It's Showtime!!! - Theatre Reviews - The Ambassador Box Experience at The Harold Pinter Theatre.

Hi!!!

As you may well know, I recently went to see Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter theatre. I usually get tickets in the stalls but was treated to the Ambassador Box Experience, which I'll be reviewing for you today (if this was any other blog, this would be sponsored but we all know that isn't the kind of ship I run).

We arrived ten minutes before the start of the show (which was a bit stressful for me, not gonna lie. I don't like to be late to important things) but we had been told that you can access the seats in the experience from half an hour before the show begins, which impressed me because it gives you plenty of time to get settled.
 I'd had seats in the box before but that was for a pantomime when I was very, very young so I can't say that I have anything to compare it to, sorry.
Anyway, we were shown to our seats by a member of staff who was incredibly kind and helpful, as I found all of the staff at the Pinter to be. You get some added extras as part of the experience - savoury snacks, Belgian chocolates and some Cava. I can say for certain that all were enjoyed very much (whoever does the theatre's weekly big shop gets a gold star from me). The seats were super comfortable and there was loads of space. The view from seats in the box takes some getting used to, especially if you normally sit in the stalls, like I do, but I felt like I had a good view of the majority of what was going on onstage, as most of the action is central or on the platform. And you can't really complain because there are seats with a restricted view around the rest of the theatre (I would assume) - at least I had the option of leaning on the little rail, too.

 

So to recap - the staff were very accommodating and helpful, the seats we had were incredibly comfy, I had a relatively good view of everything, the snacks/drinks/extras were of high quality, show was fab and I was really happy with the Ambassador Box Experience. Plus, I had extra room to dance and air guitar at the end.

I would definitely recommend it to you, if you ever get chance. It really is a great experience and you do feel very special. Five stars.

Ta Dah! As always, thanks for reading. After hardly doing any theatre-y content for a year, I'm glad to be back at it.
Have you been to the theatre lately? Have you seen Sunny Afternoon? Have you ever had tickets for seats in the box? If you have any comments or suggestions for future posts then be sure to let me know.
Happy weekend to you and yours.

Have a fantastic day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx



 

It's Showtime!!! - Theatre Review - Sunny Afternoon.

Hi!!!

You know what we haven't done in ages? Talked all things theatre. It's honestly because I just haven't been able to go as much as I'd like to. Anyway, I was recently treated to tickets for Sunny Afternoon and I want to tell you all about it. This will be slightly different to the way I've done theatre reviews in the past, so let me know if you like it (or not).

 

"We're working class socialists from Muswell Hill! We don't believe in what you believe in, in Muswell Hill!"



Sunny Afternoon is a musical that tells the story of the rise of one of my favourite bands, The Kinks. It is based on the original 'story' by Ray Davies and obviously features the band's biggest hits. It's running at the Harold Pinter theatre in London and its run has been extended multiple times due to popular demand (extended recently till October 2016). It'll also be touring the UK later this year.

The set is interesting - a platform runs out into the stalls which gives the effect of a concert stage rather than a theatre stage (although as this was my first visit to the Pinter, I'm not sure if this is a standard feature or a show specific). While its a nice idea, given the musical background of the show, and it allows people in the higher seats, like the circle, a chance to more clearly see certain parts of the action, I'm not sure it'd be so great if you were in the stalls, as you might actually miss some of the action because of the dancers etc. on the platform. The rest of the set, however, is great and it transitions really well from scene to scene.
 

 I was impressed by all of the actors, very much, particularly the guys who were playing the band - Danny Horn (Ray), Oliver Hoare (Dave), Tom Whitelock (Pete) and Damien Walsh (Mick). I thought they did an excellent job of capturing each of the band member's individual personalities and Danny and Oliver managed to convey a very convincing brotherly relationship. Other standout performers, in my opinion, were Megan Leigh Mason (Rasa), Gillian Kirkpatrick  (Mrs Davies), Stephen Pollster (Mr Davies), Charlie Tight (Grenville Collins) and Gabriel Vick (Robert Wace).
 

 

The plot includes both the ups and the downs the band had, which I was pleased to see, because, as many of you will know, it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for The Kinks (especially when it came to Ray and Dave... and Dave and Mick... basically, when it came to Dave) and that is the truth. I like a biographical piece that isn't afraid of being honest with it's audience.
If I'm being completely honest, as I always endeavour to be, I wasn't all that keen on the first act - it seemed, to me at least, to lack cohesion. I felt a bit like songs were being shoehorned into the first half in places they didn't necessarily belong or suit. The second act, however, was excellent, and I really enjoyed it. It worked well musically and in terms of plot and was much more like what I had expected and been excited to see. The play finishes (is this a spoiler? I don't know. Consider yourself warned at any rate) at The Kinks' Madison Square Garden gig and it really is like a gig - you're encouraged to clap your hands and get up and dance, which was what I'd been longing to do throughout, and it is all kinds of fun. Its great to be surrounded by other people who not only love the band as much as you do, but also love the theatre and having fun and that is why the final few minutes are so delightfully fun.

 

I'd recommend Sunny Afternoon to you, especially if you're a fan of The Kinks, and I'd give it a hearty four stars (the only things that stop it reaching five are the first act and the set).
 It is really entertaining, well acted and insightful, so do check it out if you can.

There is a trailer and a website for the show, if you want more information.

 

I'm so pleased to have been able to write this for you today. I hope you like the new format for my theatre reviews - I think this is easier to digest than what I'd been doing before.

Have you been to the theatre lately? Do you have any shows to recommend to me? Have you seen Sunny Afternoon? Do you like the new format of reviews or not? Comments or suggestions for future posts are always welcome.

Thank you ever so much for reading.

 

I hope you have a showstopper of a day!

 

GingerSnaps xxx