Touristy in the UK 2015, Part 5 - The Wonderful West End

othelianna and I went to see four shows while I was in town.

The Book of Morman

We weren't planning of seeing this, but we were in the West End, and opted to put our names into a "£20 for a front row seat" lottery that BoM does. Rosie won and we ended up going. This is the second time I've seen it, and it was uproariously funny both times. Despite having front row seats, we had a decent view of the stage (we were near the centre, which is good).

A clueless teen tried chatting up Rosie during the intermission. He gets points for working on his game, but lost them all for making a lame beaver joke upon learning we were Canadians.

Matilda

A musical based on the Roald Dahl book, with lyrics by Tim Minchin? Yes please.

Fun play, with just the right combination of catchy songs and decent plot that makes me a believer. The kids did a great job, and I think I may have fallen a bit in love with the character of Ms. Honey.

Of all the shows I saw, this would be the one I recommend the most. It was just a lot of fun.

Let It Be

This was a good show that suffered from me thinking it would be different from what it was, and because I was hoping for a great show. What I was expecting was a jukebox musical about the Beatles. What I got was a Beatles cover band that performs in character. I liked it, but others (Rosie for example) might not.

As for being a cover band, they were certainly a very good one. Looks, mannerisms, and most importantly - the music, were all really good.

Go see it if you're a Beatles fan, and you can get discounted tickets.

Gypsy

Our last play was probably the best acted. Gypsy is the musical about Gypsy Rose Lee and her toxic relationship with the woman who gave all subsequent stage moms a bad name, "Mama" Rose.

Of note, Mama Rose was played by Imelda Staunton. This was the bulk of the press for the show. And she is very very good as a dramatic performer. Her singing is technically good, but lacked the passion I hope for in a musical. I thought Lara Pulver (you'll remember her from playing Irene Adler) was the real stand out performance. Not that there was a shortage of good performances in Gypsy. They got a well-deserved standing ovation.

Tickets for this were a bit more dear than Matilda, but it was still worth it (especially since I didn't buy them, Rosie did).