Priscilla Queen Of The Desert 29.04.16

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert

Location: The Orchard Theatre, Dartford

Date Seen: Friday 29^th April

Seen With: Mum

Understudies at This Performance: Rebecca Botterill as Diva

Summary

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert is a musical based on a film of the same name following the journey of group of friends and drag queens as they cross Australia for a new gig. On the way they experience the judgement of others as well as acceptance of each other and themselves.

I’d previously seen Priscilla in the West End several years ago and absolutely loved the upbeat songs and lavish costumes. My mum in particular wanted to see this at our local theatre as when I saw it with her in the West End we were in the upper circle with a pretty dire view.

Acting

The show is very over the top and cartoonish in a way due to the comedy and costumes. Behind this, the actors do well to not over-act and as a result there is still emotion in the characters which means there is a developing story throughout.  There are moments such as when the trio of Tick, Felicia and Bernadette face prejudice from out of town locals and Tick meeting his son for the first time that have moments of poignancy and balance the fast pace of the rest of the show.

Music & Songs

The music featured are a variety of pop songs from different eras which have been artistically arranged to provide a unique identity for this show. The Divas provide some solid vocals throughout and provide the backdrop to many of the drag acts. The vocal highlight of this show comes in Act 2 when Tick, Felicia and Bernadette are stood on Ayers Rock singing ‘We Belong’ symbolising how far they’ve come together. It’s a change of tempo and a great opportunity for vocals and harmonies to be thrust into the limelight. There appeared to be a single song change from the West End production which was from ‘Both Sides Now’ to ‘True Colours’. Whilst I appreciate ‘True Colours’ is better known, I much preferred the original song.

Choreography

The routines in Priscilla are one of the reasons why I’ve seen this show so many times. Each number has its own unique identity with lots of energy. Stand out numbers are ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ which puts an interesting spin on a  party, ‘I Will Survive’ which finishes Act 1 on a real high note and the medley towards the end of the show really uses the cast in an extremely clever and effective way.

Direction

This touring production hasn’t lost too much of its West End flare thanks to the direction that has been applied. Although being performed on smaller stages, the production doesn’t look messy or cluttered due to some clever choices.

Set/Lighting

Due to it being a touring production, some of the set pieces I recall from the West End run are smaller and less technical. The Priscilla bus is the same but due to the smaller stages of the touring venues, it does not rotate as much though it doesn’t lose its affect. I also appreciate that due to touring restrictions that Felicia’s aria cannot be performed on top of the bus but the staging using a single chair centre stage - whilst funny - feels a bit cheap and no where near as good as the original west end staging.

Costumes

The costumes in this show are absolutely outrageous (in a good way!) and highly memorable. They feature bold and bright patterns with various themes throughout such as paintbrushes during ‘Colour My World’ and cakes during ‘MacArthur Park’. The  

Stand Out Performances

Duncan James as Tick – After my bad experience of star castings in Chicago I wasn’t getting my hopes up for Duncan James though I needn’t have worried. He delivered a stellar performance as Tick with great vocals and emotional depth. Through his eyes you really experience the prejudice he and his friends experience on their journey.

Adam Bailey as Felicia – Adam Bailey puts in an energetic and highly memorable performance as Felicia. His line delivery hits the mark every time and provides some of the funniest moments of the show.

Show to Show Comparisons

With its jukebox musical style and high tempo numbers, Priscilla reminds me a lot of Mamma Mia! It’s a typical feel good musical with a great story linking all of the well known songs together. Priscilla is much more over the top than Mamma Mia but with both of these musicals you leave singing the songs of the show.

Would I Recommend?

Yes however unfortunately due to the publish date of this review; the tour has now completed its current run across the UK.

Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):

4 Stars 

Les Miserables 20.04.16

Les Miserables

Location: Queen’s Theatre

Date Seen: Wednesday 20th April

Seen With: 1 Friend

Understudies at This Performance: Adam Bayjou as Jean Val Jean, Jo Parsons as the Factory Foreman

Summary

I’ve seen Les Miserables on two previous occasions and absolutely love this musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel. This visit was a gift for my friend’s birthday but the date I picked was significant as I specifically wanted to see Adam Bayjou in the role of Jean Valjean after I heard rave reviews from people when I attended the onstage tour last year.

Acting

There is so much emotion due to the various plights of the characters. Adam Bayjou really makes you feel sorry for Jean Valjean in the beginning and then grants your respect as the character gets older. Patrice Tipoki played a beautifully tragic Fantine and you really saw how her strength is completely eroded away. Jeremy Secomb’s Javert commands attention and his conciseness really contrasts against the frenetic poverty that the ensemble portrays so well. The other featured actors are just as strong, clearly living their character’s lives and emotions throughout.

Music & Songs

The music is where Les Miserables truly reigns with most of the show sung with few gaps of pure dialogue. The score is mesmerising with a sound that reflects both the light and dark moments of the show. The vocals from the lead actors to the ensemble marry together so well and this is best presented in the Act 1 Finale ‘One Day More’. Every vocalist in Les Mis has such a big part to play to create the rich sounds and they all deliver with such effort.

Choreography

The choreography of Les Mis is not big dance numbers which most people would associate with a musical. The numbers are more physical movement based and set up the status of the characters.

Direction

The show has maintained its strength for 30 years because the direction has been consistent. The show is extremely tight from the ensemble pieces to smaller scenes with the principal characters. Every character has been clearly set without it feeling forced and the whole musical feels organic.

Set/Lighting

The revolving stage and the barricade are iconic set pieces in this production and they are used so effectively. I cannot imagine worldwide productions without the revolving stage as it creates such an interesting dynamic. The lighting is also used well such as bright lights to show when a character has passed on and spotlights on actors for solo songs.

Costumes

The costumes are fitting for the setting and even though the colours and styles are typically understated, they still create a visual impact. The female costumes in the first act are quite something as they were multiple layers that they remove as they progress to the ‘Lovely Ladies’ number. On the onstage tour, we go to see some of the costumes in person and every effort has gone into accuracy.

Stand Out Performances

Adam Bayjou as Jean Valjean – there was such a depth to his Jean Val Jean and I believed every emotion he portrayed. His version of ‘Bring Him Home’ was crisp and poignant. As a understudy you can catch him once a week (at the time I saw the show this was Wednesdays but this has changed to Mondays as of 20th June) and I would highly recommending seeing the show twice to capture both Jean Val Jeans.

Jeremy Secomb as Javert - I absolutely love his stage presence and the energy he brings to Javert. His rendition of Stars is one of my favourite musical performances vocally and visually.

Show to Show Comparisons

Musically, the style of Les Miserables has similarities to Miss Saigon due to them being composed by the same people. It also features similar dark themes where not everyone gets their happy ending and focuses on the reality of such harrowing situations.

Would I Recommend?

Yes – there is very good reason why this show is the longest running show in the West End. Since I saw the show, the ensemble has changed casts but the success of this show has been consistent so whatever cast you see, you will not be disappointed.

Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):

5 Stars 

An Update..

So with my big move coming up, I have to apologise for the lack of review posting on this page. As a result I am behind on all my reviews since I saw Les Miserables all the way back in April.

I've got some typed up ready to publish but need to get some earlier reviews completed before I can publish those.

Some reviews may now be out of date as a result of the productions no longer running but I still plan to post a review for everything I've seen.

Apologies for the absence but head over to my '2016 Shows' page to see what I've still got planned for this year!