Posts with the label hiba elchikhe
Showing posts with label hiba elchikhe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hiba elchikhe. Show all posts

Saturday, 16 July 2022

Millennials, The Other Palace | Review


Millennials
The Other Palace Studio
Reviewed on Thursday 14th July 2022 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

With the recent announcements of many West End shows closing, it certainly feels like the perfect time to inject something new onto the scene and Elliot Clay's Millennials certainly does just that. Entering the completely transformed studio space at The Other Palace you are greeted by pink cellophane walls, slinkies suspended from the ceiling, inflatable flamingos, ball pits and so much more. Andrew Exeter's design makes it a feast for the eyes from the moment you enter and at just over an hour, the song cycle continues to provide a brilliant way to spend an evening.

The six strong cast who make up the show are all forces to be reckoned with, as they bring individuality to the piece whilst also being a gloriously well-blended ensemble. Opening the show, Luke Bayer starts contemplative and later brings energy in spades; always providing  super strong vocals. Hiba Elchikhe is star power embodied as she belts and riffs for her life in 21st Century Girl before showing her versatility with an emotionally intense performance near the show's closing.

Rob Madge is everything you could with for in a comedic role. Their performance makes the most of every second of the music and imbues perfect humour alongside great vocals- a real stand out! Luke Latchman's rendition of Priceless is also wonderfully humourous. Taking on one of the most beautiful songs in the show, Hannah Lowther is lovely. Her vocal talent really shines as does her acting as she really welcomes the audience to feel the song and experience it alongside her. Completing the cast is Georgina Onuorah who's voice is heavenly in her solo number Remember the Feeling. It would be hard to find such a strong cast elsewhere and the entire six are are a credit to musical theatre.

Millennials is everything you could want in a fun show but there are some elements that don't quite work. Mainly the fact that it isn't really millennial, instead it's a look at growing up. Which is fine and entertaining but with the insistence of the millennial theme, it just feels like it's missing something. The show would do well with being slightly more specific in its lyrics to really fit the millennial theme, however there's certainly something to be said for how universally relatable the lyrics and feelings are, no matter the generation. Of course this is a song-cycle not a fully fledged musical but it would also be good to have a bit more of a through line between the songs.

There may be a little final sprinkle of fairy dust missing but Millennials is one of the funnest shows about and it'll be brilliant to see where it progresses. Hurray for new British writing and hurray for Millennials!

photo credit: Mark Senior
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Millennials, The Other Palace | Review

Saturday, 16 July 2022

Thursday, 5 November 2020

Hiba Elchikhe Brings Together West End Performers For A New Musical Theatre Series


In collaboration with Nimax and The Theatre Café, West End performer Hiba Elchikhe is thrilled to announce a brand-new musical theatre based web series: Out Of The Darkness, Into The Spotlight.


Bringing a little bit of glitter to the grey, this three-episode series hopes to not only entertain, but shine a light on the performers who are keeping the West End alive, even during lockdown.


Hiba, who is currently starring in the West End hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and who has created the series says “In a time of such uncertainty I am so excited to be able to bring together a spectacular group of freelance artists, that are representative of the UK.”  


Featuring a line up of stellar creatives, each episode shines a “spotlight” on something different: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Musical Theatre and Christmas. The first episode is set to premiere on November 18th, with the next two going live on November 25th and December 9th. Each episode will feature a different line-up of star performers, running at approximately 45 minutes and including a mixture of songs. Performers include: Danny Becker (Prince of Egypt, Aladdin), Courtney Bowman (Six, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Danielle Steers (Six, Bat Out of Hell), Hiba Elchikhe (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Brooklyn), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Les Misérables, Heathers), Sejal Keshwala (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Tim Mahendran (& Juliet, Spring Awakening), Grace Mouat (& Juliet, Six), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Aladdin), Liam Tamne (Prince of Egypt) and Noah Thomas (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).


As well as Maisey Bawden, Paul Bradshaw, Rhiane Drummond, James Gillan, Shanay Holmes, Rob Houchen, Melissa Jacques, Emma Kingston, Carl Man, Frances McCann, Scott Paige, Sharun Phull, Amy Trigg and Andrew Patrick Walker, with more to be announced.


Tickets are available from: https://www.thetheatrecafe.co.uk/2020/11/news-out-of-the-darkness-into-the-spotlight/


#IntoTheSpotlightConcert


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Hiba Elchikhe Brings Together West End Performers For A New Musical Theatre Series

Thursday, 5 November 2020

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre | Review


Everybody's Talking About Jamie
Apollo Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 21st January 2020 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Flying into its third year in the West End, Everybody's Talking About Jamie retains its giant heart and remains an inspiring, colourful, hilarious and all round joyous musical. Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae's show tells the story of an extroverted 15 year old who dreams of being a drag queen. Despite being sure of himself and his abilities, young Jamie New has to face those who oppose him and try to pull him down, so he can achieve his dreams and show the people around him that being true to yourself can get you far. It's a show which delights and inspires in equal measure, and is sure to retain its spot in theatre lovers hearts for the foreseeable future.

In his West End and indeed, professional debut, Noah Thomas brings every aspect of leading man, Jamie New, to life with an ease that is truthful to the story but feels just polished enough. Opening with the incredibly catchy 'And You Don't Even Know It', Noah immediately shows us who Jamie is as he transforms the stage into a world of colour and begins the journey which will shape his life. From there on in his entire performance is joyous to experience. With charm in spades and glorious vocals, Noah continually exudes life and never falters throughout his time on stage.

As Jamie's mum, Melissa Jacques is beautifully vulnerable, and draws huge amounts of empathy from the audience as she does all she can to be the best mum to her beloved son. Jacques' vocal performance is that of a powerhouse, with 'He's My Boy' providing an emotional high-point that wows the audience. The chemistry between Jamie and his mum is lovely to see, as is the truthful friendship of Jamie and and his best friend, Pritti. 

Both misunderstood and outsiders in their own ways, the pair continually find common ground and support one another. It's wonderful to see such a supportive and non-toxic friendship played out on stage. As Pritti, Hiba Elchikhe is delightfully moving and vocally exceptional, especially in the act two ballad, 'It Means Beautiful'. Just as Pritti's bedroom sparkles, Hiba gives a glittering performance and makes a sensational West End debut.


Roy Haylock/Bianca Del Rio as Hugo/Loco Chanelle is highly entertaining. Compared to the rest of the cast, his vocals are not consistently top notch but the energy and commitment he performs with mostly make up for that and it's a real treat to see such a widely recognised drag star on a West End stage.

As the rapping teacher Miss Hedge, Preeya Kalidas is vocally strong. The character herself is a little jarring at times as she flits between being an enforcer of reality and a restricter of freedom. It's sometimes confusing as it's unclear whether she's a villain or just someone trying to help. Perhaps that's the whole point! 

Sejal Keshwala is completely ballsy in her performance as Ray and wins over the audience in a matter of moments. Also giving a hugely strong and highly assured performance is Jordan Ricketts as the school bully and Jamie's tormentor Dean Paxton. The entire cast are the embodiment of joy and perfectly evoke the feelings of school life. Katie Prince's choreography excellently brings to life the often frenetic atmosphere of Jamie's life and is fresh and exciting to watch.

This is a musical which inspires us all to own what makes us 'different' and is just a lovely portrayal of family, friendship and acceptance. Contemporary, sassy and so very British, lets keep talking about Jamie!

photo credit: Matt Crockett


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Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre | Review

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

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