'The Ladykillers' Vaudeville Theatre ****

The current run of 'The Ladykillers' is a well crafted piece of theatre indeed. Based on the 1955 film of the same name which starred the likes of Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers is set in King's Cross where five criminals decide to come together and pose as musicians decide to conjure a heist. To cover their tracks 'Professor' Marcus decides to rent rooms that are available of an old lady called Mrs Wilberforce and falsy claim that he and the other criminals are performing for a concert and need a place to stay and rehearse. However this is a complete lie as this is going to be the location as to where they plan the robbery. The narrative flows particularly well through both the humour and the emotion of this piece of theatre and I found the performances by the entire company were brilliantly conveyed and the delivery of the comedy were of good quality as well as wonderful to watch. The lead female role Mrs Wilberforce played by Angela Thorne performed the role so eloquently and her expressions and movements were exceptional and lovely to witness. Sometimes I felt the performances by the criminals Harry (Ralf Little), One Round (Chris McCalphy), Major Courtney (Simon Day), Louis (Con O'Niell) and of course their leader Professor Marcus (John Gordon Sinclair) were often too comedic for my liking and I found some of the fight sequences to be too repetitive but the majority of their acting were of a good standard. Sean Foley's direction were superbly thought of as he has been able to create an adaptation of an iconic British comic film to the West End stage. His attention the the comic values were second to none even though some of the actions were slightly repetitive for ones liking e.g. the slapping and the rocking of the set to convey the nearby train line. I thought that the set and costume designer Michael Taylor has done a credible job for this such production as he has be able to design a Victorian house onto the vast Vaudeville stage. I think the costumes were beautifully made and conveyed the 1950's quite well. The lighting was especially outstanding and I think James Farncombe deserves 'a pat on the back' for this. I found my experience at 'The Ladykillers' to be one of such pleasure.

'Strange Interlude' National Theatre, Lyttleton ****

The National Theatre's production of Eugene O' Neill's 1928 play 'Strange Interlude' was both brilliantly performed by all actors and crafted so eloquently by both the creative and  production teams. The narrative is based and focused on Nina Leeds who is played by the ever wonderful Anne-Marie Duff is a really intriguing but slightly troubled woman who at the beginning of the show we see she has been suffering from an illness of some kind for quite a long time but throughout the production we learn that three men are fighting for her love and affection. The three male roles Charles Marsden (Charles Edwards), a long term friend of Nina's who has always loved her, Edmund Darrell (Darren Pettie) a bolshy Biologist who Nina has a affair with when she's married and Sam Evans (Jason Watkins) a highly misunderstood but highly naive man who marries Nina. The roles are performed with care and attention and it was interesting to see how different these men are from one another and I particularly admired the scenes when all three of the them are together and understanding the adoration they have over this one woman.  The productions director Simon Godwin directs this classic story beautifully as he has enabled the original context to be show to a contemporary audience who may have never have heard or read this play before. He has worked with the Lyttleton stage graciously and has encapsulated a vast amounts of locations to fit around a revolve without it feeling overly used. The designer fro 'Strange Interlude' Soutra Gilmour has to be credited with the utmost respect. She has created a work of genius by managing to design a set that depicts the times of 1920's America in outstanding detail.  In addition the costume designs are wonderfully thought of and conveys the characteristics of the characters and the dramaturgy of the whole production.  It seems to me that both the director and the designer have collaborated with one another with such depth and understanding that I find their work flawless and effortless. What a wonderful work of brilliance and a production that has to be commended to all who have seen this. This production has now closed but to all those who have witnessed this wonderful piece of theatre I hope you all had a wonderful time as much as I had. 

'Soul Sister' Churchill Theatre **

What can I say about the current touring production of 'Soul Sister', the musical presentation of the life and times of Tina and Ike Turner? I must convey that this has to be one of the most horrendous productions I have seen this year. The plot is terribly woeful as you are taken on a journey abut singing sensation Tina Turner's life and the dialogue doesn't flow very well due to the awful scenarios created by Pete Brooks and John Miller. The acting is incredibly false and the singing is sung appallingly and the choreography is danced horrifically and this is continued throughout the entire performance. Jenny Fitzpatrick's portrayal of Tina Turner was highly disappointing as she seems to not be fully comfortable with performing the role. In addition to her performance her movements in the choreography sections were poorly presented and leads me to question whether the rehearsal period was taken seriously enough. Chris Tummings' performance of the troublesome and nasty Ike Turner has a lot to be desired as again it seems to be incredibly melodramatic at emotive and fight sequences.  As well as the performances by the whole company were lacklustre from beginning to end. I was very displeased by this. The shows designer Laura Hopkins has no understanding of musical theatre design whatsoever as the entire design is video projection and even this was not used to the best of its ability which is a serious shame. Even some scenes were fully video projected which is very lackadaisical. The shows direction is mediocre throughout as it seems poorly constructed as it seems no time in characterisation development was thought about and even rehearsal time wasn't used wisely at all. I feel that there have been a vast amounts of wasted creative decisions that could have made the production more of an enjoyable experience. But it seems to me that advertisement favours creativity whereas it should be the complete opposite. It feels like another 'Viva Forever!' and this leads to apprehension about musicals featuring current and available material. I tried to enjoy this show but unfortunately not. This is a show you should avoid at all costs.

'Thark' Park Theatre ****

The newest playhouse in London, the Park Theatre has had a brilliant and highly successful opening season. The current production in this exciting new venture for Finsbury Park is 'Thark' an 1920's farce by Ben Travers and it's a lovely play to have watched. The play is set in two quite different locations, the first being a stylish Mayfair flat and the second being Thark, a supposed haunted mansion that even the faint hearted wouldn't even dare to step over the threshold. The narrative is wonderfully clear and I think this is due to Travers' delightful words and Clive Francis' script adaptation. The dialogue is highly amusing and this is because of the lovely performances by the company. I must convey to you that out of the performances I have seen in summer 2013 I have never seen such a cast who have played their roles with such diligence. I particularly liked the scene where Sir Hector Benbow (Clive Francis) and Ronny Gamble (James Dutton) are sleeping in the haunted bedroom at Thark and the acting is highly convincing which leads the story on so pleasantly 'so to speak'. I think that the direction by Eleanor Rhode was magnificent as she has directed a production that captures the essence of the roaring twenties that can appeal to the contemporary audience with such panache. She and her cast seem to have rehearsed this production with such thought and attention that I could not fault the performance and direction whatsoever.  The shows designer Cherry Truluck has crafted a production with such a limited amount of stage space with such success. However I would have preferred to have seen two individual sets for Sir Hector Benbow's flat and Thark but with the such limited budgets in the arts these days, unfortunately, I can understand the difficulties of having two sets but on the whole a good job.  I value the quality of this production and as the run is coming to end very soon I would book now to avoid disappointment.

'Rock of Ages' Garrick Theatre ****

The musical presentation of 'Rock of Ages' most definitely lifts the spirits of rock music fans everywhere. Currently wowing audiences at the Garrick Theatre since January 2013 I must admit it is a masterpiece of a production. The show written by Chris D'Arienzo depicts the effect that rock music had on people across the world and how commercialised pop music has ruined original music creation. The plot is wonderfully performed by all the company especially Simon Lipkin as Lonny. His portrayal is nothing more than brilliant as he conveys a bar worker fully besotted by women's charms but as the production moves swiftly on we learn that he has been hiding in the closet and comes out as a gay man. In another instance the performances by Ross Hunter as Drew and Natalie Andreou as Sherrie were lovingly conveyed as you could feel the emotions of their romance story that's exuded through the incredibly clear and concise narrative. The shows director Kristin Hanggi has created an outstanding production that exudes the 1980's rock anthems in a completely new interpretation that engages with all audiences of different ages.  The set designed by Beowulf Boritt and costumes designed by Gregory Gale are lovely to see and they have listened to the directors vision for the show and a lot of research has been taken to achieve this level of perfection. I liked the mixture of the old and the new when it came to the costumes and set. The band were superb and the use of the world renowned rock anthems to convey emotion and humour were brilliantly thought about. Great choices of music were chosen here. No wonder audiences come and see this show time and time again as it has entertained me. 'Don't Stop Believin'' in your dreams. When you are out and about in London make sure you schedule 'Rock of Ages' in there somewhere.  

'Once' Phoenix Theatre *****

The musical adaptation of the 2006 film has only been on the West End stage just this year but I must admit it is a triumphant production indeed. The musical is about and Irish man desperate to succeed in the music business, who at the moment works for his father fixing vacuum cleaners stumbles upon a Czech girl and this certain girls changes his life forever in a matter of days. Written superbly by Irish playwright Enda Walsh, he creates a heartfelt journey which would even make the grown man cry and most certainly engages with a wide range of audiences due to the themes exuding through Walsh's amazing dialogue. The performances by David Hunter as Guy and Phoebe Fildes as Girl were exceptional as they delivered a moving but amusing relationship which all couple should identify and engage with. In addition the rest of the company also acting as musicians captured the essence of community. This nearly moved me to tears as it was incredibly heart wrenching. The music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová were beautifully crafted as the production itself is a whirlwind of emotional content and enables the singing to really come alive. I thought that the execution of the orchestrations and music supervision by Martin Lowe were extraordinary and working with the company instead of an orchestra was very intriguing to witness and the company played the instruments with such panache. A great directorial decision by the director John Tiffany. As well as, Tiffany has directed a musical production with a definitive vision of rare heartfelt emotion with a high community spirit. The scenic and costume design by Bob Crowley is outstanding as he has crafted a traditional Irish pub on the stage which can be quickly transformed in a matter of seconds with the brilliance of Natasha Katz's lighting. The production is definitely brilliant an if you want another musical like 'Les Misérables' to have a good cry to then 'Once' is the show for you and an experience I enjoyed immensely.

'Relatively Speaking' Wyndhams Theatre ****

Alan Ayckbourn's 1967 play 'Relatively Speaking' has to be the comedy production to see this summer. Ayckbourn's narrative of a confusing and highly amusing Buckinghamshire home where a young couple meet with a old married couple soon become the most confusing scenario you would imagine where Ginny (Kara Tointon) travels to The Willows to end an affair she has been having with married man Philip (Jonathan Coy). The production staring the legendary 'The Good Life' actress Felicity Kendall as the stereotypical housewife Shelia and I must say she was brilliant in this part as she conveys this character with tenacity and comedic value that you become enthralled by what she is going to say next. The relationship between her and her husband Philip were highly believable and conveyed with such humour that the audience couldn't stop lauging at their personal scenes. I thought that the two younger characters Ginny (Tointon) and Greg (Max Bennett) were just as comedic as the older characters and performed and delivered beautifully. Lindsay Posner's direction of Ayckborn's play was technically and brilliantly sound and thought of with tenderness and ease. In addition I thought that the design by Peter McKintosh was extraordinary due to the intense scale of The Willows house where the married couple Shelia and Philip live. I particularly liked the transition between the London flat to the The Willows in rural Bucks quickly and proficiently. The lighting by Howard Harrison and sound by Matt McKenzie complimented to Posner's direction and McKintosh's design amazingly well and on par to the attention to detail to the performance portrayed by the company. This production has to be seen this summer and I must congratulate Cardiff Theatrical Services for their amazing set and one to be admired as the design must have posed a challenge to the scenic constructors. I Had a wonderful experience here and when speaking to fellow audience members that they enjoyed it as much as I did.