May 2013 - This Month in the West End

Helen Mirren was appropriately ‘crowned’ Best Actress for her portrayal of The Queen in The Audience, with Richard McCabe winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Sweeney Todd picked up Best Musical Revival, as did its stars Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, both winning Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical.

Top Hat picked up three awards, including Best New Musical. Billy Elliot The Musical won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award. This year, the awards seemed just that extra bit special, as it was broadcast on national television for the first time. With the spotlight firmly focused on the West End, the performers certainly didn’t disappoint, with knock-out performances from the casts of Top Hat, A Chorus Line, and Cabaret.

However, it was The Bodyguard’s leading lady Heather Hadley singing ‘I Will Always Love You’ that brought the house down. Hadley’s incredible voice and raw emotion brought most of the audience to tears. (Luckily the organisers had pre-empted this, by proving a pack of tissues in the goody-bags). The broadcasting of the awards to hundreds of thousands around the country will not only strengthen the loyal audience the West End already has, but will also expose a new audience to the wonders and delights the theatres have to offer. Let’s hope the awards get bigger and bigger every year.

The Spice Just Isn’t Hot Enough.
The producer of Viva Forever! Judy Craymer annouced this week that the new musical, inspired by the songs of The Spice Girls, will close at the end of June this year. In a statement to the press, Craymer said: “It is with a heavy heart that we’ve had to make this very difficult decision to post closing notices for this original show which is blessed with one of the most brilliant casts currently on the West End stage. We set out to create a contemporary story that truly reflects our time; to take a satirical look at the underbelly of a TV Talent show and the chaos that ensues for a mother, her daughter and their friends, a theatrical event to embrace all generations both on and off the stage. Testament to that achievement is the standing ovation at every performance from an audience of families and friends all enjoying a great night out. The show has evolved since we first opened and is now brighter, lighter and funnier, but despite the wonderful audiences and extremely positive feedback, we just can’t make it work. I'm so proud of everyone involved in this production. Viva Forever! may be taking its leave for now in the West End but the legacy of Spice Girls will never fade.”

This must all be coming as quite a shock to Judy Craymer, as her smash-hit production of Mamma Mia! has been thrilling London audiences for well over ten years now, so she can’t be used to this sort of thing. Writer Jennifer Saunders also added her words of lament: “It is disappointing the show is to close. I am particularly sad for the cast and crew that have worked so hard to produce a wonderful show.” But what of the Spice Girls themselves? The short statement they released quite eloquently puts a show closing into perspective: “We want to thank the cast and all the fans for their support, and although Viva Forever won't continue in the West End, we are thrilled that the thousands of people who came to the show had as much fun as we did.”

Although Viva Forever! will not be playing forever, you can still catch the show until it closes for good on the 29 June.

Helen Mirren effs and blinds dressed as the Queen!
Theatreland was abuzz with rumours early in May that Dame Helen Mirren had marched out of the West End’s Gielgud Theatre in full regal costume during the interval of The Audience to silence a band of drummers, who were performing in the street outside. It turns out that these rumors were, in fact, true!

Donned in full costume as Queen Elizabeth II, Mirren stormed out of the stage door and across the street where the group of drummers were playing. She later told The Telegraph newspaper: "I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used. They got a very stern royal ticking off, but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately. I would love to track them down and invite them to see the play. I felt rotten but, on the other hand, they were destroying our performance so something had to be done…Paul Ritter and I could hardly hear each other speak and the audience couldn't hear us at all."

It has since emerged that the band has been tracked down and offered free tickets to see The Audience. Seeing as it’s almost sold out for the entirety of the run and had rave reviews across the board, they’d be a fool to turn them down.

Passion Play opens at the Duke of York theatre to rave reviews.
Peter Nichol’s powerful and brilliant portrait of the bruising nature of marital betrayal had its press night on 7 May at The Duke of York theatre in the West End. In David Leveaux’s passion-filled production Zöe Wanamaker and Owen Teale lead an all-star cast of Oliver Cotton, Samantha Bond, Annabel Scholey’s and Sian Thomas. The production ends 3 August, so audiences need to get their skates on in order to catch this electric play.

Merrily We Role receives more 5 stars that any other musical in West End history!
Picking up five-star reviews from The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Express, Metro, The Guardian, Daily Express, The Independent on Sunday, Heat, What’s On Stage, The Public Review, Maria Friedman’s superb production of Merrily We Roll Along runs at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 27 July.