DIANA the musical was a disaster | ★★ review of London concert starring Kerry Ellis, Denise Welch

[@kickthepheelstickz]

honestly whenever I see two stars in MickeyJo's video titles then I know I'm in for a good time

[@marabanara]

So true!!

[@daneefly]

i only realized he puts stars on the videos! spicy

[@skunkjo3195]

The way I click so fast when it's under three

[@warnegoodman]

shocking to hear they did so little with the costumes. I saw it on broadway and the costumes were by far the best thing about it. The lead had something like 35 costume changes throughout the show. Her change in clothing over the course of the show did more to communicate her change in personality with visual storytelling in a way that was really interesting. It actually communicated her changes better than the dialog and songs did. Unreal that they would have just let that fall.

[@cnp3205]

It’s a concert , not meant to be a musical production. Kerry doesn’t even wear a Diana wig.

[@lillianward2810]

Yeah, the costumes were far and away the most impressive thing about the show on Broadway. Every single change got a round of applause and in some scenes there are several in a row.

[@warnegoodman]

@@cnp3205 Then I don't understand why people would waste their money to go see it.

[@kingarthurslance]

One of the best nights at the theatre I have ever had, somehow. Knew we were in for something special when the £8 programme contained basically no show-specific content outside of a plot summary plagiarised from the show’s Wikipedia page.

[@mwmheps]

And the set list just full of typos :D iconic

[@rnj117]

And a song list that included a song that wasn't in it.

[@BloodRedDestiny]

"There were literal snake noises happening" - the mental image of that has me absolutely rolling

[@jamesgeorgi6627]

The moral of this story, when you’re making a musical based on a serious subject matter, be careful with the writing

[@qwellen7521]

Honestly disappointed the car didn't have musical number. 🤣

[@br52685]

Diana was actually a very light-hearted, fun individual.

[@a.bturner1306]

I was there and firstly, kudos to you for being able to find the words to describe what we saw as, tbh, I was starting to think it had all been some kind of fever dream. I do love your reviews but I must question the use of the term ‘choreography’ for those rare moments of movement. I think it’s fair to assume the spirit of Gillian Lynne was not present. As for the alleged ‘disruptive’ audience? To me, the whole evening was pretty much a pantomime so the fact there were cheers and boos actually seemed very appropriate. I must agree with your thoughts on the vocal performances, there were some genuinely wonderful moments particularly from the inimitable Kerry Ellis. I felt she embodied the ‘show must go on’ spirit when she was plunged into unexpected darkness more than once. As for Denise Welch? She probably shouldn’t have been cast but, to be fair, I thought she showed commitment and was definitely doing her best and so should be commended. But for all the brevity, the AIDS patients scene was just awful on a variety of levels. A moment that should have been incredibly poignant was, in my view, reduced to a deeply uncomfortable few minutes. Portraying those who died as little more than stereotypically ‘sassy’ was offensive. Anyway, those are my thoughts, thank you again for the video, it’s a relief to know the concert actually happened!

[@br52685]

I don’t think you truly understood the nuance of the AIDS patients scene. Campy humor was part of how these men managed to survive and bring any small sense of joy/humor into this dark situation. Go watch Angles in America-and you’ll see similar levels of campiness and humor woven into the seriousness of the actual situation.

[@a.bturner1306]

I completely accept your point and will definitely look for ‘Angels in America’, as you’ve kindly mentioned. I think it’s fair to say my opinion regarding that particular scene was undoubtedly affected by the memories of two friends I lost to AIDS in the 1980’s. But again, thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment and for the recommendation.

[@br52685]

@@a.bturner1306 Also consider how Angel and Tom handled their similar diagnosis in RENT. People from that area often used light-heard humor and campiness to manage the severity of the situation. Or consider the campiness from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Although not directly related to AIDS (other than a short scene), they managed their way through some very serious situations, with a little light-hearted gay humor and campiness!

[@WannabeDancer72]

OMG! Mickey, I was there! 😂 It was such a mess. But my favourite performance was Charles' (for lack of a better term) villain song. Because that moment of sincerity and what the AIDS patient scene was attempting to go for made me feel like there are two musicals trying to occupy the same space. There's the sincere & serious stuff and the campy stuff and it felt like the creators were trying to force a mashup between Hamilton and Spamilton.

[@JLDrones]

The night was just pure chaos and I loved every second. The hissing, the booing, the cheering of iconic lines... I was living! Kerry Ellis was an absolute sensation and I loved the change of her being like a mentor Diana looking back at her younger self.... I would like to see it properly staged with this change. I think it would work better if they leaned into the cheese etc, like advertise it as "We are in on the joke too" or something along those lines!

[@ta-ether]

on a whim that i in hindsight cannot regret, i saw diana on broadway 3 days before it closed. (i am now a diana the musical stan, i own a diana the musical scarf that is entirely too nice, joked to be "the classiest thing about the show") lots of middle aged women who seemed devoted to diana, and they did react to camilla's entrance ("ooooh") and the scorpio line (*laughs*), as well as other lines that called for it. not as much as your audience, but there was some feedback. when i first heard you mention older!diana was watching over younger!diana and making comments I was like "oh, that sounds like it would really connect "underestimated" to "if" because as the original stands they are just sort of visually similar but otherwise not connected. so its weird they didn't show her death! the abruptness of her death actually caught me and my friend completely off-guard when we saw the show (…we didn’t know it was prophet on netflix at the time so we went in blind to the live performance), so not doing her death would have felt like almost blueballsing! id write more, but i don't want the comment to get inordinately long. i wish i could’ve gone, so thank you for your review!

[@mwmheps]

I was there too!! Spotted you and Aeron at one point in the distance :D It was truly wild, the audience energy was hilarious - definitely added to the experience for me rather than took away from it, like the audience response was as funny if not funnier than the actual material. The mic issues and things like that were truly shocking but in the context much more fun to just be able to laugh at it all together as part of a shared experience. The cheer for "better than a Guinness, better than a wank" as well and of course the hissing, absolutely unparalleled. The chairography from the ensemble was definitely awkward, I remember one really weird moment where they all moved some chairs around between numbers and it was super awkward and unnecessary I did feel like a lot of things felt rushed and it would have been hard to follow what was going on if you hadn't also seen the Netflix version - makes sense to hear some cut things I'd forgotten, even the ending I was like "oh they referenced flashing lights and stuff was that supposed to be her dying?" and it was like yes but it was more explicit before. The divorce point you mentioned was really interesting because I definitely felt confused as to the dynamics here - you really couldn't understand why either of them was trying to keep the marriage going, there was very little to show any kind of connection between them. Most disappointing cuts to me were Charles' dancing and also the Queen's verse from Dress - those were two of the funniest moments on Netflix. Felt like Maiya got quite short changed in Act 2, it was interesting because they were sort of billed as co-leads in the marketing but Kerry was definitely very much the lead (and that was reflected in the bows). Anyway I had got my ticket very last minute but very glad I was there!

[@EllaFellows-Moore]

I was there and my boyfriend and I LOVED it don't get me wrong. However, I felt very bad for the younger performers who clearly couldn't hear themselves - it felt like they were fighting against the music (which I don't think was in any way their fault). The step clicks SENT me highlight of the show

[@JackolynSparrow]

I wish so badly I could have been there - truly a once in a lifetime spectacle. I've been watching Kerry share behind the scenes of this on her IG from the beginning, and I was legitimately shocked by how short the rehearsal period seemed to be ... I'm glad (well not really) that it was, in fact, shockingly short. I was eagerly waiting for your review, and it did not disappoint 🤣 (I really hope there's a slime tutorial for this somewhere!)

[@Frx0289]

Oh man I loved this! Staging this during Panto season was the best idea they could possibly have made 😅 it's the epitome of so bad it's good! The audience were giving same vibes to the lgbtq soc's screening of Rocky Horror at my uni. 2nd most laughed at show this year

[@MegRay]

Love your hair like this! Great video as always!

[@markchanning1975]

Absolutely spot on review. I was there. Three rows from the front of the stalls. Your point about poor production values (sound, light rehearsal) made me feel slightly bitter at the £80 ticket prices! But the performances were amazing and seemed to enjoy the camp nonsense of the piece. Having watched the Netflix version again today, I really think that the original creatives just took ALWs Evita and swapped Che Guevara for Barbra Cartland! The Thriller in Manila is almost dupe of The Ladies Got Potential/ Dangerous Jade. Back to the concert, you are right that Denise Welch would have made much more sense if she were doing the Barbra Cartland bit. All in all a night to remember. Loved every moment.

[@ariannagalluzzo]

Diana The Musical was the first show that I ever saw on Broadway in November 2021. 🤣 I had no idea what to buy tickets for and randomly purchased a seat. I also randomly bought a ticket to Bad Cinderella so this is an outright pattern for me lol. The glass ass will live in infamy. Both shows were absolutely memorable, particularly for the audience reactions.

[@Nikki-tx6kh]

If I learned something about you is that when I see less than three stars, you can expect the show be a heaping mess. You roasted Cinderella on every corner and still gave it a three.

[@cpdavis1]

See, we gave it 7/10, legit because it was such an experience and the audience that we watched it with was a vibe. Plus Kerry Eliis somehow made glitter with the source material!

[@act.of.whimsy]

I wish I could have been there!! Sounds like it was a spectacular night. Thank you for sharing your experience with us in so much detail! Amazing as always 🥰🥰🥰

[@KindredKaye]

I’m an American living in London and I’m so sad I didn’t go! I told soooo many people about this show (in Scotland and Ireland). They LOVED it! They thought it was hilarious. (After I told them it pairs nicely with alcohol.) this would do soooo well in Edinburgh. Dublin maybe, but the community would have to know it’s camp

[@sambenneeett9407]

Its a shame since many of my talented friends in my year at Trinity Laban made up the choir. I believe there may have been only 1 or 2 tech rehearsals on the day of the show.

[@christopherbutler1980]

If they could do FOLLIES in concert at Avery Fisher Hall in FOUR days with primo results, there is NO reason that Diana can't be done well.

[@PS-DLMA]

Sondheim and THAT cast

[@BubblesZest]

I went into this pretty much blind, and I agree. It's a vibe but it was all over the place. Late start, bad staging and £8 programme that makes me feel a little better for buying Wicked's souvenir one.

[@JimboCKW]

After seeing Alice Fearn as Camilla I’m imagining her as the witch in into the woods

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

She was Rapunzel when I first saw it!

[@overcommunikate]

Seeing that "The Windsors: Endgame" was at the Prince of Wales Theater, I doubt Diana the Musical was prevented from being at any of those theaters by the Crown. Funny, both that play and Diana have issues with sound so maybe there's a royal curse 😂

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Ah - VERY different as The Windsors poked good natured fun while Diana uplifts her perspective and features The Queen confirming her husband's alleged infidelity.

[@chuckoneill2023]

Another theory --- the sound engineers are royalists?

[@TzarinaMystra]

Love the daisy embroidery on your sweater--so cute!

[@emhu2594]

I tried watching the netflix musical and couldnt make it past 20 minutes. There is no way i would pay to see it. As an american i hate the shallow cult fandom that diana has in general, the cult fandom that ended up killing her and it taught us nothing. A musical about that would have been appropriate

[@sweeney60]

Anyone else notice that Mickey looks like a brunette Diana in this video? I love it!

[@julezyme]

I am loving MickeyJo's hair and that flower sleeve jumper.

[@Muswell]

"Trauma bonded by that shared experience" .... Lol.

[@SherlockedStorytellr]

You're probably right about the Edinburgh Fringe, we Scots are generally less precious about the royals which would help.

[@percyweasley9301]

I just subscribed ❤❤.. Love you from Assam, India... 😊

[@philippapage4277]

Love the new hair style! Looking great

[@DDTC73]

It went to Hammersmith because they knew they could fill it, which they did. I had a great time at the concert. It has a good score. With some lyric changes and a decision on the tone, it could be a great show. 'Secrets and Lies' isn't offensive Just becauser they were in a hospice, it wasn't all doom and gloom. people still have personality and humour. For some of them, that was all they had. The 'audience participation' came from the cheap seats and yes, i thought it was intrusive. They were not reactions towards the royal family, they were reactions to the writing of the show.... They only had 1 day in the theatre. The venue is booked every single night and don't get to do full tech runs. I hated the split Diana role. It was badly shared between the 2 of them and it also stopped them from having the finale about the car crash, which i thought was very moving.

[@lonellfletcher]

Did you really just compare this to Jekyll and Hyde? Mickey!!!!! No Mickey!!!! Bad Mickey!!!!

[@minirth.maggie]

Mickey, your look is a whole vibe and I LOVE it! I've never seen your hair like this! You always look handsome but WOW this look is 🔥!

[@99lodewijk]

If you like Ghost Diana Looking Back© you'll love 'Diana en Zonen' aka the Dutch Diana musical that came out at the same time as the Broadway musical

[@GitanAnimex]

Honestly is moment to let Diana rest in peace

[@paulbrooklandwilliams7315]

I was also there, it was great to see you and Aeron from a distance in the flesh. Basically I loved it, but it was all a bit of a glorious fun mess. the central performances were great (Denise gets an A for effort), the general ensemble did their best, the music sounded wonderful and grand (if not a bit too load). But it just felt like it needed more rehearsal time, and a lot more movement, not necessarily dance, but just more stage craft. However Kerry did an absolute incredible job.

[@hannahbrett8015]

I was there on Monday, I booked the tickets as soon as it was announced. Me and my friend loved it. Yes there was some technical issues but the cast were amazing, and the changes to the song about the revenge dress was what we wanted. I wasnt too impressed with Denise Welch as the queen since her solo song wasnt as impactful as it was on netflix and we both missed Barbara Cartland.

[@gjtgnwph]

I was there and i had the best time ever. I think Diana needs to be the next Rocky Horror esque thing, where audiences go to have a wild time and create their own culture around it. Is it disrespectful and borderline treasonous? Yes. Do i think we should care? No.

[@daveatron_]

this show was for the gays and they knew it. the building was literally lit up with rainbow lights. the show started a full 20 minutes late. the interval music was all gay anthems. i saw no less than 3 Kenough jumpers and the dyed to undyed hair ratio among the audience was unprecedented. kerry ellis and alice fearne were giving the vocals of their lifetimes. everything charles and camilla said got boos and hisses. diana's sister did no singing & simply existed to say the most savage lines & exit. the reaction to the revenge dress could have provided enough electricity to power a small town. the late doorbells and telephone rings. the lyrics are stupendously bad. hooting and hollering for denise welch as the queen. the aids song. the over-use of the words 'sod' and 'bloke'. the harvard sweatshirt. the welsh accents. 'riding lessons'. best night of my life

[@MicheleBaum-en3hw]

Thank you for that honest review, I was wondering if it was worth seeing, which is now affirmed!

[@corinnehall2662]

Despite how much cringe this show holds the Camilla/Diana show down song is great. Also I will forever wonder about the dress change into the famous wedding dress. The entire pretty girl in a pretty dress costume sequence is amazing with costume changes

[@hefinrosser8685]

Love your up roar moments! Usually un justified because you want to look good and diverse!!

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Individuals can't look diverse, Hefin.

[@WillHarrell]

Thank you. When I first heard the recording. Or rather listened to the Netflix while at the gym, I knew that was my trash. It is trash. But it is my trash. In a dress

[@dalehitchman874]

Interesting review ! Went with your American friend ?? I knew Romance was on the cards ! Loving the new Liza Minnelli tribute , look your going for 👏🏼

[@ianduxbury2782]

Great review. I was there too and agree totally

[@IvyDare1997]

I mean…. Why? Whyyyy make a musical about this

[@inlovewithJLT]

I actually love the AIDS patient's lines. I always felt it showed our ability as Queers to be grand and resilient through dire adversity.

[@andreevichjosephmarshall2990]

Are you going back to Cabaret to see the new leads? I’m in the US and can’t make it over but I think pretty highly of RLT seeing her perform last April

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Hoping to! Watch this space!

[@emhu2594]

I saw mason twice and can't imagine anyone doing a better job. Judd Apatows daughter was fine

[@extatis]

WHAT IF It’s the next Rocky Horror Show ? 😂

[@extatis]

Oh well you said it lol

[@sheismymom]

30:36 Joy Behar read as Madame Morrible for the Yellow Brick Road Not Taken performance I love her

[@eliawillinger4329]

ive been there where something is so awefull but its also one of the best nights of my life. i cant remeber any instances right now but it has happened.

[@chuckoneill2023]

Apperently, the actor portraying Charles III is wearing prosthetics to make his ears look bigger?

[@nadavwiesel7336]

I'm intrigued by your point about royal patronage of Society of West End theaters.. can you elaborate on that? Do theaters need to earn the title 'Royal' in their name? what can of political strings are there that might influence producers or theater houses?

[@CoachJenW]

I feel like Denise Welch was in a production of calendar girls the musical. I don’t think I saw that cast but have vague recollections of her doing promo for it.

[@andrewriggs689]

It’ll never happen but I hope someone makes a touring production of the full stage production in the US.

[@jasondoll3674]

Where did you get that turtleneck? Looks so cozy :)

[@MadameCorgi]

suprised this had a life after the netflix show. Diana is a guilty pleasure of mine. heard about this production from this review. kind of sad i missed ot lol

[@ColtonMyers1]

In theory, the concept of a Diana musical (or play) has all of the makings of great theatre, as the late-Princess is still well-beloved and has plenty of story arcs that can be retold. It was just executed in the worst way possible. Instead of being approached like Evita, they approached it with a cheap, tacky, and tasteless approach which does a complete disservice to the late-Princess who many still have a recollection of when she was alive.

[@chuckoneill2023]

On the one hand --- terrible show. On the other hand --- I love seeing terrible shows getting trashed.

[@lonellfletcher]

After the reception of the musical, who thought it was a good idea to do this?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

I mean, the producers will have made a killing here.

[@elphie93]

The margins on concert productions are much better than full productions!

[@timdrucker8332]

As a Bway Difana this was a very accurate recap for what I saw

[@kakarikiyazoo]

I saw it in San Diego when it premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse. I was shocked by how bad it was. I thought the tone was schizophrenic and the lyrics laughable. I thought there was no way it would go to Broadway. I was wrong about that obviously. I decided to watch the filmed version on Netflix to see what they had changed from the premiere. Surprisingly I liked it better than the first time, even though not much had changed.

[@CrypticCharm]

this really is a shame, since i love Kerry Ellis, saw her in Wicked and WWRY and met her at a stage door. She really is lovely, so it's a shame the production is getting mixed reviews

[@moammonster_Jess_]

So off topic but I NEED to know where that jumper is from

[@michaela3910]

Prime example of you can cast the best actors in the world but if your content is terrible there's only so much they can do with it. Diana is just a bad musical

[@lindakahler4799]

I loved the costumes from the Broadway show

[@bobjim4566]

ok but where's your jumper from, I love it

[@AshRecordReview]

I don’t know but I love it haha

[@Showtunediva]

I still not have watched the movie of Diana The Musical yet but it is on my list.

[@subbtopp]

that was brilliant thank you

[@richkee2024]

I was there with my friend who deliberately didn't watch or listen to anything Diana-related beforehand so I could hear her organic responses as someone who didn't go in already knowing the funny bits. She really enjoyed it for its so-bad-it's-good elements and loved the audience reactions. We were also seated in the circle, not in one of the more vocal parts of the audience but among fellow cringe-watchers who had a good chuckle at all the mistakes and moments which fell flat. I can't imagine this show having legs as a legitimate West End musical, or why any producer would expect a return on the investment, so it felt great to be witness to part of the fucked-up attempts to unfuck this intrinsically fucked musical.

[@sagepatrxnum5955]

Can you do a Review of Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas?

[@misskit123]

I went to Operation Mincemeat foe the bazillionth time on Monday night and had a marvellous time. However, a part of me is a little sorry i wasnt at this. 😂

[@MaryanneNZ]

I've not two minutes in and I can tell by your hair that you hated it!!! Who neeeds stars when Mickey Jo's hair is the perfect gauge!

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

Wait, my hair being like this means I hate a show? 😂

[@MaryanneNZ]

@@MickeyJoTheatre More, it drove you nuts and I imagine you running your fingers through it and howling at the moon!

[@camerahannah]

Harry my ginger haired sonnnnn

[@tumblenc]

I had to look up what a canon dance step was and it’s so cringy 😆

[@tonyyoung3985]

So I'm guessing Diana wouldn't be caught desd in a musical biopic.

[@NomNomNomBLEUGH]

I travelled from Somerset to see this show and it was absolutely horrible, I loved every moment and i think every gay in the country was there.

[@RatMaster01]

THE Kerrie Ellies !? oh WOW im so shocked to see she landed in this dumpster fire

[@Rewritethisstory]

I’m cracking up at this

[@michaeltonus3888]

I feel like the phrase "Diana the Musical" always sounded like a bit of a parody of an idea. Such an obviously bad idea at its very core. The kind of thing you write into something as a joke, like how at the beginning of The Producers Bialystock has just opened "Funny Boy: A Musical Hamlet" or in Death Becomes Her where Meryl Streep's character is in "Songbird!" which is evidently a musical based on Sweet Bird of Youth. That kind of thing. So like, yeah I'm not surprised at this review. But it was very fun to watch.

[@cindiverbelun1802]

Mickey, you would have done better to leave it at Netflix . You could have saved a lot of money that way. I mean, when she jumped out of the balcony during the opera and started singing something that was TOTALLY ridiculous, I knew the WHOLE THING was ABSOLUTELY INANE. Felt sorry for the actors who were stuck with this show nightly. O.M.G. The ONLY actor I liked was Judy Kuhn, whose reaction in the song "The Feck Feck Feckin' Dress" (the humhumhumhum dress). The rest you can KEEP.

[@pleh7019]

Shambolic!

[@amydaskilewicz9076]

I remember when the Loose Women personality was announced to play the queen and then there was speculation that a drag queen would play Camilla

[@marksargent2440]

It was just another way of cashing in on her death oh and its a way of flogging extra tickets

[@AshRecordReview]

I feel as though you’re in your Lloyd Webber ca: 1980’s era haha

[@cody1981]

i love Diana the musical. I don’t know how I feel about the two Diana’s?

[@miggyluv]

It's because it's called 'Diana' and not 'Diana!' (needs a !)

[@xxtinkerbell91xx]

Historically Dianas sister is actuslly meant to have said thise things 😂

[@willeamer]

Looking g forward to seeing how made in Dagenham is staged and goes down

[@hefinrosser8685]

It's ridiculous and fun! Total nonsense and a fun night out. ❤

[@sheismymom]

Ugh between The Crown and this Diana musical it's a Diana overload.

[@chrisfletcher743]

The ensemble did incredibly well considering the technical issues! Congrats to my course mates at Trinity Laban!! ❤

[@eddiecomerford8307]

They were definitely one of the highlights of the night, I came out of it being slightly disturbed but so hopeful for the future of musical theatre because of their talent.

[@yoogrldude]

I miss the old Mickey hair

[@AshRecordReview]

Haha I love the new one it looks like Lloyd Webber circa 1983

[@roburbinati358]

they are likely the worst set of lyrics ever written for a Broadway musical

[@Stephenb033]

This show is terrible but excellent in equal measure.

[@MiggleMYT]

Why do you say 'concert' like that?

[@MickeyJoTheatre]

How should I be saying it? 👀

[@MiggleMYT]

@@MickeyJoTheatre imagine the 'r' isn't there

[@chittyB75]

I absolutely love the music in this after seeing this on netflix I don't see it as a joke or something to laugh it's a fantastic piece of theatre well directed and cast and when your a actor in something what is your job to do and take it seriously I think you shouldent mock it the idea is ye is crazy but the talent of the creatives cast who work on it is reallynwell done