Mon 17th June - 7:45 Performance
London Palladium - £20 Ticket, £3.50 Programme
I was fortunate enough to get my ticket discounted down from £65 (Thank you Idea Tap!) so my seat was pretty amazing (4 rows back almost dead centre). I was surprised how much of the music I already knew from this show and I have no idea where I know it from.
The set for this show was very very simple but it really didn't need anything more than it had. It was a black box stage with the back wall able to be rotated to introduce mirrors (and something else at the end *spoilers*). And some mirrors which dropped in at one point of the show and that is it. The majority of lighting was a basic wash, with superb use of stationary spots and the occasional bit of colour. It is a very no frills show but it really doesn't need them, it stands on its own.
Also with the setting and context of the show, flash and glamour wouldn't make sense. The setting is a dance studio, the context; auditions to get into a chorus line for an unnamed show. From the start of the show I found myself choosing favourites, the ones who i wanted to survive and get the job. I'm not usually one for shows like American Idol or the Voice and yet I couldn't help choosing favourites. I thankfully still liked the ones I had chosen at the start (even the ones that I didn't think would get through).
I ended up feeling for most of the characters as they lay their lives, secrets, hopes and aspirations on the line. Except one, for want of better phrasing, the ass and tits character; Val. Now I understand that this character exists for a reason as her story is a real one, people do get given roles based on their looks and miss out if they are not quite the traditional image of beauty/they are flat chested etc. However, despite this understanding and the obvious body issues that she was covering up with the work she had done, I couldn't quite support her as a character. It saddens me that such a character needs to exist, what saddens me more is that I couldn't fully support her. I am not sure whether this was me, how the character is written or the portrayal of the character.
The character who came the furthest in my regards is Cassie. At the start she was just a face in the line (was not one of my initial favourites, in fact I barely noticed her) however as the show unfolded and I heard about Cassie's past I couldn't help but feel sorry for her and in the end celebrate with her. I think this show, is one that speaks to people who are involved in theatre on a deeper level than those who are not. Most of us have been through the audition process at one time or another and know how nerve-wracking it can all be and of course how devastating not getting the part can be.
Overall, a very enjoyable show which has a character or two which everyone in the audience can empathise with. I would recommend this show to all theatre practitioners and to the wider public as a whole.
London Palladium - £20 Ticket, £3.50 Programme
I was fortunate enough to get my ticket discounted down from £65 (Thank you Idea Tap!) so my seat was pretty amazing (4 rows back almost dead centre). I was surprised how much of the music I already knew from this show and I have no idea where I know it from.
The set for this show was very very simple but it really didn't need anything more than it had. It was a black box stage with the back wall able to be rotated to introduce mirrors (and something else at the end *spoilers*). And some mirrors which dropped in at one point of the show and that is it. The majority of lighting was a basic wash, with superb use of stationary spots and the occasional bit of colour. It is a very no frills show but it really doesn't need them, it stands on its own.
Also with the setting and context of the show, flash and glamour wouldn't make sense. The setting is a dance studio, the context; auditions to get into a chorus line for an unnamed show. From the start of the show I found myself choosing favourites, the ones who i wanted to survive and get the job. I'm not usually one for shows like American Idol or the Voice and yet I couldn't help choosing favourites. I thankfully still liked the ones I had chosen at the start (even the ones that I didn't think would get through).
I ended up feeling for most of the characters as they lay their lives, secrets, hopes and aspirations on the line. Except one, for want of better phrasing, the ass and tits character; Val. Now I understand that this character exists for a reason as her story is a real one, people do get given roles based on their looks and miss out if they are not quite the traditional image of beauty/they are flat chested etc. However, despite this understanding and the obvious body issues that she was covering up with the work she had done, I couldn't quite support her as a character. It saddens me that such a character needs to exist, what saddens me more is that I couldn't fully support her. I am not sure whether this was me, how the character is written or the portrayal of the character.
The character who came the furthest in my regards is Cassie. At the start she was just a face in the line (was not one of my initial favourites, in fact I barely noticed her) however as the show unfolded and I heard about Cassie's past I couldn't help but feel sorry for her and in the end celebrate with her. I think this show, is one that speaks to people who are involved in theatre on a deeper level than those who are not. Most of us have been through the audition process at one time or another and know how nerve-wracking it can all be and of course how devastating not getting the part can be.
Overall, a very enjoyable show which has a character or two which everyone in the audience can empathise with. I would recommend this show to all theatre practitioners and to the wider public as a whole.
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