
Olivia Davey's Dress Circle
Olivia Davey has seen 24 shows and has 19 shows on their FollowSpot
1
Les Misérables
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Les Misérables
Now PlayingAbsolute perfection! Everything about this show is incredible, from the music and story to the impressive set pieces. I've seen it 30 times now - it never gets old.
I miss the original production! While the new production is brilliant, and some aspects are definitely improved, a few moments like Enjolras' death have less impact now.
2

It's Les Mis again, what's not to like! I loved the focus on the music, especially moments when the orchestra got highlighted more than usual so they could be really appreciated.
Some weak casting, like Michael Ball who didn't suit Javert at all, and just the fact it isn't the complete show - a few unusual cuts of iconic moments were made, like Gavroche's individual death.
3
The Phantom of the Opera
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The Phantom of the Opera
Now PlayingAn absolutely phenomenal show. The set and costume designs are incredible, the rising and falling of the chandelier is obviously a highlight. I adore the music, story, and character development too. A classic that deserves its place in the West End.
I couldn't understand what was being sung sometimes, especially when multiple characters were singing at the same time, making it difficult to follow certain elements of the story.
4

Just phenomenal, there's a reason this show has stayed so popular for so long. The story is incredible and so well thought out, it makes you laugh one minute then cry the next. You feel like you get to know the characters so well across the length of the show.
Some of the songs are great, but others are more forgettable. I love Shoes Upon The Table, but it appears so often throughout the show that it starts to feel a bit boring and repetitive by the end.
5

This show absolutely blew me away! The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production has one of my favourite production designs of any show, as well as fantastic choreography. I adore the songs, and it has so much constant energy that makes it so exciting to watch. The actors always have insane vocals!
The story is very difficult to follow, plot points aren't made that clear.
6
Matilda the Musical
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Matilda the Musical
Now PlayingI adore this show! Some incredibly catchy songs, clever lyrics, and a beautiful story. It's also funny (Telly is such a highlight) and the casts, both kids and adults, are always outstanding.
A few strobe lights that are a bit too intense, especially since they point directly at the audience.
7
Back to the Future: The Musical
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Back to the Future: The Musical
Now PlayingWow! This show is fantastic - so much fun, likeable characters, and hilarious from start to finish. It's one of the most visually and technically impressive shows I've seen, all the moments with the DeLorean are amazing to watch. I really appreciate how faithful it is to the classic original film.
Some songs are a bit forgettable to begin with, but the more you listen the more you fall in love with them.
8
Jersey Boys
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Jersey Boys
Now PlayingOne of my favourite shows! The execution is perfect, the way they tell what is a really interesting story and respect each band member's legacy. The set and lighting designs phenomenal, some of the best in theatre history. And of course the music is amazing, especially with such talented casts performing it.
Except for getting lost with the story a couple of times, I can't think of anything!
9

Such a beautiful show! It made me cry multiple times, and the story is incredibly heartwarming. I love the simplicity of its production design (especially Howell Binkley's incredible lighting) and how you get to know the characters so well despite there being so many of them and the show being less than 2 hours in length.
It's so short! Although I respect the fact that this means it doesn't drag on, they tell the story they want to without any waffle or irrelevant detours.
10

One of the most joyous, upbeat shows I've ever seen! I came out of the theatre with the biggest smile on my face. The songs are incredibly catchy, the dialogue is funny, and it has everything that makes the original cartoon so fun.
A few of the songs are forgettable. And there are some references to the original cartoon that those who have never watched it won't get - but as a big fan of SpongeBob I loved these!
11

So much fun! An absolute joy to watch with some great music.
A bit cheesy (but that's probably why it's so fun), and I thought the story moved too fast so I quickly got confused the first time I saw it. Also slightly repetitive in terms of music, especially given the fact that it's such a short show - but it's such good music that I can forgive it!
12
Hamilton
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Hamilton
Now PlayingSo cleverly written, some brilliant songs, and an impressive show to watch - especially the choreography of all the dancing segments. An amazing experience on the front row, it's so full on in a great way!
A confusing plot at times, especially in Act 2 when the focus shifts more to politics. A few pacing issues, some sections are boring and seem to drag while others move way too fast.
13
Starlight Express
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Starlight Express
Now PlayingA fun, high energy show with some good songs and a really diverse range of characters - the new Hydrogen train, Hydra, and his song were definitely my favourite part! The production design of the current Wembley production, including the set, lighting, and costumes, is incredible and highly immersive no matter where you are sat.
It is heavily geared towards kids, so the plot is bland and predictable. Some of the songs are pretty boring and don't have the best lyrics.
14

This show is so good! Obviously the songs were a highlight but other elements like the choreography and lighting design were brilliant too. The fact that there's only 6 actors in the entire show is so impressive, they all do so much!
The insane amount of multi-rolling did get a bit confusing at times, and some elements of the story could have been explained in more detail so things made more sense.
15

A great show from start to finish. Some really catchy songs, enjoyable choreography, and an insanely talented London cast. The story was fascinating, I learnt so much about a band I didn't know anything about before going in!
I feel like they could've done so much more in regards to the set design. The stage often felt empty and bland, without backgrounds or set pieces to make it more visually interesting. It would've been nice to have the musicians on stage for more of the show, since they are so important for the whole feel and music.
16
Guys and Dolls
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Guys and Dolls
Now PlayingA fun, enjoyable show with some fantastic songs and entertaining characters. The production currently at the Bridge Theatre feels fresh, upbeat, and up-to-date.
The story isn't the best, just a bit generic but it's obviously not what this show really wants to focus on. I wasn't a huge fan of being in the immersive standing pit at the Bridge production, because my view was obscured by other audience members and you are constantly distracted and moved around by theatre staff to give space for actors or set pieces to come on. I ended up feeling like I missed a lot of the show.
17
Standing at the Sky’s Edge
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Standing at the Sky’s Edge
Now PlayingA good show for the most part, with more upbeat songs like Time Is and Standing At The Sky's Edge being the highlights. The set and lighting designs were brilliant. There is some good character development, and an interesting mix of characters.
It felt very repetitive - the structure for the entire show was pretty much dialogue, one character starts singing a song, other characters join in to finish singing that song, then back to dialogue over and over again. Act 2 was incredibly slow, and most of the plot points were predictable. This, combined with a lot of slow songs, meant I found most of the show boring. Act 1 was definitely much better and faster-paced.
18

Another hit for Mischief Theatre! Even funnier than The Play That Goes Wrong, and it has all the charm of that show but with added musical moments that just make it a joy to watch.
It ended way too soon! It's heartbreaking that it never got to properly finish its West End run.
19
The Play That Goes Wrong
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The Play That Goes Wrong
Now PlayingAbsolutely hilarious! It's so fast paced and full of energy. I love how it's different every time you see it thanks to all the improvised moments!
The story got lost on me a bit because there's so much other stuff going on, so I was confused at times, but it really doesn't matter or affect your overall enjoyment of the show.
20

I absolutely loved this show, so funny from start to finish with not only the scripted elements but all of the improvisation and audience interaction too. The magic is impressive, and you just sit there with a smile on your face the whole time excited to see what will come next. Seeing Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer in a live show was also really enjoyable, they were both brilliant!
It didn't bother me personally, but if you don't like audience participation don't go and see this show (and definitely don't sit in the stalls or write down a 'secret' before the show) because there is a lot of it.
21

Mischief just can't make a bad show! Constant hilarity (I cried laughing at one point), fast-paced, and a really cleverly used set. A lot of moments took me by surprise but were amazing, like the underwater sequence. And I appreciated how they made the characters (especially Max) feel more real so you connected to them more.
I don't think there's a great balance in terms of who the jokes are aimed at - one minute there were jokes aimed at adults with swearing and other times they were very kid-friendly, which just didn't feel right.
22

A really interesting, well crafted piece of theatre! So nice to have a totally original British musical for once because you don't get many of those now. A beautiful, emotional story and the minimal set was cleverly used. Also a fantastic cast - seeing the director Julie Atherton as Alex was a highlight!
The songs, while good, were forgettable and all sounded similar. There were constant time shifts back and forth, which did mean I got lost at times, but it was generally done in a way that wasn't confusing.
23

An interesting show. I was in awe of the stagecraft - how they managed to create so much tension and suspense with such simple lighting and sound design was incredibly impressive. I love how they've kept the original production design for so long!
At times I found the story a bit difficult to follow, especially with all of the multi-rolling. I'm also not the biggest fan of plays, so I just found it a bit boring overall.
24

The recent Leicester Curve production is brilliantly designed, and the cast were very talented.
I really didn't like this show. There isn't much of a plot, it's just different actors singing about their lives so it felt like hardly anything happened in almost two hours. A few of the songs are more upbeat, but in general they're boring, generic, and outdated. Pretty much none of the jokes landed for me.
What is this?
This is Olivia Davey's Dress Circle, A list of shows they've seen in order of preference, use this as a guide for what you should see or why not get involved?