What a week...

Well, what a lovely response to the feature I wrote! Best Of British was a piece on supporting new writers of British Musical Theatre. It was blogged here and also posted to The Public Reviews website I review and write for: currently it has had over 10,000 views which is amazing! Thank you to all who read it, I can only hope you will join in the fight to get new writing heard in the West End, as it is vital for the future of our theatre.

The last seven days have been eventful by anyone’s book in the arts world: there have been new openings in the West End; a widely acclaimed article in The Stage by Gina Beck; the protest in London in regards to the Budget Cuts and of course, the ACE funding decisions announcements yesterday…

After days of crossing fingers, toes and anything else for luck, we finally found out which companies would have the proverbial piano dropped on their heads; some escaped intact, while others sadly did not. Previously, 849 companies received regular Government funding; this year, that number has dropped to just 695 – all in all, a staggering 638 applications were rejected! My heart goes out to those who became victims of ‘The Cuts’, but I am especially pleased that the applications of Perfect Pitch, and the collaborated Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Matters were successful, as I have previously mentioned how vital they are for the development of new writers. Considering how many applications were unsuccessful, exuberant celebrations would seem in rather bad taste– but one must always look on the bright side if possible, ‘glass half-full’ and so forth.

The Hyde Park rally last Saturday did little to affect any real change, but I don’t believe anybody really expected it to. The protest was more about demonstrating the volume of people who support the Arts and showing the government that, although they clearly do not believe in the importance of theatre, we do! It was about speaking out and making our voices heard – if you haven’t yet seem Sam West’s speech then take a look here. Inspiring words!

Unfortunately, the powerful words of Sam West, along with the peaceful antics of the thousands of protesters in attendance, were drowned out by a shameless few who spoke with their actions instead and damaged, defaced and forcefully violated the beautiful city of London. The riots were sadly ironic, considering what the protests were about. They achieved nothing, except a night in the cells one can hope, and a huge clean-up bill for the city, but these ignorant defilers weren’t there to aid the cause, merely using it as an excuse for mindless violence and vandalism. The freedom to express yourself should never be abused so violently.

It hasn’t all been bad news however; a bright flame in the night was the article by Gina Beck. Understudies are not second rate came about from a tweet Gina posted on Twitter in response to several letters to The Stage, complaining about star names being absent during visits to various West End shows. Speaking out in defence of the understudies who go on in their place, Gina beautifully highlighted just why theatre-goers shouldn’t feel disappointed in such a situation. To read the full article, click here. It is a lamentable truth that todays society has an obsession with celebrity and image, which has given rise to this issue of the understudy. Sadly, many theatre-goers would rather see a well-known name on the stage – regardless of how talented (or untalented) they may be – than place any value in an unknown. As Gina pointed out, the show is bigger than any one individual and I believe that audiences should show appreciation for the production as a whole instead of basing their enjoyment on the presence of a particular actor/actress. Eight shows per week is a physical and emotional strain on anyone and theatre-goers should accept this. Last minute changes can, and do occur, and theatres clearly draw attention to this; yes, it can be disappointing, but the merits of the show must surely win out?

The first time that I saw Love Never Dies both of the leads, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess were absent. The understudies covering the roles were Derek Andrews and Celia Graham – yes, the same Celia Graham who took over the role of Christine when Sierra left the show. Both put on superb performances - Celia was particularly stunning – and the absence of Ramin and Sierra did not detract from the show at all.

Many well-known names, such as Ramin Karimloo, were once understudies themselves remember; everyone has to start somewhere…

New openings and previews this week have included: The Kissing Dance, featuring a score by Howard Goodall who was the brilliant talent behind Love Story; an adaption of the French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg; the latest offering from the writing duo of George and Stiles, Betty Blue Eyes and up in Manchester, the much anticipated Ghost.

Something to look forward to in the weeks ahead is the fantastically entertaining West End Eurovision. For those of you not in the know, this late night show features a variety of West End shows performing past Eurovision songs and competing against one another to be crowned 2011 champion! Shows confirmed to be taken part are: The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, Billy Elliot, Legally Blonde, The 39 Steps and Dirty Dancing. Gaby Roslin will be hosting and Graham Norton will be one of the celebrities sitting at the judges panel, with a special performance from 1981 Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz!

West End Eurovision is an annual event organised by the inspiring charity, The Make A Difference Trust. Working to help those suffering with HIV/AIDs, MADTrust puts on fundraising events throughout the year, in affiliation with the West End theatres. As some of you may be aware, I am involved with this wonderful charity and in fact, I’ll be going into the offices this Wednesday to help with their promotion for this event – so if you’re in the West End area that day and you see a redhead with armfuls of posters, calendars and flyers…why not come and say hello? J

I’d love for you to come and experience this fun, camp night of entertainment. Not only will you have the time of your life, but you’ll be helping out a very worthy cause at the same time! Anyone interested in more details or ticket information, click here. April 21^st, 11.30pm til late, Piccadilly Theatre, Soho… I’ll be working the event, so I hope to see some of you there – PLEASE SUPPORT!
Also, look out for an exciting interview I have lined up for May...going to be one to watch out for! ;)

On a last note, I would just like to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the yummy mummies out there – especially to my fellow single mums…extra hard, but extra rewarding! I’ve just returned from my little munchkin’s Mother’s Day assembly and feel I must share a song with you, which I believe, says it all…

“Supermum you’re wonderful, but very underpaid,

 Supermum you’re cook and cleaner, handy-man and maid.

 If you put in a bill for all the work you do,

 There would be a lot of wages too!”

Remember…create, love, inspire!

Miss Julie


[ADDED LINK] Check out my latest feature on The Public Reviews site:

It's You, Not Me! : When the Umbrella Closes