Theatre Review: The Producers

I don't often get the chance to go into town, so you can imagine my delight when Dana offered me a day out in the West End...on my own! Needless to say, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands!

I decided that I was going to make the most of my day, so I went to Leicester Square, visited one of the many half-price ticket booths and got a ticket for the matinee of The Producers - a show that I've been itching to see ever since it opened here three years ago. I also wanted to see it on stage before the movie version hits the cinemas on 26th December.

To my delight, I managed to secure a seat in the stalls, only four rows from the stage - sometimes, you just strike lucky. The auditorium was pretty full, not least because quite a few people were on holiday and of course there was the usual gaggle of tourists visiting London for Xmas.

The show?
What can I say?

In short, I absolutely loved every second of it. It was extremely funny, beautifully staged, very very Mel Brooks' and wonderfully choreographed. The songs were a delight and the cast, whom I didn't know (aside from John Gordon Sinclair of Gregory's Girl fame) were outstanding. Aside from the clever staging, the highlight was without a doubt the raucous Springtime For Hitler number whom only a nice Jewish boy like Mel Brooks could have had the chutzpah to write.

The show was peppered with Jewish jokes, which only a few of us in the audience got (I could tell because on one occasion, I found myself being virtually the only one to laugh at a line about a Rabbi and his shul) but no matter.

Mel Brooks has had his ups and downs moviewise but this show is a bone-fide classic and having now experienced it on stage, I can hardly wait to see the new movie. If you read my profile, you will know that I list the original as being one of my all-time favourites. The 1968 movie won an Oscar for Best Screenplay, so let's hope Mel gets another one in 2006!

The Teacher's Rating

5 out of 5! Fabulous!