The Bodyguard, The Unfriend and Rebus… that was the theatre week that was
Edinburgh and London, Capital theatre-lands just a train ride apart
The Bodyguard, The Unfriend and Rebus: A Game Called Malice, all five star shows, even if I was feeling a bit generous towards one of them.
That said, in the last week I’ve seen some great theatre. It started on Monday at the Edinburgh Playhouse and press night of the ever popular musical, The Bodyguard - and be under no illusion, it is indeed a musical, not a singalong as numerous FOH tannoy messages reminded attendees.
Let the professionals on stage do their thing sans any unwanted accompaniment was the basic drift of the announcements along with a warning of just what would happen to those who dared join in.
Even once seated, a final warning, from the stage (especially loud in the Stalls’ Gents’ toilet apparently, where the booming voice caused at one audience member to ‘nearly s**t’ himself - his words) left no one in any doubt.
It’s all part of a new drive to combat unruly behaviour at shows like Dirty Dancing, Bat Out Of Hell and Jersey Boys, which recently saw a member of Playhouse staff assaulted when challenging disruptive audience members.
The Bodyguard was, as usual a cracking feel good show and, while perhaps not quite hitting the highs of the Alexandra Burke tour, the new production ticks all the right boxes and was an untaxing couple of hours away from the dreich Edinburgh evening outside.
The next morning found me London bound, courtesy of LNER, for a few days in the big smoke - love it down there, especially when I have a return ticket in my hand.
No sooner had I arrived than I was off to the Criterion Theatre (never been there before) to see Stephen Moffat’s hilarious new play, The Unfriend. Directed by Mark Gatiss and starring Frances Barber, Reece Shearsmith and Amanda Abbington, it’s an uproariously funny comedy of manners that waives political correctness in favour of belly laughs and bravado and is all the better for it. It’s low humour at its best and acutely satirical.
Here’s my #ThreeTweetReview:
The Criterion is beautiful if bizarre theatre with very pokey seats. Beautiful due to its stunning decor and original decorative tiles, bizarre because it’s underground - you enter from a lobby on Piccadilly Circus then descend three flights to get to the stalls.
The seats, when you get there, are tiny. Now at 5ft 5in tall I’m not the biggest of guys, but even I was struggling as the corpulence of the patrons either side of me spilled over, pinning into a space even smaller than it should have been. The rippling effect when they laughed was not particularly pleasant either. I really do hate the ‘cram ‘em in’ mentality.
One thing I never tire of, thankfully, is the stroll up Shaftesbury Avenue just as all the theatres are emptying - that buzz and bustle is a part of London life that I do miss.
Wednesday heralded a long overdue catch up with my old friend and mentor Richard Franklin - Doctor Who fans will know him best as Captain Mike Yates - and it was great to find the 87-year-old in fine fettle.
That set me up nicely for Thursday’s trip to Hornchurch, and the Queen’s Theatre, to see Ian Rankin’s new Rebus play, A Game Called Malice. It took three tubes and a bus to get there but was well worth the hour and a bit journey.
Queen’s Theatre itself is a lively, welcoming hub of a place with a bustling cafe and bar and no rip off prices. It’s spacious auditorium boasts excellent sight lines no matter where you sit and the leg room is excellent. One of the most pleasant theatre-going experiences I’ve had in a while. What a gem. I’ll definitely be back.
As for Rebus: A Game Called Malice, it’s an intricately woven tease of a play that surely has a life after Hornchurch. If you love a good murder mystery, it’ll certainly have you racing to discover whodunnit before all is revealed.
The 11am LNER to Edinburgh saw me heading home the next morning, but not before the train, indeed the whole of King’s Cross Station fell silent for a minute’s silence to mark the first anniversary and remember the dead of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. It’s sobering to reflect on the state the world finds itself in today and really puts into perspective all the things we take for granted.
Before I go, it’s also worth mentioning the two big show announcements for Edinburgh that came this week and the resolution of an ongoing drama.
First, on Tuesday, it was announced that Hamilton is coming to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre next year, as well as embarking on a UK tour. Cameron Mackintosh was in town to seal the deal. Thanks to BBC Radio Scotland for inviting me onto their Drivetime Show to talk about it. You’ll find it on the iPlayer just before 5pm.
On Friday it was the turn of The Playhouse to bask in the spotlight when Disney revealed their touring production of Aladdin is to open there later this year.
Finally, on Friday, after a long fund-raising campaign, the green light was given to start the redevelopment of the Old Lady of Leven Street, Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre. Cue sighs of relief all ‘round.
What brilliant news to bring the curtain down on another week of great entertainment.
Until next time.
L