To ask for West End Show Recommendations

[Geminijust]

4 of us usually have a trip to a West End Show a couple of times a year. We're trying to arrange the next long overdue outing and am looking for some recommendations. One of the girls has suggested Mary Poppins but I'm not sure that's my cup of tea as not generally a Disney fan (am prepared to be convinced otherwise!) but obviously need to find something everyone is happy with so am looking for some alternative suggestions to go back with.

Shows I've seen and loved:
Six
Tina The Musical
Woman in Black
Curious Incident of the dog in the night time
Mamma Mia
School of Rock
War Horse
Everybody's Talking About Jamie (would see again tomorrow)
Billy Elliot (ditto above, although no longer on sadly)

Shows I've enjoyed but not loved:
Lion King
Charlie & Chocolate Factory
Wicked
Matilda
Comedy about a bank robbery

Not really hated anything but remember being quite bored by Phantom of the Opera when I was much younger (found it depressing)

Quite fancy Les Mis but know one of the girls has seen it and it's not for everyone. Heard good things about Book of Mormon & Come from Away but really don't know too much about them.

Would be grateful for suggestions of shows you've seen and enjoyed!

Thank you

ineedaholidaynow thank you, just looked - impressive. Also looked at Come From Away, a looks great too! Guess will have to put to the vote!

I didn’t find Book of Mormon that funny, watchable but not amazing. I did like Mary Poppins though!

Looks as though Dear Evan Hansen is back in October.

I can't believe no-one has voted for Tina The Musical.

I saw it a couple of years ago, and it was brilliant. The performers are so talented.

Everyone's talking about Jamie is on Amazon Prime in September, really looking forward to it.

Book of Mormon is not just a little bit rude, it's outrageous and hilarious so if your friend is easily offended I would give it a miss!

Absolutely love Book of Mormon. Can’t wait to see it again. I also want to see Waitress and Everyone’s talking about Jamie.
I love the theatre. I’ve missed it so much I’m just not sure I’m comfortable going back yet 😭
Kinky boots is fun. I got cheap tickets on a whim and really enjoyed it.
I also enjoyed blood brothers.

Another vote for Book of Mormon.

I also really enjoyed Jersey Boys

Saw Kinky Boots in WE. So good. I live in Dublin so it was a nice treat.

Blood brothers is one of my favourite shows ever. It is the one thing I have seen over & over again over the last 35 years or so. Is it still on?

Anything Goes at the Barbican is amazing. Sutton Foster is absolutely effortless in the lead role, I was blown away.

Mary Poppins is brilliant - the cast are incredible and the set is outstanding. A real class act.

Hairspray is really funny, I think it is coming to an end within the next few weeks. Michael Ball as the mum and Les Dennis as the dad.

Come From Away is beautiful. Funny but incredibly moving. I was in bits. No interval - go to the loo before it starts!

We are seeing Cinderella next weekend, and I have high hopes.

Les Mis is staggeringly good, even my parents loved it and it wouldn’t usually be there thing- the music and singing in it are on another level.

Come From Away stole my heart- fabulous story, brilliantly staged and acted and fab feel good music, I jumped to my feet at the end!

Everybodys talking about Jamie = Am Dram and embarrassing.

Blood Brothers was my favourite for years (not in West End at moment I don't think) but Come from Away overtook it when we saw that a couple of years ago - amazing but take some tissues! But I also loved Matilda which is on your list of ones you didn't love (and Curious Dog which you did love).

@RampantIvy No one mentioned Tina because OP said had already seen it!

Oops. I should have read the OP properly
Blood Brothers is probably the best musical I have ever seen. I have seen it twice.

Really want to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “ Cinderella”.

Not sure if it’s on at the mo but DM & I loved “ Brigadoon”

Les Miserables
Wicked
Book of Mormon

Five stars for all them from me 👍

Thanks all - one of the group already has tickets for Mary Poppins so that's off the list. They all like the sound of Come from Away, so looks like that's the one 👍

Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen(Oct 26th)

Also, I saw Blood Brothers many many years ago - loved it, would see again if it came back.

We saw Joseph on the opening night a few weeks back - it would be a crowd pleaser.

Les mis is just amazing though - worth every penny and then some.

@Geminijust

Also, I saw Blood Brothers many many years ago - loved it, would see again if it came back.

Blood Brothers is touring - just seen that it is near me in January!

Seen Wicked twice & absolutely loved it!

As others already said, Book of Mormon is superb but not for the easily offended and I'd strongly recommend people just read up on it and its creators in advance.

As a lifelong fan of everything Trey Parker & Matt Stone have done together since the original “Spirit of Christmas” short and “Cannibal The Musical” from the 90's, I honestly did not think the wider world of musical theatre was ready to receive their humour and what shocked me most is that it went down a storm, won 9 Tony's and is as booked up solid in every theatre whether West End / Broadway or performed by Musical Youth. Rightly so though it's brilliant.

The thing to keep in mind if you can get past the language and dodgy content is that everything Parker and Stone write, every joke no matter how dodgy and everything they have produced together has a strong underpinning moral to it. The Book of Mormon actually shows how religion and belief is a positive light and promotes the idea that it doesn't matter what you believe, which religion you choose or how absurd and mad some of the specifics may be, if it helps to give you strength, be a better person and help to change and better the lives of others then it's never a bad thing.

South Park lovers will appreciate how the stage props, costume and choreography is made to look deliberately shit and naff because it's like seeing a live version of South Park with its crappy animation. (Spooky Mormon Hell sequence I absolutely cried - literally belly laughed at the shit Pound Shop skeleton costumes and Starbucks cups that look like someone's Mum made them for a school production)

General musical theatre lovers will appreciate the many nods and parodies of famous musicals such as Lion King and Wicked.

“You and Me (but Mostly Me)” is a send up of both Defying Gravity / Wizard and I and has clean lyrics I can post for anyone not familiar to listen to without the swears.

Trey Parker is a musical genius.

Come From Away.

Absolutely wonderful show.