Georgina Butler

Writing. Dancing.

REVIEW: ‘Top Hat’ World Premiere – Milton Keynes Theatre, August 2011

 

TOP HAT IS TOP ENTERTAINMENT

 

World stage premieres are normally the preserve of the West End but Milton Keynes Theatre can boast that musical extravaganza Top Hat is making its global debut as a new stage show here in the new city this month.

Top Hat is a 1935 screwball comedy musical film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers which has been lovingly crafted for the stage, encompassing the original classic songs by Irving Berlin and a further ten from the Berlin back catalogue.

Holby City and Strictly Come Dancing star Tom Chambers (pictured, below, with me) and experienced musical theatre performer Summer Strallen take the title roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont – the leads played by Astaire and Rogers in the movie.

*

Top Hat will sweep you off your feet: Leading man Tom Chambers dancing with Georgina Butler at the press launch for Top Hat at Milton Keynes Theatre

View Post

NEWS: ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Countdown, August 2011

 

TIME TO DUST OFF OUR DANCING SHOES AS THE STRICTLY COUNTDOWN BEGINS

 

Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens next month and the internet is full of rumours about which celebrities are set to surrender to the sequins and grace the dance floor with their presence.

Last year I was lucky enough to be part of the audience for one of the shows after applying online and fox-trotting down to BBC Studios ridiculously early to claim my place. After a thoroughly entertaining evening, I then wrote a feature for the Milton Keynes Citizen to share my experience with readers…

 

The cast of BBC show Strictly Come Dancing 2010. Picture shows: Standing l-r: Felicity Kendal, Gavin Henson, Goldie, Kara Tointon, Matt Baker, Michelle Williams, Jimi Mistry, Peter Shilton, Scott Maslen. Seated l-r: Paul Daniels, Patsy Kensit, Tina O'Brien, Pamela Stephenson, The Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe. Picture courtesy of the BBC.

 

View Post

REVIEW: ‘Legally Blonde The Musical’ – The Savoy Theatre, June 2011

 

Broadway smash hit Legally Blonde The Musical is a ridiculously enjoyable show. It opened at The Savoy Theatre in December 2009 and has been playing to packed audiences ever since. What’s more, it won the award for Best New Musical at the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards in March.

After months of promising myself I would go and see this bubbly show, I made a visit to The Savoy Theatre part of a girly trip to London back in June. With perfectly manicured fingers painted a shocking pink in honour of the occasion, I clutched my ticket and entered the gorgeous West End auditorium.

Every theatre has its own vibe and the overwhelming feeling I was getting from both the building and the assembled audience was one of excitement and enthusiasm.

*

Legally Blonde the Musical. Savoy Theatre, West End, London.

View Post

REVIEW: Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace in ‘Midnight Tango’ – Milton Keynes Theatre, June 2011

 

Former world champions Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace have dazzled television audiences as the incredibly talented and likeable stars of Strictly Come Dancing for the last six years. In Midnight Tango they are “Strictly” sensational.

Midnight Tango is Vincent and Flavia’s first proper foray into theatrical performance. When they left the ballroom behind during the most recent break between seasons on the hit BBC show, Milton Keynes Theatre was one of the venues that welcomed their stunning production.

The breathtaking show – complete with first class tango routines, drama, comedy and pure unadulterated passion – is produced by acclaimed choreographer and So You Think You Can Dance judge Arlene Phillips and features ten of the finest Tango dancers in the world. An internationally renowned tango band joins the dancers for a sensational production that fuses dazzling choreography with intoxicating Tango rhythms.

*

Vincent and Flavia dance Midnight Tango.

View Post

REVIEW: Northern Ballet’s ‘Cleopatra’ – Milton Keynes Theatre, May 2011

 

COURAGEOUS AND COMPULSIVE CLEOPATRA

Northern Ballet’s Cleopatra is a mesmerising production.

 

Northern Ballet’s retelling of the story of Cleopatra beautifully illustrates the Company’s strengths.

The show takes the audience on a journey akin to wandering through an extravagant museum exhibition, effectively bringing Ancient Egypt to life.

Production and choreography– from the hieroglyphics projected onto the backdrop to the stances adopted by the dancers – combine to evoke the era in an absorbing spectacle.

*

CLEOPATRA; NORTHERN BALLET,

View Post