REVIEW: Avenue Q at MK Theatre

Avenue Q at Milton Keynes Theatre

A smash hit on Broadway and in the West End, this award-winning musical was absolutely hilarious! Featuring puppets brought to life by an ensemble cast of 11 performers, this musical is all about dreams, growing up and finding your purpose. A relatable coming-of-age show coupled with awesome puppetry and humour that is not over-the-top.

The lead puppet, Princeton, is a graduate who has come to New York and he soon realises the only place he can afford to live in the busy city is Avenue Q… And he finds himself moving in with some very quirky, funny characters!

The comedy skills of the 11 cast members were fantastic, and you could tell they enjoyed doing what they do! The lead puppeteers, Sarah Harlington and Richard Lowe were outstanding with laugh-out-loud comedy and silly facial expressions to match the thoughts and feelings of their puppets. I couldn’t help but watch them as well as their puppets. The puppeteers voices and singing, along with animating the puppets, lip-synching and dancing was so fun to watch and the audience was roaring. The stage set was simple yet effective, based on an apartment block with doors and windows that open up onto different scenes and characters lives and there was the odd bit of humour directed at the audience which brought us all onto Avenue Q with them. 

Avenue Q is the definition of an R-rated performance with truly relatable themes about life’s everyday problems, bad language and rude behaviour. This is most definitely not for the little ones, it’s best they stick to Sesame Street rather than this Sesame Street/South Park hybrid. A highly recommended comedy-musical for those of us that love great humour and the odd inappropriate joke.

Running from: Mon 16th - Sat 21st May

Tickets: www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call the Box Office on 0844 871 7652

REVIEW: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at MK Theatre

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Review

What a spectacular show! With Lee Mead, Shaun Williamson and Michelle Collins taking the lead roles, the production is full of life, laughter, song and dance.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, written by Ian Fleming,  surprisingly, took 30 years to reach the stage. Originally produced as a film in the late 1960s, this adaptation has definitely done the film justice. Interestingly, Roald Dahl wrote the original film script and this production definitely gave us glimpses of his writing style and sometimes dark humour along with his fantastic imagination which is just irresistible to both children and adults! 

Having won the BBC series ‘Any Dream Will Do’, I was expecting big things from Lee Mead, and he definitely rose to my expectations. With fantastic vocals and a spot-on performance from start to finish, he was very memorable. Starring alongside Shaun and Michelle of EastEnders fame, the trio worked well together. Lee Mead also partnered Carrie Hope Fletcher who was so aptly named Truly Scrumptious for indeed she was! They were all not only enthusiastic, but really seemed to be enjoying themselves throughout the performance. A special mention for all the children who were so endearing as the sewer children. The lead children Henry Kent and Lucy Sherman played Jeremy and Jemima Potts looked to be having a great time singing, dancing to some of the best songs to be had in a musical. 

There were so many other routines and double acts from an extremely talented cast that this is a show that you won`t want to miss. The sets were beautifully designed and decorated, but still left some parts of the production open to the imagination. And, of course, we can’t not talk about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang itself. With the ability to fly, the audience were in awe of this fantastic car!

Running from: 4th – 14th May

Tickets available from: atgtickets.com or 0844 871 7652

REVIEW: Northern Ballet: Swan Lake at MK Theatre

Northern Ballet: Swan Lake at Milton Keynes Theatre

Adored by audiences for over a hundred years, Swan Lake is the most famous ballet in the world and tells a story of grief, love and desire.  The fantastic dancers brought the ballet to life and, paired with Northern Ballet Sinfonia, the performance was stunning and memorable.

The dancing between Javier Torres and Ayami Miyata as Anthony and Odette was especially mesmerising and captivated the audience’s attention from the moment they met at the lake. Through their elegant and enchanting dancing style they told the story beautifully. The infectious melodies of Tchaikovsky’s music score worked brilliantly with this contemporary version of a treasured classic.

The set was simple but worked well and didn’t draw attention away from the production and dancing itself. The lakeside scene with swaying reeds and overhanging trees was particularly cheerful and the Lighting team did a fantastic job of taking the audience through Anthony and Odette’s journey from beginning to end with glittering sunrises, picturesque sunsets and ethereal underwater scenes.

The costumes were modest yet elegant and flowed beautifully with David Nixon’s choreography. I was a little disappointed that Odette didn’t have a much more extravagant costume to make her stand out as the swan princess, however after watching her dance, it became clear that her dexterous, graceful movements alone were enough and I was absorbed by her. 

To purchase tickets, visit http://northernballet.com/swan-lake&place=bar

REVIEW: The Bodyguard at MK Theatre

The Bodyguard at Milton Keynes Theatre

This award-winning musical had a lot to live up to and, with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke as lead actress, it was a tremendous production of the blockbuster film, The Bodyguard. Three-time Brit nominee, Burke, was captivating and really suited the role of Rachel Marron. Former Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer, is hired as Rachel Marron’s bodyguard, as she needs protection from a stalker. As their time together and relationship develops, there are some unexpected twists and turns to the performance. 

The stage set was colourful and impressive. Congratulations must particularly go to the lighting team for some impressive displays. The music team did a brilliant job, and teamed with Burke’s outstanding vocal range, it was a very memorable production. Songs such as One Moment in Time, Run to You, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You, were performed perfectly. Another fantastic performer was Melissa James (Rachel Marron’s sister in the musical). She stood out as a very experienced, memorable singer. 

This was also one of those shows that when you think it’s all over its not; a trend that is happening in more shows to give the audience some participation and leaving with the feel good factor. 

There are still some tickets available for this fantastic show at MK Theatre.

Tickets: atgtickets.com

Running from: 13th April – 23rd April 2016

REVIEW: Hairspray the Musical at MK Theatre

Hairspray the Musical Review

This brand new production of the smash hit musical comedy, Hairspray, completely lived up to my high expectations! The Hairspray film came out in 1998 and the first musical followed in its footsteps in 2002, having now been performed hundreds of times in theatres all over the country.

Set in 1960s Baltimore, main character Tracy Turnblad is on a mission to dance and sing her way onto national TV show, The Corny Collins Show. This is a proper feel-good, energised show that made the audience dance, sing and clap a lot! Freya Sutton, who played Tracy Turnblad, is such a comedic, funny actress but one who is really convincing and loveable from the very start. She is optimistic, positive, and completely determined to dance on the famous Corny Collins show! Having already played the role of Tracy Turnblad in the previous UK tour of Hairspray, it shows that she knows the production inside out!

Another fantastic, stand-out performance came from Brenda Edwards, who is a British actress and singer of The X Factor fame. She was so suited to the role and you can tell she is really experienced with what she does. The show also stars Claire Sweeney and Blue Peter’s Peter Duncan.

The Musical’s dancing and singing was fantastic and obviously well-rehearsed. Songs include Good Morning Baltimore, It Takes Two, The Big Dollhouse and Without Love, all of which were perfectly sung and performed. 

The set and costumes, like the performance, were extravagant and detailed, making the production a joy to watch!

Running from: Monday 4th April – Saturday 9th April

Tickets available from: atgtickets.co.uk

REVIEW: Chicago the musical at MK Theatre

Chicago the Musical at MK Theatre

Starring Hayley Tamaddon, John Partridge and Sam Bailey, this was a fantastic, star-studded production. Set in 1920s Chicago, the musical originally ran on Broadway for 936 performances, and, once it was revived again in 1996, it proved to be a very popular hit!

Hayley Tamaddon who also played Andrea in Corrie, really stood out as a fantastic actor. She brought out a lot of humour in her character, Roxie Hart, and made the performance very entertaining with her singing and dancing. There were some memorable set pieces too such as the ventriloquist act which was timed to perfection. It was a night for ex-soap stars as John Partridge, of Eastenders fame played Billy Flynn also gave a confident, memorable performance. 

Having only seen Sam Bailey as a singer on The X Factor, it was great to see her acting in role as Mama Morton. She looked great and had the full attention of the audience.

The set was quite minimalistic with the orchestra tiered behind the stage as its backdrop. It was good to see live music and the members of the orchestra playing a prominent role. 

It`s a dazzling show with all the razzamatazz of the era. MK Theatre should be proud to attract shows of this calibre. 

There is still time to buy tickets! Chicago is running at MK Theatre from Monday 14th – Saturday 19th March. Tickets available from: atgtickets.com

REVIEW: Goodnight Mister Tom at MK Theatre

Goodnight Mister Tom

Goodnight Mister Tom at MK Theatre

This award-winning production is a proper family show with real emotional depth. Mister Tom, wonderfully played by David Troughton, is a widower who lives in a Dorset village, and who is somewhat of a recluse since his wife has died. Suddenly, at the beginning of the Second World War, his life is turned a little on its head with the arrival of William Beech, an evacuee from London who comes to stay with Mister Tom. The performance really shows how Mister Tom is reawakened in every sense by young William, and his protective, father-like feelings for William Beech slowly develop. This old man who has shut himself off from the world slowly comes to life again.

This cleverly produced production is packed full with cheerful humour and nostalgia for times gone by. Young William was tenderly played by Joe Reynolds and touched at the heartstrings. Zach played by Sonny Kirby provided the laughs. But the most endearing star was Sammy the border collie ably assisted by the talented Elisa De Grey. You`ll see what I mean!

This is an excellent play to take the family to, but be sure to have your tissues at the ready as you`re going to need them!

Goodnight Mister Tom is running from Tuesday 1^st – Saturday 5^th March

Tickets available from: atgtickets.com