Well what a Summer we have had, very little sun and a lot of rain, making it one of the most dismal summers I can remember. However it was good for theatre. I went down to visit some friends in Highcliffe and saw in the local paper that in Bournemouth was, Calendar Girls, the brilliant play about the Womens Institute. I had forgotten what a great play this was, I saw the original with Lynda Bellingham and Patricia Hodge both brilliant. Within this touring version the stars were Lesley Joseph and Sue Holderness who were as good if not better. It was a joyous evening in the theatre. The audience roared as did I, it seemed funnier in Bournemouth. More than can be said for the car parking.
This is happening more and more in theatres not only in the West End but also the provinces. To give you an example this is what they charge outside the Bournemouth Pavilion. So not only do you have to pay £3.20 or parking your car whilst watching the show, there is a rather nasty sign at the bottom of the pay machine saying, disabled must pay. I could not believe my eyes. However it didn't spoil my evening or indeed the disabled of Bournemouth one iota. You can see the show touring the country with Linda Bellingham and Jan Harvey until Christmas.
Managed to pick a gorgeous night weather wise to see, "Crazy for You" in Regents Park Open-Air Theatre. It's been an interesting season with such productions as, "Lord of the Flies"and "Beggars Opera', both not my cup of tea, but, "Crazy for You" has definitely been the big hit of the season. And the good news is it's transferring to the West End. But please Mr Sheader next year can we have," A Midsummer Night's Dream", please.
This week went to Chichester to see, "Singing in the Rain". My oh my, what a fantastic evening. You can't go wrong with a show like this, based on the film, and with three incredible performances. Adam Cooper, Scarlet Strallen and Daniel Crossley. They are without a doubt some of the leading musical talents in Great Britain. I'm pleased to say that this is also transferring to the Palace Theatre in early 2012. So make sure you go and book your tickets now.
Also this week went to see Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific at the Barbican theatre. You cant go wrong with this musical featuring the following songs, A Cockeyed Optimist, Some Enchanted Evening, Bloody Mary, There is Nothing Like a Dame, Bali Ha'i, I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair, Younger than Springtime, Happy Talk and I'm in love with a Wonderful Guy. The star of the show is Loretta Abels Sayre, she comes from America and is undoubtedly one of the great performers from across the pond. It plays at the Barbican until 1 October and then tours the country.
Caught, Road Show, at the Menier Chocolate Factory, again. You have one more week to see this show, the best in London.
So as you can see the summer hasn't been as bad as one might think from under one's umbrella.