Love Story London Theatre Breaks

Love Story

Posted by Linda on 06/11/10 • Categorized as Love Story

Love Story, the new musical based on the iconic 1970 film and book, opens at the Duchess Theatre in the West End after a sell-out season at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Originally booked for only 10 weeks the show has already extended and is now booking previews from 27 November 2010 through to April 30th 2011.
Love story is a romantic, heart warming and heart rending story of love and loss. It certainly captured Michael Ball’s heart as he is co-producing this ‘chamber musical’. He says:

I saw Love Story in Chichester and immediately fell in love with this enchanting new British musical. The production is inspired by Erich Segal’s best-selling iconic novel, also one of the most romantic films of all time and is scored by the Emmy and BAFTA award winning composer Howard Goodall. This combined with the moving and witty lyrics by Stephen Clark and a fabulous cast add up to a wonderful evening at the theatre that is a bittersweet celebration of love and life. I’m so thrilled to be part of the team that is bringing you this critically acclaimed production. See you at the Duchess Theatre soon.

The production has music by Howard Goodall (The Hired Man, Days of Hope, Two Cities), a book by Stephen Clark and lyrics by Goodall and Clark. The 90-minute piece is a co-production with Chichester Festival, where it premiered in June to critical and audience acclaim.
You can get a taste of the show from this behind the scenes video:

Will it extend again and can it be even more successful than the last Chichester transfer Spring Awakening? I’m not sure but I think it has a good chance. Wouldn’t it be great, though to see new money and talent backing a really original musical? Rather than yet another film adaptation. What do you think?

Tagged as: chichester festival theatre, duchess theatre, erich segal, howard goodall, love story, romantic films, west End

Friday Theatre Breaks and Plays

Two special notices for London Theatre Breaks, with news of a particularly good opportunity for London Theatre Breaks at Weekends and a roundup of some promising plays in the West End.

Theatre Breaks         Friday Night Theatre Breaks Offer October 2, 2010 at 5:01 PM   After another cold and dreary Friday night with nothing on the telly I couldn’t help but think wouldn’t it be lovely to be off to see a show in London instead? Well, Show and Stay think so too. They’ve got a really good new offer, just for Friday nights. They are calling it their Friday Night Club. You can choose from some of the most popular musicals in London and get a 3* hotel room as well for just £69 per person! Wow! Shows in the offer: There are a limited selection of shows in the offer but there’s bound to be something here that you might enjoy. It includes a last chance to see Oliver! the perfect show for this time of year, so that would probably be my pick of the bunch either that or join in the celebrations for Les Miz’s 25th anniversay. We Will Rock You Billy Elliot Blood Brothers Chicago Dreamboats and Petticoats Phantom of the Opera Les Miserables Oliver! Wicked Hotels Some of the hotels are a bit further out than you might think of being ideal for theatre breaks. This can be a good thing though if you are going by car. They are outside the congestion charge and won’t charge exorbitant parking fees. Use public transport to get you into and out of central London and leave the car safely at the hotel. If you are going by train then for an extra £10 per person you can upgrade to something 4* and be nearer the theatres. Things to do on the Saturday Friday night shows are a great idea at this time of year as you can spend Saturday morning doing a bit of shopping in town. The London shops are full of lovely clothes for the new season so why not indulge yourself? Maybe even pop down to Hamleys and get ahead with the present buying! Attractions like The London Eye are much quieter now than they were in the summer and you can usually add them on to your theatre break when you book. Selling Fast I think it is a great offer and these special prices mean that these breaks will sell quite fast. If you want one check now if your choice is available. The offer has only just become available so you have a really good chance of getting a bargain! Here’s the link again so you can check your choice of show and dates:         Autum Theatre Breaks to see Plays September 25, 2010 at 4:20 PM   Top Plays for Theatre breaks There are some excellent plays coming to the London stage in the next few weeks, well worth planning theatre breaks to see.  Here are just some of those that look particularly good. Blood and Gifts – National Theatre ” a hideously topical docudrama about the origins from 1981-91 of the present war in Afghanistan.” – full of insights into what is happening now in that troubled place this should be fascinating. Passion – Donmar Stephen Sondheim’s rather gothic story based on an Italian film has fewer songs than you might expect and a rather magnificent male chorus. Argentine actress Elena Roger is highly praised. Krapp’s Last Tape – The Duchess Theatre. Gambon and Beckett. Not much more to say except perhaps don’t forget to turn off your mobile! Tribes – Royal Court, Nina Raine’s new play revolves around Billy, who is profoundly deaf and his family. “a fascinating dissection of belonging, family and the limitations of communication” Hamlet- The Olivier, Rory Kinnear is directed by Nicholas Hytner. Should be well worth seeing what Kinnear makes of the morose Dane. Yes, Prime Minister – The Gielgud They are all there and yet not quite as we remember them in this up dated production, transferred from the Chichester Festival. Birdsong – The Comedy Theatre Sebastian Faulk’s 1993 World War I best-selling novel is in safe hands here adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Trevor Nunn The Donmar takes over Trafalgar Studios, beginning with a play about devastation in New Orleans, “Lower Ninth,” continuing with the story of a jazz great, “Novecento” and then Cocteau’s “Les Parents Terribles” “Onassis: The Play” by Martin Sherman, starring Robert Lindsay as the naughty Greek millionaire.

London Theatre Breaks What’s On West End

Included here on the London Theatre breaks posterous is a hand post from the Usefulwiki theatre blog which lists in a nice clean box the current West End Shows. Only the musicals are listed, and the big west end ones at that so if you are looking for a serious play without music, or a comedy, or a fringe theater musical then you would need to look up one of our other posts such as the one about Theatre Breaks to see Plays on the magazine. After the What’s On Now guide, there’s a short list of musicals that are coming soon, and that’s the exciting pat to watch if you have already seen quite a few London musicals. Ghost is teh one that Linda is keeping an eye on, and it still seems like an age before we get to see Danielle Hope in Dorothy, but coming soon is Love Story which Michael Ball has had a hand in so that could well be worth an autumnal evening in Theatreland.  

London Theatre Breaks                       What’s On In The West End – Musicals   September 25, 2010 at 12:02 PM   What’s On Now In The West End We thought it might be useful to provide a quick reference of musicals in alphabetical order to help show what’s on in the West End as we go into the winter season. Starting with just the top musicals for London theatre breaks Avenue Q Billy Elliot Blood Brothers Chicago Dirty Dancing Dreamboats And Petticoats Flashdance Grease The Jersey Boys Love Never Dies Legally Blonde Les Miserables The Lion King Mamma Mia Oliver Phantom of the Opera Priscilla Queen of the Desert Sister Act Stomp Sweet Charity Thriller Live We Will Rock You Wicked   Last Chance to see: Avenue Q finishes on October 30th 2010 then embarks on a UK tour. Sister Act also finishes on October 30th 2010 Sweet Charity closes on November 6th 2010 Oliver! finishes 8th January 2011 Grease with Lauren Samuels closes on 30 April 2011 What’s on *Soon* in the West End: There are lots of short run plays and comedy acts coming up but these are the confirmed musicals in the pipeline: Love Story A new musical version for the stage produced by Michael Ball, opens Saturday, 27 November 2010 Shrek The Musical Replaces Oliver! at the New London Theatre January 2011 The Wizard of Oz – with Danielle Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as The Wizard opens March 1st 2011 Ghost the Musical a stage adaptation of the sensational film opening in July 2011 Viva Forever A brand new musical story using the songs of the Spice Girls opening in 2012   What’s on in the West End What’s On In The West End – Musicals was originally posted at London Theatre Breaks blog

It’s interesting to see which musicals are ending isn’t it? Farewell to Oliver then, after what seems like a short run but was in fact at least average for the West End I think. Sweet Charity was great, and it’s a shame the Whoopi Goldberg run in Sister Act couldn’t have been extended but I suppose they need the theatre to start all the changes to the stage in time for Wizard of Oz. As for Avenue Q, well I don’t realy have an opinion worth sharing on that one. Enjoy your London Theatre Breaks!

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Taking in some culture

Originally uploaded by jainaj

The Prisoner of Second Avenue is a play starring Jeff Goldblum at the Vaudeville Theatre.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue has been described as funny and very entertaining, so if you are a Jeff Goldblum fan I think this would make an excellent choice for Theatre Breaks in London

Theatre Breaks London

Theatre Breaks London

Originally uploaded by AndyRob

Oliver Theatre Breaks London Omid Djali Jodie Prenger,Gryff Rhys Jones

Weekend Theatre Breaks in London

Between Christmas and New Year, in January, February and at spring time are all good times for going on weekend theatre breaks in London. All the top shows are there in the West End waiting, the hotels are not too busy and the city nightlife is just the thing to keep you going during the long winter.

The best thing about weekend theatre breaks in London is that you don’t have to take any time off of work to get the short break in. Zip down the country on a Friday afternoon instead of going home early and you can be taking your seat in one of London’s grand old theatres ready to take in one of the bog musicals just as your colleagues are sitting down at home to an evening meal.

So that gives you the whole of Saturday to mooch about in the capital, take in a museum or gallery, stroll by the river  or whatever takes your fancy to do in London. Make your way home leisurely on Saturday afternoon, early evening or else book in for a two nighter and have a second great night out in the West End.

Theatre Breaks in London Movie

Here’s the short Theatre Breaks in London Movie made up by capturing some live spontaneous dialogue about going on theatre breaks to London, transcribing the words into text then animating with some clever software to produce a movie for the theatre breaks channel on youTube

In the video, a couple are discussing what to at the weekend and starting to make plans for a theatre break in London before going online to make the booking.

The musicals considered are Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You

Ramin Karimloo Sings The Music Of The Night

Ramin Karimloo & Robyn North on The Alan Titchmarsh show

Ramin Karimloo & Robyn North on The Alan Titchmarsh show singing The Music of The Night. Ramin Karimloo is the current Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera in London and will be pioneering the role in the further adventures of the Phantom called “Love Never Dies” which opens in London in March 2010.

Jodie Prenger from Oliver interview at West End Live 2009 theatre breaks

Jodie Prenger from Oliver sings “As Long As He Needs Me” from Oliver at West End Live with interview

Wicked at West End Live 2009 theatre breaks

Wicked Theatre Breaks

Alexia Khadime, Elphaba from Wicked at West End Live 2009 sings “The Wizard And I”