Cole Porter was unusual among his peers in that he wrote both lyrics and music for his shows (although he didn't orchestrate his music scores). He was a man whose work brought so much pleasure to others, but he also knew about suffering - perhaps more suffering than any individual should have to bear. His later career was framed by the constant pain he endured following a riding accident in 1937 when his horse rolled on him and…

Picture this: Julian Marsh, an erstwhile doyen of Broadway, badly needs a new show to re-establish his reputation as the King of the Hill of show directors, but to do that he might have to hire a star, Dorothy Brock, whose light has somewhat faded (and that's being kind!), besides which she can't really sing, and she dances about as well as a sack of spuds.

What to do? Well, sometimes you've…

This was a show I very much looked forward to seeing. I'd been working on some of the painting for the show, aided in no small way by my lovely wife Lorna (who made so many of the wonderful props), and I'd been listening with half an ear to some of the on-stage rehearsals (when I could), but I was eager to see the finished production in final form.

I had…

NOTE: This is a shortened (!) version of my original review.  For those with the strength (and the ability to go without sleep for days on end), a longer version of this review is also available.  If nothing else, it is a sure cure for insomnia!

By way of an introduction to this piece, I’d offer the opinion that if it's a new show, something that's never been performed before, then perhaps we'd go to see it with few expectations, or preconceptions. …