Friday, December 5

Tag: Polly Sullivan

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical – Palace Theatre
North West

Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical – Palace Theatre

Having not seen the source material for this production - the 1999 hit teen film Cruel Intentions - I had limited understanding of what was in store for me with the theatrical production of Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical. The stage adaptation had been met with a lukewarm critical response since its debut in 2015, and understandably so. It’s clear to see what the intention of this production was, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Let’s start with the storyline: the story follows vindictive stepsiblings Kathryn and Sebastian, who have somewhat of a Freudian infatuation with each other. This dangerous duo makes a cruel pact that Sebastian must seduce fellow classmate - the virginal Annette - which triggers a series of dark and dangerous events that foreshadows the rest of the ...
Pippin: 50th Anniversary Concert – Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
London

Pippin: 50th Anniversary Concert – Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Packed full of Stephen Schwartz's memorable songs, such as "Corner of the Sky" and "Magic To Do", Pippin is a show that has been re-produced and re-imagined over the last 50 years around the world, including in the West End and on Broadway. At its heart there's the simple tale of a young man, a prince, at a loss of what to do with his life, the curse of princes throughout history. Pippin is the son of King Charlemagne the Great and heir to the Frankish throne. He seeks fulfilment, believing that, as he's extraordinary, he should find something extraordinary to achieve. In his attempts to break through this existential despair, he tries leading an army, but only succeeds in losing most of his men. Then he has a period of debauchery, but that leaves him empty.  Art and religion also fai...