Ever wondered what it would look and sound like if you put Little Mix, a history book about Henry VIII and a bucket-load of sass into a blender? Welcome to Six, the unlikely superstar Fringe show that continues to break records and take the musical theatre world by storm, grossing over $1million in its opening week on Broadway. With a modest running time of just 80 minutes, Six is a fast-paced, upbeat and empowering show…
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“Please sit back and enjoy this show, but remember in life “Just to sit still would be a crime”, writes Producer Mark Goucher in the programme for the new UK tour of Hairspray. The latest production of the iconic musical takes its audience on a whirlwind tour of 1960s Baltimore through the eyes of vivacious teen Tracey Turnblad as she battles against social prejudice in her quest to dance on live TV. From the moment…
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Nearly 50 years before Harry Potter started enchanting readers, C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia was captivating fantasists by transporting them to another world. Thankfully, director Michael Fentiman has reignited the magic of Narnia with a stunning new stage adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which is guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages. Set in WW2 Britain, the show follows evacuated siblings Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they embark on…
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“Sorry for the interruption, folks, but I always do the last dance of the season,” announces Michael O’Reilly as Dirty Dancing draws to a close on opening night. The iconic line is met with the type of deafening whoops and cheers that are usually reserved for chart-topping boy bands. Considering his likeness to the late Patrick Swayze, both physically and in the way he embraces his role as the tough-but-loveable Johnny Castle, it’s not surprising…
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As one of musical theatre’s biggest hits, expectations for the Edinburgh run of Kinky Boots were as high as the heel on sparkly red stiletto boot that’s featured on the show’s poster. Thankfully, the touring production is as polished, bold and glitzy as its West End and Broadway counterparts and promises to bring some much-needed sparkle to Edinburgh’s festivities. With original music and lyrics written by pop superstar Cyndi Lauper, the Tony Award-winning musical tells…
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Nothing conjures up childhood festive memories quite like a traditional school nativity. The chaotic nature of the annual school show was captured perfectly in 2009’s big screen hit Nativity so it’s a pleasure to see that the nostalgic charm which made the movie such an unexpected hit has been translated so well to the stage adaptation. Debbie Issit’s Nativity the Musical opened on London’s West End in 2017 and follows the story of what happens…
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What do you get when you mix Motown Records’ biggest hits with a cast that’s talented enough to take on the label’s most iconic performers? A jukebox musical that’s worth dancing in the streets for. Motown the Musical, which runs at the Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday 8 December, is based on the memoirs of Berry Gordy and tells the story of how he built the legendary pop empire from the ground up with nothing more…
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The music for Saturday Night Fever remains the second best-selling film soundtrack of all time so it comes as no surprise to see Bill Kenright’s touring production of the musical attracting sold-out audiences as it struts its way across the UK. The show follows the story of Tony Manero (played by Casualty’s Richard Winsor), a charismatic 19-year-old who is stuck in a dead-end job but escapes his mundane life by dancing his nights away at…
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“Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?” ponders Glinda the good witch, shortly after the curtain rises at The Edinburgh Playhouse. The answer to this question is intelligently explored throughout Wicked, the smash-hit musical which tells the story of how her unlikely friendship with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, came to be. As one of modern musical theatre’s biggest triumphs, Wicked continues to draw sold-out crowds internationally more…
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It’s a tall ask for a jukebox musical to do justice to the music of not one but four of the world’s most iconic performers. However, the team behind Million Dollar Quartet manage to do so with utter ease, resulting in a fun and uplifting show that transports its audience right back to the 1950s. Based on the popular book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet follows the true story of the…
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For more than a century, Joseph Pearce’s was a traditional drinking