Then, Now & Next - Southwark Playhouse

Thanks for that info, I've not seen her on the stage in years and she is one of my favourites.
What dates is she doing? Sorry I'm being lazy as I could look it up.

I was listening to the Jon Robyns episode of the Musicals Magazine Podcast that was released yesterday, and was reminded about this. It sounds interesting so may book. The track they have released is certainly nice:

She’s a successful jobbing MT actress. Depends what you think a big deal is.

I wish we saw Julie in more things. Her Claire in Ordinary days really gave me my love of that show.

Saw the matinee and liked it. It's hampered by the passivity of the lead character and massively lifted by a slew of comic cameo roles all played by Tori Allen-Martin.

Some spoilers follow. . .

This is about "then," when Alice Fearn's character was 30 and in love with the dynamic, book-reading adventurer, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, "now," when she's 40, and has a kid with magic-loving film-geek, Peter Hannah, who she compares unfavourably with her former love, and "next," which is about whether she'll allow the poor desperate fellow to marry her. . .

The problem with the book is that while the men are well-defined and have active intentions, the lead character is almost wholly passive and reactive and defining herself in relation to the men (the Bechdel test is probably crying in a corner somewhere).

To be fair, the lead character, Alex, has reasons to be morose, and hence reactive and passive, but it doesn't make for dynamic storytelling.

Luckily for the audience, Tori Allen-Martin is an absolute hoot in a bunch of cameo roles, all of which are graced with a bulldozer-like agency that Alex lacks. Allen-Martin is a terrific comic performer, who could enliven any West End show with her ability to milk larger-than-life comic antics for maximum laughs.

As the adventurous love of Alex's youth, Joaquin Pedro Valdes lights up the stage, and sings up a storm. Peter Hannah's movie-quoting doormat succeeds in generating audience empathy.

Condemned to be mostly wistful and mournful, Alex Fearn succeeds in emoting and singing accordingly, but the audience is left wishing that her character was given more human characteristics and agency. The songs are functional in this respect.

For me, it is the comic antics of Tori Allen-Martin that lifts this from 3 to 3 and a half stars, lifting the passive monotone of misery that otherwise threatens to engulf the whole production.

PS: I am left wondering if the amazing comic actress, Julie Atherton, could inject some of her own dynamism into the lead when she plays the part, endowing Alex with an agency that isn't in the book.

When Press Night is on a Tuesday, and the matinee is a kind of dress rehearsal, it's usually ram-packed, including some critics seeing the show early.

I assume tonight is not press night, as only the front facing seats were fully sold today, and the sides were sparse.

I kind of enjoyed this but felt so terribly frustrated that Alice was never given the opportunity to "let go" - either in performance or vocally. I don't think she's been very well directed. Had no trouble following the non-linear narrative but felt the various cameos verged on the caricature. Band sounded great though.

Cancelled tonight!

No sorry, it was my dad who was booked for it.

Todays performances have both disappeared from the website so can only assume they are cancelled also.

Correct. Notified at 10.25.

I requested a transfer to an evening performance in a couple of weeks time and got the new ticket immediately.

Julie is performing again tonight - my dad was rebooked in from Tuesday. Naturally I’m joining now. I love Alice but I can’t pass on the opportunity to see Julie in a musical again.