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One hundred people’s ninth favourite thing: [title of show] @swkplay

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[title of show] takes you back to a time before the fast paced social media where word of mouth for a positive show came from chat boards, video diaries or (god forbid) blogs. A simple staging makes it an ideal (and economical piece to stage), but it’s sweet and earnest take on just putting on a show, and putting it out there and taking a chance gives this show its heart. With a strong and energetic cast and endless musical theatre references, it’s hard to resist and it’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse .  It opens with Hunter (Jacob Fowler) and Jeff (Thomas Oxley) as struggling young writers in New York City. An upcoming New York Musical Theatre festival, inspires them to write an original musical within three weeks to make the deadline. As they discuss ideas, writers block, distractions and endless other good and bad musicals, an idea for a show emerges. Which is about writing a show for a musical theatre festival.  Their friends Heidi (Abbie Budden) and Susan (...

Seven observations on Megan Mullally's First Night in London

  1. Not counting the West End Whingers and friends, the audience for Megan Mullally and Supreme Music Program appears to be a mix of gay men and their mothers. And lesbians. Some lesbians even brought banners to unfurl during an opportune moment. Here's hoping this is a new trend in the West End for lesbians with banners amongst the audience, particularly if they help performers feel less nervous...
  2. When she sings George Jone's The Grand Tour, a song about a man who finds his wife has left him and taken their child, it brought the house down. She sings the song from the point of view of the man, as originally written which went down well with the audience... It's not really lesbian music, but it could be.
  3. The band sounds great and the choice of music is refreshing with a mix that isn't old standards or songs from shows she has been in...
  4. The show promotes her Will and Grace fame to get the punters through the door, and then delivers an evening of great and lacklustre performances of songs of death and despair. So it was understandable that some in the audience felt cheated. The voice is always there though even if Megan isn't...
  5. Given nowadays you're lucky to have performers on stage sober and singing in tune (last night's Brit Awards spring to mind), I had lower expectations than to think we would be getting music with a performance, a nice outfit, flattering lighting or coherent explanations about the origins of the music.
  6. Could somebody please can listen to her anecdotes and then write them down in a script that she can learn?
  7. I must learn how to pronounce her name at some point... particularly if trying to make Audioboos while holding a gin and tonic...

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