…Because audiences have feelings too
What better way to begin the New Year than with some very subjective ‘Awards’. We don’t think you’ll find these anywhere else.
The Germaine Greer Award for shameless waste of female talent:
The producers of ‘La Bete’ for failing to utilise even a small part of Joanna Lumley’s talent
The Bram Stoker award for draining the life out of Musical Theatre:
“Over the rainbow”, the latest ‘casting show’ from the BBC.
Thank you Broadway for sending us…..
“Hair” – a fantastic cast with not a manufactured ‘star’ in sight.
Most disappointing cast in a 25th Anniversary celebration of a French-themed Musical:
Everyone except Lea Salonga in the Les Miserables concert at the O2 (Thank you Broadway again!)
Peter O’Toole Award for ‘Best Actor in worst play’:
Mark Rylance for ‘La Bete’. And Jerusalem. (Please don’t try to make it a hat-trick)
Highlights of the Year
Chicago. How refreshing to see a Musical with an actual Muscial Theatre star in it (Ruthie Henshall).
Cheek by Jowl’s production of Macbeth. It lives! the text that is…
Private Lives. You didn’t have to have heard of ‘Sex and the City’ or ‘Spooks’ to enjoy this production.
Phantom of the Opera. Owen-Jones and Escobar – the best kept secret in the West End.
Bedroom Farce. Luxury casting in a classic comedy.
Lowlights of the Year
Danton’s Death. We were rooting for the guillotine.
La Bete. Luxury casting in a play that should have stayed buried.
John Barrowman in concert. So many talents, especially self-indulgence
What we’d like to see next year:
Hannah Waddingham playing Calamity Jane
Another chamber-style production from Craig Revel-Horwood
More Jerry Herman
What we are afraid of:
Catherine Zeta Jones plays Calamity Jane (and wins a BAFTA for it)
Lee Mead stars in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
Gerard Butler gets cast as Jean Valjean in the the film of ‘Les Miserables’ (having proved what a fantastic singer he was in the film of ‘Phantom of the Opera’)
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