Jason Manford Sweeney Todd

As if Sweeney Todd needs more star names to make it one of the most exciting shows in town, comedian Jason Manford is waiting in the wings to take over from Robert Burt as Signor Pirelli as he begins performances from 2nd July for a strictly limited season. Jonathan Kent’s new production opened at the Adelphi Theatre on March 20th this year to rave reviews from critics and audience members. Much of the praise was aimed at Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton in the lead roles of Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett. The role of Pirelli has since been played by opera singer Robert Burt who has a wealth of experience in both the opera and musical theatre worlds. He originated the role in the Chichester Festival Theatre production and will continue with the show until Manford takes over at the beginning of July.

Although more famously known for his comedy acts, Manford showed off his singing skills as he won ITV’s Born to Shine – a programme where celebrities put their new taught skills to the test in aid of Save the Children with a rendition of an opera aria. Although he has never formally trained in opera singing, he does have a good, clear voice has gained experience as a singer with a number of different productions. Most recently he made a guest appearance on Tenor Alfie Boe’s ‘Bring Him Home’ tour, flexing his vocal muscles ahead of his West End debut.

Pirelli is the rival ‘Italian’ barber that challenges Todd to a shaving contest in the middle of the London streets. As the two compete, Pirelli recognises Todd as criminal Benjamin Barker, before blackmailing him for a percentage of his earnings. Things get bloody as he becomes caught up in Todd’s scheming, and his assistant Toby can do nothing to help…

Jason will begin performances at the Adelphi Theatre London from 2nd – 27th July, as well as 15th / 18th / 24th August 2012. To book tickets for these dates, please use the search box on the side of this website.

The musical is based on the hit film of the same name, which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and is a romantic tale of a music superstar Rachel Marron falling in love with her bodyguard Frank Farmer. The film’s soundtrack became as successful as the film, making ‘I Will Always Love You’ an instant classic. The film used a number of other Houston songs such as ‘Run to You’ and ‘I Have Nothing’ which are included in the musical adaptation. The score includes a host of Houston’s famous songs including ‘Queen of the Night’, ‘One Moment in Time’, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and the immortal ‘I Will Always Love You’.

Cast and Creative

Original London Cast includes: Frank Farmer: Lloyd Owen, Rachel Marron: Heather Headley, Bill Devaney: Ray Shell, Tony Scibelli: Nicolas Colicos, The Stalker: Mark Letheren, Nicki Marron: Debbie Krupp

Creative Team includes: Book: Alexander Dinelaris, based on the screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Direction: Thea Sharrock, Choreography: Arthur Pitt, Musical Director: Richard Beadle, Set and Costume Design:  Tim Hatley.

Please note, that at matinee performances the role of Rachel Marron is played by Gloria Onitiri.

(The producers of The Bodyguard cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and holidays. Heather Headley is expected to appear at all evening performances excluding Tue 12 February, Mon 18 – Sat 23 March, Mon 13 – Wed 15 May, Mon 17 – Thu 20 June, Mon 15 – Wed 17 July inclusive. Lloyd Owen is expected to appear at all performances excluding Fri 15 – Tue 19 Feb, Mon 25 – Sat 30 March, Thu 25 – Sat 27 April, Mon 27 May – Sat 1 June, Mon 1 – Sat 6 July inclusive.) 

Show Length and Times

The Bodyguard began previews on 6 November 2012, with an official press night on December 5th 2012. The show starts at 7:30pm Monday through Saturday, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3:00pm. The running time is 2 hours 30 minutes including a 20 minute interval. Act 1 runs for 75 minutes, Act 2 for 55 minutes. Evening performances finish at 10pm and matinee performances at 5.30pm.

Synopsis and Songs

Frank Farmer is assigned to look after international superstar Rachel Marron, her son Fletcher and her sister Nikki. As he becomes closer to the family a love triangle is formed as both girls compete for his affections. A Stalker makes continued efforts at breaching security, resulting in Frank protecting Rachel at key events such as the Academy Awards where she is nominated, and performs ‘One Moment in Time’. As well as the hit songs from the film, the musical also features the songs “Saving All My Love for You”, “So Emotional”, “How Will I Know?” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”.

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Official Tickets

Official tickets for The Bodyguard Musical are available by using the search form to the left of the page. Simply select your month and number of tickets and you will be given a variety of seating and date options.

THIS SHOW HAS NOW CLOSED. YOU CAN NO LONGER BUY TICKETS

Stephen Sondheim’s gruesome musical Sweeney Todd opened at the Adelphi Theatre in March 2012. Having completed its highly successful run at the Chichester Festival in 2011, the classic tale of terror and revenge moved to the West End with its original cast that included the well-known names of Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball.  Sweeney Todd opened at the Adelphi Theatre with previews from 10th March 2012, and closed on 22nd September 2012.

The musical score is written by Stephen Sondheim whose credits include seminal Broadway musicals such as Follies and A Little Night Music, and takes us down the murky back streets of London in the 18th century where ‘the demon barber of Fleet Street’ sets out for revenge for his false imprisonment. Helped along the way by the local pie-shop owner Mrs Lovett, Hugh Wheeler’s book is terrifying, horrendous and wonderfully weaved with wit and humour.

This new production was directed by Jonathan Kent with designs by Anthony Ward.

Cast Information

The original cast from the Chichester Festival performance came with the show to the West End, with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton in the leading roles. Michael Ball played Sweeney Todd himself, and he is no stranger to the stage having performed in Les Miserables, Hairspray, The Phantom of the Opera and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Imelda Staunton played the role of not-so-lovable Mrs Lovett, and is well-known for playing Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter films. She has also appeared in Vera Drake, Shakespeare in Love and Guys and Dolls.

Joining the principal cast were Luke Brady, John Bowe, Robert Burt, Peter Polycarpou, Gillian Kirkpatrick, Lucy May Barker, James McConville, and Adam Pearce, amongst others.

Review

Stephen Sondheim jokes in the second part of his recent autobiography ‘Look, I Made a Hat’ that his shows only become fashionable once they have been revived. Recent London revivals of ‘Into the Woods’ (Regent’s Park), ‘A Little Night Music’ (Menier, Garrick & Broadway) and ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ (Menier, Wyndhams & Broadway) certainly help prove this theory, each earning rave critical reviews the second or third time around. Of all Sondheim’s work ‘Sweeney Todd’ is perhaps the most ‘mainstream’ thanks in part to a number of high profile revivals and the 2008 Tim Burton film. Jonathan Kent’s production which opens at the Adelphi Theatre for a limited run transfers from the Chichester Festival Theatre where it played to almost unanimous acclaim last year, proving the theory once again that a fresh take on Sondheim’s work is sometimes the best way to see it.

The production itself is conceived in a new light by both director and designer, relocating the action from the Victorian slums to a slightly more fashionable 1930s London. Some context is sadly lost in this transition to a more modern environment, and although the Parlour Songs are reinstated to Act II, the Penny Dreadful feel of the original has been lost. Sondheim saw the show as his ‘love letter’ to London and the city itself takes a back seat, giving the show a more universal feel. This is a darker Sweeney than we have seen before, with a strong ensemble working as a quasi chorus, reprising the main ‘Ballad’ against the impressive orchestrations. The show remains true to Hal Prince’s magnificent original production with a central revolve that doubles as Mrs Lovett’s pie shop and Sweeney’s Parlour, complete with functioning chair and gruesome surprises. The narrative framing is well used by Kent which helps keep the show feel current and fresh, despite being almost 35 years old.

Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton both give career defining performances as Sweeney and Mrs Lovett respectively, the former casting off type and rising beyond his housewives-matinee-idol icon. Staunton embodies the role with such confidence that she holds the audience in the palm of her hand. As one of the finest British interpreters of Sondheim’s work (she won an Oliver Award for The Baker’s Wife in ‘Into the Woods’) she owns every line, in demanding songs such as ‘By the Sea’ and ‘The Worst Pies in London’ she is so clear that audiences unfamiliar with the score can feel the humour and understand each perfectly crafted phrase. Her physicality is like a demonic Mrs Overalls, shuffling between customers as her pies begin to sell like hot cakes, controlling Sweeney resulting in his tragic conclusion.

Supporting performances are on the whole strong, with a fantastic villainous pairing of John Bowe and Peter Polycarpou as Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford matching the vocal heights of Robert Burt’s Pirelli. Exactly how comic Jason Manford will be able to fair in the role as he take over later in the run remains to be seen. James McConville as Tobias fails to drawn sympathy or demand any investment from the audience, and his voice appears weakest in the otherwise flawless ensemble. ‘Not While I’m Around’ becomes charmless and ‘Pirelli’s Miracle Elixer’ falls flat. Lucy May Barker proves to be a competent Joanna in an otherwise unforgiving role for any Soprano, doing the best she can with an otherwise two dimensional character. Luke Brady as romantic lead Anthony again misses the mark, failing to reach the bar that is continually raised throughout the performance.

The production is in no way definitive, but for those coming to the show for the first time it seems both accessible and current. Staunton rises as the true star of the production, which has thankfully been captured on a new cast recording. Worth the price of the ticket to hear ‘A Little Priest’ alone.

DOH 18/3/12

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Share Your Opinion on Sweeney Todd….

Did you see Sweeney Todd at the Chichester Festival or at the Adelphi? What do you make of the casting? Do you think Michael Ball made a good Sweeney or do you prefer Johnny Depp in the role? Add your comments below!

James Corden, star of One Man, Two Guvnors

After playing for just over three months at the Adelphi Theatre in London, the highly-acclaimed One Man, Two Guvnors closed on 25th February 2012. The show opened at the West End with previews from 8th November 2011 after a highly successful run at the National Theatre in the summer of 2011, with five-star reviews and the blogging site Everything Theatre commenting that the hit comedy play was ‘one of the most side-splittingly hilarious productions ever to be staged in London’. After its National Theatre run, One Man, Two Guvnors performed on tour throughout the UK with its original cast in cities such as Edinburgh and Birmingham, before settling down at the Adelphi Theatre.

The show has proved so popular that it opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre on April 18 2012, where Cordon reprised his role as Francis Henshall. The West End production moved to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End starring a new cast led by Owain Arthur in the lead role, who was Cordon’s understudy on the original production. Tickets are now on sale for the transfer, which began its run at the Haymarket on 2 March 2012.

Based on the 1743 Italian play Servant of Two Masters by Venetian playwright Carlo Goldoni, One Man, Two Guvnors replaces Italy and the 200 year-old time-period with Brighton in 1963, updating the classic and hilarious story and bringing it to a British audience. This new version has been written by playwright Richard Bean who has written plays that have been performed at the Lyric Hammersmith, Royal Court and Hampstead Theatres.

One Man, Two Guvnors played to packed out audiences night after night at the Adelphi Theatre, with people coming from afar after hearing the word about how funny the show is. The leading man of the cast was comedian James Corden, best known for co-writing BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey and also starring in the TV show as Smithy. Corden played Francis in One Man, Two Guvnors since the show opened at the National Theatre, performing the part in its tour and transfer to the West End.

Due to the popularity of the show, One Man, Two Guvnors was broadcast to cinemas around the world on 15th September 2011 during its National Theatre run.

One Man Two Guvnors moved to Theatre Royal Haymarket on March 2nd, 2012 with Owain Arthur taking the lead role of Francis Henshall as James Corden transferred to the Broadway production. Arthur is joined by Jodie Prenger in the production, star of BBC1′s hit TV show ‘I’d Do Anything’. Prenger was selected as the ‘people’s Nancy’ and played the role in ‘Oliver!’ at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Don’t miss out on the hottest West End play of the year! Book tickets for the new production by visiting Theatre Royal Haymarket tickets.

One Man, Two Guvnors is a new play by Richard Bean that was first seen at the National Theatre in the summer of 2011. After becoming a smash-hit success and selling out every single show at the National, it moved to the West End and made its home the Adelphi Theatre.

Based on the Italian comedy ‘The Servant of Two Masters’ by Carlo Goldoni, One Man, Two Guvnors is an English version of the play, set in Brighton in the 1960s. The central character is a man named Francis who has to keep two guvnors apart in order for their secrets to remain concealed. But can he do it?

Cast Information

Fresh from his success on hit BBC comedy, Gavin and Stacey, James Corden played the lead role of Francis Henshall at the Adelphi Theatre, which sold out its run. At the Theatre Royal Haymarket production the role is played by Owain Arthur, alongside Jodie Prenger as the comic leads.

Add Your Review!

Did you see One Man, Two Guvnors at the Adelphi Theatre in London? Did you see the show when it originally opened at the National Theatre? How was James Cordon in the role or do you prefer him as good ole Smithy in Gavin and Stacey? Add you review in the comments box below to help fellow theatregoers in deciding if it is for them!

THIS SHOW HAS NOW CLOSED. YOU CAN NO LONGER BUY TICKETS. 

Love Never Dies has now ended its run at the Adelphi Theatre. There is currently an Australian production which has been filmed and will be released on DVD in May 2012.

Love Never Dies is a new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Considered to be a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Lloyd Webber himself calls it a ‘stand alone piece’. He began working on the musical in 1990, but did not start to compose the music until 2007. Love Never Dies opened at the Adelphi Theatre in March 2010.

Using the principal characters from The Phantom of the Opera, the story is continued in Love Never Dies, the West Ends first sequel musical, set ten years after the first. A journey of obsession and deception, Love Never Dies tells the tale of Christine Daaé as she accepts an offer to perform in New York’s Coney Island. She soon discovers that she has been lured from France to sing by an unidentified impresario.

Cast Information

The cast of Love Never Dies included Canada’s Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and marking her West End debut, the USA’s Sierra Boggess performed as Christine Daaé. Playing Christine’s husband, Raoul, was Joseph Millson.

Critics reviews

“Sierra Boggess’s Christine boasts a voice that can pool and purl quietly and then knock you dead with her towering rendition of the climactic title number. She takes the song’s emotion of stoical endurance in the face of unquenchable love and presents it first with a steady stateliness and then with heart-rending soar.”
Paul Taylor at the Independent

“I have no doubt that this is Lloyd Webber’s finest show since the original Phantom, with a score blessed with superbly haunting melodies and a yearning romanticism that sent shivers racing down my spine.”
Charles Spencer at the Daily Telegraph

“This is an elegant and clever sequel to Phantom and deserves to have the old Adelphi Theatre filled every night with Lloyd Webber’s core, usually middle-class, audiences. It is a great night out.”
Paul Callan at the Daily Express

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