In this blog I want to talk about visiting London theatres as well as the show I went to see as well. Although I've visited London many times in the past this was actually only the second time I've been to see a show there. The first was a Christmas treat visit to see The Phantom of the Opera in 2019 which I'd wanted to see for many years. I'd been a fan of the Mischief Theatre company for years, having seen The Play Goes Wrong a while back and their TV specials, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. However after watching their new TV series over Christmas, and then finding many of the original TV cast were actually going to be in the show, I decided I had to go.
Visiting London, from Wolverhampton, for a day trip to the theatre is not easy. You are very restricted when you can go, in terms of cost and travel times. Firstly travel by car is not really an option. Very high car parking prices in central London (£60 a day!!!) , combined with Congestion and ULEZ zones and charges, not to mention just the worst drivers in the world being in London, rule this out. You could park at a tube station just outside London for a reasonable price and get the tube in, but then you still have to pay petrol and tubes costs which does mount up, and I'm not sure how safe leaving your car for a long time on the car parks is.
That really leaves the train as your only method of travel. I did use the coach a few times on previous London visits but it takes so long and is a very uncomfortable journey. Now the problem with trains is you can't go to an evening show as you can't get home. I could get back to Birmingham for about 1 o'clock in the morning but then the next train to Wolverhampton isn't for another 5 hours! So this means Matinee is your only choice. A lot of London shows do matinees on Saturdays and Sundays, but train times on Sundays often rule that out as well, as they don't leave early enough in the morning to give you time to get to the theatre, especially if there are any delays, which there often are. Therefore Saturday Matinee is the only option left.
So having decided on a Saturday matinee performance I checked the tickets and was happy to find one front row seat available for the 22nd February at the reasonable price of £35. Checking the train prices for that day I found I get get a return ticket for just £19 as well, so I immediately booked it all up. Excited!
My train departed at 7.02am on the morning and after a change at Birmingham it arrived in London Euston a little after 9:30am. I had a bit of time to kill before I needed to be at the theatre, so I decided to cross one of the items off my bucket list by visiting King's Cross Station and St. Pancreas Hotel and having a look at some of the locations used in the Harry Potter films and seeing the famous Platform 9 3/4. Even at that time of the morning the Harry Potter shop was packed out and the queue for photographs at the Platform 9 3/4 photo point was immense. After my visit I decided to head down towards the theatre and get some breakfast on the way.
The Vaudeville theatre is located on The Strand and is 2 miles away from King's Cross. You can get the tube if you want to, but I prefer to walk. It only takes about 20 minutes or so and you get to see some of London architecture and landmarks on your way, instead of being stuck underground. Keeping my eyes out for a McDonald's for breakfast I headed down to the Vaudeville, passing The Play Goes Wrong theatre on the way, with their wonderful poster of Tom Cruise outside, which states 'Tom Cruise does not appear in this show'. I arrived at the Vaudeville and took a selfies outside, which I posted on Instagram and Twitter and then I checked out the stage door location. I passed three McDonalds on the way but they all had queues outside the doors, but i was hungry now so I went to the Strand McDonalds, which was actually pretty empty by now being 11 o'clock. After a quick breakfast I headed back to the Vaudeville and was able to but my program for the Magic Goes Wrong show from the box office. I then headed to the stage door at 11:35 and took my position to wait for the actors to arrive. The stage door is located along the middle of Maiden Lane, giving the actors two directions to arrive from. I kept my eyes open, but after 40 minutes I still hadn't seen anyone. I knew however that with a 2:30 start to the show the actors should be arriving anytime now, and at 12:15pm I saw Dave Hearn walking up the street. Dave was lovely and signed my programme and my DVD cover from the Goes Wrong Show and had a photo. We had a nice little chat and he unfortunately informed me that Henry Shields was on holiday that day. However Laurence ears was due to play Sophisticato that day and that he was even better. I had heard good things about Laurence on twitter and he's due to take over the role permanently form the end of March anyway. Next up was Sydney K. Smith and Natasha Culley who play the onstage crew and are also understudies. Next to arrive was Laurence Pears, who along with Sydney and Natasha recognised me from my earlier Twitter post. Laurence told me he'd look for me in the audience and come and have some photos with me in his Sophisticato costume. There was a bit of a lull now, and I began to get worried that perhaps none of the other cast were coming today and the understudies would all be on. However, luckily then, my favourite from the Goes Wrong Show, Henry Lewis, arrived followed quickly by Bryony Corrigan. They were both wonderful and signed all my items and had selfies, and chatted about the Goes Wrong Show. Jonathan Sayer arrived just after them and we had a great chat about his touring in Wolverhampton some years ago. I then saw Roxy Faridany who plays Eugenia in the show and then Nancy Zamit, who again was lovely and was very happy to see I had the DVD of the TV show.
After meeting all the cast it was about 1;20pm, so i had just enough time to have a little wander down The Strand and get some dinner. Being a little pushed for time I ended up in McDonalds again, and then immediately headed to the front of the theatre to get in the queue for my seat. They were a little late opening and the queue eneded up all down the street. It was also interesting to see how many people were trying to buy tickets for that performance, but it was a complete sell out.
Unfortunately there wasn't much merchandise for sale, just programmes and playbooks, but also a Magic Goes Wrong button badge. In hindsight I may have spent too much money if they did have t-shirts etc for sale, so perhaps lack of merchandise was good.
I took my seat and was able to watch Sophisticato moving around the audience looking for his missing doves while Natasha wondered about with a net. Add this to the escaped rabbit meant we were already laughing before the show started. Sophisticato, played by Laurence Pears, then recognised me from earlier, and shouted my name across the theatre. He told the rest of the audience that I was a big magic fan and then had some photos with me. I was then asked by Natasha if i was willing to help out during the show and was given a few instructions to follow.
I don't want to give much more about the actual show away, as you really need to see if for yourself, but it basically follows the story of it being a charity fundraiser, and we are presented with various magical acts. We have the Blade, played by Dave Hearn, who does knife tricks, The Mind Mangler, played by Henry Lewis, with his assistant Mickey played by Jonathan Sayer. It was the Mind Mangler's act i had to help out with, which I will never forget and was the highlight of my day. Sophisicato played by Laurence Pears provides us with classic magic illusions, including the sawing a woman in half trick with Eugenia played by Roxy Faridany. Nancy Zamit and Bryony Corrigan play the German double act Bear and Spitzmaus who merge gymnastics and illusion.
Honestly the show was the funniest I had seen since The Play Goes Wrong. 2 hours and 20 minutes of constant laughter. I doubt there can be anything funnier in theatres anywhere at the moment.
After the show Bryony and Nancy took charge of the bucket collections for charity, still in their costumes, and I hung to the back, so after making a donation, I was able to get some more selfies. All the cast are masters of their craft, and also lovely people as well. I don't think I've ever met a nicer or more friendly group of actors. No doubt this is part of why they are so successful.
After a quick stage door visit to say thank you to the cast and get Lauren Ingram, one the onstage crew actors, to sign my programme, who I hadn't seen earlier, I was off to the train station to get an earlier train home than I had booked. This meant I was back home at 9:20pm, after an incredible day out.
Unfortunately the original cast are all leaving the show between March and April, not doubt to get to work on the second series of The Goes Wrong Show and their next stage project, but I suspect it will still be hilarious without them. It's on until August 2020 at the Vaudeville, so please go see it. You'll be so glad you made the trip.
You are better off booking direct through Mischief Theatre as there's no booking fees to pay. Visit their site at : https://mischiefcomedy.com
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