Musicals and Plays

I am now 25! To celebrate I went to see Matilda the Musical, one of the best musicals I have ever seen. Fantastic catchy and moving songs, a fabulous plot and a great actress playing Matilda. In addition, the whole stage is covered in letters meaning you are distracted from your fellow theatre-goer's conversation as you are too busy reading the words hidden in the mass of letters.

Based on the book by Roald Dahl, the musical includes the fabulous tricks she plays on her father Mr Wormwood when he treats her badly. The spirit of rebellion is nicely encapsulated in the songs including "Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty" and "We are revolting children". Miss Trunchball, played by a man, steals the show with her hatred of children, obsession with Phys Ed and her cruel punishments including swinging a girl into the air by her pigtails and forcing a boy to eat a whole gigantic chocolate cake.

Matilda is a must see if you have ever been a child who was frustrated by grown ups. It's only the fact that it's sold out two months in advance that is stopping me going to see it next weekend again!

This month I have also seen Singing in the Rain, another lovely musical with real rain on stage during the classic song - so much rain that the people on the front rows were clad in cagoules and had to put their hoods up! Again this has lovely songs and an interesting plot. Similar to The Artist, it is about the transition from silent films into talkies and how the highly irritating voice of a silent actress is her downfall. Very funny, definitely worth seeing. They sell £25 day tickets which we bought and were able to sit in the fourth row of stalls!

I have seen Belt Up's Macbeth, a scary production set in an underground prison in Farringdon. We had to follow the actors in near darkness, the stage often lit only by candlelight, to watch the scenes of this dark play. The setting was perfect when you consider the key scenes - meeting the three witches at night on the heath, plotting murder, committing murder in the middle of the night, seeing an imaginary dagger. Being small I had to keep running around the audience to make sure I had a good view of the actors, but it was definitely worth it, especially when the actors are standing less than a metre away from you! Not for the faint hearted, but a truly unique experience perfectly capturing the morbid mad world of Macbeth.

Two days ago I took one of my pupils to see the farce Noises Off, which has fantastic five star reviews from all the broadsheets. While not quite as funny as I'd hoped, and with some very predictable slapstick and plot devices (director is secretly sleeping with all the female actors and stage hands), there were moments of utter hilarity where I could not help but laugh myself silly.

It is a play within a play which we get to see in rehearsal, from backstage and live in performance when the props are all wrong causing great pandemonium. Written by Michael Frayn, who also wrote the play Donkey's Years and the film Clockwise staring John Cleese. Frayn based the play on genuine experiences in the theatre, although it is hard to believe the absurd nature of most of what goes on!

I have no more plays lined up at the moment, and would welcome any suggestions!