One of my reviewers went to see Dirty Dancing at the Phoenix Theatre the other night and didn’t have the time of her life (boom boom). I saw it about ten years ago at the Aldwych Theatre and wasn’t in a rush to go back and see it again this time around, so I let someone else review it on my behalf.
Someone on Facebook commented “she never likes anything at the Phoenix”. Now, I’m not sure if they meant the girl who had reviewed the show for me, or if they hadn’t actually looked at the review and were talking about me but I found it amusing that anyone could put ‘not enjoying a show’, down to the theatre it is staged in. The idea that someone wouldn’t enjoy a show just because of the particular theatre it is in seems ridiculous to me.
I loved Blood Brothers when it was on at the Phoenix Theatre (for a record breaking 21 years). ONCE was also great and more recently, Guys and Dolls was fab! Now it’s no secret that I didn’t enjoy Bend It Like Beckham (I went twice just to make sure I didn’t miss something) but that had nothing to do with the theatre. I’m also very much looking forward to Gary Barlow’s new musical The Girls which opens early in 2017!
There are some theatres that I like more than others in terms of layout, ease of access and of course short bar queues but once the lights go down and the show starts, none of that is relevant. It’s about the show taking place on the stage and nothing else.
Do you find that there are particular theatres you visit that affect the quality of the performance you watch? Or have you ever found that you just never seem to like any of the productions that are on in certain venues?
Let me know your thoughts on social media Facebook Twitter or you can email me wilma@westendwilma.com. Most excitingly of all you can write me an old fashioned letter now as well to my new PO Box address (PO Box 73609, London, SE13 9EE).