CAUROSEL

So i'm late again for another Grand opening for a West End show, this time it's Caurosel at the Savoy Theatre.

After light refreshments at the bar, whilst waiting for the next chance to get to our seats I take a look around the Savoy theatre. I quite like it, the staff are friendly the service good and having once worked at the Savoy Hotel, taking coats, I can't help but feel slightly nostalgic.

So we're Kindly shown to our seats, people stare, as they do, and I get the chance to watch the latest reincarnation of Richard Rodgers musical. This time starring Lesley Garrett as Nettie Fowler.

As I sit down I'm instantly stuck by the behind the stage Graphics which I have yet to see the like of in other productions. At times my interest in this exceeds that of my interest in the play.

It's not that the play is not interesting, It's a classic story, well told and features excellently coriographed dances and fighting. I enjoyed the shows songs , i had to refrain myself from joining in with the chorus of ' you'll never walk alone' on several occasions. However i'm a dialogue man.

I like the Sopranos because of how it happens, rather than what actually visually happens and in the second half of the play a girl dances for forty minutes without and dialougue. It's a nice dance full of meaning and development. None of which is lost on me, please don't misunderstand my meaning, the dance is .... great, but is still a forty minute dance.

So in conclusion a good play, but not really my type. Lesley Garrett does well and the dancing and fighting is both well choreographed and prolonged. The Savoy theatre is now one of my prefered theatre's in the West End and I'm sure unlike oterh recent shows which opened recently Caurosel will survive comfortably.

6/4