(no subject)
Oh LJ, I really need to write a review of my first piece of theatre in 2012 which means I really REALLY need to post about 2011 and ALL THE PLAYS *g* Which is hard because it really kind of was a ridiculous amount of theatre.
I saw 62 pieces of theatre last year. Plus another 23 things that were in theatre type buildings (concerts, comedy gigs, platforms about theatre etc.) which is a little bit terrifying but was also basically brilliant.
The stupid thing is there are still half a dozen things I'm sad I missed, how is that even possible?!
Anyway my favourite thing of the year? Iolanthe at Wilton's Music Hall ♥
IDK that it was the best and it's not going to win awards but it was basically this beautiful little thing that seemed to be entirely designed to hit everyone of my performing arts related buttons (all-male cast, beautiful historic setting, limited set & costume allowing for imagination, gorgeous music, lots of silliness, just enough emotion... oh and a fairly universally attractive cast too *g*)
It's sort of been the year of the musical for me because alongside Iolanthe there was Matilda which might have been a second viewing but it was absolutley as good as the first one and it's such a great show! And then there was London Road which I still find hard to explain but which was different and interesting and as well as just working really well even though I feared it was going to be awkward and a bit preachy.
Oh and Backbeat which might have featured wandering accents but was about the Beatles and boys being friends & falling out and had some FANTASTIC music in it (obviously).
Plus there have been the big musicals: Crazy For You (fab at the Open Air Theatre and clearly still doing well, a real old fashioned musical), Betty Blue Eyes (so much fun and yet it didn't quite work and I don't really know why), Shrek (loved, ver much reccommend), Wizard of Oz (enjoyed, possibly overshadowed by its own set), Ghost (sweet, for fans of the film more than people who don't know it I suspect) and Rock of Ages (avoid unless you 1) adore the cast or 2) love the music already)
And I saw Billy Elliott for the first time too but I knew I'd like that.
Best play is really hard! I really enjoyed Grief and The Kitchen at the National (the latter being my pick for best choreography of the year despite all those musicals) and One Man Two Guvnors has to be up there somewhere for sheer hilarity.
But then there's I Am The Wind which was beautiful and tore my heart into tiny pieces and then sort of put it back together and rather restored my faith in the idea of poetic plays. OH and then there was Vernon God Little at the start of the year which has definitely stuck with me (and if I had a time machine seeing Colin Morgan in it would be WAY up my list *sighs*) and of course Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead was this year as well. And then on completely opposite ends of the scale there was The Railway Children (which I loved for itself as well as for the actual steam train) and Di & Viv & Rose which also tried to tear ny heart out in the middle.
And then there was Flare Path which has to be mentioned if only for Sheridan Smith <3 and OH WAIT the Globe season! Which wasn't the best one they've had but the return of Edward Hogg in God of Soho still counts as a highlight to me <3
Um. I really can't pick one. Which is sort of interesting in itself- I still think I haven't seen an out and out STUNNING new play since Jerusalem *shrugs*
And this year had some other theatrical things that completely blew me away. Like seeing Idina Menzel sing at the Royal Albert Hall without a mic and still keep everyone enthralled. Or the whole Sixty Six Books project from the Bush and that magical night I spent in Westminster Abbey which I so nearly didn't go to and of course, on a similar note, spending a whole ady listening to part of the KJV bible being recited at the Globe. And back to concerts Jamie Parker sings Sondheim is still bringing me joy because he put a recording of it online ♥
It's been a really good year and yet also a year where some of the BIGGEST hits (?) have disappointed me- so Frankenstein I couldn't even face seeing twice for the cast switch and Much Ado About Nothing was good but the Globe version was better.
Actor-wise? Sheridan Smith is forever my heroine ♥ and I was SO thrilled to see Edward Hogg back at the Globe. I want to see LOTS more of Kyle Soller, tiny!Hamlet Joshua McGuire, Hayley Atwell, Leo Bill, Genevieve O’Reilly, Tom Brooke and Jack Laskey in anything at all they might be in. And I always want to see more of Andrew Scott so that's sort of a given *g*. Um. Arthur Darvill was pretty fab so I hope he does some more stage stuff (and Karen Gillan please do something else to given I missed her play)
Oh and I'm now down to only 3 members of the main History Boys cast I haven't seen on stage which is great... only I think I might be stuck now.
Um. IDK what else to say? There is SO much exciting stuff happening this year though and I know I'm not going to be able to see even half the stuff I want to but the half I MUST see will include Jamie Parker's Henry V and Mark Rylance back at the Globe and even just those two things make me want to explode with glee *g*
Anyway, here's the full list with links (italics means one of those non-play/musical theatre type things)
Plays seen in 2011
02.01.11 Winter Wassail Shakesepare's Globe
02.01.11 Comedy Store Players Comedy Store
05.01.11 When We Are Married Garrick
08.01.11 Tom Lenk: Nerdgasm Soho Theatre
12.01.11 Matthew Bourne's Cinderella Sadlers Wells
21.01.11 Billy Elliot Victoria Palace Theatre
05.02.11 Twelfth Night National Theatre (Cottesloe)
07.02.11 Frankenstein National Theatre (Olivier)
11.02.11 Ordinary Days Trafalgar Studios
12.02.11 A Flea In Her Ear Old Vic
19.03.11 St Albans Scout and Guide Gang Show Alban Arena
22.02.11 Our Private Life Royal Court (Jerwood Upstairs)
24.02.11 Vernon God Little Young Vic
10.03.11 The Mikado ENO
16.03.11 Blithe Spirit Apollo Theatre
19.03.11 Improvisations on the Fourteen Stations of the Cross St Albans Cathedral
25.03.11 Shoes Sadlers Wells
27.03.11 Mark Steel's In Town Alban Arena
08.04.11 Iolanthe Wilton's Music Hall
10.04.11 The Great British Musical Criterion
15.04.11 Remembrance Day Royal Court (Upstairs)
20.04.11 Iolanthe (take two) Wilton's Music Hall
22.04.11 Recital of the KJV Bible (Proverbs to Lamentations) The Globe
29.04.2011 Rocket to the Moon National Theatre Lyttleton
07.05.11 (matinee) Hamlet The Globe
07.05.11 I Am The Wind Young Vic
11.05.11 Umbrellas of Cherbourg Gielgud Theatre
16.05.11 Comedy Store Players Shakespeare's Globe
18.05.11 Flare Path Theatre Royal Haymarket
22.05.11 Alex Gaumond Leicester Square Theatre
01.06.11 (matinee) Much Ado About Nothing (+Talking Theatre) The Globe
01.06.11 London Road National Theatre (Cottesloe)
06.06.11 Much Ado About Nothing Wyndhams
10.06.11 Pirates of Penzance Kilworth House Theatre
13.06.2011 Alan Bennett Platform National Theatre
17.06.2011 The School for Scandal Barbican Theatre
22.06.2011 Wizard of Oz London Palladium
24.06.2011 One Man Two Guvnors National Theatre Lyttleton
25.06.2011 Emperor and Galilean National Theatre Olivier
27.06.2011 James Corden in Conversation National Theatre Lyttleton
27.06.2011 Nick Hytner (on One Man Two Guvnors) National Theatre Lyttleton
08.07.11 Richard III Old Vic
09.07.11 Rosencratz & Guildenstern Are Dead Theatre Royal Haymarket
17.07.11 All's Well That Ends Well The Globe
21.07.11 Wicked Apollo Victoria
26.07.11 Lend Me A Tenor Gielgud Theatre
29.07.11 Doctor Faustus The Globe (matinee)
30.07.11 Horrible Histories Family Prom (with the Aurora Orchestra) Royal Albert Hall
30.07.11 Luise Miller Donmar Warehouse
07.08.11 Dress Circle Benefit Her Majesty's
16.08.11 Roadshow Menier Chocolate Factory
18.08.11 The Beauty Queen of Leenane Young Vic
20.08.11 The Tempest Temple Middle Hall
22.08.11 Crazy For You Regents Park Open Air Theatre
26.08.11 Betty Blue Eyes Aldwych
28.08.11 Jack Shalloo & Friends Battersea Barge
03.09.11 Potted Potter Garrick
03.09.11 The Tiger Who Came To Tea Vaudeville
05.09.11 Cardenio The Swan RSC
06.09.11 (matinee) The Globe Mysteries (+ Friends Talkback) The Globe
08.09.11 A Woman Killed With Kindness National Theatre (Lyttleton)
09.09.11 The Isle is Full of Noises: The Tempest Puppet Music Show Wilton's Music Hall
12.09.11 Sondheim Society presents Jamie Parker The Pheasantry
15.09.11 Mozart: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime (Aurora Orchestra) Kings Place
22.09.11 The Faith Machine Royal Court
23.09.11 Street Scene Young Vic
24.09.11 (matinee) The God of Soho (+ Friends Talkback)The Globe
28.09.11 Di and Viv and Rose Hampstead Theatre Downstairs
29.09.11 The Railway Children Waterloo Station
30.09.11 Shrek Theatre Royal Drury Lane
03.10.11 Grief National Theatre (Cottesloe)
06.10.11 Idina Menzel Royal Albert Hall
14.10.11 Ghost Piccadilly Theatre
18.10.11 Fascinating Aida Alban Arena
21.10.11 66 Books Bush Theatre @ Westminster Abbey
25.10.11 The Veil National Theate (Lyttleton)
28.10.11 The Kitchen National Theatre (Olivier)
31.10.11 Backbeat Duke of York's Theatre
03.11.11 Wizard of Oz London Palladium
26.11.11 Hamlet Young Vic
02.12.11 13 National Theatre (Olivier)
10.12.11 Pitman Painters Duchess Theatre
10.12.11 Rock of Ages Shaftesbury
16.12.11 Theatre Quiz National Theatre (Olivier)
17.12.11 Matilda Cambridge Theatre
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I saw 62 pieces of theatre last year. Plus another 23 things that were in theatre type buildings (concerts, comedy gigs, platforms about theatre etc.) which is a little bit terrifying but was also basically brilliant.
The stupid thing is there are still half a dozen things I'm sad I missed, how is that even possible?!
Anyway my favourite thing of the year? Iolanthe at Wilton's Music Hall ♥
IDK that it was the best and it's not going to win awards but it was basically this beautiful little thing that seemed to be entirely designed to hit everyone of my performing arts related buttons (all-male cast, beautiful historic setting, limited set & costume allowing for imagination, gorgeous music, lots of silliness, just enough emotion... oh and a fairly universally attractive cast too *g*)
It's sort of been the year of the musical for me because alongside Iolanthe there was Matilda which might have been a second viewing but it was absolutley as good as the first one and it's such a great show! And then there was London Road which I still find hard to explain but which was different and interesting and as well as just working really well even though I feared it was going to be awkward and a bit preachy.
Oh and Backbeat which might have featured wandering accents but was about the Beatles and boys being friends & falling out and had some FANTASTIC music in it (obviously).
Plus there have been the big musicals: Crazy For You (fab at the Open Air Theatre and clearly still doing well, a real old fashioned musical), Betty Blue Eyes (so much fun and yet it didn't quite work and I don't really know why), Shrek (loved, ver much reccommend), Wizard of Oz (enjoyed, possibly overshadowed by its own set), Ghost (sweet, for fans of the film more than people who don't know it I suspect) and Rock of Ages (avoid unless you 1) adore the cast or 2) love the music already)
And I saw Billy Elliott for the first time too but I knew I'd like that.
Best play is really hard! I really enjoyed Grief and The Kitchen at the National (the latter being my pick for best choreography of the year despite all those musicals) and One Man Two Guvnors has to be up there somewhere for sheer hilarity.
But then there's I Am The Wind which was beautiful and tore my heart into tiny pieces and then sort of put it back together and rather restored my faith in the idea of poetic plays. OH and then there was Vernon God Little at the start of the year which has definitely stuck with me (and if I had a time machine seeing Colin Morgan in it would be WAY up my list *sighs*) and of course Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead was this year as well. And then on completely opposite ends of the scale there was The Railway Children (which I loved for itself as well as for the actual steam train) and Di & Viv & Rose which also tried to tear ny heart out in the middle.
And then there was Flare Path which has to be mentioned if only for Sheridan Smith <3 and OH WAIT the Globe season! Which wasn't the best one they've had but the return of Edward Hogg in God of Soho still counts as a highlight to me <3
Um. I really can't pick one. Which is sort of interesting in itself- I still think I haven't seen an out and out STUNNING new play since Jerusalem *shrugs*
And this year had some other theatrical things that completely blew me away. Like seeing Idina Menzel sing at the Royal Albert Hall without a mic and still keep everyone enthralled. Or the whole Sixty Six Books project from the Bush and that magical night I spent in Westminster Abbey which I so nearly didn't go to and of course, on a similar note, spending a whole ady listening to part of the KJV bible being recited at the Globe. And back to concerts Jamie Parker sings Sondheim is still bringing me joy because he put a recording of it online ♥
It's been a really good year and yet also a year where some of the BIGGEST hits (?) have disappointed me- so Frankenstein I couldn't even face seeing twice for the cast switch and Much Ado About Nothing was good but the Globe version was better.
Actor-wise? Sheridan Smith is forever my heroine ♥ and I was SO thrilled to see Edward Hogg back at the Globe. I want to see LOTS more of Kyle Soller, tiny!Hamlet Joshua McGuire, Hayley Atwell, Leo Bill, Genevieve O’Reilly, Tom Brooke and Jack Laskey in anything at all they might be in. And I always want to see more of Andrew Scott so that's sort of a given *g*. Um. Arthur Darvill was pretty fab so I hope he does some more stage stuff (and Karen Gillan please do something else to given I missed her play)
Oh and I'm now down to only 3 members of the main History Boys cast I haven't seen on stage which is great... only I think I might be stuck now.
Um. IDK what else to say? There is SO much exciting stuff happening this year though and I know I'm not going to be able to see even half the stuff I want to but the half I MUST see will include Jamie Parker's Henry V and Mark Rylance back at the Globe and even just those two things make me want to explode with glee *g*
Anyway, here's the full list with links (italics means one of those non-play/musical theatre type things)
Plays seen in 2011
02.01.11 Winter Wassail Shakesepare's Globe
02.01.11 Comedy Store Players Comedy Store
05.01.11 When We Are Married Garrick
08.01.11 Tom Lenk: Nerdgasm Soho Theatre
12.01.11 Matthew Bourne's Cinderella Sadlers Wells
21.01.11 Billy Elliot Victoria Palace Theatre
05.02.11 Twelfth Night National Theatre (Cottesloe)
07.02.11 Frankenstein National Theatre (Olivier)
11.02.11 Ordinary Days Trafalgar Studios
12.02.11 A Flea In Her Ear Old Vic
19.03.11 St Albans Scout and Guide Gang Show Alban Arena
22.02.11 Our Private Life Royal Court (Jerwood Upstairs)
24.02.11 Vernon God Little Young Vic
10.03.11 The Mikado ENO
16.03.11 Blithe Spirit Apollo Theatre
19.03.11 Improvisations on the Fourteen Stations of the Cross St Albans Cathedral
25.03.11 Shoes Sadlers Wells
27.03.11 Mark Steel's In Town Alban Arena
08.04.11 Iolanthe Wilton's Music Hall
10.04.11 The Great British Musical Criterion
15.04.11 Remembrance Day Royal Court (Upstairs)
20.04.11 Iolanthe (take two) Wilton's Music Hall
22.04.11 Recital of the KJV Bible (Proverbs to Lamentations) The Globe
29.04.2011 Rocket to the Moon National Theatre Lyttleton
07.05.11 (matinee) Hamlet The Globe
07.05.11 I Am The Wind Young Vic
11.05.11 Umbrellas of Cherbourg Gielgud Theatre
16.05.11 Comedy Store Players Shakespeare's Globe
18.05.11 Flare Path Theatre Royal Haymarket
22.05.11 Alex Gaumond Leicester Square Theatre
01.06.11 (matinee) Much Ado About Nothing (+Talking Theatre) The Globe
01.06.11 London Road National Theatre (Cottesloe)
06.06.11 Much Ado About Nothing Wyndhams
10.06.11 Pirates of Penzance Kilworth House Theatre
13.06.2011 Alan Bennett Platform National Theatre
17.06.2011 The School for Scandal Barbican Theatre
22.06.2011 Wizard of Oz London Palladium
24.06.2011 One Man Two Guvnors National Theatre Lyttleton
25.06.2011 Emperor and Galilean National Theatre Olivier
27.06.2011 James Corden in Conversation National Theatre Lyttleton
27.06.2011 Nick Hytner (on One Man Two Guvnors) National Theatre Lyttleton
08.07.11 Richard III Old Vic
09.07.11 Rosencratz & Guildenstern Are Dead Theatre Royal Haymarket
17.07.11 All's Well That Ends Well The Globe
21.07.11 Wicked Apollo Victoria
26.07.11 Lend Me A Tenor Gielgud Theatre
29.07.11 Doctor Faustus The Globe (matinee)
30.07.11 Horrible Histories Family Prom (with the Aurora Orchestra) Royal Albert Hall
30.07.11 Luise Miller Donmar Warehouse
07.08.11 Dress Circle Benefit Her Majesty's
16.08.11 Roadshow Menier Chocolate Factory
18.08.11 The Beauty Queen of Leenane Young Vic
20.08.11 The Tempest Temple Middle Hall
22.08.11 Crazy For You Regents Park Open Air Theatre
26.08.11 Betty Blue Eyes Aldwych
28.08.11 Jack Shalloo & Friends Battersea Barge
03.09.11 Potted Potter Garrick
03.09.11 The Tiger Who Came To Tea Vaudeville
05.09.11 Cardenio The Swan RSC
06.09.11 (matinee) The Globe Mysteries (+ Friends Talkback) The Globe
08.09.11 A Woman Killed With Kindness National Theatre (Lyttleton)
09.09.11 The Isle is Full of Noises: The Tempest Puppet Music Show Wilton's Music Hall
12.09.11 Sondheim Society presents Jamie Parker The Pheasantry
15.09.11 Mozart: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime (Aurora Orchestra) Kings Place
22.09.11 The Faith Machine Royal Court
23.09.11 Street Scene Young Vic
24.09.11 (matinee) The God of Soho (+ Friends Talkback)The Globe
28.09.11 Di and Viv and Rose Hampstead Theatre Downstairs
29.09.11 The Railway Children Waterloo Station
30.09.11 Shrek Theatre Royal Drury Lane
03.10.11 Grief National Theatre (Cottesloe)
06.10.11 Idina Menzel Royal Albert Hall
14.10.11 Ghost Piccadilly Theatre
18.10.11 Fascinating Aida Alban Arena
21.10.11 66 Books Bush Theatre @ Westminster Abbey
25.10.11 The Veil National Theate (Lyttleton)
28.10.11 The Kitchen National Theatre (Olivier)
31.10.11 Backbeat Duke of York's Theatre
03.11.11 Wizard of Oz London Palladium
26.11.11 Hamlet Young Vic
02.12.11 13 National Theatre (Olivier)
10.12.11 Pitman Painters Duchess Theatre
10.12.11 Rock of Ages Shaftesbury
16.12.11 Theatre Quiz National Theatre (Olivier)
17.12.11 Matilda Cambridge Theatre
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