It's not quite the end of July yet, but as my family are coming to visit (they get in today!) I know that I won't be seeing another show until August. I had a great month for theatre in July, seeing some incredible new shows and returning to a couple of my favorite plays.
The Light Princess - Review
I started off the month by seeing The Light Princess in Concert at Cadogan Hall with Rosalie Craig, Hadley Fraser, Louis Maskell, Gabrielle Brooks, and a whole talented cast of people. I fell in love with this beautiful feminist, unconventional fairytale and haven't stopped listening to the cast album since.
Prom Queen - BWW Review
One of the coolest things I got to do this month was go to the workshop of a new musical called Prom Queen at The Other Palace. It's based on the true story of a Canadian teen who sued the Catholic school board when he wasn't allowed to bring his boyfriend to prom. While it was clearly still a work in progress, it showed true potential and was a fun night.
The Lieutenant of Inishmore - BWW Review
This is without a doubt the most I've ever laughed in a theatre. This dark comedy is a satire on terrorism currently starring Aidan Turner (of Poldark fame). It was such a strange delight and definitely one that I'll be returning to in August.
The Diana Tapes
I interviewed James Clements, who both wrote the show and played Andrew Morton for BroadwayWorld UK, and he invited me to come see it. It's based on the story of how Princess Diana smuggled out tapes for Andrew Morton to write his tell-all biography of her. I thought it was a really interesting take on modern celebrity and the press and the cast were all fantastic.
Tartuffe - BWW Review
I already spoke last month for my love for this show but I actually returned twice in July. By the last time, I had stopped using the subtitles and was very proud of myself that I was able to understand about half of the French on my own! I was also very lucky this month because my friend Rhiannon won a backstage tour of the Haymarket and took me along, so I can say that I've been on the set for this show now.
Red - BWW Review
This is another one that I saw (and reviewed) last month and returned to this month with Rhiannon. It was possibly even more wonderful a second time around and I'm so thrilled that they've announced that they're going to stream it to cinemas across the UK and US in November. Definitely get a ticket for that -- I'll be going for round three in the cinema!
Titanic (UK Tour) - Video
After many months of wanting to, I finally saw the Titanic tour and it absolutely blew me away. I love this musical and Maury Yeston's music and this cast and production are insanely wonderful. I was particularly blown away by Niall Sheehy and Greg Castiglioni, two of my favorite actors, who are wonderful in their parts.
Mamma Mia - Review Coming Soon
I went to see Mamma Mia for their special film release celebration night and was in no way prepared for how much I fell in love with it. I had seen the film before, but the stage show is such an absolute delight and this current cast is fantastic.
Exit the King - BWW Review
This is the only show I saw all month that I didn't like. While Rhys Ifans was fantastic and the set was really cool, I felt the show was far too long...even though it was only one hundred minutes. This is the only one that I wouldn't recommend unless you're a big fan of Rhys Ifans.