The Wild Party

With an astoundingly talented cast made up some of the West End’s finest artists, The Wild Party is lavish homage to the jazz age of the 1920’s. From the sparkle in the costumes to a finely choreographed show, it is a spectacular production that tells the story of vaudeville showgirl Queen (Frances Ruffle) and her violent husband Burrs (John Owen-Jones). They decide to bury their marital issues by throwing a lavish wild party – and it is this very party that fills this show. The majority of the first act is where the audience are introduced to each character, who take turns to sing, relating their story, detailing their current situation and profiling their partners. “My Eddie is a hero, just like Lindberg. Except Lindberg was white and flew planes, and Eddie’s black and beats people up.” This production explores many areas including gay relationships, infidelity, cross-dressing, racism and domestic violence. We are introduced to Queenie who is desperately trying to re-live her time as a socialite, but with Vaudeville clown Burrs attempting to control her. With guests starting to arrive, including Phil and Oscar D’Armano (Gloria Obiango & Genesis Lynea), with every move in sync, lesbian couple Madelaine True (Tiffany Graves) and Sally (Melanie Bright), boxer Eddie (Ako Mitchell) and his wife Mae (Lizzy Connolly), her little sister Nadine (Bronte Barbe), producers Gold and Goldberg (Sebastien Torkia), vaudeville veteran Dolores (Donna McKechnie) and then finally Kate (Victoria Hamilton-Barritt) and her gigolo, Black (Simon Thomas). You may think this is a lot to pack into a performance that lasts over 2 hours, however this production makes you want to see more as the story progresses and as the party gets wilder! The end of Act 1 saw my jaw hit the floor – it can often take a lot for this to be my reaction however this was a perfect ending for this act as it left me wanted to see what happened next! The Other Palace which was recently renamed from St James Theatre is a fantastic venue for this intimate and in your face performance. With a clear and undisturbed view of the entire set, even from the back row, the audience are very much part of the performance. The set design is outstanding and allows us to see not only the cast appearing on the stage, but all around the set and gallery mixing closely with the musicians. With a stair case set on three levels, this also gives another dimension to the production, however on a few occasions it did make it slightly harder to see who was singing. Key pieces of furniture are brought on stage including a large bed, a chaise lounge and an old record player. These are all used well within Drew McOnies direction and choreography. The music for The Wild Party is punchy and there is barely a moment where the band aren’t playing. With this being a sung-through show, there is a lot for us to hear but with catchy rhythms and often madness ensuing on stage – it was easy to be wrapped up in everything about this show. From my seat in the third row and with direct eye contact with the cast throughout – it is a show that encourages the audience to absorb everything it has to offer. There are a number of moments in the show where this show stands out. The manic and thrilling scene at the end of the first act and then again during the last 10 minutes of the show, which deals with the morning after. It had me on the edge of my seat and a great way to end this production. The Wild Party has set the bar high for the many shows that The Other Palace will see in the coming years. The show finishes its run on Saturday 1st April – if you can get yourself a ticket, please do.

This show was certainly a Wild Party. There was a lot going on at all times and moved from one crazy event to the next. The set was brilliant with the staircase allowed actors to enter the stage a variety of ways. The lighting at times was a bit much but I see the effect they where trying to create and it did I suppose create the effect of a wild party. The actors where all amazing and so talented especially Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, her voice is insane. The music was fantastic and the whole production was very well done. I'm glad I got to see the show on its closing performance!

Unfortunately I wasn’t blown away by ‘The Wild Party’. Being a massive Les Miserables fan, I was really looking forward to seeing the original Eponine ‘Frances Ruffelle’ in the lead role but I wasn’t overly impressed with her performance. For me, there was just too much going on stage at any one time so maybe it would have been suited to a bigger theatre? The songs were pretty forgettable and I also found the sound levels were not right (i.e. the band was so very loud that I had trouble hearing what the actors were singing about). For me, there was a lack of characterisation and plot which was a shame as this production showed a lot of potential. Still, I did see it on it’s very first night so it may improve during its run.

What a production! As a show it is pretty non-stop, and the music is relentlessly energetic. But what blew me away most was the performances by the actors (particularly Frances Ruffelle, John Owen Jones & Victoria Hamilton-Barritt) which were extraordinary, and the band who sounded electric. That combined with the intense choreography made for a really fantastic show!

An utterly phenomenal production - stunning cast, brilliant design and energetic, chaotic, raunchy choreography. The music is infectious - jazzy and sexy, and it sounds incredible performed by this cast and band. Be aware that the show contains partial nudity and constant references to drugs and alcohol.

Drew McOnie's direction and choreography is stellar, he is completely iconic. The cast in The Wild Party is also astoundingly good - star performances from Dex Lee, Gloria Obiango and Genesis Lynca - Frances Ruffelle is good too, but outshone by Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and John Owen-Jones. Songs not particularly catchy, but lovely bluesy-jazz feel about everything. Unfortunately, the musical is very far-fetched and whilst incredibly entertaining, I can't help but feel it hasn't been revived for so long for a reason.

I really struggled to get through this show - it's not a typical musical, and I wasn't really a fan of the music. I found myself not really caring about any of the characters, and the plot was paper thin. The production on the other hand was brilliant - the lighting, the performances, the choreography and costumes were all brilliant. overall I thought this was a 4 star production of a 2 star show.

I LOVED this show so much - the music is amazing, the choreography is on point and the cast are truly incredible!

Fantastic show once again. I didn't think it was possible but it was even better than the first time I saw it. A really wonderful and unique piece of theatre. If you have got the chance, please go and see it!