In honour of my 100th blog post, I've decided to rank every production I've seen to date (that I can remember). Despite growing up in London, I seldom went to the theatre unless on a school trip, however over the past 5 years have been making the most of living in London and seeing countless plays, musicals, and even ballets!
30. Tosca
I watched this Italian Opera whilst on a school trip aged about 14 and all I can recall is being bored out of my mind throughout the long production (and not understanding any of it).
29. The 47th
This is was a small play running in the Old Vic, featuring a very accurate representation of Trump, alongside his family and Ted Cruz in a hypothetical future (about the 47th president of the USA). Although parts of the play were enjoyable, a lot seemed unnecessary to the plot and several fellow spectators left in the interval.
28. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
I saw this Spanish production as part of my Spanish A Level, and whilst it was enjoyable, I associate it with essays and stress so likely wouldn't watch it again.
27. Ruthless
I watched Ruthless during Covid as part of an initiative to provide weekly free plays to the public to keep them entertained during lockdown. Although not my cup of tea, it was nice to see something different.
26. East is East
My friend invited me to the National Theatre to watch this play on a British-Pakastani family in the 70s and the struggles they faced. Whilst many scenes were humorous, it was also very educational and sad in parts.
25. The Nutcracker
The famed Nutcracker was the first professional ballet I saw, however the production was poor, with the ballerinas often being out of sync and the male dancers being very out of time. I watched this with two close mates in Bristol and none of us particularly enjoyed it, despite its acclaim.
24. The Phantom of the Opera
My mum fell asleep within the first 40 minutes, which says a lot (though my mum isn't very passionate about musicals). I found this to be alright, but think if I were to watch it for a second time (now understanding the premise of the play) I'd enjoy it much more.
23. A Streetcar named Desire
This was another play shown online during the pandemic to keep the industry alive and audience content, and although my recollection of the plot is dwindling, I remember enjoying it.
22. Grease
This one should've stayed a movie. A lot of spectators went for Peter André, who was playing the role of Vince Fontaine, which I was very indifferent about and all in all I was underwhelmed. That said, the songs were very catchy and the choreography was good.
21. Swan Lake
The first time I went to the Royal Opera House in London was to watch Swan Lake, and whilst the ballerinas were incredible and very in sync, at times the male dancers would be slightly off, despite fewer people to be in sync with. The plot was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend.
20. Hairspray
Hairspray was one of my favourite films as a kid and I always wished that we would perform it at school, so I was very excited to watch it at the Hippodrome in Bristol with the flatmates. Whilst I love the songs and plot, the lead singer was very nasally and I kept comparing the play to the film subconsciously, which worsened the experience overall.
19. My Fair Lady
In Year 5, we performed My Fair Lady and it provided some of my fondest memories of primary school (especially when the girl playing Eliza Doolittle shouted 'move your bloomin' arse' in front of all the parents). Therefore, I was very much looking forward to seeing the play in the West End. Unfortunately, I think my high expectations dampened my enjoyment of the production as again, I kept comparing it to the film or our version of the play at school. The play was also three hours, which was intense after a long day's work but on a positive, the Coliseum in London was a stunning theatre.
18. The Play That Goes Wrong
Something to know about my dad is that he used to despise musicals, be that in the theatre or in the cinema. His hatred has definitely mellowed recently, however the first play I watched with my parents was The Play That Goes Wrong. I was actually averse to watching a play that wasn't a musical, but I enjoyed this more than expected and would recommend.
17. An American in Paris
This was the last musical that I watched during covid in a bid to keep audiences amused whilst in-person theatres were closed. Despite not remembering the plot, I recall enjoying it a surprising amount and wanting to see it in-person.
16. Mamma Mia
I watched Mamma Mia this February, having loved the film, and it was a lot of fun - Mazz Murray, who played Donna, had an amazing voice (which did become slightly coarse towards the end) and at the end everyone stood up to dance. The play stuck quite closely to the film (although the play came before the film) and many theatre-goers went all-out in their attire, with flares, sparkles, and bright colours.
15. Les Misérables
The first time I watched the film, I fell asleep within about 10 minutes. Despite this, Les Mis had some of the highest ratings in the West End and as a theatre-goer I had to see it. Therefore, I re-watched the film to determine whether I'd like the plot and songs and after confirming that I did indeed, I booked tickets to see it in the West End. The play is set in France in the 19th century and follows the story of a prisoner and the French Revolution. The actors were incredible, though I definitely would recommend seeing the film in advance (which I found to be more impactful) as my friend hadn't and was confused throughout.
14. The Wizard of Oz
This was the first play that I actively remember having watched and I saw it on a school trip as part of Dance Club. I don't remember much, but have since watched it a couple of times and enjoyed it as it's a true cultural staple.
13. Motown
I went into this musical knowing next to nothing, but it's based on the Motown record label, which led to the rise of Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross among others. This was another play that I saw in Bristol's Hippodrome, and not only did I learn a lot about Detroit in the 60s-70s but the soundtrack was incredible too.
12. Wicked
Wicked is the Wizard of Oz's predecessor and was the first play that I watched in Bristol. The cast was amazing, the songs were catchy and the plot was entertaining. The one annoying thing about these classic plays is that often kids in the audience will sing along to the songs they know.
11. The Lion King
The Lion King is one of the biggest productions in the world, and many people associate the West End and Broadway with the Lion King. In fact, the first time I visited New York with my family we tried to watch the Lion King. The production was outstanding and the music was phenomenal. That said, I was not in a good headspace when I saw this which is the sole reason that it is not ranked higher. Regardless, I would strongly recommend seeing this play, especially if you would like to watch a family film with children (spoiler: you'll likely cry).
Top 10
10. The Mousetrap
This Agatha Christie murder mystery is the longest-running West End production and is well worth the watch. It is a tale in which seven strangers come together and discover that there is a murderer among them. I have seen it twice and I was kept guessing until the end. The Mousetrap is unlike most other West End plays and I would definitely recommend it.
9. Matilda
Matilda was another film that I loved growing up and I liked many of the songs so I had great anticipation for this musical. I thought that the kids were amazing and was very impressed with the production overall. I also could not stop singing the 'School Song' for weeks after.
8. Jersey Boys
As aforementioned, my dad used to absolutely despise musicals, however Jersey Boys was one that he was genuinely keen for as we'd watched the film together and both liked the Four Seasons. Their story was told in a captivating manner throughout and although I preferred the film, the production was very well done and the actor playing Frankie Valli had an incredible range. I am also partial to a brass band and the musicians had a big part in this play, which was great to see.
7. Aladdin
This was a very unexpected surprise, as I wasn't a big Disney fan growing up and just booked tickets to the musical on a whim. Luckily, the choreography was entertaining, the cast impressive and I remember leaving in a very good mood following the play.
6. The Book of Mormon
Of all productions that I have seen, this one was hands-down the most shocking and unexpected. Going into it, I had been told that it was bizarre and knew of the song 'Turn It Off', so knew it was about Mormons but little else. To say that I was gob-smacked would be an understatement - never have I seen anything less politically correct in the theatre. The play follows the story of two Mormons sent to Uganda to convert locals to the religion. Some of the songs are very catchy and the plot definitely led to conversations and provided some food for thought, so I would recommend seeing this more for the culture shock than anything else.
Top 5
5. Pretty Woman
At the time of writing, this is the most recent play I've seen. I had become slightly disillusioned with musicals having watched Grease and My Fair Lady within the past month, but this play reminded me why I love the theatre again. It is about the relationship between a prostitute and a wealthy businessman. It was hilarious and despite the 40°C heatwave, the cast were phenomenal; they had incredible voices and played their characters to a t. We also got our seats upgraded (presumably due to the heatwave) so had a perfect view of the set.
4. Chicago
I had wanted to see Chicago more than any other play and had waited years for it to be shown in London. Luckily, after covid various famed plays returned to the West End and I had the opportunity to watch the play in New Wimbledon Theatre in May 2022. As aforementioned, I go wild for a brass band and am known to watch the orchestra instead of the cast when in view. Therefore, you can imagine how enamoured I was to find the jazz band on the stage itself. The plot was also much better than I'd remembered and the cast were incredible. This musical depicts the rivalry between two fame-seeking criminals.
3. Waitress
Having not seen a school friend in a while, we decided to catch up over a musical. She was excited to see Waitress, whereas I had heard nothing about it but was happy to come along. The play was very racy and the songs extremely catchy. Several celebrities have performed in Waitress, including Ashley Roberts, Joe Sugg, and Colleen Ballinger. Waitress tells the story of a waitress (shock) who falls unexpectedly pregnant and seeks a way out of her unhappy marriage.
2. Bonnie and Clyde
The first play that I saw with my boyfriend was Bonnie and Clyde. I expected to be indifferent towards it, until a colleague described it as amazing, which filled me with anticipation. We watched it at the Arts Theatre, an intimate theatre offering a great view and atmosphere (though very long queues for the loo). The play is based on a true story of a couple involved in crime throughout the states, as well as their families (my favourite character had to be Blanche Barrow). The cast was the most consistently impressive I've ever seen, with every single actor having an amazing voice (including the kids)! I cannot fault this production at all as everything about it was phenomenal and I'd strongly recommend seeing it.
1. Hamilton
My first memory of Hamilton was of two friends blasting the soundtrack in the car after our last orchestral concert in Year 13. In all honesty, I found it mildly annoying but I knew that if I gave it a chance in my own time I'd probably enjoy it. So that's exactly what I did; over the following weeks I listened to the soundtrack randomly until eventually playing the songs in order. It was at this point that I became obsessed with the musical and understood the hype occurring in the States over the musical. Not only did I learn parts of US history that I'd never heard of previously, I also loved the storyline and ingenious score. There were so many aspects of life that it made me ponder and I was very reflexive on the different topics that are vital to the play.
As soon as tickets were released in London, I booked two and in 2018 I finally saw it in person. The lead actor, Jamael Westman, looked familiar and it took me a minute to realise that he was the brother of a friend of mine at primary school. The production was incredible, and seeing the characters clarified any parts of the soundtrack that had confused me. Over the pandemic, Disney+ released a recording of the original Broadway cast performing Hamilton, which was a dream come true to see the original cast. Despite Hamilton's controversy, I love this play and have spent countless hours listening to the soundtrack and singing along to the music. The one thing I would say is that it is well worth listening to the soundtrack before watching the play as a lot of the dialogue and progression occurs through the lyrics.
Edit: Since writing this article, I have watched &Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird too. I didn't have high hopes for &Juliet as it didn't seem like my cup of tea but it was a lot funnier than expected and had a unique plot. To Kill a Mockingbird was my favourite book that I read at school so I was very excited to see it, and although the children are played by adults and the accent took some getting used to, it was a great play overall.
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