#First Review

[aftertheapplause]

The Producers @ Menier Chocolate Factory ┃★★★★☆

The Producers at Menier Chocolate Factory is a delightful, joyous, camp revival of Mel Brooks classic 1967 film and 2001 musical version with a brilliant cast, lavish costume design but a rather confusing (and often) underwhelming set

When I saw that this production was completely sold out I knew I was in for a treat. I had never really heard of The Producers before (film or musical) and decided to keep the contents of the play a complete surprise. I am unsure whether this was wise or foolish, as I soon discovered that this wasn't cheesy and American but rather a black, satirical and often borderline comedic musical spectacular! The beginning song (Opening Night) got me very excited, especially as (due to the Meniers very small auditorium) I had actors all around me.

Then we were introduced to the brilliant Andy Lyman as Max Bialystock, who (in my opinion) gave an absolutely stellar performance. He was perfectly cast, and even did some brilliantly timed fourth wall breaks, and has a lovely singing voice as well. Marc Antolin was next as the nervous wreck Leo Bloom, an accountant who plants the profitable flop idea into Max's head. Marc really grew (I think more because of Leo's character arc) into the show and received a lot of cheering and shouting for a well rounded, professional portrayal.

Now I have tried to avoid it..but I have to talk about the show they decide to use as their flop for Broadway, when you haven't done any reading up on the show this can really shock you when they announce the title (as it did to me). They select 'Springtime For Hitler" written by the eccentric feurer super fan Franz Liebekind. I think that the show deals with this topic well, they clearly make sure it is right on the borderline and I feel it never spills over into insensitive and rude. Harry Morrison is the perfect Franz, his German accent is perfect and the stance and voice made it very funny. They select the director Roger De Bris (played by Trevor Ashley) and cast the Swedish actress Ulla Swanson (Joanna Woodward). The building of the play is utterly hilarious and I found myself crying with laughter, especially at Franz and Rogers comedic introduction scenes into the play.

Act 2 lets us see the monstrosity of Springtime Over Hitler, with its golden bratwurst and pretzels and Roger De Bris as a Hitler that arrives in a golden chariot and covered in flowers. This part of the show was hilarious, it's rare to see an audience laughing in unison. Then the dilemma, as the show goes from comedic to quite serious, when the show doesn't flop but it flies! We see a worried Max Bialystock go to jail and the nervous Leo steals his dream and flies to Rio with Ulla. This is where the set lets this production down, it was simply a scaffolding set adorned in lights. meaning that the transformations from theatre to office to rio, where underwhelming and bland. It is a shame but I do feel most of the budget went into the amazing costumes and the hugely detailed props.

As the play ends with the delightful finalé, I fly to my feet to begin the Mexican wave of people rising to give it a well deserved standing ovation.

MY VERDICT:

The Menier Chocolate Factory put on a lovely production, whilst extremely topical it is very clear why the producers is popular. I wouldn't say its contents are for everyone but if you enjoy black comedy and musicals, this is the perfect show for you!

My stand out performers were Trevor Ashley, Harry Morrison and Andy Nyman

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Producers plays at the Menier Chocolate Factory (London) until the 1st March 2025. However it is all sold out. Let's hope for a west end transfer 🤞

[alexislunacreations]

Tomorrow is the official release day for Love in the Occult Traumatic, and the first review is five stars. I couldn't be happier 🥹 Stay tuned for tomorrow's announcement to find out where you can get your own copy!

[djarshaddj]

Kuberaa First Review on X (2025): Shekar Kammula’s storytelling is so tight and engaging and what a performance by Dhanush!

Kuberaa First Review on X: Today, on the 20th of June 2025, the highly anticipated crime drama film “Kuberaa“, directed by the National Film Award-winning Sekhar Kammula and starring Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna & others, finally hit the theatres. Ahead of the grand Indian release, it premiered in North America last night; after experiencing the film on big screens, netizens shared their…

[tchistorygal]

Nearly Creamed Before Celebrating Launch Day Over a Cuppa

Sorry, this is a long post. LAUNCH DAY – YAY! Scroll to the end if you just want to hear how we almost got creamed on our way to Visalia. Meanwhile, Happy belated Mother’s Day, all you wonderful mothers! Vince took me out to a restaurant downtown called Bravo Farms. The sweet potato fry that was sticking straight up was probably 6 inches long! super yummy! Red Letter Day – Monday, May 12,…

[rightnewshindi]

सिकंदर फिल्म रिव्यू: ट्रेलर रिलीज से पहले सामने आया पहला रिव्यू, सलमान खान का स्वैग और रश्मिका मंदाना का ग्रेस बना हाइलाइट

Sikandar Movie Review: सलमान खान और रश्मिका मंदाना की बहुप्रतीक्षित फिल्म “सिकंदर” का ट्रेलर रिलीज होने से पहले ही इसका पहला रिव्यू सामने आ गया है। फिल्म 30 मार्च 2025 को ईद के मौके पर सिनेमाघरों में रिलीज होने वाली है, लेकिन उससे पहले ही यह रिव्यू फैंस के उत्साह को दोगुना कर रहा है। सेंसर बोर्ड की ओर से आए इस शुरुआती रिव्यू में फिल्म को “विस्फोटक, तीव्र और रोमांचक” बताया गया है। रिव्यू में सलमान…

[popculturebuffet]

Can I ask you a question what was the very first thing you ever Reviewed on this account?

I honestly had to look it up. I haven't even counted my reviews in a while. Need to update that tally. But it's in the hundreds. But the first was way back in 2019 with , to my suprise, transformers

I never did review this whole pilot and it was back when I was TRYIGN to make reviewing things my job, b but before it actually became one the following year thanks to certain persons

I did some x-men reviews that fall at the dawn of the krakoan age that got me doing things consitently and then fully got into it the next year with reviewing ducktales each week, which lead to kevin and me being able to do this.

[demonicsuffrage]

Batman regularly conducts performance evaluations/reviews for all the justice league members on an annual basis

Someone in the league, probably Hal or Barry, brings up how unfair it is that none of the robins have to go through it, when it's the most daunting thing ever. So now, the batkids have to go through mandatory performance reviews too

Bruce: The audit team says the budget this time was way higher than the last?

Tim, who's laundering an entire batmobile: We just needed extra snacks to feed the bats in the cave

Bruce: They suddenly needed more food?

Tim: Actually the previous bats all adopted new baby bats. Cause they're all like you, you know?

Bruce, trying not to cry: okay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce: The record says you broke the 'no gun rule' fifty times in the past month.

Jason: Damn just fifty?

Bruce: That's not acceptable

Jason: What are you gonna do, fire me? Your poor posthumous son?

Bruce:

Jason: That's what I thought, see you at dinner

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce: In the medical record, all your injuries are listed as 'nunya'. Care to elaborate?

Dick, hitting a pose: Nunya business

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce: How would you rate yourself and your performance on a scale of 1-5?

Cass, trying to sound professional: 4.8

Bruce, concerned: Why did you deduct the 0.2? Self-esteem is important. You're getting a five, review over

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce: What would you like to say about your repeated-

Duke: I'm severely understaffed, you know? As in, i literally work my shift alone, so

Bruce: Fair enough, I apologize, you may leave

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce: In your own words, please explain why we should keep you around for another year

Damian, having to deal with this right after a long patrol: I'm your blood son. Would you fire me? Firing Richard as Robin wasn't enough?

Bruce:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce: What would you say your biggest flaws have been, while working this year?

Steph, experienced in these cause of her service jobs: I cared too much. And I worked too hard.

Bruce:

Steph: Can't forget I'm also too good at my job.

[bitchthefuck1]

Milchick's been looking a little too sympathetic these past few episodes so they had to have him send Gemma back down to the testing floor again to remind us he still won't see heaven

[jamesthewineguy]

My First Wine Review!

[stemmmm]

if you havent read my wife's gf fanfic WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!

(no sound)

[arkhamochi]

[shotmrmiller]

re: rugby team ghoap

it'd been a one-off, seize-the-moment kind of thing. casual hookups aren't really for you, plus you distinctly remember your ex prating on about how the team would only be here for the weekend hence the absolute burning need to go, and you've got work monday.

goodbye, great knowing them. you'd traipsed out of the hotel room with your sneakers in hand, soap's used jersey in the other- a memento of sorts, a trophy. mild serial killer behavior but you reckon since you just became another pearl in their long string of conquests, the least you could do is take something with you that won't be gone with a warm epsom salt bath and a couple of days rest.

("would ye believe yer the prettiest we've ever brought back with us?" right. you know where you stand on that scale, and people like you don't typically pull men like them. another cringe-worthy comment like that and you'd mistake their interest with pity.)

you'd put both jerseys in the wash later that day, and the rattling of your washing machine marked the end of your exciting weekend.

or so you'd thought. from your side of things, you'd wiped your hands clean of their sweat, spit and come and went home, once again falling back into semi-familiarity, expecting to go to work feeling completely relaxed and loose, in more ways than one, while ignoring the photos taken of you and the "star players" at the stadium on social media.

(no one caught your face, what bloody luck.)

when you see them again, it's by pure chance. you'd been ordering a sandwich at a deli down the street, hand already reaching for your wallet when an arm curls around your shoulders, dark, coarse hair of a forearm brushing against your cheek.

cedarwood and citrus. it clings to your senses— a sharp, tangy reminder of that time you'd only look back on when the familiar pang of want pooled searing hot between your legs. small world, you suppose.

"didnae leave a note. stole my jersey. 'm surprised ye didnae leave us money on the table, bonnie." warmth flared beneath your cheeks but you didn't cow to his crude joke.

"i suppose i could've left a tip. what do you want?"

the playful lines around his eyes smoothed as his lips straightened into a firm line, his eyes frostbitten. you ignore the way his touch makes you feel trapped, tethered, a cage made of velvet.

"took my shirt and then didn't show up to a single game after tha'. jus' gettin' wha' i'm owed. unless he's yer favorite."

how can he be your favorite when you know nothing about the sport they play and have no interest in knowing?

"too bad. we come as a package. get yer food, we've a place nearby."

(simon had been nowhere near as good-natured as johnny had about you leaving without a word. made you spit out apologies with swollen lips, only accepted the ones that came with a fluttering of your raw pussy around the splitting thickness of him while soap condescendingly cooed in your ear about lessons having to be learned the hard way.)

[diaryofaquietmuse]

[possession1981-moving]

[bluedelliquanti]

"Yeah, baby!!!"

[justalittlechocolatemilkshake]