I had great fun putting together my top ten list for 2014 and was quite excited about doing the same today, however when I started looking at the dozens of shows I have been privileged to have been to this year the task was not going to be as easy as I thought. There were no runaway winners like Gypsy or Assassins this year and therefore the following list is in no particular order.
These are my personal choices from the productions ‘I’ have seen in 2015 (regardless of when they opened). There are so many productions I wished I had seen but missed and some on my list opened before 2015. We all have different opinions, I would love to hear what would be on YOUR list. Feel free to let me know 😀
Miss Saigon
Prince Edward Theatre, London
A huge fan of Miss Saigon in the 1990s I was reluctant to see it again in the fear that it might not live up to my extremely high expectations. Although there had been some changes that affected the sheer scale of the original production, the new version is still one incredible show and the new stars Eva Noblezada and Jon Jon Briones were fantastic and yes more tears were shed.
Buy Tickets to Miss Saigon (closes February)
King Charles III
Wyndham’s Theatre, London
The nice thing about these ‘best of’ lists is that you get some good recommendations, last January I decided to take a trip to one of the recommended plays. Mike Bartlett’s King Charles III and I really loved it. A marvellous play about royal responsibilities, freedom of the press and royally acted by Tim Piggott Smith – I am thrilled that the play is going on tour and will be at the Theatre Royal Brighton early February with Robert Powell.
Buy Tickets to Kng Charles III in Brighton
A Little Night Music
Ye Olde Rose & Crown Pub
My first trip to the Old Rose and Crown Theatre Pub was a real treat, inspired because I had heard good things about All Star Productions and also because Stephen Sondheim is one of my favourite composers and I had not seen ‘A Little Night Music’ before – neither the venue or the musical disappointed me. Some great performances in a fabulous performing space. Bravo!
Review of A Little Night Music
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Theatre Royal, Brighton
in this was a return visit for me to one of my favourite shows I have seen. Priscilla is SUCH a feelgood show that causes you to grin from ear to ear as you leave the theatre. Some of the reviews I read before seeing the tour weren’t too great but I must say Duncan James and the rest of the cast were absolutely superb – loved every second.
It is still on tour and can be caught at the Hawth, Crawley and the Congress Theatre Eastbourne in the Spring! Yippee!
Review of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Buy Tickets for Priscilla in Eastbourne 14 March – 19 March 2016
Buy Tickets for Priscilla in Crawley 18th – 23rd April 2016
Kinky Boots
Adelphi Theatre, London
Is there a bit of a theme emerging here? I love feel-good shows and I like to come out of the theatre feeling happy. I make no apologies for that. I have always enjoyed the film Kinky Boots, and this show with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper exceeded my expectations.
News just in is that the cast are releasing a live cast recording – this will be in my shopping bag pretty soon after it is released!
Di and Viv and Rose
Vaudeville Theatre, London
A controversial choice because a few of my theatre buddies didn’t rate this play but I absolutely loved it. It was a three hander with Jenna Russell, Tamsin Outhwaite and Samantha Spiro and focused on friendships through difficult times.
Quite a lot of the play I related to and it moved me incredibly.
I look firward to seeing Jenna Russell in the New Year in Grey Gardens
Wisdom of a Fool
The Capitol Theatre – Horsham
This is probably the surprise entry in my Top Ten this year. surprising me as much as anyone. A full length one-man play depicting the life and career of funnyman Norman Wisdom sounded an ambitious project but with clever writing and a superb performance by Jack Lane, it absolutely paid off.
I expect great things from this play, and keeping my ears open for any news.
In the Heights
The King’s Cross Theatre – London
Another show I had heard great things about. I couldn’t get a ticket for love nor money at the Southwark Playhouse last year so I was delighted when the show with much of the original cast transferred to the King’s Cross Theatre to share the space with The Railway Children.
In the Heights is PACKED with energy and passion and whereas the hiphop latino style music isn’t usually what I would go for, you cannot help being swept away by the spirit of the show.
Buy tickets for in the Heights here
Farinelli and the King
Duke of York Theatre – London
Oh oh oh – I wish I had seen this with a decent view, as it was I had a ridiculously bad restricted view which spoiled the play somewhat.
But hey – even as a radio play this would have worked well, Mark Rylance gave a brilliant performance of the Spanish King plagued by insomnia and turns to a castrato for comfort.
Loved it.
Review of Farinelli and the King
and finally
The Baker’s Wife
Drayton Arms Theatre – London
I love fringe theatre and I have been lucky enough to see many marvellous productions this year, I wish I could name them all, but I was delighted to catch this little gem at the Drayton Arms Theatre in South Kensington in June.
A charming story based on the film ‘La Femme Du Boulanger’ the small but exuberant cast did a fine job in creating a French village life for the audience to enjoy.
So there you have it. Other notable mentions would definitely be the tours of Calamity Jane, Oklahoma, Avenue Q and The Bodyguard all of which were superb, but a list like this has to stop somewhere.
I have seen a lot more plays this year but still 6 out of ten of my favourites are still musicals. Six West End productions, two regional and two Off West End.
Looking forward to 2016 and broadening my outlook a little further – watch this space!
Also…..
If you want other #ldntheatreblogger’s opinions here are a few other ‘best of’ lists – see how different we are, we have all seen different things and all had different opinions and experiences – isn’t theatre going wonderful?
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Sammi O’Neill
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