Wicked, at the Apollo Victoria, just over the road from Victoria tube station, is one that I'd always wanted to see and knew all of the words to Defying Gravity years before going. Based on The Wizard of Oz, you follow what happened before the story in the films, and after Dorothy visits Oz.
The cast are fantastic and will have you engrossed at every stage even if, like me, you aren't all too familiar with the films and books. The songs and theatrics are powerful and you even end up feeling sorry for the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
I would, and will 100% go and see this show again and would strongly recommend it to anyone. I've never heard anyone say a bad word about it.
Next up is Bugsy Malone. It's only in the Hammersmith Lyric for a little while longer so if you're thinking about it, I wouldn't hesitate for too long. I am and always have been a massive Bugsy Malone fan, having had it on video as a child and being part of our school play when I was about 7.
They perform every song from the film, and even do a medley at the end which you can't help but stand up and dance through. As expected, the cast is completely made up of children and all of which are professional and extremely talented.
The tickets for this one are nice and cheap, starting at £15, so it's definitely one to tick off.
Most recently, The Commitments at The Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. I was hesitant about going to see this one as I had no idea what it was about or what kind of songs would be featured, but my mum was in London for the weekend and really wanted to go. I quickly said yes when she offered to pay.
Luckily, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The story follows a young Irish guy who wants to start a band. I won't ruin the story as I do highly recommend it. Songs featured included River Deep, Mountain High, Try a Little Tenderness, Mustang Sally, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted and so many more soul and Motown songs. I knew (almost) every song and the last 20minutes is a medley of songs where everyone gets up on their feet, dancing and singing.
The atmosphere is fantastic, you leave with a real buzz.
I haven't got imagery for the others as my blog won't let me take from my Instagram without a lot of downloading and faffing, but I thought I'd give a little overview anyway.
Matilda, Cambridge Theatre, Covent Garden: When it first came out, me and a group of friends went to see it with really high hopes. It was between that and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but somehow Matilda won. For me, it wasn't one of the better shows I'd seen. The story was different to the film, which is such a classic that it felt disjointed, and because of that, I didn't know any of the songs, so you weren't able to sing along which gives the theatre such atmosphere. My friends enjoyed it, so I wouldn't rule it out completely - it just wasn't for me.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Drury Lane: After the disappointment of Matilda, I finally got tickets for CATCF and absolutely loved it. A few people have said it's quite childish, with a lot of effects and loud noises, but I've actually been to see it twice now, I enjoyed it that much.
You go through laughter, happiness and a little bit of sadness when Charlie and Willy Wonka fly off in the glass elevator singing Pure Imagination. The songs on this weren't all the same from the film which, as a huge CATCF film fan I was a little disappointed, but nethertheless, it's a great watch.
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