Feeling Blue

BlueBirds is one of those musicals where you go into the theatre humming the tunes. Not quite karaoke theatre as such but author Julian Woolford dresses episodic backstage dramas with WWII popular songs. Woolford knows his audience and with a little more attention to detail, this would be a very marketable show. The young cast give it their all in what is very much a departure for Above The Stag.

Before Parade Passes By

To my mind, the sign of a good play is how long it remains in my head. The same applies to musicals except I should be hearing the songs in my head for a while too. As an example, La Ronde at the Rosemary Branch this year still has musical phrases that knock about in my head, more so say than Cleveland Street or 1888. With Parade, currently running at the Southwark Playhouse this isn’t quite the case. I am no particular fan of Jason Robert Brown but his work on Parade is excellent and remarkably satisfying after the ridiculously pretentious Five Years Later. Ultimately however it is the story that has stayed with me more than the music but this production by Thom Southerland is well worth a visit.

135

Firstly the FOX Seminar was great fun and another good opportunity to catch up with make-up people such as Jos, Corinne, Tanya and Sharon as well as the FOX team. I invited Paul along as a guest as I thought he would find the demos and new contacts very useful. Indeed he did and has already got an interview to teach at West Thames College. The event took place in the Macmillan Studio of the Royal Opera House in the evening I met Sean and we both travelled to Streatham for dinner at Rory & Marina’s. It was good to catch up with them and it gave me an opportunity to see the ‘painting’ in place.

Pause For Breath

Another huge pause in my blog has appeared but this is simply because of scheduling. Since I last wrote I had to miss Nine, regrettably but have been to see Parade, Blue Surge, BlueBirds, South Pacific, attended the 135^th Anniversary seminar of Charles H Fox Ltd. and celebrated my 46^th Birthday with a visit to Gloucester. Nine was part of the Camden Fringe Festival and the play took place in rep at the Lion & Unicorn. I had intended to go but on the only day I had available, I was asked to review Parade. Still I do hope to get along to the L & U in Kentish Town again soon.