It’s a shorter round-up from me this month; I went to see two musicals and one comedy play. Although one keeps extending its booking all the way into next year, the other two are only on for a couple of weeks longer, so act fast if they sound up your street!
Groundhog Day
Winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2017, Groundhog Day returned to The Old Vic this summer. Andy Karl reprised the role of self-centred weatherman Phil Connors, who lives the same day in the same small town, Punxsutawney, over and over. Surprisingly, this plot doesn’t get tiresome but reveals the many possibilities that can be found, even in the smallest of towns with the least interesting of days to be stuck in. It’s a testament to Andy Karl’s acting that Phil Connors is incredibly detestable yet it’s impossible not to get behind him and hope his life can turn around.
Based on the classic film, it’s revamped with an incredible musical score by Tim Minchin (of Matilda The Musical) and it’s an absolute must see. It’s only running until 19 August, so make sure to catch it before it closes!
Bleak Expectations
Bleak Expectations takes audiences to Dickensian London through the eyes of narrator Phillip Bin. Each week, a different guest from TV and comedy takes to the stage as the narrator – the week I went to see it saw Tom Allen take to the role. Although the idea of a ‘guest narrator’ generated the show’s appeal, it also shot itself in the foot as Tom Allen’s introductory improv banter with the audience was far funnier than any lines written in the play. If you’re into Dickens or the original radio series the play was based on you may be charmed, but it didn’t work for me.
Operation Mincemeat
On the last day of the month, I went to see Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre, where The Woman In Black played for over 33 years. Debuting at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 before runs at Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios, it was exciting to see a homegrown production come to the West End after such a journey.
Operation Mincemeat is one of the freshest new musicals on the West End, with an unlikely story – a plot to fool the Germans during the Second World War – and an incredible soundtrack that will be in your head for days after. The cast consists of just five members (three of whom are creators of the show), so there’s a lot of multi-roling which is executed with effortless ease. Billed as a comedy musical (produced by comedy giant Avalon), it got plenty of laughs from the audience, but it’s poignant moments were its strongest. I dare you not to shed a tear at its heartfelt closing moment!
Following an understandable high demand, it’s extended booking until February 2024. With dynamic pricing, Mondays and Tuesdays are the cheapest to go, so they’re unsurprisingly almost sold out. To get the cheapest tickets, keep a look out for it extending and book fast!
What’s coming up in August? I’ve already been to see The SpongeBob Musical at the Southbank Centre, and I’m going to Dear England at the National Theatre before it makes its West End transfer in the autumn. I also have a trip to see two shows in Chichester which I’m very excited for!
Make sure to catch up on June’s theatre round-up as many of the shows I saw in June are still playing throughout August, and let me know what you saw this month below!
