Babies: a new(born) musical - Lyric / The Other Palace

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'Angela Rayner - The Musical'

Well it nearly is...! Apart from the baby not being real in 'Babies', all the other aspects regarding care are bang on. If they'd swapped the casting of Leah and Jasmine I'd have thought they were acknowledging it re. hair colour. [Both terrific in their roles btw].

SPOILER: Click to show

{Only slight Spoiler}
I watched a Rayner interview from months back (Alistair Campbell/Rory Stewart's podcast) where she talked being young, and wishing her bipolar mum had been like the other mums (a specific line in 'Babies'), and being angry because of it. I wonder if the show took an influence.

I thought this was very likeable last night - the cast were great.

Though more a situation-bubble than story-line, there was enough travel within the situation to be satisfying. I agree with some that a reduction in characters would gain depth for those remaning, but that's no shade on the cast.

[sophia]

Managed to fit this in before it closes this weekend and I loved it. A very solid 4 stars from me.

[capybara]

So pleased I made a return visit to see Babies shortly before it closes this weekend. I actually enjoyed it even more than press night, partially due to sitting closer to the stage but also because it just felt tighter and slicker somehow.

I suspect Morgan Phillips being on as Toby played a big part in that. The concert version at the Lyric feels so long ago that I’d almost forgotten how great he is and Thursday night only served to highlight how he had been robbed of the role on a principal basis. He got some of the biggest laughs of the night and brought Toby, a character I didn’t care much for previously, to life.

Once again though, Lauren Conroy stole the show as Jasmine. What an incredible performance and I can’t wait to see her in the Dear Evan Hansen tour this autumn. I always appreciate performances more on second viewings and Babies was no different for me.

Here’s hoping this show has a future (or at least a full cast recording!). It struggled with ticket sales early on in the run but Thursday was sold out, with the audience largely made up of musical theatre fans, presumably there to see Phillips. There are the grassroots of a cult show here for sure.

[westendwhistledown]

4th and final time tonight. Looking forward to seeing what’s next

[Mark]

Went back for a second viewing tonight (thanks to TodayTix rush). Just super fun, energetic performances and a really cool score. "Hot Dad" is such a great number.

[darvsplanet]

After more return visits to the other palace over the past month than I’d care to admit, I saw this for the last time at their closing night yesterday.
After seeing the Concert last year last minute through seat filling, I fell in love with the score in particular, I genuinely don’t think there’s a single song in this show that I would skip on a cast recording.
I was excited but cautious when this full production was announced, and while there are still some issues I have with the show, I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute I’ve spent there.
This is one of the only shows I’ve seen that actually gets teenagers right, it doesn’t try to infantilise them, it doesn’t put them in unrealistic or particularly high stakes situations. Instead their problems and drama are treated with sincerity and exactly how they can feel at that age. The characterisations are clear and interesting while still feeling completely believable (for someone who was in that age group not that long ago I absolutely saw many of my old classmates in all of the characters on stage).
Last night was a perfect way to finish the run, an audience full of fans there to celebrate and thank the show and the cast, the atmosphere was amazing in the small space. The highlight had to be Hot Dad, with the cast inviting the whole audience to take part in the audience participation moment they did an amazing job hyping us up and got a well deserved mid show standing ovation in return.
They also brought the 3 amazing covers out on stage to a particularly enthusiastic response from the audience for the end of the final number.
Even in a short run, Babies has clearly gathered a devoted fan base and is looking to be yet another success story for new British musicals, after struggling to sell at the beginning of its run the great word of mouth alongside opportunities such as West End Live have propelled it to spend its last few weeks with regular sell out crowds. It’s clearly found its audience and I really hope it returns because last night made it clear that there will be many alongside me queuing up to see it when it does.

[ladidah]

I would love to see it come back, but with Morgan Phillips.