What Sophie Said

I think I enjoyed my second visit to Matilda the Musical even more than my first a few years ago. I was worried that because I loved it so much first time round I’d have built it up too much, but it was every bit as brilliant as I remembered. I also saw it from a completely different perspective this time, sitting on the third row, rather than up at the top back of the theatre. I often describe Tim Minchin as a Roald Dahl for grown-ups, and I think his input is part of what makes the show so fantastic. It feels so authentically ‘Roald Dahl’, yet adds even more layers. The musical is all about Matilda’s love of stories and storytelling and I think this is what makes it so magical. The wordplay is very clever, and the lyrics fantastic. Just listen to ‘The School Song’, preferably watching clips to see the staging, and you’ll see just how clever every moment of the show is. What I love most about the musical is the added depth, and the story of the escapologist’s d...

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...

Having missed out on seeing Ghost, the Musical when it was in London and touring, I was excited about getting the chance to see it performed by the third year Musical Theatre students of Guildford School of Arts this month. The Ivy Arts Centre at the University of Surrey boasts a lovely auditorium, and the stage was set with some industrial-looking steps at the back, and three hanging gauzes, or curtains, all of which were moved around and used as set throughout the performance. Other items, such as bankers’ desks, and the sofa and fridge in Molly and Sam’s apartment were swiftly moved on and off the stage by cast members. For a show hosting so many scenes and locations, the set design and props had been carefully thought through. As expected, the cast as a whole put on a stunning performance. The culmination of their years at the university, this musical showcased the standard of talent that will be moving forward into the industry. Choreography by Claira Vaughan allowed chor...

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...

An improvised musical sounds like it could be either brilliant or terrible. Having heard such good reports of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical , though, the intrigue peeked and I clicked to buy tickets. I of course can’t tell you about the show you’ll see, if you go, as every performance is of a brand new musical. But I hope that by relaying what happened the night I was there, you might see just what a fantastic night of entertainment it was. (One of my colleagues booked his tickets immediately after I told him about it!) Housed in a small auditorium at the Apollo, even those at the very back are only a stone’s throw from the stage, heightening the sense of inclusivity throughout the performance. Show number 640 opened with Sean McCann, ‘The Writer’ (and an excellent, charismatic narrator throughout) receiving a call from his producer demanding a new musical by 10pm. After appealing to the audience for setting suggestions, he gave us the chance to whoop and cheer to select...

  I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I took my seat at The Arts Theatre for a matinee performance of American Idiot. All I knew beforehand was that it was a musical based on the music of Green Day, and purposefully had read nothing else about it, as I like to avoid holding any preconceptions as far as possible. On entering the small auditorium, news clips were already playing on a small screen on the stage, mainly in black and white, from the aftermath of 9/11. This was loud, to the point where normal conversation was disrupted, and created a tense atmosphere even before the show began. Green Day’s American Idiot album was written at a particular moment in time, and this is what the musical serves to portray. Post-9/11, the country was changed forever, and the album attempts to sum up the ‘new’ state of America. Though I’m familiar with many Green Day songs, I hadn’t before paused to listen to this album straight through, and I know now I was really missing the mess...