This time around, the focus is on Aspects of Love, the 1989 Trevor Nunn/ Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about various love affairs across the generations. The show was based on a 1955 novel by David Garnett, and gave the world the song Love Changes Everything, and made a star of Michael Ball – which we can all be grateful for.

Aspects of Love is on at the Menier Chocolate Factory

This is Aspects of Love’s first major London revival, and Trevor Nunn who directed the original production has taken the reins at the Chocolate Factory, who are building a reputation for their reinventions of well-known shows. Recent Menier productions of La Cage aux Folles and A Little Night Music have gone on to wow Broadway and the West End, and there is no reason why Aspects of Love won’t go on to do the same.

This more intimate Aspects still has the same soaring, anthemic ballads and tumultuous romantic entanglements, but redesigned as a chamber piece it is more affecting than its somewhat overblown big brother.

What is most surprising, perhaps, is that this new streamlined version has come from its original creators and not a new creative force. It’s commendable that director Trevor Nunn chose to have another crack at it, alongside composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has pared-down his original arrangement significantly. The 1989 production had almost 40 scene changes and a 17-strong orchestra, but now makes use of a permanent set and seven musicians – and amazingly – it works. While Webber has successfully reworked his score without losing any of his trademark aplomb, Nunn has surprised further by delivering a staging that has a vitality and friskiness more akin to Spring Awakening than a 20-year-old ALW musical.

The stand-out tune, Love Changes Everything, is still as powerful as ever, but it is now rivalled by other numbers that it previously outshone; particularly Hand Me The Wine And The Dice and There Is More To Love.

Aspects of Love 2010 is a well-cast, well-staged show and this intimate, intense and unashamedly romantic musical deserves to be another huge hit for the Menier.

Review by: Colin Ferguson

A hit on Broadway for La Cage Aux Folles.
Douglas Hodge deserves it, and New York audiences deserve to enjoy this adorable, intimate, heartfelt, tender show for many months to come.

A hit in the West End for Legally Blonde.
Now, in addition to my wishlist, I have a secret subset of predictions, and I don’t mind revealing that one of them comprises the names of the theatre critics who will pan the festival of pink. Regardless, I hope that the inevitable mixed reviews will not put off the public from enjoying this show for what it is — a fun production with a nicely-written score and a wonderful comedy talent in Sheridan Smith.

Spamalot to go on tour.
It’s been rumoured for ages, with the legendary Biggins linked to the role of King Arthur. I genuinely think this would fare well outside of London, what with the suburb-dwellers of a certain age’s residual affection for Monty Python. And if Biggins is in it, so much the better.

The Rocky Horror Show to play a few weeks in the West End.
This production had a couple of dates at the Playhouse in mid-2006, but since then it’s been all over the UK, and has even secured itself a world record (biggest-ever Timewarp on Brighton beach in October, since you ask). Admittedly I’m biased because it’s one of my favourite shows and I adore Richard Meek, who’s about to rejoin the cast as Brad, but nonetheless I think that it’s time for Rocky to return to the capital.

Refurbishment!
Some kind of magical transformation to take place in all old-style theatres to permit people who are taller than the average 1890 audience member to stretch their legs and walk through doors without stooping. Refurbishment, you say? What a quaint idea!

Hugh Jackman to come to the UK.
He and Daniel Craig can transfer A Steady Rain if they want, or he can do a musical if he prefers, I really don’t care. We just need some Jackman.

Too Close To The Sun to be released as a cast recording.
Oh, no, wait, we already got that.

Happy New Year, everybody!

I was very excited to see Douglas Hodge and Denis Lawson reunited and was all set to convey my thoughts on the production immediately after the curtain. And then @FeignedMischief quite rightly tweeted, “How many times have you seen that now?”, bringing me back down to earth with a very vociferous bump. Albeit one covered in glitter.

This was because I’ve seen the production of La Cage once every six weeks or so since it transferred to the West End. And yet I’m never bored with it. I laugh in the same places; I look forward to the same songs; I love seeing how the dynamic changes with the different lead pairings and from night to night. More importantly for the sentimental wretch that I am, I cry in the same place and find myself caring and empathising with our heroes, willing them to triumph, with fingers crossed for the triumph of true love – romantic, paternal and maternal.

I’ve seen pretty much everything in the West End at least once. But it’s not everything that I’ll watch again and again. So what other productions have I seen multiple times in the past 18 months?

Avenue Q. I first saw it in early 2007 and liked it very much. But what’s kept me going back? One man, and one man only – Daniel Boys. Yes, I thought Jon Robyns was great, and I’ve seen a couple of understudies in the role of Princeton/Rod, but I genuinely believe that Boys is a genius. Similarly, though I adore Julie Atherton, and saw Rebecca Lock and Clare Foster as Kate/Lucy, recent arrival Cassidy Janson gives the best Special I’ve ever seen or heard.

Chicago. I go back when there’s someone in the cast I really want to see. Does that make me a sucker and just like a tourist? Perhaps – although on my last trip, I hadn’t gone to see Destiny’s Child Michelle Williams as Roxie; I wanted to see Tiffany Graves on her return as Velma. That’s not to say I don’t buy tickets for celebrities – David Hasselhoff, Tony Hadley, Alison Moyet and Darius Danesh (seriously) were all good enough reasons for me to turn up.

The Rocky Horror Show. Yes, I’m one of the weirdos that follows the production around the country and dons a costume for the occasion. In direct contrast to Chicago, though, for this show, “name” casting isn’t important. Except for the narrator. If it’s Biggins, I’m DOUBLY there.

And having seen http://blog.show-and-stay.co.uk/?p=1182 Finally, two of the biggest talking points in the theatre world – or at least the fan forums of the internet – have been laid to rest. And I for one am very grateful indeed.

First, John Barrowman’s run as Zaza in La Cage Aux Folles has come to an end. No more will we have to have those endless circular debates about whether or not he looks too young and handsome to play a faded drag queen in a seedy nightclub. No more will we have to muse upon whether or not we agree with Barrowman’s own words, “I know Jerry Herman, and I know Jerry said when he wrote the songs and when they were working on it he had in mind someone in their mid-forties.” And perhaps more crucially, no more will we have to put up with random mad Barrowman fans applauding his every move, making him corpse, and haranguing him at the stage door.

And second, the Wicked show fangirls can have a very merry Christmas knowing that their beloved Kerry Ellis will be back in the West End next year. She’s taking over from Jodie Prenger as Nancy in Oliver! in March, which means that they can just hang around the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for a glimpse of their idol rather than stalking her across the web and through her home town, as I understand some deranged folk are wont to do. And our messageboards will no longer be clogged up with them plaintively begging, “Does ne1 no what Kerry is up 2 next?” and informing us, “I saw Kerry in the street 2day, she says she LOVES her fans LOL!”

So what will be the hot topics for 2010?

Perhaps whether or not Legally Blonde is a good show or not (and that one’s already kicked off with a vengeance)? Whether or not Hair should be bringing over an all-American cast (oh, and so has that)? Whether or not Andrew Lloyd-Webber is over-exerting himself with his quest for a new Dorothy and whether his talent searches have jumped the shark?

Anything else you predict we’ll be talking about in 2010?

And indeed, this is undeniable. But Cosette isn’t exactly a void — she’s whiny (though that might just be because of how high she sings), vain and selfish (is she at all bothered about her Papa disappearing before her wedding? Does she enquire about Eponine’s fate?) And yet we’re presumably supposed to like her, at least a little bit.

A friend of mine maintains that Fantine is more annoying than Cosette — obviously the annoyingness is genetic. However, I maintain that at least Fantine has the excuse of having syphilis, making her increasingly incoherent.

So I’ve been racking my brains to think of other supposed heroes or heroines of musical theatre who are actually irritating or just plain awful…

Raoul Phantom of the Opera London
He goes bounding in to Christine’s dressing room, having not been in touch with her for about a decade, but now she’s grown-up and looking quite passable, he’s interested again. Because he’s rich, that gives him the right to boss her about and tell her what to do (let’s leave aside the fact that Christine’s a bit pathetic herself until about two-thirds of the way through the first act); his cunning plan leaves his fiancee in the clutches of a crazed serial killer, and yet your sympathies are still with the murderer, because Raoul is just so impossibly, boringly weak-chinned and dull.

Jean-Michel (La Cage Aux Folles)
This is one of the biggest questions in theatre: is there a single actor in the world who will ever be able to make Jean-Michel anything other than a spoilt, ungrateful, cruel narcissist?

He sneaks into his parental home after what is presumably a lengthy absence, declares he’s getting married, and informs his father that his beloved and her parents will be visiting presently. Oh, and his father’s partner has to get out immediately because the in-laws-to-be won’t approve. Even his fiancee Anne, a total cipher of a character, shows more affection for her soon-to-be in-laws than Jean-Michel does for either of the men who brought him up.

Ellen (Miss Saigon)
I suspect Messrs Boublil, Schonberg and Maltby were well aware how irritating Chris’s new wife would be to audiences — the cheerful, pretty, devoted all-American wife who keeps our hero and our heroine apart.

Even as a kid seeing the show for the first time, the desperate attempts to make her sympathetic were clangingly obvious — changing the confrontational “Her Or Me” to “Now That I’ve Seen Her”, and, in the midst of her impassioned declaration of her commitment to keeping her husband away from Kim’s clutches, inserting the plaintive line, “I don’t hate this girl, even so.” Funny way of showing it, Ellen, with your total disregard for her feelings and overwhelming jealousy of your husband’s former lover. I’m not saying either are unjustified; but in terms of connecting with a character on stage, it makes it impossible.

Oh, and EVERYONE in Rent.
Get a blinkin’ job, all of you. Grow up. Pay your bills. Bohemia is all well and good, as is artistic integrity (yes, I’m talking to you, Mr Mark “I’m too good for Buzzline” Cohen), but you can’t live off your friends and your parents all your lives. Go and stack shelves or something.

Who have I missed? Who are the most irritating characters in musical theatre?

I’ve been wondering, though, whether any of the original TV cast will be tempted to audition and tread the boards. Let’s assess the likelihood.

John Barrowman — Captain Jack
Well, he’s a West End leading man, as he likes to remind us, so any decent musical project would be considered, and he’s already confessed (to me, I should add) that he’d love to do a Torchwood musical. However, I have to rule him out simply because he’s so insanely busy he could only commit to three months in La Cage Aux Folles, even though he wanted to do more, and his diary is currently full for the next 18 months (seriously).
Likelihood of participation in Torchwood The Musical: 1/10

Eve Myles — Gwen
She’s a serious actress, you know, with a proper background at the RSC. Not sure of her vocal capabilities, but she trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, so it’s likely she can sing a bit. But she’s heavily pregnant with her first baby, so I suspect she’ll not be keen to take on any stage commitments for the time being.
Likelihood: 2/10

Burn Gorman — Owen
He’s just finishing his run as Bill Sikes in Oliver! — not a brilliant singing part, but he’s shown a flair for melodrama and rhythm. He’s another one with a busy calendar ahead of him, though, which is apparently one of the reasons he’s moving on from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Likelihood: 3/10

Naoko Mori — Tosh
Barrowman might try and style himself the musical theatre expert of the Torchwood team, but quiet little Tosh has a
glittering CV herself. She’s starred as Kim in Miss Saigon (with the Barrowman, actually) and Christmas Eve in Avenue Q. IMDB doesn’t have any projects listed for her in the immediate future, so maybe it’s worth the producers giving her a call?
Likelihood: 5/10

Gareth David-Lloyd — Ianto
They’re fairly clear that the lovely besuited teaboy won’t be brewing up at Torchwood ever again, so
Gareth David-Lloyd has time to diversify. He’s got a few TV projects on the boil, and is rumoured to be heading to the US shortly; maybe his arm could be twisted if the musical producers got their offer in early.
Likelihood: 4/10

It might even be worth writing The Doctor into the Torchwood musical somehow. After all, four of the most recent Doctors have recently had, or will very soon have, their names in lights outside major playhouses.

David Tennant did his Hamlet thing to great acclaim; Christopher Eccleston was the sinister banker in A Doll’s House at the Donmar; Peter Davison is about to letch all over the gorgeous Sheridan Smith as Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde; and Sylvester McCoy’s been on the lengthy tour of Little Shop Of Horrors as Mushnik.

Anyway, if you were at the helm of the Torchwood musical and the original TV cast were off limits, who would you want in your
production?