55 posts
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Post by drfootlights on Apr 19, 2023 15:07:12 GMT
Autumn. Produced by Bill Kenwright.
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4,608 posts
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Post by Someone in a tree on Apr 19, 2023 15:55:25 GMT
and using the left over sets from Murder on the Nile and Whistle down the wind
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5,324 posts
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Post by mrbarnaby on Apr 19, 2023 21:00:02 GMT
All roles played by Jenny Seagrove
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4,529 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Apr 19, 2023 21:04:30 GMT
All roles played by Jenny Seagrove This made me howl
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4,603 posts
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Post by Mark on Apr 19, 2023 22:42:35 GMT
Love this show so much. Even the stripped down first tour was good.
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Post by Seriously on May 12, 2023 10:16:52 GMT
Looks like it's starting in Windsor, 30th August.
7th November: Leeds Grand 21st November: Darlington Hippodrome
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3,830 posts
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Post by anthony40 on May 12, 2023 10:21:03 GMT
Love this show so much. Even the stripped down first tour was good. Was the pun intentional?
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4,603 posts
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Post by Mark on May 12, 2023 10:24:19 GMT
Love this show so much. Even the stripped down first tour was good. Was the pun intentional? It wasn’t actually! Speaking of this show, I saw a wonderful amateur production of it last night in Chelmsford. Well worth a visit.
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3,080 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on May 12, 2023 12:24:05 GMT
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Post by oxfordsimon on May 12, 2023 13:00:13 GMT
This is very much a show of diminishing returns now.
So many amateur groups have done it over the past couple of years. Some have sold well, sone have struggled
The tour will have names, and that helps. But like Spamalot, it tends to get a smaller audience each time it revisits a theatre
It will need big names to overcome this. Too many people have seen it already and that tends to depress audience numbers
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Post by theatreprince on May 12, 2023 13:26:36 GMT
This looks like the play rather than musical, however.
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3,080 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on May 12, 2023 14:47:44 GMT
This looks like the play rather than musical, however. Well spotted. That explains it!
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4,978 posts
Member is Online
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Post by TallPaul on May 20, 2023 11:43:13 GMT
The email I received from Hull Theatres promises "a re-imagined book and new music." There's *that* word again. It's even infected the East Riding!
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270 posts
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Post by ilovewemusicals on Jun 23, 2023 13:33:14 GMT
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456 posts
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Post by theatreliker on Jun 23, 2023 13:58:59 GMT
What's the collective noun for a group of Mrs Johnstones? A Kenwright of Mrs Js?
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270 posts
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Post by ilovewemusicals on Jun 23, 2023 15:45:03 GMT
*awaits the casting of Sean Jones as the boisterous schoolboy Tommo*
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4,529 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Jun 23, 2023 17:13:01 GMT
Marti Webb as Sophie Louise Dann? I'm alright ta
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Post by hannechalk on Jun 23, 2023 17:57:47 GMT
*awaits the casting of Sean Jones as the boisterous schoolboy Tommo* I have it on good authority he's tied to Blood Brothers till end of October. 😂 Jordan Alexander is MD on Calendar Girls, and he used to be keys 2 on Blood Brothers, so it's a whole reunion.
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4,603 posts
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Post by Mark on Sept 6, 2023 11:17:15 GMT
Anyone been yet? I'm off there tonight!
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4,603 posts
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Post by Mark on Sept 7, 2023 7:38:25 GMT
Possibly one of my most disappointing nights at the theatre I’ve ever had, to the point that I was pretty angry upon leaving how they have turned this wonderful show into what I saw last night. This was/is one of my favourite shows - I saw the West End production 5 times including closing night. Enjoyed the first tour when it went out, and really enjoyed an am dram version my sister did earlier this year. What I saw last night was a shadow of what “The Girls” was that it’s almost unrecognisable.
Firstly - Tommo, Danny, Jenny (the three kids), the Mrs Wilson’s, Laurence (photographer), and Brenda (speech giver) have all been cut. Here we have a cast of 9 - the 6 girls, Marie, and then John and and Annie’s husbands.
The opening number bears hardly any resemblance to “Yorkshire” Who wants a silent night - cut Of course with the characters gone, Protect me less and Girls are cut (including the ever funny Jaws/never see all of the shark line).
Did the performers make up for it? Well, no. I just felt zero warmth from anyone. And the vocals left an awful lot to be desired. Even the calendar scene only triggered light chuckles and applause from the audience. A real let down.
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10 posts
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Post by theatrecatlady on Sept 7, 2023 10:45:09 GMT
Possibly one of my most disappointing nights at the theatre I’ve ever had, to the point that I was pretty angry upon leaving how they have turned this wonderful show into what I saw last night. This was/is one of my favourite shows - I saw the West End production 5 times including closing night. Enjoyed the first tour when it went out, and really enjoyed an am dram version my sister did earlier this year. What I saw last night was a shadow of what “The Girls” was that it’s almost unrecognisable. Firstly - Tommo, Danny, Jenny (the three kids), the Mrs Wilson’s, Laurence (photographer), and Brenda (speech giver) have all been cut. Here we have a cast of 9 - the 6 girls, Marie, and then John and and Annie’s husbands. The opening number bears hardly any resemblance to “Yorkshire” Who wants a silent night - cut Of course with the characters gone, Protect me less and Girls are cut (including the ever funny Jaws/never see all of the shark line). Did the performers make up for it? Well, no. I just felt zero warmth from anyone. And the vocals left an awful lot to be desired. Even the calendar scene only triggered light chuckles and applause from the audience. A real let down. Gosh...that sounds terrible...the West End production was such a beautiful show...this sounds like a travesty... How on earth did the show work without Laurence (the photographer)?
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4,603 posts
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Post by Mark on Sept 7, 2023 10:54:21 GMT
Chris’s husband is now the photographer.
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895 posts
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Post by BVM on Sept 7, 2023 11:09:47 GMT
Possibly one of my most disappointing nights at the theatre I’ve ever had, to the point that I was pretty angry upon leaving how they have turned this wonderful show into what I saw last night. This was/is one of my favourite shows - I saw the West End production 5 times including closing night. Enjoyed the first tour when it went out, and really enjoyed an am dram version my sister did earlier this year. What I saw last night was a shadow of what “The Girls” was that it’s almost unrecognisable. Firstly - Tommo, Danny, Jenny (the three kids), the Mrs Wilson’s, Laurence (photographer), and Brenda (speech giver) have all been cut. Here we have a cast of 9 - the 6 girls, Marie, and then John and and Annie’s husbands. The opening number bears hardly any resemblance to “Yorkshire” Who wants a silent night - cut Of course with the characters gone, Protect me less and Girls are cut (including the ever funny Jaws/never see all of the shark line). Did the performers make up for it? Well, no. I just felt zero warmth from anyone. And the vocals left an awful lot to be desired. Even the calendar scene only triggered light chuckles and applause from the audience. A real let down. Sad to say it, but this all sounds typical Kenwright. Absolutely loved the original run at The Lowry and then the pretty much identical West End version. The first main tour I found very basic, set wise etc, but the warmth and message of the piece still came through. This sounds awful. As a more general point does make me sad how there are so many musicals that end up doing tours that just get cheaper and cheaper with every incarnation.
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3,111 posts
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Post by david on Sept 7, 2023 11:39:02 GMT
Thanks for the post Mark. I was going to book for Liverpool, but will give it a miss if this version is a really diluted version of the first tour.
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3,940 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Sept 7, 2023 19:57:45 GMT
Who wants a silent night - cut I'm surprised about that. It's the only song I found memorable from the West End production.
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22 posts
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Post by tlyon4784 on Sept 7, 2023 20:07:43 GMT
Possibly one of my most disappointing nights at the theatre I’ve ever had, to the point that I was pretty angry upon leaving how they have turned this wonderful show into what I saw last night. This was/is one of my favourite shows - I saw the West End production 5 times including closing night. Enjoyed the first tour when it went out, and really enjoyed an am dram version my sister did earlier this year. What I saw last night was a shadow of what “The Girls” was that it’s almost unrecognisable. Firstly - Tommo, Danny, Jenny (the three kids), the Mrs Wilson’s, Laurence (photographer), and Brenda (speech giver) have all been cut. Here we have a cast of 9 - the 6 girls, Marie, and then John and and Annie’s husbands. The opening number bears hardly any resemblance to “Yorkshire” Who wants a silent night - cut Of course with the characters gone, Protect me less and Girls are cut (including the ever funny Jaws/never see all of the shark line). Did the performers make up for it? Well, no. I just felt zero warmth from anyone. And the vocals left an awful lot to be desired. Even the calendar scene only triggered light chuckles and applause from the audience. A real let down. This show was my favourite piece since I saw it in Leeds to Salford and its West End run. I lost count to how many times I saw it and I still support the cast in other shows. I can’t believe they’ve ruined this beautiful show. Gutted 😢
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2023 20:39:27 GMT
Really wish I read the reviews before I booked for Salford in the presale this morning - at least I got 2-4-1 so not splashing out too much for a cut down show.
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853 posts
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Post by longinthetooth on Sept 7, 2023 21:07:47 GMT
This was one of my favourite shows too. So glad I stuck with the memory and didn't book for this version.
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3,080 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Sept 8, 2023 12:12:57 GMT
I nipped to Windsor to see this yesterday. Such a pleasant place to walk around, especially in the summer, although I'm always shocked how early the shops close for a tourist destination.
My feeling is it's best to think of this as an entirely new musical (with a new name) which just happens to share some songs, characters and ideas from a previous musical.
As such, I found it quite enjoyable, and I have to say how nice it is that Bill Kenwright has found work for so many of the leads who have added to his Blood Brothers fortunes. It's also impressive how the production has been reworked so this could slot straight into The Other Palace if a vacancy there becomes available.
As others have said, this is performed by a cast of seven women and two men (there are also four understudies who appear in the background for a minute or two). For those people who dislike children on stage, you'll be pleased to know that those elements have been removed, although children are mentioned verbally in passing. The leads are all serviceable. Levels of singing proficiency and comedic acting ability vary. Everything is performed in an outer shell representing the village hall, with the main props being folding chairs, bowls of fruit, sticky buns and the like. Occasionally, external scenes are played at the front of the stage, for example with a motorway sign descending (and the chairs reused) to suggest that the women are in a car.
I do think that the final photoshoot scene was done well.
Now, I only saw the previous production once, so I don't remember all of the details, but this is clearly very scaled back. It may be essential to give this a future life, but nothing really got the audience to react with anything more than polite applause. I quite enjoyed the evening, but I also saw the show with a heavily discounted ticket (with a clear view in the rear Stalls). I don't feel the need to see this again on tour, but I suspect this will sell well based on name value and that many will enjoy it, particularly if they didn't see the previous version of the musical.
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Post by hannechalk on Oct 11, 2023 19:28:04 GMT
I went to see it in Liverpool last night and really enjoyed it!
Lyn Paul was off, so I'm going again on Saturday hoping to catch her.
And otherwise I'll have a good time watching the very animated Jordan Alexander as MD, as I'll be sat just behind him.
I didn't see the last production, so I can't compare.
It wasn't a sell out at the Empire, but everyone seemed to enjoy it!
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