2012 - What A Year

[Phantom of London]

As I said in another thread 2012 won't go down as a vintage.

But that doesn't stop me from saying:

How much I have enjoyed watching some of the best acting in the whole wide world on stage. T

The score is played beautifully by some of the best musician in the whole wide world.

Put together and conceived from some of the best composers/lyricists/book writers in the whole world.

Which in turn has been imaged by some of the best set/lighting/sound designers in the whole world.

This has been realised by some of the best directors in the whole world world.

Which has been made possible by some of the finest stage managers/stage hands/wardrobe departments/dressers/wig department/spotlight operators/sound desk operators in the whole wide world.

Which in turn makes my theatre visiting most pleasurable by some of the best box office/ushers/cloakroom assistants/cleaners/ice cream sellers/theatre managers in the whole wide world.

All this has been performed in some of the best and most unique theatres in the whole wide world.

If I have missed anyone, that is because you have made my theatre going experience so pleasurable and so seamless, this is in no small part, because you are the very best at what you do in the whole wide world.

That is why I love British theatre, which is just the best in the whole wide world.

[Sean2]

I'm sure others think this as well, but what a lovely post! Thank you for that. And can I second your post? To all who work in/around/for the theatre, thank you.

And I envy how much theatre you get to see. :)

[songanddanceman2]

Yet again it was the fringe scene that provided the most exciting work

[bob8rich]

POL - I would certainly echo your vote of thanks to everyone who's contributed to my theatrical pleasure during 2012.

And I agree that it was not a particularly great year for West End musicals (apart from SWEENEY TODD) - neither was 2011! But I agree with SADM that the best theatre of 2012 was (once again) at Fringe venues. And - for me - 2012 was a fantastic year for musical theatre a Fringe venues!

The absolute cream of the crop were MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at the Choc Factory (about as perfect as a musical could ever be), SOHO CINDERS at the Soho Theatre, DADDY LONG LEGS at the St. James and STEEL PIER at the Union - with the dazzling Mack & Mabel at the Southwark Playhouse pretty close behind.

And there were a huge number of other stunning productions of musicals I saw during the year at Fringe spaces:
FLOYD COLLINS Southwark Playhouse)
JEKYLL AND HYDE (Union)
LUCKY STIFF, THE GLORIOUS ONES, FLORA THE RED MENACE, THE THING ABOUT MEN, CURTAINS (all at the Landor)
LOVE AND WAR (Ye Olde Rose And Crown)
THE WORLD GOES ROUND (Canal Café)
CALL ME MADAM (Union)
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (Union)
HONK! (Tabard)
and I'm sure there've been other fantastic Fringe shows I wasn't able to get to see - for example, I've heard amazing things about THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS at the Arcola and CRAZY FOR YOU (currently playing at Upstairs at the Gatehouse).

And next year already seems to be heading the same way - very little that excites me from what has already been announced for the West End (apart from ONCE and A CHORUS LINE), while there are 3 Fringe musicals I am already salivating over lol - DEAR WORLD (Charing Cross), CHESS (Union) and Maury Yeston's PHANTOM (Ye Olde Rose & Crown).

[Phantom of London]

Thanks for that, I have just re-structured the original post to make more sense.

[theatrepaul]

I think 2012 has been one of the best years in London theatre for a while, particularly when it comes to new writing and works from new writers.

It is great to see the off West End and fringe theatres thriving and offering high quality alternatives to the West End and at much more affordable prices.

I definitely plan to go off West End more and more in 2013

[Scripps2]

And some great stuff in the regions: the best thing I've seen this year was Orpheus Descending at the RX in Manchester.

There's been precious little to tempt me down to London in the last six months.