No holiday plans? What about a cruise? This hilarious spoof of the classic film could be the perfect getaway. It's all aboard for loads of fun in this nauti rewriting of Jack and Rose's soppy sea voyage in which all that sentimentality is replaced by a boatload of silliness. Acting as our guide to this gay romp is a ubiquitous Céline Dion who manages to insert herself into every situation while belting out the ballads that are her trademark. Hilariously played by Lauren Drew, Celine, with all her quirky mannerisms, is everywhere. She seizes any opportunity to upstage hapless Jack, pricelessly played by Luke Bayer, and his mousy mistress Rose, amusingly interpreted by Hiba Elchikhe. In fact, there are only a couple of points in this show when the irrepressible Céline finds herself pushed to the stern boat. As the ruthless Ruth, Rose's pushy mother, Carl Mullaney, delivers an epic rant that makes Gypsy's Mama Rose look like a nurturer. That tirade is a comic highpoint of ...

On Colonel Saab's menu it says "At Home With Colonel Saab." It is certainly true that these culinary creations by Chef Sohan Bhandari celebrate traditional Indian food, but everything on the menu has been elevated with a haute cuisine touch. On this occasion, we decided to try the updated Memsaab's Tasting Menu which consists of five courses and a palate cleanser before the curry course. To begin, my companion and I chose a selection of three types of poppadum with two interesting chutneys. We enjoyed these with lassis, the traditional Indian yogurt drink. The mango lassi had the right balance between sweetness and flavour, and my partner declared that the rosewater flavoured lassi was "perfect." The first menu course was a vegetarian South Indian tomato and lentil rasam served with mini idli and puffed pastry bites. The rasam was a rich and satisfying way to begin, and it had a lovely spiciness which gradually built. As always, the presentation was simply ...

In a terrific jazz retelling of the myths of Hades and Persephone, and Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown recasts, and intertwines, these two stories bringing out the power of both tales. Persephone is held in the underworld by husband, Hades, for half the year, and only when she returns to the earth does it becomes lush and fruitful again. The tension between the two is caused by her love of life and their annual separation. On the other hand, Orpheus falls in love with Eurydice who is lured to the dark realm by the promise of food and comfort. He pursues her and ultimately makes a deal with Hades which should allow him to bring his beloved back to the world. Anaïs Mitchell's book sticks fairly close to the original stories, but there is also a bleaker political allegory that comes out in songs like "Why We Build the Wall." As his dark eminence, Hades, Zachary James is a commanding figure and he brings an extraordinary voice and beautiful articulation to his role. He is we...

Who doesn't love a diva? Everyone has their favourite. This unique exhibition at the V&A looks at the concept of the diva and how it has changed and developed since its original association with the great opera singers of the 19th century. The term, which comes to refer to the great female gods of all the arts, takes on different and quite contradictory connotations over time. Not surprisingly in a patriarchal society, as the women associated with the descriptor begin to celebrate their empowerment, the word also becomes a synonym for caprice, wantonness and temperament. In fact, attitudes toward the diva, now a gender neutral appellation, really reflect the complex response society has towards "the other." Fascination and fear, desire and denigration all become part of the powerful mix. For us, the most interesting part of the show is the look at the earlier bearers of the banner. It is lovely to see objects associated with such luminaries as Adelina Patti, Jenny Lin...

Sometimes you get exactly what the package promises! Mrs. Doubtfire is a terrific, feel-good musical with excellent performances, top notch production numbers and lots of positive energy. This is a show that depends on its star, and Gabriel Vick as Daniel Hillard delivers. He does a superb job of being the childish spouse who learns how to be a responsible adult when he becomes his children's nanny. Vick's voice work and transformations are nothing short of astonishing and his enthusiasm is contagious. Laura Tebbutt as Miranda, the long-suffering wife, is pitch-perfect and the children come across as endearing without being cutesy. All of the cast work well together, and we particularly liked Samuel Edwards as the bland new boyfriend and Cameron Blakely as the brother who yells when he lies. The show has some great numbers such as when the newly minted nanny decides to cook for the family. As anyone who's ever tried to follow a recipe online knows, it's never "Eas...

This tribute show celebrates the career of The Temptations. The super-successful Motown group of the 1960s and 70s has had lots of member changes, but it's still going on today. The big hits like "My Girl," "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone" are all here, and if you remember and love this music, this is the show for you. The cast do an amazing job of presenting the songs and the choreography of Sergio Trujillo is quite stunning. It's almost non-stop action, and the athleticism displayed is absolutely astounding. However, neither the lives of the band members, nor of the band itself, turned out to be as smooth as the group's moves on stage. The narrative based on the book of Otis Williams (Sifiso Mazibuko) is a familiar tale of battling egos, cheating agents and drug and alcohol abuse. Broken friendships and ruptured relationships are the substance of the backstage stories, and it's pretty much what we have come...

Chayote def. a succulent green pear-shaped tropical fruit that resembles cucumber in flavour. While the eponymous fruit may not be noted for its tastiness, this new addition to London's cuisine scene certainly brings lots of savour to all of its offerings. The menu are a riff on Mexican favourites with hints of Peruvian and Spanish influences. The ordering works like a tasting menu and we ordered from all three categories to create our meal: Starters, Tostadas & Tacos and To Share. To begin we opted for the guacamole which has to be the hallmark of any Mexican restaurant and the prawn and jalapeno croquetas with guajillo cream. The former was a beautifully simple guac which let the ingredients speak for themselves without any gimmicks. The latter was an absolutely unctuous introduction to the meal, rich, creamy and tasty. For our next course, we chose sesame yellowfin tuna tostadas, also with guajillo cream, and chicken tinga and sour cream tacos. The raw sesame tuna on the to...

It's another astounding anniversary for the world's longest running play. The Mousetrap has become a national treasure and is a required stop on the London tourist scene, right up there with the Tower of London and The British Museum. However, what is really amazing is that this enduring West End fixture remains a great evening in the theatre. The definitive whodunit continues to beguile and puzzle audiences much as it did in 1952. Indeed, Agatha Christie's play stands up to the test of time and with each cast change it remains fresh and enduringly delightful. In the current iteration, Sara Lessore and George Banks convincingly convey the naïveté of Mollie and Giles Ralston – the new innkeepers who with their first intake of quirky and querulous guests get more than they bargained for. The strange and secretive group of visitors include the goofy Chris Wren impeccably played by Jonathan Tynan-Moss and the sinister Mr. Paravicini amusingly mugged by Rob Pomfret. Philip Chi...

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with London's favourite ghost story? We recently revisited The Woman in Black which has been running in the West End for over thirty years and has been frightening audiences all year round. It all begins when an elderly lawyer decides to share his curious story with a young actor. In his youth, the lawyer visited an isolated house to deal with the estate of the local recluse and some strange things began to happen. As the lawyer stumbles through his description of his experience, the actor attempts to dramatise this bizarre tale and its haunting incidents, but little does he know that the drama may end up coming to him. Despite its long run, The Woman in Black continues to be fine entertainment and can still induce a frisson. Where much contemporary theatre depends on special effects to create atmosphere, this production does it the old-fashioned way by appealing to the audience's imagination. In the same way as the young actor anim...

It is difficult to believe that it is already the first anniversary of Colonel Saab, the Indian restaurant located in the former Holborn Town Hall. Roop Partap Choudhary's creation with its distinctive and artful decoration is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the palate and Roop has chosen to mark the present special occasion with a new tasting menu. With its usual inventive approach to Indian cuisine, Colonel Saab is offering a six course progressive meal which is paired with specially developed cocktails. A companion and I recently had the opportunity to share this dining experience designed by Chef Sohan Bhandari. We both started with a "Mall Road's Dahi Sev Puri" which as instructed we popped into our mouths whole. This was definitely a burst of flavour with which to begin the meal. Our second course was Chilli Mogo which proved to be a crispy cassava in a tangy, tamarind sauce. For myself, course three was the Anglo Indian Chicken Chop. My companion, who...

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since Jersey Boys brought doo-wop triumphantly back to the West End in the beautifully restored Trafalgar Theatre. The show shares the touching saga of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: their rise to fame and their background stories. Unlike many jukebox musicals, these songs don't need to be shoe-horned in. They simply fit naturally into place as the years roll by. No less than thirty-four numbers are listed – several of which come as a surprise – but each one is given full value by this terrific cast. Luke Suri who played the part of Frankie Valli on the UK and Ireland tour has taken on the role in the West End, and he does a terrific job of channeling the famous lead singer of The Four Seasons. His energy level is simply amazing. Adam Bailey, Karl James Wilson and Benjamin Yates join Suri to make up a tremendous band. Each one sings superbly and artfully creates his own persona. We really feel for these guys as the show progr...

Remember, remember the Fifth of November. It's 1605 and some persecuted Catholics have decided to strike back by blowing up the Houses of Parliament. This immersive experience invites participants to go back in time and to become part of the events and intrigue of the day. The adventure begins with a small group of attendees being led into the prison under the Tower of London, only to escape that horror and to become entangled in the plot to kill King James and the parliamentarians. After our escape we stopped at a safe house and later dropped by the plotters' favourite tavern before sailing down the Thames to carry out the nefarious scheme. But, are we really on the side of the plotters, or are we part of the team of spies planning to disrupt the dark endeavour? This experience has a well-constructed narrative with lots of twists and turns, and if you get into the spirit of it, you are in for a lot of fun. The journey is enhanced by virtual reality experiences that can be quit...

It is hard to believe that Disney's The Lion King has been running in the West End for over twenty years. It is certainly one of the company's best loved musical productions, and the audiences continue to fill the theatre. The tale of the lion cub, Simba, dealing with his own youthful shortcomings and overcoming the malevolence of his uncle, Scar, continues to resonate with audiences around the world. The narrative of the cub's growth to maturity and his assumption of his rightful place in the order of nature is brought to life by the extraordinary music and lyrics of Elton John and Tim Rice, and the ground-breaking costume and puppet design of Julie Taymor and Michael Curry. The scenic design of Richard Hudson is unforgettable and the opening sequence of the "Circle of Life" is positively awe-inspiring. The current cast with Thenjiwe Thendiva Nofemele as Rafiki, Shaun Escoffery as Mufasa, and George Asprey as Scar continue the strong tradition established by the...

Published in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby , came to define the Jazz Age – a period of self-indulgent high living that had a dark underside. Fitzgerald's masterpiece exposed the materialistic reality of the American Dream while simultaneously creating an appetite for the affluent lifestyle of its protagonist. Gatsby throws extravagant parties to try to attract his one true love, and this immersive experience seeks to emulate one of those soirées. The audience/guests at the event mingle with the actors and periodically participate in activities like a dance lesson, an auction, and a party game involving tea service. At the same time the tragic story of Gatsby's love for Daisy Buchanan unfolds. The show has been running in London since 2017 and is now returning with a new cast. For us, the standout performances were Alex Wingfield who managed to capture the crass brutality of Tom Buchanan quite perfectly, and Hugh Stubbins who did a fine Nick Carraway....

Your experience of this Cabaret begins from the moment you enter the theatre. Admission to the Kit Kat Club is via an underground passage which leads to bars that promise all the diversions and decadence of pre-war Berlin. The redolent atmosphere established foreshadows a very special evening. This might be an edgier, darker Cabaret than you remember. Eddie Redmayne's Emcee is a fascinating grotesque whose presence is quite hypnotic. The bravura performance dominates the production and his ironic promise that "in here, life is beautiful" resonates throughout the evening. His rendition of "Money" has an unforgettably chilling cynicism. This Sally Bowles, as played by Jessie Buckley is also a far cry from the perky party girl that we might be accustomed to. She exudes an alluring energy but there is a dark core explored in her stunning performance of the poignant "Maybe This Time" and the rather desperate "Cabaret." Omari Douglas as Clifford Br...

The Courtauld offers one of the great collections of London. Perhaps, primarily known for its small but impressive Impressionist collection, it is really so much more. And now the collection is housed in a worthy new setting. This redesign of the galleries beautifully complements the Courtauld's boutique collection of works that are familiar masterpieces. The renovation which has been going on since 2018 also provides new space. There is a new gallery for the Medieval and Early Renaissance collection, while the refurbishing of the Blavatnik Fine Rooms housing the Renaissance to 18th century is deeply impressive. Botticelli's The Trinity with Saints is on display after a three-year conservation and the extensive Peter Paul Rubens collection is now stunningly exhibited. It was wonderful to see one of our personal favourites, Cranach's Adam and Eve back on view. Back also are Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère and Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear plus al...

Who knew that Michelangelo's David once had a fig leaf for formal occasions? The Victoria & Albert Museum is an amazing and sometimes overwhelming hodge-podge of "stuff," but here's a fun tour that offers a thread to follow through the maze while considering questions about sexual and gender identities. By looking at some familiar and some lesser known objects in the collection, visitors are invited to explore the history and myths that inform the current LGBTQ community. From representations of Zeus and Ganymede to Kylie Minogue’s dressing room via the photographs of Wilhelm von Gloeden there is lots to see and enjoy here. Each tour is designed by its own volunteer guide so every time out the itinerary will vary considerably. There is always something new to discover in the museum's amazingly eclectic exhibits, and with each guide bringing their own personal vision to the tour, one visit may not be enough. So far we've enjoyed the hidden histories ...

The amazing Wallace Collection of paintings, furniture and armour is in the spectacular setting of Hertford House decorated largely in the style of the 18th century. The collection is also rich in 17th and 18th century masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Rubens, Watteau and others. This is the place to see Frans Hals' "Laughing Cavalier." The collection does not travel so this is a must to visit. Free tours and the Brief Encounter talks (about 20 minutes) take a maximum of 25 people. One of our favourite places in London. Reviewed by J.C.  Our Score:    ☆☆☆☆☆ WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Mon - Sun: 2:30 pm, Fri - Sun: 11:30 am Brief Encounters talks at scheduled times Hertford House, Manchester Square Nearest tube: Bond Street https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on

Maybe the best musical value in London. The lunchtime concerts at St. Martin's are always a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle that is London and the sensory overload that is Trafalgar Square. This is a beautiful setting with great acoustics, and a church pew hard enough to make sure you don't nod off. Reviewed by J.C.  Our score:    ☆☆☆☆  WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Mon & Fri: 1 pm - 1:45 pm ( occasionally Tues & Thurs)  St. Martin in-the-fields, Trafalgar Square Nearest tube: Charing Cross https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on

A fascinating peek into Roman London and the mysterious cult favoured by Roman soldiers. The history of the discovery of this site and its excavation is as fascinating as the discovery itself. The presentation is first-rate and makes looking at the artifacts genuinely fun. The temple “event” actually creates a sense of the mysteries that once were celebrated there. If you are a classical history buff, this one must not be missed and for others it is an easy way to find a connection to Roman Britain … a great complement to the Roman collection at the Museum of London. And unlike some of London’s museums which can be rather overwhelming, this one leaves the visitor wanting more. Reviewed by J.C.   Our Score:   ☆☆☆☆  WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Permanent Display Tues - Sat: 10 am - 6 pm, Sun: 12 pm - 5 pm Bloomberg Space Nearest tube: Bank http://londonmithraeum.com