once the musical

I think I have mentioned before that The Frames is one of the first bands I truly fell in love with. Thanks to my Irish best friend, I became a fan, she took me to their gig in London for my 19th birthday, I loved Glen Hansard, and I bought the DVD for the film Once as soon as it was out. 

I knew that the musical was going on in London, but I wasn't particularly interested in seeing it, until the same friend went and told me she loved it. So I put it on my list of to-dos that was collecting dust, until a couple of weeks ago she emailed me, letting me know there were heavily discounted tickets on sale on lastminute.com. I was on their site before you could say "marketer's dream", and grabbed tickets for £11 each. Not bad going, especially when on the night, I thought that our seats were more than decent in terms of view.

If you don't know the story at all, don't go expecting a dramatic plot or much drama and action. This isn't that kind of musical, which is the charm of it. Obviously I am a huge fan of the music, and I thought the cast on the night did a great job - the whole show is understated but touching and original. 

Also, they have a bar on stage during the interval, which is a nice touch!

If you're not looking for a big West End extravaganza but want to see a musical with a difference, I would highly recommend giving Once a go. 

Even if you don't, you must listen to The Swell Season. It's the perfect soundtrack for Autumn. 

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charlie & the chocolate factory: the musical

When the idea came up to go and see the musical of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory as part of a hen party recently, I was up for giving it a go but didn't really know what to expect. I'm not sure why I was so sceptical of it, since I love both movies based on this favourite classic, but I suppose it's the typical protective feeling you have of a childhood story you grew up with. I actually learnt to read and understand English reading Roald Dahl books, so they definitely hold a very special place in my bookworm-y heart.

Anyway, I wasn't even planning to talk about it on the blog, but it would be a crime not to since a) this blog is supposed to talk about interesting places to go and see in London, which is something this surely is, and b) because it was SO GOOD! That's right, the caps are coming out.

The set was creative but not too overwhelming, the kids were fantastic, the songs were funny and the whole story just flowed beautifully. After all these years, it reminded me of the simple sweetness that lies within so many of RD's books, and it really is a show for all ages.

We were sat very high up on the balcony, and although we were definitely far from the stage and occasionally had trouble seeing an actor or two at the front of the stage, it was good for the price bracket and I didn't feel I missed too much at all.

I'm a huge fan of musicals anyway, but usually favour the all-American typical broadway stuff (The Producers, Showboat, Anything Goes, etc.). This was something different and well worth seeing - if you have family or friends visiting London this summer, this could be a good activity as it would accommodate the young ones too.

The theatre scene in London is really something special, and I'm so glad I discovered another gem!

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