Should theatre’s have better security in place?
As the lights went down at Sam Bailey‘s concert last night at the Orchard Theatre in her hometown of Dartford, a group of paralytic women took their seats near the back of the auditorium, two rows behind where I was sitting. An announcement from Sam Bailey herself came over the tannoy, saying that she was […]
I saw DEAR EVAN HANSEN!!!
I arrived in New York on Saturday evening with one goal in mind. To somehow get tickets to the sold out (until July) new musical Dear Evan Hansen, that is sending the world in to meltdown since it’s Original Cast Recording was released last month. There were only two options for this. Enter the online […]
Theatre Etiquette: The girls who ruined THE GIRLS
Yet another blog about theatre etiquette As I sit down this morning, with a cup of tea, ready to start the day, I should be reflecting on last night’s glorious press night for Gary Barlow’s new musical THE GIRLS. Sadly, I have other things, more pressing on my mind that I need to get off […]
KINKY BOOTS – Understudy Paul Ayres takes on the role of Charlie Price
2017 is the year that I plan to do my best to bring understudies to the forefront of theatre. If I can get to see a show when an understudy is performing, then I intend to write about it because it can be a thankless task, for a performer to take on a leading role […]
Trying SEEDLIP – a new alternative to alcohol
Seedlip is a range of the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits based on the distilled non-alcoholic remedies from The Art of Distillation written in 1651 and now re-purposed to pioneer a new category of drinks to solve the ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking dilemma’. After being exclusively stocked in Selfridges for a while, […]
Hi, my name is Ed but you can call me Wilma
Today marks the fifth anniversary of when the idea of West End Wilma was born and I decided this was the perfect time to tell you all the truth about who I am. Back in 2012, my friend (who calls me Wilma) suggested I start a blog and so I did and I called it […]
Gender swapping at ALADDIN
Based on the 1992 Disney film and featuring a mixture of new music and classic songs, Aladdin tells the story of a down on his luck boy called Aladdin who lives on the streets. When he bumps into a beautiful girl called Jasmine he falls immediately for her, unaware that she is a Princess who […]
Stepping out of the lime light
Someone asked me the other day if I was ‘giving it all up’. Retiring from blogging! “Oh no” I said, “I’ve only just begun!” 2017 is full of promise and very exciting things for westendwilma.com. As you might have read before, I’m in the process of writing a book about my life and love of […]
Should West End performers audition for TV talent shows?
Question: What are your thoughts on West End performers appearing on talent shows such as ‘The Voice’ or celebrities starring in musicals. ? Answer: The West End is made up of three types of people: Celebrities: These will put bums on seats and ensure the maximum ticket price can be charged for the show. The trained […]
HAMILTON: The next Harry Potter or a big fuss over nothing?
Back in June 2016 it was announced that the Broadway smash hit musical HAMILTON, which tells the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War, would be making its way over to London in 2017. The show is set to open […]