Evening all!

In the time since I last updated this blog, several major things have happened to me. Just to name one, a friend of mine and I met Benedict Cumberbatch. Now, if anyone – and I literally mean ANYONE – had said to me “you know who you’ll meet in 2011…wait for it…that actor Benedict Cumberbatch”, I’d have told them to sod off with their outrageous claims but, as I’ve learnt from the last year or so, anything is possible if you’re in the right place at the right time.

Okay so ‘right place, right time’ seems to put rather a dampener on my whole outlook when it comes to meeting people I admire so I’m not going to say that in this case. I’m rather putting it down to luck actually. I was lucky that, since Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch were exchanging the roles of Victor Frankenstein and The Creature in Danny Boyle’s recent adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in a stint at the National Theatre in London, JLM was playing the Creature on that particular day. There…all this ‘right place, right time’ stuff quickly goes out the window when I think of how easily the roles could have been reversed. Divine Intervention sounds better anyway.

Since knowing of Benedict’s performances in Amazing Grace, Starter For 10 and Atonement, there is no denying that he should be praised far more highly than he is. After the BBC adaptation Sherlock, it was clear that he’d finally found a place to receive the critical acclaim that he has long deserved. His work in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein brought tears to my eyes and was the tip of the iceberg for me – though he had nothing to prove.

Getting to London was easy. THAT train, THAT boat and THAT train again. Nothing too complicated and, since working out that the tickets would only have been on sale for 20 minutes – as day seats were the only ones available after the sold out run – we thought we’d be fine…

We thought wrong.

There’s no knowing how long everyone in the queue had been waiting there or how long the line had been but, and I think it’s safe to say this as a universal thing, when you and one of your best friends end up at the very end of said line and after the first 5 minutes the lady on the speaker says “standing tickets only for Frankenstein“, you know you’re pretty much screwed. So keeping up the positive banter of “oh don’t worry, we’ll get a ticket no problem” and “I’m sure not everyone will want to stand up, oh look there’s some people leaving the line right now”, things weren’t looking good. As jobs go, there are only a few that I really wouldn’t want. The obvious ones I think you can probably imagine but I think the one I don’t envy anyone for having is ‘the one when you have to tell the people at the back of the line that they’re not going to get into the show they want to see because all the tickets are sold’. But there she was. That poor girl.

So after having the plan smooshed back in our faces, there were only a few things to do. A FEW?! This was London! After buying several programmes for the production – and having a strange look thrown at us from the girl behind the desk when we said we didn’t actually get tickets but were buying programmes anyway (I’m sure it’s happened to many people before) – we set off towards the only place we knew really REALLY well…Covent Garden. Yes, I know, having a rather sheltered knowledge of London town isn’t such a good idea to go sight-seeing with but at least I wasn’t on my own.

*If I was on my own, I doubt I’d have bought the GERMAN version of the guild book…she knows who she is.*

Up to Covent Garden we trudged. Around the stalls of God-only-knew-what and a bit of tactical swerving of waiters later – not counting that embarrassing incident when I made that ‘whooooooo’ sound right in the face of one – we had gotten our guild book and were on our way to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and ‘that bench that was used in Sherlock’. Okay so it was by happy coincidence that we found the bench but I have to say, it really brightened up the day.

Just a bench. A bench…

Seeing Westminster Abbey and Big Ben for the first time up close, I was having the time of my life. I honestly couldn’t think of anywhere better to be than on the streets of London, in the sunshine with one of my best friends. I wouldn’t even have chosen to stand at the back of the National for 2 hours…well maybe there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind but as soon as it reared it’s ugly head, something else would show up and astound me. Like the Tweed rally. I won’t go into details but, basically, just a load of people in Tweed were riding bikes past Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Alright, alright, I was pretty amazed. Gobsmacked might be better actually. I was gobsmacked that so many people had come out, dressed in full costume, on such a hot day to support something.

Thankfully we didn’t get bored enough to start a game of ‘which businessman looks the most businessman-like’ but things were beginning to get tedious as, after spying a man fumbling through everyone’s bags before letting them enter WA, we decided against that idea. Not that we had anything to hide…but the idea of that guy seeing all the empty Mini Cheddar packets in my bag really didn’t grab me as one I’d like to explore. So the Abbey was out; which was a shame because after seeing it host the Royal Wedding on the cusp of last month, I thought it was rather pretty inside. Plus it meant we couldn’t stand in there and sing Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music.

Now would be the time when I’d normally but the bold sub-heading of ‘Meeting Benedict’ but I’m not going to this time. This was one of the most special moments of my life so far and I truly believe that I have been blessed with it.

After spending an hour or so watching people oh-so-nearly treading in a rather conveniently placed dog turd – yes, I know what you’re thinking, it amused us – I couldn’t stop thinking about what was to come. My stomach had committed itself to handstanding and I had this huge fear I might open my mouth and vomit on perhaps the greatest actor of our age. Then we saw a couple of people coming around from the front of the building and waiting by the Stage Door – the one that we HADN’T spied out earlier in the day after finding out we couldn’t get tickets – so we went to join them. A small group of us formed and some feeling of something came over me then. I wouldn’t say it was guilt but we hadn’t actually SEEN the show that day. I had experience both of the National Theatre Live screenings so I had technically seen it but it felt half-hearted.  Strange feeling aside, the Biro and programmes we at hand.

Many of the latecomers to the group – a party of Americans – speculated that perhaps he wasn’t coming out. By ‘he’ I assumed they meant Benedict. This made me question whether they actually realised that it was an ENSEMBLE piece. Okay so I’ll admit it, I was mostly there for Benedict but I would have loved to have met Johnny Lee Miller and the rest of the cast, especially Cumberbatch’s former co-star of Small Island Naomie Harris. I began to agree with them, ever so slightly, as time wore on and nobody appeared but then, in classic English style ‘fashionably’ (I would say ‘late’ but it was probably for the best that he took some time out after the show, if only briefly before leaving the theatre)…with ‘fashionable timing’, Benedict Cumberbatch emerged from the Theatre. I have never seen ANYTHING of the like IN MY LIFE before. The small, rather simmering group that we were seemed to transform momentarily into a swarming horde of bees around a nest. It was chaos. With bustling from the right and bustling from the left…you get the picture and, not meaning to sound AT ALL rude or politically incorrect but those Americans needed to take a leaf out of our book and wait. There were pens and programmes being thrust his way and people pushing and shoving and, after the rather peculiar and surreal scene of a man (on his stag ‘do’) dressed as Superman, holding a blow-up car out to Benedict Cumberbatch, things couldn’t get worse. Then they did…or so we thought.

As he’d made his way across the groups of people, Benedict had asked everyone their name and added, I’m assuming because he’s written it on mine, ‘Thank You’ before autographing it and ending with a ‘x’. I thought this was really touching and a thoughtful gesture, considering the amount of energy he clearly didn’t have after the show. We were close enough to him when he announced, in a weakening voice “this is the last one”. Now, for me, this couldn’t have come at a worse time. I had promised a friend back home, who was ill at that point, his autograph and I really thought he meant he wouldn’t sign anymore but thankfully, and to my everlasting relief, he carried on. By this point, the strength was clearly waning.  He was getting confused over letters and names were coming out wrong and, as it came to my turn I felt obliged to help him out; (it went SOMETHING like this)

“What’s your name?” He said. “Katie. K-A-T-I-E.” I said. “Bless you” he said.

I was stunned at that point. It was just really a reflex that I do all the time. After having a ‘y’ added to my name so often, it’s become like second nature. So he signed mine, his hand was shaking, and I really nicely – not wanting to miss my chance to get this – asked him to sign one for my ill friend.

“Could you possibly sign the second one to, and I know this is going to sound really corny, but could you sign it ‘To Watson’, please?” I said. He was concentrating but a split second later he said, “what?” It was the sort of ‘what?’ that you get when someone honestly thinks you’re taking the wee-wee but in a really serious way. He didn’t even look up from sorting out the second programme as I explained, “yeah, it’s been her nickname for years…*THINKTHINKTHINK* and she’s not very well at the moment, could you possibly write her a ‘get well soon’ please?” There, I said it. I SAID IT…to Benedict Cumberbatch. So he wrote ‘To Watson, get better soon.’ But that’s not all, oh no, I was going to take this opportunity to tell him how much I admired him. As I had – honestly – watched Amazing Grace a couple of days before I told him. “I saw you in Amazing Grace a couple of days ago,” I said. He looked up and directly at me with a smile on his face as if to say “someone has seen something I did BEFORE I did Sherlock! Huzzah!” “Oh yes?” He asked. “You were incredible in it, I just *THINKTHINKTHINK* wept… (with hands sliding down face in a comical manor and everything) my heart just *THINKTHINKTHINK* broke. It was incredible.” I told him, not noticing that he was writing more on the second programme. “Awww *sympathetically* I’m sorry *sympathetic light laugh*” he replied, before handing back the two programmes and the pen. THEN even as he turned to the next person, he came back to me and asked, “Watson isn’t seriously ill?” (Now HERE was the very opportunity I should have abused…but I couldn’t) “No, don’t worry, she’s only got the cold bug that’s going around.” *Opportunity LOST* *Immediate Facepalm*

Lending the pen to my friend, I got out of there a little. Opening the programmes, to savour the ‘first look’ feeling, I spied that in Watson’s he had written ‘To Watson, get better soon. Hope you have as good a doctor as Sherlock does. Benedict Cumberbatch x’. I really couldn’t have asked for anything better. We did hang about for JLM but, as I have recently read, it takes 2 hours to put the make-up of the Creature on so thinking back on it now, I not surprised he didn’t venture down.

All in all, it was a brilliant day and I wouldn’t have traded that experience (shared with my best buddy) for the world.

Katie x

Afternoon all,

Since seeing Les Miserables for the very first time just yesterday, a few valuable lessons have been learned. First of which is; make sure your Valjean doesn’t sound like a suffocating sparrow. Second; meet Norm Lewis and Killian Donnelly after the show. Both were lovely guys and couldn’t be more please to autograph programmes and get pictures.

The Show Itself

After experiencing the near-perfect casting of the 25th Anniversary show of Les Miserables at the O2 – and knowing that plenty of cast members treading the boards at The Queen’s had taken part – I was expecting my first time seeing Mis to be spectacular. In some ways it didn’t disappoint but in others, I just couldn’t ‘turn that frown upside-down’ as they say.

From my seat in the Circle, I could have seen most of the stage were it not for the lower rows leaning forward. Ignoring this fact, I found the excitement increasing as the lights dimmed and the show began. Now, as performers go, in the West End, normally you would expect leads – my experience being Ramin Karimloo (POTO and LND), Alfie Boe (LM 25th) and James Loye from the musical version of The Lord of the Rings – to be strong of voice, their actions precise and their knowledge of the character to be second to none. Simon Bowman, who was playing Jean Valjean, left quite a bit to be desired.

His voice was raspy and his acting could have been mistaken for a school production of this legendary musical. So, I felt the emotion in ‘he’s like the son I might have known’ but, aside from that, the frailty – even early on, when Valjean is supposed to be a strong young man – had me wondering what on Earth I was doing there. As the story progressed and Gareth Gates appeared as a wonderful Marius – as much as the character already annoys me with his blindness – and Samantha Barks with her incredible Eponine, my feelings towards watching slowly began to change. Killian Donnelly was a super Enjolras, bringing an amazing voice to the character and another great reason for being there. Norm Lewis was an inspiring Inspector Roy Javert and, as I’d seen him in the O2 production, I knew he was going to bring plenty of much-needed ‘kick’ to the show. When both Norm and Killian were on-stage, it was difficult to see who was the better performer; they were both Alphas.

With ‘One Day More’ approaching, signifying the end of the first half, I knew only good things were to come. Samantha Barks’ ‘On My Own’, after the interval, was stunning – as it had been at the O2 – and, in the smaller theatre, when it came to Gavroche’s death, they actually played it out. I wasn’t quite prepared for the shock of it and found tears rimming my eyes throughout that small section. When the students at the barricade started up with ‘Drink With Me’, I was conditioned to seeing Ramin Karimloo and Hadley Fraser’s Enjolras and Grantaire ‘moment’ and I think it’s safe to say that Killian and Martin Neely (who played Grantaire) knew what their characters were feeling.

Also missed out in the O2 concert was Enjolras’ death scene. The guns went off and, in a last ditch effort, Killian waved the huge crimson flag and then fell forward; over the front of the barricade. I was prepared for how the scene would play out, from seeing it in the 10th Anniversary Concert, but actually seeing Killian upside-down and covered in blood, I shed a tear or two. The rest seemed to go in a blur of head-voices, a suicide, a marriage and a symbolic death.

It was an enjoyable show but I would wait for the cast change – Alfie Boe as Valjean, Matt Lucas as Thenardier and Hadley Fraser as Javert – before going a second time.

x

As the lights dimmed for the fifth time – for me – of seeing Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s newest musical ‘Love Never Dies’, a certain atmosphere hung in the air. An electricity hit the crowd and flowed throughout the show; the likes of which I haven’t seen in a while..

Before the show

Meeting any performer from the West End stage is inspirational but Ramin Karimloo still reigns the top of my list with his graciousness and honest down-to-Earth personality. With a Tesco bag in hand, he diverted from the Stage Door of the Adelphi with a smile on his face and, planting the bag down squarely at his feet, meant to stay a while. A discussion soon commenced and, after deciding that Cold Mountain would make a great musical someday and that the orcs from Lord of the Rings: The Musical were frightening; whether the performer inside was enjoying it or not, the subject of Sheytoons cropped up in the conversation before, after glancing at his phone, Ramin took off to make-up.

The show itself

Every single show is different…

It was a heavily understudied show; what with Tim Walton (Raoul), Louise Madison (Fleck) and Simon Ray Harvey (Squelch) but they gave their all and gave me another perspective of those characters. Having Ramin and Sierra both performing kept the cemented centre of the show and gave the understudies an individuality to bounce back from. Ramin’s cheeky side shone through in Devil Take The Hindmost and I found myself knowing he was having fun with Tim; much like their characters do (rather more sadistically in show context though).

Emotions ran high once more as Til I Hear You Sing (with it’s wonderful new lyric changes) broke upon us. The level of intensity and standard is constantly being raised by Ramin and everytime, he succeeds in out-doing himself. With an expectation for a belting note, I found myself ever more astonished when a weaker and more vulnerable string of sounds spilled from this incredible man.

Everything about the connection between Christine and Erik (The Phantom/Mister Y) was fulfilled. There’s no denying that the chemistry between these two performers and the characters they play is electrifying and fills the theatre to bursting with honesty. Tim’s performance as Raoul was incredible. It gave another side to the character; one perhaps a little less bitter than Joseph Millson’s but he really stepped up to the plate and received a – well deserved – Standing Ovation.

A very special fifth show. 10/10

Katie x   

Well what can I say…I Dreamed A Dream and it came true!

The concert overall was amazing. With the talent on show, it couldn’t have gone wrong really! Each performer – all the way from the major stars like Alfie Boe (Valjean) and Ramin Karimloo (Enjolras), all the way down to the ensemble members –  pulled out all the stops and gave their whole hearts to the cause. So, from my own heart, I think a review is in order…

Alfie Boe (Valjean): To say that this guy was amazing would be a rather huge understatement. He blew my mind with his spectacular vocals, especially on ‘Bring Him Home’, ‘One Day More’ and ‘Who Am I?’ and I think everyone will agree with me when I say that you had to be there to get the full effect. A very talented guy 10/10!

Ramin Karimloo (Enjolras): So, for importance, I hear the masses wondering why Enjolras came second on the list but Ramin played it so well. From his first appearance on the stage, beside Nick Jonas, it was clear that there was a certain presence behind him, as the revolutionary student leader. His powerful voice was perfect for the character but the softer side too came through very well. His responsibility for the lives of the men at the barricade weighed heavily but Ramin’s performance held steady and true and those belting notes sure raised the roof! 10/10!

Nick Jonas (Marius): So it was a tall order to follow Michael Ball’s tremendous Marius from 15 years ago but this Jonas Brother sure gave it a good go! His ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’ had me in floods of tears and I think it worked well, what with his youth and rather innocent face. I could feel sorry for him a lot easier than for Michael, purely because of the fact that he looked more vulnerable. His voice was top notch and the other strong cast made him great! 9/10!

Matt Lucas (M. Thénardier): It was obvious that, from the second Matt stepped onto the stage, he was an instant hit – and that was even before he opened his mouth to sing. It was just the prospect methinks that got people whooping and then when he did start singing…he was amazing! His humour and tendencies as the Master of the House brought laughs to everyone and he really made the character his own. A brilliant addition to the already spectacular cast! 10/10!

Norm Lewis (Javert): Well, what can I say…The guy was pretty brilliant! Some of the lyrics were lost against Alfie’s pipes but the Policeman held his own and performed Stars sensationally! 9/10!

Samantha Barks (Eponine): To have the experience of being in the same show as Lea Salonga (who played Eponine so well in the 10th Anniversary version) made Samantha a wicked Eponine! With her vocals being spot on in ‘On My Own’, she had me believing in the character to the hilt. What with Eponine being my favourite female character, I had many expectations for her and she delivered with honours. I saw a lot of Lea coming through in her performance, which was definitely not a bad thing but there were a few moments…9.5/10

Lea Salonga (Fantine): Lea Salonga (the previous Eponine)…I like her but Fantine was the wrong character for her methinks, she’s more of a tomboy than a prostitute. Her voice was amazing but she just didn’t feel right as Fantine. Her rendition of ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ was maybe not as powerful as it could have been but her acting gave her room to manoeuvre. 8/10!

Katie Hall (Cosette): So, I’ve never been a huge fan of Cosette but Katie did her best. Her voice was not as strong as it could have been, compared to Judy Kuhn – who was brilliant in the 10th Anniversary Edition. The high notes were not as strained though as Judy’s which I liked, it sounded nicer in ‘A Heart Full of Love’. 8/10!

Jenny Galloway (Mme. Thénardier): She speaks for herself really doesn’t she? Winning the part again from the 10th Anniversary Edition! She brought hilarity and mischief to the show and shone with Matt Lucas by her side and the duet had the audience clapping along, eating out of the palms of their greedy hands! 9.5/10!

Robert Madge (Gavroche): So, I had my reservations about the character of Gavroche, I found him to be quite refreshing this time around. A very talented boy, who brought comedy and heart to the street urchin. I really felt the loss of him in ‘Empty Chairs’ when he appeared with Enjolras, Grantaire and the rest of the students. 9/10!

Hadley Fraser (Grantaire): I was agog, I was aghast! His voice was powerful and, for what little parts he had to sing in, I could hear the character coming through. His chemistry with Ramin during ‘Drink With Me’ was really significant and left me hurting to see them go over the barricade. 10/10!

And that concludes this review, hopefully it’s been an insight into what the show was like for me! Thanks for reading!

Katie x

Hello! A lot of stuff has gone on lately that has been so amazingly awesome that you’ll all have heard me ranting on about it. It’s from the LND stage door, all the way back with me. I love the show, the cast, the music…just about everything from the show and if I could do a ‘wishlist’ on here I would wish to meet them all again, Ramin included this time.

I’ve had such a cool time since meeting Sierra, Tam, Joseph, Naimh and Harry Polden! It’s like my entire outlook on life has changed, for the better. I’m just so much more believing about wishes coming true and dreams being fulfilled because my idols are living breathing people too, and that’s a great thing.

Maybe this isn’t the right place to be spilling my heart out but I’ve got to say it somewhere and sometime, so here goes; To Ramin (who I want to meet) Sierra, Tam, Joseph, Niamh, Summer (who I also want to meet), Harry and all the Gustaves…Have fun, do good and I salute you.

Katie x