'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision' — Page 2

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#26

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:40am

Uh-oh.

It looks like most (if not all) of The Guardian's reviews are up for today, and the only regular critic of theirs who DOESN'T have something up is Lyn Gardner.

Anybody want to place bets on if they sent her to this, and if so what the chances of a zero-star review is?

#27

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 7:46am

They were very clever with the advertising for this one- limited 10 weeks- get em and close!
I didn't for one second expect the London critics to take to this!

** can someone go and inspect all the drains around Covent Garden- we seem to have lost LovePidgeon!!!!

A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!'' Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'

#28

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 11:18am

I agree with SADM2: this will struggle. Still having coped with Drowsy, I'm sure the theatre will cope with dressing the house nicely.

#29

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 12:29pm

Yup, no report from lovepigeon because lovepigeon didn't go... stupid ill-timed illness. The idea of the train up there almost gave my colleague a panic attack as we sat in the office wearing our woollens. Ah well, off on a sicky today so I'm at my mum's, about to download the lovely DSS action SADM2 kindly uploaded for me. Every cloud...

By the way, it seems SADM2 may be right about it not finding an audience... there have been discounts all over the place virtually since the day it went on sale, our office have got zero response from all our mail-outs and I've heard it wasn't even full last night (my wonderful DSS didn't fill its press night and look what happened there!). I reckon it's just the wrong time of year... if it had been on in the summer or waited til Chrizzy/New Year, it could have done great business. I guess they're happy it's only a limited run but I wouldn't be surprised if next year's instalment doesn't settle in London.

#30

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 12:39pm

30% of its performances have zero bookings at the moment!
Could it do its 10 weeks- we will see soon enough i think.
Another thought i had was , wouldn't it have been better to do the West End run over the initial hype of Eurovision back in May then the tour follow with the 'Direct From the West End' publicity to sell the show to the provinces!

#31

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 12:46pm

Good call, although I think to bill a tour as 'Direct from the West End' could be a bit risky...

'Fresh from its critically mauled, zero-attendance joke of a run in London's glitzy West End, Eurobeat is now trying its luck with you provincial grockles!'

#32

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/10/08 at 12:54pm

I have seen so many west end flops advertise with the 'Direct From The West End' thing

The best one is when they put a hit limited run

Translation

Closed early because no one went lol

Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna

#33

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/11/08 at 4:26am

Charles Spencer's review is up from the Telegraph, and it's quite the twister:

"There is an air of compulsory fun at the start of this send-up of the Eurovision Song Contest that, combined with the intolerable crush of a West End first night, succeeded only in putting me into a filthy mood."

"Ever since he sent himself up so mercilessly on Ricky Gervais's Extras, Dennis has been a hero of mine and his performance as a spectacularly dim and cheesy presenter, whose perma-grin barely falters however spectacularly things go wrong, strikes me as a comic tour de force."

"You might plausibly argue that to parody the Eurovision Song Contest is pointless, since the real thing does the job so well itself, but somehow Eurobeat works. The needling relationship between the two presenters, the brilliantly accurate pastiche of various naff pop idioms, and the audience participation, in which you vote for your favourite song via text message, prove an almost continuous pleasure."

"But for most of its length, Eurobeat hits its target bang on, and Glynn Nicholas's production proves the most exuberantly enjoyable musical to have opened in the West End since Hairspray. As the sign outside the theatre promises: you'll laugh until the tears run down your legs."
Telegraph Review

#34

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/11/08 at 4:30am

Four Stars from the Independent:

"But then Eurobeat isn't strictly a show – it's a competition. On paper, the evening sounds far from promising – "a hilarious musical spoof of the Eurovision Song Contest", starring Les Dennis. As anyone who watched slack-jawed as Latvian pirates and knitting Bosnian brides took to the stage for the real thing in May might be moved to ask, how does one spoof an event which appears to slide further and further into self parody? The answer, in the case of Eurobeat, is with supremely silly and loopily enjoyable ease."

"But it is Giedroyc as Boyka, the former Olympic pole-vaulting champion, who steals the show with a procession of hideous frocks ("by Jeff Banks") and outlandish poses. Her superb rapid-fire tri-lingual delivery and eastern European mangling of English bring the house down"

"ome of the routines are too silly and a good few of the jokes fall flat. And, just like the real thing, the voting goes on a bit too long (unlike the real thing, though, it's entirely unpredictable). But the energy levels rarely dip and I can't remember laughing this much (or ever making quite so much noise) in a theatre. My jaw was aching by the end of the second routine and by the time Ireland appeared with their hummable crowd-pleaser, I had joined the rest of the audience in a spontaneous bout of singalong flag-waving."
Independent Review

#35

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/11/08 at 5:53am

I think The Independent has found the problem, 'the evening sounds far from promising.' To me it sounded great straight away, but a lot of people, including my Mum were very reluctant to give it a go, she loved it once we got there. They need to do more promotion. I mean the Alan Titchmarsh show has lots of Musical people on it, and with Les Dennis and Mel in it I can't see the problem in it getting publicity. I don't know which songs they'd use to promote it though. Using Mel's song would spoil the surprise (IMO), so maybe a medley of the other songs, or the previous night's winner (although personally I don't think Russia and Estonia/Poland are the best songs in the show).

A lot of people tune in for Eurovision, but I doubt most of them are fanatical enough to pay to see Eurobeat.

I think they should try hard to get Eurobeat (the full show) on telly, maybe around Christmas time and include voting etc. like the real Eurovision.

Once you start to spread it, Baby, if you let it, Love comes right on back to you . . .

#36

re: 'Boom Bang A Bang' For 'Eurobeat-Almost Eurovision'

Posted: 9/12/08 at 8:19am

I've read nothing but great reviews about this show... and from the big papers!
There was the obvious Nicholas de Jongh review that gave it one star and clearly missed the point but apart from that all good things!
I have to say I really enjoyed it and really bought into the whole 'sunny, safe and secure sarjevo' thing. I would really advise everyone just go along with an open mind and get involved... the most fun I've had at a theatre in a long time!!!

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