I couldn't go any longer without telling you about the shows I saw while over there. Now, for me the point of going to London is more often than not to see a show or preferably several. The strategy is to cramp as many shows into as short a stay as possible. It's not that I don't like being in London itself, but after a short while I'm getting tired of having my nostrils blackened. *grins* I only managed three performances of two shows in the three days I was there, but they were incredibly good.

First off, Thursday's evening performance of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - this Sondheim musical has been a favourite of mine since I heard Nathan Lane was in the latest Broadway rendition of it; I didn't hear the music until last year, however, when I happened upon an imported recording in some shop in London. Comedy Tonight is a great intro to a great musical. This new London version, played at the National, was fabulous and when it finished (I can't really say "as the curtain went down", as there was no curtain) I was really sad because I wanted to see it again. A few seconds later I remembered I had a ticket for the Saturday matinée as well. Duh.

I was afraid I was going to be very biased when it came to Forum, as the only reason why I left for London this time (just like last time, ahem) was that I knew Philip Quast was appearing in it, as Miles Gloriosus. And appear he did indeed - being about 6'2 he certainly makes quite a visual impact on stage, especially when considering he was wearing a Roman soldier uniform (that means bare legs, people). That's why Saturday's performance was a let-down when his role was played by...uhmm...someone else (I'm terribly sorry, but I have no idea who he was; I was mainly angry with him for not singing one of the songs as good as I wanted him to - but I guess it's near impossible to top or even match Quast). Nevertheless, the play has got some very talented and experienced actors aboard. Vince Leigh is really convincing as the more or less ditsy Hero who has fallen in love with the stereotypical dumb blonde Philia (Caroline Sheen, with a hilarious, Welsh accent). His father is played by Sam Kelly (known to most TV viewers all over Europe for playing Hans Geering in the (brilliant) comedy show 'Allo 'allo for four series during the eighties) and his parents' slave Hysterium is played by Hamish McColl - if I could, I would have rolled around on the floor laughing, but taking the stiff upper lip stance all I could allow myself was a few heartily laughs and a lot of applauding to express my feelings. The Proteans are all (six of them) great to watch; they really did a lot of work and must be awfully fit by the end of the run. David Schneider (should be known to hardcore britcom fans) is a very witty Lycus (who, basically, is a pimp), and last but definitely not least, Desmond Barrit is a very entertaining Pseudolus, "slave to the son"; he has a lot of very funny lines that manage to bring the story forwards. Mind you, some of the "slip-ups" were rehearsed; I'm not very fond of that. If the actors fuck up it'd damn well be real. *winks and pardons her French* All in all, seeing the show a second time was worth it even though Quast wasn't in it, although he is in a league of his own compared to most people the rest of the ensemble when it comes to singing. I don't think I'm too biased on that point. But hey, it's more of a farce than a bona fide musical, so it works very well.

The other show I saw was Les Misérables - this is the musical that got me hooked on theatre (strangely enough), but I've never seen the stage version until now. I was very pleased to spot Michael McCarthy's name on the cast list for that evening, because I was fortunate enough to see him perform as Inspector Javert here a few years ago and that was a crucial show for my fascination with theatre (which is silly, coming to think of it, since it was the concert version). I bought his (two) albums and have listened to them a lot since then. I had no idea how good he was, though. I wanted to say "wow!" on several occasions during the performance, because if I'm not very mistaken he has definitely grown (if not physically, at least vocally) since I last heard him. Philip Quast has always been the ultimate Javert to me, but I must say McCarthy did his best to match that! I was very impressed - perhaps he's got to where his voice has finally matured, because some of his earlier work was a bit too "weak", his voice just wasn't powerful enough for some of the songs he sang. Just remember I'm a mere admirer and don't know anything but what I hear with my own ears (bit hard to hear through someone else's, really) (does anyone of you think of Robin Hood: Men in Tights right now?); I have said this before: I'm a rubbish critic because I generally like the shows I see. Or perhaps I've just got a good hunch when it comes to picking the right shows?

If anyone of you happens to find yourself in London between now and November 2, I'd definitely recommend visiting the Olivier in order to see Forum. I'd throw in Les Mis there, too, as you never know when they'll just stop the show (look at what happened to Cats).

Why "Free" as the post's title, you say? Because I had that song on my mind for six hours yesterday, all the way from the theatre to my flat. It was driving me mad. I didn't feel free at all!

Current track: David Bowie & Pet Shop Boys - Hallo Spaceboy

Labels: comedy, holiday, Javert, Michael McCarthy, musicals, name-dropping, philip quast, theatre