I Am What I Am...

The final show on our West End weekend itinerary was La Cage aux Folles, which we decided to see as John Barrowman was starring as Albin. I've been a fan of John Barrowman for years, since I saw him in Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi over 15 years ago, long before Captain Jack and Torchwood and brought him into the mainstream. He was playing a limited run in this show so we decided to see it while he was still there.

This is a great feel-good musical. If you've read my previous reviews you'll know that I like my shows to give me something more than just a few hours' entertainment, and while this show didn't move me in the way others do, the fact that the acting, songs, dancing, costumes and humour were all of such a high quality gave it the extra something I needed. The part of Albin was made for John Barrowman (well, not literally; it was made for Harvey Fierstein, but you know what I mean), and Simon Burke, who is a famous theatre actor but who I don't think I'd seen in anything before, was excellent as Albin's partner, Georges. The music is very melodic and easy to listen to, and the six-packs on the Cagelles, the dancers in the 'La Cage aux Folles' club, werea sight to behold... :).

This show must also be the only one I've seen where the number of men in the audience at least equals the number of women, and is certainly the only one I've seen where it's acceptable for men-only groups to attend!