3,927 posts
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Post by Dawnstar on Apr 16, 2022 20:33:07 GMT
Thought the show was OK - some of the accents were woeful though - given London has a huge Spanish/Latin American community how come there wasn't a single one in the cast?! None at all? That's a shame. About half the ensemble in the original production were Spanish & it really gave the show a different vibe to the usual West End ensembles.
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54 posts
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Post by theatrescribe on Apr 16, 2022 20:55:55 GMT
Four lead roles were all British/Australian; couldn't identify a Spanish background in any of the ensemble either
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Post by inthenose on Apr 17, 2022 10:27:44 GMT
I hated the original production, despite being a big fan of the two leads (Matthew Rawle and Emma Williams). I saw it in a group of eight, and everyone in the group loathed it. I have the opportunity to see this but I'm really not sure it's worth the trip.
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3,073 posts
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Post by david on Apr 24, 2022 19:27:53 GMT
Having booked to see ZORRO during the original Hope Mill run back in 2020 but having the run cancelled at the start of COVID, it’s been a 2 year wait to finally see the show and after this afternoons viewing at the Charing Cross theatre it was definitely worth the wait. Having picked up a discounted ticket this morning from TKTS for £22.50 (FV £40), I was sat in row D and really got the full immersive experience sat here.
Director Christian Durham and his team have done a wonderful job at bringing this musical to the stage. It’s full of energy and colour and for the 2.5 hr run time was thoroughly entertained by the cast. The traverse staging works really well within the theatre’s auditorium and the intimate nature of the auditorium means that you feel part of the on stage proceedings and good use is made of the aisle in the block of seating I was sat in so you have cast wandering up and down it during the show.
The flamenco choreography is just a joy to watch and making it an actor-musician production works really well in my opinion in delivering the Gypsy Kings’s wonderful score. The nice encore at the end got me out of my seat dancing away.
Casting wise, I couldn’t fault anyone here and deliver the goods both in acting and singing. As has been mentioned by a few board members, Phoebe Panaretos as Inez is definitely worth the ticket price alone as she is both a great singer and her dancing is top drawer stuff. Marc Pickering provides some great comic relief as Garcia.
The sword fighting was impressive (the flaming sword worked this afternoon and was a nice touch) and I’m just glad for once I wasn’t sat front row as some of those fights came pretty close to those patrons sat there.
The only slight criticism I would make is the use of the puppets at the start of the show to represent the two brothers. I’m normally a big fan of puppets in shows, but this is one of the rare occasions where I felt they didn’t work in the context of the show and would of preferred kids in the role. As the puppets don’t get too much stage time, this wasn’t a major issue for me and didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the show.
I’ve got no hesitation in awarding this a 5⭐️ rating and strongly recommend getting a ticket.
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4,557 posts
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Post by Mark on May 7, 2022 23:25:55 GMT
Enjoyed this tonight, I also picked up a TKTS great seat for £22.50. This works best in the upbeat, uptempo numbers and there is some great choreography. I have nothing to compare it to regarding previous productions or even the film, but I thought visually the production was very impressive. I knew a few of the songs but found it to be quite ballad heavy and a lot of the numbers didn't really add much. That said, an enjoyable evening and worth seeing.
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Post by mammabat on May 23, 2022 19:24:46 GMT
I have to say I absolutely loved this show. I think the leading lady who plays Inez is phenomenal. Her voice is perfect for the part. Yes she is Australian but I don’t think you would ever know. The female ensemble are also incredibly strong. I think the show has deliberately added some tongue in cheek moments which I love. The Ballards are great and the lively numbers have so much passion.
I attend the theatre maybe 4-5 times a month and have seen most of the big WE shows several times but this is just a little bit of immersive fun. I will be there at closing.
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