West End Does Hollywood
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Cadogan Hall, London
Cast: Luke Kempner (host), Oliver Tompsett, Sophie Evans, Rob Houchen, Leanne Robinson, Shan Ako, Amber Davies, Carrie Hope Fletcher and John Partridge

West End Flea Market
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: St Paul's Church, Covent Garden
Cast: Michael Ball, Christopher Biggins, Golda Rosheuvel, Jordan Luke Gage, Alice Fearn, Miriam-Teak Lee, the cast of Six the Musical

West End shows set up a variety of uniquely designed stalls offering theatrical memorabilia, signed posters, bric-a-brac and special items for theatre fans!

The public are invited to come and cheer on their favourite show and the winner will be announced at the event. In addition, there will be signings, a theatrical tombola, auctions and all sorts of exciting theatrical memorabilia up for grabs as well as the chance to meet stars from hit shows!

Today was my first time visiting the West End Flea Market - and it was an incredible experience, from start to finish. The first West End Flea Market was in 2019, but due to the ongoing pandemic, the next few years were cancelled. This year, there were some huge shows hosting stalls - from Hamilton, to Les Miserables, to Phantom of the Opera, to Six the Musical; there was a stall for everyone. As well as shows hosting their own stalls, they also had tombolas, raffles, auctions, interactive games - all manners of ways to win amazing theatrical memorabilia. And of course, the autograph tent; which was without a doubt the busiest part of the day.

The doors opened at 10:30am, and the event was set in motion with a fabulous mariachi band. At 10:45am, the wonderful Christopher Biggins officially opened the 2022 West End Flea Market. I headed straight to the tombola, where we bought 18 tickets between three of us (I couldn't refuse a £5 for 6 offer!). We won x2 tickets to Life of Pi, a Mousetrap mug and a Lion King mug - it was a fantastic start.

It's worth noting that it was extremely busy, but as long as you were patient - you could easily visit every stall. Each stall is clearly labelled, and easy to find. If you were struggling, they were handing out maps at the entrance of the market to help you navigate which stalls you were most keen on visiting.

I thought the Hamilton stall was the star of the show (despite Only Fools and Horses nabbing that award). They had some one-of-a-kind memorabilia such as signed programmes, signed tote bags, signed tickets and signed song sheets; all at reasonable prices. I was gutted that Bonnie & Clyde weren't able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, as I can only imagine the treats the stall would have held. At the Six stall, you were able to meet the current West End cast of Six the Musical for just £6, which was a great experience - and they were all lovely. 

After I'd visited the stalls, I headed to the Autograph Tent to meet Jordan Luke Gage and Alice Fearn. Unfortunately, we just missed Miriam Teak-Lee who arrived later, but the tent was well organised and I personally couldn't fault it. It all ran very smoothly, and the posters for the event were utterly gorgeous, and look fantastic signed.

I must admit, at the auction - I almost spent £350 on backstage passes for Hamilton, a signed piece of Hamilton clothing from the West End production and a signed Lin-Manuel Miranda poster...but alas, I had some restraint! The auction had some fabulous prizes. In all honesty, it was just fantastic to see so many theatre goers in one place, celebrating a community we've been starved from for the past few years. It made me feel quite emotional. 

A special mention must go to Tasha from Acting for Others. I have some access needs, and she made the day so incredibly easy for me - and it simply wouldn't have been possible without her. She was so kind and patient; a real asset to the event.

As a whole, it's a brilliant event - and perfect for any theatre lover. If it goes ahead next year, I would advise getting there as early as you can, prepare to be stood in crowds...and take lots of water! It's a small venue, so I'm hoping they upgrade to a larger venue next year; as it reached maximum capacity fairly quickly. Bring on next year - a perfect celebration of current theatre! 

Legally Blonde the Musical
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
Cast: Courtney Bowman, Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Nadine Higgin, Lauren Drew, Hannah Yun Chamberlain, Vanessa Fisher, Isaac Hesketh, Eugene McCoy, Alistair Toovey, Grace Mouat and Alžbeta Matyšáková

Meet fashion merchandising major Elle Woods and her college sweetheart Warner Huntington III. Popular, stylish, they have the perfect relationship. That is until Warner heads to Harvard Law School and decides that he needs a more 'serious' kind of girlfriend. Dumped, Elle embarks on a drastic plan to win him back. But, on the way, she discovers that there's more to love - and definitely Elle Woods - than meets the eye. 

Omigod you guys - I was lucky enough to attend the first preview of the new adaptation of Legally Blonde the Musical. I don't usually do reviews of shows while they're still in previews (particularly the first one), but I'm not sure when I'll be back and I needed to share my thoughts of a musical I've been so desperate to see again in London. Because I'm reviewing this much earlier than usual, when the show officially opens - there may be several changes to the production.

As you enter Regent's Park, there's nothing besides a small poster to let you know that Legally Blonde is playing at the Open Air Theatre. However, when you enter the venue - you venture into a sea of pink. From the bar, to the pizza place; everywhere is decked out in pink. You can even buy Legally Blonde cocktails - £10.95 each for Bend & Schnapps or OMG&T (obsessed with the names). I would also advise getting there early, as we were queuing for twenty minutes.

I was sat in row F near the centre, but it's worth noting that I think the view would be great from anywhere in this venue. The set looks very simplistic when you walk in. More pink, and very strange curtains. I heard many people discussing the curtain choice; and it wouldn't surprise me if this was changed soon. However, visually - I didn't mind it. My only issue is that the props seemed to get repeatedly caught up in it, which detracted from the performance at times.

While the set is bare and minimalistic, the use of props and staging is executed brilliantly. From a salon, to a sorority party, to law school - all portrayed excellently with the lighting, costumes and props. You blink and Elle has changed costume once again, and almost every one is loud, proud...and pink! 

Let's talk about Courtney Bowman. Never has anyone shone as brightly as Elle Woods. Her voice is spectacular and she completely embodies Elle. "Legally Blonde" was her standout performance for me, vocally. Her ditzy naivety is captured perfectly in this adaption. I saw a few comments about her wig (which I didn't mind), but I've seen in curtain call photos that her wig has changed already.

The soundtrack has always been one of my favourite, so I was excited to see some of my favourite musical theatre songs being performed on stage again. There were a few outstanding performances for me. Lauren Drew's "Whipped Into Shape" was nothing short of exceptional. It's hard to imagine anyone can exercise like that, while belting - but she does it, seemingly effortlessly. Other standout moments for me were Nadine Higgin's "Ireland", Michael Ahomka-Lindsay's "Chip on My Shoulder", "Gay or European" (major Dead Gay Son vibes from Heathers the Musical), "Bend and Snap" (goes without saying!) and Billy Nevers' solo in "What You Want". I loved Billy in & Juliet, so it was fantastic to see him shine in Legally Blonde.

A special mention must go to Liam McEvoy, who plays Bruiser. Yes, he really does play a chihuahua. He's absolutely hilarious, and somehow manages to portray a sassy dog flawlessly. 

If you're wondering if there has been any changes to the adaptation - there has! There's been a few updates to the script to modernise it. With such a diverse cast, I think it was very much needed. 

I hope to see the show again and write another review with any updates to the show since the first preview. But besides a few small issues like the fluidity of set changes - it was nothing short of sensational. The cast are exceptional. Courtney Bowman is a superb leading lady, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

If you want to see a feel-good show, that'll leave you smiling throughout - I would highly recommend Legally Blonde. The soundtrack is a lot of fun, and the talent on stage will blow your mind. The ideal Summer production. 

You can buy tickets to Legally Blonde the Musical at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until 2nd July, here.

The Tony Awards are one of the stagiest nights of the year, and we've all been waiting with bated breath for the nominees to be announced. And the moment is finally here! 

It was predicted that British shows and actors would receive a few nominations this year - and those predictions were not wrong. Six the Musical has received a staggering 8 nominations.

The Tony Awards are set to take place on 12th June. And will be hosted by Ariana DeBose; star of smash hit West Side Story.

You can find a list of the full nominees here:

Illicit Signals Bletchley
Rating: ★★★★
Venue: CRYPT, Bethnal Green 
Cast: Timothy Styles, Amelia Stephenson, Al Barclay, Beth Jay, Gabriel Burns, Sandy Murray, Christopher Styles and Jaya Baldwin

Step back in time to 1940s Bletchley Park, a world of espionage, code breaking and secrets. It was here that men and women, both young and old, cracked German codes and unveiled war winning secrets, but these men and women kept secrets of their own, both from each other and the public. 

Illicit Signals Bletchley combines historical drama with rewarding codebreaking to create a fun, stimulating evening.

From the second you enter the gates of Bletchley Park, you're transported back in time. No longer are we in modern day Bethnal Green, but somewhere far more secretive and it's the year 1941. Illicit Signals Bletchley is a piece of immersive theatre, and is a co-production brought to us by Parabolic Theatre and Mechanical Thought.

We are greeted outside the venue by a well-dressed man with a pipe and bowler hat. He tells us briefly about the work we'll be doing at Bletchley Park, and lets us into the CRYPT in small groups. While you're waiting for the production to start, the atmosphere and setting is perfectly reflective on the time period. From the music, to the slightly damp minimalist setting - even the bartender was in character, which really helped to set the atmosphere for me.

Before we begin, you're asked to sign a Secret Act form to ensure that there is no filming, or photography - and the secrets of the piece are kept hidden. As the show is about code breaking and deciphering, it was touches like that which made the piece seem more authentic. 

One of the things I love most about immersive theatre is having choice. You decide where you want to go, and who you want to follow. Not only does this make the show more exciting, but it also means you can revisit the show and experience a completely different version. I was led into a hut (there are three huts within the venue) and was introduced to Dilly Knox. Dilly is completely eccentric, and he just so happened to be my favourite cast member - he was absolutely fantastic. It was here where we were taught to decipher and encipher by Mavis Lever (Beth Jay) and Dilly (Al Barclay). 

The cast are happy to spend as much time as you need teaching you the basics, before you're split into even smaller groups and set your very own missions. You must crack the code to move into the next hut. In the next part of the show, the story is starting to piece together and without any spoilers, homosexuality still being a crime in the 1940's plays a pivotal part. It's a story that left me choked, and I know many other guests felt the same.

We're slowly introduced to the rest of the cast, and all of their own secrets start to be uncovered by Maj. Charles Richards (Christopher Styles), who begins to interrogate them. At the end of the show, members of the audience are given envelopes by the cast members to read out. It's here that I learned that all the characters in this production are based on real people from the second world war; which made the piece even more profound.

From the make up, costumes, set design, venue - it all portrayed the time era brilliantly. Not once did they break character; which must have been particularly hard for Beth Jay, who plays Mavis Lever. One of the guests took audience participation to a new level; and as a fellow audience member, it was absolutely fantastic to watch! That's one of the aspects I love most about immersive theatre - you really have no idea what's going to happen next.

Whether you want to learn more about the basics of coding, an insight into the second world war, or simply enjoy being immersed into a fantastically cast piece of theatre - then Illicit Signals Bletchley is the show for you.

You can buy tickets to Illicit Signals Bletchley at CRYPT, Bethnal Green until 28th May, here.