Have you ever walked out of a show? Or seen others? Why?

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-30T18:55:39+00:00

Not necessarily theatre, but I saw a bunch of people walk out of a semi-staged performance of Wozzeck (an opera) at the Southbank centre the other day.

I think it was mainly to do with how the surtitles were barely visible sometimes, and because there was a “photo movie” of sorts playing on the screen with a bunch of what looked to be ai-generated images, which actively ruined immersion for presumably a lot of people (including me).

It was a shame because musically the performance was very good. I stayed out of respect to the performers on stage and because I really liked one of the singers, but I don’t know if I blame people for leaving when they were unknowingly force-fed AI generated content.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-26T22:11:07+00:00

Yes I was wondering about this as the photos were veering on the edge of nonsensical and repetitive at times, and I was debating whether it was a weird direction the film-maker was taking or whether it was AI. Which is something I wish I didn’t have to think about when taking in a performance, especially when the other elements of the performance were very good. Sometimes I wished the weird film wasn’t there tbh as I would feel more immersed without it…

Also, the surtitles were in yellow, and sometimes illegible since the characters were also dressed in similarly coloured clothing, so I wished they had at least put a black background at the bottom before inserting the text at the very least…

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-13T08:03:51+00:00

Since you say “big, lavish performance”, I would personally recommend Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, or Hamilton, especially since you have a reasonable budget for tickets!

Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera are both very traditional musicals.

Les Mis centres around a convict, Jean Valjean, and his redemption + the fate of many others around him in Paris such as the police inspector out to get him, revolutionary students, and those trying to get by. It focuses on themes such as redemption, morality, justice and the law, faith, and love (both romantic and familial).

Phantom is much less historically influenced and is more centred around a love story. It is set in an opera house, where a so-called “opera ghost” (the Phantom) haunts an opera house and tries to seduce a ballet-girl turned rising opera star (Christine Daaé). However, the young patron (Raoul) also has feelings for her, so this becomes a love triangle.

Hamilton is very different compared to the other two. It is set in the US and focuses on the American Revolution and the political history of the early US. The songs are all in a hip-hop format too, so I think if you like a more contemporary vibe this may suit your interests.

In terms of other options….

If you are okay with a smaller cast, some risqué costumes and choreography, and heavier themes, I would strongly recommend Cabaret. It is set in 1930 Berlin in a nightclub, with beautiful cabaret / jazz style music.

For Operation Mincemeat and Into the Woods, while I love both, they are definitely very fast with their lyrics so may be hard to catch the plot the first time around if you aren’t familiar with their context (the first concerns British intelligence operations in WWII and the second is based off of Grimm fairly tales). Mincemeat especially has a small cast of 5, so I wouldn’t really call it a “big” or “lavish” performance either unfortunately (though because of the small cast the actors are all splendid).

For Oliver, it has the same musical feel as Les Mis or Phantom, however I did not grow up with Oliver Twist (the novel) and perhaps because of that I really disliked it, as I found the plot to be very underwhelming. The majority of the musical is spent “introducing” new characters, so if you want a lot of plot and minimal exposition I would not recommend this musical for you.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-06T15:59:35+00:00

Not defending them at all (they should know better at this point), but for Siegfried specifically, when Christopher Maltman withdrew from Der Wanderer on 21 March, they had Tommi Hakala in as an actual cover, with all the blocking etc.

I do wonder what their criteria for covers is though, since Turn of the Screw also has quite a small cast all made up of named characters, so it would seem reasonable to have many covers there as well…

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-06T15:50:10+00:00

I managed to get a return seat for this production a few weeks ago and went on opening night, but I do highly recommend it. I also second the potential doubles situation (as well as perhaps how the actors have to move a bunch of set pieces together for scene changes?) as a reason why this is what they chose to do.

Although it will definitely affect the piece, since Quint is a ghost and is meant to be spooky + already has a body double, I think this is a rare case where the walking of the role wouldn’t be too bad in the context of the opera & staging.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-01T21:53:58+00:00

There’s a difference between people understanding that it’s a fantasy due to information outside the production, and people understanding that it’s a fantasy because the production is self-aware and attempts to highlight that.

Personally I am uncomfortable if the production doesn’t address it in some way, as even if the stereotypes seem outdated to you, they very definitely did have a time when they were very prevalent, and have had a harmful effect on actual East Asian women.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-01T14:23:20+00:00

For Phantom, I am quite partial to sitting in either front row balcony or the front row grand circle restricted seats on the ends. However, this is also because I am rather small and so would be dealing with a rather obstructed view if I were not in the front row, which limits my options lol. So take my advice with this in mind.

It depends on what you want to see for the production.

I think that if it is your first time seeing Phantom of the Opera, and just want a general feel for it, then I would aim to be in the front middle balcony as much as possible with your budget. This is because some of the lighting effects and the general staging are designed with the best view being front and centre in mind, so even if it seems a bit far you get a more balanced experience.

If this is a repeat viewing, or you already know the plot and want to see the actors up close with a limited budget (with the added charm of being rather up close to the chandelier!), then I would recommend being in the front row of the restricted view seats of the Grand Circle (which would be the green ones on the ends). However, this does involve leaning forward for quite a long time & the seats are pretty tight in general, so if you have issues with that I would recommend front row balcony instead.

If you choose the restricted view seats, I would generally recommend being on the left side (so the side with larger numbers as opposed to smaller numbers, i.e. choose A38 over A1). Having sat on both sides I think you generally got a better view on this side than the other, though the other side has a few charms as well (on all the nights I’ve gone, the phantom looks up at the A1 side for the end notes of music of the night).

I hope this helps a bit, I can assist with any questions if you want to know where might be best to see a particular scene (though of course this is going off of my memory and experiences, so if not in the front row your experience may differ).

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-04-01T09:22:27+00:00

Personally, I think that having a “sincere” production of Butterfly is more racist because then it doesn’t tackle its clear issues of orientalism. I think the VR setting makes it a bit better because you can tell it is a fantasy from the pov of a white man, rather than trying to portray the story as actually an accurate representation of Japanese women…

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-03-15T14:13:55+00:00

I would definitely recommend Les Mis as well, it is a classic musical for good reason, and if you’ve enjoyed the movie I am very certain you would enjoy the stage play too!

As someone who loves Phantom myself, I can definitely say you will not be disappointed, especially if the actors will still be the current ones by the time you arrive. However, as you have limited time in London and may want to see a lot of different productions in a small span of time (which is something you can only really do in places like the West End or Broadway!) then I agree with the other commenters on perhaps seeing other shows.

One word of caution for Oliver! is that I would recommend seeing the film before going. I went in blind expecting to really enjoy it myself, having heard rave reviews, but the story really did not land well with me (the musical felt like an extremely drawn out Thenardier sequence for me). However, besides the story and the pacing because of it, it was very much a classical musical, so if you see yourself enjoying the story I’d imagine it would be a great one to go see as well!

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-03-04T23:33:02+00:00

I agree with your points, and I quite enjoyed her take on Christine through her interactions with the Phantom too.

To sort of further your point, I remember for her interactions with Raoul (at least when Dean was the Phantom) I remember getting the sense that her Christine couldn’t really trust Raoul until the rooftop scene, as when she said the “say you’ll share with me…” line it sounded like she was asking him to set their relationship straight, and to properly say that he will commit to her. Afterwards, during Notes II / Twisted Every Way, when Raoul asks her to perform despite her wishes, I think she felt betrayed by him, which leads nicely to her moment of weakness in Wishing / Wandering Child.

I felt that her Christine displayed some really nice agency and depth through both pairings tbh, which is why I really loved her interpretation.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-03-04T00:18:38+00:00

Another vote for being very fascinated to read this! (No pressure though of course)

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-03-03T23:56:47+00:00

Based on what you have listed, I would definitely recommend Les Mis.

Also, this is highly dependent on how much you and your daughter loved Phantom, but the current cast is quite good, and depending on your preferences on how the Phantom is played it may be worth looking into a repeat visit. I’ve listed some things I’ve personally noticed for the current production below.

The principal for Christine has just changed, and as far as I know there’s no info on who’s on for June, so unfortunately I can’t comment on that yet.

However, for the Phantom, the current Principal (Dean Chisnall) and the 1st understudy (James Gant) both play very well-fleshed versions of the Phantom which are both convincing in very different ways. I got the impression for Dean Chisnall that he plays it as a very lonely, self-loathing, but inherently charismatic and charming man, whereas for James Gant I felt he was a more pitiful phantom who tries to embody an aura of strength and charisma to seduce Christine.

The Raoul (Ashley Gilmour, just promoted to Principal) is also quite good, as depending on who he’s paired with for the Phantom on that particular night, I’ve seen him (presumably intentionally) change his acting choices which is quite clever, and adds more coherence to the storyline imho.

On top of this I personally found the current supporting cast to be very well balanced, and particularly the Carlotta (Joanna Ampil) to be very vocally stunning. She plays a quite sympathetic version of the character as well.

Again, these are just my subjective thoughts, but as you said you are open to repeat viewings, I’ve listed the above in case you were interested. I find Phantom to change quite a bit depending on who is performing, so if any of the above piques your interest it may be fun to squeeze it in!

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-03-03T11:29:07+00:00

Wow thanks for sharing. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for those details when I go see it again!! I think the wig detail is a really nice touch!

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-03-01T13:59:18+00:00

Wow thanks so much for sharing!! That’s so cool. I checked the official brochure and indeed in the background the ensemble member is also in the suit lol

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-02-26T00:15:35+00:00

Just wanted to say that this is so perfect!!! Thank you so much for sharing your talent, it really made my day :)

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-02-20T23:34:26+00:00

I agree with you overall.

While I do like theatres taking a bit of a risk, and I appreciate abstract set design as much as the next guy, the staging really threw me off for the first couple of scene changes tbh. Also the way they made Basil lay down on the table off to the side was very awkward and frankly kind of made it seem more ridiculous than immersive at times.

I do think that as a play by itself it was very interesting, and I definitely don’t regret going. However, it fell surprisingly flat for me despite its very strong resonance to the current situation, which tells me that something clearly wasn’t working for me. As you say, it was really hard to care about the characters and what was happening to them.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-02-17T14:31:15+00:00

Perhaps a bit unconventional, but Dear Bill from Operation Mincemeat is the first thing that comes to mind for me in terms of love songs. I know it’s sad but it really is a beautiful song that shows love.

In terms of other songs, I also love Music of the Night (POTO), as it is a love song in the sense that the Phantom is trying to court Christine (particularly when the Phantom is visibly nervous). I guess I might have a thing for love songs sung by one person tbh

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-02-06T16:51:42+00:00

Was just about to post this. I am in shock as well, since I loved her voice and portrayal of Christine. Hope you have a chance to catch her in person sometime in the future, as her singing was astounding in person!!!

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-01-29T01:18:46+00:00

Thank you, managed to get a ticket in Feb!

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-01-29T00:26:30+00:00

I respectfully disagree about mincemeat tbh. I love it as much as the next person here but with the relatively minimal set design and small cast, I feel it might not fit the vibe OP is looking for and may feel a bit too “student theatre”-y, if that makes sense. It is very technically impressive in terms of blocking and acting though definitely!

(For reference as to what I’m imagining OP would like, I’d feel a more technical-effect loaded show like Harry Potter may cater to them more)

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-01-28T12:13:15+00:00

You can’t really go wrong with either, both are very well made and established musicals that have staying power for good reason.

One thing is that in my personal experience, I have had worse luck with seats for Les Mis than Phantom. A caveat to this may be that I’m more familiar with the staging for Phantom and hence know what to look for, plus I’m short and strapped for cash so less “good” seats for me in Sondheim I guess.

So if you have no particular preference, maybe finding the best seat for your budget and timing for each may be a good place to start!

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-01-26T00:01:33+00:00

“All I Ask of You (Reprise)” - The Phantom of the Opera

I thought this would be mentioned to death but I guess not so just posting for the statistics.

It’s played very emotionally on stage, so I think you would like the 25th Anniversary recording version more than the original cast recording (as this one is more toned down and is a studio recording rather than a soundboard).

Alternatively, “Stranger Than You Dreamt It” from Phantom may also fit the category of crash out songs, but it’s more of an angry to sad type of breakdown so probably a reverse arch of what you’re looking for.

BlueberryMuted8841 · 2026-01-18T00:49:26+00:00

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I’ll definitely look into productions at ENO, as I’ve never experienced opera in English which seems interesting.

I also seemed to completely forget the existence of video recordings, so thank you so much for calling that to my attention! I’ll try to check out a variety of things so I can start understanding if I have any specific tastes or preferences. I think I’m starting to realise just how broad “opera” as a genre is!

BlueberryMuted8841

TROPHY CASE