Theatre Trip: Crazy For You (#2)

CRAZY FOR YOU

Gillian Lynne Theatre

Date: 27 December 2023 (Wednesday), 2:00pm

Seats: Circle D 72-73

(Seen with Bri! Or I was supposed to...)

Notes: This was something I had talked about doing - seeing Crazy For You again! And this time Bri was on board so I booked us a pair of seats for the first matinee after Christmas. And then the drama started! She was staying out of town for the holiday and had planned to head into the city to meet me for the show. Except that when she got to the station, there had been a signal failure and there were no trains! With no other options, she considered getting a lift to another station or even into the city, but even then there would have only been a 5 minute buffer and so she was unable to make it.

Even I had a little bit of trouble - despite leaving with enough time to get to the theatre at 1:30, the train and then the tube both ran slow. Plus I had to pick up some food for lunch and it was a 10 minute walk from the station, so by the time I arrived it was 1:50 anyway. And then the line to get in was huge, so I walked into the theatre at the 3 minute call, left the bathroom at the 1 minute call, and then got into my seat as they were announcing the show would be starting! But I wasn't late and that counts.

The music in this show is so good! While not every number is a stand out that is listenable outside the theatre, I love how every single one fits the show so well and they are so catchy. I really like the chorus numbers in particular and the dancing as well is just mind blowing. That being said, I think with a little bit more training (and a total body overhaul!) I could totally be a chorus girl in this show. Slap That Bass and I've Got Rhythm in particular are perfection and joy in theatre!

This time there were a few things that I noticed were different this time around. Mostly Bela Zangler, who played up his role and broke the fourth wall a few times to get extra laughs from the crowd - and it totally worked! Clearly all the performers are nice and relaxed and ready to have some fun in their final week.

Of course the cast of this show is spectacular. This time I particularly noticed one of the chorus members, Bradley Trevethan. He had been very athletic and had a few standout moments with jumps and flips! Turns out he is a swing too (and assistant dance captain too!) so that is very cool.

But that core duo of Carly Anderson and Charlie Stemp are just magic together. The way that they dance together is smooth and joyous, and I wish I could move like that! Charlie is also phenomenal, the way that he dances and clearly enjoys it so much while somehow also making it look easy? Impossible but somehow he does it.

I have appreciated this show so much both times I have seen it and while I do tend to lean towards more modern shows, I would love to see more in this vein as it is just such a great time.

Theatre Trip: Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S OLD FRIENDS

Gielgud Theatre

Date: 14 December 2023 (Thursday), 7:30pm

Seats: Circle E 15-16?

(Seen with Bri!)

Notes: I had heard so many good things about this show! I din't know when or if I was going to be able to go because of work and Christmas coming up, but then Bri messaged me to say that she had seen Today Tix having a 24 hour sale and she picked up a pair of tickets for £15 each, which is a total steal! It was a Thursday but that is manageable for sometimes. So I got up extra early and caught the train to work and then left as early as I could manage to get into the city!

We met at Fortnum and Masons as Bri needed some things, so we tried to get dinner there (they do lovely bagels and such - except they close that counter at 5pm!). Instead we wandered in the direction of the theatre on the hunt for something not crazy junk food and nice and fast. We ended up at Whole Foods where we got a slice of pizza each and some madeleines for interval sweets, which turned out to be perfect for eating as we walked over to the Gielgud.

Our seats were upstairs in the Circle but had a quite good view as that theatre has a lovely rake. I don't think I would have liked to be further back, especially because this show has no set changes and minimal costumes. It is a review style show which was set up to honour the work of Stephen Sondheim and was put on for a few gala performances. It did really well and then the passing of Sondheim meant that they decided to bring it back, with some amazing cast members! More on them later. 

Because there is a lot of Sondheim shows, this features music from all of them - Sunday in the Park with George, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, West Side Story, Gypsy, plus more. I am familiar with the main music from almost all of those shows, even for the ones I haven't seen, and of course I am very familiar with some of them; Company, Sweeney, and Into the Woods in particular. It was interesting to hear the music from a beautiful on stage orchestra out of context from the shows and to hear which ones they chose.

Each show had at least a few numbers and some got entire sets, with some basic costuming and staging. But while the music is of course a big draw, the actors are the real deal and were an incredible part of this show.

The 'chorus' featured a lot of actors I've seen before, most of whom got starring moments and their own feature songs. Christina Allado got to be Anita in West Side Story (who I've seen in Prince of Egypt), Damian Humbley had some stand out songs, and then there was Bradley Jaden. His starring song was as the Wolf in Into the Woods, opposite the Red Riding Hood of Bernadette Peters. It was a great interpretation and he was gorgeous! Jeremy Secomb also had a starring turn as Sweeney Todd opposite Lea Salonga's Mrs Lovett. I also didn't realise ahead of time that Bonnie Langford was in this! She is an absolute British icon and still an incredible singer and dancer (I wish I could do the splits at all, let alone at 59!) and she was a part of the trio for You Could Drive a Person Crazy.

But of course, the two big performers are absolutely insane. Lea Salonga hasn't performed on the West End in about 20 years but is a big name on Broadway and was first discovered here in London. She had about half of the big songs, including A Little Priest, Children Will Listen, and Everything's Coming Up Roses. Her voice was powerful and resonant and she delivered every song beautifully! My favourite was definitely her Mrs Lovett

And, for the first time, making her West End debut at age 75 and an absolute icon, Bernadette Peters. She dances so well, sings amazingly, with her highlights including I Know Things Now, Broadway Baby, Old Friends. It was also very clear that she was indeed an old friend of Stephen Sondheim's - at one point they had a video reel and she was clearly moved by it. She had worked on many shows with Sondheim and they clearly knew each other well.

I feel so grateful to have seen Bernadette, after seeing the legend Patti Lupone in Company previously. Two Broadway legends ticked off, plus Lea (who is on her way to becoming one), and a West End one too in Bonnie Langford! And to see it with my oldest friend was purely a bonus.

Theatre Trip: Crazy for You

CRAZY FOR YOU

Gillian Lynne Theatre

Date: 13 October 2023 (Friday), 7:30pm

Seats: Stalls C 1-3 (Front Row!)

(Seen with Jess!)

Notes: Another Friday night at the theatre! I do love a post-work theatre trip, even if it's a pain taking the train to work at 7am on a Friday. I saw this with Jess after picking up tickets for a super price, with restricted view seats on the edge of Row C. We did our usual pre-show routine - meet at McDonalds, eat dinner, head over to the theatre.

We had issues getting in, as once we got to the theatre. I lost my phone signal and couldn't load the tickets. I was plenty happy about that because I knew we could just go to the box office and ask for printed ones (which go in my diary), but they just let us in anyway using the written seating plan on my email. Mildly disappointing, but we needed time to get ourselves organised - program, drinks and bathroom before the start of the show.

When we got to our seats we realised that our seats were not restricted at all. We were right on the edge of the row - and C was the front row! The only thing restricted about it was that it was slightly lower than the stage, so I had to sit up REALLY straight to be able to see the best part - which was watching the dancers feet.

I didn't know a huge amount about this show other than it was from the 1990s. In fact it is, but it is a rewritten version of a musical from the 1930s which also entirely uses music by George and Ira Gershwin. This means that despite only being 30 years old or so, it feels more like 100. It had a really classic musical old-school feel which I really liked. It also means that the music has a really coordinated feel and all the songs are super coherent - nothing is new but the Gershwin's have a huge back catalog which they could pull from to make it fit together as well as possible.

One of the highlights of this show was definitely the choreography. Now that I am learning tap, I was so excited to see a classic musical with BIG chorus numbers and they did. Not. Disappoint!! The coordination was incredible and the steps were amazing. The chorus as a whole was great to watch and worked together amazingly as a team. Of particular note was the guy who played Moose, who was very funny.

In more major character news, there were 3 great leads. Bela Zangler was played by Tom Edden, who was wickedly funny and over the top. The beautiful Polly Baker was played by Carly Anderson. She moved incredibly gracefully, danced like an angel and made a perfect partner to the real star of this show. Charlie Stemp played Bobby Child. I've never seen someone so perfect for a role. He practically floated across the stage, his footwork was impeccable, he looked so graceful and he was the perfect partner. And the comedy routine with Bela Zangler, and his impressions? So amazing. He's only just 30 but Charlie Stemp is a really rare talent and now I want to see absolutely everything he does for the rest of my life.

This is only on until January, and while it is currently December already I really want to see this absolute classic again before it closes!

Theatre Trip: Rebecca

Rebecca

Charing Cross Theatre

Date: 24 September 2023 (Sunday), 3:00pm

Seats: Stalls M 2

(Seen solo!)

Notes: This show was a whole experience, one that I really enjoyed! I had heard about this show originally from one of the YouTube channels I watch, Wait In The Wings. Brendan does all sorts of short documentaries about the history of different shows, and one of his famous and radical was about the musical Rebecca. 

Written in German by Michael Kunzer, and premiering in 2006 in Vienna, it has been extremely popular and running the Europe for 17 years. And yet it has never been staged in English. It was due to have a West End premiere, and then when they were excavating under the theatre they were going to use to put in a big set piece, they found an underground stream! So they had to cancel it on the West End. That was supposed to be the test for Broadway, but they decided that instead of doing a different tryout somewhere else, they would go straight to Broadway. Then it turned out that it all fell apart just after rehearsals started when it came out that one of the investors, a mystery man, didn't actually exist?! If you're interested in more definitely watch the Wait in the Wings documentary.

This production is in a very different staging to the original. It has been greatly scaled down in terms of set pieces and staging. The theatre it is in is also new to me - the Charing Cross theatre is in... Charing Cross. It's actually underneath one of the railway arches, so it's tiny! It must have been about 20 seats across in each row, and my seat in row M was behind the centre cross-aisle, so it must only have had a total capacity of a couple of hundred.

The show itself is the same as previously - no changes were made that I understand to the plot or music. The plot is based on the Daphne du Maurier book by the same name, in which the main character (only referred to as 'I' in the book, and not really referred to in the show) meets and marries a millionaire, Maxim de Winter. He brings her back to his house (mansion), only to meet the housekeeper Mrs Danvers, who is extremely loyal to Maxim's first wife Rebecca. Rebecca disappeared in mysterious circumstances and nobody knows what happened. It all unfolds from there and it is very interesting. Eventually our main character realises that she needs to become more confident as secrets about Maxim and Rebecca are revealed, and she becomes exactly who Maxim needs in his life; however, Mrs Danvers is not to be trusted, particularly as Rebecca's influence wanes. And of course, a dramatic ending!

I actually really enjoyed the music in this show. It had vibes of early Andrew Lloyd Webber with a big and slightly electronic sound. I found myself waking up the next morning with a song from the show in my head, which is always an excellent sign. I found out afterwards that actually, and despite the small theatre, it has the second biggest orchestra on the West End! Bigger than Phantom and second only to Wicked. Which even though they can't be seen, really makes a huge difference.

The cast of this show had nobody I had heard of before but there were some really amazing people! Lauren Jones played 'I' - she has had some understudy roles but nothing major. She was very sweet and she really developed over the course of the show as her character grew within herself. Richard Carson played Maxim de Winter - his main role that he has played was Sky in Mamma Mia. He was pretty good, but the definite standout was Mrs Danvers. She did have the best song in the whole show (and it's reprise), and balanced really well creepy and effective. Kara Lane played this role and she was AMAZING!

I'm so glad that I went to see this show. It was a really interesting show and knowing the story behind it made it so much better. Plus, the theatre was excellent! Totally worth it once but I don't think I need to go again.

Theatre Trip: Oklahoma!

 Oklahoma!

Wyndham's Theatre

Date: 17 August 2023 (Thursday), 7:30

Seats: AA 8-9 (Front row!)

(Seen with Jess!)

Notes: This show is a classic - but not as you know it! This show was a last minute pick, and the only show I managed to fit into my summer break due to the few little trips that we took (home to Oz, overnight trip to the Cotswolds, and the 70.3 World Champs in Lahti, Finland!) over my summer holiday. I had grand plans of a matinee every week but that just did not happen... sadly.

But Jess and I decided on the Wednesday to try a show on the Thursday. My list of shows to catch over the summer was long, but my top 3 picks were Oklahoma, We Will Rock You and Spongebob. Jess picked Oklahoma, so on Thursday morning we went for the rush. Jess got upstairs seats and I could not believe my eyes when I was STALLS AA on mine! It had to be front row so we pounced on it!

When we arrived I saw the set and had a mild panic. There were steps going down to the audience... So I asked and was told that there MIGHT be some mild audience interaction and that it MIGHT involve us. So I steeled myself as we sat down. I've seen Oklahoma once before - in a semi-staged prom early in our time here in London. I think it may even have been 2017? So I know the show - it's a classic anyway so I knew all the big songs, and knew that it was Hugh Jackman's big break back in the 90s (not that I was old enough to see it then).

This production has come over from Broadway and it had SUCH a buzz. There was a lot of talk about it being very different and much more modern and edgy. I wasn't sure how they could update the show for a more modern audience but they totally managed it and did it SO WELL. One thing that has stayed the same is the music - I believe some of the orchestrations are different but the lyrics and melodies that you all know are totally there, which for me made the modernisation even more intriguing.

The staging was very bare which I felt really put the focus on the actors and the music. There were definitely no distractions with only a large table and some chairs on the stage, with a few smaller props. It means you have to picture some things but I didn't find that an issue at all. When they were in the smokehouse where Jud Fry sleeps, they did something amazing - they turned all the light off! Every single one, including the exit lights in the auditorium. And they whispered directly into a handheld mic. It was creepy and made it so much more intense and intimate. They even had one gunshot go off in the dark, which I'm glad I saw coming because I'm sure it made a lot of people jump! I was hanging onto Jess' arm at first panicking slightly because I've never been in a theatre so dark and intense before, but funnily enough I adjusted and it became more home-like. The acting was also more intense - the romance was super played up in a sexual way and everyone was just heightened. It really transformed what I had thought of as an old-fashioned, slightly stuffy show into one more thrilling and tense. The ending as well (SPOILERS!!!) was really dramatic, with the shooting of Jud Fry and a violent spray of blood up onto Curly and Laurey. They then sang the final reprise of Oklahoma in a completely different tone, Laurey beginning to melt down as she sung. And then it was over and they were bowing - no curtain music, no bow choreo, no happy ending. It makes sense but it was so shocking that at first nobody was clapping. And then we all were once we realised what had just happened and how it had been done!

They also completely restaged the dream ballet, re-orchestrated using a guitar and more modern instruments and danced by a solo ballet dancer. It was modern ballet, which I found a bit confronting (probably was the point!) but it was really interesting to see that. They also during that and some other points, a handheld camer for extreme close ups which they live projected onto the backdrop so that we could see every tiny thing to bump up the impact even further!

There were a few standout members of the cast for me. Most of them had solo songs, and nobody is really a background performer in this show! I was excited to see one name I knew in the cast - Sally Ann Triplett, who I haven't seen in anything personally, but she's kind of a legend. Her Aunt Eller was really gutsy and just the right amount of coarse and I loved the energy she had. But energy - Paige Peddie as Ado Annie was phenomenal. Her 'I Cain't Say No' was something else! It gave more depth of meaning to the song with her movements and phrasing throughout, and her voice was KILLER. She even came down the stairs in the second verse, moved a lady in the front row out of her seat, and sang to the lady's partner while playing with his hair. His face and the way she did it was priceless. They also added an extra reprise of the chorus using the handheld mic at the end which had a more rock-y vibe that I really liked. She is supposed to be a quite promiscuous character so I liked that she was much less restrained in this version. And then there was Stavros Demetraki as Ali Hakim. He was crazy - very intense and over the top the whole way through, but in the best way. At one point in the dance scene he came right up to the edge of the stage, sculled a beer, then splattered some over us all in the front row. He really seemed upset by the events that befall him throughout the show and made intense and funny eye contact with several audience members at various points, including us! We were hysterical watching him.

The main 3 were also excellent. Patrick Vaill (Jud Fry) was an amazing actor - and reading later, he has played this role in this interpretation of the show in every staging since it was created at a university (including Broadway) and I can see why. He has these intense eyes and serious manner that really does creep you out a little bit. His acting, even in the mostly dark, was really wide-ranging and I really felt for Jud in a way I hadn't before. Sam Palladio played Curly and he was cocky and perfect... And while Jess knew him from a TV show and I then had mild reservations, his voice was incredible. But not as good as Anoushka Lucas (Laurey Williams). She was acting her heart out, and from the front row we could see every little expression and the way she folded in towards Curly in the intimate moments. Her voice was warm and expressive and beautifully controlled through all the emotions and especially through the end.

In the end I'm glad I went to this over Spongebob. It is a classic musical and this adaptation just turned it up to 11 in every way. It was like watching it in bold colour - maybe too intense for some, but it gave this show from 1943 (literally!) a whole new lease of life and showed a modern audience that the material really is a classic. Incredible.

Theatre Trip: RIDE

RIDE

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Date: 22 July 2023 (Saturday), 2:30

Seats: B12-13

(Seen with Jess!)

Notes: This show. Wow.

I had heard about this show from a YouTuber I follow, who had seen it in its previous version, and did a video where he live reacted to the release of the cast recording. I listened to it and watched along with the video and fell in love. It is a new British musical, only 3 years old and the second production of it in this form. When I looked up the production it was being ahead at a new to me venue as well - the Southwark Playhouse Elephant. I have been to the Southwark Playhouse before, seeing Ain’t Misbehavin’ there as well as one of my all time favourite shows, Preludes, but this is the new venue they opened in 2021. It is just near Elephant and Castle station and not far from what is now called Southwark Playhouse Borough! So I booked Jess and I preview seats for one of the final preview shows, and just after school finished and all.

When you see a show in a theatre as small as this (only 300ish seats) every seat is a good one, but ours was excellent in Row B! We were within much eye contact distance, which also definitely happened - they even pointed at me at one point! The premise of this show was also super interesting. It is about Annie Londonderry, the first woman to cycle around the world, which happened in 1894-5. The show takes place after that journey, while pitching herself to the New York World newspaper as a their newest writer. She retells her travels, with the help of the secretary Martha, who plays every other character along the way. Accents and simple costumes included! That’s the basic premise but there is a deeper level, about what is actually real, what is not, and who Annie Londonderry really is as well as why she set off on their journey. A fascinating story!

I really enjoyed the staging of this show. It is set up as the interview room with table, desk and chairs which are all on wheels to be moved around to form different parts, and with functioning drawers with costumes and props coming in and out the whole show. The coatrack serves as both a place for Annie to hang her hat, but also a place for the costume pieces. And then about halfway through, it opened up (as Annie does!) to give more space including space for riding bikes! Every inch of the small stage is cleverly used and made worthwhile which I really appreciated.

The reason I wanted to see this show was the music, which I have been listening to on repeat ever since I first heard it. I loved the accents, the clever rhymes (as Annie travels through Asian cities), and the soaring vocals. The main themes of each song is reused cleverly throughout to link the themes. My favourite numbers are the title song ‘Ride’ - it is a sweeping bop which extols the virtues of riding a bike as a tool for freedom, particularly for women of that era. Also incredible is ‘Miles Away from Boston’. It has a beautiful rocking guitar line, those clever lyrics again (‘heck if it wasn’t so franchise it could be romantic, you know’, ‘look at who we are/we’re like fire and ice, you’re verbose I’m concise that won’t do/a disastrous pairing so why am I staring like this at you’), and with a heartbeat underpinning the whole thing. And despite being a love song between a female and male character, it is two actresses as Martha is playing the role of the male. So it becomes a 2 female duet, with the most gorgeous harmonies I’ve heard in ages between two ladies. To die for, even in the recording, and even more so live. And definitely sapphic vibes between Annie and Martha.

I definitely think that a lot of the show relies on the actors, and this is even more true when there are only 2 people in the show. Katy Ellis played Martha, and while I took a while to warm up to her character, I think that’s supposed to be the case as she takes time to warm up to the show too. As she came out of her shell I only liked her more and her character work was very good - she does a great French accent! The mixing of the voices was sublime. But Annie. Played by Liv Andrusier, and having won the 2023 Off West End Award for ‘Leading Performance in a Musical’ for this role, is perfection as Annie. A flawless Bostonian accent all the way, super character work, brutal honesty and heartbreaking moments abound. And the way she was mixed in the sound meant that she was as loud as she could go without breaking the sound, loud enough to drown in. Physical chills on multiple occasions, and in person ‘Miles Away From Boston’ brought me to tears. She is the perfection of this role and I hope it gets recorded so I can watch it forever.

Because this show was a preview, it was only £16 a seat. One of the most incredible shows I’ve seen in ages, and for an incredible price! We are so lucky to have this life here in London, really. I love it so much. I would want to see it again before it closes but we are in Australia. I don’t think I will ever forget this show and will see it again in a heartbeat if I get the chance in the future!

Theatre Trip: Newsies

NEWSIES

Troubadour Theatre, Wembley Park

Date: 25 June 2023 (Sunday), 1:00pm

Seats: Manhattan ZA, 9-11

Understudies: George Crawford (Jack Kelly), Bobbie Chambers (Katherine Plumber), Ross Dawes (Joseph Pulitzer), Les (Ethan Sokontwe) 

(Seen with Linda and Jess!)

Notes: This one was a bit of an adventure! I had heard so many good things about Newsies and we were lucky to find a decent priced seat with a 1pm Sunday matinee! Perfect for driving, especially given it was out in Wembley Park. I've never been out there and at 9am it said it was only a 55 minute drive so I committed to driving and got ready for the rest of my day. Then around 11am I checked again so I could get there nice and early, and it said 1 hour 35! So I left and of course traffic didn't improve. I arrived at the car park (pink) right on time - only to find that the actual theatre is another 15 minutes walk away! I rushed over there only to arrive at the 10 minute call, so I had just enough time to go to the bathroom, and my way in took me past a kiosk shop where I picked up a water and a program before taking my seat. Jess and Linda, on the other hand, drove from a similar place but went a different route and got stuck in traffic! They ended up arriving around half past 1 and coming in part way through the show.

Going in, all I knew about this show was that it was about the 1900s newsboy strike. I was actually wrong - it was 1899! The newsboys lived in poverty, mostly without parents, selling 'papes' they buy from Joseph Pulitzer for 50c/100. When Pulitzer, trying to make more money, raises the price to 60c/100, they quickly unionise and go on strike! There's also an intriguing female reporter trying to break the story so she can get a job outside the social pages (that way there can be romance).

I didn't know anything about the music ahead of time but really fell in love with a couple of the songs, 'Seize the Day' and 'King of New York' in particular. I think it was because of the dancing! this show has an amazing (mostly) male cast that do a WHOLE lot of dancing. Most of it (including Seize the Day) take place in this gorgeous ballet style which is super athletic and cool to watch. But despite me doing ballet, I got wayyy over excited at the beginning of Act 2 because their shoes were shiny on the bottom... Which means a TAP NUMBER! I have become utterly obsessed with 'King of New York' and have listened to it so many times that I have begun dreaming about tap choreography! It was amazing and the whole show really fueled my drive to continue dancing.

I really liked some of the characters, particularly the lead female, Katherine Plumber. I liked her chutzpah and pizazz! Her characterisation was really great and I liked the idea of the female reporter who was trying to break into the big time out of the social pages. We actually got a few understudies in this performance and Katherine was one of them (Bobbie Chambers). I really really liked her characterisation and performance! She was eager but so full of character and sassy and she was really great. We also had an understudy for the lead, Jack Kelly. I knew he was an understudy straight away as the regular guy is black, and this understudy was fine. A few cracks but usually at parts with feeling so he got away with it. The guy who played Joseph Pulitzer I was surprised to see was an understudy given how much I enjoyed his performance. He was really excellent! And Les, the child actor was amazing! I always am so impressed by child actors in West End shows.

It turns out that Newsies is closing at the end of July, so it seems like I got in just in time! It was such an amazing show and I'm so glad that I caught it before it closed.

Theatre Trip: Disney100: The Concert

DISNEY100: THE CONCERT

The O2

Date: 4 June 2023 (Sunday), 6:00pm

Seats: Entrance H, Section 118, Row M, Seats 134-135

(Seen with Richard!)

Notes: We have really gotten into Disney lately! I went last year to Florida and had the most amazing time, that I convinced Husby to go for a day while we were in LA and he enjoyed it too! Now he wants to go to Florida because I talked so much about it. So when we saw the ads for Disney100 the concert, we were definitely on board! I even had Disney100 merch from LA to wear!

It was a Sunday evening over at the O2, so we headed all the way over. We had planned to get there early enough to eat food there but instead one of the trains were cancelled so we had to eat on the train and made it at just the right time to head pretty much straight in. We hadn't been to the O2 in ages and hadn't realised just how many food places there were there! Next time we'll go super early and grab dinner. We headed straight into our seats, picking up a programme on the way. We were sat on one side, but reasonably close to the front. I think it was a pretty good seat for what we paid.

The concert had a full symphony orchestra, which I always appreciate, it gives the musical such a lovely full feel. The show was hosted and featured about 6 main performers but it was the music people were mostly here for. The host (Janette Manrara) did a great job, when hosting and singing and dancing - especially given she was doing it all at what looked like 8 months pregnant!

The selection of music was loosely arranged into themes and it hit all the big songs. It did lean a little too recent for our taste - lots of recent ones got more play time, and some of the choices weren't what we might have picked (they could put me in charge next time!). We got Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Hercules, Princess and the Frog, Hunchback, Frozen, Fantasia, Tarzan, Aladdin, Encanto, Star Wars, Moana, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pocahontas, Little Mermaid, Marvel, Jungle Book, Toy Story, Frozen 2, Lion King and Mary Poppins.

The performers were pretty good. One of them I had seen about a week before in Bonnie and Clyde (Cleve September), but the other were new to me (Roberta Valentini, Earl Carpenter, Bessy Ewa, Georgina Hagen, Richard-Salvador Wolff)d. It must be a European tour as some of the performers have quite extensive European resumes. My favourites were definitely Bessy and Georgina, who I would love to see again in a proper role.

It was a pretty great evening. There were a few issues it seemed with sound mixing so the sound wasn't super great at times - we could sometimes hear an echo coming back from the back even though we were quite near the front. The biggest disappointment was actually the Fantasia performance. They chose the Sorceror's Apprentice, but it was out of sync with the video! So frustrating when you hear the chopping sounds which are big chords, then 3 seconds later you see them on screen. Very frustrating, although I'm sure we were the only ones who noticed or cared.

It was a pretty nice night, although I don't think I would go again. I'll stick to theatre.

Theatre Trip: Bonnie & Clyde

BONNIE & CLYDE

Garrick Theatre

Date: 12 May 2023 (Friday), 7:30pm

Seats: Grand Circle, C 3-4

(Seen with Jess!)

Notes: This was a show I went to see purely because it was closing and I was curious. It helped that I knew that Jeremy Jordan had played the lead in the original broadway cast and of course I've heard of Bonnie & Clyde but all I really knew was that they were criminals in the 1920s and they died in a shootout. There was so much more to it!

Jess and I met in the city for this show. She ended up delayed so rather than eating our customary McDonalds together, I ate in the city and she ate on the train but we still had our usual meal! We met outside the theatre around 7:15, plenty of time for the usual bits. I was actually really pleased because I couldn't get the app to load our tickets, so I went to the box office and asked - and I got given PAPER TICKETS! I missed paper tickets and will probably do this all the time going forwards so I can get them for my journals.We booked seats for £25, and it may be the best £25 we've ever spent on seats, even though with our seats labelled 'restricted view' we did lose the front right corner of the stage (but there wasn't really much happening there to miss, which was good). VERY good value!

This show started the way we all know Bonnie & Clyde end - driving their car and being shot with more than a hundred bullets, which of course killed them. Then you go back to the beginning with Bonnie, a waitress who wants to hit the big time as a movie star, and Clyde, who is a petty criminal who enjoys playing renegade. They meet and it's love (or lust) at first sight and they soon become inseparable. They follow each other as things unravel and they become famous, just like Bonnie wanted, but not for the reasons she wanted. She nearly leaves but then realises she loves him, and besides, it's too late. Throw in Clyde's brother and his wife and things get very crazy! I liked the story - it was wild and romantic and dramatic too which fit them as characters really well. I also thought the staging and choreography was really great and fit the style so well - a bit country, a bit 20s, it felt similar musically to Chicago which was fun.

A couple of the more minor characters I thought were played really well. I liked Ted, the sweet boy who is in love with Bonnie (played by Cleve September). His singing was so lovely! And the Preacher (Dom Hartley-Harris) totally blew me away - I really loved the song Made in America that came at the beginning of Act Two!

But there were 3 stand out actors in this show that I adored. Jodie Steele played Blanche, Clyde's sister-in-law. She sang so beautifully but more than that, she is a true triple threat! Absolutely gorgeous singing, great acting (she was actually very funny, unexpectedly in a show like this), and she also danced with the ensemble for the church numbers which she also did really well. I have seen her in Heather before but it seems that she is so much more than that. Incredible. Bonnie (Francis Mayli McCann) was beautiful, to look at, and she sung like a bird. I really enjoyed how fiery she was with Clyde, she clearly showed that Bonnie had such an equal relationship with Clyde. And Clyde. Jorden Luke Gage. I have seen him in &Juliet, where he played Romeo, and he had also been in Heathers at one point (but I had missed him). He was phenomenal. a gorgeous voice and just the right amount of intense and scary. His scene in the jail? Blew me away.

If this comes back, I'm seeing it again - I've been listening to the soundtrack and am annoyed I waited until a week before it closed to see it!

Theatre Trip: The Great British Bake Off Musical

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF MUSICAL

Noel Coward Theatre

Date: 22 April 2023 (Saturday), 2:30pm

Seats: Stalls R,  3-5

(Seen with Jess and Claudia!)

Notes: When I messaged asking Jess if she'd like to go to a show this weekend (Richard is away for a bike race up near Scotland), she said yes (as she always does!), but that her sister was in town from Australia. So we invited her too! And when we were discussing what show to see, I compiled a list of shows I'd like to see, complete with theatres and closing dates recorded too. And of course it's 30 shows long and covers all the way through to next year! But near the top of the list, because it was closing in May, was the Great British Bake Off Musical. So we snagged ourselves £30 tickets in the stalls.

We all had other life jobs to do in the morning, so we planned to meet at the theatre at 2pm to get ourselves in. In the end, I took the train in a little early and took myself for a little walk along the river and across it to the Noel Coward which is just near the Coliseum theatre close to Trafalgar Square. However, the girls got stuck in a short delay which meant that I was waiting outside at 2:15 and they hadn't arrived! Luckily they got in at 2:20, which happened to be just enough time to get a program and go to the bathroom, taking our seats with just enough time.

Of course this show is based on the show, complete with 2 judges, 2 hosts and cast of characters. A lot of the characters are based on some of the stereotypes you often see in those shows - there is a student, an immigrant, a retiree. But they put a slightly interesting spin on each character.

In this particular show, there are 8 contestants: Russell, Ben, Babs, Izzy, Hassan, Derrick (Dezza), Francesca and Gemma, a last-minute back up contender who joins after another pulls out. The show follows what goes on 'on screen' as well as 'off screen', with drama and friendship and romance, through the different challenges and cooking tasks. 

After seeing Waitress and wondering if I would ever see another show with baking related choreography, here it is! Flinging around dough, clapping flour into the air, lots of baking utensil choreo waving around wooden spoons and pans. I love that stuff!

I was pleased to see some familiar faces in this show. They were some of the best performances in the show! Grace Mouat played Izzy, the student who is perfect and thinks she can win and it will create a huge empire for her. I've loved watching her as a swing in Six, and an ensemble/understudy in &Juliet, and it was so great that she is getting a bigger role! My favourite of the other contestants is Gemma, who is brought in as a backup contestant at the beginning (and who I think wins, although they don't say in the end of the show!). She was played by Charlotte Wakefield and I was wondering how I hadn't heard of her before. Turns out that she has actually been playing great roles since she was 18, but primarily outside the UK and on UK tours. That would explain it! The hosts of the Bake Off were Kim (Zoe Birkett) and Jim (Scott Paige) - and I've seen Scott in Addams Family on tour. He was amazing! I think the most impressive performances were Hadyn Gwynne and John Owen-Jones, who played Pam Lee and Phil Hollinghurst. They are of course the judges (Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood) and they do an incredible job of pretending to be them! They captured the vibe of each judge so well and they get great numbers to perform as well.

I did thoroughly enjoy the show - I even inadvertently called it sweet afterwards without meaning to! I'm not sure it's going to break any records or win any awards, but it is that. And I especially liked the main line in the final song: "Good thing come to those who bake." So there are good things headed my way!

Theatre Trip: Sister Act

 SISTER ACT

New Victoria Theatre - Woking

Date: 24 February 2023 (Friday), 7:30pm

Seats: Upper Circle H,  15-16

(Seen with Jess!)

Notes: We were off to a new theatre today! We have never been to Woking before, let alone for a show. Used to going to Wimbledon for touring shows, this one seemed to be only at Woking before the end of the tour so off we headed! Jess joined me for this one - leaving work as soon as it was over to drive the 2ish hours around the M25. Such dedication to shows! She arrived at my place around half 5 and we chatted for a bit before leaving and driving to Woking to arrive there at half 6. It turns out the theatre is in a whole shopping centre, but at that time on a Friday the only thing in the centre open was the cinema, the theatre and the McDonalds. So burgers it is!

I was very familiar with the original cast recording for this show but actually they seemed to have changed the plot a little, and the music quite a bit. One of the songs has the same melody but totally different words! I started getting a bit worried about some of my favourite songs being missing but they were still there intact. The plot of this show is the same as the film, I think? It's been a long time since I saw it if I'm honest.

The show as a whole was really fun! It was definitely a Friday night vibe and a Friday night crowd, everyone was really into it. Unfortunately there was one cast member that I didn't like. It was a real shame that it was Sandra Marvin, who was playing the lead role of Deloris. She wasn't out of tune or anything, but she just took too much liberty with the songs and notes which I found frustrating. It happened too much and too often for my liking but the rest of the crowd didn't seem to mind.

It was a shame because there were so many other performances I loved. Lesley Joseph played Mother Superior (I have seen her in Young Frankenstein previously and thought she was fabulous, and Sister Mary Robert - who sings my favourite song, 'The Life I Never Led' - had previously played Tracey Turnblad in Hairspray and absolutely killed this role! A few of the other nuns also were great; Sister Mary Lazarus (Anne Smith) and Sister Mary Patrick (Catherine Millsom) killed their smaller parts.

Honestly the real standouts in this show were the boys! They were all great, but the standouts were the trio of boy backups. They were hilarious and so in sync with the cheesiest dance moves which only made them even funnier! But Eddie Souther though. Clive Rowe is a bit of a British theatre legend, although after googling him I realised I've only ever seen him in a single episode of Doctor Who (and he doesn't sing in that). But he was so good in this! His vocals blew me away and his dance moves were great too. My favourite moment by far was during his big number he was revealed through a velcro quick change that he had a disco suit on under his police uniform... Except he also had another police uniform on under that and there was another velcro quick change which took us both completely by surprise! What a great twist.

Well, I would definitely head out to Woking again. It's definitely not London or Wimbledon, but it's only a half hour drive from home! Totally worth it.

Theatre Trip: Moulin Rouge!

MOULIN ROUGE

Picadilly Theatre

Date: 24 January 2023 (Tuesday), 7:30pm

Seats: Stalls M,  12-13

(Seen with Richard!)

Notes: This ticket was also part of my Christmas/birthday goodness. I have wanted to see this show since it opened last year. I love the film and it is absolutely iconic! However, it also happens to be one of the hottest tickets in town and therefore on a weekend costs around £150 for a decent seat, so we hadn’t had a real reason to spend that much yet (even our tickets to Hamilton weren’t that expensive - they were only £100 which feels cheap in comparison) until we decided to do this festive season. We also picked a Tuesday night because the same seats that were around £150 were now £85 just by virtue of it being midweek. Normally I wouldn’t go to a show mid week now that we live in Epsom, but just this once it can’t hurt that much (and it didn’t!) and it was worth every. Single. Second!

I have to say, I much preferred this to the film, probably partly due to the live nature of it. It had a similar vibe to the opening sequence - opulent, decadent and a little overwhelming, but in a good way. When you enter the theatre, they've redone it with deep red velvet on the walls, and there are ensemble members walking around on stage. You have the windmill up on the left and the elephant on the right (I think they were in the boxes?) which were very cool and the large fluorescent 'Moulin Rouge' sign which moved up and down (starting down on arrival and moving when needed). It all felt very real and very fancy.

As well as the staging, I adored the costumes. So many corsets! So little other clothing! It was very showgirl chic, so corsets and tights and not much else. The leads costumes were great too - very similar to the film to match the aesthetic. Satine's outfits were gorgeous - I wish I looked half as good as her!

Of course the plot is the same as the film. They did move around a couple of the songs and give some to other characters but this didn't change the story line. They updated the music by adding more songs into each medley with updated references and they also changed a few songs (they lost 'One Day I'll Fly Away', replacing it with Katy Perry's song Firework - totally worked!) I really liked the updated songs and the pace of the references! They gave a more modern feel to the show which worked to refresh it for all of us who know the plot already.

Some of the secondary characters I really really liked. The Argentinean (Elio Lo Tauro) I thought was just mostly funny, until we got to Bad Romance and he really let loose - wow that guy can growl! So cool. I also liked the guy playing Toulouse-Lautrec. His Nature Boy was really sweet and despite not looking at all like John Leguizamo I thought he brought his own to the role really well. The Duke was also awesome (Ben Richards) - he was exactly the right mix of creepy and attractive and tread that line really well. Fabulous acting!

We had one understudy in the show - for Harold Zidler (Craig Ryder). He was so full of energy! I adored him and he seemed so at home on that stage playing that role you'd think he was born to it. Cheeky and a bit sexy and vocally great too.

But the two leads. Melissa James played Satine and she was something else. Tall, leggy, and incredible dancer - I couldn't take my eyes off her when she danced (all the sparkles certainly helped!) Her voice was gorgeous and she really took on the role seriously, her consumption slowly taking over was really well acted to be dramatic but not too much so. She was really great.

But the highlight for me which made me go now rather than later. I always wanted to see this show but when they cast Jamie Muscato (who had previously WOWed us in Heathers multiple times) as Christian I couldn't get there fast enough! And he absolutely slayed me. And the role. Vocal perfection. Saving the growl for the most dramatic number (Roxanne). He was absolute perfection and anyone who even slightly likes him needs to get themselves into that theatre IMMEADIATELY.

We realised during interval that there are seats right at the front. Looking it up later, they are called 'Can Can Seats', and they look amazing. The stage comes out in a T shape and there are seats in front of the T as well as behind the bit that sticks out. When we return to this show (which we inevitably will, as it will run for ages I'm sure!), I would LOVE to sit there and get up close with all the action. For a first viewing our seats were perfect for getting the whole picture but I love me a close up shot! Next time...

Theatre Trip: Wicked (#14)

WICKED

Apollo Victoria Theatre

Date: 21 January 2023 (Saturday), 7:30pm

Seats: Stalls B 25-26

(Seen with Richard!)

Notes: I had been muttering about seeing a show around my birthday - either Wicked or &Juliet, thinking I’d be doing Rush tickets and being perfectly happy with that. And then on my birthday morning, when opening my birthday card, inside was a piece of paper and a note. Richard had gotten us seats to Wicked on the second row in the stalls and a reservation for a Japanese BBQ restaurant! I’m so spoiled.

So on Saturday we popped into the city early for a bit of a wander before our dinner. Dinner was really great (one of those Japanese places where you order everything raw and cook it ourself on the grill), and we made it over to the theatre in plenty of time. We both thought that the cast change had just happened, but actually it doesn’t happen for a few more months so I was pleased to see no understudies and the full current cast.

Of course I know the plot and songs in Wicked super well, so I’m there for the nostalgia and to see the cast! We only had one substitution, which wasn’t listed in the theatre anywhere that I could see but I saw on the West End Understudies twitter page. Rhidian Marc played three roles in one show! He was the Witch’s Father in the beginning, then he was Doctor Dillamond (he’s the first cover for that role), then he was the Wonderful Wizard as well! He is the second cover for that part. I’ve never seen anything like it! He was also an amazing Wizard, with a lovely tone of voice and I thought he balanced the silliness of the Wizard quite well with the serious parts of his roles.

My favourite performers of the night were the three main ladies. Carina Gillespie as Nessarose was really powerful and I thought her acting was really good as well. Her learning to walk was really good and believable which I think could be hard, and while Nessa is only a small part it is mighty. If I was in Wicked I’d love to play her.

Helen Woolf was a beautiful G(a)linda! Her tone was clear as a bell and her top notes really rang true. There was no sliding which others have done in the past, intentional or otherwise. Just bang, top note! Perfection. She and Elphaba clearly know each other well and are friends in real life. Speaking of, I was totally chuffed to be able to watch Lucie Jones as Elphaba! I’ve seen her in several things before, notably Waitress and she is amazing. Beautiful tone and she did a couple of awesome riffs which had me in chills. She did look like she may be pregnant but vocally she blew me away. I’m so glad that I got to see her in this role!

I will need to go and see it again after the cast change - after this it will be the first time ever that all three leads will be played by black performers, and more people that I know and like or haven’t had a chance to see yet! But that will be for the second half of the year.

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 15

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 15, 9/8 (Sunday)

The Final Day!

We were flying home today. We had prepacked most of our things before bed last night so we were able to stay in bed as late as possible before taking our luggage downstairs and checking out of the hotel. We left the bags there and headed over to Disney Springs. We just wanted to have one last Disney experience before we had to go home...

We started off at the same place we did last time - Earl of Sandwich. This time I knew better and only ate had my sandwich so it was not so crazy filling. Still delicious though! We went back through all the shops again (well, all the Disney ones anyway and a bunch of others) for a last browse. We realised that we had not bought any 50th anniversary merch, so I picked up a pin and a teeshirt and Bro also picked up a pin. Bro also picked up some cute ear for his travel agent as a thank you for her helping organise and book all his flights. Apparently once she received them she pit them straight up on display!

We toyed with the idea of buying more Gideon's cookies to take on the plane with us, however decided against it as the line was quite long. I did pick up another menu though so that I would have it for a souvenir.

We also headed over to the part that we hadn't explored yet, over near the Cirque du Soleil theatre. There was a Star Wars store and a Marvel one, where I finally succumbed to a mystery set of pins and actually managed to get the one I wanted! Very pleased about that. By this point it was raining quite a lot and didn't seem like stopping so we headed via yet another Uber to the hotel.

We checked the weight of our luggage and mine was just under, thank goodness. While I had that third bag, it seemed that I wouldn't need to use it - although my big suitcase was terribly heavy in the end! Then we headed off to the airport. We were very early but passed the time with one last browse in the Disney and Universal shops, one last meal together, and we even had time to share our favourite podcast before we had to say goodbye. We were headed off from opposite ends of the airport so we had one last hug before going through our opposite security checks and off to the gate.

My flight left at 8.40pm and I was lucky enough to not have anyone next to me for the flight home. I put some stuff on my chair, spread myself out and slept pretty much all the way! Then my lovely husband was kind enough to pick me up from the airport as it is a much faster drive than it is by train now that we are in Epsom (I flew in to Gatwick).

Home, and a bit sad about it.I now wear my merch as often as I can, use my Loungefly bags every day (my mickey ears one is my everyday handbag and my HP one my fancy bag!) and even had my favourite of the photos we took on the trip printed! Stickers to go on my work diary and fanfiction notebook, and actual photos for a frame I want to get for my sewing room wall. I even moved my furniture to make a space for it! Just need to put it up. 

What an amazing trip - we'll both remember it forever,

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 14

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 14, 8/8 (Sunday)

Day 3 of Universal!

For our final day in Universal we had no express passes and no particular plans. We wanted to make sure that we had done all the things, so we started with a wander through the rest of the parks. We hadn't really done much with them as we were really only interested in the Harry Potter sections. We didn't do any other rides but enjoyed the vibes of the other lands and made sure we checked in every shop that we passed!

We also made sure on this day that we had things for the family - something for Mum, Dad, Grandad, the Husband, Bro's friends, mine... Either we got things at Universal or we made a list of what to get at Disney!

We did get back over to Diagon Alley to see the Tale of the Three Brothers show which was really awesome. They used puppets and told the story in a super imaginative way and the puppets were amazing! We also wanted to catch the Frog Choir but it rained in the afternoon so we didn't get to go and see it, sadly.

We had one final night left in the Aventura hotel which we whiled away after dinner packing and making sure everything would fit. I flew in premium economy which meant I could have 2 checked bags and had only used 1 on the way over, but I had packed an extra bag in my suitcase. However, I just managed to squeeze everything in, and we had plans to check our luggage weight the next morning before we head to the airport. Good thinking, for sure!

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 13

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 13, 7/8 (Sunday)

Day 2 of Universal!

We had express passes again today but we accidentally hit snooze and slept in. We were feeling super worn out by this part of the trip - if I did it again, I'd like to have more park days, but with some breaks in between! In the end we got into the parks around 1pm ready for some rides. We headed straight to Diagon Alley and the Escape from Gringotts ride.

Bro had said that I could hack the Gringotts ride, so on I went. He is such a tolerant bro, reminding me that I can do it and I was so glad that I did. It was super! It was such a great mix of ride, which was almost too fast, then it would stop and there would be a screen section. I did take the 3D glasses off because that was a little much, but I really enjoyed the other aspects of the ride. Just enough adrenaline in the end!

After that I decided I wanted to do another ride before eating, so we jumped onto the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade again and gave the Flight of the Hippogriff ride a go. It was the most traditional roller coaster that we rode the entire time we were there, including Disney! It was fast and rather furious, going around and around in a circle and only going for a minute but that was plenty for me!

With those few rides done I felt comfortable eating and was hungry so we headed over to the Three Broomsticks for lunch. I had a fish and chips and a(nother) frozen Butterbeer, and the Bro had the pasties and salad. More very nice pub food!

After that we headed over to the stage to watch the Triwizard Spirit Rally which was very cool. I loved seeing the costumes up close and in movement and the Durmstrang boys were really fun to watch jumping and spinning around. After the show it was time for more wandering and making sure we were buying all the things we really wanted to buy. Had to make sure we saw absolutely everything and we had lists to make sure we didn't miss anything we had to have!

By the time it got to dinner time we had decided that we didn't really want any of the CityWalk options (we found generally that the Universal options were not as good as Disney), and we weren't super hungry after a late lunch. So we actually popped into the cinema on the way back to the bus and picked up a nice big popcorn and some slushies.

We headed back to our room, cosied up in our beds and tried to watch TV. However the channels were quite hard to negotiate, so we ended up watching most of the Spongebob Movie while we ate our popcorn. Only one day left and then a free day before heading home. We were definitely experiencing some fatigue but also already some post-trip sadness. Just a few days left to go!

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 12

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 12, 6/8 (Saturday)

Day 1 of Universal!

We were very excited to start the next (but sadly final) part of our trip - Universal Studios! We had 3 day, 2 park passes and express passes for both weekend days. As we learned at Disney we are not really rollercoaster people and Universal has many more rollercoasters and a lot with motion simulation, which really triggers me, so a lot of coasters were out. Luckily we didn't mind as we were intending on spending almost all our time at Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.

We got up and ready, both put on our LeakyCon shirts, and headed over to Diagon Alley! We went in there first as we wanted to go on the Gringotts ride. We started with a very thorough inspection of every shop and store. There were so many awesome details in each and every shop, with immaculate theming, especially in one like Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Eeylops Owl Emporium. The things in the shop were also themed, with treats and tricks at WWW, and magical creatures in the owl emporium. Once we had very thoroughly checked every shop we joined the line for the gringotts ride.

For Escape from Gringotts, you line up through the bank itself, walking through the main hall and looking at vaults until the ride begins. I was really worried about my ability to, well, not be sick on the ride, so Bro and I stood together in the line (so I could have the experience) and then I bailed before he got onto the ride vehicle proper. I went and checked out the gift shop at the end of the ride while I waited for him. When he came out he said that I would have enjoyed it a lot, so I decided to go on it tomorrow. Sadly our express passes only allowed us to skip the line once but we could go again tomorrow! Then we stopped for lunch at the best place to eat in Diagon Alley - The Leaky Cauldron! It was basically a British pub and I got a chicken salad and a Butterbeer. I LOVED the Butterbeer, it was the same as at the studio tour and I had forgotten how delicious it is!

After lunch we wandered through the shops once more and picked up a few bits, then jumped on the Hogwarts Express. The train connects the 2 Universal parks, going from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade, and is a ride of a sort on it's own. There is a screen behind each window which chronicles the journey up to Scotland and the castle, seeing different familiar sights along the way.

Then you have arrived in Hogsmeade! We headed straight to the Hogwarts castle for the Forbidden Journey ride. This was another which I wanted to go on the line but not the ride. The line takes you through the castle and is an amazing experience in itself, and then again I bailed before Bro boarded the ride vehicle. This time though, he came out saying it was an excellent ride - but that it would probably make me feel sick! So I didn't go on it. After the ride we wandered some more shops (can you tell that we were enjoying the vibe of the place and making sure we saw absolutely everything?!) before heading back on the train (a slightly different ride going in the other direction) and heading back to CityWalk for dinner. We stopped back in at the main shops and I finally picked a Loungefly HP bag - I went with the Hogwarts castle one and it is absolutely gorgeous! I love it so much. I also a pin and a shirt and some other stuff, so had a big bag to carry back later!

We stopped for dinner at a bao place which was really good - I had some shrimp bao and pork bao which were really good. Then we went to the Cold Stone Ice Creamery, which is the same as cold rock back in Australia and got ice creams with mix ins. It was super delicious! Then it was definitely bedtime and so we headed back to bed.

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 11

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 11, 5/8 (Friday)

Day 5 of Disney!

Today was our final day at Disney (sob!) and we were back at Magic Kingdom. We started our day by grabbing another LL for Jungle Cruise so that we could actually go on it! Then we got a little more snoozing in and then packed up. We did today our second Disneybound - Yzma and Kronk from the Emperor's New Groove. I wore all black and purple accessories, and Bro had an amazing outfit. We also quoted the film quite a lot throughout the day and someone did spot us which was super cool. We  had to pack up everything because we were checking out of the Poly today and moving over to the Aventura for the Universal part of our trip. We checked into the valet at the hotel and headed straight over to the Magic Kingdom!

Our first stop was Jungle Cruise because we knew that we knew that we wanted to go on 'The Rock's Tiny Tugboat'. It was a chill way to start the morning and a great way to start the day (although I'm not sure how they turned it into a film!). After that we headed back over to everyone's favourite ride - ours at least - Pirates! This was my 6th time in 5 days. Then we grabbed another LL for a ride that had had long queues all week but I wanted to experience, the Winnie the Pooh ride. It was really really sweet and gave us lots of nostalgia which we really enjoyed! For lunch we wanted something less huge than in previous days, and given we had had Casey's Corner twice we had a look on the app and found the Columbia Harbour House, where Bro had a fish burger, and I had an lobster roll. It was amazing and they also had lemonade slushies which were absolutely perfect!

The Harbour House was really close to the Haunted Mansion and so we popped in there again. Love it - and I should rewatch the movie. I then realised that there was a place that we hadn't been in which may have had a cool photo spot so we went looking for Gaston's Tavern. We didn't eat or drink anything becuase we had just had lunch but we got to see and sit in Gaston's chair. Sadly he wasn't there this time to reassure us how awesome he is. After that we wanted to catch a show so we went to Philharmagic show, which was kinda like an updated 3d film similar to Fantasia. That was what we were hoping for so it was exactly what we wanted!

Before we left the park mid-afternoon for the final time, we had to bookend our Disney Experience by finishing with the same as our first ride. So, Pirates of the Caribbean for the final time. I have to admit, I was quite disappointed to be leaving so soon. I can truly understand why people come every year, or more than once a year, and spend 2 weeks. It would allow you to eat as many treats and at as many restaurants as you want, ensure you catch the MK fireworks (which we did) and the Epcot fireworks (which we didn't get to), repeat your favourite experiences, and not burn out from trying to fit too many things into each day. I feel like we hit a great balance in these 5 days and we definitely did everything we really wanted to - and repeated some things! I am writing this less than 2 months later and I already would like to go back - or maybe to try California or Paris next!

We sadly took the monorail back to the Poly, collected our bags and got an Uber over to the Aventura. While we are at Universal we are going to use the bus service. It turns out that Universal CityWalk (the shopping area) actually leads to both parks, which are also linked at the back. Our room at the Aventura is many floors up and has a view over the carpark to the top of Volano Bay, the Universal waterpark! For dinner, we changed into more regular clothes and headed over on the bus to CityWalk.

We started with a wander through some of the shops. They have a Universal store as well as a Universal Heritage store. The regular store was about half HP merch and I oohed and ahhed over lots of things, and then saw the Loungefly bags! There were 3 to choose from - one Honeydukes themed, one Hedwig one, and a Hogwarts castle one. I love them all so took photos to ask my friends for advice and will sleep on it. Basically we made lists of things we liked like we did at Disney. I also appreciated some of the Heritage stuff like Jurassic Park and ET more than the Minions stuff if I'm honest.

We decided to eat sushi, but they didn't have any space so instead we went for pizza. I just had a margarita and then we grabbed some mini Cinnabons for the hotel room and headed back to eat them and get some sleep ahead of our journey to Hogwarts tomorrow!

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 10

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 10, 4/8 (Thursday)

Day 4 of Disney!

We had another day booked for Hollywood Studios today - mostly to give us the best odds of getting on Rise of the Resistance. We woke up at 7 and managed to get our own Rise LL reservation this time for the early afternoon, as well as another regular LL reservation for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, hoping we'd actually get on it this time! We managed to get that for mid morning so got ready and headed straight to the bus. As soon as we arrived we headed straight in. I was told by CM and other reading I did that Runaway Railway was less dramatic as a ride then Rise, so I was pretty confident about my ability to ride it. It was another trackless coaster which I really enjoyed and I also liked the plotline behind it too! It was almost a shame we didn't get to ride it on Tuesday, as I would have gone again but the line got very long and you can only get one LL per attraction per day. We didn't want to stand in line for more than an hour ever! (And we never did for more than about 30 minutes in our 5 days).

After RR we wandered around and made sure to get to all the pin trading locations - as we didn't really like any of our original pins we wanted to trade them all away before we were done in our time at Disney. We finished our trading in Toy Story Land so stopped at Woody's Toy Box for lunch. They do grilled cheese sandwiches and tater tots there were was a nice change and really yummy! Also not too filling compared to some of our other lunches.

On our way back to Galaxy's Edge the Bro stopped in at Star Tours. It never had more than about a 10 minute wait and he really enjoyed it, but I waited in a shop for him to be done. He agreed it would have been awful for me as it was entirely motion simulation like Smugglers Run. But then we went back on Rise of the Resistance! Such a good ride. After that, Bro had booked in to build a lightsaber at Savi's workshop, and I was allowed to go along as his guest. It was a very cool experience. Before going in you choose what 'theme' your lightsaber is - Peace and Justice, Power and Control, Elemental Nature, or Protection and Defense - which narrows down your options to just a couple. Then when it's your turn you go into the workshop and it's a whole experience! They talk about the importance of what you're doing, you choose your Khyber crystal colour, you piece it together yourself from your options, and then you place it in a special spot. They say the words, and it crafts the blade of your saber which you then raise and light up very ceremonially. Yoda even speaks! It was very cool even to just watch and I took lots of photos and video to help the Bro remember it. 

After that we were ready for a show, so we ran over to make the LL entrance slot for the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. It was very cool with explosions and proper stunt people and it was a cool show for sure. We decided before the show that we would have some pre dinner drinks, so after it finished, we headed back over to Oga's Cantina. We had a couple of cocktails (well, I had one and Bro had 2) and we even managed to get some coasters. I asked how we could get some to keep and the bartender asked, 'What can you offer in exchange?' I had no idea what/if we had anything good, so after I paused, she said 'You can have the ones you catch!' and started frisbee-ing them at us. Of course, we only caught a couple, but she made sure we ended up with a nice large stack to take home which was super nice. We stayed longer this time so enjoyed the theming, vibe and music even more than last time!

Then it was back to the Poly to change for dinner. This was our 1 meal we booked before the trip - Space 220 at Epcot. We wanted to have one fancy meal on the trip and this looked like the coolest one which wasn't a character dinner. After changing into our fancies we took the monorail back over to Epcot and headed in. The concept is really cool - you have to go up in a lift, which takes you '220 miles up into space'. You then eat your dinner while looking out of the space station towards the Earth below, and sometimes things float past the window. Very cool.

It was an absolutely gorgeous meal. You commit to 3 courses but it wasn't too much food, really, and we also got a few drinks. I started with the Neptune Tartare, which was tuna and delicious, and a Stratosphere Strawberry Lemonade (one of the alcoholic cocktails). For mains I had the space glazed duck breast which was really beautifully cooked, but for me the stand out was definitely dessert! I had a second drink (no alcohol this time as I'm a lightweight), which was the Moon Rocks drink. It was bright blue, tasted like candy floss, and came with not only a packet of Pop Rocks to put in it, but a collectible card to go with it! Super cool and I can imagine every kid drink it - it was perfectly sweet for dessert drinking. I also had the carrot cake, which was by far the best carrot cake I've ever eaten!!! When I told our server that, he told me that it is even vegan! I couldn't fathom how they got it so moist, and the cream cheese so accurate, without any dairy, which only made it more incredible in my eyes. We stretched out the whole meal, chatting and taking our time the one time we weren't in a rush, and we were one of the last tables to vacate and head back down to Earth.

We also took our sweet time walking back to the Monorail station, as it was still running for a while and Epcot looks really sweet at night (the ball and the Guardians ride especially). We couldn't do anything else on the way back though because the park had closed at 9pm and it was well after that already, so we headed back and went to bed. I was already starting to feel sad that we only had one day left, even though it was another Magic Kingdom day!

The Grand Bro Trip (Orlando, Florida) - Day 9

This summer holidays, my Bro and I went on the trip of a lifetime! 2 weeks of amazing times on the Grand Bro Trip in Orlando, Florida.

Day 9, 3/8 (Wednesday)

Day 3 of Disney!

Today was our middle day at Disney and we had decided on Epcot for today. We were planning on making it a more chill day, as we didn't really want to do any of the rides. This meant we didn't need to wake up at 7am for any LL reservations and we got a bit of a later start. We took the monorail over to Epcot which was very nice. We were also looking forward to trying some of the international foods - although with the heat we weren't that hungry on any of our days. We decided when we arrived to go around the world first, then go back to the bits near the entrance at the end. First we got the Guardians of the Galaxy Photopass photo (which was very cool and they put Groot in it!) then we headed around, starting with Canada. Our first stop was the Australia booth! It's part of the Food and Wine Festival that was running at the moment and had a stand selling Australian dishes and cocktails. I couldn't resist starting my day with a lamb chop and it was excellent! It was served with a salt and vinegar crisp coating and mint sauce, so good. They also had lamingtons, which I was tempted by but I decided to save my appetite.

Then we headed through the UK. It was pretty funny to wander through those gift shops, selling Tetley tea and Jammy Dodgers at an exorbitant price compared to what I spend at home! Then we wandered around a corner, and there was Mary Poppins! She had quite a short line so we joined it and got to meet her. She was very sweet - she complimented me on my dress and said that Bert would like it because his favourite colour is blue. I curtseyed to her and we got a lovely photo together, although she must have been HOT in the heat with so many layers on!

We continued wandering our way around the world and our next stop was Japan! We loved the Japanese shop, we picked up some fun Japanese knicknacks and I got some peach gummy sweets that were so yummy! Then we found a quick service place in a sweet Japanese garden and ate lunch. We had sushi and I treated myself to a plum wine which went down very nicely.

After lunch we kept going around the world through Mexico and Norway, and just outside we found a place selling Frozen Cokes. It might have been the best thing we drank the whole time we were at Disney though, because it was so cooling. Our next cold room break was going to be the Pixar short film room, but when we headed in, who did we see but the big cheese himself, Mickey! So of course we joined the (surprisingly short) line to meet Mickey. He complimented my ears and the Bro shook his hand, and we got some amazing photos of it too. My favourite is of me hugging Mickey, when we're mid-hug. Lovely.

After meeting Mickey and the short film festival (some of which we remembered and some of which we didn't, but they were all excellent), we headed over to the Nemo section. We were looking forward to Turtle Talk with Crush, particularly as I had seen clips of it online with funny results. It's a really cool show where you chat to Crush, the turtle from Finding Nemo. The voice and animation is don live, with a real person behind the scenes talking to, and having questions with, the audience. It was really enjoyable. After that we had a quick look at the animals in the aquarium and then popped onto the Nemo and Friends ride. We were joking after Rise of the Resistance last night about it being a dramatic ride and had our hands up in the air, and the Cast Member heard us and told us to put on our seatbelts. I knew he was tricking but he totally got my Bro, who looked down to find the belt! Got him.

After that we headed back to the Connections area where the biggest shop is. I had seen on our first walk through that there were some cool short sleeve button up shirts in the shop and picked one up for Richard (white with rainbow colourful Marvel logos on - and it fits perfectly!). After we did our shopping I needed the bathroom, and who did we spot on our way over to the loos but one Winnie the Pooh, in the garden with his net for catching butterflies! He was in the grassy area so we couldn't actually go to him but we took a selfie and he did an adorable pose in the background, plus we waved and blew kisses. Best bathroom break of the trip!

After meeting Pooh Bear we decided to head back to the Poly for an afternoon chill. Tonight was the long night open at Magic Kingdom (open until 11pm for regular peeps and 1am for us fancy resort people) so we were planning on heading back into the park later. Tonight was also our only chance left to catch the MK fireworks, as Monday was rained out, Tuesday we were at Hollywood Studios (and it rained as well), and we were out for dinner Thursday, and heading to the next resort on Friday evening. So today it had to be! We made it on the last monorail back to the Transportation and Ticketing Centre, but then the resort monorail was closed due to the rain. So we waited it out (it was already easing) and walked the 5 minute walk back to the hotel. I think it may have even been faster that the monorail would have been! At the Poly we used our free dole whip voucher - delicious - and did some pin trading as they have several board just in the resort shops.

Then we headed back into Magic Kingdom. First, we went straight to Pirates again - my 4th time of the trip. It fast became my favourite ride! Then the line for some of the others we wanted to try was shorter, so we headed to It's A Small World. It's... A lot. I felt like we had to do it because it is iconic, but it is a strange ride and neither of us really understood why there was such a long line for it most of the time. After that we headed over to the Storybook area for a highlight of the trip - Dumbo!

When we were very small (5 and 3 respectively), our parents took us to Japan and we went to Tokyo Disney. Dumbo is my Bro's favourite, even then (he has always loved elephants), but the line was so long that he fell asleep and it's a family story that gets brought out a lot (there's even a photo of him asleep in the stroller!). So we had to ride it together, take photos of Bro pretending to sleep in the (much shorter) line. Luckily we are just the right size to ride it together in one elephant, although I made th mistake of giving Bro the controls to go up and down. I filmed the whole ride (like a minute and a half) on my phone for posterity and sent it to Mum and Dad to give them a laugh! It was a really fun 90 seconds and we loved the memories we made in it too.

Then, we headed over to pick up our dinner. We had thought we were being really clever, ordering our Casey's Corner (hot dogs again!) for just before 9pm thinking that we'd be able to get a table outside and watch the fireworks from there. But of course many other people have that same idea, so instead we ate our hotdogs while I stood on tiptoes and looked through the table umbrellas at the castle to watch the fireworks. Despite this, it was still magical, with the music and everything almost reducing me to tears several times. We also had a sweet moment when the Bro and I turned to each other at the same time and were like, 'This is great. We are great bros. Best siblings ever.' It was pretty magical.

After the fireworks it was clear a lot of people were leaving (many with kids I would imagine), but we were thinking THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO GET SHORT LINES! So even though we were feeling quite tired we hotfooted our way over to the Haunted Mansion again - figured it was the way to go for a spooky night time ride. And actually, we were stalled on it for about 15 minutes at one point! then we headed over to one of the night time photopass location to get pretty nighttime pictures with the Rapunzel lanterns (some of the best photos of the trip!)

There was just enough time to go through Pirates AGAIN before we headed to bed and tucked ourselves in just after midnight.