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

Ever wanted to see a great actor tell you all about a great author?…read more Well now is your chance. Recently opened at The Playhouse theatre, The Mystery of Charles Dickens: A one man show, featuring the one and only Simon Callow (he could read me stories all day long - him and Patrick Stewart!!). The play itself is based upon a book about the life of Charles Dickens and takes us on a journey not only about his upbringing, his own character and adventures but also his characters, their inspirations, how he conceived and would bring them to life as he studied and wrote them. Charles Dickens, a man who would have taken to the stage but instead played his characters through books which have stood the test of time. Comments of social history, on love, on youth and old age, and now played out for us all to see. Yes, a one man show, and a brilliant one at that. Anyone that knows of Simon Callow knows that he throws himself into his parts with gusto, with exuberance and energy, leaving him and us a little exhausted but moved by it all. The first part of the play generally deals with Dickens' life, his family, parentage, how he got to be the author of his day. Callow dramatises everything, full of facts and details and acts out little events. You are fed a lot of information in this half and although it is brilliant done, you are left a little overwhelmed by all that knowledge. The second half for me is really where Callow comes alive. Dickens, in his latter years, used to tour, England and America, with the characters in his books; his own one man show. Dramatising Nancy from Oliver Twist, Mr Bumble and the Ghosts from A Christmas Carol. All the characters we know and love well, whether we have read or watched a film about them, and so Callow re-enacts the same. He has such prowess. Able to turn from a jolly piece to the dark drama of Bill and Nancy, you truly believe and hang on to his every word, as I am sure you would have done with Dickens himself. But the interesting aspect you are guided through is how you see Dickens' own drama, own life, unfold through the passages he has chosen to read, how the information from the first half feeds into the drama of the second and would ultimately be the final act for all involved. I would highly recommend this play if you enjoys Dickens, Callow and an informative and dramatic piece of theatre. And do wait at the stage door and congratulate Callow as I did. He is a joy to have met and to see him live was such a pleasure. Catch it while you can, it is not on long!! xyz

Yes, immersive theatre is a fad, but much like lumbersexuality, if you're into it, you're into it…read more And Heist does a great job of putting you in a specific mindset. Trust me, there's nothing like telling co-workers that you're going to go steal a painting as your evening plans. Anyone who's seen Ocean's Eleven has a secret urge to pull off an elaborate ninja-job, and Heist gives you that chance. And for just £10! You and five friends start the game in a bar, you're pulled into a dark room to get your code names (one of my mates was nicknamed Mister Fantastic Waste of Space), you're decked out with walkie talkies and fake janitor outfits while being speed-briefed on your target, and then you're sledgehammering a wall to get into the adjacent office building. The sweaty adrenaline rush starts quickly and doesn't quite end; we couldn't stop talking about it at the pub afterwards. Now that the show's run is over, I don't feel as bad sharing a few highlights that could be spoilers. Just in case though, only read below the dotted line if you don't mind gnawing on the Tree of Knowledge. My only critique is that there isn't a clear signal as to when the game ends. Three in my party ended up hiding out in the building while "security forces" hunted us down, and this was forty minutes past when Heist wanted to close up shop. I personally got trapped in a sweaty pitch-dark room for about that long, and when finally freed, I was still in character and said, "Oh, I'm just here to clean the place." Oops. Sorry, we're just too good at criminality! ********************************************************** One of my favorite moments was taking the painting off the wall, hearing the security guards coming back, frantically throwing the painting back up, and desperately hiding under tables in the room. That and watching a friend via CCTV fake a seizure to distract guards in order for me to get into the server room to turn off the cameras/alarms! **********************************************************

I'm not going to spoil the experience but will run through the general gist…read more You're not you anymore. Embrace your new name. You'll be placed in a group of 8, and with your comrades, you plan a heist amongst three floors in a building. Who do you trust? Depending on your actions, there are apparently 12 different ways the heist can end. This was the most fun I have had in a while. Heist was well thought and executed smoothly, with CCTV, maps, walkie talkies, props, and alarms. Get on the mailing list. Tickets were sold out within an hour!

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.

Goosebumps was basically my childhood. Your popularity was determined by how many books from the…read moreseries you bought in on reading day (big bags were needed...), and I'd watch the show religiously. In fact, I now own it on DVD. So when they announced an immersive theatre production based on the stories at the Vaults in London, I HAD to go along. Tucked away in the Vaults under Waterloo station, the atmosphere began early as we walked through the graffiti-d tunnel to the entrance. Inside, they had a bar and food area, as well as displays of masks and other creepy paraphernalia to ramp up the excitement factor. After we'd gone through to the main room, we were split into groups and led through a maze of rooms telling Goosebumps stories - but reworked for the adult audience. I don't want to give much away, but I jumped, laughed and screamed plenty throughout. The cast were captivating in their performances, and I was incredibly impressed at the detail and innovative thinking that had gone into the sets. The only downside was 90minutes without being able to go to the loo (especially after a syringe Cosmopolitan cocktail in the waiting area). Oh, and the fact that it ended. I could happily have spent another hour being told the stories (with a loo break, obviously though). It's on until early June, so definitely get your hands on a ticket - it's totally worth it, whether you were a childhood (or adult) fan of the series or not. Adventurer beware, you're in for a scare...

A 90 minutes immersive experience in the Vaults, just next to Waterloo station (not easy though to…read morefind, thus arrive early). Either you already now about Goosebumps stories from your childhood or no, it is sure that you will have a great time. Actors guide you from room to room to experience different stories - you wil be splitted into groups as soon as the show starts, following different paths till the ending scene that you finally get back all together. The atmoshpere is spooky but not scary. If they only had a little more horror scenes to become more adult/horror friendly, then I would go for a 5 star review. Also, the ending seems poor according to all you have experienced tiil that time. Background music all the time; the amazing Tiger Lillies' spooky soundtracks.

I once read a fascinating book called haunted London..so many shadows of the past. The theatre is…read morerife with superstition and legends..like no whistling and no mentioning the Scottish King and the rituals that go with it if you do..so ghosts are quite normal. In Covent Garden you don't have much choice; there is so much supernatural activity in a relatively small area. This smallish district of historic London has been jam-packed with scandal and mischief for hundreds of years and strange things happen after nightfall. Amongst the spectral visits that Covent Garden has witnessed are ghostly appearances from Admiral Lord Nelson and Anne Boleyn. Disembodied howls and ghostly sighs are not common in Covent Garden but after dark you might be one of the chosen few to realise that you have been walking and talking in the presence of a ghost. Many theatre actors have returned to their favourite theatres to haunt the auditoria and famous names from centuries of London history are also said to return in phantom quintessence. The opera has a phantom and you had better believe that the theatre has a ghost. Drury Lane theatre is famed for supernatural shenanigans with at least three authenticated ghosts creaking the boards at this historic theatre. Credulous luvvies consider a spectral visit to augur well; that the current production will meet with critical acclaim, however, if and when a ghost graces somebody with its presence, it is a brave person who doesn't feel a shiver chase down their spine. Perhaps the most famous of Drury Lane's phantoms is the 'Man in Grey' a silent form who appears as quintessence in the Upper Circle and perambulates the bar before disappearing through a wall. He is only active during hours of daylight so has been seen by hundreds of actors and patrons although not for many years. Who he is, nobody is quite sure but from his countenance he is clearly the epitome of English theatre. Dressed in ghostly period costume of an 18th Century riding cape,boots and a sheathed sword. The man in grey is ruggedly handsome with a powdered wig beneath a foppish tricorn. The identity of the Man in Grey is unknown but in a chilling development, during the late 1800s, workmen knocking a wall through made the grim discovery of a skeleton clad in decaying costume with a dagger thrust between its ribs. If he appears though he is said to bring good luck to a run and is often seen in a box. The most famous appearance though was during a Flanders and Swan performance when the audience saw him hold the wheelchair handles of one of them..on the stage. He is often thought to be impressario Garrick. During his life Joe Grimaldi was a genial man and accomplished actor who had an eye for the ladies and plenty of time to help aspiring actors. He appeared on stage here many times however, he didn't want to shuffle off his mortal coil, yearning to stay in the limelight and the adoration of theatre fans so decided to become a poltergeist. During the run of Oklahoma! an inexperienced actress was alone on stage in front of a packed house however the laughter greeting her punchlines had been disappointing. During one performance she felt a pair of firm hands on her shoulders which propelled her to a different part of the stage, the hands then gently repositioned the actress's arms and adjusted the angle of her head, while this happened she delivered her lines to rapturous laughter. After the show she reported her experience but nobody in the cast, crew or audience had seen anyone but her on stage. Grimaldi's comforting hands were felt again years later by a novice singer auditioning on stage for The King and I. As she stepped onto the stage the nervous girl felt a friendly pat on the shoulder and a phantom hand clasped her elbow and led her to the front. All through her audition her hand was held firmly by an eerie, disembodied force, despite the spooky guidance the girl sang beautifully. The story has a happy ending: she landed the role thanks to Joe Grimaldi's calming influence. Another nefarious crime committed in the theatre was by the hand of one of the stage's biggest stars of the day. In 1735 the actor Charles Macklin slew fellow thespian Thomas Hallam: the culmination of an argument about a wig. Macklin drove a cane through Hallam's left eye into his brain instantly killing him. As he took Hallam's life, Macklin delivered the line: God damn you for a blackguard scrub rascal. Macklin was not a handsome man; tall, lanky and unbeautiful but still hugely popular and, although the murder was witnessed, he got away with it and was sentenced not to death but only branding which was never carried out anyway. Macklin lived to be 107 but after his death a new ghost began to appear, an ugly, tall, thin ghost who frequents the theatre's pit. So next time you are in the theatre check who is sitting next to you!!!!

I really really wanted to love it. We are escape room enthusiasts and this was recommended by a…read morefriend. Unfortunately our game totally glitched out. We gave up and couldn't finish because nothing was working. The only option for tech support is to email and wait for a response. We were only in town for 36 hours. We just didn't have the time to waste waiting for responses. They did make us whole by refunding our money. But I can't recommend the experience.

If you haven't heard about Hidden City yet, they are a company offering walking trails with a…read moretwist, like an interactive scavenger hunt. I chose the Cheshire Cat trail to try out with a team of four adventurers. At the time of booking, it was £23 per person, which seems expensive for an scavenger hunt, but for what you get with this great trail, it really is a good deal. The whole trail works through text messages, you can have one or several phones listed as the team phones. I recommend registering at least two phone numbers from different providers, as some locations might have spotty reception, one of our two phones had no network reception whatsoever, while the other was able to text in the very same location. Most of this trail takes place outside, but it does take you interesting places all over central London. Starting by the National Portrait Gallery, you send your first text message to start the quest and immediately receive a reply from the Cheshire Cat. The first few messages guide you to different places where you have to find clues and interact with people. Along the way, you get to make decisions that will decide how the story unfolds for you and your team, so be careful which way you decide to go. The clues and riddles aren't very difficult, but finding them can be a bit of a challenge. We were quite surprised with how many larger institutions and shops are actually involved with this hunt, it's surprising and super fun. There are quite a few snack, drink, and food spots along the scavenger hunt, so you can take a rest whenever you need to, if you're not trying to compete for time. Overall, it was so much fun to follow the story, make decisions, find hidden spots, be surprised by invitations and interactions, and eventually learn the results of our decisions. I really recommend trying out a Hidden City trail if you haven't done so yet, we really enjoyed this one!

The honey and I love Agatha Christie, and we had purchased tickets to see The Mousetrap last year,…read morebut couldn't make it so I rebooked it for this year's trip. Unlike Hamilton, which is an absolute blockbuster musical, The Mousetrap is a cozy well-written whodunnit, enough that the honey was surprised at the end who the villain was. That being said, the standouts for the actors were Saranna Parlone as Mollie, Stefan Chanyem as Christopher, Joanne Henry as Mrs Boyle, and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart as Mr Paravicini. Parlone in particular was amazing, but all were truly inspiring as their characters and really gave standout performances. Sadly, and why the four stars, I felt the characters of Giles Ralston, Mrs Casewell, and Major Metcalf were just not smooth, although Mrs Casewell was probably the most convincing (if not over-acted) of the three. In my opinion the casting choices took what could have been an amazing show to something a bit less so. Ralston in particular just did not feel like he gelled within the play. The theater itself was well sized for its smaller stature, however it was quite cold during the production (possibly a set choice to inspire winter), so I also think having crackling fire sounds to go along with the outside wind and snow's effects would have been nice as the use of the fireplace felt forced - it made no noise and emanated no heat. But I did love that the doors had heft to them and you got the proper sounds when they were opened and closed. All in all, it's a great play and definitely worth seeing at least once (especially if you're an Agatha Christie fan), but I'd probably wait for the cast to change in November first.

We went to see Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap", the longest running play. It first premiered on…read moreOctober 6, 1952 at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham and toured in various theatres until it began a run at the Ambassadors Theatre in London on November 25, 1952. It then moved to its current location, St Martin's Theatre, on March 23, 1974. The theatre was easy to get to from our B&B in Vauxhall on transit -- about half an hour -- and just a few minutes away from Leicester Square Station. (The website clearly lists the closest transit stops and bus routes.) The theatre was quite crowded, but staff were helpful in helping people find their seats, which went smoothly. Ticket prices range from £23 to about £140, depending on date, time (afternoon or evening), and seat. Our tickets were £57.50 each. The bar opens 45 minutes before the show starts, so we were sure to grab a drink before it got busy. Conveniently, you can pre-order drinks, so when it was intermission, we did not have to wait in a long line. A fun play and a great experience! [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; London, England; Theaters]