Theatre review: Death Note: The Musical in Concert at the London Palladium

Death Note is a popular manga series by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata, which has garnered a steady fan base throughout its 20-year history and countless adaptations, from anime to a live action Netflix movie. A musical version was inevitable to bring this epic story to the stage – and it's finally made it to the London stage! 

Theatre review: Ilan Eshkeri's Space Station Earth at the Royal Albert Hall

Ilan Eshkeri is a British composer well-known for his sweeping film scores (two of my favs are Stardust and Kick-Ass). Together with astronauts from the European Space Agency he has brought his iconic style of music together with unique footage from out of space to create an immersive theatrical experience. It shows us the beauty that space has to offer – and how tiny we are in the grand scheme of things. It's both magnificent and humbling. 

West End Eurovision at the Shaftesbury Theatre

Musical theatre and the Eurovision Song Contest are generally associated with catchy tunes, outlandish choreography and dazzling performances. So what do you get if you combine the two? The stagiest and most flamboyant event of the year, that's what! West End Eurovision – in which the casts of some of the top London theatre shows compete for the number one spot in a skimpy-clothed contest performing past Eurovision highlights – returned to the Shaftesbury Theatre with a bedazzled bang.

John Barrowman With Seth Rudetsky at Leicester Square Theatre

Leicester Square Theatre is a hidden gem in a side street just off the heart of the city's tourist centre. For stagey fans in particular this place is a spiritual home, not in the least thanks to Seth Rudetsky's Broadway shows. After intimate cabarets with legends Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone, his wonderful show is back this week with none other than West End, Broadway and TV-star John Barrowman in the hot seat.

LMTO's A Christmas Carol at the Lyceum Theatre

A Christmas Carol is a staple this time of year. After reading Mr. Dickens and His Carol and seeing The Man Who Invented Christmas (based on the similar premise of Charles Dickens writing his famous festive tale) in cinema recently, you might think I'd be all Dickensed out, but you'd be wrong. When the London Musical Theatre Orchestra announced that they'd be reviving their concert staging of the musical adaptation this year I added it to my calendar before you could say 'bah humbug'!

The Blues Brothers Summer Special at The Hippodrome

The Blues Brothers is a cult classic for a reason. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's portrayals of brothers Jake and Elwood on the run from the cops, set against a back drop of catchy jazz and blues tunes, is one I've rewatched many times on rainy Sunday afternoons. They were criminals, sure, but they were also multi-talented showmen, and their charismatic performances were the heart and soul of the film. And with an extended set list and subtle nods back to the origin story, The Blues Brothers Summer Special at the Hippodrome could be one of those shows the famous band performed during their career.

LMTO's Honeymoon in Vegas at the London Palladium

Photo credit: Nick Rutter
I've been a big fan of the London Musical Theatre Orchestra ever since I was invited to their launch gala in July of last year, and interviewed its founder and principal conductor Freddie Tapner. I loved their concert staging of Rodgers & Hammerstein's State Fair at Cadogan Hall, and while I was gutted to miss out on Alan Menken's A Christmas Carol during the festive season as I was spending it overseas with my family, I made sure to add their 2017 performance dates to my calendar as soon as they were released so I wouldn't miss another one.

Encore: 40 Years of NYMT at the Adelphi Theatre

Photo credit: Konrad Bartelski
I love the National Youth Music Theatre. Not only does it remind me of my own time going to a theatre school in the Netherlands, but these kids are so incredibly talented and the NYMT is deservedly the stepping stone for many onto the West End stage and beyond. From Ben Barnes to Sheridan Smith, some of the biggest names in entertainment have made their debut at the NYMT during the 40 years it has been going. And last Sunday night alumni, fans, friends, family and current company members all came together to celebrate some of the greatest productions and people in NYMT history at Encore: 40 Years of NYMT.

Bumblescratch at Adelphi Theatre

Photo credit: Francis Loney
Written by Robert J. Sherman, Bumblescratch seems to have an unlikely starting off point for a musical venture; set during the Great Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire in 1666 it centres on a London rat and its cohorts. Then again, when you think about it, many a classic musical is based on farfetched concepts; from rollerskating train carts with a God complex through to the UK miners' strike in the '80s. Yet as long as there is something for audiences to connect to within the show; a likeable character they can relate to or a plotline that resonates with them, then even a farfetched story can become believable.