What Sophie Said

How do you revive a classic musical with wit, flair and a feeling of originality? Just ask the creative team of Funny Girl, at the Savoy Theatre. I was blown away. Funny Girl was a show I knew little about, which makes a pleasant change for me as I know most musicals I see inside out before I take my seat. All I knew was the iconic 'Don't Rain on my Parade' - nothing else of the story, the songs or the themes. I went expecting a fantastic show, but was unprepared for just how much I would fall in love with Fanny Brice and her story. I've tried to play it cool and not launch in with my praise for Natasha J Barnes but my goodness, what a star. Effortlessly funny, likeable, charming and with one of the best voices I've heard in a long time, I couldn't imagine a more perfect role for her. I was with her every second, every sideways glance to the audience, every stunning note, every happiness and every heartbreak. In 'Don't Rain on my Parade...

Gypsy has been a musical I’ve wanted to see for years, but has never quite been top of my long list of things I want to see. Until I saw Imelda Staunton was taking on the lead. And then the even better news came: BBC4 would be broadcasting the show live from the Savoy Theatre over Christmas. It offered the perfect opportunity to see the show without having to justify to myself the ticket prices, and is something I’m so pleased they decided to do. To be able to see the production on stage as it’s done at the theatre, with audience in situ, but with camerawork allowing close-ups of the actors, was a fantastic chance and one I really enjoyed. I knew very little about the show, except for a single song, ‘Some People’, which I had performed in a show aged about 13. Gypsy, the musical, tells the story of burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee, but is really the story of her mother, Rose. Focusing on ‘Gypsy’s’ (originally named Louise) childhood for the first part of the show, Ros...