I never thought I’d see a demagorgon do the ‘Thriller’ dance, but it was absolute perfection.
Written by Jonathan Hogue and directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, Stranger Sings is one of the best satirical shows I’ve ever seen. The behind-the-scenes casts deserves just as much credit as the stage cast; without their impeccable staging, costume designs, choreography, and sound tech, the show would not be half as amazing. It is being performed at one of my favorite venues, The Vaults.
The stage was set to the max – board games cluttered the 80s furniture, Christmas lights lined the walls, Joyce’s famous alphabet was painted on the walls, and the slimy upside-down vines traced the walls and doorways. The music, sometimes hilariously parodying well-known theatre numbers, always has an undertone of 80s techno.
As soon as the cast ran on stage, I knew this show would be a hit. Their energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and the audience responded accordingly, clapping multiple times throughout the show. Plot-wise, Stranger Sings covers Season 1 with a few references to the other seasons. The show is bursting with clever one-liners commenting on the show’s plot holes, the lack of any parental guidance (save Joyce), and, of course, Barb’s injustice. However, the references don’t stop at the show – there are countless 80s, musical theatre, and pop culture references. What I really enjoyed is how they don’t shy away from obvious jokes. This could have led to a corny show, but because of the extreme talent of the cast, who would sometimes break the fourth wall, it had no trace of cheesiness.
The cast (half of which are recent graduates, making me all the more impressed with this production) is utterly phenomenal. Each performer gives their all 100 percent of the time. Even those who do not play multiple characters do the most to make the show that much more entertaining: for example, background dancing in camp 80s clothing.
While it’s extremely difficult to highlight any cast members, as they were all such strong performers, I must note Holly Sumpton’s (Joyce) and Georgia McElwee’s (Barb) astounding performances. Sumpton’s impression of Joyce/Winona Ryder is impeccable. I won’t fully spoil it (though it ends with her saying, “Give me my damn Emmy”), but she performed the stand-out number of the show. McElwee as Barb was justice enough, she plays her so superbly – not to mention, her voice is stunning.
I cannot emphasize the amount of unwavering energy brought to the stage for this performance. It is thoroughly entertaining – I was either smiling or laughing the entire time. It’s hilarious, camp, whimsical – I could go on and on, but really, you should just grab your bike and walkie talkie and cycle as quickly as possible to The Vaults to see this amazing show.
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical New Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Review Revival Richmond Theatre Round Up Royal Court Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End
- A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE - A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503 - PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE - GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, High Tide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE - CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH
Drum roll please…(Cue a literal drum rolling across the stage.) The Lyric pantomime is one of traditions with the return of many well-loved jokes and skits. Costumes and sets are all made at the Lyric itself by Good Teeth, with set pieces being reused year on year. This year Cinderella gets the Hammersmith makeover, with some success. The costuming is fun and vibrant, with the ugly stepsisters’ equine pyjamas and hoop-skirted ball gowns giving all the wrong kinds of extra you need for those characters. Cinderella’s on stage dress transformation is magical and really well-timed. The Dame, Lady Jelly-Bottom’s, outfits … More CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH