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Post by d'James on Sept 5, 2024 13:17:24 GMT
It says on TodayTix that the end date is the 8th June 2025. Is that just when the current booking period runs out?
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 5, 2024 13:45:03 GMT
It says on TodayTix that the end date is the 8th June 2025. Is that just when the current booking period runs out? yes |
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Post by unseaworthy on Sept 5, 2024 22:11:29 GMT
There was talk that the theatre was being closed down as the site is being redeveloped... Not sure when this is happening though.
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Post by osdtdg on Sept 5, 2024 22:18:16 GMT
There was talk that the theatre was being closed down as the site is being redeveloped... Not sure when this is happening though. Apparently when starlight closes (whenever that should be) |
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Post by thecursedexpress on Sept 5, 2024 22:49:11 GMT
There was talk that the theatre was being closed down as the site is being redeveloped... Not sure when this is happening though. Apparently when starlight closes (whenever that should be) Its still up in the air as originally supposed to be March before it got extended to June. Then again ALW said he wants to make a more permanent location like Bochum in England somewhere plus take Starlight on a World Tour but who knows what will happen. |
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 5, 2024 22:56:15 GMT
This will do at least one more summer holidays. It was sold out for 6 weeks...
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Post by Steve on Sept 5, 2024 23:26:25 GMT
There was talk that the theatre was being closed down as the site is being redeveloped... Not sure when this is happening though. Apparently when starlight closes (whenever that should be) I hope it does such great business that it stays open for years! This show needs to stick around forever! It's totally unique: a tourist attraction for the whole family; a "sports" spectacle with specially designed seating that gives unique perspectives on "the action" from multiple seating locations; a tender love story; a regression to the wonder of childhood, with the empowering casting of a child as controller of the action; a Lloyd Webber musical with fantastic numbers in eclectic styles like a variety show; a title number that mystically evokes the force in "Star Wars" but which promotes self-reliance, making this like a Disney ride with added soul and wisdom. But what actually makes this the most impactful show in London is that it utilises the alchemic appeal of all the above qualities to inspire kids who see this with values that could save the planet and promote harmony. Sorry for sounding like a (sincere) Miss World contestant lol. For me, it reminds me of the movie "Casablanca," in that so many people contributed to the creation of this (with Lloyd Webber's contribution the most pivotal) that it shouldn't be coherent, but instead it is like a perfect thing. Some spoilers follow. . . I saw the Apollo Victoria production in the late eighties, and got a visceral kick out of it, but that production was an empty husk compared to this version of the show. I've seen this version twice, seen Hydra high five kids, heard kids ask about why "hydrogen is the future," heard parents explain that "coal and oil are dirty but hydrogen is clean." At a time when our influential folk hero, Nigel Farage, is off addressing the "Climate change is a Sham" lobby in the US on behalf of his Clacton constituents, I just adore the impact this show has. The pivotal rhyme in Hydrogen's song, "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when for Hydrogen," self-described as the "hero" of "Net Zero" (Farage's bete-noire lol), is a musical meme: it's so catchy and infectious that it's unforgettable! And the climate change message is just one message embodied by this astonishing work: it's SO beautifully inclusive and so brilliantly eccentric and so heartwarmingly silly as well:- Girl carriages love girl trains; Boy trains dress like Lady Gaga, talk like Julian Clary and advocate AC/DC; Girl trains like Greaseball project just as much power and charisma as the boy trains; a little black girl is just as likely to be in "control" as a little white boy; boy trains fall in love with girl carriages to gorgeous melodies like "I do" and "Whistle at me." People are flooding out of this show, evidently exhilarated, on top of the fact that this show is influencing young minds (the future) to be tolerant, compassionate and to take care of the climate for future generations as well. The eccentricity of Momma's song about the blues is so delicious, being a meta song about the blues itself rather than a plot thing, and which cheekily concludes that "sucking" will get you if "blowing" doesn't, and then hilariously gets just about the biggest reaction of any song in the show, magnified by Jade Marvin's uber-powerful blues/gospel vocals. Both pairs of leads I've seen were utterly winning in my estimation, with the softer sweeter pairing of Scott Hayward and Ashlyn Weekes just as good as the more powerful pairing of Jeevan Braich and Kayna Montecillo. I love Al Knott's powerful Greaseball, and Tom Pigram's camp Electra, and long may Jaydon Vijn's vibrant Hydra continue high-fiving young fans, giving them a lifelong love of theatre and a desire to keep the planet habitable for human life. I could go on about how wonderful this show is forever but I'm getting off a real train now myself, so I'll just sign off with a quick "Woo woo!" 5 stars from me for something that is like nothing else, that is having a bigger impact than anything else.  |
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Post by BVM on Sept 6, 2024 6:43:51 GMT
Apparently when starlight closes (whenever that should be) I hope it does such great business that it stays open for years! This show needs to stick around forever! It's totally unique: a tourist attraction for the whole family; a "sports" spectacle with specially designed seating that gives unique perspectives on "the action" from multiple seating locations; a tender love story; a regression to the wonder of childhood, with the empowering casting of a child as controller of the action; a Lloyd Webber musical with fantastic numbers in eclectic styles like a variety show; a title number that mystically evokes the force in "Star Wars" but which promotes self-reliance, making this like a Disney ride with added soul and wisdom. But what actually makes this the most impactful show in London is that it utilises the alchemic appeal of all the above qualities to inspire kids who see this with values that could save the planet and promote harmony. Sorry for sounding like a (sincere) Miss World contestant lol. For me, it reminds me of the movie "Casablanca," in that so many people contributed to the creation of this (with Lloyd Webber's contribution the most pivotal) that it shouldn't be coherent, but instead it is like a perfect thing. Some spoilers follow. . . I saw the Victoria Palace production in the late eighties, and got a visceral kick out of it, but that production was an empty husk compared to this version of the show. I've seen this version twice, seen Hydra high five kids, heard kids ask about why "hydrogen is the future," heard parents explain that "coal and oil are dirty but hydrogen is clean." At a time when our influential folk hero, Nigel Farage, is off addressing the "Climate change is a Sham" lobby in the US on behalf of his Clacton constituents, I just adore the impact this show has. The pivotal rhyme in Hydrogen's song, "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when for Hydrogen," self-described as the "hero" of "Net Zero" (Farage's bete-noire lol), is a musical meme: it's so catchy and infectious that it's unforgettable! And the climate change message is just one message embodied by this astonishing work: it's SO beautifully inclusive and so brilliantly eccentric and so heartwarmingly silly as well:- Girl carriages love girl trains; Boy trains dress like Lady Gaga, talk like Julian Clary and advocate AC/DC; Girl trains like Greaseball project just as much power and charisma as the boy trains; a little black girl is just as likely to be in "control" as a little white boy; boy trains fall in love with girl carriages to gorgeous melodies like "I do" and "Whistle at me." People are flooding out of this show, evidently exhilarated, on top of the fact that this show is influencing young minds (the future) to be tolerant, compassionate and to take care of the climate for future generations as well. The eccentricity of Momma's song about the blues is so delicious, being a meta song about the blues itself rather than a plot thing, and which cheekily concludes that "sucking" will get you if "blowing" doesn't, and then hilariously gets just about the biggest reaction of any song in the show, magnified by Jade Marvin's uber-powerful blues/gospel vocals. Both pairs of leads I've seen were utterly winning in my estimation, with the softer sweeter pairing of Scott Hayward and Ashlyn Weekes just as good as the more powerful pairing of Jeevan Braich and Kayna Montecillo. I love Al Knott's powerful Greaseball, and Tom Pigram's camp Electra, and long may Jaydon Vijn's vibrant Hydra continue high-fiving young fans, giving them a lifelong love of theatre and a desire to keep the planet habitable for human life. I could go on about how wonderful this show is forever but I'm getting off a real train now myself, so I'll just sign off with a quick "Woo woo!" 5 stars from me for something that is like nothing else, that is having a bigger impact than anything else. No secret that I’d agree with you entirely - it’s a sensational show. And has SO many layers (that so many people still seem to miss - I think as the messaging is so simple and so profound). And yes - the feeling of inclusivity in this production is sensational. In a world that often feels like it’s falling apart, it gives one a lovely warm feeling! |
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Post by ash on Sept 6, 2024 7:50:38 GMT
I'd agree with all of the above. I've had some personal issues lately, plus with the world being the place it is right now this one of the few times in the last few months where I just completed invested and disappeared into my happy place.
In regards to the theatre being redeveloped, I read an interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber somewhere, and he said that the lease runs out in 2026, and that's when it is/was scheduled to be demolished. Whether or not starlight will affect or change that I don't know.
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Post by anita on Sept 6, 2024 9:32:12 GMT
Steve - just nitpicking - but you saw it at the Apollo Victoria not the Victoria Palace.
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Post by Steve on Sept 6, 2024 10:18:59 GMT
Steve - just nitpicking - but you saw it at the Apollo Victoria not the Victoria Palace. That was either a typo or my memories were fogged by the mists of time lol. Thanks, I fixed it. |
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Post by ceebee on Sept 6, 2024 10:36:57 GMT
I'd agree with all of the above. I've had some personal issues lately, plus with the world being the place it is right now this one of the few times in the last few months where I just completed invested and disappeared into my happy place. In regards to the theatre being redeveloped, I read an interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber somewhere, and he said that the lease runs out in 2026, and that's when it is/was scheduled to be demolished. Whether or not starlight will affect or change that I don't know. Maybe this production is "Baby Express" and they will demolish the theatre in 2026 and build a purpose built "Mega Express" venue three times the size with a super fast monorail / zipline down from the tube exits. |
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Post by 141920grm on Sept 6, 2024 11:10:26 GMT
Maybe this production is "Baby Express" and they will demolish the theatre in 2026 and build a purpose built "Mega Express" venue three times the size with a super fast monorail / zipline down from the tube exits. actors having to sustain their notes for far longer as it'll take a full minute to do a circuit round the auditorium 😂 |
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Post by bobbievanhusen on Sept 6, 2024 15:22:38 GMT
I was told that Starlight has the building for 3 years, with an option to extend for a further 2 years.
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Post by 141920grm on Sept 6, 2024 15:27:10 GMT
I was told that Starlight has the building for 3 years, with an option to extend for a further 2 years. well this is going to be bad for my wallet...! |
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Post by jrj624 on Sept 6, 2024 15:52:38 GMT
Will be in London next month and booked tickets for this the other day. Seats are in the 1st Class Carriage Section 2. Will we miss too much of the racing by being right down front? Got what I thought was an awesome price on the tickets @ £45 each. They were all single seats but that wasn't an issue for us as those same exact seats were listed @ £244 on another date I checked.
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Post by blamerobots on Sept 6, 2024 16:48:54 GMT
Seeing this Saturday matinee... FINALLY!!
I'm on Platform 1, is there much going on behind me that I'll miss?
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Post by d'James on Sept 6, 2024 21:16:24 GMT
Seeing this Saturday matinee... FINALLY!! I'm on Platform 1, is there much going on behind me that I'll miss? Some bits of the races, and if there a big songs with a lot of the cast, some of them, but others will be doing the choreo in front of you. Platform 1 was my fave place to sit so far. |
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Post by thecursedexpress on Sept 6, 2024 22:24:55 GMT
I was told that Starlight has the building for 3 years, with an option to extend for a further 2 years. well this is going to be bad for my wallet...! Same here but glad that a couple of years is secured then. |
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Post by blamerobots on Sept 7, 2024 16:00:33 GMT
Gee whiz that's loud!
I thought it was really good fun and feel glad that there's shows like this that a lot of kids can see nowadays.
I do miss "He Whistled at Me" in its original form though... and "Whole Lotta Locomotion". But other than that it's the most definitive I've seen this.
Also judging how well mastered those click track parts are this definitely will get a cast recording, especially with the song differences and possibility of a tour after this. Sound was great.
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Post by freddyf on Sept 8, 2024 21:00:41 GMT
Thoughts on last night’s preview: - The cast: Excellent - great voices and stamina. You would never have known this was the first proper time they had performed in front of an audience. - The set: Eek - far too small to allow for any exciting skating. The hokey set only allows for leisurely rolling around during the races, and honestly I was gob-smacked by how low energy this then made the show feel overall. The only ‘tricks’ were from a set of random scooters which felt like a plaster covering up a much larger problem. I would say this was down to first preview, but unless they can extensively extend the size of the set, I can’t see this changing. Noticeable murmurs from the audience at both interval/end that it didn’t have ‘oomph’ or energy - and as Starlight lives/dies by the skating, it’s a real shame that the set restricts the potential of the show. I also heard one comment in the audience that the set looked like the ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ TV show set and honestly I can’t look at it in any other way. And I’ll be honest, I couldn’t agree more - it looked like I was watching Starlight performed on a promotional ‘Children In Need’ segment within a TV studio. - The costumes: the less said about those the better. Bad cosplay meets ‘Lazytown’ as I’ve seen in other comments. No immediate visual signifiers to point out which train is who - they just become one metallic muddle. If you were a first-time viewer of the show, I honestly think you’d struggle with knowing who was who and therefore what was going on. - The music: the majority of the Starlight discography is here - plus a few new additions. In terms of orchestrations, a lot of ‘modern’ beat’ added to make it sound current (a la ‘I Know I Have A Heart’ from the Broadway production of Bad Cinderella) which often clashed with the 80s sound of the rest of the show. All in all, a bit of a confused sound (although the sound design itself was very clear, as opposed to the not-so-favourable sound at ‘Newsies’). - The show: pushing aside the elephant in the room, yes I have seen the Bochum production. However, treating this as a stand-alone piece, it left me raising a few eyebrows. I found the whole thing surprisingly boring - which, let’s face it, is the opposite of what this show should be. In a nutshell, this felt like a ‘Wish’ version of what could have been an excellent show. By all means, the cast and creative team have it all. However, this doesn’t translate to stage, and what we’re left with is a bit of a train-wreck (pun absolutely intended). Having watched this again after seeing the first preview, my oh my have the creatives and cast worked their socks off to get this in excellent shape. An absolute night and day difference (as expected) between the first preview and last night’s show. Everything felt cleaner, clearer and more importantly…faster! It’s now easier to distinguish who’s who by the symbols on their costumes (which I don’t remember them having at the first preview). The score also sounded more cohesive and flowed much better. I will also say that I think your enjoyment of this show does depend on where you sit. I was sat in the 1st class carriages this time, as opposed to Platform 2 last time. I felt way more engaged in the action this time around. |
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Post by darreno on Sept 9, 2024 9:52:52 GMT
Would anyone have a cast list for Saturday's matinee by any chance?
This was absolutely everything I wanted it to be! Have been holding off on booking as there was a few shows closing that I needed to catch before they left.
Right from the minute you walk in, you have that 'transported' feeling that is hard to capture as an adult. A mixture of excitement and wonder. A lot of work goes into this, lighting, staff welcomes etc and it really does add to the overall event.
I ended up in Trackside 1, which certainly wasn't in the heart of the action, but good enough to bring me in to the show. Strangely, this is my first time seeing any production of the show.
Particular praise for the young girl playing Control. She was OUTSTANDING. The confidence to play a difficult part, where you have to lead rather than being lead, was incredible. Genuinely one of the best child performances I've seen.
I will definitely be returning, although I think I'd splash out go for Carriage 2 or 3 next time.
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Sept 12, 2024 12:55:25 GMT
Enjoyed this more than I expected, knowing the Bochum production for 35+ years. Never seen a British production, missed all the tours. This worked for me in the context, all the changes somehow made sense. Great auditorium, mostly first cast at a weekday matinee. Don't know what some people expect, finding it not spectacular, but you can't please everyone.  4/5 easily. |
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Post by matty on Sept 12, 2024 22:02:46 GMT
I went into this really not in the mood to watch it after a bad day in work, but have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I saw the tour back in 2013, but can't remember a lot other than wearing 3D glasses, so not much to compare it to.
Just a fun, absolutely bonkers night out at the theatre.
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Post by keyspi on Sept 12, 2024 22:34:28 GMT
May have already been mentioned earlier in this 65 page thread, but - any idea if there is a London cast recording in the works?
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4/5 easily.