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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 (Mary Moor

Death Becomes Her: La Traviata @RoyalOperaHouse

The original hooker with a heart of gold (and lungs full of blood) is back at The Royal Opera House for the Christmas period and beyond. It’s a bright and stylish production that was first seen at the Royal Opera twenty five years ago. But La Traviata, or the “fallen woman”, is more than just froth, bubbles and champagne. It’s also about the frailty of life and how redemption can come in many guises. In this particular version conducted by Daniel Oren, it’s the somber more reflective moments that stand out. Whether you like that sort of thing or not. 

In case you were wondering if there’s a plot to all these emotions in La Traviata, it centres around Violetta, a courtesan who at one of her lavish parties dumps one lover for another. But her new suitor, a moderately wealthy man called Alfredo, turns out to be more than she expected and they both fall in love. Meanwhile Alfredo’s bourgeois father seeks to restore the family honour while Violetta grapples with moral choices while her health continues to fail. And this is all set to some of Verdi’s best known music.


As Violetta, Hrachuhi Bassenz seemed hesitant at the party scenes, and lost among the full orchestra. But what she lacked in power she made up with her vocal range and vibrato that helped deliver a nuanced performance.

As her young suitor, Alfredo, Liparit Avetisyan, complimented Bassenz’s voice and well-suited the more sombre tones of this production. 

While death looms large, the rest of Richard Eyre’s enduring production is lavishly staged. Everything is either bathed in gold or gorgeously decorated. And the party scenes are just as evocatively staged as ever with the packed crowds and mostly fine chorus singing. Here you get the sense though it’s all just a warm up for the mortality to come. Now that’s a thought for the festive season.

Directed by Richard Eyre and revival director Andrew Sinclair, La Traviata will be running at various dates (and casts) at the Royal Opera until March 2020. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️



Photos by Catherine Ashmore

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