At the weekend, my mum, Kelly, my mum’s friend and her daughter went to see Matilda at Manchester Palace Theatre. We arrived before the matinee performance and had lunch out.
In Matilda the cast, mostly made up of children, were fantastic. The set was superb. The storyline followed that of the film. I’m not sure how closely it follows the book, as I’ve never read it.
The songs were good, but the show lacked any defining and memorable songs. Usually in a musical there is at least one catchy and memorable song. For example in Wicked you have defying gravity. In The Rocky Horror Show you have Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite. In Sister Act you have Take Me To Heaven and Fabulous, Baby!
Overall Matilda was an enjoyable show for children and adults alike. Here are some photos:
Mary Poppins: Outside The Palace Theatre, Manchester.Me Outside The Palace Theatre, Manchester.
At the weekend, I went to see a matinee performance of Mary Poppins with a group of people. Mary Poppins live at The Palace Theatre, Manchester was marvellous, magical and magnificent.
On the way to the theatre, I saw a homeless man outside a shop. I did my good deed and bought him something to eat. It wasn’t much, but it was something. I always remind myself how fortunate I am when I see someone homeless. Anyone could end up homeless. All it takes is bad circumstances and some not great choices.
Once seated, the lights dimmed and the show began. The set was brilliant, switching between scenes fluidly. Sets included the victorian style living & drawing rooms, the Nursery, the park and the roof tops. There was also a vibrant and colourfully lit imaginary world that Mary Poppins’ takes the children to.
The performers were all on top form. Special mention must be made of the two children in the cast, each who played their role superbly. Singing by main characters was acceptable, dancing by all performers were in perfect time throughout, with everyone on their marks. The plot was familiar, with the odd addition, but kept its magical elements. The songs were captivating and have remained in my head, days after seeing the show.
If you like a spoon full of sugar, I’d highly recommend you go see Mary Poppins. Here’s the trailer for the show:
Recently, my good friend Sye and I went to see a matinee performance of Barry Humphries’ Eat, Pray and Laugh show at the Opera House in Manchester.
The show kicked off with Les Patterson, Humphries’ outrageous politician character and the belly chuckles were immediate. In the Les Get Cooking sketch, Les reveals his four assistants, come dancers and backup vocals. Two gorgeous men (the other two were women) came onto the stage in tight yellow t-shirts and equally tight denim shorts and I have to admit they distracted me at times. It was a great sketch with Les and Gerard (his brother) creating continuous laughter among the audience.
Below are some photos before the show started:
Me outside the Opera House, Manchester.
The red curtain.
Pre-show drinks.
Opening set.
The next sketch introduced the character Sandy Stone. This was probably my favourite sketch. Sandy is an old man that reflects on his life in a touching and sentimental way; yet comedy and good humour were used to pitch the sketch perfectly to the audience. This sketch was theatre at its best and brought us to the interval.
Dame Edna was on top form as she performed for the second half of the show. Laughter echoed through the audience as she arrived on the back of a jewelled elephant, before falling off onto the stage. Dame Edna was her usual warm, funny and engaging self which was a pleasure to watch. She left the audience feeling entertained and uplifted.
Throughout the show there was lots of audience participation and improvisation. Humphries’ demonstrated his extensive theatre expertise; no doubt gained through decades of experience.
The show came to an end far too quickly, with Humphries coming out as himself at the end to thunderous applause. Here are some photos from the end of the show:
Audience with Gladiolus.
Audience with Gladiolus 2.
Before the final bow.
A wave goodbye.
Closing video montage.
Normally, I’d recommend that you buy tickets to see this superb show. However the tour is coming to an end in the UK. But if you can manage to get hold of tickets, grab them and go. You won’t regret it.
