Sue's Family, Flowers and Fun Stuff: John Barrowman at New Theatre Oxford

Quite often these days when you buy tickets for a gig or concert you are buying them so far in advance that the event seems to be forever and a day away, and then all of a sudden it is upon you and so it was with seeing John Barrowman at Oxford. Mike had decided to bow out of this one, I know he secretly likes JB but decided this time to leave it to Jamie and I, who totally love him!!

Jamie and I headed out as soon as he was changed after school, and as it was a Friday it didn't matter too much if it was going to be a really late one - not that Jamie minds a late night!! The trip to Oxford was horrendous, the weather was not good and the road was so busy, we ended up stuck in several mini-jams. We were lucky with parking and got a spot in our favourite car park for New Theatre and headed to Pizza Hut for a quick bite to eat.

Jamie decided he really wanted the cheesy bites pizza but as they only come in large - I was reluctant to let him have a large one, when our waiter suggested we have the half and half so Jamie had his pepperoni and I had my vegetarian and we both had cheesy bits. Well done to Pizza Hut and our lovely waiter who got us seated, served and out in plenty of time for the show.

So we headed the short distance to the theatre, grabbed some drinks and took our seats, middle of front row of the balcony (good seats Mike, well done!!) And we didn't have to wait too long before the band came out. The show was fantastic of course, totally JB, lots of fun, some great songs, some really cheesy bits, which I think he kept just (but only just) this side of cringe worthy. He is a great singer, a real pro and in time I am sure a national treasure to be.

Support came from 'I'd Do Anything' and West End Oliver star Jodie Prenger, which was a total delight as she had been my favourite right through and she clearly works well with JB as they have the same wicked sense of fun. Highlights of the night - a song of John's last album which I hadn't fully appreciated until I heard it live 'Unusual Way' which is just amazing, Fireflies which delighted Jamie, Don't Cry Out Loud (JB's version is great), The Doctor and I (slightly altered words from the Wicked song) and of course I Am What I Am (which brought back some totally wonderful memories of seeing John in La Cage Aux Folles on Halloween last year - a night to be truly treasured as he was totally brilliant)

The set list was - Let's Get This Party Started, You to Me are Everything, Viva Las Vegas, Don't Cry Out Loud, Unusual Way, Spiderman/Wonderwoman medley, Memory , Cry Me A River (Jodie Prenger), Mambo Italiana (Jodie Prenger), Fireflies, Rain on My Parade, Rhythm of the Beat/Turn the Beat Around, Let Your Love Flow, Man I Fell Like a Woman, Remember When, Proud Mary (Jodie Prenger), Nobody Does It Better (Jodie Prenger), So Close (duet with Jodie Prenger), Copacabana, The Doctor and I, Rule The World, Let's Get Loud, and for the encore From This Moment On and of course I Am What I Am (a song which could have been written for John).

A great concert. After a quick trip to the loo, in which poor Jamie had to wait just outside the ladies (where there was a long queue of ladies), then a couple of minutes to the car. The car park and the centre of Oxford always takes a few minutes to get out of but then once back on the main road it took us hardly any time at all to get home. I always feel I've got real value for money from a John Barrowman show including the 20 minute interval the show was on for the best part of 3 hours!