“When you rush around in hopeless circles
Searching everywhere for something true
You’re at the age of not believing
When all the make believe is through
When you set aside your childhood heroes
And your dreams are lost upon a shelf
You’re at the age of not believing
And worst of all you doubt yourself
You’re a castaway where no one hears you
On a barren isle in a lonely sea
Where did all the happy endings go?
Where can all the good times be?
You must face the age of not believing
Doubting everything you ever knew
Until at last you start believing
There’s something wonderful in you”
The Age Of Not Believing
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Last night Esther and I went to see the wonderful new musical
Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks
We were invited to attend press night at The Marlowe Theatre
As a fan of the original Disney movie
I was intrigued to see how the story would translate on to the stage
The answer I am pleased to tell you is perfectly
It really is time to start believing!
Esther and I loved the show
The staging was incredibly clever and each character was perfectly cast
The children, Eglantines and Emilius were all endearing and loveable
The entire cast were strong individually and incredibly powerful together
We believed in them from the start and were rooting for the children who made us laugh and cry
While talking about the cast I have to give special mentions to Mrs Hobday and The Fish
Both brilliant!
Esther and I were entranced by the magic of this magical Disney musical
From beginning to end we were totally hooked
The incredible staging and choreography had an explosive start
That then twisted and turned through light and dark magic with a flying bed
Broomstick flying and a battle of enchanted inanimate objects
Pure joy to see!
Every musical number was a good one
We were singing Negotiality all the way home!
Conor O’Hara who played Charlie was outstanding
He had us in hysterics and also tugged hugely on our heartstrings
He sang beautifully and his physical comedy had glimmers of Jim Carey at his best
He reminded me of a young Michael Crawford and I am certain that he is going to be a huge star!
DiannePilkington led this cast with class, humour and beauty
A classic, timeless performance
There was an air of wonder around her and her characterisation of Eglantine Price was delightful
Beautiful beautiful singing voice and a fabulous dancer
Esther thought she would be a wonderful Anna in The King and I
Her performance here made me wish that I had seen her in Wicked
She seems made of real magic and full of heart
I did cry real tears near the end of this show when the plot took an unexpected turn
But in true Disney style the story ended with a huge dollop of hope and happiness
We loved the use of ensemble throughout the production
Portobello Road was a musical highlight
With an intensity and darkness that made me think of Harry Potter and Oliver!
This was the best musical I have seen in a long time
New and modern yet already feels like a timeless classic
Filled with awe and wonder
Characters you want to be like or be friends with
Sets you want to dive into and tricks you are desperate to know – how did they do that?
Esther and I kept looking at each other and saying, “That is so clever!” throughout the show
I wish the cast could have seen the look of amazement and delight on my daughters face
She adored every second of the show and so did I
I think we were first on our feet in the finale
There is so so so much to love about this new musical
Let’s look at the facts!
A flying bed
A magical broomstick
Spells and magic tricks
Incredibly talented children
Inspiring leading lady
Powerful ensemble
Amazing puppetry
Ingenious staging
Nostalgia
The Fish!
A wonderful magical musical show for all the family
Please do go and see it if you can
It’s time to start believing!
We were given two tickets to the show in return for our honest review