Friday 1st September 2023
Dirty Dancing
Grand Opera House
Review
Click here to chaAs a birthday present, I bought my Nana tickets to see the musical pf her favourite film Dirty Dancing. This is a film that we have watched together many times in the past, so it was amazing to be able to take her to the theatre to see it.
Firstly, my Nana is 82 and is a wheelchair user and we couldn’t have had an easier experience. We were seated in Stalls Row P Seats 25 and 26. The staff at the theatre couldn’t have been more helpful. I was advised to seat Nana and that I could leave the chair in the foyer as staff would keep an eye on it. We were asked if we needed assistance several times. I honestly cannot say enough good about the staff. The seat was great, it was on the end of the row so it worked out better for us, but the view was fabulous.
Now on to the show.
If you are reading this, I am going to assume that you have seen the film Dirty Dancing. I would say that the musical recreation follows the storyline of the original film almost to perfection. The songs in the show are used to compliment the exceptional dancing as well as the storytelling, making these aspects the main reason to see this show.
The songs are very well incorporated, ‘do you love me’ and the very tastefully handled ‘don’t you feel like crying’ were stand outs to me. The iconic ‘Time of your life’ was a truly phenomenal song to close the show. I just wish that ‘shes’s like the wind’ was more of a moment in the show, as it is such an important song in the history of the film.
The transitions between each scene were flawless and this was a standout for me as well as the exquisite costuming. My favourite character was Baby, she was played with a mix of humour and charm by the wonderful Kira Malou, but the whole cast and crew are clearly very talented.
I think if you have a chance to see this show you should, it is charming and a must see for theatre fans and fans of Dirty Dancing.
8/10
Opening Night April 2024
Review
‘Gotta make magic, magic outta tragic’
With ‘Opening Night’ ending at the Gielgud Theatre on London’s Westend, I thought I would share my experience of the show.
This show is the perfect representation of ‘the show must go on’. Having faced public and critical scrutiny, the cast managed to finish what I believe can only be described as an incredible run. The cast cannot be faulted, the did what they could with an arguably unusual and challenging script. Sheridan Smith was phenomenal, and she was a pleasure at the stage door when my friend Jamie and I were lucky enough to meet her.
So what did I make of this somewhat polarising show? I felt that the story was quite disjointed and could be hard to follow for most people. The ‘show within a show’ idea didn’t quite work for me. The Haunting aspect was also a miss for me. I understand that Myrtle is haunted by her past that is manifesting as the ghost of the young girl who she saw die at the start. I think this point could’ve been made in a less complex and confusing way. The actress Shira Haas who played Nancy was very talented but the character was just too out of touch with the story in my opinion.
The story between Myrtle and Maurice seemed left unanswered to me and not in a positive open for interpretation way. The characters had history and incredible chemistry and I felt that the storyline missed an opportunity to have them reunite and without sounding cheesy ‘make magic outta tragic’.
Overall, I think the show would’ve worked better as a play as the songs added nothing to an already very chaotic script. I’m glad I got to see this show before it closed and I look forward to seeing the incredible cast in future shows.
6/10