544 posts
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Post by amp09 on Sept 15, 2021 17:17:26 GMT
Thanks guys! Helps a lot! I did not know about the Disney Day Seats. That sounds perfect for me! Is it like a lottery with a high chance not to get one? Or do they release all seats left for that day? I think (if I get a chance to pick) to not opt for a box seat then. I do want to try to get the best view possible haha. I got my seat instantly at 10am this morning. I don’t think it’s very popular at the moment as most people don’t know about it unlike TodayTix Rush tickets. It did then say ‘sold out’ but I kept checking in out of interest and it would offer more seats every 20 minutes or so, so best to keep checking until they release more. I guess it depends on what is remaining for the performance you want. Luck of the draw on these things. Always good to have a back up. I’ve managed to see everything I’ve wanted to see at some point through the various offers and haven’t paid full price for anything since theatre returned.
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Post by andrew07 on Sept 15, 2021 18:39:57 GMT
Evening all, bit of a newbie question. taking my two daughters to this at the same time as taking in the wider sights of London. I have never been to Drury lane and i'm a relative novice when it comes to theatres overall. The question i have is what seats for children are best (obvious variables like height). they're 7 and 6. im comfortable paying for better seats. Was thinking the Royal Circle but welcome any suggestions to the contrary.
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Post by danb on Sept 15, 2021 19:26:29 GMT
They have many many booster seats available. I would choose a tiered area rather than the stalls for the best view for them, although the grand circle isn’t too shabby either for a whole picture. Enjoy.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2021 19:28:34 GMT
Evening all, bit of a newbie question. taking my two daughters to this at the same time as taking in the wider sights of London. I have never been to Drury lane and i'm a relative novice when it comes to theatres overall. The question i have is what seats for children are best (obvious variables like height). they're 7 and 6. im comfortable paying for better seats. Was thinking the Royal Circle but welcome any suggestions to the contrary. I cant speak for the Royal Circle, but in the Stalls, ushers were handing out booster seats to anyone who might want or need them. I was sat in Row P and the view and sound were excellent from there (without a booster seat!)
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7,570 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 15, 2021 19:37:35 GMT
Agree about the booster seats. They have loads of them for the kids. When I went loads of kids in the stalls and they all seemed to be able to see with no problems.
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3,100 posts
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Post by david on Sept 15, 2021 19:51:54 GMT
Booked a ticket for next month in the Royal Circle a few days ago.Nice and easy except it’s for the wrong Sunday matinee! ☹️Tried the customer service number on the website to try and get it changed. Unfortunately no one seems to be answering the phones and I get stuck listening to the music. Has anyone managed to get through to the customer service team? I’ve sent emails but no joy. It’s probably going to be a case of keep trying via phone as I won’t be in London beforehand to get to the box office.
If nothing else, it’s taught me always check the booking details before pressing the buy button!
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7,570 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 15, 2021 20:26:20 GMT
Booked a ticket for next month in the Royal Circle a few days ago.Nice and easy except it’s for the wrong Sunday matinee! ☹️Tried the customer service number on the website to try and get it changed. Unfortunately no one seems to be answering the phones and I get stuck listening to the music. Has anyone managed to get through to the customer service team? I’ve sent emails but no joy. It’s probably going to be a case of keep trying via phone as I won’t be in London beforehand to get to the box office. If nothing else, it’s taught me always check the booking details before pressing the buy button! LW Theatre customer services are not good at replying to e mails. I've been contacting them for a few months now about a couple of things and apart from automated replies saying how busy they are I've had no response from an actual person. I don't think they are contactable by phone either at the moment.
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Post by danb on Sept 15, 2021 20:40:46 GMT
Email LW theatres. I have been really impressed with their fantastic customer service recently.
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264 posts
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Post by squidward on Sept 16, 2021 0:35:30 GMT
Well, this is a tricky one to review. Many things to like about it, but as per the movie, the story/book is still weak. Act one really took a while to get going. The little Elsa and Ana were great, but for me, the show didn’t really kick into gear until ‘Love is an open door’.
Surprisingly given Robert Lopez’s hit rate with his other musicals, this one has very few memorable tunes in addition to the well known ones.
The cast were uniformly excellent and whoever played the Reindeer did a fantastic job of really bringing it to life.
‘
Hygge’, the opening song to Act 2 didn’t work for me at all. It felt totally random/ unfunny and I think ‘Fixer Upper’ would have made a much better act opener.
Once the mob were on the hunt for Elsa, it had an distinct similarity to Wicked and thinking about it, the whole show does really.
I would like to have seen some more inventive choreography, especially from the ensemble. That aspect felt very bland to me.
All that said, I did enjoy the show but I didn’t love it. We had a constant buzz of children talking throughout and I even saw a woman with a babe in arms. Hard to work out why anybody would want to do that.
I’m certain the show will do well and it definitely leaves you with a feelgood ,warm hearted skip in your step when you leave, but with all the sparkly effects et al, it just didn’t have the magic I was hoping for sadly.
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Post by thebroadwayboy on Sept 16, 2021 2:53:13 GMT
I was reading a Facebook thread started by a man who wanted advice on whether he should take his 3 year old to the show. I would have thought if you even have to ask that question the answer is probably “no”, especially when the theatre’s guidance is 6+ but that’s not enough it seems. So several people responded to say no, she’s too young. However an equal number if not more were full of advice and suggested compromises to allow this to happen. “my granddaughter saw Les Mis at 2 and was fine, shes been a MT fan ever since” ”mine can sit through both films at home without a sound” ”tell her before what’s going to happen and that it’s dark and no talking” ”have a back up strategy so you can get out of your seats and into the aisle easily for her to stretch and move”. As a result of these people telling him exactly what he wanted to hear the chap has decided to ignore all of the very sensible advice to the contrary and take her. Bear in mind that the child has never even sat through a film in a cinema yet “because of covid”. I suppose I can try to get my head around how as a parent you want to do your absolute best for your children and to make them the happiest they can be. But really? Will a 3 year old even appreciate what they’re seeing and what are the odds that she will understandably get bored/tired/hungry or frightened and cause disruption to others and a load of stress to her dad. I don’t get it 😕 Because everyone is different
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3,100 posts
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Post by david on Sept 16, 2021 10:24:08 GMT
Booked a ticket for next month in the Royal Circle a few days ago.Nice and easy except it’s for the wrong Sunday matinee! ☹️Tried the customer service number on the website to try and get it changed. Unfortunately no one seems to be answering the phones and I get stuck listening to the music. Has anyone managed to get through to the customer service team? I’ve sent emails but no joy. It’s probably going to be a case of keep trying via phone as I won’t be in London beforehand to get to the box office. If nothing else, it’s taught me always check the booking details before pressing the buy button! danb Thanks for the contact info. All sorted now with the correct date. It is much appreciated.
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Post by danb on Sept 16, 2021 10:27:52 GMT
Booked a ticket for next month in the Royal Circle a few days ago.Nice and easy except it’s for the wrong Sunday matinee! ☹️Tried the customer service number on the website to try and get it changed. Unfortunately no one seems to be answering the phones and I get stuck listening to the music. Has anyone managed to get through to the customer service team? I’ve sent emails but no joy. It’s probably going to be a case of keep trying via phone as I won’t be in London beforehand to get to the box office. If nothing else, it’s taught me always check the booking details before pressing the buy button! danb Thanks for the contact info. All sorted now with the correct date. It is much appreciated. You’re very welcome. Enjoy it!
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4,973 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 16, 2021 10:53:04 GMT
Try and concentrate in future, david. It's up there ⬆️ for thinking, and down there ⬇️ for dancing 🕺. 🙂
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18,893 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 16, 2021 16:05:10 GMT
I’m afraid it’s a generous ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a healthy dose of “meh” from me. Literally nowt happens for the first 40 minutes, the lighting is dark and the colours very muted. I know the castle is supposed to be dark and gloomy but this is Disney, I want it to pop off the stage. That happens when Let It Go kicks in and the icy scenes are much better but sorry i didn’t think they lived up to the hype in this very thread and whilst pretty I wasn’t blown away. As for the bridge, it didn’t do anything and the actors didn’t do anything on it. It was…a bridge. The leads are fine, this is the first time I’ve really appreciated Sam Barks’ voice because it’s flawless throughout. I still don’t think she’s a great actor from the few things I’ve seen her in. I’ve never found her to be particularly warm or engaging and it’s the same here but it fits with the part so good luck to her.
I liked the choreography and found it reminiscent Prince of Egypt in many respects. Speaking of which, if you want to see an animated movie musical on stage, for me PoE knocks Frozen into a cocked hat.
ETA : the audience…. No comment.
ETA 2 : Best bit = Hygge
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524 posts
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Post by vabbian on Sept 16, 2021 16:12:00 GMT
2 stars
Like the other Disney musicals in the west end, it's intended for children - so know what to expect. Be prepared for constant talking from the audience (children) for the whole show.
Sam's voice was great The set for the castle was great Got a day seat for £20 (meant to be £125), so that was also great
Other than that - very low brow & forgettable
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Post by aingidh on Sept 17, 2021 17:54:12 GMT
I saw it last night and loved every minute of it. The West End version is by the far the superior, the grandeur of Drury Lane suits the show so well and the special effects felt genuinely magical to me. Sam and Steph made a fantastic leading duo and the cast overall were strong. So much energy from the ensemble.
I feared the worst audience-wise due to it being a family-oriented show and had a lot of kids around me, but they all behaved immaculately and were immersed in the production. Lots of applause in all the right places - Let It Go dress reveal, certain moments with projections, and Sven’s entrance. The first few bars of Let It Go got some excited gasps from most of the audience which really warmed my heart. Makes me so happy seeing kids get excited for theatre at a young age.
Sat in the front row of the grand circle on the King’s side. View was fantastic for the price (£30), could see most of the stage and it definitely helps being higher up as you can fully appreciate the spectacle of it.
Will definitely be back! The escapism this show provides is just fantastic
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360 posts
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Post by thebroadwayboy on Sept 18, 2021 9:33:54 GMT
Something is I hate from the yt clips. Is that why are the costumes direct copies from the film. I have seen clips of beauty and the beast and that was different from the film? the lion king's were very unique and authentic , mary poppins were great, aladdin's were excellent . so why the copy?
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Post by fiyerorocher on Sept 18, 2021 10:14:52 GMT
Something is I hate from the yt clips. Is that why are the costumes direct copies from the film. I have seen clips of beauty and the beast and that was different from the film? the lion king's were very unique and authentic , mary poppins were great, aladdin's were excellent . so why the copy? They look similar so the audience - especially the kids - can recognise the characters instantly, I presume. But they're fantastic costumes - so detailed and truly a testament to the skills of the people who translated them from animation to reality. And there are also some changes. Elsa's jumpsuit in particular is amazing!!
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360 posts
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Post by thebroadwayboy on Sept 18, 2021 11:35:41 GMT
yes but lion king, aladdin, even mary poppins and beauty were all different to the films
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Post by fiyerorocher on Sept 18, 2021 11:39:17 GMT
yes but lion king, aladdin, even mary poppins and beauty were all different to the films They all keep the iconic, recognisable looks. Belle always has her yellow dress, for example. It's a balance of having the characters be identifiable for the audience and really making the costumes shine on stage in a way they just can't in animation. Frozen does a fantastic job, imo. There are obviously going to be changes because animation doesn't have to comply with costume budgets or the laws of physics or reality. Lions and genies have to be translated to stage in a way other that copy and paste.
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1,296 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 18, 2021 11:40:37 GMT
In attempting to salvage a night out in the West End, without wasting hotel and train costs following the very late cancellation of Back to the Future, we found ourselves hunting for a replacement show. We haven't seen &Juliet, but that pretentious ampersand and the marketing made us fairly confident this was one for the Hamilton crowd and we still have painful memories of our trip to that. Not ready to do a repeat viewing of something already seen, that left just one other option. And so we found ourselves last night in front row stalls seats at Frozen, just to the left of the conductor. The stage floor is in a horizontal plane rather than the usual gentle slope forwards. The front row is slightly below stage height: if you raise yourself up about three inches, you can see everything. (I'm 5'8".) For that reason, I thought this row should have been in the £79.50 price band rather than the £89.50 we paid. I couldn't work out who this show is for. The attention of most of the kids around us was lost after half an hour, and they fidgeted and looked tired and bored. One precious little thing in the centre of row C made a nuisance of herself throughout thanks to an ineffectual mother/guardian. Teenagers would regard the show as completely un-sick or whatever the current yoof vernacular is. And there's insufficient wit and charm to captivate adults. But there is spectacle. And in bucketloads. In fact, the Act 1 finale, blink-and-you-miss-it, quick change, is so good it was almost worth the price of admission just to see that. Almost. There is just one nod to traditional Broadway theatre song and dance by way of Hygge, early in Act 2. This was the musical highlight for me. The rest of the score was largely forgettable, save for the hit from the film, which I've never been fond of. The realisation of the reindeer is quite magical, but pity the performer inside, and there is some delightfully realised stage craft. The sound design and fidelity is adequate but way below the new benchmark set by Cinderella. By contrast, the lighting and effects here are stunning. Hygge establishes that we're set in Denmark, or some fairy tale equivalent, so the decision to have characters speak with an American accent seemed bizarre and unnecessary. This doesn't fully explain why Anna is pronounced "Ahr'nah" and Hans "Hons", both of which I found particularly grating. Another issue is that Hans has a personality transplant, from dewy-eyed, lovelorn, geeky, young man, to cunning, arch villain, that stretches all credulity. In conclusion, five stars for the rather wonderful renovated Drury Lane, but three stars for this show. Act 1: 19:03-20:03 Act 2: 20:26-21:15
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7,570 posts
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Post by alece10 on Sept 18, 2021 11:46:38 GMT
In attempting to salvage a night out in the West End, without wasting hotel and train costs following the very late cancellation of Back to the Future, we found ourselves hunting for a replacement show. We haven't seen &Juliet, but that pretentious ampersand and the marketing made us fairly confident this was one for the Hamilton crowd and we still have painful memories of our trip to that. Not ready to do a repeat viewing of something already seen, that left just one other option. And so we found ourselves last night in front row stalls seats at Frozen, just to the left of the conductor. The stage floor is in a horizontal plane rather than the usual gentle slope forwards. The front row is slightly below stage height: if you raise yourself up about three inches, you can see everything. (I'm 5'8".) For that reason, I thought this row should have been in the £79.50 price band rather than the £89.50 we paid. I couldn't work out who this show is for. The attention of most of the kids around us was lost after half an hour, and they fidgeted and looked tired and bored. One precious little thing in the centre of row C made a nuisance of herself throughout thanks to an ineffectual mother/guardian. Teenagers would regard the show as completely un-sick or whatever the current yoof vernacular is. And there's insufficient wit and charm to captivate adults. But there is spectacle. And in bucketloads. In fact, the Act 1 finale, blink-and-you-miss-it, quick change, is so good it was almost worth the price of admission just to see that. Almost. There is just one nod to traditional Broadway theatre song and dance by way of Hygge, early in Act 2. This was the musical highlight for me. The rest of the score was largely forgettable, save for the hit from the film, which I've never been fond of. The realisation of the reindeer is quite magical, but pity the performer inside, and there is some delightfully realised stage magic. The sound design and fidelity is adequate but way below the new benchmark set by Cinderella. By contrast, the lighting and effects here are stunning. Hygge establishes that we're set in Denmark, or some fairy tale equivalent, so the decision to have characters speak with an American accent seemed bizarre and unnecessary. This doesn't fully explain why Anna is pronounced "Ahr'nah" and Hans "Hons", both of which I found particularly grating. Another issue is that Hans has a personality transplant, from dewy-eyed, lovelorn, geeky, young man, to cunning, arch villain, that stretches all credulity. In conclusion, five stars for the rather wonderful renovated Drury Lane, but three stars for this show. Act 1: 19:03-20:03 Act 2: 20:26-21:15 You should have asked for a booster seat 😀
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4,973 posts
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 18, 2021 11:51:09 GMT
Or gone to &Juliet, even with its pretentious ampersand!
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18,893 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 18, 2021 11:54:09 GMT
Or gone to &Juliet, even with its pretentious ampersand! Except that it doesn’t open until next week 😀
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1,296 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 18, 2021 12:11:31 GMT
Or gone to &Juliet, even with its pretentious ampersand! Except that it doesn’t open until next week 😀 Interesting. I filtered by today's date in TodayTix, and &Juliet was listed first! Also of note for Frozen, the pre-show no phones/recording auditorium announcement included a polite and very clear request to wear masks to protect staff and cast, and was ignored by 95%.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2021 13:23:05 GMT
In attempting to salvage a night out in the West End, without wasting hotel and train costs following the very late cancellation of Back to the Future, we found ourselves hunting for a replacement show. We haven't seen &Juliet, but that pretentious ampersand and the marketing made us fairly confident this was one for the Hamilton crowd and we still have painful memories of our trip to that. Not ready to do a repeat viewing of something already seen, that left just one other option. And so we found ourselves last night in front row stalls seats at Frozen, just to the left of the conductor. The stage floor is in a horizontal plane rather than the usual gentle slope forwards. The front row is slightly below stage height: if you raise yourself up about three inches, you can see everything. (I'm 5'8".) For that reason, I thought this row should have been in the £79.50 price band rather than the £89.50 we paid. I couldn't work out who this show is for. The attention of most of the kids around us was lost after half an hour, and they fidgeted and looked tired and bored. One precious little thing in the centre of row C made a nuisance of herself throughout thanks to an ineffectual mother/guardian. Teenagers would regard the show as completely un-sick or whatever the current yoof vernacular is. And there's insufficient wit and charm to captivate adults. But there is spectacle. And in bucketloads. In fact, the Act 1 finale, blink-and-you-miss-it, quick change, is so good it was almost worth the price of admission just to see that. Almost. There is just one nod to traditional Broadway theatre song and dance by way of Hygge, early in Act 2. This was the musical highlight for me. The rest of the score was largely forgettable, save for the hit from the film, which I've never been fond of. The realisation of the reindeer is quite magical, but pity the performer inside, and there is some delightfully realised stage craft. The sound design and fidelity is adequate but way below the new benchmark set by Cinderella. By contrast, the lighting and effects here are stunning. Hygge establishes that we're set in Denmark, or some fairy tale equivalent, so the decision to have characters speak with an American accent seemed bizarre and unnecessary. This doesn't fully explain why Anna is pronounced "Ahr'nah" and Hans "Hons", both of which I found particularly grating. Another issue is that Hans has a personality transplant, from dewy-eyed, lovelorn, geeky, young man, to cunning, arch villain, that stretches all credulity. In conclusion, five stars for the rather wonderful renovated Drury Lane, but three stars for this show. Act 1: 19:03-20:03 Act 2: 20:26-21:15 *Norway
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1,296 posts
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Post by mkb on Sept 18, 2021 13:30:06 GMT
Apologies. You're right. Norwegian too it seems. I only knew of hygge through Sandi Toksvig.
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211 posts
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Post by sprampster on Sept 19, 2021 8:51:10 GMT
Saw this last night spectacular production that sits really well in the gorgeous refurbished theatre Pre show wandering around felt like a proper theatrical event
Couple of things we were row C Royal circle 37 38 and stage right portals were all completely masked didn’t bother us but quite surprised as seats were not too far to side
Secondly Samantha Barks seemed a little tired vocally and physically looked very thin just hope she is taking care of herself and they Disney are looking after her
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120 posts
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Post by eliza on Sept 20, 2021 21:00:23 GMT
I saw this on Sunday and feel very mixed about it! Adored Samantha Barks' voice and I liked the sets although they weren't quite as spectacular as I expected. It mostly seemed to be lighting effects. I remembered the sets and costumes in Aladdin being incredible so was expecting something more like that and was a bit disappointed.
Audience was awful. I could let the constantly talking children off because they're young and I understand! But the two women next to us loudly sang along to Let It Go very badly which was frustrating. And a woman behind us started loudly pantomime booing Hans on two separate occasions which set all the kids off joining in. Plus saw people round me texting loads. I can't let the adults off!
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2,379 posts
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 20, 2021 21:17:34 GMT
Samantha has posted on Instagram that she's fighting off a chest infection this week, which may explain why some thought she sounded tired recently.
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