When I went: 3 September 2015

Music Owl Hoot rating: 4/5

Location: Savoy Theatre, London

Performers: Imelda Staunton (Mama Rose), Lara Pulver (Gypsy Rose Lee / Louise), Peter Davison (Herbie)

Creative team: Jonathan Kent (director), Nicholas Skilbeck (musical director), Arthur Laurents (book), Jule Styne (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics)

Approximate price: £90

Special points: Powerhouse numbers

Best bit: Some People

If I could change one thing: More consistent songs

Review:

The musical:

Gypsy is a famous, old-school, powerhouse musical boosted by Jule Styne’s strongest numbers (Some People, Rose’s Turn) and Stephen Sondheim’s to-the-point lyrics. There is however a bit of a second half dip both in terms of musical content and story.

This performance:

Imelda Staunton rightly attracted a lot of acclaim for her leading performance; I thought she was magnetic, to the point where you missed her in the rare moments where she was offstage. Lara Pulver gave a nuanced performance as Gypsy Rose Lee and Peter Davison was as likeable as ever as Herbie.

The average age of the audience for this show was pretty mature; it’s always interesting to observe which shows attract which audiences, and it does in my experience go hand in hand with the age of the lead actors or characters.