'Xanadu' - The Last Performance at Southwark Playhouse

Saturday night was the final performance of 'Xanadu' at Southwark Playhouse and it was sold out with a long queue to get into the theatre to grab good seats. Productions at Southwark never seem to run for very long but it's put on a couple of good 'uns this year, with 'Grand Hotel' over the summer and now 'Xanadu'. In both cases the cast were really getting into their stride when the run ended and last night's performance of 'Xanadu' was an excellent farewell from the cast.

The cast have grown into their roles, they know where the best laughs are and where there's scope to go over the top and the skating is with so much more confidence than the first time I saw them. Now is when the show should really be taking off but instead it's closed. I still have hopes that it might transfer into the West End but, even if it did, it probably wouldn't be the same. I still want to see it again, though.

The cast were all great fun and I want to record their names for posterity:

Carly Anderson as Kira/Clio, our heroine and leader of the Muses with the most fabulous Ozstralian accent ever.

Samuel Edwards as Sonny, our rather dim hero in short cut-offs and red headband.

Alison Jiear as Melpomene, the Evil Woman herself, she would smite Clio if she was a god.

Lizzy Connolly as Calliope, the other Evil Woman, cackling around the stage.

Emily McGoughan as Euterpe, who doubles as Maggie Smith in 'Clash of Titans'.

Nicholas Duncan as Thalia in his little blue skirt and Cylops mask.

Micha Richardson as Erato with her flowing locks and handy telephone box.

Joel Burman as Terpsicore with his big 'fro and alter-ego as a centaur.

Nigel Barber as Danny/Zeus who fell in love with Clio 40 years ago and built Xanadu for her.

It was all great fun and, if you missed it, you only have yourself to blame. I advised everyone to see it after my first visit and if you ignored that advice then you've got nobody to blame except for yourself.

It brought a smile to my face and a laugh to my throat before singing along to the finale of 'Xanadu'. I am honoured to use the sacred sigil of crossed forearms in front of the chest creating an X sign. This show will have a cosy little warm place in my heart and I will watch out for the magical cast in future - I hope they all go on to become great big international stars - including in Oz! And then I'll be able to say that I saw them when they daft and lovely in a little known musical off the Elephant & Castle.

Thank you cast and crew and thank you to Southwark Playhouse for bringing joy and light, even if only for a few weeks. Here's hoping for a transfer...

'Xanadu' at Southwark Playhouse

GO AND SEE IT NOW! There, you have the key message from this blog right up front. It's only on for a few weeks at Southwark Playhouse and you will hate yourself forever if you don't go to see it. Honest.

So, 'Xanadu'? What's that about then? Wasn't it a pome by Coleridge and a fillum with Olivia Newton-John in 1980? Yes to both, but it's also a fantastic musical that I saw on Broadway back in 2008 and a production has finally opened in London at Southwark Playhouse. I loved that mad production with it's glitter-balls so I had to book tickets when they went on sale and I'm so pleased I did. It was the perfect remedy to a bad day at work.

So, OK like, I'll tell you the story but it's complicated so listen hard people. Sonny is a graffiti artist who wants to create great art so Clio, the head Muse, descends to Earth to inspire him. To protect her secret identity she chooses the name Kira, an Australian accent and leg-warmers and no-one will guess she's a Muse. Sonny soon confides his artistic dream is to open a roller-disco (obvs!) and Kira decides to help him. Two of her sister Muses don't approve and decide to bring her down, like bad down. And there you have the plot. Sonny and Kira will make it over all obstacles including an older building developer who Kira inspired to build a theatre when he was younger. They will fight for their art and their love but there are a few hurdles. I hope you followed that exposition?

Of course, what really matters is that it's full of glittery dance and movement, camp as anything, roller-skates heaven and those wonderful ELO songs with alternative lyrics. 'Evil Woman' is about Melpomene (bad Muse), "Strange Magic' is when Kira and Sony realise they're in love and 'Physical' is when the Muses get captured by the gym-hunks of the earthly world. 'Xanadu' is the finale song of course, with the whole cast on roller-skates whizzing about that small space.

It was great fun on so many levels - I don't think I stopped smiling at all after it started and gave big clapping at the end of each half as well as much excited talk about it. Ace lines like '1980… the year inspiration left the arts' are pure gold against the backdrop of the roller-disco. Our heroes are Carly Anderson as Kira, Samuel Edwards as Sonny, Alison Jiear as Melpomene and Lizzy Connelly as Calliope (evil women both). The rest of the cast are most fab as well and the staging makes the best of the small space. My one plea is for more glitter-balls please - one can never have too many glitter-balls.

It's the funnest and daftest thing on in olde London Town at the moment so head on down to Elephant & Castle to see it. It's only on until 21 November and you will curse yourself forever if you fail to see it. You will, trust me. The only way to avoid that curse is to book tickets now. And no, I'm not on commission.