Welcome to The Crazy Chris Website

Loving London life...

Hello and welcome. This is the third version of my personal site - the first two just developed technical problems which I couldn't resolve so I had to start over. Basically it's mostly about theatre as that's where I often find myself outside of work. I'm still not technologically minded so this one might well fail too at some point.

One of these days I might get around to putting up old content from the previous websites. Thanks for stopping by!

Into The Woods / Musical Theatre Cabaret - Royal Academy of Music

I’ll be brief. I’m conscious that I once started by saying that when I wrote a piece about Bat Out of Hell the Musical, which eventually...

Jun 28, 20244 min read

Barry Manilow - London Palladium

Jimmy Tarbuck’s warm-up act was best summarised as, “Be still my beating heart! Oh. It is.” His light humour hasn’t changed over the...

May 26, 20243 min read

Opening Night - Gielgud Theatre

It is true that not everybody that was seated in the Gielgud Theatre just before 7:30pm was still there just before 10:00pm, although...

Apr 2, 20243 min read

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy is incredibly broad – six young men, often with diametrically...

Mar 30, 20244 min read

Cable Street - Southwark Playhouse

The director of this show, Adam Lenson, has been very vocal about Jewish representation, or what he perceives to be the lack of it, on...

Mar 10, 20244 min read

Poor Things (2023 film)

Possibly one of the oddest films I’ve ever sat through (and I’m fully aware that if someone were to ask me if I’ve seen such-and-such a...

Feb 27, 20243 min read

The National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals 2024

There’s the Post Office scandal, in which some of its senior staff still somehow believe miscellaneous subpostmasters were guilty of...

Jan 28, 20243 min read

The Color Purple / All of Us Strangers

I saw two films recently, on separate weekends, and I wasn’t going to bother saying anything about either of them, as I thought they were...

Jan 28, 20244 min read

How to keep your home safe from burglars

Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you're just in the garden. Hide all keys, including car keys, out...

Jan 8, 20241 min read

Some quirky stories

Leave a message after the moo A Devon farmer lost his mobile phone after accidentally inserting it into the rear end of a cow while using...

Jan 4, 20242 min read

How to pick a good state school

Start researching local state schools two or three years before your child is due to apply. Check inspection reports and exam results in...

Jan 3, 20242 min read

Another year, another reflection

You’ve probably had your fill of reflections for the year 2023 – or otherwise you’ve been good at avoiding such things. Or – full...

Dec 31, 20237 min read

How to find a good state primary

Ask to see the admission policies for your preferred schools. Reading is one of the most important things children learn in primary...

Dec 30, 20231 min read

Criteria for selecting a prep

Know your child. If you've got an academic son or daughter, do everything you can to get them into an academic school. If they're not...

Dec 29, 20231 min read

Wicked - Apollo Victoria Theatre

Photo credit: Matt Crockett It’s been just over fourteen years since I saw Wicked – and just under four years since I last set foot in...

Dec 6, 20234 min read

Diana in Concert - Eventim Apollo

“Another night with Charles’ friends / I pray to God that it soon ends / Nights like this, I envy the poor / Their parties can’t possibly...

Dec 5, 20233 min read

London Show Choir: Live for Doddie - Cadogan Hall

I still know next to nothing about the London Show Choir, except they are a very large group – by far the biggest choir I’ve seen perform...

Nov 27, 20233 min read

Trevor Noah: Off the Record - The O2 Arena

The observational comedy is on point, for the most part – there was a bit about the German national anthem, which these days has only one...

Nov 26, 20233 min read

Sunset Boulevard - Savoy Theatre

Were there laptops in 1950? Apparently so, according to this production of Sunset Boulevard, or Sunset Blvd. as it insists on marketing...

Nov 9, 20233 min read

The Time Traveller's Wife - Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

Not every musical has to be entirely sung through, of course, but there were moments in this stage adaptation of The Time Traveller’s...

Nov 7, 20233 min read

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