Episode 8 of Homo Sapiens up now.

 

Legendary screenwriter Russell T Davies joins us to talk Queer as Folk, Dr Who and his new drama about AIDS in the 1980's - and he's hilarious and lovely! Will and Chris discuss love at first sight, getting drunk with Eamonn Holmes and your most inspirational people.

Tweet from Will

 

 

Will Young‏Verified account@willyoung

Episode 8 of Homo Sapiens here w the delightful Russell T. Davies @TheWriterOfPain being hilarious. Click to listen! https://www.acast.com/homosapiens/s01ep ... elltdavies …

 

 

Edited September 13, 20177 yr by truly talented

In an interview promoting Cabaret on Radio Wales Will confirmed he has another acting role lined up. :D

 

It was also great to hear him sound confident and excited about taking to the stage for Cabaret.

cfcdiva It was our final day in the rehearsal room before we head to the theatre on Monday. I can honestly say audiences are in for a treat. It really is a great show and a great company! #cabaret #uktour #uktour2017 #theatre #musical #musicaltheatre #actress #lovemyjob #happygirl

 

Starts tomorrow. :cheer:

 

newwimbledontheatre What good is sitting alone in your room......with a biscuit......come to the Cabaret.

#avecbiccie #cabaret #biscuits #gbbo #willyoung #louiseredknapp

 

 

Edited September 20, 20177 yr by truly talented

Opening night at Wimbledon.

 

Get to @NewWimbTheatre to see @CabaretUKTour. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟performances @LouiseRedknapp & @willyoung plus cast! Amazing! Review to follow! #cabaretHe

I meant to ask you, how are you all doing in the new environment in the retro forum?

 

You can all come and join us on The Darius Lounge thread for off topic discussion if you want too by the way here on the retro forum, its open to anyone!

Thanks for the invite.

 

5* Review-fabulous comments about Will’s performance.

 

The press night vibes at the New Wimbledon Theatre last night was noticeably electric pre-show. With Will Young reprising his West End performance as the Emcee, joined by current national sweetheart, Louise Redknapp as the troubled Sally Bowles; the theatre was packed with excited theatre goers and theatricals looking for a thrilling time.

 

 

Young's performance is arguably the best Emcee the U.K. has seen since Alan Cumming at the Donmar Warehouse in 1993. The painted face enhancing the manic facial expressions which come and go in the blink of an eye, the instantly dynamic rapport with his audience; we are taken from the extreme highs of "Two Ladies" (a brilliantly staged number, full of surprises!) to the awkwardly tense close of Act One, and by the end leaving us utterly devastated. Young's performance is a fine example of meticulous attention to detail combined with a passionate intensity; and watching him flitting from flirty and fun, terrifying and threatening to truly gut wrenching is a magical experience.

 

There is a fine performance too from Louise Redknapp; making her theatrical debut as Sally Bowles. The role is filled with emotional highs and lows, big vocal numbers and that's before you get to the dancing. Redknapp tackles all with gusto, proving able to belt out more than a simple pop song; and it's clear once she relaxes into the role a little more, her performance will continue to grow. Compared with almost all the young female performers who have moved from pop careers into musical theatre, her performance is most certainly one of the strongest debuts in recent years.

 

Strong supporting performances from Charles Hagerty as Bradshaw, who brought more heart to the role than I've seen previously through his strong, rich vocal performance, and the delightful duo of Susan Penhaligon (Fraulein Schneider) and Linal Haft (Herr Schultz) whose rendition of "It Couldn't Please Me More" restores your faith in romance.

 

The energetic, committed cast give their all throughout; with outstanding choreography by Javier De Frutos, brought to life seemingly effortlessly by a supremely talented ensemble, and insightful direction from Rufus Norris sprinkling just the right amount of fun and glitter amidst the tragic reality of the lives of the characters in their political landscape. One shouldn't say too much about the production's conclusion, only to commend Norris' decision to risk poignancy over pizazz. It pays off, in spades.

 

A splendid night out, which is full of moments to make you laugh, cry and most crucially as rarely these days, to make you think. No doubt Kenwright has another successful tour on his hands.

 

 

Cabaret, New Wimbledon Theatre *****

22 Sep 2017

 

 

Julie x

 

Saw this last night! Will post review later but Will is INCREDIBLE. “Two ladies” is a riot

Saw this last night! Will post review later but Will is INCREDIBLE. “Two ladies” is a riot

 

Thank you! :cheer: Glad you enjoyed it. I'm not seeing it for a few weeks yet.

Spoilers... so I’ll only share the link (in case theres aspects of the show I covered that people don’t want exposed to)

 

http://www.deviouspop.com/cabaret.html

Glad you enjoyed the show. Will was born to play the Emcee. Can't wait to see the show again in Leeds. :cheer:

Will Young gave a captivating performance as Emcee on the opening night of Cabaret at New Wimbledon theatre.

 

The red carpet was out at New Wimbledon Theatre on Thursday for the launch of a new national tour of the musical Cabaret. It's been loved since its inception (not by me I'm afraid!) in the Sixties and a packed house was in attendance to roar their approval.

 

Once a member of girl group Eternal and the 2016 runner-up in Strictly Come Dancing, Louise Redknapp has been in the headlines of late due to her marriage troubles. Is she or isn't she splitting from footballer husband Jamie, that is the question many have been asking and maybe why so many have booked for the show.

 

But the question I wanted an answer to was: will she be any good in the iconic role of Sally Bowles, filled in the past by such big stars as Liza Minnelli, Judi Dench, Jane Horrocks, Natasha Richardson and Samantha Barks.

 

Answer: just OK. She certainly looks great and can sing. But Louise only ever really scratches the surface of a character who is ballsy on the outside (a raunchy dancer in the sleazy Kit Kat Club and apparently sleeps around) and a vulnerable woman in love on the inside. Her Maybe This Time could have been heart-breaking. It wasn't. And in her show numbers she is too restrained and wholesome. More sexy please Louise!

 

There's no saucy chair sequence for Mein Herr and some odd swivelling about of a set of stairs which she and the other dancers manage courageously.

 

Undoubted saviour of the piece is Will Young, funny, menacing, bitter, crazy as the club Emcee with his clownish white face, red lips and funny walk. His Money Song is delicious.

 

He won awards for the role when the show (also directed b Rufus Norris) was at the Savoy and well deserved they were too.

I have always been deeply disturbed by the depravity and bleakness of Cabaret, a snapshot of the dark underbelly of Berlin as the Nazis started their rise to power in the 1930s and before they stamped out the riotous anything-goes decadence portrayed at the Kit Kat Club. Jolly it certainly isn't.

 

The city and world are doomed, as are the relationships we see: Sally and her American novelist lover Cliff (an assured Charles Hagerty) plus old Fraulein Schneider, at whose house Cliff lodges, and her Jewish beau Herr Schultz, a greengrocer who sweetly courts her with bags of fresh fruit. Susan Penhaligon and Linal Haft are gently romantic.

 

The ensemble are very good and the onstage band terrific.

But tonight, tomorrow and every night belongs to Will Young's marvellous Emcee.

 

CABARET – TOUR DATES 2017

September 21-30, New Wimbledon Theatre

October 3-7, Blackpool Opera House

October 10-14, Malvern Festival Theatre

October 17-21, Cardiff New Theatre

October 24-28, Leeds, Grand Theatre

October 31–November 4, Milton Keynes Theatre

November 7-11, The Lowry, Salford

Novemer 14-18, Edinburgh Playhouse

November 21-25, Churchill Theatre, Bromley

November 28-December 2, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin

December 5-9, Theatre Royal, Brighton.

 

 

https://www.timeandleisure.co.uk/whats-on/6...ret-review.html

Edited September 23, 20177 yr by truly talented

Will's star shines brightly.. http://www.rewritethisstory.com/2017/09 ... eatre.html

 

https://twitter.com/rewritethisweb/stat ... 2793430016

 

Rewrite This Story@rewritethisweb

#review | Cabaret at the @NewWimbTheatre "@willyoung is outstanding, suitably wacky but all-knowing at once"

 

CABARET (UK TOUR), NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE | REVIEW

 

Cabaret (UK Tour)

New Wimbledon Theatre

Reviewed on Friday September 22nd 2017 by Olivia Mitchell

★★★

 

After Germany's defeat in World War 1, the treaty of Versaille was set out to totally humiliate the nation; inflation rocketed and the economy flew into a downward spiral. This was eventually stabilised but people had seen themselves and those around them lose everything so the idea of 'seizing the day' was adopted and Berlin became a heaving Bohemian world where you lived to enjoy the here and now. This is when we are thrown into the world of Cabaret. It's 1930 New Years Eve, a young American writer, Clifford Bradshaw has just arrived in Berlin and is ready to see what the city has to offer.

 

The show is a full on combination of things with dance, drink and drugs taking the lead as people relished in the decadent, censorship free lifestyle. The set by Katrina Lindsay manages to be bright and dark at the same time. There are moments of intense glitz and glam with flashing lights and moving sets but also moments of dim, dark spaces which imply what's to come as the golden age passes. The rise of fascism is extremely prevalent in Rufus Norris' production especially during the chilling final scene of act 1 when the Emcee turns into a puppet master, holding overgrown children at the end of strings as he sings the Aryan folk song Tomorrow Belongs To Me.

 

As the Emcee, Will Young is outstanding, suitably wacky but all-knowing at once. His comedic timing is wonderful as he soars through the notes with a sinister hint always shining through. Young is certainly the star of this show and it's clear why he was asked back to be part of the tour and his balloon clad rendition of Money was the stand out performance of the production for me.

Louise Redknapp takes on the iconic role of Sally Bowles, the British showgirl who has lost her way. Unfortunately Redknapp's performance fell flat at times; instead of showing a crumbling, emotional girl she was decadent, bold and showed very minimal signs of her struggle. At times her voice was strong but fell flat on her big number, Maybe This Time. Sally Bowles was originally written to be a somewhat second rate performer which is why she has previously been cast as an actress who can sing and opposed to a singer who can act however, Louise kind of fell in between the two and I felt a little underwhelmed.

 

Charles Hagerty is strong as Clifford, developing his various relationships well. His voice is incredibly strong and his performance of Why Should I Wake Up? is a stand out moment. A large part of the action has to do with Clifford's landlady Fräulein Schneider (Susan Penhaligon) and her relationship with the local Jewish fruit seller (Linal Schultz) as their normal lives begin to be put in jeopardy. The pair are great together and their affection for one another is very sweet to see.

 

This show is worth seeing for Young's performance and for the bold imaginative design and choreography but it needs more oomph overall.

Luv.Diz.X.

And there's more.

 

Review of Cabaret at New Wimbledon Theatre

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 5:09 PM BY CASSANDRA GRIFFIN LEAVE A COMMENT

 

I should probably preface this by saying that Cabaret is one of my all-time favourites, although I haven’t seen a production since the 2002 Australian cast staring Tina Arena and Toby Allen! I’ve been disappointed a few times, not including the previous example, but still, you find yourself channelling your inner Liza and thinking “Maybe this time, I’ll be lucky!” and again taking the plunge. So, coming out the other side, what’s the verdict?

 

Bill Kenwright’s production, directed by Rufus Norris, is exciting, enthralling and poignant! Reprising well-known motifs, while taking the heart and soul of the show to a whole new level, it serves as a reminder of just how good this piece really is and why it’s won 13 Tony awards – including best musical for the original Broadway production!

 

Set in Berlin, pre-WWII, young American Cliff arrives in the city with the hopes of finding the inspiration to finish (and start!) his novel. Following a chance encounter, he finds himself dragged into a turbulent whirlwind of cabaret dancers, smuggling and politics.

 

It’s a given that with Cabaret comes with fishnets, suspenders and corsets, but this production has something extra and manages to capture the tension of the era with a subtlety that reflects the insidious political climate of the time. The subtlety only extends so far though and, without giving too much away, builds to a bone-chilling final tableau which, for me, set this production aside from all others I’ve seen.

 

As our delightful host and Emcee, Will Young is exceptional! From the moment he appears, his warm presence and cheeky grin place you in that highly contented state that results only from knowing that a much-loved character is in very safe hands! His childlike innocence, a direct contrast to the debauchery of the scene around him, sets the paradox for the show as a whole. Without a doubt, Young carries this show. He is effortless on stage and the level of depth that he creates within the character knows no bounds. The audience are in stitches when he adlibs and close to tears during his soliloquy.

Likewise, in the role of Cliff, Charles Hagerty is equally strong, serving as a moral compass and providing a sobering influence within the production. There is a danger that this character can drift into slightly stoic or somewhat beige territory, particularly when compared to the flamboyance of Sally and the Emcee, but audiences can be assured that Hagerty does not fall into this trap. I have to say, he’s one of the strongest Cliff’s I’ve seen.

 

Liza Minelli left big shoes to fill following the 1972 film and turned Sally Bowles into one of the most coveted roles in musical theatre. Louise Redknapp has moments of pure brilliance and certainly looks like she was born to strut the role, however it does feel like she holds back, only hitting her stride vocally on the final number – which is superb by the way! Perhaps it’s a matter of artistic choice but the complex balance of fearlessness and vulnerability that makes Sally such a delectable character seems to be missing. That said, it’s press night, and characters like this have a tendency to grow!

 

As Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, Susan Penhaligon and Linal Haft are brilliant, coming dangerously close to stealing the show at times! Haft evokes memories of a younger Mel Brooks and brings a humility and sincerity to the role that makes the greater context all the more heartbreaking. Special mention should also go to Basienka Blake in the role of Fraulein Kost who has a superbly strong presence on stage and is responsible for some of the most memorable comic moments. They are supported by an outstanding ensemble who are engaging, enthralling and

flawless in their execution.

 

You may have seen this show before, but go again! This production has everything you loved about the original with a few added elements to keep it fresh and relevant. “Life is a Cabaret old chum, go see the Cabaret!”

 

4 stars

 

Review by Cassandra Griffin

Really interesting Podcast this week with James Wharton about being gay in the armed forces.

So many positive tweets but this one sums Will up best.

 

Dianne Lewis @LOUPDAZE100

6m

@willyoung born to play #Emcee of #Cabaret @NewWimbTheatre. Truly phenomenal. An imaginative creative provocative piece of artistry ☆☆☆☆☆

Yes, every review of Cabaret shows Will to be performing brilliantly! I'm so pleased for him its going so well.

 

And the homosapiens podcast is such a good listen, I love every Tuesday and Friday when a new release comes out. :D

Great to see this tour is selling so well.

 

First Look at UK Tour of CABARET, Starring Will Young and Louise Redknapp

 

by BWW News Desk Oct. 10, 2017

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Rufus Norris' CABARET starring Will Young, who reprises his award-winning performance as the Emcee, and Louise Redknapp, making her stage debut as Sally Bowles, is breaking records at the box office as the production begins its UK tour.

 

Check out a first look at the show below!

 

Playing to packed houses at the New Wimbledon Theatre where the production opened on 21 September and broke box office records for a 12-show run,CABARET is proving a hit with audiences across the country as sales of the landmark musical are exceeding expectations. At Theatre Royal in Brighton,CABARET is officially the highest grossing single week-long musical in the theatre's history, and at Malvern Theatre, the show's sales have smashed records as the highest grossing single week-long musical or play.

 

Currently in Malvern Theatre, CABARET continues its autumn tour until 9 December, and visits Cardiff New Theatre, Leeds Grand Theatre, Milton KeynesTheatre, The Lowry in Salford, Edinburgh Playhouse, Churchill Theatre Bromley, Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and Brighton Theatre Royal.

 

CABARET features show-stopping choreography, dazzling costumes and some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre including 'Money Makes The World Go Round', 'Two Ladies' 'Maybe This Time' and of course 'Cabaret'. The production turns Weimar Berlin of 1931 into a sassy, sizzling haven of decadence, and at its dark heart is the legendary and notorious Emcee, who performs nightly at the infamous Kit Kat Klub.