Evita

Cutting straight to the chase, this production blew me away. I have always loved this musical (opera?!) and was very much looking forward to seeing it again - I was certainly not disappointed. This is a big production with a powerful and committed cast and it delivers on pretty well every level.

We were treated to Susie Griffin's Evita and it was a beautiful performance, she acted every nuance and note and sang with commitment - we were transported by this utterly credible Eva. Mark Powell's Che started at one heck of a lick and kept the whole show moving throughout, driving through his songs he gave a real sense of the narrative power of this show which offset beautifully the stillness of Earl Carpenter's Peron. Sasha Ransley, as The Mistress gets only one song, "Another suitcase" but she sang it with such gentleness and vulnerability she really stands out.

The ensemble are disciplined throughout, essential when the underlying rhythm is that of the Argentinian Tango (what experts we have all become since Strictly Come Dancing!) and even the simple but hugely effective set played its part on the night.

All the elements of this show were of a very high quality (so lovely to hear real musicians, so delightful to hear a show that is not over amplified) and the show as a whole is just superb ... go see it!