so. Truly a joyous show that I would happily recommend to anyone unless they really hated children, because let's face it, the children are the winners in this show; no room for haters (one Ms Trunchbull is enough!)

2016 West End play based off 2005 film on London Windmill Theatre bought by eccentric 70-year-old…read morewidow Mrs Laura Henderson as a post-widowhood hobby, introducing artistic female nudity, similar to Paris Moulin Rouge, controversially approved by UK Lord Chamberlain Rowland Baring as art equivalent of nude statues in British museums. Interesting portrayal of Renoir style feminine sensuality in the flesh. Good vocals, though character portrayal lack depth, either due to script or stage play. Could make better opportunity of "Ordinary girl", "anything but young" and "whatever time you have" to bring out inner depth of characters.

Plastered all over London Underground are posters claiming that Once has it all: heart, soul,…read morebeauty, comedy and perfect perfect music, and guess what? Every ounce of it is true! And I should know as I've seen it twice already.  Once is an exploration and celebration of music and love in whatever shape or form that it comes in. If you enjoy live music, this musical is the perfect showcase of it for you to bask in. It includes the best live harmonies I have ever heard, and sung in a cappella too. The musicians are all clearly comfortable with their instruments and passionate about music. They play and sing with vigour and class whilst extending their expression of the music through dancing at the same time, which is an impressive feat to do with such ease. It reminds me of some joyous musicians who perform with energy and enthusiasm in Covent Garden. But in some cases the dancing was distracting and unnecessary. Nevertheless, the raw musical talent throughout Once constantly carries you away in waves of rhythmic and harmonious perfection.  However musical talent does not necessary guarantee talent in acting; the acting is good but not excellent. Apart from Tim Prottey-Jones who exuded charisma as the character Billy, the majority of the cast were noticeably better musicians than actors. Setting of the scenes was also lacking and leaving much to imagination as the stage and lighting was rather simple.  A unique highlight of this show is actually allowing audience members to go up on stage to buy drinks at the very beginning and during the interval. In fact, Once succeeds graciously at creating a homely atmosphere in which the audience can feel welcome and engaged in this sweet story of these poor souls in Dublin whose lives are intertwined and connected by music and love. So genuine in its portrayal of emotions that Once never comes across as cheesy or contrived; it is original, well-scripted and blessed with heart-felt music. I believe the film upon which this musical is based is marginally better in overall quality but hearing the music performed so well live alongside the beautiful storyline is a treat in itself.

I absolutely adored this show. I watched the film when it came out years ago though at the time I…read moredidn't particularly enjoy it so I held off seeing the stage version. I wish I hadn't waited. This is the best show I've seen in London all year. It was incredible. There were very unexpectedly funny parts, incredible music and lots of heart wrenching drama thrown in there too. All the musicians were incredibly talented and gave their all throughout the whole performance. You also get the opportunity to use the on-stage bar before the show and at the interval which was a very novel idea and really quite wonderful. It was almost like my childhood dreams coming true, standing on the stage of a West End theatre looking out at the audience. The set is very simple yet effective and I really loved that all the music was created right there on the stage. The performers did a great job, and the accents were pretty accurate from my point of view. I attended with three others and we were all thoroughly blown away. A beautiful story. I got my tickets on lastminute.com and we had really great seats. I'd love to see the show again, and have been playing the soundtrack on repeat the last four days! I highly recommend!

I had a wonderful time. My mother is not a fan of tea but she said to giving this theme afternoon…read moretea a try. We had a blast. The sandwiches were delicious. The tea was exquisite. The desserts were so rich. It was worth it Our server Pio was nice and attentive! Oh, the hostess a gentlemen's was gracious. All the staff were lovely. I am so glad my mother said yes. We had a wonderful time.

When in London you have to do high tea and this is a fun family friendly place to do it. #iraeats…read more#iraeats1

I took Dr K here on her birthday, like most people, I think, to see Daniel Radcliffe as he plays…read morethe main part in this eponymous production. The Cripple of Inishmaan is a black comedy about well, you can guess who (not You-know-who), set in Ireland. I didnt find it as funny as most of the ppl in the audience, and though the strong Irish accents of the characters made it a little difficult to understand in some places,I did find it entertaining, and of course, Mr Radcliffe was quite good. The play is kinda sad, and maybe a tad long (135mins), but entertaining nonetheless. The Noel Coward Theatre is lovely; been here a few times. I would and have recommended :)

At the heart of the West End there is this musical that epitomises glamour and style…read more The story of Roxy, a down-on-her-luck singer, the events that get her jailed and her experiences with other inmates, this musical makes dreams in squalor real. It is pulled off with loads of glamour and a constantly changing although ever hard-hitting cast. To see some of the biggest stars in the West end, this is the show to see. It does mean however that the quality varies depending on who has the lead roles at the time. The set is brilliant, the story a modern classic, the costumes perfect. You may hit the right note if you get the correct lads, else at least you will be able to ogle at the stars paid well to attend.

I got a free ticket to go to see this with a friend - if it hadn't been free, I would never have…read moreconsidered going as I just assumed it wasn't my kind of thing. But I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it, and I would actually recommend it to people, especially those who would also say it probably isn't their thing either! It helps that the theatre is right in Covent Garden, surrounded by lively bars - this helps to set the atmosphere of the show with life and energy. The show itself was great. Some great songs, some great performances, and an entertaining enough story. For me, it was more the energy and liveliness of the show that won me over, rather than the actual storyline. A good show to see!

Probably one of the most entertaining and witty theatrical productions that I've had the pleasure…read moreof seeing. My boyfriend and I both enjoyed the plot, the non stop humour and never-lagging pace of this 4 person cast playing over 100 characters. If you're looking for a rollicking night out full of laughs and fun, you absolutely can't go wrong with this play. A must-see in London!

This was one of those shows that I got amazing reviews from, from anyone I spoke to about it. The…read morepremise sounds a bit strange to start with. A comedy version of one of Hitchcocks best thrillers. And also the fact that it is only played by 4 actors. They take it in turn to play goodies, villains even cross dressing if the need be. A great show still and probably testimount to the fact that it is still bringing in the crowds. When we went to see it it was a packed house and that was only a couple of weeks ago!