http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009...ael-billington
3 stars

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/c...rury-Lane.html
4 stars

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...tch-again.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7830126.stm

Really looking forward to it, I'm going to see it on the 31st! Staying at the waldorf afterwards which I hope will be nice as well

Some great reviews. I am hoping when I eventually get to see it that Harry is playing Oliver.

So am I - Jodie got some nice crits - apart from the Independent - who hated her!

Michael Billington in the Guardian's a bit of a misery. Every time I've read him, he doesn't like anything popular. Saw it on New Years Day and it's a great theatrical experience. Atkinson was wonderful.

£15 million in advance ticket sales and breaking records. Great to see a show become so successful in such unstable economic times.

Indeed they thought she couldn't sing or act.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...n-1366912.html

The Times thought she couldn't act and then decided it didn't matter.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co....cle5519237.ece

http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.ph...E8831232012982

Seems to be with the Independent.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatr...iewId=23620143

Notes Jodie looks tough enough to beat Bill up but then seems to come out in her favour.

Just shows that you can please some critics easily and some others not at all.

http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/re.../23136/oliver-

Another one.

Interesting because the critique where there is one is lack of depth in the characters and/or any sense of menace. Its interesting because you can see why what CM wanted in Nancy would have dealt with some of the problem by making Nancy more vulnerable, more emotional and more credible because young Nancy would have given the relationship with Bill a story (old dominant male, young vulnerable Nancy)

The point though is that not only didn't he get that Nancy but it would have only solved a small part of the problem anyway given that Oliver, Fagin and Bill are all seen as being weak on the characterisation front too.

But the show doesn't have depth. I bet no matter who plays Nancy her part as written isn't really well written

A good actress can bring more depth to the role.

Just as well they got a good actress to play Nancy then.

More than one newspaper critic questioned Jodie's acting - hence the discussion on here about the depth (or lack thereof) of the role of Nancy, as written in the script.

Had Jodie's acting been up to scratch, I would have expected that to be mentioned by the critics - both the previous TV 'winners' (Connie and Lee) were praised by the critics for their acting ability and both are, in my opinion, strong actors. I just don't see that kind of ability in Jodie. Maybe it will come in time, but there is still work to do before she gets to that level.

Good ones don't need the words - the looks and the intonation and the timing and the actions do the job. Just watched Aoife Mulholland in Chicago again and she seems to be experimenting with different Roxie's - this time it was ditzier Roxie as compared to bad Roxie the first time and she in turn followed Suzanne Shaw's likeable but damaged Roxie. Same words, same notes, same choreography. It ought to be possible to convey vulnerability or foolishness or being battered into submission in Nancy just as Fagin could easily be more menacing if there wasn't a racist overtone problem already there in the writing.

Well you could add depth but that means you have to be more consistent than the audience expects and would turn the show into something much darker than a nice sing along. As long as he needs me done by Nancy Sullivan like she does Eponine in Les Mis would have the audience weeping buckets. Not sure the audience would like Oom-Pah-Pah if it was acted well enough to cover all the emotions that ought to be in Nancy's head. On the other hand its not meant to be a happy singalong story.

Was Connie praised by the critics? I thought they mostly said she could sing but her acting was limited?

Roger Foss on LBC raved about the show last week. He's a fan of popular musical theatre anyway, and a huge admirer of Lionel Bart. I was so pleased to hear him say that the programme featured Bart heavily, and some of the Bart family were at the Opening Night.

It's on at my fave Theatre aswell so I'm desperate to see it, but no chance for a while.

Incase this wasn't posted here:
Roger interviews the Oliver cast on page 14.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8730450/Wh...-Dec-08-Jan-09

Connie got at least 3 good awards for her performance though even if some people found it thin and derivative.

http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/theat...ie-fisher.html

If you look on the public reviews at the SoM site most of the public who bothered to write liked her wheras Summer Strallen has a mixed reception (getting better as time goes on) and Aoife Mullholland had massive support bar one Connie fan at the end who thought Connie was better........

Another interesting bit is why some people can't do 8 shows and others can. We were told on the ALW shows that Aoife would have trouble, Abi was inconsistent and Jessie couldn't perform at her intensity too often. Aoife has done 8 Chicagos a week for 6 months, Abi was perfectly consistent in all her roles 8 times a week and Jessie meanwhile has been doing even more than 8 performances some weeks. Meanwhile Connie was cut back to 6 and Jodie seemingly is getting a strained voice doing 6.......just proves you can't believe much you hear on the shows.

No - she was definitely praised (and if you watch her performances on HYDSAPLM, which are on youtube, it's pretty obvious that she stood out from the others in terms of her overall performance skills).

A lot depends on what is required of the role. Maria in SOM in on stage pretty much in every scene and is singing (and talking) in pretty much every scene. Hence that role is vocally demanding. Let's not forget that different shows have different vocal and physical demands (and performers from the TV casting programmes have different levels of experience going into these shows) so it's pretty pointless trying to compare them. Also, people can need to take time off due to illness or injury that has nothing to do with their stamina or ability to cope with the demands of the role they're playing (for example, Lee Mead managed to concuss himself on stage twice in three days! Both concussions were caused by freak accidents and he actually carried on with the performance after the first one. He was treated by the paramedics after the second one and had to be replaced by the understudy for the rest of the performance - but he was back onstage the following night!).

Thats largely in the eye of the beholder. If you look at the group performances in HDYSAPLM its far from clear that Connie stood out - in some there's arguably 3 or 4 stronger people.We never saw her in a sing off to compare her vocals directly - there's only one song with Helena at the end and they don't sing against each other - possibly wisely as Helena outsang everyone else in a sing off. . Its also even acknowledged on the shows that there are better actors and better singers in the group.

Connie's success like Jodie's was partly based on looking/sounding most like what enough people thought the person in the role should look like and/or having a story. Leaving aside who sang when and its impact on voting, who else was eliminated and song choices, Connie was also seen as safe by the judges, and got their support. Actually performing the role there's a whole range of opinions and even contrary views on which Maria was credible, sang well or was funniest - which must just prove that people like and see different things.


Looking right for the part though seems to have been the reason why some of both their reviews were negative - the claims are variations on that they looked like someone else doing the role and they looked like someone singing the songs as songs rather than as part of a deeper fully worked up character. It may not matter if thats what most of the audience wanted and people who wanted what they got seem understandably to think that they are doing a great job portraying the character. Jodie may be lucky though that the show doesn't seem to be being acted that seriously - not sure if she would look right at all in a real drama or tear jerker.

Personally I thought Aoiffe was the better actress on the HDYSAPLM shows, and thought back then the perfect role for her would be the Mother in Blood Brothers. I wish Bill Kenwright would put her in that show!

Re the 8 performances a week. I appreciate it's very disappointing if you book especially to see a specific performer, as I did a few years ago to see Sarah Wildor in Contact, and just before curtain up, it's announced that her role is to be played by the understudy. When I rebooked, and did see Sarah, the difference in quality was staggering. That was one understudy who was out of her depth, but on other occasions, it's been a joyous experience. I saw Antony Andrews 3 times as Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, and Harry Burton once, on a midweek Matinee, who actually had a far better singing voice, but lacked the charisma and stage presence of Andrews, but nonetheless it was enjoyable to see the understudy. I also spoke to other audience members who'd seen the Eliza understudy, and said she was wonderful.

But I do agree that if you are in a demanding role then 8 performances a week is tough.
Francesca was on LBC Radio last Saturday commenting on the whole Nancy experience, and working in Musical Theatre, and she said when she was in Rent, she'd wake up every day unable to speak....then as the day wore on and her voice loosened up she knew she'd be okay to perform that night. But she said when you're in a run like that, you can't do anything else but gear your entire life around your performance, so I'm sure that takes it's toll.

Gosh, I must say I don't agree with that at all. Connie was a good performer and put across a number well, but her acting was quite poor; stilted and wooden and that was really obvious in any of the clips I saw of her performing in the show. Aoife was easily the best actress in HDYSPLM.

That said, I don't have any problem with her winning as the show didn't showcase acting in the slightest and Connie was easily the most consistent of the Marias and her voice was up there with the best (along with Helena, Siobhan and Belinda).

From what I saw of Jodie in IDA, she was a far better actress that Connie could ever hope to be. Her performance of Send in the Clowns proved this by itself. From what I've read of the show, it seems to be veering towards a slightly pantomimic style (Rowan's Blackadder/Mr Bean ish Fagin). Perhaps Jodie has been instructed to play Nancy in this exaggerated, pantomimish, east end tart with a heart kind of style. I can see how she'd slip into this easily if it was in keeping with the style of the show. But she is certainly capable of portraying the character with more subtlety.

Exactly, got the best of the best and the reviews that Jodies got has been amazing!!!! Well deserved too.

I would say the opposite - Connie was a strong actress and singer, whilst Jodie was an OK singer but a poor actress. I found Send In The Clowns completely OTT - she lacked subtlelty and 'stillness', and that just spoiled the performance for me.