Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
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I posted to flickr.com
Avenue Q
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4729527131/in/pool-473288@N25
June 24 2010, 6:38am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Mamma Mia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4725289490/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
June 22 2010, 1:51pm | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Hair
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4717653741/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
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June 20 2010, 1:56pm | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Jersey Boys
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4717071869/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
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June 20 2010, 10:51am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Chicago
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4717330454/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
June 20 2010, 8:34am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Chicago
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4717209854/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
June 20 2010, 7:43am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Love Never Dies
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4716459495/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
June 20 2010, 6:48am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Billy Elliot
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4716912026/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
June 20 2010, 4:55am | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
We Will Rock You
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4715503194/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
June 19 2010, 4:25pm | Comments »
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I posted to flickr.com
Hair
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray101/4631753336/in/pool-473288@N25
Hilary_JW has added a photo to the pool:
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May 23 2010, 5:48am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
Mamma Mia Theatre Breaks
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/mamma-mia-theatre-breaks.html
Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia, the Abba musical, is 11 years old this month and it has become a firm favourite for theatre breaks. We went along to see the show recently and I can really see why it remains so popular. It was a terrific night out, full of fun, laughter and good music. We came out of the theatre surprised to find ourselves back in London, always a good sign. Mamma Mia – it’s not the film Well, we’ve all seen and enjoyed the film of Mamma Mia and the show transports us to that magical Greek island. This is done partly with a deceptively simple set and lighting effects but mostly it’s the acting and the music that transports us. The show follows a slightly different tack to the film and concentrates a little bit more on the younger members of the cast. In the film Sophie (the daughter) and Sky (her fiance) are quite minor characters in many ways. On stage this changes and some of the most memorable songs are performed by these two. It’s Abba but not as we know it. The music is undoubtedly Abba and you do find that you tend to know all the words. The difference is that the songs have been transformed into musical theatre and suddenly you can hear the strength of the melodies and the power of the words. I’ve never been fond of Abba but I enjoyed the show immensely. For Abba fans, and there were quite a few of them there, it is total bliss. The show is timeless and ageless I was worried that the show might have dated but I shouldn’t have been. It still seems as fresh, fun and charming as it did when it opened. If you are old enough to remember Abba the first time around, you’ll love it even if you wouldn’t have been seen dead listening to something so ‘uncool’ at the time! The costumes are fun, especially the Donnna and the Dynamites, Abba at it’s most kitsch ! The ensemble’s costumes in the hen night scene did find me occasionally wondering if I could revive some old 70’s favourites before common sense took over
But what really impressed me was the age range of people enjoying the show. Sitting next to me was an Indian lady who had brought her grandchildren, two delightful little girls (ages 6 and 8). They all loved the show and Grandma joined in with many of the songs! There were lots of children at the performance I went to and they were all very well behaved, perhaps because what was going on on stage really caught their attention. Even on a Monday night the cast were full of energy and fizz. They created a real party atmosphere and by the end of the evening everyone was on their feet singing, clapping and dancing along.a
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April 25 2010, 10:25am | Comments »
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I posted to loveneverdiesphantom.co.uk
Love Never Dies Opens in One Week
http://www.loveneverdiesphantom.co.uk/love-never-dies/love-never-dies-opens-in-one-week
Love Never Dies the new Phantom musical will open in London on Tuesday 9th March, just one week’s time. So what will the critics and press reviews make of it? Well in many ways, it doesn’t really matter because, having seen one of the early previews and loved it all, especially the score, I’m certain that the great British musical theatre going public is going to really enjoy this musical extravaganza. It’s a modern production that builds on the language of musicals and delights the eye and ear, while twisting the emotions appropriately as the plot unfolds. There were one or two effects that didn’t work quite as well as others, but from all accounts the show had already improved considerably on the first preview, and it’s now a case of tweaking a show that is ready for the world rather than implementing any big last minute redesigns. Maybe if you go and see Love Never Dies in three months time, for a summer theatre break, it will be a more mature production, perhaps with a new final ensemble or something to smooth over any slight disappointments, but the characters are set and most importantly, the music is a final piece that holds together very well. I’ll be throroughly recommending Love Never Dies as a new musical top choice choice for London theatre breaks.
Technorati Tags: extravaganza, london, london theatre, Love Never Dies, March, music, musical, musicals, phantom, score
March 2 2010, 7:38am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Theatre Breaks in London
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/theatre-breaks-in-london/
Why Theatre breaks in London Theatre breaks in London are an excellent way of having a short holiday in the capital. You can combine a show with sight-seeing and a little shopping and turn a couple of days into a real mini-break. When you are choosing your main show you need to decide whether you want to see a musical, a play or even an opera or ballet. There is lots of choice in the West End and you can be sure of finding something just right for you. Choose Your Show Many people have no clear idea of which show they want to see and are more fixed on what is available for their chosen dates. That’s a perfectly good starting point and most of the theatre breaks companies will let you search their site by date not just by show. If you are still not sure what you fancy then this is a brief guide: If you like the classics then go for Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Oliver! or Love Never Dies, which is the sequel to Phantom. If you prefer something lighter then try Mamma Mia, Hairspray or the unexpected hit of the moment Legally Blonde. Those of you who like a bit more rock in your musicals might enjoy We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys or maybe Grease. Finally if you want something a little more steamy there are Dirty Dancing and Chicago. There are usually at least twenty big shows on offer in the West End so there should be something for everyone. One Night or Two Once you have chosen your show and hotel you will often see that it is easy and very reasonably priced to add an extra night. This is a great idea if your budget can run to it as it lifts your theatre break from a quick trip into a mini-holiday . It opens lots of opportunities for other things to do in London. I’ve included a few ideas for what to do with the extra time: See more shows theatre breaks in London If you have only got a limited time in London and you are a big theatre fan you might even want to see more than one show. The best way to do this is to book your main show as part of your theatre break package, see the show on your first night and then the following morning pop down to Leicester Square and look for the official discount ticket booth. You want the official one in the middle of the square. There are others but that is where you get the best deal. They have a large digital display of all the discount tickets available for that day and if you are early enough you can often get a real bargain, especially for weekday matinees. I usually like to book a blockbuster musical as my main show and see either a comedy or a serious play on the following afternoon. Try to choose something you would happily pay full price for and then you will really feel you have got a bargain. There are often tickets for Blood Brothers or 39 Steps matinees at good prices and these are both excellent shows. Sightseeing You might want to cram in a little sightseeing in London and that can be quite hard work. London is a busy working city and quite spread out to get around on foot. Luckily there are several other ways of seeing the sites. My favorite way of seeing London is a river cruise but open top bus trips are good fun too. If you are feeling adventurous you can even try the Duck which is an amphibious truck that combines both a road and river trip. You can book bus trips, river trips and even the Duck at the same time as you book your theatre breaks package and usually get quite a good discount. Other Attractions
The Southbank including the National Theatre London’s famous street Markets Dennis Severs House 21 top attractions to add to theatre breaks in London
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January 6 2010, 4:48am | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
London Theatre Packages
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/london-theatre-packages.html
London theatre packages come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they all have one thing in common. They make delightful gifts! Choosing presents for loved ones is never easy and when it’s for a much loved Mum and Dad it can be really hard. What can you get the couple who have everything? A giant food hamper perhaps? Well, maybe, but it’s just food. Might be, dare I say it, a little dull? After all your Mum is just going to add it to that already overstocked pantry and freezer and while your Dad might enjoy the bottle of malt whisky it doesn’t really show much thought does it? London theatre packages are much more interesting and entertaining. First of all you get the fun of choosing what show you think they’ll enjoy. I’ve got some more advice about that in a minute. Then you can pick them a nice hotel, maybe throw in a pre-theatre dinner, and book their train journey as well. If there are a few of you sharing the expense you could add in an extra night and maybe one of those river cruises with dinner if it’s an extra special occasion. By now you are probably thinking this is going to cost a fortune but theatre break packages for London are really quite good value at the moment. You can get weeknight tickets for Les Miserables and one night in a 3* London hotel for under £100 at the moment. Adding an extra night only adds around £35 each! Dinner is around £15 – 20 per person. All very affordable really. And just think of the brownie points on Christmas morning! London Theatre Packages Choosing a show
So how do you choose what they’d like to see? Sometimes it is obvious and easy to just choose their favourite show. If your parents are not quite so predictable I’d start with their music collection if I were you. Here’s some tips: Lots of classical stuff, some light opera, SuBo’s new CD = Les Miserables or just possibly Phantom of the Opera. If you are feeling adventurous book for Love Never Dies so they can brag to their friends about being the first to see it! Not much after 1965, except maybe some Shawadiwadi. Your Dad goes a bit funny when anyone mentions Olivia Newton John – they are going to love either Jersey Boys or Grease! Your Dad’s rock collection is rivaled only by your Mum’s passion for Freddie Mercury – has to be We Will Rock You Your Mum knows all the words to Dancing Queen and still has all her signed photos of Bjorn. Your Dad liked the film – Mamma Mia of course
I expect you get the idea by now. You could always surprise them and choose tickets to Chicago (still the sexiest show in town) or even Dirty Dancing. They’d have a great time at either whatever their musical taste. That’s the thing really. All the shows that are on in London are worth seeing. Oh and it’s not just musicals, you can get London theatre packages to see plays, opera and even ballets! a
Related posts:London Weekend Breaks By RailFriday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and HotelWeekend Theatre Breaks in London
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December 16 2009, 2:43pm | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaksmag.co.uk
Billy Elliot London
http://theatrebreaksmag.co.uk/billy-elliot-london/
I thought I’d do a series for the magazine of my top 5 classic shows that I think everyone should see. I’m going to start with Billy Elliot and try to explain exactly why Billy Elliot (London) remains one of the best choices for theatre breaks.
Billy Elliot London Billy Elliot -London Billy Elliot the musical started in London in 2005 at the Victoria Palace Theatre. It was based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot with a book by Lee Hall (who wrote the original screen play) and music by Sir Elton John. The film was a hard act to follow. Everyone remembered Julie Walters as the ballet teacher and Gary Lewis as Billy’s coal mining father and it was tricky to see how Billy could ever become a musical. Despite any worries the show was an instant hit with both the public and the critics and it has remained so ever since. The Story of Billy and of the Miner’s Strike Billy Elliot is a young boy who develops a passion for ballet growing up in Co Durham in the early 80s at the time of the miners’ strike. It’s quite strange to see a time I vividly remember portrayed on the stage and they do play slightly with the chronology of events. You really don’t need to know the history of the miners strike to appreciate the show. Your emotions and sympathies are guided through the passage of the story and in some ways knowing too much about the real events of the time can get in the way. It is interesting to note that two of the best loved musicals on in London at the moment both have their origins in Northern working class sensibilities (Billy and Blood Brothers). Both shows focus on the warmth and humour of the North but neither shies away from some fairly grim aspects. The musical show tells the human story of Billy and his family with great compassion and clarity. I’m not going to go into the plot in great depth here as there may be some people (from Mars?) who don’t already know the story. Surfice it to say the story is moving and entertaining. The Music The music is stunning. Elton John was definitely on top form when he wrote this and it’s really hard to pick out one or two numbers to share with you. So I decided to go for this medley to give you a flavour of the show:
The Billys The role of Billy Elliot is hugely demanding of young actors. Billy has to be between 9 and 13 years old, 5′ or less, a terrific dancer and have a beautiful unbroken voice. To find one boy like that would not be easy but the role is actually shared between at least 3 or 4 Billys. This allows the boys to work within the UK legislation regarding child actors. Whilst there are several children in West End shows at the moment few carry the weight of the show in the same way that the child who plays Billy must. Typically the boys who have play Billy are aged around 12 and have usually been dancing for at least 3 years before auditioning for the show. Often they will have studied ballet, tap, jazz and comtemporany dance, competed in several competitions before they eventually audition for Billy. Auditions for the show go on continuously and successful applicants move to London live in Billy Elliot House. There they continue with their normal school studies in addition to working on their singing and dancing. Hotels for Billy Elliot Billy is not in the main area of the West End but in Victoria, near to the Apollo (Wicked). You can either decide you want to stay somewhere closer to the shops or look for a hotel that’s handy for the theatre. I’m quite fond of the area round Victoria so I’d probably opt for a hotel near the theatre if it was just overnight. There are lots of nice little places to eat, there’s St James’s Park if you fancy a walk, you are not far from the river and Tate Britain if you feel like some art. Actually the restaurant in Tate Britain is lovely for lunch, a little pricey but very pleasant! Victoria is also very convenient for public transport and at weekends buses provide a surprisingly good way of getting round the city. I’m not a huge fan of the tube and London buses do give a chance to see where you are going! My first choice would be the 4* Crown Palace London St James. It’s a lovely hotel, usually offers a full English breakfast in with the price and is handy both for the theatre and for St James’s Park. It’s less that 1/4 of a mile from the theatre and offers a bit of surprisingly affordable luxury. Keep in mind that a more central 3* hotel could end up costing more per person and often does not include a substantial English breakfast. Seats at Billy Elliot London When you book with some agencies they will give you quite a wide range of seating options. It is often the case that you get what you pay for with these deals, lowest cost seats will be further away from the action. Having said that it would be very unusual for the theatre break package companies to offer tickets with a restricted view without telling you in advance. Other agencies offer a choice of top seats ( in the stalls or dress circle) or best available seats (stalls, dress circle, or upper circle). The upper circle is know as the grand circle in the Victoria. The Victoria is an old theatre and my recommended seats are undoubtedly those in the middle of the stalls as they offer the most leg room, a good view and good value for money. So there you go, a quick guide to Billy Elliot (London), an ever popular choice for theatre breaks. You can click through to read more about Billy Elliot (London)
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December 14 2009, 7:21am | Comments »
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I posted to theatrebreaks.co
Wizard of Oz London
http://theatrebreaks.co/109/wizard-of-oz-london/
The Wizard of Oz, one of the most well known musicals ever because of the famous MGM film starring Judy Garland, is coming to London in 2010. Yes, our old friends the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow will be following the yellow brick with a Dorothy chosen by another TV casting show called “Over The Rainbow” or possibly also “The Wizard of Oz” depending who you believe. The Wizard of Oz London
December 12 2009, 2:28pm | Comments »
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I posted to usefulwiki.com
London Weekend Breaks By Rail
http://usefulwiki.com/londontheatre/london-weekend-breaks-by-rail.html
Are you looking for more information about London weekend breaks by rail? That’s actually a very good starting point because you’ve already made the best decision as far as transport goes for arriving in London. Go by train and you’ll not have to be worrying about things like car parking, how to pay the congestion charge or long motor way traffic jams holding up coach journeys. The fast inter city trains are also the quickest way to get from most UK cities into one of the central London mainline stations. London Breaks by Rail - Express Routes Weekend breaks can be for a West-end theatre show on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday night combined with a hotel stay of one night or more, including the show date. The most popular break tends to be a one-nighter including the big Saturday night out, but getting away early on a Friday makes a lot of sense too. Traveling on a Friday and Saturday gives a clear run through but Sundays can be fine for getting home too, depending on which rail line takes you back. All I’m saying is, check for regular Sunday engineering works if the service that relays between your city and London is one that may be prone to scheduled maintenance on a Sunday. Longer Weekend Breaks If your weekend break means going home on a Saturday of course, the traditional weekend has only just begun but then again I’ve noticed that for some people around here, the weekend definitely starts to ramp up on a Thursday night! London can be a very pleasant play to stay on a Sunday with less of a hurried atmosphere but still plenty of things to see and do so staying on for the whole weekend and then booking to get back on a Monday during the daytime can make for an extremely satisfying London weekend rail break, more like a mini holiday really. You could even make it a three or four night stay with the weekend theatre trip included, especially worthwhile if you have a long distance rail journey from one of the smaller rail networks that lie beyond the core inter city services. London Shows for Weekend Theatre Breaks One of the advantages with buying a theatre breaks package is that you can get good tickets for any of the more popular shows, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night. I tried to get an impulse ticket from the famous half price ticket booth the other day and after a lot of waiting around I came away without making a purchase. That was because the shows on offer didn’t include two that I was most interested in, and because the prices offered are not anything like half price at all. So supposing you’ve always wanted to grab a friend and go and see Hairspray, Dirty Dancing or Sister Act on a Saturday night but couldn’t find any available tickets except from the disreputable touts and so-called discount kiosks, well the answer is to do just a little bit of forward planning and organise a weekend break in London for just a few weeks down the line, then you can get on with life knowing there’s a fantastic treat in store for you to look forward to. London weekend breaks by rail are also perfect for really special occasions such as a big anniversary or celebration. Never mind seeing Les Miserables from the back of the upper circle, with theatre breaks packages it’s often possible to get best available seats with a competitive price guarantee, because the tour agents buy blocks of tickets way in advance and can therefore hold the best seats open for people who are booking the whole London weekend theatre package thing with the hotel stay and return rail tickets included. This is just one suggestion, but supposing you were a big fan of the Phantom of The Opera having seen it many years ago, and fancied repeating the experience in today’s West End. This gives you two possible shows for London Weekend breaks by rail because the new show with the Phantom opens in March 2010 and it’s going to be one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s biggest shows ever, called “Love Never Dies“. By booking the rail tickets well in advance in combination with London weekend breaks, (that’s the show and hotel stay), you get the full discount on the rail tickets which can mean as much as a 70% saving off the regular return saver. If it appears as if the only shows on in London are the big musicals then that’s certainly not the case. There are always a number of serious plays also on in the West end, usually for shorter runs but not always, and these are also available for London weekend breaks by rail. In 2010 there will be more Shakespeare, Pinter and Becket as well as modern American playwrights, and some comedy plays too. So you’ve decided very sensibly to opt for London weekend breaks by rail, thought about which show you’d both like to see, and maybe opted for a Friday night or Saturday theatre ticket depending which suits you best and considered the best time and day for homewards travel. All that’s left is to balance the convenience of a central London hotel with the economy of staying a little further out, but there is always a good selection of options available when booking London weekend theatre breaks. Now let me see, what else is there to worry about? a
Related posts:Theatre breaks with discount railWeekend Breaks with BasilFriday Theatre Breaks with Dinner and Hotel
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- Plays
- Dirty Dancing
- London breaks
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- Hairspray
- Phantom of the Opera
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- Sister Act
- hotel stay
- London Weekend Breaks By Rail
- Weekend Break
December 8 2009, 6:31am | Comments »