Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – Palace Theatre – 09.04.2017

Well…I remember laughing at my best friend when she got ticket for this show in October 2015. I remember thinking “Seriously?”, like it would be totally out of sorts to get tickets for something one and a half year in advance.
Funny, that, as nowadays, each and every single show until May 2017 is completely sold out and the next batch of tickets is being released in 2 weeks for three more months (May 2018 – July 2018). And ever since I booked tickets for “Hamilton”, I now know NOT to laugh about booking ages in advance. Especially after I’ve seen this show last weekend.

But let me start.

I’ve never been a huge Potter-Fan. Sure, I read the books, and I thoroughly enjoyed them, and I also still think that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson & Rupert Grint were the perfect choice for Harry, Hermione & Ron. But somehow, the movies never gripped me as tight as the books; I remember sitting through the last 200 pages of “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows”, bawling my eyes out over the brilliance with what those last few pages have been written, with how much suspense and emotion they were put down to paper…and then sitting halfway through the “Deathly Hallows Part 2” movie, thinking: “What a load of crap, that end. Too rushed. Too very different from the heartbreaking suspense in the book. Did they even read it?” From that moment it was clear that I would never be a, as you call them, “Potterhead”.

But the play, it intrigued me, if only for the fact that information about it before it opened was scarce, and even when the previews started, it was all kept totally secret, people not being allowed to bring their phones or to say anything about it at all. It’s like being something forbidden, something you need to wait really long for to really deserve it. It seemed like the best-kept secret in the West End, and all this time, until last sunday, I didn’t really hear anything about it that could give something away and somewhat ruin my experience when I finally got to see both parts, thanks to my sister’s friend giving me her tickets as she couldn’t attend her planned weekend in London, so I could come all the way down to see it from Germany. (I LOVE her for that, btw).  So here goes the actual review.

First surprise when I got in: half of our Cast were Understudy – instead of Jamie Parker as Harry, we had Stuart Ramsay, our Hermione was Alexa Nicolas instead of Noma Dumezweni, and Scorpius Malfoy was played by James LeLacheur, not Anthony Boyle. At first, it was a small downer, as naturally, you’d hope for the complete first Cast; but, knowing the theatre business, you can’t always have that, and sometimes, the show you’re seeing turns out to be even better with the Understudies….and boy, THAT show was proof of HOW much better it was.

2nd surprise: the stage wasn’t covered up. On the contrary; after each interval, the scenery on stage changed and looked different. Especially the one after Part 1, or rather, when you come back in for the 1st Act of Part 2, was amazing. I’m always a friend of the darker sceneries, to be honest.

Now, the much praised effects. I knew that “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child” had some technical doings and standards that none other show on the West End had ever done before – which was probably the biggest reason why I was so intrigued: everybody talked about how they used new techniques, left the audience in awe with things you just can’t explain how they happened. And to be fair: I DON’T even want to know how they work, because to me, that takes away a bit of the magic, you know? But I also have to be fair when I say that I thought theere would be more effects in it than what I saw on stage. I do not want to diminish this amazing piece of theatre in any way, that is just my opinion; and I guess having such high expectations about those effects made me a bit biased. BUT the end of Part 1 ALONE made everything SO much worthwhile. Never did I have that kind of goosebumps sitting in my seat than in that moment when the end of Part 1 began and ended. I won’t say anything about it, but I BEG you, if you can, go and see it for yourself. It will be all you could hope for and more. I would pay an entire ticket simply to watch that part of the show over and over again. Stunning.

The music itself is not the same as in the movies – so if you go and see the show for that reason, too, be prepared to hear different music. Still, whenever it played, it smoothly fit the situation, and I loved how they used different scenes to fill the gaps, and even if pieces were used more than once, you don’t notice it, because the scenes always change and you’re so totally caught in the new ones that you just can’t be bothered to even think about it.

And now…the actors. WOW. There simply are not enough words to praise them enough, but I will try my best to write down what I thought and still think of them in a heap of awe, whenever I think back on sunday night. And you’ve been warned: those opinions are very biased and VERY objective, they’re solely mine and nobody has to agree, of course.

Alex Price (Draco Malfoy)

I have to admit, I’m a bit in love with him and his acting. His Draco is…just out of this world. The entire time as you sit there, watching him displaying one of the most breathtaking performances of emotion, wit, confusion, anger & even heartbreak, which is so unlike the Draco Malfoy everybody knows, you keep thinking: “God, Lucius Malfoy/Jason Isaacs, you damn genius”, only to realize that he is indeed Draco as a grown-up, NOT Lucius. I can’t praise him enough, really, because he was just perfectness in any way possible. There is no way he does not convince you that he means every single word that comes out of his mouth and every emotional despair he displays while on that stage. I also loved how the directors began the relationship between grown-up Draco and Ron Weasley right where the books and the movies left off: with digs, teasing and insulting by both sides, just like you would imagine them still to bicker after all those years. Especially towards the end, when Ron has an idea how to defeat (…), Draco’s/Alex’ reaction is beyond priceless, I still grin when I think about that scene, because it’s so somewhat adorably boyish and un-Draco-like. Or the scene where he utters a very dry “Mua. Ha. Ha.” towards Harry/Stuart and Stuart can’t help but desperately try to stop laughing. This constant switch between the serious, sometimes even desperate Draco and the one with the dry humor, trying to fit in with the others – to me, that comes very close to perfection.
Oh, and Alex as a person outside the theatre? Wonderful. So absolutely kind, patient and down to earth…you could see the pride in his eyes when you told him how he is so good he makes you forget WHO he actually is on stage – Draco or Lucius Malfoy -, and that Jason Isaacs himself (the guy who played Lucius Malfoy in the movies) saw the play and thought almost the same.
AND ALEX’ PERFUME…I am sorry, I know I’m a very creepy person now, but I can’t help it, I am absolutely obsessed with it. Ever since sunday, I can’t get it out of my head/nose and really want to find out its name so I can get it for a friend’s birthday, who I KNOW would love it.
So if you get the chance to see the show and Alex in it before Cast Change Day on May 21st, I advise you to go, because you’ll barely see anything more convincing that this man being a Malfoy.

Stuart Ramsay (Harry Potter – Understudy)

Stuart. Wow. Turns out this was his last show as Harry, and boy, was he a convincing piece of theatre. You buy into his struggle as a father of three, especially regarding his relationship with Albus, as if it’s a real family tragic right there, not some play on a stage, because his talent is a real pleasure to watch. The second he set foot on stage, forgotten was my thought what a pity it was I would now never get to see Jamie Parker being Harry, because Stuart definitely owned that stage. I still remember vividvdly how his gestures and mimics looked like he was in a real life situation, now some staged conversation with his acting colleagues. Especially his interaction with Sam Clemmett as Albus was a dream to watch…it was like standing in their living room, feeling awkward to witness a fight between father and son – in a very pleasing and heartwarming way, if that makes sense. It definitely looked like Stuart and Sam shared a real father/son bond there.
Moreover, one of my favourite things was when Draco/Alex came up to him in one scene, talking about how soon, Harry’s office at the ministry of magic might be Draco’s, ending with a VERY dry “Mua.Ha.Ha.”, and Stuart first starting to grin and then trying very unsuccessfully to hide and stifle a laugh. I loved it, and so did everyone else in the audience, gauging from their reaction.
And adding to that, Stuart is such a sweetheart; kind, humble and appreciating in any way possible. My friend and I even chatted to him about how he stayed in Germany (Hamburg) for 6 months a couple of years back, doing “Oh What A Night” at the Opererrenhaus, then “Foley” and other stuff. He also still manages a few german words, which endeared us even more to him.
I wish him all the best for whatever the future has now in store for him after Cast Change, and that he will come even further than he has already come so far – he deserves it so much.

Paul Thornley (Ron Weasley)

Close your eyes and picture the one and only person capable of pulling off being Ron Weasley on stage. Open your eyes again and look at Paul Thornley’s face. You’re welcome.
You always wondered how Ron was displayed perfectly, regarding his character in the books and the movies? Take Paul Thornley and you don’t need anything or anybody else. If I ever would have to think about how I wanted Ron to be on stage, I would not be able to stop swooning over Paul…not that I can since sunday night, anyways. There are not enough words to tell how magically perfect is, just like I always pictured him in my head. Adding to that his constant bickering with Draco Malfoy aka Alex Price and you have the stage “enemies” of your dreams. It feels difficult and somewhat wrong to try to find the right words here to do him real justice for the flawless job he does on the stage of that play, really, because it’s all in those tiny little things he pulls off on stage. Like his grinning whenever he’s faced the fact he owns a joke shop while his wife is the head of the magical ministry, the way he lightens up the stage when he steps foot on it, because you just know that whatever will come out of his mouth will be so…RON, so RUPERT GRINT. The way he lets his character being transformed back into his teenager self whenever he’s greeted by Draco Malfoy, how he is able to hop between that and his grown-up self, the family father, the caring, loving partner and friend who would do everything for his loved ones…it’s like seeing one of your favourite book/movie character being brought to life right in front of you. I keep repeating myself, so I am sorry, but unless you ever get or got to see it with your own eyes, you probably can’t grasp why I am so in a loss for words.
Apart from that, he’s one of the nicest and most calm West End Actors I ever got the chance to say Hi to. If you never got to watch him being a Weasley, you definitely miss out on something big there.

Nicola Alexis (Hermione – Understudy)

In my opinion, Nicola as Hermione is SUCH a better fit than Noma, who just looks so much older than her counterparts Harry & Ron (Jamie Parker & Paul Thornley). Her acting was beyond convincing, and I couldn’t have imagined or wished for a better 1st Hermione if I did. Especially the bossing around of Draco and the air of authority around her is wonderful to watch. I think it’s fair to say that the way the directors have written the role of Hermione, it’s the closest it could get to the actual Hermione as she was in the books and the movies, fierce and not accepting any bulls*** around her. Considering Nicola’s sweet face and her kind character off stage, it’s hard to believe that this lovely woman is playing the minister of magic on stage every now and then!

James LeLacheur (Scorpius Malfoy – Understudy)

James…words can’t express him in this role. Like…picture perfection when trying to tranform an amiable character from a book into an actual person on stage, and there you have James.
I fell in love with Scorpius when reading the book, in the instant he first shows up on the Hogwarts Express, and I fell in love with James’ way of displaying him on stage. It’s an absolute pleasure and honour to watch him doing his thing, being silly, desperate, sad, angry and happy. You forget there is an actual person underneath that peroxide blonde hair and costume, because his acting pulls you right into the world of magical wizardry. He makes watching the Play even more worthwhile, and he definitely was my highlight next to Alex Price, with whom he does not have as many interactions as with, say Sam Clemmett as Albus Potter (naturally), but any of the few of them are quite intense and make you heart ache all over for Scorpius; struggling with all the rumors surrounding his family and him, the resentment from everybody, wishing for a Happy End between him and his hard-hearted father. And especially his dorky, weird side was one of my favourite things on stage that night, because he makes everybody in the audience feel like they are him: a dorky teenager trying to fit in, not making too much of a fuss about himself. At least that’s how I saw it.
And outside the theatre, it’s safe to say that James is the exact same kind of person that you left up on that stage at curtain call – and in just the same adorable, lovely kind of way that you just can’t help liking him. I know he’s leaving after Cast Change, which, in my opinion, is THE biggest loss that show can have, because I honestly somewhat doubt even the principal Cast (Anthony Boyle) would be able to “whoo” me the way James did.

Sam Clemmett (Albus Potter)

(Firstly, I sadly didn’t get to say Hi to him; the moment he came out the theatre, he was already gone and when he went back inside and passed me again, I was somewhere else with my thoughts. Bummer.)
Sam Clemmett…what can you say about this young man to do his massive talent any justice? I am beyond happy I got to see his Albus as my first one, because his expression and gestures were absolutely phenomenal, there is no other word for it. When you see him strut over that stage, standing in his “bedroom”, face-off with his father Harry (Stuart Ramsay), and you just…BELIEVE the emotions shooting out of his mouth and eyes. He makes you want to storm onto the stage and hug him, tell him how you understand him and his struggles, how he is not as alone in this world as he believes with being the son of the legendary “Boy Who Lived”. And you also feel the wish to slap him whenever he screams at Harry, when he tells him he wishes his father was dead. There are so many conflicting emotions, and Sam takes you on his journey, juggling between those emotions, never really letting you take a deep enough breath before another mayhem starts. I have rarely seen such a young man/actor having such a tremendous talent when it comes to facial expressions, gestures and emotions. I know Sam may still be young, but he definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

Poppy Miller (Ginny Potter)

Poppy was one of the biggest changes for me; I still remember Bonnie Wright from the movies, the beautiful, shy, redhead who had to fight her way through childhood against 6 brothers. And I absolutely adored the way the writers have created “Stage-Ginny”! Barely have I seen such a fierce and strong character who makes even the strongest, most serious men (aka Draco Malfoy/Alex Price) almost weep and crawl back into themselves. Poppy gives the audience the kind of Bonnie I think a lot of women can identify with, independent, stubborn even, and at the same time, a loving mother and wife who puts her family and loved ones first – and being very convincing at it.

Esther Smith (Delphi Diggory)

(1st picture courtesy of the official twitter of @esthervonsmith!)
Esther…Delphi. Jesus Christ. I am not going to say a lot so as to not give out any spoilers in case you plan on seeing the Play and haven’t read the book/script yet, only that much: the border between love and hate with this character is SO thin it’s barely existent.
The moment Esther/Delphi shows up on stage, she just captivates you with her bouncy, funny character. And even when the Play moves along, turning right onto the “Uh-Oh” lane to doom, you can’t help but admiring the way Esther does her thing on stage. The way she uses words and expressions, her intonations, her interactions with Albus & Scorpius (in this case, Sam & James)…it gave me chills and the creeps at the same time. I was sheer blown away by such a diversive talent in that young woman and really wished I would’ve had the chance to tell her so in person, if I wouldn’t have been so preoccupied and crap with recognizing some faces. So whatever you do, I advise you to catch her as Delphi as long as you can, she’s out of this world!

So…”Harry Potter And The Curse Child” at the Palace Theatre, London. One of the biggest and most amazing surprises I ever had the honour to witness on a stage, with an extraordinary cast that has a variety of phenomenal talents and wonderful personalities off stage, a technical standard that so far is not achieved anywhere else on the West End yet, and a storyline that has so much more potential than what some people give it credit for.

I will definitely try everything to get another ticket when the next batch is being released soon, to hopefully be swept off my feet again, even by not the same amazing Cast I had this first time.

THANK YOU, Alex, Stuart, Paul, Nicola, James, Poppy, Esther, Sam and everyone else. You made this a very special theatre experience for me. And whatever you’re going to do next, I’m wishing you all the best in the world, from the bottom of my heart.

London 23.-28.07.2014

After two months, I was finally back – and this time, I would spent almost a week here, with one of my best friends around me 24/7, plus, 6 amazing shows and one soccer game. Safe to say I was beyond excited. And as I don’t want to spam people with numerous blogs about each show, I’ll put them all in here.

Wednesday, 23rd of July: “Billy Elliot”

This was my 2nd trip to the Victoria Palace Theatre since January 2013, and although at first I hadn’t been a huge fan of the show (with not having seen the film and not even being slightly interested in changing that), but even back then I thought it had potential and it was truly hilarious. Now, after this 2nd time of seeing the show, I keep asking myself: “Why haven’t I seen it more often whenever I was in London since last January?” Because hands down: it has gotten to me. Big time. I absolutely adored every single second of the show, and the Billy we had that day – Matteo Zecca,- was beyond amazing. He didn’t impress me as much as my first Billy, Harris Beattie, but then again, no one can beat your first, right? Just as with Tomi Fry, who is just hilarious as Michael, and who always is one of the highlights of the entire show for me. The woman who played Mrs. Wilkerson, Ruthie Henshall, was flawless. Not only her dancing talent, or simply her acting, but the entire way how she displayed the Ballet teacher, and how she treated Billy. Even the moments where she got pissed off at things, or excited, or sad, they were massively impressing, and I think her acting talent is really worth every pound you invest into that show when you decide to see it. Of course, the guy playing Mr. Braithwaite, David Muscat, was adorable, and his ability of tapdancing and doing a split was a real “Wow” moment for me, considering his stature. And the little girls who played the ballet class were beyond adorable, and so absolutely talented in everything they do, and the audience could easily see how much they enjoyed their roles. It’s always impressing when you can see kids on a stage, because sometimes, they can even upstage the grown-ups with their talent. I have to admit that I even kind of fell for the songs this time, especially “Solidarity” or “Electricity”, two really amazing tunes, and, of course, the best thing about the show: the opening of Act 2, “Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher”. That never fails to make me laugh.

Thursday, 24th of July: “Wicked”

My birthday show! One short notice beforehand: I do not hate the show itself, because that’s the impression a lot of crazy “Wicked” fans will get when they read this. Thing is: when I booked my ticket together with my friend Sarah, we decided to go up into the circle, because she said up there you could have a good overview of the stage and everything around it. Which was more than true. The stupid thing is that back then, I did not think of the fact that I was short-sighted, and that, when far away from something, I sometimes have problems with the acoustic in a room like this, meaning I barely understand a word…which made my first experience of the show one that I wish I wouldn’t have made. And the story just isn’t my kind of thing, I have realized after seeing it. The Cast, however, was mindblowing. We had both understudies for Glinda and Elphaba that day, Sophie Linder-Lee and Emma Hatton, plus, Jeremy Taylor as Fiyero.
Sophie was amazing, I loved her display of the bitchy Glinda, the girl who thinks the world evolves around her and who’s just so dislikeable at the beginning; but still, she was hilarious in it, and her voice sounded beautiful. And Emma Hatton…just wow. That girl can sing, and wow, HOW she can sing. I knew her from seeing/hearing her on the “We Will Rock You” stage, and I always knew she had an amazing talent, but what I was honoured to witness on the “Wicked” stage that day was breathtaking. Her voice has improved even more, and the vocals she belted out were giving me goosebumps. No surprise that she got the biggest Standing Ovations together with Sophie, and that various people afterwards said to her they were shocked to hear she was “only” the Understudy, and thought that she should have the principal role.
After the show, when me and my friends were waiting for her and the others at the Stage Door, the biggest surprise showed up: Katie Paine, former Cast Member of “We Will Rock You” (Killer Queen Understudy) and good friend of Emma. We were all so pleased to see her, and it was funny to confuse people at the Stage Door when we ran up to her, hugging her, and everyone thought she had been on the show, too. Whoops.

Friday, 25th of July: Charity Football Match on Old Street
This football match took place in small pitch where the Cast member of various West End shows – “The Commitments”, “Billy Elliot”, “Miss Saigon”, “Matilda”, “Wicked”, etc. – were playing for a good cause, and it was highly entertaining, yet a bit scary to see how those talented men all turned into aggressive sportsmen with the will to fight and to win their games, and how some of them could turn into very bad losers when challenged (don’t look at me like that, even the Cast Members themselves called some of their teammates “twat” at some point!)

Friday, 25th of July: “Miss Saigon”

A show I was excited about since my best friend had made me read its summary on Wikipedia months back. I am highly interested in “War Drama”, as I like to call it, Pearl Harbor, Vietnam War, you name it. And I am really happy that this show didn’t disappoint my expectations, despite the fact that it reminded me of “Les Misérables”, with not more than two or three sentences spoken normally, but sung. In some way, the music in “Miss Saigon” made it easier for me, and almost all of the songs were absolutely beautiful, mostly due to the fact that the people performing them were total stunners. Eva Noblezada, for starters, who plays the bar girl Kim. That girl is only 18 years old, but my God, she can sing like there is no tomorrow. Best voice I have heard in a long time, and her performance of Kim was flawless. She gave me goosebumps all over, and more than one tear in my eye. I see her having a very bright future on the stages of the world ahead.
Then, of course, Alistair Brammer as the soldier Chris. I could go on all day about how beautiful he is, how fit, how absolutely gorgeous and every girl’s dream. But most of all, his voice is breathtaking, and his acting talent was out of this world. I know now that this show isn’t easy at all, it doesn’t have a happy ending, but especially the last scene of it, just before the Curtain Call, is beyond difficult to play, I imagine. And Alistair was stunning in that scene, and in every single one before. You could see how emotionally caught up he is in his role, and that makes his display of Chris even more convincing.
Also, Kwang-Ho Hong as Thuy, Kim’s to-be love interest – WOW. I totally get why he’s so well-respected and popular in Korea. That man is amazingly talented. and it’s no suprise that he got one of the loudest Standing Ovations after the show.
Last but not least, one person who also impressed me was Hugh Maynard, who played the soldier John. His performance of “Bui Doi” was just amazing, and so heartbreaking, with all the pics of poor little kids in the background. These are the things that captivate me most about shows like that: the realistic inputs that remind you that all of this is real, that it has happened at one point in history. Overall, this show blew me away, and I think I will definitely be back at some point.

Saturday, 26th of July: “The Lion King”

That show was something I had heard different things about, and it made me partly wanting to see it and partly to avoid it. I get one of my friends’ disappointment when she first went to see it years back, saying how the heads on the actors heads were confusing her, making her dislike the show because the costumes were so disappointing (which, if you compare it with “Tarzan” definitely is a true thing, I can tell you). But after now having seen it, I am glad I gave it a shot anyways – after all, it was the first childhood movie that really impressed me 20 years ago. And right at the beginning, my tears had already started running down my cheeks, because when I listened to and watched the performance of “Circle Of Life”, all those memories came back to me, and it was a beautiful thing to watch all those animals coming onto the stage, filling it with life and music, and constant goosebumps were the result. Although even the woman right next to me said how silent the sound/acoustic was compared to the tour version she had seen once, and despite the fact that this show is definitely not one that has a lot of challenging vocals compared to other shows, I was impressed and loved it. The Cast was absolutely talented, especially the guy who played Simba that day, Nic Vani. When he came on stage during his “growing-up scene” in “Hakuna Matata”, I constantly fell in love with his amazing voice.
The highlight in this show, though, for me, were 4 people who don’t even have the biggest roles: Brown Lindiwe Mkhize, who played Rafiki exactly as I always thought he should be on stage, and the 3 people playing the hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai & Ed: Sarah Amankhwah, Taofique Folarin & Mark McGee. Just wow. I absolutely adored their costumes, and together with the one of Pumba, they were my favourites and the best in the entire show, and even more so, their acting talent was both flawless and hilarious. Watching them definitely made my night, because they were playing exactly as I remembered it from the movie. Though a few things were completely different to what happened in said movie, it even gave the show more spirit, and those changes were necessary to make it such a successfully running thing on the West End.

Saturday, 26th of July: “Book Of Mormon”

Cast Change day. I wasn’t aware of that until only a few days before my departure, and I knew the theatre and the Stage Door would both be packed, because the two Principal Roles, Gavin Creel (Elder Price) & Jared Gertner (Elder Cunningham) would be having their last show. AND WHAT A SHOW IT WAS. It was my 2nd time seeing it, and I can say nothing else than that I fell in love with it even more than during the 1st time. Everyone on that stage was and is beyond talented, and it’s the most hilarious thing I have ever seen in my life – and don’t even try and get me to explain it to you, because, hands down, “Book Of Mormon” simply is something that you can’t explain to anybody. So I advise you to go and see it yourself as soon as you can 😉
As we had Jared Gertner, who is the First Cast for Elder Cunningham, it was a different experience for me than the first time, when I was lucky enough to get David O’Reilly in that role. Jared was flawless, without a doubt. His Cunningham is beyond adorable, and he has a certain thing around him that makes you forget that behind all that clothing and Make-Up there is a grown man. You can’t help but love his talent and his display of that role, and although his role doesn’t really require huge singing talent (in my opinion, that is), his voice was wonderful to listen to, and there’s no doubt about his future acting career in the USA. Still, I have to admit, I desperately missed David O’Reilly on stage that night, because for me, he is “my” Elder Cunningham, someone who makes that role even more special in my opinion.
Gavin Creel…what can I say? He was flawless, his Elder Price is breathtaking, and with just a few words, a few moves, a few vocals, he has the entire audience tightly in the palm of his hand. His talent is insane, and the way he plays his role is indescribably good. Whenever I listen to him, I can’t help but at least bobbing with my head, or tipping my feet on the ground, and just smile widely the entire time. He has this certain thing around him that makes you feel welcome, that makes you feel kind of “home”, and I am truly blessed and honoured I had the chance to see the massive talent of his twice on stage. And although I hope he will be back on the West End stage more than soon, I wish him all the best for his life and career in the USA.
Alexia Khadime, as usual, was breathtaking, can’t say it any other way. That woman is just wow, no matter what she does or says or sings. I don’t know what is more stunning, her acting or her singing talent, and she is – without a doubt – the best Nabalungi that anybody who goes and sees the show will ever get to see.
With the rest of the Cast, especially the Elders, there is massive talent on that stage. No matter if it’s singing or acting, whenever I see them on stage (I know it’s only been two times, but it feels like way more), I am beyond impressed by how fitting each and every single on of them is in their roles, it never fails to amaze me. And I hope everyone of them will be staying for a while longer in this show, because without a doubt, you can see how much they love and enjoy to be part of it, of the Mormon Family. And they just simply deserve to be in it.

Sunday, 27th of July: “The Commitments”

If you have read an earlier post of mine on here about the show, then you know how little I liked it, mostly due to the fact that I barely understood anything (I blame the thick irish accent). And I think if you don’t understand a show, there is no way that even the best Cast can help you enjoy it anyway. I had, however, decided to give it another shot. And yes, I am SO glad I did.
I have never seen myself as a soul person, and although the songs sounded familiar, I never really liked them, they’re not my kind of thing, I guess. This show changed everything, though. The Cast was absolutely on fire, and I can’t even emphasize anyone in particular, because hands down, what the guys and girls on that stage do up there every night is mindblowing. May it be Ian McIntosh, who is the understudy for Deco, and who is just one of the most talented and blessed young men any stage has ever seen, or Mark Dugdale, who is just hilarious as Derek in any way I could think of, or Joe Woolmer, who I massively adore since the first time I saw him in the role of Mickah (seriously, if that guy doesn’t make you almost pee yourself laughing, then something really is wrong with you), or John McLarnon, Andrew Linnie, Sarah O’Connor, Denis Grindel, who we had as Jimmy that day (and who was good but not as brilliant as Thomas Snowdon on my first visit last November), Brian Gilligan, Stephanie McKeon…I could go on and on. The thing is: the talent on this stage is what makes the show vivid, and even more so, makes it such a feel-good show. I didn’t realize it the first time I went to see it, maybe because I had no idea what it was about, didn’t understand Jack Squad and was accompanied by just the wrong people, but I can safely say that now I absolutely adore this show and its brilliant Cast.
The Stage Door afterwards was total madness for us and I don’t even know how to understand anything that happened that might, but at some point, Mark Dugdale re-named me “Helga” because he thought “Tanja” wasn’t a very german name, hugged me multiple times to apologize that he forgot we had already met and was just a total star, like everyone else. Definitely made that last show experience of the week the best of all. Go and see the show if you can, you’ll come out with the biggest grin on your face and soul in your feet (if you’re not like me the first time you see it, that is 😉 ).
 

Apart from all the theatre experiences, I, overall, had the most amazing time in my favourite city, with the best people I could ever ask for, who not only made my birthday special, but the entire trip. I have amazing friends in them (old and new), and I feel absolutely blessed that they could be with me during almost all of that week. Thank you Sarah, Simone, Laura, Ali, Noor, Sigal, Steph, Jus, Carol, Tracie, Natalia, Gabby, Kim and whoever I have forgotten now. You all rock, thank you for making this trip so absolutely fun and unforgettable!