Also on the same day, Mercury Phoenix Trust organises “Freddie For A Day” to raise money to fight HIV/aids. The trust encourages people to get sponsored by dressing up as Freddie himself. Freddie was known for his flamboyant clothing: sparkly leotards, drag-costume, and he sometimes took the stage with a crown and sceptre. Fittingly there are prizes for Best Costume and Freddie in Most Original Location. For more information visit freddieforaday.com

We Will Rock You - Freddy Mercury

More about Freddy Mercury and We Will Rock You :

1. Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on the 5th of September 1946 in Zanzibar. He died on 24th November 1991 in London, one day after having announced he had AIDS.
2. Liz Swanton, web editor of the Mercury Phoenix Trust set up to fight HIV/Aids created Freddie For A Day.  She dressed up once, raised £1200 and the next year it was a global phenomenon.
3. BBC 6’s Shaun Keaveny is also taking part by growing a moustache he has christened the Bulsara.
4. In New York, bartenders of the Mesa Coyoacan have created the Mercury Margarita and anyone who buys one gets a free Freddie moustache!
5. The Dominion Theatre, where musical We Will Rock You is staged, will recreate Freddie’s 40th Birthday, when he threw a Summer Tea Party and told everyone to wear a hat. The theatre will open between 12pm and 5pm with a foyer full of  garden furniture and sell cakes for charity. Hats optional.

Book We Will Rock You Theatre Breaks in London

Current Musicals for Theatre Breaks in London

I’m going to suggest two shows that I think will be very popular for theatre breaks in London by the end of 2011. The first has already been mentioned in passing at the end of the previous post about New Season Theatre Breaks in London and that show is The Wizard of Oz. The new musical of The Wizard of Oz just has so many things going for it that it’s hard to see how it can fail. The first thing is the timeless popularity of the film and the book and all of the amateur and professional adaptations of the Wizard of Oz that have been produced over the years. Building on a heritage such as this is unadventurous, sure but it gives the venture a head a shoulders start. The next cunning ploy was to use a TV casting show to gain loads of pre-publicity and to guarantee that you already have a star who the public adores! That star is Danielle Hope and she shone through with a wonderful natural talent in all departments despite being up against a host of really high quality competitors. In fact the Dorothy who came a close second, Sophie Evans is set to play Dorothy as understudy every Tuesday, so it’s two TV selected Dorothy stars for the price of one. Well, it would be for the price of two if you wanted to book theatre breaks in London to see both of them, but you know what I mean. Just being an Andrew Lloyd Webber production is another huge factor in the show’s favour, but this is more than that since it’s the reunion of the formidable music and lyrics team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber no less. Tim Rice is writing the lyrics for about four new songs including one for, wait for it…..   Michael Crawford.

Casting Michael Crawford as the Wizard has to be the piece de la resistance but there could well be more. Who will be the Tin Man, Scarecrow or the cowardly Lion?

Ghost London Theatre Breaks

Ghost London Musical

The second show is one you may not have heard of yet, but rest assured you will have done by 2011. It’s Ghost the Musical, an adaptation of Ghost the movie, but with a solid rock music soundtrack supplied by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. Another film to stage adaptation, Ghost London is sure to be a hot ticket in 2011.

Dates for Ghost And Wizard of Oz Theatre Breaks in London

Theatre breaks in London to see The Wizard of Oz can be booked for dates from March 2011 while Ghost will arrive in London for theatre breaks from June 2011 after a run in the Manchester Opera House first.

Russ Abbot will be take over the role of Fagin in the hit musical Oliver! from 14 June. Russ has played the role of Fagin before at the Palladium, at the Theatre Royal and also on tour.

His other credits include Grandpa Potts in hit musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
Most recently, Russ played the role of Hobbo in the latest series of BBC 1′s Last of the Summer Wine.

Russ takes over from that other favourite entertainer Griff Rhys Jones. Griff has played the role for the last 5 months but he bids farewell to Oliver! on Saturday 12 June.

Billy Boyd, (the only recorded Scots Hobbit, he played Pippin in the Lord of the Rings films!), will join a tour of Dundee Rep’s revival of its award-winning musical, Sunshine on Leith, opening on August 31.

Based around the songs of the Proclaimers the show was written by Stephen Greenhorn. According to the Stage:

Glasgow-born Boyd will star as Davy, a squaddie returning to Leith with his best pal after they have experienced one too-many tours of Afghanistan. The Rep’s artistic director James Brinning will direct, with musical direction by Hilary Brooks and design by Neil Warmington.

After opening in Dundee on August 31 the production will tour Scotland and Ireland to October 23. Dates have been booked in England until November 27 with further dates to be announced. Will the Proclaimer’s musical make it to London? I certainly hope so. I’m a fan of their song writing skills and I think they’ve better credentials than many who’ve found their way onto the London scene recently.
As Bernard Logan said in his 2007 review:

Sunshine on Leith
Abba, Queen, Madness … the Proclaimers?! Well, why not? Dundee Rep’s much-hyped new ‘jukebox musical’ lets others discover what we devotees have long argued: that the Reid brothers are the best songwriters in Britain. The uninitiated will still enjoy a show that hijacks the band’s music to tell the story of two squaddies returning to Leith from Iraq. But I love the Proclaimers so much, my heart wears NHS specs, and to me, this is absolute bliss.

“It’s definitely happening. We’ve brought a scriptwriter in and are working on a few synopses now.

“And the critics … music critics are one thing but theatre critics are something else. I suppose if it doesn’t work then that’s it — it’s a closed book. I need to get through this album launch first, and then I’m probably touring, but we’ll get to it after that. It’s early days but it’s very exciting.”

Kylie is writing the production with her stylist William Baker. It will be based on her back catalogue of hits and she hopes it will be rather like Abba’s Mamma Mia! She’ll need quite a strong story line for that to work out! So rather than tell the story of Kylie’s own rise to fame it will tell another tale. I think it’s a shame that more performers haven’t learned the lesson of Jersey Boys. I’d be quite interested to see the story of her rise to mega stardom told against the backdrop of her greatest hits.

Aspects of Love comes to the Mernier

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Aspects Of Love, which will be directed by Trevor Nunn at the Menier Chocolate Factory, will feature a cast led by Michael Arden and Katherine Kingsley.The run starts on 14 July, following on from the new musical Paradise Found.

The Story of Aspects of Love

Lovers Alex Dillingham and Rose Vibert play out a love story that spans 20 years and three generations. Aspects Of Love is based on David Garnet’s novel. We follow student Alex as he travels through France and watch him fall in love with the beautiful actress, Rose. They start a passionate affair but the arrival of Alex’s uncle changes their lives forever.

The Cast and Creatives of Aspects of Love

Director Trevor Nunn return to the Menier Chocolate Factory for the first time since his successful revival of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music last year. Having someone as prestigious as Nunn at the Mernier only further confirms the theatre’s status as the place to try out revivals and new shows before West End transfers. Nunn directed the original production of Aspects Of Love and collaborated with Lloyd Webber on the original stage version in 1979.

Arden, an American, makes his West End stage debut in Aspects Of Love. However he’s already well known on Broadway having stared in Big River and The Times They Are A-Changing. However I’m sure most of his UK fans will know him from cult series Grey’s Anatomy.

Katherine Kingsley is currently in the UK touring production of The 39 Steps.She’s probably best known for her performance in the Donmar Warehouse production of Piaf which saw her nominated for an Olivier Award.

The Music of Aspects of Love

The music of the show is classic Lloyd Webber, with many themes you’ll recognise,including the iconic “Love Changes Everything”

As the original production ran for over 1,000 performances this just might be another hit for the Mernier, following on from other successes like A Little Night Music and Sweet Charity.

Usually you arrive in London on Friday evening. You either choose to see your show straight away on the Friday evening or book your show for Saturday night. If you choose to see your show on Friday you might worry about getting a pre-theatre meal. However most of the restaurants in the West End offer pre-theatre menus which are served from 5:30 giving you lots of time to get to your show.

I prefer to book the show for Saturday evening if at all possible. It gives you Friday night to relax, explore a little and have an unrushed evening meal. Then a little gentle sight-seeing and maybe shopping on the Saturday. I like to have a really English treat, afternoon tea, somewhere like Fortnum and Masons. This needs to be booked in advanced. Some of theatre break agencies will let you book when you book this when your break and even offer a discount. Afternoon tea is really a small meal not just a snack so it should see you through everything but the longest shows. After the show, most end between 10pm and 10:30pm, you can easily find somewhere to have a spot of supper. I am very fond of La Tasca which does fresh, tasty Spanish tapas until quite late on Saturdays. It is great for sharing and you can order as much or as little as you want. The it is back to your hotel for a nightcap and to relax. This is when you will be really glad you chose a central London hotel, somewhere within walking distance of the theatre is ideal. This is so much pleasanter than dealing with the tube, black cabs or rickshaws.

After theatre tapas?

If you are an early riser and you’ve travelled fairly light Sunday morning can be a great time for sight-seeing in London. The city is amazingly quiet on Sunday mornings and you can see busy areas like Westminster without having to deal with the crowds.