Muriel's Wedding review — Abba saves the day as the film hits the stage
Raise your glasses to the bride-to-be — Muriel's Wedding is back, and this time in musical form. This show at the Curve in Leicester is the UK premiere of the stage version of PJ Hogan's 1994 hit movie comedy. With a score by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall and a book by Hogan himself, the production roots itself in the original. There are Abba tunes aplenty. But can an adaptation ever live up to the magic of the classic film? The answer is not quite.The show is still full of thrills, emotional punch and satisfying high notes. It just takes some time for it to find its stride. The first scene, where mean girl Tania (Helen Hall) ties the knot with her cheating boyfriend,
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Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Major EastEnders couple torn apart by cheating confession in iPlayer twist
This article contains spoilers for tomorrow's episode of EastEnders, which airs Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on iPlayer. Elaine Knight (Harriet Thorpe) has confessed to cheating on husband George (Colin Salmon). The couple's ordeal all kicked off earlier this week, when his son Junior (Micah Balfour) revealed that, on Christmas night, George met up with ex-wife Sabrina. She'd attempted to kiss him, and when he rejected her she dealt a vicious slap. But despite that, George kept quiet about the encounter. Elaine felt that this was a huge betrayal, and ordered him out of the house. She subsequently caught him seeking support from his other ex-wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), and thought that he was continuing on a path of being unfaithful. Enraged, Elaine turned to her old pal Drew Peacock (Paul Clayton) for a shoulder to cry on, and he told her to find a man who would treat her like a queen. She was boosted by his words and allowed a Prince Albert punter to chat her up… and she returned home with him. Returning home in the dead of night, George was waiting. He told her that he was deeply sorry for his mistakes, and that he wanted to make amends. In the latest edition to drop online, Elaine woke up in a state. She was full of emotion, and knew that her marriage was over. Little did she realise, George was going the extra mile to make things right, and had asked Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) to get his hands on a karaoke machine so that he could make a huge public spectacle. Elaine stared out of the living room window as her husband belted out ABBA's Take a Chance on Me. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! She was clearly touched by the gesture, but rushed off. Daughter Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) found her hiding away in the barrel store, and urged her to come clean. If she didn't, it would consume her for the rest of her life. More Trending As the punters gathered outside for Kat Slater's (Jessie Wallace) wedding to Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), Elaine called George to one side. She asserted that she was going to try her upmost to show how much she loves him, but wanted to confess her affair first. View More » What will George do? If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Huge fears for EastEnders' Linda as Phil unleashes his rage on Elaine MORE: BBC EastEnders return spells trouble for major couple in early iPlayer release MORE: All 46 EastEnders pictures for next week as cheating crisis strikes
The Courier
a day ago
- The Courier
Overgate busker swaps street for stage as he lands Dundee Rep role
Dundee busker Spencer Shek is known for his soulful covers of classic ballads outside the city's Overgate. Shoppers and city centre residents may be familiar with Spencer's crowd-pleasing renditions of everything My Way by Frank Sinatra to Perfect by Ed Sheeran. But this week, the velvet-voiced singer will swap his streetside serenades for a stint on the stage at Dundee Rep in an upcoming Dundee Youth Music Theatre production. 'Chess' is a Cold War musical with music written by Abba's own Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus. Spencer is set to star as Freddie Trumper, a cocky chess grandmaster from the United States whose takes on his Soviet rival in a battle of wills, values and politics. For Dundee University law student Spencer, singing on stage is the dream. But he credits his busking days with giving him the confidence to pursue it. 'I originally started busking in Glasgow when I was 18 and fell in love with it,' says Spencer, 26, who is originally from Kilwinning. 'I was unsure of what busking would be like in Dundee after I moved here for university, but the public here are so lovely and welcoming of me and my music.' The popularity of his city centre performances has secured Spencer several wedding singer gigs, as well as performances at community events and special birthdays. 'My favourite moments are when I get to sing someone down the aisle,' smiles Spencer. 'I'm just in disbelief that someone would want me to sing them down on such as special occasion. I get emotional.' He recently joined the Dundee Youth Music Theatre and has thrown himself into the group. 'I've quickly bonded with everyone,' he says. 'We have such a talented cast and I'm incredibly privileged to be working with everyone there.' Spencer's big plan after university is to make it in the music industry as a singer-songwriter, or perform on the West End or Broadway. But the shrewd soon-to-be graduate is well aware of 'just how hard it is to make it in the music industry', which is why he's been working towards his law diploma since moving to Dundee. 'If it wasn't to work out, at least I still have my degree that I can use for a job that I very much take an interest in,' he says. 'But hopefully the music works out. Fingers crossed – that's the absolute dream for me.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
90s pop group reunite 25 YEARS after hit song and people can't believe how young they look
An iconic 90s pop group recently wowed fans with their age-defying appearance when they performed in London for the first time over 20 years. A*teens, which initially began as an ABBA tribute band, gave a hit performance at the popular Mighty Hoopla festival in Brockwell Park. Dhani Lennevald, 40, Marie Serneholt, Amit Paul, and Sara Lumholdt, all 41, were originally known as ABBA-teens and brought a nostalgic vibe to the festival, dressing in brightly coloured 90s-inspired outfits. Fans commented on TikTok: 'How are they still all in such good shape?!'; 'Wait how are they all still so hot?'; 'This made me feel so old but they [are] all still gorgeous.' The Swedish group first formed in 1998 and reached a global audience when they appeared on Britney Spears 's Oops! … I Did It Again tour in 2000. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. However, they split in 2004 before reuniting earlier this year at the Swedish music competition Melodifestivalen 2024. They are said to be in talks with record labels about recording new music and went down a storm in London as they performed their upbeat dance song. A*teens are credited with reviving the music of ABBA in the 90s, having covered classics like Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen. The band are also known for their original songs, Upside Down (2000) and Floorfiller (2002). The band had four albums in total - The ABBA Generation (1999), Teen Spirit (2001), Pop 'til You Drop (2002), and New Arrival (2003). The group were not the only 90s band at the May 31 to June 1 Festival, popular with LGBTQ+ people, and Eurodance group Vegaboys also performed. A*teens previously reflected on their success back in 2021, describing themselves as kids 'who loved dancing'. Their fame at the time was so great that Britney herself described herself as a fan, prompting the invite on her 2000 tour. Dhani told Vice in 2021: "We were just kids who loved singing and dancing. "We would sometimes stop and just be like, "I can't believe that this is happening for us." 'It was such a beautiful and proud moment of my life.' A*teen's initial split was a slow one too and despite breaking up in 2004, it wasn't until 2006 that they officially announced they were no longer together.
