Emma Rowley

Very occasionally a show comes along that stuns the world of musical theatre. Fairly recently it was Hamilton that sent shockwaves out when it opened at the Victoria Palace in 2017, and, way back in 1984, the same thing happened when Starlight Express opened across the road at the Apollo Victoria. Now, Starlight Express is back, and it is just as thrilling and entertaining as it always was – with […]

When writing this review the only words I can find are WOW, WOW and WOW!! Unfortunately our reviews need to be a little longer than just four words! So, where to begin. I had no preconceived idea as to what to expect from this show. I’d read the blurb and had a basic understanding, but nothing prepared me for the two and a half hour emotional rollercoaster I was a […]

Knowing only the title, I visited Leicester’s Curve for opening night of Here You Come Again on Tuesday 11 June, and I haven’t seen anything quite like it before. Surprisingly for a musical, it’s a two-hander with musicians. We have Kevin – a northern forty year-old Dolly superfan struggling with self-confidence, played by Steven Webb – and Dolly needing no introduction, played by Tricia Paoluccio. Dolly ‘comes to life’ from […]

Having seen the concert version of Babies at the Lyric Theatre in November 2023 we enter The Other Palace auditorium filled with anticipation. Will the Babies fledge in to a fully blown musical or will it need a longer gestation period? As we enter the auditorium we see a newly-conceived open set. Lockers and tables are scattered around and two towers dress the back of the stage. Lights down and […]

There is nothing more exciting than walking in to a brand new show you know nothing about. The excitement doubles as you get to your seat and are greeted by bright electrically charged stage and banging millennial tunes coming out of the auditoriums speaker system. By the time Kathy and Stella Sold a Murder started, I was already hooked by the first note. Kathy and Stella solve a murder is […]

It’s hard to transport a 21st century audience back to the 1900s, but Opera North’s production of My Fair Lady did all that and more at the Leeds Playhouse. Their dazzling revival of this timeless classic brought a refreshing freshness to the beloved story, which follows Eliza Dolittle (Katie Bird), a poor flower seller with a strong Cockney accent who dreams of a life beyond the streets of Covent Garden. […]

The Charing Cross Theatre should be commended for bringing into the West End musicals that we might not otherwise get to see. Like Les Miserables or Titanic, the first challenge is that the subject matter is well known so we are expecting to be taken to dark places, the second challenge is how do you keep an audience captivated – when you think you know where the story is going. […]

On hearing of a musical featuring original songs from the Pet Shop Boys, I was quite intrigued to go and see Jonathan Harvey’s ‘Closer to Heaven’. However it is now clear why this show, which first premiered back in 2001, has not been a success. Despite known names including Frances Ruffelle and Courtney Bowman, this is a musical let down by one major factor - the book itself. First up, […]