Sue's Family, Flowers and Fun Stuff: The Best of Times Are Now

Saturday 31st October, La Cage Aux Folles (starring John Barrowman)

I am not sure I have enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this production was, in the man's own words, fantastic fantastic fantastic. In years to come I will be remembering this show and JB's performance, it was all truly magnificent. Quite simply John Barrowman was born to play the part of Albin and boy did he have fun playing it, and we had fun watching him.

We had managed to secure ourselves 2nd row seats for this one and it was so worth the cost. We headed off to London and had planned to park at Stanmore, which is one of our usual stopping places for getting into London, about 45 minutes to drive to Stanmore from home and then about the same on the tube into central London and it works out so much cheaper too. We had a minor hitch in that there were no tubes running from Stanmore, so we headed out of the car park, spotted a sign for Harrow and Wealdstone and followed that, less than 10 minutes later we were parked up at H&W tube station and were on a direct tube line to Charing Cross where we were planning to stop to find a restaurant on The Strand - so we hadn't lost out at all and now have another way to get into London too.

As it was late Saturday afternoon we decided not to mess about too much and headed to Pizza Express, where you can't go wrong really and suprisingly we were seated within 5 minutes. Jamie had dough balls (what else?), I tried the Formaggio Bread, which was yummy and Mike had Bruschetta con Funghi, which was also lovely - Mike and I tend to swap bits and pieces whenever we go out. We also got some cheesy garlic bread, which Jamie also demolished. For mains Jamie had the American (Pepperoni), Mike the Sloppy Giuseppi and I had Lasagne - all of which were good. For pud Mike and I had Tiramasu (what else could you have) and Jamie had the Fudge Cake. Where Jamie puts it all I don't know, but he is going to cost a fortune to feed when he is about 14 (ha ha!!!!!). I had my Pinot Grigio Blush (my usual at PE) and Mike the Perroni, Jamie had apple juice. Considering it was tea-time Saturday the service was excellent our waiter totally charming and we had a lovely enjoyable meal. Plus from PE it was less than 5 minutes walk to the theatre, what more could we have asked for.

The Playhouse Theatre is just near the River Thames, so it was already a pretty magical place, and the theatre itself was lovely, old, opened in 1882 and wonderfully decorated, small and intimate with fantastic views from almost every angle I could see. I love going to a new theatre, especially in London as they have such a wonderful history attached to them and The Playhouse is no different. Sir Alec Guiness made his professional debut there, it played home to the Old Vic Company after WWII when their theatre had been bombed, many of the greats of English theatre have played there Sir Peter Ustinov, Sir Michael Redgrave, Dame Thora Hird amongst many others. In 1950 the BBC took the theatre over and it became a studio for Radio Shows such as Hancock's Half House and The Goon Show and The Beatles and Rolling Stones also performed for radio from there.

After laying dormant for 10 years it reopened in 1985 and as well as playing home to The Peter Hall Company, as well as productions starring Leo McKern, Sir Ian McKellen, Liam Neeson, Juliette Binoche, Jackie Mason and Al Murray, a diverse group indeed. More recently it has seen Kristin Scott Thomas, Val Kilmer, Bob Hoskins and Ian Richardson walk its boards and now its La Cage Aux Folles. So a lovely theatre with an extensive theatrical history.

The story of La Cage Aux Folles, which is set in the south of France, is the story of an unusual but very loving family. Georges and Albin have been a long time partnership and they run a club together where Albin performs as Zaza. Together they have brought up Georges' son Jean-Michel with Albin being his mother in everything but name. But Jean-Michel has fallen in love with the daughter of the bigoted local politician whose aim is to close down all the 'disreputable' clubs of which La Cage is one. Fearing that his unusual upbringing may frighten off his lover Anne and bring the wrath of her father down on them, Jean-Michel asks for Georges to abandon Albin, if only for the duration of the in-laws to visit. Thus the story is set for both the pathos and comedy of the situation.

Yes John Barrowman is an entertainer with a capital E, yes he was born to play this part but more than that, he has something very very special and you cannot take your eyes off him when he is on stage. He filled the stage with real charisma, passion, star quality, x-factor, whatever it is he has it in bucket loads, lorry loads. I am so glad I had the opportunity to see him in this production as it was something very very special, magical.

Albin, is tempremental and very high maintenance and does not take kindly to being cast aside, he does after all love Jean-Michel just as a mother would. He cannot understand and fears the changes and worries about the commitment of his long time partner and their child. But he is also who he is and cannot change that, and that brings on the highlight of the first half, a song which John Barrowman has claimed as his own, "I Am What I Am". I have heard him sing this song many times, several live and yet this time he imbued it with a whole extra layer of pain and passion.

His co-star Australian actor Simon Burke complemented him beautifully and they had a strong rapport on stage, which kept the whole performance this side of pantomime, yet at times, you could see the devilment in Barrowman's eyes. Burke too was superb and had just the touch of sophistication and gentility, the perfect foil for Barrowman as Georges is the perfect foil for Albin.

In the second half Albin pretends to be Jean-Michel's uncle, until Jean-Michel's fickle birth mother lets him down yet again and fails to turn up to meet his fiancee and future in-laws. Albin comes to the rescue and dons his dress again this time to play the perfect mother, in Chanel suit and pearls. Building up to the highlight of the second half with the rousing "The Best of Times", I was singing that song all the way home!! It was truly joyous. I won't spoil the ending but it is of course funny and loving.

The singing and dancing was all brilliant, out of the La Cagelles a mentioned must go to Kristopher Mitchell (I think) who played Mercedes (orange dress) I hope, and the boredom of his character he portrayed brilliantly, also Syrus Lowe Albin's butler/maid who milked his character for all it was worth and everyone else who were wonderful. The ensemble cast was excellent and at times a little naughty. A couple of times I thought has this gone just a bit too far for Jamie, but he loved it all, Mike loved it too so it was a winner all round for the O'Connors. Oh and a bit of gossip, when I went to the loo in the interval I saw Scott who is JB's partner, who is as equally handsome as Barrowman himself. John Barrowman's parents were there too, they have been at a couple of other shows we have seen him in too, what wonderful supportive parents, you can see how proud they are of him.

This show was a truly magical experience and in my top 2 of all time musicals I have seen.

We were on such a high after the show that we had a wander onto the Millenium Bridge and looking out onto the Thames at 10.45 on a Saturday night is wonderful too. The London Eye, the old GLC building and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben were all light up and looked magnificent. Below is Jamie and I on the bridge ......

Mike and Jamie, Mike doing what every good husband should, holding my coat .....

a look down the length of the bridge, with Mike and Jamie in the foreground, I think this is the bridge which was featured at the very start of Ashes to Ashes. And then we headed for the tube, where I was still singing!!