Gay London Life | Mar '26 Edition - Magazine - Page 24
Life of a Luvvie with Thomas Magill
With Sam Buttery from Unfortunate -The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch
I also love to play the guessing game with theatre mates by betting on who is
going to be this year’s big winners and losers. My tip for the most successful
show from 2025 has to go to Paddington: The Musical which opened at the
Savoy Theatre in November to 5-star reviews across the board. Like the critics, I
absolutely adored this cute, cuddly, wholesome musical trip down memory lane.
I suspect it will not only do super well in March but will go on to sweep the board
At the press night for Unfortunate with theatre guru Stu Pinches
at the Olivier’s in April. I also fully expect Titanique currently at the Criterion to
March always marks the start of award season in theatreland, with the
romp home with a handful of gongs from the WhatsonStage Awards. Talking
WhatsOnStage Awards on the 8th, the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards on the
of new musicals, surely Shucked from the summer season at the Regents
26th and the OffWestEnd Awards on the 30th of March.
Park Open Air Theatre is worthy of best new musical. I always enjoy visiting
Regents Park, but this wonderful new musical utterly made my summer, with its
It’s a month of glitz and glamour for those lucky enough to be either nominated,
musicality, dancing, set and all round tale.
invited or attending as a member of the great paying public. For me, it’s an
exciting opportunity to reminisce about the past 12 months and all the amazing
Awards aside, I was out quite a bit last month as the west-end welcomed home
talent we have on and off the stage right here in London.
some big names including Hugh Bonneville in Shadowlands, Jenna Russell in
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Cynthia Erivo in her much-anticipated
one-woman adaptation of Dracula.
I also popped over to The Other Palace to see Sam Buttery return to the London stage
as Ursula in Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch which returned
to London for a limited 8-week run. I caught up with Sam to chat all things Ursula,
Lichfield, Taboo and Boy George. Sam was on great form both on and off stage and
told me how much they love the show because it allows them to do comedy, singing,
acting and to tap into a deeper emotional side. It was obvious how proud Sam was of
the show and told me “This is a new version with new songs and a new script, but the
story has been going for seven years which is a testament to its value.”
Talking of shows that have been going a long time, I pushed Sam on whether they
might be interested in returning to Taboo again after playing Leigh Bowery back
in 2012. After a bit of a delay, Sams eyes lit up with delight at the thought. “I’d like to
come back to Taboo, but I’d like to play someone different. I could maybe be the
mum or even give big Sue a go.” With Boy George involved in the new production
of Taboo and still considered a mate by Sam, lets watch this space...
March isn’t just about posh award ceremonies. I’ve highlighted a few gems in
my diary from our off-westend venues that I can’t wait to see. Among them is
Savage at the White Bear Theatre which runs until the 15th March. It might be a
hard watch for some, but it is based on a heartbreaking true story about darker
times from our LGBTQ+ past and therefore a ‘must see’ in my book.
But, if you just want a night of ‘feel good fun’ then Beverley Knight and
Ntombizodwa Ndlovu are currently in Marie & Rosetta at Soho Place. The show
explores the musical collaboration and friendship between two real-life 20thcentury gospel and R&B heroines: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight.
That’s it from me. Whatever you manage to see this month either on or off westend have a fabulous time x
@thomasmagill1
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