What Sophie Said

I’m a theatre-lover, especially when it comes to musicals. One outcome of that is that I regularly get asked by friends and family for recommendations, and what my favourites are. I think I’ve now done it. I’ve come up with my top five. Well, I was aiming for five and ended up with five plus two 'special mentions', but that’s close enough. Three are, in fact, shows which I only saw for the first time within the past six months, which quickly cemented their place in my favourites. These aren’t in any particular order as ranking them is too hard, but here is my list: Wicked Of course. I love, love, love this show. This potentially wins out in my favourite soundtrack award, and I just love the story. It’s an intricate storyline and so cleverly tells the prequel of The Wizard of Oz. I went with my mum when it first came to London. I went with my friend Rosie and her housemate back in April, and I went in Manchester when it was on tour with my dad only a month or so...

A month or so ago, my parents came to visit London and we wanted to see a show. I quickly suggested Memphis, having been tempted by all the posters dotted around the Underground, and we weren’t disappointed. The show opens as it means to go on, with a radio DJ welcoming us into the lively Downtown, at Delray’s club. Cue shock as Huey (Matt Cardle), a white man, enters this club on ‘the dark side of town’, soon winning over their trust singing about his love for ‘the music of my soul’ – what was, at the time, referred to as ‘race music’. Set in Memphis in the 1950s, the show is set against a backdrop of extreme racial tension, challenged by the growing relationship between Felicia, a promising young singer, and Huey, an aspiring radio DJ. What follows is a beautiful story both of a fight against racism, a love story, and a story of family loyalty, all taking place among the vibrant Memphis music scene. The music of this show is simply stunning. I’ve listened to the so...