The fellowship of Show and Stay^® have put their noggins together and come up with a theory - get ready to be shocked and amazed. In light of Gone with the Wind’s opening problems and some bad reviews (from critics mind you - not the paying public), the proverbial light bulb clicked on above our heads.
We’ve seen this happen before with Lord of The Rings, huge hype around the stage version and then it fails to deliver because people expect way too much. Literary fans want to see the passion and emotion from the book, film fans want to be dazzled and amazed - therefore it’s hard to please both types of fanatics.

So, we noticed this pattern; brilliant book, made into an outstanding film, then a much hyped musical, which then fails to deliver the same impact as the film/book. Bear in mind this is the begging of a theory cooked up over morning coffee and that half the team only really wake up once they’ve reached the bottom of their drink. There are flaws - both Wicked and The Sound of Music slip through the net, Wicked is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel and loosely upon the The Wizard of Oz film. The Sound of Music on the other hand was based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. So they don’t really fit into this theory, plus they have been über successful from the word go!

Apart from that none of the other Musicals apply (at least we don’t think so), Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap went straight from book to stage, Chicago went from book, to play, to silent film, to musical. The lists could go on and yes we should probably leave all theories and detective work to the professionals, but we’ll just say keep your eye out for our theory - and remember, you heard it here first!

Technorati Tags: darius danesh, gone with the wind, gone with the wind west end, london theatre, lord of the rings, LOTR, rhett butler, show and stay, trevour nunn, west end, west end theatre

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Wednesday night and the chosen few left the Shire to embark upon a journey to Middle-Earth, well the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. I have to say I had high expectations of this production after all the media-hype and with the nickname Samwise Gamgee I already had a strange affiliation with the surprising creatures, soft as butter yet sometimes as tough as old tree roots (I would like to point out at this point that I am neither short, big footed or have hairy toes!). Overall I wasn’t disappointed, although there were elements of the “what?!” factor particularly with the Ents - who looked amazing but were using a crazy voice distorter which was more Lord of the Trekkies than Lord of the Rings.

The stage is PHENOMENAL! I really haven’t seen anything like it before, stretching from the proscenium right out to the edges of the Dress Circle, tangled tree roots create a canopy under which the audience watch the adventure unfold. The production is crammed with special effects, optical illusions and acrobatic stunts that leave you questioning your eyesight. The costumes, particularly with the Orcs, Gollum, Galadriel and Shelob (the giant spider) were sensational and in the case of the darker characters had me quaking in my seat (that spider should come with a health warning!). The infiltration of Orcs into the audience raised a few screams, which I have to be honest I missed most of as there was a rather interesting spot on the floor…I wasn’t scared, merely intrigued at the carpeting!

Samwise Gamgee, my namesake, stole the show for me; he was quite simply the best hobbit i’ve ever seen, where would Frodo be without him! The character of Saruman was played to perfection, he truly owned the stage and emanated pure darkness. His bellowing voice and domineering presence reached to the very corners of the auditorium. In pure contrast, Galadriel played by Laura Michelle Kelly was unadulterated light, she shone through the darkness and haunted the audience with a voice I would kill to have.

Not everything was perfection however, I was disappointed with the glaring chunks of story cut from the plot and the lack of time spent on building the relationships between characters. Obviously, these “cuts” were needed to keep the lengthy production to a minimum but the continual recapping smacked of a Steven Spielberg film - sometimes the audience can work it out for themselves, thanks all the same!

Overall the fellowship of Show and Stay were pleased with the results of their journey to Mordor and back and even though none of us have been promised eternal life, at least our friendships stood the test, Orcs and all!

Technorati Tags: ents, fellowship of the rings, frodo, galadriel, laura michelle kelly, lord of the rings, orcs, samwise gamgee, saruman, show and stay, theatre royal drury lane

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Stuck for a half term activity? Well look no further than a London Theatre Break, it’s the perfect mini getaway for all the family.
Show and Stay have a range of shows to suit everyone, if you want action and adventure why not book to see Lord of the Rings - a powerful tale of good verses evil. If you loved the Wizard of Oz, then book the sensational Wicked and see how the good witch of the north and the wicked witch of the west came to be.
Family favorites Grease and Joseph are ideal for a half term theatre break, watch Susan McFadden, Danny Bayne and Lee Mead live on stage in the West End. The Sound of Music, Hairspray and The Lion King are just some more examples of great shows which will have your family smiling all half term.

Why not team your theatre break with a London Attraction, from as little as £12.50 per person you could be visiting celebrity wax works in Madame Tussauds or soaring above the clouds on the iconic London Eye.

If you book a family theatre break before the 14th March 2008 you will get one nights stay in a top London hotel for FREE - that’s right absolutely nothing! So get your skates on and book your family on a Show and Stay theatre break this half term.

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Stuck for gift ideas? Well look no further than Show and Stay! Whether you want to treat a loved one or just fancy treating yourself, we have THE Christmas gift package to suit any stocking.

Step one: choose a show
From the shining colours of Joseph’s coat to the wild plains of Africa in the Lion King, we have all the TOP West End shows for you to choose from. Dads, mums, daughters and sons - we have something for everyone.

Step two: choose your hotel and pre-theatre dinner.
We have a delightful range of two star to five star hotels in London and a mouthwatering selection of pre-theatre restaurants to sample.

Step Three: Adding an attraction.
Whether you want to see iconic London attractions or get in the festive spirit we have something for you. As Christmas is nearly upon us we have a great selection of festive attractions to add on to your package, including ice skating at the Tower of London and festive fun at Winter Wonderland Hyde Park.

Christmas in London is simply magical and chock-a-block with festive attractions, from Spitalfields Winter Festival to Trafalgar Square Tree Lighting - check out our Christmas events in London page for more information on these activities.

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The Lord of the Rings opened in London this week to rave reviews from fans and 4 star reviews from a number of noted theatre critics.

The show is unlike anything seen before in the West End and features a state of the art mechanical stage, flying Orcs with sprung stilts for limbs and some of the most impressive costumes and sets ever to grace a theatre. The budget for this show is also a West End record as the most expensive show ever staged in London at a cost of £12.5 million!

The Times theatre critic, Sam Marlowe, gave the production 4 stars and wrote that “the show has charm, wit and jaw dropping theatrical brio, it also has emotional heft. This show is a wonder.” He summarised by saying that the show is “a brave, stirring, epic piece of popular theatre.”

Dame Judi Dench attended the premiere and said that the show was “a terriffic treat” with “wonderful choreography.”

Noted theatre critic, Michael Billington of the Guardian gave the Lord of the Rings show a fantastic review, “I happily pay tribute to the skills of Warchus and the production team…The music never or hardly ever impedes the narrative flow…If Tolkein’s trilogy is to be a stage spectacle I don’t see how it could be better done.”

Of course, some critics have been doing what critics do best - criticising! Paul Taylor of The Independent stated that the production was “strong on dynamic spectacle but squeezed as drama and in two minds about how it wants to use music dramatically.”

As far as I’m concerned the show looks amazing and looks completely different from anything else in the West End. The cast is incredible, I’m certain that Laura Michelle Kelly as Galadriel is superb as always, and the acrobatics must add a completely different dimension to this show.

Lord of the Rings is certainly among my top London shows to watch and I believe will give theatre-goers a completely new theatrical experience.

Technorati Tags: laura michelle kelly, london show, lord of the rings, lord of the rings london show, show reviews, west end

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The new Lord of the Rings show is currently playing in the West End and has enthralled audiences since it opened last month. To celebrate all things Lord of the Rings related we’re challenging you to a LOTR quiz to determine whether you deserve the title of hardcore hobbit follower!

Just for fun take our Lord of the Rings quiz or invite your mates round and challenge them to a game!

Technorati Tags: elves, hobbits, lord of the rings, lord of the rings quiz, lord of the rings show, LOTR, LOTR quiz

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The battle scenes in the stage version The Lord Of The Rings are simply sensational, with passion and energy the characters fly across the stage with hearty crys, however one actor had a battle all of his own - with the moving stage!

Instead of play fighting with the other Orks, one actor had a tussle with the mechanical stage resulting in a broken leg and the total shut down of the show. Wednesday nights audience heard the terrible accident happen, after one of the intense battles scenes an actor was heard screaming “my leg my leg!”, hobbits elves and dwarfs flew in to help dig him out of the set and to safety.

Unfortunately this meant the end for Wednesday nights performance and the cancellation of Thursday and Fridays too. Has the evil of Mordor struck the Drury Theatre? Only time will tell……….

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From today the West End will be over run with hobbits, orks and wizards. Lord of the Rings opens at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane tonight. Check out the backstage video blogs on the official site for a fantastic insight into just what has gone into creating this legendary show. You can see everything from actors training for the circus skills that are integral to the show to wig fittings…

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Six days until the magic of Mordor transforms the West End into Middle Earth, Wizards, Hobbits and Orks will be battling it out for the one and only ring on the stage of the Royal Drury Lane theatre. It’s set to be one of the most spectacular productions to come to the West End with moving stages, characters on stilts and flying objects - it is certainly adventurous viewing. I think it will be interesting to see how far it strays from the Peter Jackson epic and whether it will treat the audience to a whole new version of the J.R Tolkin classic. Nevertheless I think that it will be a feast for the eyes whatever the story-line as the the scenery and lighting of this eight million pound stage production is meant to be out of this world. As for the singing element of the production it will be pretty bizarre watching hobbits, wizards and Gollum breaking into song during the action, but I guess it has to be seen to be believed.
To get and idea of how fantastic this is going to be watch this teaser trailer and prepare to want to book tickets straight away!

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I can hear the pitter patter of little hobbit feet. It’s less than a month till Lord of the Rings the stage show and I for one am rather curious. From what I’ve seen via YouTube, the show looks pretty spectacular, particularly the acrobatic element. I’m not sure how the music will work with the story, but if nothing else it will give a fresh slant on the story. Lots of musicals you know what you’re getting, but LOTR isn’t one of them - I think it’s going to have to be seen to be believed…

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