I went to see 101 Dalmatians The Musical at the New Wimbledon Theatre.
Usually these Disney theatre productions are big, fancy affairs; fun for the whole family. This one, however, was very much aimed at the little kiddies, and often felt more like a pantomime than a production backed by the mammoth that is the Walt Disney Company. The songs weren’t particularly memorable, but the actors were fine. I dunno. I’m open-minded, and try and go see everything, but that can often result in a waste of time! Haha. It was alright I guess, especially as I’ve never seen the animated movie it’s based on, and probably never will now either!
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I went to The Other Palace theatre to see a performance of Songs For Slutty Girls.
Living in London, we’re spoiled by having the best theatre scene in the world! So I go every opportunity I get. I love it, and my favourite type of theatre at the moment is Musicals. That said, I do still have standards! Unlike the characters portrayed in this show! To be honest, I’m writing this in January 2025, and I don’t remember much about this show, other than feeling that yet another celebration of promiscuity was tiresome. Also, the songs weren’t great, and the humour was flat. Still, anytime someone takes a risk to stage a show, you have to applaud the effort, and seeing a bad show is often more rewarding than going to see a bad film. The connection with performers when they’re in front of your very eyes is very real. However! It wasn’t for me (or intended for me either!). I went to see Machinal, the highly acclaimed play (somewhat) based on true events.
At the end, most of the audience stood to applaud: I wasn't one of them. The play was fine, most of the actors were fine, it just didn't resonate with me. Plays these days are such downers, and this is one of them; whilst there are some good actors on display, I personally felt like the lead wasn't one of them. She overacted her way to a standing ovation, and fair play to her for doing so. My experience is that those who suffer most, tend to be the most silent, whereas this show took the opposite approach. Also, it would be interesting to see if an audience would be half as sympathetic to the protagonist if the roles were reversed between her and her husband? I can guarantee there would be no standing ovation in that instance! Still, if you don't mind being bummed out after a trip to the theatre, give it a gander. Me? I think I’ll stick to Musicals! I love musicals! Most musicals portray characters that are outsiders, who yearn for more.. In that sense, this show is no different; but that's also the reason why I enjoyed it so much!
I'm a perpetual outsider, and yearning seems to be my default setting! The story concerns a young man that leaves his home in the US, and travels to Europe in search of himself, and to become the consummate (music) artist. We've all been there right? Except most of us never actually leave; which is why shows like this offer that vicarious sense of adventure that we crave! I eagerly anticipated the finale, hoping I might learn some profound wisdom.. but life isn't like that. There often isn't anything profound to be learned at the end, except that we should have enjoyed the journey more and just did whatever we wanted to do! The songs are decent; you probably won't google them on your way home, but they do the job. Overall, it's definitely worth a watch! |
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A chronicle of films, shows, and theatre I've seen, as well as books I've read, and talks I may have attended. ArchivesCategories |