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...

Finally, my dreams of seeing Miss Saigon on stage have become a reality. Having adored the music for years, and sung my heart out to song after song whilst growing up, my expectations were high and my excitement was through the roof. Luckily, the current West End production of Miss Saigon does not disappoint. The Prince Edward Theatre is beautiful, and no expense had been spared on the set. The steps, buildings, fencing and even a helicopter were skillfully moved around the stage, and visually the performance was a treat. I have to start by talking about Eva Noblezada, who played the most stunning version of Kim my childhood dreams could have imagined. There has been a lot of buzz around her in the role, and I can see why. Her voice was truly spectacular, with the beautiful essence of someone who appears like every note is effortless. Her huge songs were phenomenal, but never pushed too far, never a note was strained for, and never did show-stopping notes become ‘shou...