A Chorus Line - London Revival

For a long time now, my friend Zoe and I have been saying we should make the most of living in London by going to the West End one night and just asking for day tickets at every theatre we come across until we succeed. On Wednesday, we finally took up the challenge.

The quiet before the storm of tourists at The Book of Mormon

First stop was The Book of Mormon, for their ticket lottery. Two and a half hours before the show starts, you can enter a ballot for up to two front of stalls tickets for £20 each. Unfortunately, at least 100 other people had the same idea (it helps that the Prince of Wales theatre is directly between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square and - just like real Mormons - they send Elders out to recruit people). Undeterred, I ran down Regent St to the London Palladium where A Chorus Line is having its first major London revival since it opened here in 1976. I'd been meaning to see the show since it opened in February, and was extremely happy to find front of stalls day tickets for just £19.50 each.

As regular readers will know, I'm fascinated by dance, which is one of the major draws of A Chorus Line. As you would expect from a show about dancers, the dancing is spectacular, so intensely physical it left me in awe of the performers strength and stamina. It was a real joy to see these iconic dance pieces performed by some of the most talented performers in the West End at the moment, including John Partridge (who despite being more commonly known as an Eastenders heart-throb has been staring in musicals since he was just 16) as director-choreographer Zach, Scarlett Strallen as down-on-her-luck but still desperate to dance Cassie, and Leigh Zimmerman, Olivier nominated for her role as the ageing but brazen Sheila.

However, A Chorus Line is more than just dance. Directed by original choreographer Bob Avian, the revival stays true to the unique genius of Michael Bennett's original production. A character piece inspired by interviews with real-life chorus members, the show introduces each of the auditionees for a spot in the chorus of an unnamed musical through a skilful weaving together of speech, song, dance, movement and lighting that results in 15 minute long pieces like 'Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love' which revolutionised the shape of Broadway productions back in the 70s. The result is a frenetic and constantly engaging show, which slows only for the musically stand out number What I Did For Love, beautifully sung by Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Diana, before culminating in the show-stopping, and incredibly sparkly, One (Singular Senstation). I left with a huge smile on my face and the urge to dance my way back down Regent St.

A Chorus Line is currently booking at the London Palladium until January 2014. Find out more at http://www.achoruslinelondon.com/