review

Review: Dirty Dancing, Festival Theatre

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Dirty Dancing, Festival Theatre

“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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Review: Kinky Boots, Edinburgh Playhouse

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Kinky Boots, Edinburgh Playhouse

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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Review: Nativity, Festival Theatre

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Nativity, Festival Theatre

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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Review: Motown the Musical, Edinburgh Playhouse

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Motown the Musical, Edinburgh Playhouse

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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Review: Saturday Night Fever, Edinburgh Playhouse

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Saturday Night Fever, Edinburgh Playhouse

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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Review: Wicked, Edinburgh Playhouse

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Wicked, Edinburgh Playhouse

“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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Review, Million Dollar Quartet, Edinburgh Playhouse

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review, Million Dollar Quartet, Edinburgh Playhouse

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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Review: Son of a Preacher Man, King’s Theatre

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Son of a Preacher Man, King’s Theatre

While some jukebox musicals feature a strong story, expertly woven together by an endless stream of classic hits, others fail to hit the mark by relying purely on musical nostalgia and overlooking the need for a strong cast and a plot that is both interesting and relevant. Son of a Preacher Man, which is on at the King’s Theatre until Saturday, falls somewhere in the middle. Inspired by the music of Dusty Springfield, the show…

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Review: Disney on Ice Passport to Adventure

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Disney on Ice Passport to Adventure

For most people, the word Disney conjures up images of cheerful characters, catchy songs and mystical lands. Disney on Ice’s latest show, Passport to Adventure, delivers on all counts. Characters from some of Disney’s most beloved movies are brought to life through colourful costumes, stunning skating and iconic music in the show, which is produced by Felt Entertainment. The show follows Mickey Mouse and his friends as they take the audience on an adventure to…

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Review: Grease, Edinburgh Playhouse

Posted on by Amy Anderson
Review: Grease, Edinburgh Playhouse

As the curtain rose at the Edinburgh Playhouse last night and the Grease orchestra launched into an overture featuring a melody of the musical’s most recognisable hits, the enthusiastic whooping, singing and dancing from the audience quickly set the tone for the evening. There are few musicals that are as universally loved as Grease and David Gilmore’s latest production of the original high school musical manages to do its popularity justice. Based on the 1971…

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