2023 Awards: 3) Theatre, TV & Films

Theatre

Musicals

10) Mrs Doubtfire: The Musical – Shaftesbury Theatre

9) The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical – Apollo Theatre

8) The Blonde Bombshells of 1943 – Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough

7) Babies (WIP) – Lyric Theatre

6) Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder – Udderbelly, Edinburgh Fringe

5) 42nd Street – Sadlers Wells

4) The Little Big Things - @sohoplace

3) Operation Mincemeat – Fortune Theatre

2) The Great British Bake Off Musical – Noel Coward Theatre

1) Roald Dahl’s The Witches – Olivier Theatre, National Theatre

 

Pantomimes

4) Sleeping Beauty Takes A Prick – Charing Cross Theatre (A)   [Matthew Baldwin]

3) Cinderella – New Wimbledon Theatre   [Craig Revel Horwood/Pete Firman]

2) Sleeping Beauty – Harold Pinter Theatre (A)   [Kate Butch/Kitty Scott Claus/Michael Morouli/Victoria Sponge]

1) Mother Goose – Duke of Yorks Theatre   [Ian McKellen/John Bishop]

 (A -  Adult)

 

 

Plays

15) Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons – Harold Pinter Theatre

14) The Pillowman – Duke of Yorks Theatre

13) Frank & Percy – Theatre Royal, Windsor

12) Charlotte & Theodore – Richmond Theatre

11) Windfall – Southwark Playhouse

10) A Murder Has Been Arranged – Theatre Royal, Windsor

9) Stumped – Hampstead Theatre

8) Private Lives – Ambassadors Theatre

7) The Crown Jewels – Garrick Theatre

6) The Way Old Friends Do – Criterion Theatre

5) Bleak Expectations – Criterion Theatre

4) Great Expectations (Eddie Izzard)  – Garrick Theatre

3) A Voyage Round My Father – Richmond Theatre

2) A Mirror – Almeida Theatre

1) The Ocean At The End of the Lane – New Wimbledon Theatre

 

 

Magic

10) High Jinx Magic & Illusion – Millfield Theatre, Edmonton

9) Believe The Impossible (SJ Magic) – The Magic Circle

8) Lock-In Cabaret (Griffin & Jones)  – Fallen Angel Bar, Guildford

7) Illusion Impossible (Kayden Black/Michael Carr/Mike Sullivan) – Epsom Playhouse

6) West End Magic (Richard Cadell & Sooty/Mark Shortland/Oliver Tabor/Jezo/Wayne Trice) – Leicester Square Theatre

5) Siegfried & Joy – Leicester Square Theatre

4) Late Night Magic (Tom Brace/Harry De Cruz/John Lovick/Josh Glanc/Andrew Frost) – Pleasance Theatre

3) The Mind Mangler – New Wimbledon Theatre

2) Unbelievable – Criterion Theatre

1) Penn & Teller – Eventim Apollo

 

 

TV

15) Such Brave Girls (BBC)

14) Secret Invasion (Disney +)

13) Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK – Season 5  (BBC)

12) The Full Monty (Disney +)

11) Beyond Paradise (BBC)

10) Extraordinary  (Disney +)

9) The Muppets Mayhem (Disney +)

8) Nolly  (ITV)

7) Taskmaster – Series 16  (C4)

6) Celebrity Race Across the World (BBC)

5) Time – Series 2  (BBC)

4) Loki – Season 2  (Disney +)

3) Star Trek: Picard – Season 3  (Amazon Prime/Paramount +)

2) Only Murders In The Building – Season 3  (Disney +)

1) Good Omens 2   (Amazon Prime)

 

Films

8) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

7) Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny

6) The Flash

5) Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse

4) Scream VI

3) Guardians of the Galaxy – Volume 3

2) A Haunting in Venice

1) Wonka

 

2023 Awards: 2) Doctor Who

 

TV

10)  Doctor Who: 60 Years of Secrets and Scandals

9) Doctor Who @ 60: A Musical Celebration

8) An Adventure in Space and Time (2023 version)

7) Destination: Skaro

6) The Daleks in Colour

5) Talking Doctor Who

4) Wild Blue Yonder

3) The Star Beast

2) The Church on Ruby Road

1) The Giggle

 

 

 

Audios

10) Once and Future: Past Lives

9) Once and Future: The Artist At The End of Time

8) Once and Future: Two’s Company

7) Once and Future: A Genius for War

6) Once and Future: The Union

5) Once and Future: The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50

4) The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Purity Unleashed

3) The Sixth Doctor Adventures: Purity Unbound

2) Rani Takes on the World: Beyond Bannermen Road

1) The Paternoster Gang: Rogues Gallery

 

2023 Awards: 1) Sherlock Holmes

Theatre

8) The Speckled Band – theSpace at Surgeons Hall, Edinburgh Fringe

7) Sherlock Holmes and the Music Hall Mystery – Queen’s Hall, Cuckfield

6) Sherlock Holmes and the Poisonwood (WIP) – The Other Palace  (MT Fest)

5) The Hound of the Baskervilles (Jonathan Goodwin) – Spread Eagle, Croydon

4) Sherlock Holmes and the Cow in the Spotlight – Milestone Centre, Caversham

3) A Study in Lipstick, Ketchup & Blood – Roman Theatre, St. Albans

2) A Sherlock Carol – Marylebone Theatre

1) Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act -White Lion, Kennington

 

 

TV

A lack of Sherlockian content, until December.

3) Killing Sherlock – Lucy Worsley on the Case of Conan Doyle (BBC2)

2) Inside Classical: The Hound of the Baskervilles  (BBC4)

1) A Ghost Story At Christmas: Lot No 249 (BBC2)

 

 

Audio

5) The Hound of the Baskervilles  (Radio 3)

4) Sherlock & Co  (Goalhanger Podcasts)

3) Moriarty: The Silent Order  (Audible)

2) The Baker Street Four (Audible)

1) Sherlock Holmes: The Complete BBC Collection  (BBC Audio)

 

 

 

Sojourns

15) Sunbridge Park/Knole

14) Kempton/Hampton Court

13) Blenheim Palace

12) Bateman’s

11) Ayr

10) Lake District

9) ‘The Irregulars’ locations

8) Whitby/Middlesbrough

7) Lyme/Manchester

6) Alnwick

5) Peak District

4) ‘Elementary’ London

3) Cambridge

2) Enola Holmes’ London

1) Enola Holmes: Hull Racer

 

Celebrities Met:

Sherlocks – Ian McKellen, Rupert Everett, Derek Jacobi, Paterson Joseph, Julian Glover, Michael Mears, Colin Baker, Chris Barrie, David Mitchell

Watsons – Ryan Colt Levy

Moriartys – Aaron Dismuke

Mycrofts – Stephen Fry, Mark Gatiss

Lestrades – Aidan McArdle, Victor McGuire, Michael Fenton-Stevens

Others – David Nellist (Mike Stamford – SHERLOCK); Ian Hallard (SHERLOCK); Brendan Fletcher (Stink - SHIRLEY HOLMES) Alastair Duncan (Dr Mortimer – GRANADA HOUND); Richard Dempsey (Jack Ferguson – GRANADA SUSS); Malcolm Weaver (Archie - GRANADA REDH); Stefan Kalipha (Wali Dad - CRUCIFER OF BLOOD); Dominic Carter (IRREGULARS); Michael Stevens (STUDY IN TERROR).

British Musicals: ‘‘The Little Big Things” (2023)

 

Book by Joe White,

based on the memoir by Henry Fraser

Music and Lyrics by Nick Butcher

Lyrics by Tom Ling

 

History

Having put out an open call for a songwriting partner on Twitter, composer, lyricist and performer Nick Butcher, received a response from actor and lyricist, Tom Ling. Having written some pop songs together, they were keen to collaborate on a musical, and Butcher’s flatmate, a professional rugby player, suggested that he read ‘The Little Big Things’, a Sunday Times bestselling memoir by his friend’s brother, Henry Fraser, dealing with the aftermath of his becoming paralysed from the shoulders down. Having contacted Henry’s agent they asked for a meeting to discuss their proposed musical. Four weeks later they received an unbelievable response – “Henry really likes you guys, so we’re going to give you the rights for twelve months”. They therefore started writing songs, and co-opted playwright Joe White to adapt the memoir and write the book of the musical. At an early stage it was decided that they would have two actors playing Henry, a non-disabled actor before the accident and a disabled actor after the accident, with conversations between the two providing the structure of the musical and its explosive theatrical pop soundtrack

The completed musical made its world premiere at @sohoplace, the newest West End Theatre, which had been built to be fully accessible, meaning that the two cast members in wheelchairs were able to access all parts of the theatre, including the backstage area. Directed by Luke Sheppard, it began previews on 2^nd September 2023, starring Jonny Amies and Ed Larkin as Henry.

 

Story

An avid sportsman and academy player with a premiership Rugby club, Henry Fraser’s life changed forever when in 2009 he had a diving accident whilst on holiday with his brothers in Portugal. From that moment he and his family and friends had a new life to live as a tetraplegic and new circumstances to accept and adapt to.

 

In A Nutshell

When one moment changes everything, can Henry and his family cope with the journey to overcome the unimaginable ? 

 

Production

This was my first visit to @sohoplace, which is ‘in the round’ meaning excellent sightlines from all seats on all three levels. I was sitting in the middle level to one side, but I could still see all the action perfectly.  

The production was excellent, if a little heart-wrenching at times. (It certainly wasn’t a show for young children, such as the two that I could see sitting uncomfortably in the stalls – they might have been better off at ‘The Witches’). The songs and staging were also wonderful and there was an appropriate balance of humour and pathos. It was a story of hope, but was not mawkish about this, showing the despair as well as the hope. The two actors playing Henry were amazing, as were all those playing his family (including the wonderful Linzi Hateley as his mother), his physio played by Amy Trigg, and his love interest played by Gracie McGonigal. The entire audience jumped to its feet to applaud at the end, and everyone seemed to leave the building on a high.   

Highly recommended. 

‘The Little Big Things’ runs at @sohoplace until 2^nd March 2024.

 

Favourite Song

It has to be ‘One to Seventeen’ sung by Henry’s mother after receiving his prognosis, closely followed by ‘Sympathy’ which looks at the impact on Henry’s brothers.

 

 
Did I Buy The Cast Recording ?

Only the title song is currently available, across streaming platforms..

  

 

Links

Production Website: https://sohoplace.org/shows/the-little-big-things

Henry Fraser’s Website: https://henryfraserart.com/

Song Streaming: https://slinky.to/TheLittleBigThings