#WestEndWishList: 5 shows I want to see return to the London stage after coronavirus
Updated on 21 July 2020
Lazing on a sunny afternoon…
…got me to thinking. We all know that theatre is currently in the interval. We've taken a comfort break, bought the obligatory Ben & Jerrys - (insert your ice cream flavour of choice here) and are now seated, waiting in anticipation for the curtain to rise so that we can get lost in the spellbinding magic that is the West End.
A lot of friends are asking what will be the first show that I see...
When Lord Lloyd Webber started his "The Show Must Go On", I was adamant that Phantom of the Opera would be my first. I am firmly #TeamPhantom and was hankering for some "Music of the Night".
Then I saw the Les Miserables staged concert and thought, "No, my love for "Bring Him Home" is swinging it for me!" In fact, I studiously worked my way through each version of Les Mis available to me and can say with conviction that Colm Wilkinson is my favourite Jean Val Jean.
Each time I have seen a show on the various forums, it has reignited my love for that particular spectacle and, in all honesty, I am none-the-wiser. With that in mind, I decided to switch it up and revert to any show that I have seen that I would like to bring back.
Top 5 West End shows I want to see return to the stage
5. Jersey Boys. My favourite ever musical. The rags to riches tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was always "Oh! What a Night" when I saw this.
4. Sunny Afternoon. I would watch this "All Day and All of the Night". A thumping soundtrack and a flamboyant set were all I needed to be hurled back into the 60s. Each song was matched perfectly to the pivotal point in the story and the rendition of "Days" was always sublime.
3. Billy Elliott. The Geordie ballet dancer... another belting soundtrack... poignant, heartfelt moments... the bond between Grandma and Billy so meaningfully brought to the stage. Need I say more?
2. Oliver. One of my favourites. "As Long as He Needs Me" is perhaps my favourite song from this soundtrack.
1. Dirty Dancing. The perfect girls' night out trip to the theatre. Let me assure you that nobody puts baby in the corner. Ever. What's not to love….?!
And there you have it. What would be your favourite shows to bring back?
Whilst it may not be the stage musical, Dirty Dancing is still coming to London this summer, albeit in cinematic form. Be sure to catch the classic 1986 film on the big screen for three nights only (4, 14, 24 July 2020 7.30pm) at London's newly unveiled Drive In cinema at Troubadour Meridian Water.
