Sunday

The Britain's Got Talent auditions that weren't

A long time ago, it was established that Vix and I are big fans of Ant and Dec. We joked about coming up with some sort of act to audition on Britain's Got Talent, purely to meet the pair, but never quite got round to it. However, what we (well, Vix) did manage to do was get tickets to see the Britain's Got Talent auditions. Awesome! We were finally going to be in the same room as our favourite Geordie scamps. Only we ended up finding ourselves in the audience of Jersey Boys instead. 
Jersey Boys London Review
The tickets clearly stated that they operate on a first come, first served basis and needed to be claimed before 6:30. Arriving at the theatre at 4:45, we were gently informed (by a very lovely burly man who sounded like Hagrid) that the tickets had all been claimed much faster than anticipated. While we decided what to do, we popped into Garfunkel's next door for a bite to eat.

We eventually decided to head to Leicester Square and see if there were any shows with last minute availability. Our first stop was Book of Mormon who, as luck would have it, had 2 tickets available. For £150 each. Next stop, Les Mis where the box office man told us he could sell us the final pair for £125 each. Up and down Shaftsbury Avenue we walked, stopping in every theatre. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime? Sold out. Peter Pan Goes Wrong? Sold out. Miss Saigon? Sold out. Even those dodgy little ticket shops were sold out of everything.

As we walked away from the Palace Theatre, where Eddie Izzard is performing, we passed a glamorous woman rooting around in her handbag. I was too busy eyeing up the handbag to realise that it was actually Eddie Izzard en route to the theatre. Maybe we should have run up to him and ask for tickets to his show but, probably for the best, we'd missed our chance and continued on our trek.

Just as we decided to get a drink before heading home, we spotted a sign for the Picadilly Theatre down a side street. As we approached, we saw the signage for Jersey Boys and repeated our (by now well-rehearsed) box office routine. Yes there were tickets available, Lynne told us. They'd be £27 each.

Oh the sweet relief! We practically snatched those tickets out of her hand! Our seats were S11 and 12, almost right at the back of the stalls, but the view was great. There was just a slight overhang from the balcony which chopped off the actor's head when they climbed the on-stage steps but, other than that, we could everything perfectly.

Although I was obviously well aware of the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, I didn't really know anything about the band so I learned a lot from the show. The story follows the life of the band, from its formation right up to their 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Split into four parts, each named after a season and told through the eyes of a different member of the band, it was funny without being slapstick and surprisingly moving at times. I was particularly impressed with how original footage is seamlessly worked into the stage. Another highlight was the innovative use of floodlights and footlights while the actors had their backs to the audience, giving the impression that we were behind the band as they played to a huge crowd (even if the lights were so bright that I was seeing spots for ages afterwards).
During the interval, we took full advantage of the Ordertorium service- before the show started, we held up our in-seat menus and a member of staff took our order which was delivered during the break. This is the future! 

By the end of act II, everybody was on their feet dancing and clapping along. It goes without saying that the music was fantastic, of course! What was interesting for me was just how many incredibly famous songs were down to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons- Can't Take My Eyes Off You and Beggin' were two particularly surprising examples. 

I really enjoyed the show and we ended up having a fantastic evening, even if it wasn't anywhere near what we were expecting!

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12 comments :

  1. I saw Jersey Boys a few years back and it's so good!

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  2. I love that musical!

    Unfortunately my friend and I DID decide to audition for Britain's Got Talent. And, well, the less said about that the better!

    http://francescaandrews.com

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  3. Such a cute story! Jersey Boys is such a great musical.

    Katie | katielikeme.com

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  4. Hahahaha! Oh no poor you!
    Atleast it wasn't a wasted trip. Sarah xx
    whimsicalmumblings.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. I've seen the Jersey Boys too! I didn't realise a lot of the songs belonged to them either!

    Emily / The Mini Mermaid

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  6. Sounds fab, although obviously it wouldn't compare with Ant & Dec!

    Jess xo | The Indigo Hours

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  7. Haha only you two could turn missing Ant and Dec into an adventure around London's theatre district with a musical at the end!

    Simply brilliant.

    Bex x

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  8. i LUHUVVVVVVVED jersey boys - have seen it a couple of times now, and can't stop recommending it to others!

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  9. I love Jersey Boys, I've seen it once in London and once when it was on tour, really want to get another fix soon!

    Sophie | www.astoldby-sophie.blogspot.co.uk

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  10. Haha love this story. I've always wanted to audition as a singer but I lack the guts needed. When they rang me on the phone to ask me about the audition I nearly peed my pants :L x

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  11. What a fab night in the end then? Always better to be spontaneous but ...ANT AND DEC! :(

    Victoria xx thedaisyjaynes.com

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  12. I saw The Jersey Boys show in London a few years ago, with my OH and MIL. It's a brilliant show, and I'd love to go back and see it again! x www.aimeeraindropwrites.co.uk x

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