My Favourite Shows Of 2012

With my theatre schedule for 2013 filling up nicely, I wanted to reflect on some of the best theatre shows I have seen lastyear. 2012 was definitely the year for me to broaden my theatre tastes and whilst working with the National Theatre of Scotland I have seen some of the most innovative productions.

Let's start at the very beginning (Sound of Music style)- my first show of 2012 was surprise surprise, 'Wicked'.

 My birthday is in February and for the past few years it's been tradition to take a trip to London to see the musical that started this obsession that is theatre. Wicked is my escape from reality and no matter how many different casts I have seen, that inspiring feeling I get when Defying Gravity is performed remains the same.

On that same London trip I had an evening to fill and decided to dayseat for Legally Blonde - best decision ever!! The ticket cost me £10 and the experience of my first time sitting in the front row was priceless.

In 2012 I saw this show 8 times in total including the tour. It has such a feel good, upbeat score and I always left grinning from ear to ear. 

Next up is one of most through provoking pieces of theatre I think I have ever seen. The National Theatre of Scotland's production of 'Macbeth'. 

I was lucky enough to attend the media call which was such an interesting and brilliant experience. We got to chat to the minds behind the set and the lighting. Interviewing Alan Cumming was a particular highlight. I learned a lot that day.  

Last year was also the year I realised that some of the best talent can be found right on my door step. I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring what my local theatres have had to offer. One show that really sticks in my mind was Insideout Productions show 'Company'. 

The artistic director - Paul Harper-Swan - was kind enough to let me interview the cast, which was a daunting but fun event. The show was first class and deserved the sell out performances it got. 

And last but by no means least, the final production (excluding panto) I saw this year was the phenomenal 'Glasgow Girls'. 

This show embodies everything humanity should be about. Friendship, love and community spirit, whilst creating awareness for the hard hitting, heartbreaking subject of dawn raiding. It's transferring to London next month and is definitely a must see.  

2012 was such a good year for me theatre wise and I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store. 

What were your best shows of 2012?

Shrek The Halls...

I can't actually believe we're now into the first week of December and the Christmas countdown of 2012 has officially begun. The theme of this festive month is definitely giving, and the folks over at Shrek the musical have teamed up with youth homeless charity - Centrepoint to raise some money and awareness for this important cause. 

So grab a cup of hot chocolate, sit back and watch this fun version of 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'

To donate £2 to Centrepoint's Christmas appeal, simply text OGRE12 £2 to 70070. And Don't forget to share the video and spread some Christmas cheer :) 

A Powerful Beat...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing the final night of 'The Rhythm of Life' at the Tron - and it didn't half go out with a bang.


As the title suggests this show takes the audience through the trials and tribulations of life by cleverly using the best songs of musical theatre past and present and covering key themes such as love, career, heartbreak and happiness.

The show opens with the Chicago classic 'All That Jazz', which works really well with the intimacy of the Tron's victorian bar.

This is the first glance at the highly talented cast that all bring something a little different to the production.

Musicality winner Donna Hazelton chatted about how winning the Channel 4 show had opened doors for her to have a career in an industry she loved. She spoke of her dream of making it to Broadway, and sang 'Broadway Baby' before blowing the roof off with 'Memories' from Cats.

Leah MacRae was absolutely hilarious, her take on 'Cabaret' had the whole room laughing. She also sang 'Popular' from that oh so famous show Wicked and absolutely nailed it. I definitely think there should be room for a Scottish G(a)linda in the land of Oz.

Steven Alexander's performance of 'Glass Slipper' from Soho Cinders and 'Gethsemene' from Jesus Christ Superstar were effortless. I have seen him perform in a few cabarets now, and he never disappoints.

Joanne Mcguiness brought a fresh and upbeat vibe to the evening. Singing musical favourites, 'The Wizard And I' and 'Somebody To Love' along with a very humorous song I hadn't heard before called 'Blue Hair'.

Morgan Carberry was a double threat, she was the musical director but also performed in the show. She sang - amongst others- the very funny 'Divas Lament' from Spamalot and accompanied the other performers on the piano.

My personal hightlight was the Grease and Les Mis medleys. The great arrangements had one song flowing really well into the next, providing the audience with an element of surprise.

The standing ovation at the end was truely deserved and chat of a tour was definitely on the cards. I'd keep your eyes peeled for this show coming to a theatre near you!

Kerry Ellis- Hippodrome Casino

This week I was back in my favourite city, seeing one of my favourite performers - Kerry Ellis - smash the first of a string of 6 nights at the Hippodrome Casino's Matcham room.

The Matcham room  is such a gorgeous, intimate venue. Table seating and mood lighting made for a very relaxed atmosphere and the staff were all super friendly. It's the perfect place to host an event like this. 

Supported by singers Jennifer Tierney and Caroline Deverill - who were amazing in their own right - Kerry took to the stage and opened with the popular Adele hit 'Rolling In The Deep'. This was a great crowd pleaser and  set the tone for the rest of the night. 

We were then treated to a whirlwind musical tour of Kerry's career, when she performed songs from shows that had - as she put it -'changed her life'.

These included 'Who Will Buy' from Oliver, where she told the audience how thrilled she was to play such an iconic role. 'I Could Have Danced All Night' from My Fair Lady, and - one of my personal favourites - ' I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Mis. 

The highlight of the evening for me was definitely the Katy Perry medley of 'Teenage Dream' and 'The One That Got Away'. Kerry added such a soulful sound to what is normally a pop style song and really made it her own. 

Each night audiences are treated to a guest performer. For the opening night we had the band 'Woman'. I hadn't heard any of their material before but they were fab.  They performed 3 songs and were just bursting with energy that had the full room clapping along. Check them out here.

Kerry gave credit to Wicked for helping to kick start her EP and in turn her album, and performed a beautiful arrangement of 'Defying Gravity'. 

One of the last songs was 'Edge of Glory', which was a great upbeat sound to round off the night. Kerry seemed so appreciative of everyone involved and could not praise her band and her musical director Craig Adams more. 

It was a truly fantastic night and I urge you to try and grab the last remaining tickets!  

The Rhythm of Life

 

Are you - like me - absolutely sick of this Scottish weather and want to do something a bit different?

If so, get yourself down to the Tron Theatre and join Gary the Tank Commanders Leah MacRae, for 'The Rhythm of Life' - A musical revue.

This show is brought to you by Scotland's innovative entertainment company Insideout Productions, in association with Upstage Theatre Company and is set to be an impressive line up. Paul Harper- Swan - artistic director of Insideout- commented 'It's like a pick 'n' mix of your favourite musical songs'.

With this varied line up you can expect to hear some of the best songs from Musical Theatre past and present. Including Wicked, Les Mis, Cats and many more.

 MacRae is joined by a host of talented performers including Musicality winner Donna Hazelton, Steven Alexander, Morgan Carberry, Gregor Firth and Joanne Mcguinness.

Hazelton, best known for winning the role of Mama Morton in the West End hit Chicago said it was a ' treat to sing these amazing songs at the Tron'.

This show is only running for one week, and with tickets selling for the bargain price of £10 - I'd get yours ASAP!

The Rhythm of Life
Tron Theatre box office - 01415524267
2nd- 6th of October 2012
7.30pm (2.30 matinee on the 6th)
Tickets - £10

Glasgow at a glance - Doors Open Day, the Kings Theatre

Last weekend Glasgow celebrated 23 years of its successful Doors Open Day event.

This festival is designed to make the hidden gems of Glasgow more accessible . From the buildings, to the history of the people, it's all covered.

With me being a wannabe thespian (or maybe just a drama queen), I jumped at the chance of a backstage tour at the Kings Theatre . I arrived at the theatre bright eyed and bushy tailed, at a time I would not normally see on a Saturday morning, and was met by our tour guide for the day, Ronnie. His knowledge of the theatre was really extensive and he regaled us with facts and stories about the Kings throughout the years.

I'm a regular visitor there, but I never really stop and take in the impressive building that I'm sitting in and it was really interesting to see things from another point of view. I heard of the many ghost sightings that had been reported, saw inside the orchestra pit and - my personal favourite- got to stand on the stage that so many of my idols have stood on before.

The Kings run these tours all year round and if you're a lover of the arts, or really just a lover of interesting buildings , I suggest you book a place - you will not regret it!

Social Media Week Glasgow!!

From the 24th-28th of September Glasgow will be one of the  many cities playing

host to all things social media.

Social media week is aimed to 'explore cultural and economic impact of social media'. The mission is to 'help people and organisations connect through  collaboration, learning and the sharing of ideas and information'. 

Being a social media junkie myself (there's not one SM website I can think of that I don't indulge on a daily basis)   I really wanted to be involved in one way or another, so I decided to apply for a volunteer position.My application was accepted and I attended the volunteers event a few days ago.  For some reason I was really nervous, meeting new people usually doesn't bother me but I was worried I was going to be overwhelmed and had maybe gotten in over my head... I could not have been more wrong. I was met with Tim and Daniela, the very enthusiastic and encouraging  curators for the event, and a table full of like minded people who were ready to jump in (free wine too which is always a bonus).

If you live in and around Glasgow I'd highly recommend having a look at the event schedule and sign yourself up for some events. There's something for everyone and it's a great chance to learn more about the online world if you're interested but don't know where to start.

I'll be blogging more throughout the week but I just wanted to put the word out, I hope to see you at some events :).