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Mrs Doubtfire The New Comedy Musical – Helloooo, Gabriel Vicks is a homage to Robin Williams character Mrs Doubtfire

I love theatre and it is great to see that many classic movies are being adapted for the theatre stage. The latest being Mrs Doubtfire which has been adapted into a new comedy musical which can be seen at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London.

The classic 90s comedy film Mrs Doubtfire starred the late Robin Williams which has now been given the full West End treatment to celebrate the movies 30th anniversary.

Mrs Doubtfire is a movie which centres around a married couple Daniel and Miranda who have three children but recently they have divorced but there are child minding issues to deal with. Daniel within the movie is played by the humorous Robin Williams. Daniel unfortunately given by the court only has a restricted amount of time once a week he can see his children but that is not enough time with them for him. So when he hears that his ex wife Miranda is looking for a nanny with the help of his brother and partner who work in prosthesis helps transform Daniel into a woman which ends up being a nanny type figure. This way he gets to see his children in disguise from his wife everyday in the family home. Throughout the movie there is many funny moments in which shows Mrs Doubtfire with his children but unfortunately his time with his children eventually gets cut short as Daniel soon gets unmasked.

This Twentieth Century Studios Motion Picture movie Mrs Doubtfire became a classic for all sorts of reasons as it starred Robin Williams, and it became a box office smash, grossing over $440 million on just a $25 million budget which earned it the title of the world’s second highest-grossing film of 1993. Mrs. Doubtfire also won the award for Best Makeup at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture in the Musical or Comedy category. Robin William’s also won a Golden Globe for Best Actor.

This classic movie now can be seen LIVE on the West End stage which sees many scenes relived out from the movie, with some adjustments and some new scenes along the way making this theatre production a joy from start to finish.

I went along to a press night as to review and see just how wonderful Mrs Doubtfire is on stage which it did not disappoint. In fact this has become one of my new favourite musicals to have seen at the West End thanks to the story and the acting played out by Gabriel Vicks who plays Daniel and Mrs Doubtfire.

Mrs Doubtfire The New Comedy Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre

Mrs Doubtfire is based on a beloved classic movie which came out in 1993. It has now been turned into a comedy musical by creator Kevin McCollum and Jamie Wilson along with Gavin Kalin, Hunter Arnold, LAMS Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Bob Cohen, Isaac Robert Hurwitz, James L Nederlander, Boyett/Miller, Ayal Miodovnik, Barbara Freitag, IPN, Sing Out Louise, Bard Theatricals, Lucas McMahon and brought to life by outstanding West End theatrical stars.

Having had a sensational, sell-out run in Manchester, Mrs Doubtfire the Musical has now come to London’s Shaftesbury Theatre for a limited run starting May 2023 to June 2024.

This musical  comedy is centred around Daniel and him as Mrs Doubtfire. Coming from a broken family out of work actor Daniel is trying hard to do anything to be able to keep seeing his children after losing custody in a messy divorce. With that he creates an alter ego of a Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father.

Mrs Doubtfire is a new comedy musical full of humour, dance and singing as Daniel aka Mrs Doubtfire  shows that the impossible can be possible with a little help from his brother and that just because a family might not be together love will always bind them together.

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Idiots Assemble Spitting Image the Musical says it all!

If you love puppets, comedy, musicals and the theatre then you will love Idiots Assemble Spitting Image the Musical which is showing at Phoenix Theatre for a limited run.

What is Spitting Image though you might be asking. Well Spitting Image is a show which originally aired on British television back in 1984 which is a puppet show. The puppets are caricatures of public figures, celebrities, the government, and the Royal Family. It was created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn.

For over 18 series it was aired on ITV. At its peak, the show was watched by 15 million people. The series was so popular it even had collaborations with musicians. The show also was nominated and won numerous awards, including ten BAFTA Television Awards, and two Emmy Awards back in 1985 and 1986 in the Popular Arts Category. Sadly though in 1996 it was cancelled as viewing figures started to decline. After many years though with a few bumps along the way Spitting Image returned to our TV screens October 2020 with new puppets and plenty of laughs for a short stint.

Now Spitting Image is back and LIVE at the Phoenix Theatre after having a 5 star sell out run at Birmingham Rep, where you can now go along and actually see this hilarious puppet show musical in real life, which are controlled by professional puppeteers on stage.

I went along to the press night of Idiots Assemble Spitting Image the Musical courtesy of Avalon marketing.

Idiots Assemble Spitting Image the Musical

Spitting Image The Musical is presented by Avalon, and originally produced at Birmingham Rep where it had a hugely successful run.

It is written by a comedy team made up of Al Murray, Matt Forde and double-Olivier award winner Sean Foley, who also directs, alongside a creative team spearheaded by the original Spitting Image co-creator, Roger Law.

The voice overs are pre-recorded by a stellar line-up of artists from Oliver Chris (Green Wing, The IT Crowd, and Prince William in Charles III on Broadway and on film) Kathryn Drysdale (Bridgerton, The Windsors, Christmas on Mistletoe Farm, The Bubble, The Queen and I and Plebs), Jason Forbes (The Tracy Ullman Show, The Mash Report and Horrible Histories: The Movie and Borg Mcenroe), Luke Kempner (Spitting Image, Steph’s Packed Lunch, The Last Leg, Stand-up Sketch Show and The Imitation Game), Lorna Laidlaw (Doctors, Coronation Street, Getting It Straight and A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Jackie Lam (Strangers, All that Remains and Emma) Shri Patel (Rishi Sunak in This England, Emmerdale and Pennyworth), Jess Robinson (Spitting Image, The Last Leg, Stars in Their Ears, and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Britain’s Got Talent), Debra Stephenson (The Impressions Show, Dead Ringers, Rich Hall’s Election Breakdown, Newzoids, Coronation Street and Bad Girls) and Ronan Summers Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Krays: Code of Silence, Doctor Who and Episodes).

The talented puppeteers who bring the puppets to life are Antony Antunes,  Rianna Ash, Katie Bradley,  Emily Essery, Kaidan Dawkins, Bertie Harris, Pena Iiambo, Jackie Lam, Bright Ong, Will Palmer, Helen Parke, Rayo Patel, Tom Quinn, Richard Vorster and Faye Weerasinghe.

Everyone else that works on Idiots Assemble Spitting Image the Musical are as follows:

Production Designer, Alice Power, Video Designer Nina Dunn for Pixel Lux, Lighting Designer Tim Mitchell, Sound Designer Richard Brooker, Puppet Master Scott Brooker, Costume Designer Lotte Collett, Choreographer Lizzi Gee, Composer and Musical Director Alexander S. Bermange, Music Supervisor Jerome van den Berghe, Creators of Spitting Image Peter Fluck and Roger Law, General Manager Emma Brunjes for ebp, and Producers Richard Allen-Turner and Jon Thoday for Avalon.

It first opened up in Birmingham Rep early in the year and was a 5 star sell out performance. It now has come to London Phoenix Theatre for a limited run (Wednesday 24 May to Saturday 26 August 2023).

This extravaganza musical is simultaneously inspired and appalled by real events with a little make believe moments as it see the Government in particular Boris Johnson trying to steal the crown from King Charles as Boris wants to be King, plus see Tom Cruise as you have never seen him before.

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Pivot British Bar & Bistro by award winning Chef Mark Greenaway

Last Autumn 2021 award-winning Scottish chef Mark Greenaway, who is well known in Edinburgh has opened up Pivot British Bar & Bistro in the hear of Coven Garden, London. It’s an all-day restaurant which the bar can be found on the ground floor and the Bistro on the first floor. The bar is a café by day, where you can enjoy a breakfast, brunch, snacks or even pies whilst sipping on coffee at The Gentlemen Baristas. By night it is a lovely place to enjoy a wine or two along with small plates. If you are looking for more than a snack or pie head on up stairs to their restaurant where you will be able to enjoy dishes from the a la carte menu for a romantic night or enjoy dishes from Pivot’s 3 course theatre menu to fix your appetite before heading the theatre. Pivot British Bar & Bistro is perfectly British.

I was invited on a courtesy basis to sample dishes from their a la carte menu.

Pivot Bar & Bistro

Award winning Chef Mark Greenaway owns Pivot Bar & Bistro.

Chef Mark Greenaway is voted #160 among the top 300 chefs in the world, and is renowned for his depth of flavours and the care he treats ingredients.

Situated at 3 Henrietta Square Pivot resides within an old historical townhouse which expands over two floors and overlooks Covent Garden’s famous Piazza Pivot

Pivot cuisine focusses mainly on gourmet classic British dishes with a few Scottish dishes all which have been carefully curated by award-winning Chef Mark Greenaway.

The first-floor is the main dining area which overlooks the famous Piazza. It is a modern take on a quintessential British bistro with a open kitchen with a chef’s counter gives you a prime spot while the team prepares your meal.

The ground-floor is a cafe and bar which overlooks out onto Covent Garden’s beautiful Piazza, serving exceptional food accompanied by award-winning coffee from The Gentlemen Baristas. Great spot to catch-up with friends, breakfast meetings, grab a coffee or a glass of wine after work. In the evening, the ground floor transitions into a bar, making it the perfect location to enjoy a drink with delicious small plates or choose a signature dish from the restaurant menu.

All dishes served within Pivot all are highly focussed on seasonal ingredients which elevates all the much-loved British dishes.

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The BBQ Club by Jimmys – It’s BBQ time at the Southbank

Jimmy Garcia is known for his foodie pop ups and every year along the Southbank he pops up with his BBQ Club from May to September.

The BBQ Club is a very interactive BBQ restaurant which has two bars, a roof terrace and private event spaces.

Jimmy’s unique six course tasting menu centres around local, sustainably sourced produce, which is cooked over coals from your very own Big Green Egg.

I was invited along to attend the press night to enjoy the new menu for this years BBQ Club pop up.

Jimmy Garcia – The BBQ Club

Jimmy Garcia has been popping up within London since 2011 with a wide variety of foodie pop ups.

Every May though he brings back to London on the Southbank his BBQ Club pop up, plus his Fondue Club in Winter.

Jimmy’s BBQ Club brings to Southbank every year a show-stopping BBQ experience. Bringing mouth-watering new dishes every time, along with great wine pairing and experimental BBQ cooking techniques. With the help of Jimmy and the team, you’ll get to cook your own 6-course menu at your table using a Big Green Eggs BBQ. As the chefs on the night will prepare and guide you through each course with top tips and bucket load of accompaniments. This year the ethos for Jimmy’s BBQ Club is all about sustainability.

Both Jimmy’s kitchens from the street food stand and the BBQ Club each menu uses locally sourced food with zero-waste menus. From the garnishes to the cocktails each which are all crafted from by-products of other ingredients as well as living herb walls on site. Even the bar features art made with recyclable materials.

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Karen’s Diner brings the World’s rudest restaurant to London Barnet

Karen’s Diner is a fast food restaurant like no other.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of Karen’s Diner, the idea behind it is essentially “good food, terrible staff”! This though is a joke, as this is a interactive funny dining experience which comes served with plenty of tongue in cheek moments.

You might be asking though why I or anyone might want to go to a restaurant such as Karen’s Diner where the service is so bad, and be treated by foul mouth waiters, insulted and treated with no manners, well it is all about the playfulness as you banter with the servers, which actually make the bad service, not actual bad service! If you know what I mean?

I was invited down on a PR basis courtesy of Karen’s Diner to sample the food delights they have on offer as well as to experience their appalling service in which they are famed for.

Karen’s Diner

Karen’s Diner is a famous chain restaurant which popped up back in 2021 in Australia, Sydney which serves fast food from burgers to milkshakes, but with appallingly bad service!

The concept of it being called Karen’s Diner is that a woman called Karen is usually a middle-aged woman who likes to complain a lot.

Since opening back in 2021 Karen’s restaurants grew and now can be found across the globe. However even though there was some within the UK there was not any in London until now. .

March 2023 saw London’s first Karen’s Diner pop up within The Hadley Hotel. With another opening soon after in London’s Islington.

The appeal of a Karen’s Diner is the ability to have playful argumentative banter whilst being served by rude waiters as you dine.

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WeJam 60 minutes of becoming a rock star

Have you ever wanted to be part of a rock band but just not been good enough to well at WeJam you can live out your dream. You can become your very own unique band for 60 minutes with your friends as you grab those drum sticks and bash away at the drums, tingle the keys on a keyboard, or even play a keytar to some rocking tunes.

At WeJam it does not matter if you can play or not as the host of WeJam makes playing any musical instrument easy with the handy tablet that is given to you and guidance from him. All you have to do is hit the notes in the right time to make some music and become the ultimate rock band.

I was invited down courtesy of David Tshulak the owner of WeJam to show me and my friends playing a musical instrument is easier than you think.

WeJam

WeJam was set up back in 2020 by founder David Tshulak.

WeJam is the world’s first and only immersive rock star experience. It’s a tech-enabled group activity that takes place in a music studio, letting you start your own band, even if you’ve never picked up an instrument before.

David loves music and has a music degree but when he was very young he wanted to be part of a rock group but lacked musical talent so he went on to learn music.

“I started playing saxophone at school and by 16 I was attending late night jam sessions in London, playing with top session musicians who were on tour with Prince, Stevie Wonder and other huge stars. I know the excitement of getting in a room with friends and making music together. I wanted to share that with other people especially people who haven’t learnt to play an instrument.”

David

David simply wants to show all how easy it is to play musical instruments and how fun it could be being a rock band without the pressures of fame and stardom of what most musicians face.

Using high tech technology, tablets and musical instruments hosts at WeJam can help you play musical instruments and become a rock band with your friends for 60 minutes.

WeJam simply is cross between Guitar Hero and karaoke and by the end of it, you would have learnt how to perform to several of your favourite songs.

Being passionate about music 10% from every booking is donated to Be the Band, a not-for-profit that provides music workshops to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Moonshine Saloon where the liquor flows

Giddy up, cowgirls and cowboys, get to Moonshine Saloon where the liquor flows, but beware there is a new Sheriff in town who don’t abide to Moonshine being drunk.

Moonshine Saloon is an immersive cocktail experience where you take along your favourite bottle of drink and the bartenders will then mix up cocktails for you from it, giving you a surprise every time.

For those that are into history you will no-doubt be familiar with the alcohol smuggling which took place at the beginning of the twentieth century. Bootleggers were running rife, and some individuals even became well known. Throughout your stay at Moonshine Saloon, you will come get to mingle with a variety of cowboys and cowgirls whom all have interesting stories to tell about their adventures. Rather than be an outsider looking in, you will be able to become part of the story.

I went along on a gifted basis with a group of friends from my community of influencers. We had a wild time, as we sipped on cocktails, tried to evade the Sheriff and watched as a brawl took place.

Moonshine Saloon

Moonshine Saloon originally opened up back in May 2018 in Kings Road but now resides at 28-30 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7DB.

Created by Inventive Productions (the same team as Alcotraz), Moonshine Saloon is Wild West bar set within London which allows you to experience the life of a cowboy/girl as you smuggle in drink, swig back cocktails and even get to watch a shoot our or two, just don’t let the Sheriff catch you drinking Moonshine otherwise you might become WANTED and get locked up.

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Yaatra modern Indian food by Chef Amit Bagyal in Londons Westminster

There are so many tasty Indian restaurants within London but if you are looking for something that is near Westminster then I highly recommend Yaatra which is just a short walk from London Victoria.

Yaatra is set within a Grade II listed Edwardian Old Westminster Fire Station.

Modern Indian food is cooked by Executive Chef Amit Bagyal and his team.

Within Yaatra you can enjoy modern dishes such as Darjeeling momos, Coorg beef shukka, Khubani paneer tikka, Madurai seabass & clam kiri hodi, Nilgiri lamb rack with tempered potato salad & honey glazed carrot, Garhwal goat osso bucco with Himalayan spices, and so much more.

Yaatra also has an extensive wine list which has 103 labels to choose from.

I went along courtesy of @the.soho.girl of @sohoxpr @mysohotimes @mylondontimes for sending me to Yaatra.

Yaatra

Yaatra is a modern Indian restaurant which has recently been rebranded and reopened by Chef Amit Bagyal.

The restaurant used to be known as Mathura but now is under new ownership, and relaunched as Yaatra.

Set within a beautiful Grade II listed Old Westminster Fire Station, which dates back to 1906 Executive Chef Amit Bagyal, who previously worked for a Michelin-starred restaurant Benares and Kanishka, has now opened up his own restaurant Yaatra taking diners on a culinary voyage through India, blending unique cultures and cooking styles. He likes to experiment with different flavours, textures and spice levels. He combines traditional dishes and presents them with a Modern Flair.

Yaatra has several dining areas from the ground floor, basement, plus two private dining rooms. The restaurant can accommodate up to 180 guests at one time.

At Yaatra you can choose to dine from the a la Carte menu or a variety of fixed menus such as a fixed lunch menu, set 2/3 course theatre menu, or their tasting menu. They also have a great selection of dishes for vegetarian and vegans, plus they can cater for other dietary requirements.

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Art Play London where you can learn a new skill

Art Play London hosts a number of different fun classes for children and adults where you can learn a new skill.

What is crafting though? Well it is a hobby on anything which you can create using your hands be it painting, decorating a cake, making greeting cards, making jewellery and so much more.  

Crafts is great as it is very therapeutic. Helps with your mind, body and soul. It has been said that creating things with your own hands leaves you happier, gets your body moving, helps you relax and helps clears your mind.

Art Play kindly invited me to attend one of their classes in which I chose to go along to one of their Terrarium masterclasses as I love plants and gardening but never made a Terrarium before.

What type of crafts do you enjoy the most?

Art Play London

Art Play London was founded by Silva Castellani in 2018, which initially started out as a pop-up event around London. In February 2022 she set up a permanent venue which is based in Shoreditch

At Art Play London you choose from an array of creative workshops which are set up for children and adults. Within any masterclass you will be able to learn a new skill, as well as have fun, all whilst making new friends.

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The Choir of Man drink beer, laugh, sing and be merry

I love going to the theatre in the West End but sometimes I just want to get up there on stage and get involved myself. With The Choir of Man you can do just that as before the show begins you can head up on stage and enjoy a pint with the boys and even play some pub games with them. After a pint or two it is then time to head to your seats where you can watch, and sing along all whilst getting merry on a few pints of beer. Also a select few audience members throughout the show might just get lucky and be pulled on the night by one of the men as they lead them up on stage for an intimate moment.

I was invited down on a PR basis to experience the delights of The Choir of Man.

The Choir of Man

The Choir of Man is an Olivier nominated, worldwide smash hit which has returned to the West End!

The Choir of Man is simply men on a stage which has been converted into a pub where they drink beer, tell stories of their life, and sing out great hits from artists such as Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, Guns & Roses, Avicii and Katy Perry to name but a few.

A wildly talented group of incredible instrumentalists, world-class wordsmiths, and sensational singers; this cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys serve it all… live!

Watch as friends Michael Baxter (The Maestro), Matt Beveridge (The Romantic), Owen Bolton (The Beast), Matt Thorpe (The Joker), Levi Tyrell Johnson (The Hard Man), Mark Irwin (The Barman), Matt Nalton (The Pub Bore), Denis Grindel (The Poet), and Jordan Oliver (The Handyman) tell amusing life stories, have fun on stage and sing out belting loved classics.

Plus also enjoy the delights of the live band on stage of whom Emmanuel Nana Kwasi Bonsu plays the drums, Jack Hartigan the guitar, Darius Luke Thompson the violin and Caleb Wilson the bass.

Produced by Immersive Everywhere, Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Wendy & Andy Barnes and AK Theatricals.

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