What did you think of the show?
This is the page where we would like you to tell us about your theatre experiences. Please do say if you enjoyed a show, or even if you didn’t – your feedback is important to us. It’s simple, we only have this one page for you to add your comments to so whichever show you have visited please tell us your thoughts below.
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Fredo's Theatre Group 
Mary.
A stunning, powerful piece of drama and the part of Douglas Henshaw played fitted him like a glove but all three were outstanding performances.
Like the seating layout at theatre and thank you Fredo and Mike for another interesting evening.
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Mary
As others have said, the performances of the three leads in this absorbing chamber piece were excellent. The themes of how power corrupts, how women make their way in a male dominated world and how individual reputations are won and lost remain current (just look at the reviews for the new series of The Crown). However, once I started thinking about the historical accuracy of the events and characters portrayed then, for me, the play faltered. The extraordinarily articulate, literate female servant just didn’t ring true. Of course, she had to be a servant rather than, say, a lady of the court so that she could be in the room ministering to the two men but her presence felt like a contrivance too far (and I now understand the character was fictional). And as interesting as I found the arguments outlined by the two men who were debating the fate of the Queen, I never felt the outcome was in doubt. Despite my reservations, it was a pleasure to visit Hampstead Theatre again and offer our support in these difficult times for local theatres. And I can’t deny it was a pleasure to see the charismatic Douglas Henshall on stage too.
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Mary at Hampstead Theatre
I didn’t read the “poor” reviews prior to going and I would have gone to make up my own mind anyway. I hope they don’t put people off booking.
In my opinion it was an excellent performance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was pulled each way by the different arguments and opinions of the 3 main characters and wonder what I would have done in Melville’s shoes in this version of the events. My attention was held until the end.
I can thoroughly recommend the book My Heart is my Own by John Guy – a biography of Mary Queen of Scots that “reads as thrillingly as a detective story”
Thank you Fredo and Mike for another great trip to the theatre.
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Mary
So pleased we saw this play which was an hour and a half of excellent performances by the three main characters, drawing you into an absorbing and intense scenario where the discussions and arguments on what really happened drew you in and held you there to the very end.
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Marvellous
Fredo and Mike – should have really said, thank you for introducing us to a new theatre!
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Marvellous
Well, certainly different. Not the sophisticated theatre we usually see but it was informative and amusing. A bit of fun? Audience participation and the slapstick towards the end a forerunner to the Christmas Pantomime season? We had not heard of Neil Baldwin, you learn something new everyday? Liked the new theatre.
Thank you Fredo and Mike for organising it.
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The Band’s Visit
I absolutely loved A Band’s Visit. So moving and such brilliant musicianship. I agree with all the comments left on your website. I plan to seek out more recordings of Miri Mezra. Her voice is like hot chocolate with extra cream and an undercurrent of chilli.
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Another super evening at The Donmar. What talented musicians and singers, a light-hearted ‘take’ on a subject with a deeper meaning ….two different nationalities and religions singing, playing and laughing together whilst the discord came from the host families. Clever writing.
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The Band’s Visit.
This was my first trip with The Theatre Guys. It was great to have a summary of the play from Fredo on the coach before arriving at the Donmar Theatre. I had never been to this theatre before but loved the intimacy of the staging, you feel involved in what is going on. Miri Mesika had a lovely voice and all the musicians were professional in their performance. I enjoyed the whole evening and look forward to another theatre trip.
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What a fabulous evening it was. There are so many shows that we have seen with the group but this one is pretty near the top of the list for the best.
The intimate atmosphere created at the Donmar made us feel involved for the whole time and just 1 act kept it flowing.
Every performers part seemed to fit them so well and their timing was very cleverly worked out. There may have been no great ballads or show stoppers but there were so many excellent songs with clever narrative lyrics that we missed some of the meanings, probably through watching other performers and musicians! We had to look them up online to pick up parts that we missed.
The musicianship was so good and 2 off stage bands gave a solid background to those onstage. The onstage performers were of such a high standard, to name a few, Andy Findon with his flute and various saxophones and we would loved to hear more of the percussion, the drummer produced some incredible rhythms from Ant Romero, the Oud player , Baha Yetkin and the beautiful voice of Miri Mesika.
There were many individual stories mixed into one some pretty sad, and we could have come away feeling down but we felt uplifted by the whole thing. Thanks for a memorable evening.
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The Band’s Vlsit
We were very pleased that Fredo gave us the chance to see this very unusual show. It would not have been an obvious choice but in fact we had a great time.
Comments already made say it all and we endorse them. Must say the Band were superb and complemented Mira’s beautiful voice.
Thanks again to Fredo for another great visit to the theatre
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The Bands Visit
Another delightful experience at The Donmar .This production was unusual but wonderful .The talented musicians and vocalists and entire cast especially Miri Mesika (Dina ) were a joy .Don’t miss this one . Thank you again Fredo and Mike
ps It runs util the beginning of December at the Donmar
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We loved this most unusual musical. Glad Fredo prepared us that it would be different from many others, and the uniqueness was what we found so appealing about it. The voice of Mira (as Dina) was haunting and the musicians playing the unusual instruments worked well as an accompaniment. In spite of the pathos, it was still a joyful and uplifting evening|! And we got home early!! Thanks to Mike and Fredo
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The Band’s Visit
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The Bands Visit
This experience at the Donmar was just like a good box of chocolates should be – something in it to satisfy everyone.
I’m not going to comment on the production except to say the Donmar was the perfect space for it and if you haven’t already listened to Miri Mesika and her wonderful rendition of Omar Sharif – go the Fredo and Mike’s homepage for a real treat.
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The Bands Visit
We had no idea what to expect of The Bands Visit but what a joy it was! The Donmar was a perfect venue for this production, wonderfully intimate. The band was brilliant, such a great sound. We loved Miri Mesika, her wonderful rendition of Umm Kulthum and Omar Sharif both beautiful and moving. Victoria and Tony.
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The Band’s Visit.
The playwright and actors all contributed intriguing characters.
Loved the whole delightful show. Won’t sum it up as every aspect has been covered extremely well. They all certainly enjoyed doing it and we all certainly enjoyed seeing it? Would see it again.
Thank you Mike and Fredo for a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the Donmar which fitted it
in beautifully.
By the way, Tango was full of vim and vigour, quite amazing.
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The Band’s visit
When Fredo managed our expectations before we got to the Donmar you could have been forgiven for thinking why did we book this!! BUT if it is offered again you must go. Not just for the exceptional performance by Miri Mesika who played Dina, but as the story unfolds you begin the understand that we are all the same, despite where we come from. It was funny, sad, heart warming, with feel-good music.
Once again Mike and Fredo thank you for taking us to a play that might have not been an obvious choice.
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The Band’s visit
A sly charmer of a show with comedy, humanity, pathos, a charismatic leading lady (who is surely on her way to becoming a star in Europe as well as Israel) and just enough going on to stop us pulling holes in the non-existent plot. And did I mention fantastic musicianship and toe tapping, if not hugely memorable, songs? On yet another tumultuous day in British politics, it was such a pleasure to step outside our national bubble and be transported to another troubled part of the world where, somehow, connections were made between human souls. I predict a well deserved transfer to a west end theatre.
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The Bands visit
A very different kind of musical thoroughly enjoyable
With great vocals.
Would recommend to anyone.
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The Band’s Visit
One of the very many advantages for me of belonging to this group, is that you get to see shows which you would not begin to contemplate. After seeing the initial promotional write up, we pretty much dismissed this one out of hand. But after reading the more detailed account on the website, I decided to give it a try. My wife remained unconvinced.
This was a truly unique production, enhanced by the intimacy of the Donmar.
The Jewish/Arab friction between the two groups was extremely subtle, but clearly evident. This diminished as the production progressed but without the usual “schmaltz”.
The excellent cast gave us emotion, frustration, and humour, and some great music. I found the whole production delightful. Mike’s comment regarding melancholy was “right on the button”.
Many thanks Fredo and Mike for once again broadening my theatrical experience.
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The Band’s Visit
A great feel-good play/musical. Plot? Don’t ask!! Something about an Egyptian band being lost in Israel, but just an excuse for some excellent singing and the playing of some obscure musical instruments. I’m sure the cast enjoyed it as much as the audience.
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The band’s visit,
Totally different…a variety of emotions,dark humour and lessons in humanity,we’d happily see it again..
Excellent!!!…Dina especially…
Thanks again Fredo&Mike
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Tango
I sat on the coach this evening, in bad traffic, because people had decided to do something with a bridge, I sat in comfort, stress free, marvelling once again, at our good fortune , and with traffic delays factored in, we still arrived in time for the performance. What a service !
I love Argentine tango and booked immediately. An exceptional performance from the whole company. My one quibble would be with the costume department, particularly in the first half. A leaner look would have allowed us to appreciate even more the power snd precision of the leg movements. Magnificent show and another inspirational evening. Much needed.
A big thank you to Fredo and Mike for making it possible .
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Tango
This production was very different from things that we have seen before with the group. We had some anxiety about 2 hours of dance but, as it turned out, the mixture of music and dance kept us captivated for just about the whole time. At the beginning, John did think ‘ a shame the mens costumes were not as sparkling as the woman’s’ then he remembered it was a Buenos Aries club, not Strictly!
There seemed to be a theme / story running through it but the songs were in Spanish so we could not follow it. The band were excellent, with a good balance between them and the Bandoneon was an instrument we have never seen before, mistaking it for an accordion. The sound was very atmospheric and expressive. We came across a quote from the poet Homero Manzi ‘My whole life, brother bandoneon, is concealed within your keyboard’ which described it perfectly.
The dance performances were very powerful and graceful with some amazing lifts.
Altogether a fabulous evening, in spite of travel problems. Many thanks to Fredo and Mike for offering this.
Judith &John
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The Snail House.
We enjoyed the the production especially the two young girls who added to it? The mother had the least to say but really kept the family sort of together and brought reason to them. She was loyal and supportive of her husband but at times found he was ‘not always right’ Liked the way they did the laying and clearing of the table and Wynona’s comments whilst doing so. Robin thought Neil overplayed his part a bit.
It was a play of the day.
Thank you Fredo and Mike for another interesting play. Always enjoy the Q & A and for the cast giving us their time.
.
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The Snail House
The play really began for me with the catering manager’s revelations. 15 years of hurt and resentment against the man who had taken her baby away and sent her to prison. A lot to forgive. Everyone played their part to make this an entertaining evening. Thoroughly enjoyed the after show talk, gaining insight about the actors and their roles.
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The Snail House
Although the reviews of this play were not encouraging ,we enjoyed the production .The judgement of a paediatrician fifteen years ago which sent a black mother to gaol for the physical abuse of her daughter caused deep division with his own teenage daughter at his birthday party after being recently knighted.The verdict of fifteen years ago was put into question by genetic evidence but was not further investigated which would not happen today The mother of the child was coincidentally the catering manager for the party where the paediatrician’s daughter discovered how her father and caterer had met before. Both seeked an admission of error of judgement by the paediatrician .We thought the laying up and clearing the table with continued dialogue by the caterers for the party was clever .Think we sometimes over analyse which can mar enjoyment of a play .
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The Snail House
Well, King Lear this was not. But amid the clutter of nods to contemporary “issues”, the timeless themes of a father/daughter relationship and the fragility of the “great man” poked through in the end.
But I can’t quite decide why it all came across as dramatically inert. Was it that all the interesting/decisive events took place (or had taken place) off-stage (fair enough for a Greek tragedy)? Was it that the tedious business of laying a table was actually more absorbing than a lot of the dialogue? Then the non-use of that table somehow reinforced the sense of unbelievability that surrounded virtually everything else. O.K., I admit, where would the world be without the sort of amazing coincidence on which the play hangs? And where indeed would theatre be without the conventional propensity of characters to spill out their feelings and experiences unhesitatingly and at length?
Much of the first part did not rise above topical sketch mode, characterisation and psychological insight also were pretty limited and while the actors displayed admirable energy in their roles, they could do only so much with the material they were given.
Did this play come to the stage too early? Should it have matured in the barrel for a bit longer?
Garth
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Rose
What a treat to have Maureen Lipman for a whole evening! How she remembers such a huge script and at her age is stunning. A delightful evening and a wonderful narrative. Great little theatre( The Park) at Finsbury Park. I was grateful for the free supply of earphones for the second half as Maureen`s voice was quite soft at times. Highly recommended.
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Rose
What a wonderful performance by Maureen Lipman.
Extremely moving and so ‘real’.
Again, the best seats, and so close it was if she was speaking one to one.
Could have wiped her tears away.
The background lighting and faint music was subtle and so appropriate.
Jean J
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Another magical theatrical experience – the vast array of feelings and thoughts moved along seamlessly.
How lucky we are to be blessed with an abundance of superb actresses who never fail to treat us to such perfect performances
Thank you so much Fredo and Michael for all you do for us.
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Re. ROSE
Last evening Fredo made his usual invitation to post a comment adding, this time, that those who failed to contribute would incur his wrath: well, we cannot have that.
I have never listened to an audio book; I consider them, as with Kindle, to be a lazy medium.
Yesterday afternoon at the Park Theatre, I was treated to my first audio book delivered by Dame Maureen Lipman, the differences being that the performance was live with no microphone and no book. It seemed to be generally recognised by our party that this was a tour de force by Dame Maureen, and so it was.
But was it theatre. She sat alone on a firm bench moving only her hands, arms and head injecting occasional mild laughter and weeping, as her harrowing life story of endeavour unfolded. She single-handedly held her audience for over 2 hours: an impressive and monumental effort.
But again I ask, was it theatre. And my question is not how she did it, but “why?” How far removed was this performance from an audio book?
Since Autumn 2021, I have applied a simple test to theatre which is: “Would I readily go to see this play/show again tomorrow?” In the case of “Anything Goes” I would be waiting now for the theatre doors to reopen. In the case of “Rose”, please God, no.
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A wonderful performance and an experience not to be missed. Lovely little theatre but maybe not quite so easy to get to but well done Frank who did extremely well. Thank you Fredo and Mike for another interesting outing. Liked the Pasta restaurant especially as it was next door to the theatre! !
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Rose
This was a wonderful theatrical experience which offered an interesting contrast to “A German Life” delivered by Maggie Smith at the Bridge Theatre a few years back. Both monologues starred great Dames of British theatre looking at historical events from opposing perspectives. It is amazing how these performers are utterly credible in every role they take. The small Park theatre added to the intimacy of Maureen Lipman’s performance – here was a woman telling you her life story with humour, detail and resignation. While the first half was stronger, the concluding section was very moving and a true and terrible picture of our world.
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Rose
We were bowled over with Maureen Lipman’s outstanding performance and the whole content of the story. That you so much for the opportunity to experience this.
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Well. I’m almost speechless after seeing Maureen lipman play. “Rose”. I felt what she felt. I agreed with what she said. But to experience her performance was something to keep in the favourites box. Felt her grief at the end for a world that doesn’t change much, regardless of the suffering of the past. No more to say. A legendary performance.
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The show does pull together more in the second half but we really enjoyed it, a visually impressive show the dancing scene was brilliant all the cast were good but we thought Sam Bailey who played Mrs Potts was excellent and sang the main song Beauty and the Beast lovely. It would have made a nice Christmas show.
Lovely seats thanks for a lovely evening.
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After a very emotional day laying our floral tribute to the Queen we really needed the upbeat musical extravaganza of last night’s performance of Beauty and the Beast. Maybe the first half hour was a bit slow but it certainly made up for it as the story unfolded. The cast were superb the scenery crazy and the lighting unbelievable very much like a show from Radio City, New York….it certainly had all the razzmatazz . Thanks again Mike and Fredo for organising the show and Frank for managing to navigate his way through London with all the road closures!
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To Kill a Mockingbird
We so enjoyed this play. Thank you for organising the trip. It was good to get to see live theatre in London again after such a long time. Lesley & James
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To Kill a Mockingbird
I really enjoyed this play. The actibng was superb. The book has always been a favourite of mineand it was lovely to see it in the theatre. Sandra
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To Kill a Mockingbird
I thought I would have to apologise for my review as it was evident last evening that most people enjoyed this play- a standing ovation in the theatre. My husband enjoyed it but sadly I had reservations. I am a fervent admirer of the novel and although I knew this was a modern interpretation I still could not engage. The parts of Scout(9) , Jem(12) and Dill (11) ,all approximate ages , were played by adult actors and as this story hangs on the viewpoint of a young person I did not like the idea. I did think Richard Coyle’s Atticus was excellent and there were other outstanding performances- Patrick O Kane as Bob Ewell, Pamela Nomvete as Calpurnia to name some. But if the playwright Aaron Sorkin wished to incorporate more recent attitudes to racial issues and even touch on Trump’s right wing politics I wish he had left To Kill a Mocking bird alone. Having said that we had a lovely evening. Thank you Fredo and Mike.
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One of my all time favourite books and films. The production was interesting – adults playing children with a shared narrative rather than it being just Scout. In this production Atticus’s faith in the American justice system appeared to me to have a tinge of arrogance about it. Calpurnia had a louder voice too, particularly when she accuses Finch of moral appeasement. Bob Ewell the white supremacist; a vivid reminder of what could be an all too familiar figure on both sides of the Atlantic.
That is maybe why I was really struck by the portrayal of Tom Robinson’s employer Link Deas. His willingness to look past race and prejudice to praise the integrity of Tom’s character was more obvious to me in this production. I hadn’t realised how large the cast was until the end – and that was without a jury on the stage!
A great evening at the theatre – a reminder once again of what we have missed over the last couple of years.
Thank you Fredo and Mike for all that you do.
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Well…..if you missed this one you will be sorry. Really good evenings entertainment. Yes…it could be said that the sets were a tad too small for the Sadlers Wells stage but the cast made up for that with their overall enthusiasm. We probably all know the songs from South Pacific and were singing along with them in our heads. I still am !! Overall a lovely evenings entertainment, Thank you Fredo and Mike for another successful trip.
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South Pacific
It really was ‘Some Enchanted Evening!’ I too was one of the many who enjoyed the excitement as a youngster of seeing this at the Dominion Theatre. This production at Sadler’s Wells was a wonderful experience. Such strong leading roles really brought new life to this magical love story with its magnificent songs. This was my first experience with Fredo’s Theatre group. Thank you for a wonderfully informative, enjoyable and well organised evening. I hope tp look forward to more wonderful theatre trips with you.
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Great evening at South Pacific especially the way the songs just kept on coming. Amazing that the show contains so many well loved big numbers. Julian Ovenden in splendid form. Many thanks Fredo and Mike.
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So glad to have seen this show for the first time in ages. Someone reminded me that there was a poor production at the National a few years ago but if I saw it, I’ve forgotten all about it. The clever production by Daniel Evans, from Chichester, was vivid and moved fluently. I was a bit surprised that initially there were several songs, close together, without there having been time for the book to establish the characters. The female singers were all terrific but the laurels do have to go to Mssrs Houchen and Ovenden. J.O. has such a beautiful and expressive voice and one can relax in the knowledge that he will take the song to whatever climax he has in mind, and all will be well. I must admit that I slightly lost the plot in the extended war sequences. One of the most electric moments of the evening is when Nellie goes into shock over Emil’s first wife, along with her delayed realisation of what she has done.
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South Pacific
It was a terrifically good evening. Director Daniel Evans should be proud of his achievement, making a 70-year-old musical cogent for audiences of today with restraint, taste and a kind of old-fashioned class. He was blessed to have an outstanding cast that could interpret his ideas with subtlety but no shortage of passion. Not only that but the musical elements were given full value, every word crystal clear. He has changed my opinion of South Pacific as a piece of theatre. I’ve never seen it done so expertly before.
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I’ve always had mixed feelings about South Pacific. It has sublime songs but the story creaks in places and, despite valiant efforts to address “carefully taught” racism, it is very much of its time in its depiction of the island people and, dare I say it, attitudes towards women. However, the opportunity to hear those songs sung by the wonderful Julian Ovenden could not be missed. And what a treat it was; I’ve been humming Some Enchanted Evening ever since. I was not quite convinced at the overwhelming attraction between Emil and Nellie but Gina Beck also has lovely voice and gave it her all when Washing that Man Right Out of her Hair. Rob Houchen did his best with the part of the callow Lt Cable and it was a shame that Carefully Taught, his big moment, was interrupted by a scene change. I’m glad I saw the production and appreciated the director’s efforts to update some of the characterisation. However, I might look out for a concert version if I want to hear those songs sung live again.
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South Pacific
Many, many thanks for yesterdays visit to South Pacific, which Frances and I enjoyed very much.
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