Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Beautiful. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Beautiful. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday 28 February 2018

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour) 
New Victoria Theatre 
Reviewed on Tuesday 27th February 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★★

The New Victoria theatre was a buzz last night as an excited audience took their seats to take a trip down memory lane with the sentimental songs of the 60s. I must admit when I sat down I wasn't really a Carole King fan having never really been exposed to her music, but two and a bit hours later I was well and truly a lover of all things Carole and have been playing Tapestry on repeat all morning. 

Beautiful opens with King (played expertly by Bronté Barbé) sitting alone on stage behind a piano and singing her heart out to a packed audience at Carnegie Hall. Suddenly the piano moves out of view and we are thrown into a Brooklyn apartment where a 16 year old Carole with big dreams and songs to sell arrives on stage.

From here we follow Carole through the ups and downs of her life from the energetic teen to mother, wife, divorcee and Grammy award winner. From the opening scene to the very end, Bronté's Carole is endearing, humourous and engaged with the audience. Her incredible voice, acting and spot on accent hold the show up and our hearts really ache whenever Carole experiences a set back.


The show mainly focuses on the relationship between Carole and her husband/lyricist, Gerry Goffin. Played by Kane Oliver Parry, the character is raw and passionate and the chemistry between the pair is compelling to watch. Alongside we see their best friends and writing rivals, Cynthia Weil (Amy Ellen Richardson) and Barry Mann (Matthew Gonsalves) who are comedic as well as being fantastic singers. The rendition of their hit 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling' was a standout as well as a clear audience favourite.

Beautiful cleverly transitions from the song-writing to the actual performance with the artists appearing to perform the songs as soon as the final chords and lyrics were written. These moments were humourous as well as being genuinely good and allowed the audience to revel in the delightful music by the likes of The Drifters and The Shirelles.


This production is indeed Beautiful and the perfectly moving, magical, sentimental way to spend a few hours. Myself, my mum and those around us found ourselves smiling throughout, just proving that this show has what it takes to enrapture audiences of all generations.  The talent of Carole King is undeniable and I can't help but think that no 2000s artist will stand the test of time to have a musical made about them in the future! Whether you think you're a fan of Carole or not, you're sure to recognise many of the hits and leave feeling elated, with a new sense of love and appreciation for the songwriting industry.

Beautiful runs at the New Victoria Theatre until March 3rd before continuing it's tour.
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Friday 21 February 2020

Laura Baldwin on The Importance of Female Led Musicals | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | Interview

A jukebox musical with a book by Douglas McGrath, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the story of the life and career of Carole King, using the songs she wrote as well as others by people she knew or were influential in her life. 

Taking on the role of one of these, is Laura Baldwin who plays Cynthia Weil, King's best friend and writing rival. Having previously starred in Waitress, Laura is no stranger to female led stories, she sat down to tell us why these stories are so important and what people can expect from this musical...


Give us the lowdown on Beautiful, what can we expect?
Well you can expect a story of what went on behind the music surrounding the life of Carole King, told by an AMAZING cast. You’ll hear incredibly nostalgic songs and hopefully you’ll leave feeling elated, inspired and a little bit warm inside.


Whats your favourite song from Beautiful and why?
God that is SO hard! The Locomotion is definitely up there but it has to be Walking in The Rain. It’s just such a stunning song and it feels so lovely to sing.


You’re playing Cynthia Weil, what do you draw from in your own life and what research do you do to play a real person?
So Cynthia Weil is the first character I’ve played that I don’t feel anything alike. I couldn’t find any similarities for a while so that was a new challenge for me. It did however feel really refreshing to become someone completely different and, play parts of her that don’t come naturally to me. Now we’re well into the run I do see myself in her, like I love making people laugh, so does she! We’re both very ambitious and love our work. It was great to finally identify with her in some way. 

I researched lots about Cynthia! I watched so many interviews and we talked extensively with Ed Goggin our director, all about the characters lives and motives throughout the show. I wanted to make sure I do her justice!! Hopefully I’m doing enough!


You previously starred in Waitress, another musical about female empowerment, what do you think makes these musicals so important and special?
Because we need women to be seen as the hero’s that they are and have always been! Waitress was a human story and Beautiful is a real life story, both with an underdog message. The characters find strength from within and that is always incredibly special to watch. Sara Bareilles is a power house as is Carole King. Their stories and music should be heard simply because of the talent behind them. I am honoured to be a small part of their work and portray the characters that are so dear to them, and inspiring to women and to everyone.


If a musical was going to be made about your life, who would you like to play you?
Oh Amy Adam’s or Kristen Wig just because I love them!!


What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring performers?
Keep the gorgeous people around you who lift you up! ALWAYS treat yourself after an audition. You will constantly struggle to balance everything and things will get hard but that’s okay. There will be highs and lows but the lows make it worth it. Stay humble, find ways to reconnect with yourself, book the holiday and know that your career doesn’t define you. I also feel like being yourself is HUGE and the moment I started accepting my weird crazy self, everything started to fall into place :) stay strong! x


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical plays at the New Victoria Theatre until 22nd February before continuing its tour

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

photo credit: Helen Maybanks
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Thursday 28 September 2017

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Lyric Theatre | Review


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Lyric Theatre, Sydney
Reviewed on Wednesday 20th September 2017 by Amy and Vic
★★★★★

The night started with two twenty something girls who had no clue who Carole King was (don't judge us!) and ended up with two brand new super fans, striding out of the theatre arm in arm, belting 'You've Got a Friend' and wistfully longing we could transport back to 1960s Brooklyn.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a Grammy winning musical which debuted in Sydney, Australia this week with a local cast after first dazzling Broadway in 2014. The show is a musical biography based on the early life of Carole King, whose music has been referred to as “the soundtrack of a generation” – admittedly not our generation but boy do we wish it was!  

Pyrmont's Lyric Theatre in Sydney was buzzing with Carole King devotees young and old, excited to take a trip down memory lane in joyous celebration of one of the world's greatest songwriters. It made the evening all the more sentimental, imagining our parents hippy clapping away, bellbottoms swinging to ‘Locomotion'.

From the opening scene and throughout, Esther Hannaford's Carole was an incredibly loveable and endearing character who engaged the audience with her humility, kindness and gentle humour. Despite her immense success and undeniable creative genius, Carole's personal life was tumultuous and peppered with periods of romance and heartache. The tapestry of classic pop and rock and roll music was powerfully nostalgic, and there was a sense of magic in watching the song writing process and hearing the contrast between the writers demos and popular pop reinventions (including, The Shirelles, The Drifters, The Righteous Brothers and Neil Sedaka).


Beautiful predominantly focusses on the relationship between Carole and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, famed lyricist and long-time collaborator. Josh Piterman provided a compelling portrayal of Gerry’s raw strife and passion and there was a genuine chemistry between our leading couple. The relationship between Carole and Gerry and their friendly rivals, fellow singer/songwriter duo Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann provided some belly laugh moments and showcased some of their own classic hits including “You’ve Lost That l Lovin’ Feeling” and “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place”.

The entire production was beautifully staged and the cast were uniformly superb. Beautiful was a magical, moving, musical feat and the perfect night to delight across the generations. We couldn’t have told you who Carole King was before this show, turns out we’ve been a fan of her work for years - Oh! Carol, we love you.


The musical will run until December 23rd 2017
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Sunday 24 September 2017

Mack and Mabel (LMTO), Hackney Empire | Review


Mack and Mabel
Hackney Empire
Reviewed on Saturday September 23rd 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★

The London Musical Theatre Orchestra (LMTO) have done it again. Another fantastic celebration of a beautiful score performed by a beautiful orchestra and a beautiful cast. It was just a whole lot of beautiful, okay! This time we were treated to the delights of Jerry Herman’s, Mack and Mabel which chronicles the story a young deli girl who miraculously ends up a film actress and falls in love and into a tumultuous relationship with her director, Mack Sennett who is so obsessed with making his next picture that he doesn't see what's right in front of him.

Opening the concert, Freddie Tapner (founder of the LMTO) explained that the music was going to speak for itself and he was so right. Having seen the show previously at the Chichester Festival Theatre I thought I knew what I was in for but seeing it so stripped back, I developed a new love and appreciation for Jerry Herman's stunning virtuosic moments and really realised what a stunning piece of work this is. 

I was lucky enough to be part of an LMTO sing-through and completely fell in love with the way Freddie conducts; making the players and singers feel comfortable whilst giving tonnes and tonnes of energy. His love of music and conducting is evident and, from watching the orchestra play with beaming smiles, obviously infectious. It was truly joyous to see so much excitement from the orchestra as they played, especially in the epic Hit 'Em On The Head instrumental break which is a maelstrom of astonishing musical moments. With no action on stage it's clear just how wonderful the music is as you could picture each movement the keystone cops would have been making without having to see a thing. With many shows cutting back on orchestra size and some even having recorded music, it's an absolute joy to be able to relish in the decadence of hearing a full orchestra in all their glory. 



Tiffany Graves was fabulous as Lottie Ames with her beautiful and powerful voice ringing out wonderfully and her facial expressions cracking the audience up! Her tap number in act 2 was certainly a stand out moment. I fell in love with Liam Tamne's voice every time he had a solo moment; so clear and lovely- I just wish we'd heard more! Will Arundell and Matt Harvey were great as the businessmen Kessel and Baumann, suitably dorky and humourous, especially in Hit 'Em On The Head, as was Jack Edwards as Fatty Arbuckle.

Taking the titular roles of Mack and Mabel we had David Bedella and Natasha J Barnes who both pulled them off expertly. David played the regretful, extravagant Mack with sincerity and full of glorious vocal moments, especially during the finale, I Promise You A Happy Ending. However, it was Natasha who completely stole the show with her utterly magnificent masterclass performance as the excitable, loved-up, Mabel who falls into darkness. Her rendition of Time Heals Everything physically gave me heart palpitations. Natasha took the ending up the octave which completely took my breath away and gained an instant mid-show standing ovation from the entire audience. It was a truly magnificent moment of musical theatre that I won't be forgetting soon. There aren't even words to describe how spectacular Natasha is; she's truly a gift from the musical theatre gods!



The LMTO chorus and dancers just like everything else, were fantastic. The hundreds of girls moment was a spectacle choreographed by Anthony Whiteman and the cherry on top of an exceptional production. I honestly can't fault anything.

Overall this was just an impeccable night of musical theatre and despite only being a concert performance, was one of the best shows I've seen in a while. The LMTO are going from strength to strength and I can't wait to see everything they tackle in the future. This performance of Mack and Mabel was a truly glorious presentation of a spectacular score with a completely and utterly faultless cast and orchestra. Sensational. 
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Wednesday 19 February 2020

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre 
Reviewed on Tuesday 18th February 2020 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Beautiful opens with music icon, Carole King sitting alone on stage at a piano, singing to a sold out audience at Carnegie Hall. In an instant the piano moves out of view and we are taken to a Brooklyn apartment where a 16 year old Carole, with songs sing sell and dreams to dream, arrives on stage.

It's from here that we follow King through the trials and tribulations of her life from the vivacious teen, to young mother, wife, divorcee and eventually solo Grammy Award winner. From the outset Daisy Wood-Davis is engaging and endearing; giving a performance as Carole which certainly blooms throughout the musical and ends on a high. Her unique Brooklyn accent is strong, and whilst her performance is not always completely convincing, Wood-Davis does a solid job at bringing the legend to life. 

What's impressive about this musical is how cleverly the scenes transition from the song-writing to the actual performances. The famous artists appear to perform the songs as the final lyrics and chords are written and highlight just how fast the music world moves. At times, some of the ensemble are a little lacklustre in their performances, but it's still nice to get a chance to hear the music of The Shirelles and The Drifters. 


Aside from the music, the show mainly focusses on the relationship between Carole and her husband/lyricist Gerry Goffin. Played by Adam Gillan, Gerry is equal parts endearing, fragile and gushy. His vocals are strong and the chemistry between the pair, especially in the young love phase at the start, is very enjoyable to watch. We also see writing rivals/best friends Cynthia Weil (Laura Baldwin) and Barry Mann (Cameron Sharp) who want to succeed in all aspects of their lives. The pair give great vocal performances and bounce off one another well.

Many aspects come together to make this such a wholesome and enjoyable musical, including the excellent set design by Derek McLane which seamlessly transforms the stage and provides a welcoming backdrop for every moment. Alejo Vietti's costumes are also highly detailed and it's great to see how fashions changed as well as the music. Also, giving standout performances are Susie Fenwick as Carole's witty New York mother; Jordan Fox who shines in his vocal moments and Carly Cook who draws the eye throughout and gives an excellently polished performance all round.

A sentimental musical which captures all generations and celebrates the talent and drive of Carole King, and showcases the music industry Beautiful is certainly worth the watch. 

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical plays at the New Victoria Theatre until 22 February and then continues its tour

 photo credit: Helen Maybanks
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Wednesday 23 May 2018

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), New Wimbledon Theatre | Review


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 22nd May 2018 by Becca Cromwell 
★★★★

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is based on the life, trials and tribulations of singer-songwriter and Grammy Award winner Carole King. The story begins in 1950s Brooklyn, where a bright eyed and bushy tailed Carole goes to 1650 Broadway, New York City, to sell her song. Producer Don Kirshner buys the song, and offers her a contract. From there, she meets Gerry Goffin, her soon-to-be husband, and they collaborate on a song. Their collaboration brings them hit after hit and soon enough they are a successful musical duo, with Carole writing the melodies and Gerry writing the lyrics. Things are not always sunny however, as Gerry and Carole divorce and Carole goes on to release her album Tapestry, which won her Grammy awards and allowed her to play a sold out concert at the Carnegie Hall.

Bronté Barbé, gives an incredible performance and Carole. She captures Carole perfectly, from her mannerisms to the recognisable voice. Barbé astounds from the beginning, right through to the very end, giving a performance that must be extremely hard to match night after night.

Gerry Goffin played by Kane Oliver Parry, is a lovable character who makes some big mistakes. Kane plays him brilliantly with astounding vocals.  

Honorable mentions must go to Amy Ellen Richardson, Matthew Gonsalves and Adam Howden, who play Cynthia, Barry and Don respectively. These characters are some of the most important people in Carole’s story, and the portrayal of these characters is excellent. 


Throughout this particular performance, there were unfortunately periods where the singing could not be heard over the volume of the band, which means some of the hits including the Loco Motion and Will You Love Me Tomorrow were not as spectacular as I had hoped. However, the singing that we could hear was extremely good, with harmonies that were marvellous.

The quick changes performed by the ensemble cast are mind-blowing, leaving the audience gasping as they effortlessly switch costumes within seconds. 

The set, designed by Derek McLane, works well within the show. The simplicity of it and the continuous use of the piano allows the actors to truly transport us back to Brooklyn in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I particularly enjoyed the 1650 Broadway set, which served as various offices and performance rooms. 

The entire ensemble give fantastic performances and the show is thoroughly enjoyable. I had high expectations, all of which were met for a fun-filled night out at the theatre. 

Beautiful continues its UK tour into June, so grab your tickets for the final venues whilst you can!
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Saturday 13 August 2016

Children of Eden, Union Theatre | Review



Children of Eden
Union Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 12th August 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★

Inspired by the Book of Genesis, Children of Eden tells the timeless and beautiful story of bringing a child into the world and becoming a parent. It features stunning music and lyrics by acclaimed composer Stephen Schwartz,  who is perhaps most well known for Wicked which continues to play all over the world, and a book by the fantastic John Caird who along with Trevor Nunn, adapted and directed Les Miserables.
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Wednesday 7 June 2017

Rachel Tucker, Live at Zedel | Review


Rachel Tucker (concert)
Crazy Coqs, Zedel
Reviewed on Tuesday June 6th 2017 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★

Rachel Tucker is a superstar of the stage and is currently on a long awaited tour around the UK before heading to New York for a stint at the iconic, 54 Below. Now I knew Rachel's voice was good from the I'd Do Anything days, videos online and of course from seeing her in Wicked but I was completely blown away when I saw her solo performance last night. Rachel's voice is powerful, emotive, beautiful and her overall stage presence is that of a true star.

Rachel's set consisted of a number of upbeat songs to more balladic slow pieces with the flow from jubilation to tears completely smooth and seamless. The whole concert seemed so well put together and like a huge amount of thought had gone into each song and placement, it was really a night of everything. Opening the show with "Miss Otis Regrets", Rachel immediately created a bond with the audience and won over the room with her huge presence and personality.

Moving wonderfully into a rendition of "Candyman", Rachel kept the atmosphere bright and warm and set the stage for an evening of glorious entertainment. The segway into each song was done flawlessly, a sign of Rachel's stage training from a young age. The transition from "Waving Through a Window" (beautiful) to "Climbing Uphill" was particularly entertaining with Rachel reenacting a bad audition before giving a hilarious performance of the Jason Robert Brown classic.

As her special guest for the night, Rachel introduced Samantha Barks (who we all know I love) at the end of act one for a rendition of "Nowadays/All That Jazz" from Chicago. This was a particular treat for us Londoners who didn't get to see Samantha as Velma Kelly in Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl and it was a marvellous end to the first half.

The second half of the concert was just as seamless and brilliant as the first, with little anecdotes sprinkled throughout and an absolutely hilarious tribute to Tina Turner which Rachel explained was her unique selling point when she used to perform with her dad.  Needless to say, the audience loved the ridiculously fantastic and energetic performance of "Proud Mary/River Deep Mountain High".

Samantha and Rachel joined forces again with a beautiful, heartfelt rendition of Wicked's "For Good" which was lovely to hear and joyous to see the two friends performing such a beautiful song in the intimate setting of the Crazy Coqs, Zedel.

Not only is Rachel's singing top notch, but her acting and interpretation of music is outstanding. Able to go from elation to heartbreaking sincerity in a matter of bars. Act two saw Rachel perform "The Man That Got Away" which was just phenomenal and left the audience in pin-drop silent awe. Rachel closed the show with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and the Ed Sheeran favourite, "Castle on a Hill" which really summed up the evening and gave the audience the whole spectrum of emotions once again and gave Rachel her third and final standing ovation of the evening.

Rachel is just a sensational performer and last nights concert was completely faultless. I honestly couldn't have asked for anything more from Rachel or Samantha except for them to sing more and serenade me for the rest of my life! Rachel is truly remarkable, a joy to watch and a brilliant inspiration for anyone wanting to perform. If you get the chance to see Rachel in concert, or in any other show then 100000% take the opportunity as you do not want to miss the chance to be blessed be her performance of dreams and pipes from heaven!

Read my interview with Rachel here: https://goo.gl/FyfrTy
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Thursday 3 November 2016

The Last Five Years, St James Theatre | Review

The Last Five Years is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of a failed marriage set to song


 The Last Five Years
St James Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 2nd November 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
Jason Robert Brown's musical tells the story of Cathy and Jamie with her story running backwards from heartbreak to giddiness and his running forwards from the first moments of meeting to the disillusion at the end. Somehow this concept which could have been very confusing manages to work exquisitely and is carried out with professional style and ease by Samantha Barks and Jonathan Bailey.

The show runs for 90 minutes straight through and includes a number of musical styles which help to maintain the pace and make the whole relationship feel very realistic. Personal highlights were "See I'm Smiling", "The Schmuel Song" and "Moving Too Fast" all of which were total lessons in storytelling from Samantha and Jonathan. The simple staging works well to show scene changes without distracting from the intimacy of the show.


 Jason Robert Brown's songs seem to get more beautiful every time I hear them and believe me I've heard them a lot! From watching the film version of The Last Five Years to listening to various youtube versions I have pretty high standards for it and this production smashed them all out of the park. This seems to be the musical exactly how it should be. Each moment seems so well thought out with each acting choice complementing the beautiful music and vice versa.

Jonathan Bailey brings humour and wit to the character of the up and coming writer Jamie who in his heart is really just a jerk; despite his love for Cathy at the start, his wandering eye and his self-absorbed personality become his downfall and the relationship fails. Jonathan's acting choices are dramatic whilst still being understated at points and he truly relates to the audience, especially when he picks out audience members to be his Cathy in certain songs.

Samantha Barks shows off her acting and singing chops once again in the role of Cathy. From the opening number of the iconic "I'm Still Hurting" Samantha embodies the character and gracefully rewinds from the bitter end of the relationship to the extreme joy she felt at the start. Samantha's star power glistens like a diamond as she commands the stage in this role and shows her versatility in moments of happiness, sadness and humour.

This is a positively admirable production which ticks every box on what makes a great musical. Its truly a lesson in acting through song and the two stars are faultless in their performances. The Last Five Years is a beautiful, bold and poignant depiction of a relationship, impeccably brought to life on stage by two wonderfully esteemed performers.

The Last Five Years is on at the St James theatre until December 3rd. You can book tickets on the website here.

photos by Scott Rylander
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Wednesday 2 March 2022

Mimma (Concert), Cadogan Hall | Review


Mimma (Concert)
Cadogan Hall
Reviewed on Monday 28th February by Holly Inch
★★★★★

Ron Siemiginowski and Giles Watson’s Mimma tells the story of two women who form an unlikely friendship in the midst of World War 2: Sarah, an aspiring jazz singer, and Mimma, a young Italian girl sent to live with her uncle in London’s Soho. Through the growing fear in London, her brother’s arrest, and the tension between Italy and England, Mimma’s danger grows evermore, and she could lose everything- apart from the only person that she can trust: Sarah.
Mimma’s one night performance was not something to be missed and showcased the best of what theatre has to offer. The musical concert took place at Cadogan Hall and included a cast of seventeen alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. The stage didn’t include much set, however the cast brought the story to life with the props, tables, and chairs that they had (I must note, there were also projections on the back wall that helped differentiate from scene to scene). All of the cast members were fitted with beautiful 1940’s outfits that only added to the world of Mimma and looked amazing on stage together.

The show’s cast were phenomenal. Led by Sir David Suchet as Alredo Frassati, Celinde Schoenmaker as Mimma, and Louise Dearman as Sarah, all of whom brought Mimma’s story to life through the score and the phenomenal 40s style choreography, brilliantly choreographed Chris Whittaker. Celinde Schoenmaker was outstanding as Mimma, bringing her powerful soprano voice into the. Her portrayal of the hardships that Mimma goes through was unparalleled, her acting beautifully natural, and her higher register something to marvel. As her on stage friend, Louise Dearman was a standout role. Dearman brought such range to the role of Sarah that you found it hard to believe that she hadn’t gone through the experiences that she portrayed on stage. Aside from that, her singing was utterly beautiful and captivating to listen, combining jazz and opera styles into a wonderful blend that was heavenly to hear. Her performance of 'The Folds of Time' (a beautifully emotional song about Sarah and her fiancé, who is in the navy) was so sweetly sung and incorporated such truth tied into it.


John Owen-Jones as Lorenzo- though we didn’t see this part as much as some others- was brilliantly played and sung and was exactly what you would expect from the amazing Owen-Jones. A beautiful moment in the show came when Ashley Riches- playing Aldo Marini, Mimma’s brother- and Elena Xanthoudakis- playing Ada Marini, Mimma’s mother- sang together in the song 'Aria Pieta'. The two’s voices blended well together, and they had a beautiful dynamic as mother and son. Riches specifically had an incredible range on him and portrayed the hardships experienced by Aldo in a way that had me almost in tears. Riches and Xanthoudakis joined Schoenmaker in an out-of-this-world group number called 'Aria Piemontese' which left my jaw on the floor. 

Steve Serlin as Jacob Katz was another stand out performance because his comedy timing was impeccable and brought the comedic relief that left the audience with smiles on their faces. The ensemble just made the show. They constantly were acting, singing, dancing, and just all together brought their moments to life. The dancing was to an amazingly high-standard, and their vocals added a wonderful layer to the song.

With a wonderful composition, an absolutely phenomenal cast with insane vocal, Mimma was a fantastic musical and spoke on issues faced during World War 2 in a respectful and truthful light. I only hope that this is the start of a bright future for this musical.

photo credit: Danny Kaan
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Friday 6 April 2018

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), Bristol Hippodrome | Review


Beautiful (UK Tour) 
Bristol Hippodrome
Reviewed on Wednesday 5th April 2018 by Isobelle Desbrow
★★★

 Picture the scene, Carnegie Hall 1971. Carole King played by Bronté Barbé sitting at the piano not expecting this many people to be watching her before playing a short rendition of ‘So far Away’ before rewinding the story back 14 years to wear it all began.

 We see the geeky, nervousness of Carole as she enters the offices of Donnie Kirshner played by Adam Howden. From the get go I’m unable to fault Bronté for her ability to sing and speak in the difficult Brooklyn accent, something which as the play progresses we see change and morph into the Carol King voice we know and love today.



Once back at school Carole meets the popular Gerry Goffin played by Kane Oliver Parry. They quickly become writing partners, lovers and then parents. You couldn’t fault either of them as they both show genuine affection for one another.
Fast forward to the arrival of the loud spoken Cynthia Weil who would not take no for an answer; loud and seductive, Amy Ellen Richardson plays her brilliantly and is a stand out of the show. Once she’d met the hypochondriac Barry Mann played by Matthew Gonsalves the pair become fascinatingly brilliant to watch.
The music of the era really shines through as they include such artists as The Drifters, Shirelles, Little Eva, Janelle and The Righteous Brothers. The ensemble do a fantastic job creating all the songs and making us feel as though we're transported back in time.
The standing ovation at the end really did do the cast justice; as they had given a performance to remember. Beautiful certainly deserves to be seen!
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs at the Bristol Hippodrome until April 7th.
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Monday 10 February 2020

Emma Lucia talks life on tour in Once The Musical | Interview

Beginning life as a low budget feature film, Once, the story of a Dublin street busker and a Czech musician who bond over their love of music, has enthralled audiences since it was released. Audiences are now getting the chance to see it live on a UK tour.

Emma Lucia plays Girl, in this simplistically beautiful production. We chatted to her about her role, life as an actor-muso, her tour essentials and much more...



Give us the lowdown on Once, what can audiences expect? 
Once is such a tricky show to explain because it’s really unique, but it’s essentially a play about an Irish guy and a Czech girl who meet in Dublin and form a really special friendship based on their love for music. The show is packed with Irish/folk music and each song is played by the 16 actors on stage - there are about 30 instruments in total so the sound is really something! Anyone watching the show for the first time can expect to laugh (a lot), cry (a bit) and leave feeling really uplifted.


You play Girl, what’s she like as a character? Are you alike in any ways?
Girl is SUCH a fun character to play. She’s ridiculously optimistic, hilariously blunt and incredibly kind which is quite inspiring because they’re all qualities that I love in a person. I think I’m quite a positive person (or at least I try to be… I sometimes struggle on Mondays…) so I guess we have that in common!


The cast is made up of amazing actor-muso’s, what’s it like being surrounded by music all the time both on and offstage?
Oh it’s amazing - these guys are sooo talented! It’s so inspiring to share a stage with such incredible musicians and they’re all so lovely which makes it even better. Everyone’s constantly practising or working on new material for the pre-show jam - there is literally no peace and quiet but I love it!


If your life was going to be made into a folk musical, who would you want to play you?
I love this question. Mmm probably Jessie Buckley because she has the most beautiful voice and she seems like an equally beautiful person! And she has fabulous hair. I’m aiming high here.


This is an ensemble led piece, with every cast member invested in every moment. What was the rehearsal process like to create such a tight-knit group?
We actually gelled really quickly in rehearsals. A lot of people had worked together before so most people already knew each other, and I remember sitting on our lunch break on day one and thinking that we’re going to have a lot of fun on this tour. I also think it helps that it’s such an ensemble-led piece because it means there’s a constant feeling of it being a team effort - no one actor is more important than another and that keeps us all really grounded and connected.


What's your favourite moment in the show?
It has to be When Your Mind’s Made Up in Act 2. It’s my favourite song in the whole show and it’s so fun to play! I really struggle to describe why I love it so much but there’s a point where the lyrics stop and the whole cast just hold their notes, and I remember hearing that moment for the first time when I watched the show in the West End and understanding exactly what they were all feeling - even though they weren’t actually saying any words. It’s bizarre how music can make you feel connected in a way that words sometimes can’t.


What are your tour essentials?
Hmmm… I have a sleep mask which is an absolute life-saver - it means I can nap just about anywhere! I also like to have lots of pictures/positive quotes to put up in my dressing room and an unlimited supply of rescue remedy for when I feel particularly nervous. Oh and berocca. Lots of berocca.
Other than the beautiful music, what do you think makes Once such a special and enduring piece of theatre? 
I think it’s because it’s such a simple and realistic story - the characters (aptly named Guy and Girl) could literally be anyone. Falling in love is wonderful but it doesn’t always work out the way you want it to - life sometimes gets in the way and I think a lot of people can relate to this. Once isn’t hugely romanticised and I think that’s what people love about it. 


What’s your top piece of advice for aspiring performers? 
Without a doubt: have confidence in yourself. There’s so much criticism and rejection in this industry - it’s all part of the job, so you have to make sure that you believe in yourself otherwise you’ll never be able to enjoy it! Even if you have to fake it for a while, it’s so important that you compliment and congratulate yourself for achieving the tiniest of goals or even just for being brave enough to have a go! I think most actors go through phases of having imposter syndrome, where they don’t think they’re “good enough”, and I really struggle to take my own advice sometimes… but it really is the most powerful thing - if you believe in yourself, nine times out of ten so will everybody else.


 Once next plays at the New Victoria Theatre and then continues it's UK tour

 Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
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