One of the things I love most is to see a new musical produced that is fresh, energetic and clever. With some shows having been on the West End for decades, and comfortably running on inevitably for the foreseeable future, seeing an original production reach the stage reminds me that there are always new and creative ideas out there and that all of the best stories have not already been told, giving me hope that ideas I have in my lifetime can still make a difference. It’s also nice to know that I will not run out of shows to watch any time soon, since there is a constant flow of new ideas. Looking online and at posters, I can say that I am already very excited about what next year will bring to the west end alone, not even factoring in theatre globally.
Some shows that stand out aren’t even entirely original, but are in fact adaptations and revivals of previous shows. Just this though can sometimes be enough to make it worthwhile, since a new production team and cast will inevitably bring a new dynamic to the piece and make you see it in a whole new light. With this in mind, one popular show that has returned just recently to the west end is ‘Cats’. With pop singer Nicole Scherzinger in the role of Grizabella, I will certainly be interested in seeing this new take on the musical and I expect it will do well in 2015. Looking at the lives of various different cats through song, this musical would be a good choice if you enjoy extravagant staging, magical dance numbers and generally having a good time. The show has already been seen by 73 million people worldwide and that number will continue to increase with this new production. In the making of the show’s many productions, it is predicted that the crew have used around 450 microphones, 39,000 batteries and 449,280 throat lozenges, showing just what an impact a show like this has on the theatre community.
Beautiful - the Carole King Musical will also be transferring to the West End this year, set to open on the 25 February 2015 at the Aldwych Theatre. This show has already been a big success in New York, having been nominated for 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Jessie Mueller also won the award for Best Actress in a Musical for her acting in the title role, and there are high hopes that Katie Brayben, who will be taking on the role in London will be just as successful. The story depicts the early life of King, including her relationship with her husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, and her rise to stardom. Featuring King’s own hits including "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", “The Locomotion” and "I Feel the Earth Move", this show is surely not to be missed.
Another show that will be exciting to see this year is one that is completely original. Not a transfer or revival of an old show, but rather a newly written musical based on the British film ‘Bend it like Beckham’. The story is based around the character of Jess who must decide whether to follow her own dreams of playing football or the more conventional dreams of her family. This show is sure to be fun, uplifting and inspirational, and should be enjoyable for all the family. With music by Howard Goodall and lyrics by Charles Hart, known for his work on the Phantom of the Opera series of shows, as well as Kuljit Bhamra collaborating to create a more cultural blend of music, the score is bound to be well produced and a possible Olivier award nominee for the next season. Though no cast has yet been announced, Gurinder Chadha, who directed the original film, is both writing and directing, so good news for fans is it will likely be fairly faithful to the film.
Keep your eyes open for any new information about these productions over the next few months since its likely more updates are on the horizon. Also, it’s still early, so it’s likely that more shows will be announced as moving to the west end in months to come. All that’s left to do is welcome in this New Year in theatre, and I for one am very excited about what I’m going to see in the coming 12 months!
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