A Small Mind At The Theatre

Life can be easy sometimes as a theatre blogger. When the worlds collide to make something as a complete package so brilliant that you don't have to dwell on anything bad and break things down to analyse. I love being kind, I hate being critical. Hair at the Hope Mill Theatre allows me to have an easy and happy day today. Indeed it is very easy to be won over by a show at the relatively new Hope Mill Theatre immediately, simply because of how brilliant it is as a venue. After having had my longest ever journey to a theatre, and my first visit to Manchester itself, it offers a quirky, warm and truly welcoming embrace. Hair is a 1967 anti-war kaleidoscopic feast with a relatively light plot line, held together by a really unique collection of songs and dance sequences. This being the very first time seeing the show, I have to admit that there were parts where I wasn't entirely clear what was going on, however like the weed smoking Tribe, I was without question enjoying the tr...

So with alert level set to pink and at camp factor ten, I ventured to the Southwark Playhouse for Xanadu. Originally produced on Broadway in 2007 it is perhaps surprising that a musical featuring the music of British born Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra) alongside John Farrar has taken so long to get to the stage in the UK. However those eight years have been worth the wait as this production for such a small London venue is of devastating quality, with a cast and crew at the top of their game and surely destined for the West End. The film itself starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly is a rather average musical fantasy blessed  with a quality soundtrack. Therefore for the stage version it was perhaps wise to make this an outrageous comedy and send up (the many) flaws of the original film. Constantly poking fun at the film and indeed itself, this is one of the funniest stage productions I have had the pleasure to see. The reoccurring theme of Kira (Carly Anderson) having...