It's a wee bit eggy...

Take That are probably the biggest boyband from the nineties, shooting to fame with their daring fashion, cheesy dance moves and timeless songs - so it’s no wonder that their new musical, The Band, is excelling in ticket sales, with many fans eager to see how their favourite teenage to modern day tunes are portrayed. In yet another scripting masterpiece from Tim Firth, The Band is not a tale of Take That, but instead, a highly intelligent and emotive story set between two concerts 25 years apart, and a group of five friends, who tragically become four, and the way in which music has shaped their lives. Tim Firth features all the hits of Take That, in ways I did not expect or imagine, and uses the songs as a way to enrich the storyline, as opposed to just cram them in for the sake of it. The show is instantly relatable for music lovers of any music taste and age, embracing the theme of musical idols as well as those of friendship, ageing and loss. Featuring realistic humou...

If you have followed this blog for a while you will probably already assume this, but I have never been a huge fan of the ska band Madness. Having been raised on Rock and Metal throughout my 21 years of life, they are never a band I had properly come across, which made my trip to the King’s Theatre Portsmouth to see the Madness musical Our House highly out of character. Written by Tim Firth, Our House follows the story of Joe Casey (Jason Kajdi). Starting on his 16th birthday, we find Joe trying to impress his girlfriend Sarah (Sophie Matthew), where he is quick to face a decision between right or wrong which ultimately impacts the rest of his life. This is where the story truly begins, as the life paths of both good Joe and bad Joe are explored, creating this high-energy musical with two deeply satisfying storylines.   It goes without saying that music is a key element of the show, and I must admit that they are well integrated into the plot and story - which is someth...

With only a distant memory of the plots skeleton, I found myself being dragged to the King’s Theatre Portsmouth last night, with my family, to endure ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’. Like a moody teenager, dressed in all black with the look of bemusement in my eyes, I took my seat in the half empty theatre and forced a smile to my face, preparing to tolerate almost three hours of overly cheerful torture…and yet, I instead found myself in awe of the spectacle in front of me. Set in a 1920’s New York, a young, ‘modern’ by the name of Millie Dillmount escapes her life from Kansas, with hopes of marrying a rich husband in the big city. With a mind set on money as opposed to love, we see Millie battle between her head and heart as she makes the choice between her rich boss, Mr Graydon, or the attractive, yet penniless, Jimmy Smith. Away from Millie’s love life, a coinciding plot occurs, focusing on the Hotel Priscilla where Millie is staying. Run by Mrs Meers, leader of a white slavery ring...