⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A must-see for fans of the movie and musical theatre enthusiasts alike!
Get ready to leave your troubles Far Far Away and embark on an unforgettable adventure filled with laughter, love, and ogre-sized fun as the award-winning Shrek The Musical comes to the Alexandra Theatre stage.
With the Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and Music by Jeanine Tesori, we follow the story of Shrek, a lovable ogre who finds himself on a quest with the quirky and talkative Donkey to rescue Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.
This classic George Orwell novella is far from the obvious choice of texts to be adapted into a musical. Animal Farm, first published in 1945, is a satirical take on the Bolshevik revolution of Russia and the politics of Joseph Stalin – examining themes of power, corruption and equality, posing important questions about how we view certain socio-political ideals, all shown through a group of anthropomorphic farmyard animals.
Animal Farm – British Youth Music Theatre. Birmingham. 5 April 2024.
Picture by Simon Hadley/ http://www.simonhadley.co.uk
The wedding is off, but the honeymoon is on as the Stock, Aitkin and Waterman musical I Should Be So Lucky comes to the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.
After Ella (Lucie-Mae Sumner) is left at the alter by fiancé Nathan (Billy Roberts), she decides to still go on her honeymoon to Turkey, accompanied by her family and friends. With guidance from video projections of THE Kylie Minogue in a large mirror, her broken heart starts to heal when she meets the handsome waiter Nadeem (Matthew Croke). Nathan realises his mistake and follows Ella to Turkey to win her back, but will she give him a second chance?
Stock, Aitken and Waterman are considered to be one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all time, with more than 100 UK top-40 hits, over 150 millions records sold, and have worked with some of the biggest selling artists in history.
When the announcement was made that a Stock, Aitkin and Waterman musical was in production, I was beside myself with excitement. Their music was the soundtrack to my youth and represents my earliest and favourite musical memories – Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan’s debut albums were the first I ever received on vinyl, I waited in line for over two hours at a music store in Blackpool to get an autographed single from Sonia, I had a poster of Big Fun on my wall… Even now, at 42 years old, I still remember every word from every song of that era.
Yesterday morning – Saturday on the Easter Bank Holiday weekend – The Bloke and I were awake early. It was a rare day where both of us had the entire day to ourselves, so I suggested that we take advantage of the beautiful weather and go out somewhere.
The conversation about a day-trip to Solihull quickly turned into a trip to Worcester. We got ready and got on the bus…
Directed by Adam Meggio and written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields,the members of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are back on stage, battling technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes as they attempt to present J.M Barrie’s much-loved tale of Peter Pan. But will they ever make it to Neverland?
Peter Pan Goes Wrong, part of the ever growing Mischief Theatre (which includes the hugely successful The Play That Goes Wrong), has remained one of my favourite productions since I was lucky enough to watch it in February 2020. Would it be just as funny the second time round?
You know where you suddenly look up and there’s a realisation of being present for the first time in what seems like forever?
That happened to me last week. I woke up, checked my phone and realised that it was 7.00am, The Bloke had gone to work, it was light outside and suddenly it was the second week in March. I know that there was a February at some point, but I don’t seem to have fully acknowledged it.
We finally have a sofa that was delivered yesterday (seriously, UK residents DO NOT order from SCS), and up until that point The Bloke and I had spent a considerable amount of time since January slumped on an air mattress on the floor of the living room. Getting on and off that thing resulted in a fit of giggles on more than one occasion, particularly when my 67 year old mother visited and sat on it. The actual sitting part wasn’t too bad, it was more watching her attempt to get back up again in a manner that Buster Keaton would be proud of.
Comedy gold at its finest.
Mum has visited on several occasions since the start of the New Year. A few days after we moved, we had tickets to see a Rat Pack concert that we had booked last year, so once she had had the tour of the new place, we went and stayed in a hotel in the city – there were boxes everywhere and nowhere for her to sleep, so it made more sense to go and stay close to the venue. It was nice walking through the Mailbox and the canal at night with all the lights – one of my favourite places in Birmingham.
I have visited Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill a number of times over the years, and even had the opportunity to interview the man himself back in 2019. I like it – it has always been a place to visit for spectacular views of the city and a nice cocktail in a relaxed atmosphere. I’m a big fan of several of the dishes – my favourite dessert in Birmingham was the Chocolate Mousse from MPW.
However, the prestigious restaurant, situated on Level 25 of the Cube, has recently undergone a refurbishment, and we were offered the chance to have a sneak peak at the new changes and get a taste of the new menu. As I was unable to attend, I sent a friend in my place to have a look…
Based on the award-winning 1982 classic starring Richard Gere and Deborah Winger, we follow the story of Zack Mayo and his fellow recruits as they embark on their gruelling training to become Navy Jet Pilots.
Zack (Luke Baker) – a military brat who was forced to live with his alcoholic US Navy Petty Office father in the Philippines following his mother’s suicide – has a bad attitude and immediately clashes with their drill sergeant Emil Foley (Jamal Crawford). With an unexpected romance with young factory workers Paula Pokrifki (Georgia Lennon), Zach and his fellow candidates learn some tough lessons about love and life.
FINALLY, we have the musical that all Steps fans (myself included) have been waiting for.
HERE & NOW is the hilarious and heart-warming brand new musical based on the songs of British pop band Steps, and I was lucky enough to bag an invite to the press launch at The Alexandra Theatre.
Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after?’ Or does love have other plans in store…?
Formed in 1997, Steps has sold over 22 million records worldwide, and HERE & NOW is produced by the band themselves, along with ROYO and pop legend Pete Waterman. With an enormous (and loyal) fan base, the production has already broken the Alexandra Theatre box office records, selling TEN THOUSAND tickets within the first 24 hours of release ahead of their November shows.
Suzie Speaks 
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