Mrs Doubtfire - Manchester Opera House / Shaftesbury

[johnie21]

Sept 25, 2022 16:10:03 GMT Mark said:

I think it will come to town. Word of mouth has been strong, and sales seem to have really picked up.

They are and it defo is coming to west end. Just unsure as to when and where trying to find out more info.

[danb]

Might they consider Hammersmith Apollo for a limited season with it being an existing IP/household name type shenanigan?

[Matt]

Dominion? It needs to stop being a filler theatre now and actually have the balls to try and run something without it being “limited”.

[Mark]

Dominion and Hammersmith Apollo are so huge. It's important for this show that you can actually see the Doubtfire makeup.

[james1969]

Taking a flight over to see this tomorrow.

What merchandise have they ?

[Jon]

I'm not sure why the Lyric, Phoenix or Apollo are being suggested, they're not suitable for big scale musicals.

[sph]

Well & Juliet keeps (somehow) extending - I think it would be good in the Shaftesbury though.

[mrbarnaby]

The Phoenix, Apollo and Lyric are not big enough for it, so no point discussing those.

Perhaps the Dominion is a possibility. But would only survive for a limited season there.

[johnie21]

Sept 25, 2022 21:08:26 GMT mrbarnaby said:

The Phoenix, Apollo and Lyric are not big enough for it, so no point discussing those.

Perhaps the Dominion is a possibility. But would only survive for a limited season there.

Savoy Theatre could be a possibility I think pretty woman might close after Christmas

[johnie21]

Another theatre I think it could be is Theatre Royal Haymarket. Not sure how much longer OFH will run for.

[danb]

Again, much too small. Its a playhouse.

[mrbarnaby]

Sept 26, 2022 17:18:04 GMT johnie21 said:

Another theatre I think it could be is Theatre Royal Haymarket. Not sure how much longer OFH will run for.

There’s no way it would go there. Too small and it has a raked stage and very little capacity to fly a big show.

I think most people suggesting theatres have no idea how big (or not) they are.

[Jon]

Sept 26, 2022 20:53:31 GMT mrbarnaby said:

There’s no way it would go there. Too small and it has a raked stage and very little capacity to fly a big show.

I think most people suggesting theatres have no idea how big (or not) they are.

I agree, I know not everyone is clued up on theatre stage sizes or capacity but surely the fact Mrs Doubtfire is playing at the Manchester Opera House which is 1920 seats should immediately rule out any of the playhouses.

[Mark]

The last 3 performances are now sold out, with next to nothing left for Thursday night either.

[sph]

The Gillian Lynne? What's going in there next?

[Rory]

Sept 27, 2022 2:53:23 GMT sph said:

The Gillian Lynne? What's going in there next?

The Lehman Trilogy.

[mkb]

There's an excellent stalls seat come up for £22.50 for tomorrow night. Must be a mistake price. Grab it quickly if interested.

[marob]

Really enjoyed this, but suspect it’s one of those shows I won’t remember by next week.

[Matt]

I feel that if you’re going to take a classic movie, tv show, etc and make it into a musical then the music has to be the strongest part of it, otherwise it’s just pointless, they might as well just make it a play. To me it feels like the music was never the driving factor, it was an after thought.

[johnie21]

Last show tonight.

Praying we hear news of the transfer soon x

[danb]

Sept 30, 2022 22:51:47 GMT Matt said:

I feel that if you’re going to take a classic movie, tv show, etc and make it into a musical then the music has to be the strongest part of it, otherwise it’s just pointless, they might as well just make it a play. To me it feels like the music was never the driving factor, it was an after thought.

Alas, I fear that is only what fans of MT want. The majority of people who flock to stuff like this are happy to see the same familiar beats played out on stage to ‘music’. As long as he wears some face cream & sets fire to his comedy tits people will leave happy.

[Peter]

Oct 1, 2022 20:09:25 GMT danb said:

As long as he wears some face cream & sets fire to his comedy tits people will leave happy.

That would make me happy in any show - I’d be back to see Phantom like a shot if that was inserted after ‘Point of no return’…

[sph]

Sept 30, 2022 22:51:47 GMT Matt said:

I feel that if you’re going to take a classic movie, tv show, etc and make it into a musical then the music has to be the strongest part of it, otherwise it’s just pointless, they might as well just make it a play. To me it feels like the music was never the driving factor, it was an after thought.

That's exactly how I felt about Back to the Future.

Maybe a play is TOO close to the movie? Like if they're going to put it on stage they feel they have to add songs to "justify" it?

[Matt]

Oct 1, 2022 22:30:02 GMT sph said:

Sept 30, 2022 22:51:47 GMT Matt said:

I feel that if you’re going to take a classic movie, tv show, etc and make it into a musical then the music has to be the strongest part of it, otherwise it’s just pointless, they might as well just make it a play. To me it feels like the music was never the driving factor, it was an after thought.

That's exactly how I felt about Back to the Future.

See this is where I get contradictory 😅. BTTF 1/2 are my favourite films ever, so seeing a musical version is my dream, even if half of the songs are a bit weak, but tbh I don’t actually mind half of the songs, I do like them, some of the songs are just really basic. But BTTF definitely brings more of a visual show.

[mkb]

This show had not been on my wishlist as I feared "Pretty Woman" mediocrity that could not justify the high ticket prices. An unexpected evening in Manchester with nothing to do presented an opportunity to revise that decision, so, when a pair of good stalls returns popped up for the sold-out final performance, I took a chance.

I have no idea what changes have been made since Broadway or during the Manchester run, but Saturday night's show was a complete triumph. It's hard to fathom the negative comments here, even allowing for different tastes. In contrast to my miserable trip to Six earlier in the week, this time I was on the same wavelength as the rest of the audience who were clearly loving this Mrs. Doubtfire.

There is no point in creating a stage musical version of a popular film unless the staging and the music considerably enhance the piece. Does Mrs. Doubtfire succeed in that regard? Yes, in spades! It's even funnier, and some of the musical set pieces are a delight, many featuring top-notch choreography.

The other hurdle lies in how to allay the ghost of Robin Williams. That is fully addressed by casting a performer in Gabriel Vick who is so accomplished in making the role his own that you never once think of Williams. There are no issues with his character Daniel eliciting anything other than empathy. Right from the off, Vick has you on side and emotionally invested. In the wrong hands, Daniel could have been an annoying jerk with his childlike tendency to constantly goof around, but this Daniel is a hoot, the sort of person who is fun to have around, just so long as it's not 24/7: that would be too much. You pity his poor wife.

I found the music, while not instantly memorable, to be eminently likeable, and there are a lot of laughs in the witty lyrics.

A special mention should be made of the two child actors at my performance -- Charlie Tumbridge and Angelica-Pearl Scott I think -- who demonstrated a ridiculous level of talent for their young ages. Some of their lines brought the house down.

As we reached the bows, I reflected on what more could be asked of a musical comedy. I could think of nothing. Mrs. Doubtfire may not be highbrow theatre, but it tells a heart-warming tale, that is moving at times, with great skill and flare. The show is a pure tonic. It would take spectacular mismanagement or mismarketing for this not to be a huge hit in London.

Five stars.

Act 1: 19:33-20:41
Act 2: 21:05-22:06