Liebster Awards!

Hi everyone, a massive thank-you to everyone who reads this blog as this month I have smashed my previous monthly viewings record and have now passed the 1,000 views mark, which I'm majorly excited about...eek! Anyway I have been nominated to do the Liebster award by JacobReviewsShows so here goes...

What’s the worst Disney film you have seen and why? What would make it better?

Right, so we're starting off with a hard question as I love all the Disney films I've seen...so I think I'm going to have to cheat and say The Frog Princess as the DVD I brought was broken so halfway through the words go out of sync with the cartoon characters. To make it better I would tell myself to exchange the DVD I brought for one that actually works. I know this is probably not what was meant by this question but Disney is a-maze-ing and although I have some films that I prefer over others, I wouldn't say I've ever seen one that's bad so you'll have to cope with this answer!

Favourite musical ever?

Now anyone who's read my blog before will know that I am madly obsessed with both Wicked and Priscilla Queen of the Desert so the real question is which one of these two do I prefer. Well, by a small margin it would have to be Wicked. The reason for this is that Wicked is such a good story of female empowerment but more than that, it's because I can just get Elphaba; I can understand her struggles and can see why she behaves as she does...she's the character I can most associate with in any musical ever. Come on people, you should know that emerald blood runs in these veins...well my Twitter is @GreenGirlsRox because really we girls who are green at heart really do rock.

What musical film should be on stage?

Umm...well that would have to be Frozen. Now I'm pretty sure this is actually being turned into a stage musical and I will be first in line to see it. I am a complete Frozen-aholic as, in a similar way to how I feel a connection with Elphaba, I feel the same way about Elsa...really their characters are quite alike. Plus the music is amazing and the story is just so sweet...I just love it.

A book that should be adapted into a musical?

Now I don't know how well it would work but I would love the Divergent series to be turned into a musical. I don't even know whether the series would work with songs put in but this book series has become my latest obsession (out of the world of musical)...I mean come on, anyone who's read these books, who couldn't love Four.

Favourite Disney villain and why?

Once again, this is quite a hard question...but I'm loving the new style Disney films that are exploring the lives of the villains and whether they are really all that villainous. It is because of this that i will have to pick Maleficent as I really liked the film about her and thought it showed how people can be both good and bad, it just depends who's version of events you look at.

Favourite Disney princess and why?

Does Elsa count as a princess and technically she's a queen...well if she does please see my answer to "What musical film should be on stage". If she doesn't, I love Rapunzel in Tangled as she is quirky, different and incredibly independent and resilient for someone who has been locked up in a tower for her whole life...plus she ends up with the gorgeous Flynn Ryder (yes I do have a little crush on a cartoon character but who doesn't love Flynn!?!).

Best Disney song and why?

That would have to be Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid as this was the first Disney song to appear on my favourite musical songs blog (click here to view). This song is so pretty and, also, about one of my favourite things (as you've gathered) empowerment and finding yourself. As Ariel sings this she wants to start living her life under her rules rather than someone else's...now isn't that what we all want?

Let It Go or Defying Gravity?

Argh! Do I have to pick, really? Seriously, I don't know if I can decide...and I know Let It Go didn't appear on my favourite musical songs blog but I was only do stage musicals for that rather than film musicals. Both songs have quite a similar feel to them as they're a females deciding that they're going to live life their own way even if it ends up hurting some people as they realise that you've got to put your own wants and desires first rather than constantly trying to please other people. Now I'm hopeless at putting myself first but I know it's something I should aim towards as really, if you do it to the right level it's the only way to get people to like you as if you don't like yourself then who else will. Both of these songs give me the confidence to try and do that, which is why it's so hard to pick...plus both are sung by Idina Menzel who is my favourite actress ever! However, if you're going to force me to pick one, I'd have to say Defing Gravity...and that's only because it's been there for me longer than Let it Go has.

Favourite non-Disney animated film?

Finally, a really easy one...Spirit the Stallion of the Cimarron basically because I love horses and it's such a beautiful story line. Now this would make a really good musical if put on in a similar style to War Horse.

Where should there be a Disney theme park and why should there be one there?

Lincolnshire...because I live there and I could go all the time!

So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed reading my Leibster Award...and if you have any more questions please feel free to comment below or tweet me at @GreenGirlsRox and remember to follow this blog and my Instagram so you can keep up to date with all my theatrical goings on.

Love you all

Kat

xx

P.S. My nominations are: 

Dawn Smallwood

Thoughts of a Blue Eyed Girl

and

That's the Spell

Now you're challenge, if you chose to accept, is to answer the ten questions below and then nominate your own people before writing them some questions and so it goes on.

So here goes...

1. What's your favourite musical of all time?

2. Who's your favourite character in a musical?

3. Who's your favourite villain in a musical?

4. What's your least favourite musical and why? What could be done to improve it?

5. If you could interview anyone in the world for your blog who would it be and why?

6. Who's your musical crush and what was your favourite thing you've seen them in?

7. What's your favourite film musical adaption?

8. Which actor have you been most impressed within a role and why was this?

9. Which show do you think has the best lighting and/or visual effects?

10. Which character would you most like to be and why?

A Song Played on a Solo Saxophone...Falling in Love With Miss Saigon

Hi everyone, I incredibly happy this month as I've (well really you've) managed to topple my previous month's record for number of page views by over 100...I'm currently on 844 and would love to get up to 1,000 for the month so tell your friends, family and the man standing on the street with a dog and don't forget to share on Facebook and retweet on Twitter.

Anyway, enough rambling on about viewings, what this post is really about is my trip to see Miss Saigon on 19th March. Now I hadn't planned on seeing Miss Saigon, I was actually hoping to see Made in Dagenham again but being rather silly I'd forgotten that it didn't have a matinee on a Thursday...oops! Well, I'd found out when I was travelling down to my physio appointment (the whole reason I was in London anyway) that two of my friends were down to see Niall in Miss Saigon so I decided to go and see that instead.

Now, to put it in perspective I'd already seen the show once in August last year but had not been too impressed and didn't think I'd be going back anytime soon but the temptation of seeing something with friends and actually being sociable rather that seeing something on my own convinced me to venture back. However, I was really pleased I did as I completely fell in love with it. I don't know whether I enjoyed it more this time because I'd already seen it before so knew what was coming up in the plot so could relax into it a bit more or what...but where as last time I walked out thinking "Well, that was weird!" this time I walked out thinking, "Wow, that was beautiful!".

Now I've really liked the CD since around this time last year but now I get the feeling it's going to be one of those that is really hard to remove from my CD player. I think what's so nice about it is the different styles of that it features, you can go from a jazzy, funky number (normally sung by the Engineer) to a slow yet powerful ballad and then to a domineering chant...it's a soundtrack that keeps you on your toes and just keeps delivering with every track. If any of you read my blog about my favourite songs you'll see that The Last Night of the World made it to number 8 (click here to view the full blog), and this is my favourite song from the show mainly because of the spine tingling music at the end but also because of the beauty of the words. However, I do, also, love all of the Engineer's songs, particularly The Anerican Dream, as well as Why God...which I have to say that this song makes me want to be a man just so I can sing it properly! Overall, the soundtrack is one of the most stunning I've ever heard...just listen to it, please :)

As for the acting, I thought the majority of the cast was brilliant. However, I do have one negative comment to do with this, which is I didn't particularly like Tamsin Carroll who played Ellen, I don't know whether she was just having an off day but to me her voice didn't match the rest of the cast's. Now to be more positive...we had two understudies, Kurt Kansley played John and Niall Sheehy played Chris. Both were absolutely epic and unless you'd been told they were understudies you wouldn't have know. This particularly goes for Niall whose portrayal of Chris was a beautiful depiction of the young, enigmatic but complex man that he is...plus Niall is very, very easy on the eye too, swoon! The other two actors who blew me away were Jon Jon Briones as the Engineer, who was funny and could pull off a pair of pink/red snakeskin flares, additionally, Eva Noblezada as Kim was fantastic for someone who has never been in a West End production before Siagon; she managed to display the frailty yet determination of Kim perfectly. 

Finally, I must comment, without trying to give too much of the plot away, on Kim's age. I know it says in The Heat is on in Saigon that she's 17 but watching the show this time it really struck me quite how young she was. It particularly for me at the climax of the story how powerful Kim's actions were for someone so young when I realised that she was probably around 21 which is how old I am at the moment; the thought of having to make decisions like she did makes me have the highest respect for her character and all she's been through. 

So, to round up I'd definitely say you should go and see Miss Siagon, and if you're like me and saw it once and was a bit underwhelmed, please go back and give it one more chance...I am so pleased that I did!

Programme, CD and Ticket

Me with Niall Sheehy

I hope you enjoyed reading about my time at Miss Siagon, if you have any comments please feel free to comment below or tweet me at @GreenGirlsRox, and don't forget to follow this blog and my Instagram.

Love you all

Kat

xx

Here Are A Few Of My Favourite Songs

Hi everyone, here's another bit of a different post. I've been rather enjoying doing this type of post...one that focuses on the world of theatre rather than on a show itself. Here are some of the most recent ones I've done:

Musical Theatre Tag

Getting Around in the World of Theatre

Minding Your P's and Q's...The World of Theatre Etiquette 

Anyway, I decided to do my top 5 favourite Musical Theatre songs. However, I got a bit stuck and ended up with 20 but knew this would be too many to write about so I managed to rank them in some sort of order and thought I'd give some more detailed reasons as to why the first five are my favourites and then just list the others with a simple word or phrase...hopefully I won't go on for ever then!

So here goes...

1. Defying Gravity from Wicked and Colour My World from Priscilla - okay, okay, I know this is technically cheating at the first hurdle but I just couldn't pick between the two as I love them both equally but for different reasons...and if anyone's ever wondered why the address for my blog is stageright11@blogspot.com rather than just stageright, well it's because both these songs are number 11 on the CD listings so it's my little dedication to them. Anyway, as to why they are my favourite songs, well Defying Gravity is my go to "I can beat the world" song; to me it's one of those songs that gives me confidence to fight my demons and face the world when I'm feeling down. As for Colour My World, I think this is simply the happiest song on the planet and can normally cheer me up no matter what...I just love it!

2. Let's Go Fly a Kite from Mary Poppins - I've always loved this song as it's cute and uplifting, however, I really fell in love with it when I saw the Disney film Saving Mr Banks as the scene this song feature in the film is just so gorgeous it will endure anyone to tears! Needless to say I'm majorly excited for the Mary Poppins tour and will definitely be seeing it at least once.

3. Naughty from Matilda - I like to think that the word 'little' in this song can have two meanings...little being small, or young like Matilda is or little meaning just one person, a solo force. If you're thinking of it being the latter way, the song can have quite a lot of meaning for everyone (not just children) as it's saying that even though you're just one person you can make a big difference if you want to. I, also, love the other message that it gives, which is: only you have the power to chance you future. This is such an inspiring song and what with the music being written by Tim Minchin it just makes it perfect!

4.  The Deal/No Deal from Chess - This is a monster if a song being over ten minutes long and whilst it is all epic, my favourite bit comes around the 8.10 mark on the Chess in Concert CD (Full Version). At this point there's a build up in the music that is just spine tingling before bursting in with the lyrics, "Who'd ever think of such a squalid, little ending; watching you defending just as low as you can go. I'm learning things I didn't want to know..." and so on. The staccato notes make the music very dramatic and it's the perfect end to such an epic song. Plus there's the added bonus of the Chess in Concert CD having Idina Menzel and Kerry Ellis performing on it who just so happen to be my favourite female performers.

5. Lost in the Wilderness from Children of Eden - This song is all about freedom; the want and desire to be able to do whatever you want in the world. It's about trying to throw off the shackles someone else has put on you. And, in a similar sense to what Naughty does, it says that sometimes you have to break the rules so that you can be free to do what you want. In simple terms, once again, it's a song of inspiration. Team this with the fact that it's, also, a song sung by a character, Cain, who is normally thought of as bad (he goes on to kill his brother, Abel), however, the song portrays his in a different light...much like Elphaba is displayed in Wicked. Talking of a Wicked connections, let's just say Stephan Schwartz has written many other stunning musical songs, and this just happens to be one of them.

6. What I Did for Love from A Chorus Line - A gorgeous song about how far someone will go for love, but not just any love, rather the love of a career...to me this makes the song extra special.

7. Part of Your World from The Little a Mermaid - The words are great but it's the melody that makes this song...simply beautiful.

8. Last Night of the World from Miss Saigon - A range of emotions that shows how all encompassing love is...plus the music is to die for.

9. Three-Five-Zero-Zero from Hair - Different yet very poignant.

10.  The Life I Never Led from Sister Act - Sweet, gentle with a secret strength to drive it.

11. A Man Like You from The Witchfinder - Quite unknown but it's a love song that will melt your heart. 

12. Don't Say Goodbye from Peter Pan - The perfect way to leave someone...there's a gentle, comforting feeling to it.

13. When I Grow Up from Matilda - It's a tear jerker anyway but when you're sat in the stall the the swings go above your head (you'll know what I mean if you've seen the show/watch YouTube clips) it's magical, pure and simple.

14. Watch What Happens from Newsies - Driving and powerful...and it's sung by someone called Katherine, what more could you want!?!

15. Wishing for the Normal from Soho Cinders - A pretty yet quirky love song.

16. Let the Sun Shine from Hair - It may be strange but it's the verse I love of this because of its powerful message.

17. Take it Like a Man from Legally Blonde - The line, "That's the best part, the outside is new but now it reflect what's already in you..." sells it to me every time.

18. Anthem from Chess - The ultimate hair raising, power song.

19. The Snooker Song from The Hunting of the Snark - Funny, quirky and takes me back to my childhood...does anyone else remember Jim Davidson's Big Break on TV?

20. Dancing Through Life from Wicked - Quite a long one but this was this inspiration for my dissertation, "The trouble with school us they always try to teach the wrong lessons."...and it makes me dream of Oliver Tompsett, swoon!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what my favourite songs are, I'd love to hear yours so feel free to either comment below or tweet me at @GreenGirlsRox, and remember to follow this blog and my Instagram to keep up to date with all my theatrical goings on :)

Love you all

Kat

xx

4.48 Psychosis - It Is Myself I Have Never Seen Whose Face Is Pasted On The Underside Of My Mind

Hi everyone, I'm a little late with this post but you know what they say...better late than never. Anyway on 7th March I journeyed back down to Sheffield to see another show in The Crucible's Sarah Kane Season. Earlier on in the year I had been to see the rather controversial but much loved Blasted (click here to see my blog on that), however, this time it was the turn of my favourite Sarah Kane play, and second favourite play in the whole world (second only to Claire Dowie's Adult Child/Dead Child...click here to read my ramblings on that) 4.48 Psychosis...or as my mum calls it 4.48 out 10 Cats Psychosis (you can probably tell what we watch on the TV!).

I will warn you now that there may be a few spoilers in this post as, like I said with Blasted, it's hard to talk about it and evaluate it without giving bit away. However, 4.48 is the type of play that even though I'd read it a thousand times, it's eclectic mix of seemingly random yet beautifully placed lines, made it incredibly exciting as the staging can change the whole feel of the play.

Firstly, I should describe why I like this play so much...well I first read it in my second year at uni and automatically felt connected to it as it's main focus is mental health. In whatever way it's performed it's a very powerful representation on what it's like to have mental health problems from the perspective of someone who has been there and is still there themselves...what I mean by this is that there is a debate as to whether 4.48 was Kane's suicide note as it was found by her feet after her first attempt and whilst she didn't succeed this time it wasn't too long before she did. The play's title, also, is embedded firmly in the world of mental health as Kane used to wake at 4.48am to what she first described as periods of madness but later went to say they were periods of sanity. The reason why this means a lot to me is because for years I have suffered with anxiety and mild OCD, as well as recently being diagnosed with depression...I feel the play is very true to some of the feelings I have experienced and feel that it is a great way of showing those who have suffered that they are not alone, whilst providing those who haven't suffered with an insight and perhaps an understanding as to what it is like to suffer with mental health problems.

The play is, also, special to me because for my final uni performance my friends and I created a play called [Untitled] which had elements of 4.48, as well as parts from Adult Child/Dead Child and stuff we'd written ourselves, incorporated into it. This meant working in depth with 4.48 and made it quite weird when watching the production I went to see as I kept following on with different lines that what was being said...it's amazing how a script can come back to you when you're prompted with one or two lines!

Anyway, as for the production at The Crucible, the first thing that struck me as I walked into the theatre space was how different it looked from when I saw a Blasted there. Rather than waffle on about this I've decided to draw you a picture with the top image being the theatre as it was set out for Blasted and the bottom as how it was set out for 4.48. To me this really struck home about how versatile this theatrical space was and I'd like to commend The Crucible for really working the space to suit the play.

Top: The Theatre Space at Blasted
Bottom: The Theatre Space at 4.48 Psychosis

The seating, however, whilst comfortable enough for me did have a few obstacles in the way of vision as I was sat in the second tier, which was basically built into the wall. This meant that there were stage lights and poles obstructing the view, in addition to the fact that the vertical drop meant that some of the acting was obscured. Furthermore, one of my friends was quite uncomfortable due to the height and lack of protection...while the area was safe, if you suffer from vertigo it probably doesn't feel that way. For this reason I would suggest booking early when coming to view a performance in the studio space at The Crucible so as to obtain seats on the ground level.

Coming onto the play itself, the first thing to mention is that while it was very different to how I would have staged it, it was still very effective and enjoyable. The play was depicted in two styles: a counselling series of scenes with one character playing the councillor and the other playing the patient; or scenes of supposed madness or psychosis which focused more on the thoughts and feelings of a person with mental health. I thought it very effective that the 'counselling' scenes were portrayed with  hospital-esque lighting and an eerie silence that was only broken by the ticking of a clock. These scene were, also very stayed with the characters staying seated on chairs for the most part; hence giving the impression of counselling. The other scenes were darker and accompanied with yellow lights that shone from the floor under the stage level seating...in a weird way it almost felt like being encapsulated in someone's brain; a feeling I felt suited the play well. During these scenes the characters were freer in their movement and used the whole of the space rather than just the centre part of the stage. All in all, I found the staging very effective in aiding in providing the powerful message that the words deliver.

The main difference between the production at The Crucible and how I would have staged the play came in the portrayal of the dialogue. The Crucible's production showed the dialogue to be more like that of a typical play rather than the artistic, seemingly random, way that Kane wrote it. I don't think this was wrong in any sense and was really interested to see how it was portrayed thus way...I, also, feel that it showed just how versatile 4.48 is and how many different ways it could be portrayed. To give you an example of how I would have staged it here's a short list of a few things I would have done: get the actors to chalk out the numbers, as well as vocalising them, in the section where Kane filled the page with numbers; repeated certain words and phrases throughout the play and created rounds with certain sequences of text to create a feeling of chaos; and get the actors to speak certain lines together to add more force and dynamism to them. This is how I'd always visualised the play being staged, in a quite blunt and forceful kind of way, however, The Crucible managed to get the message across in a way that was calm yet dynamic at the same time. In my opinion neither way is better than the other...just different.

Finally (and I know I've probably broken my New Year's resolution by waffling on too much...but this it what happens when I see such a detailed play that, also, happens to be one of my favourites), I must talk about the acting, or more particularly one of the actors. Whilst both Rakie Ayola and Pearl Chanda were very good, it was Tom Mothersdale who really took my breath away as his depiction of someone with mental health problems was spot on, in my opinion. There was just something about the way he acted that made him real rather than an actor playing a part...a stunning performance, well done.

Overall, I thought this was a very good, albeit different performance to what I was expecting. I would definitely recommend seeing this 4.48,and will certainly be going to see other versions myself (when they are on) so as to explore the versatile nature of the play.

Top: Tickets
Bottom: Programme and Leaflet / The Theatre

I hope you enjoyed this review, remember to follow this blog if you want to see more of my theatrical ramblings, as well as following me on Instagram. And if you want to ask me anything please feel free to comment below or tweet me @GreenGirlsRox.

Love you all

Kat

xx

Please open the curtains.

Swinin' Around with The Keston Cobbler's Club and The Ceilidh Liberation Front

Hi everyone, on 6th March I was lucky enough to go and review The Keston Cobbler's Club and The Ceilidh Liberation Front for LondonTheatre1 as they performed as part of The Vault Festival. This was an amazing event and great venue so if you want to read more about this here's a link to the review on the LondonTheatre1 website :)

And, also, just as a treat for you guys, here's a few photos and videos from the event so that you can get a more personal feel.

The Keston Cobbler's Club

The Ceilidh Liberation Front...sorry it's only short but I was dancing most of the time they were on!

Top: The Venue / The Keston Cobbler's Club
Bottom: A Poster for the Event / The Keston Cobbler's Club...again!

Top: The Cloakroom Tags...this may seem random but I thought this was a brilliant idea as they're easier to keep track of than a receipt / People Ceilidh-ing
Bottom: More People Ceilidh-ing / The Ceiling (minus the 'V'...short of laying down on the floor I was hard pushed to get the whole of the word 'Vault'!)


Well, I hope you enjoyed this slightly random post...and for those of you who are interested you can buy the music of The Keston Cobbler's on iTunes, Amazon, Ebay...and probably a lot of notable retailers but I'd be here forever listing them all. And if you have any comments don't forget you can do so below or tweet me at @GreenGirlsRox...you can also follow this blog and my Instagram to keep up to date with all my theatre news.
Love you all
Kat
xx

Let It Be...Hear Are The Beatles

Hi everyone, a week ago I went to review Let It Be for LondonTheatre1 so to have a look at what I wrote click here. I hope you enjoy reading it...and before anyone mentions the fact that my last blog had a bit about not using phones in theatres, I think that as the theatre encouraged it then this was ok, rather rare, but ok :)

Before you leave here's a few extra bits and pieces that I hope you enjoy (p.s. I apologise for the poor quality but I only had my phone with me as I wasn't prepared for filming!)...

  

An Extract From With A Little Help From My Friends...one of my favourite Beatles songs

  

An Extract From Here Comes The Sun...another one of my favourites

The Atmosphere Of The Show With Everyone Standing Up, Singing And Dancing

The Stage Curtain

Programmes, Ticket and Pin Badge

So I hope you've enjoyed this rather random post...and my review on LondonTheatre1. If you have any comments please fill in the box below or tweet me at @GreenGirlsRox. Also remember to follow this blog and Instagram to keep up to date with all my theatre news.
Love you all
Kat
xx

Minding Your P's and Q's...The World of Theatre Etiquette

Hi everyone, once again this is another post inspired by my most recent trip to London when I saw Made in Dagenham and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (please click the show names to view their blogs). Now when I was seeing Made in Dagenham the people on the other side of the aisle spent about 90% of the first act on their phones; texting, tweeting and even using the camera flash to read the programme. I found this particularly distracting as I kept catching a glimpse of the light from the phone in the corner of my eye, however, it was quite hard to say something as this would have meant crossing the aisle and possibly causing more distraction. In the interval I did go over to the steward and explain the situation who was more than helpful, especially as several other people had complained about the same people as well. Luckily (or unluckily as I did want them to get told off...well they had been incredibly distracting during the first act!) they didn't reappear for the second act so we were able to watch the show in peace but more importantly darkness.

However, it got me thinking about theatre etiquette, particularly as one of the groups I follow on Facebook, The Musical Theatre Appreciation Society, there have been more and more mid interval rants from people experiencing similar problems to me. I really have to say that if you've spent £60+ on a ticket (or any money really) why would you want to talk to the person next to you or spend time on your phone as by doing this you're not even giving the show a chance. Then if you've sat there patiently and quietly until the interval and you really don't like it you're free to leave. Seriously though...if you just want to talk or use your phone isn't is cheeper to do that in a bar, your hotel room or back at home?

Anyway, enough ranting (well kind of)...this got me thinking about my top most hated behaviours in the theatre and the behaviours that I don't mind and will kinda defend. So here goes...

1. Bad Behaviour - The Phones Addict...talking, texting, tweeting, playing games, using the flash light...anything to do with phones! Don't get me wrong I'm love my phone and for the most time I couldn't live without it, however, for the time that I'm in the theatre I pop it in my bag so I can't even feel it vibrate, a.k.a. no temptation! Now I did put a post on Facebook on the day which suggested everyone handing in their phones to the same place you hand your bags in to. Some people thought this was good, others not so, some suggested making theatres signal-less zones but in my mind this wouldn't solve the problem of flash lights and playing games. Then I saw a post West End Wilma put on Twitter about theatres on Broadway...

Would this help? I think the problem is that people are getting away with using phones too often and don't get any form of punishment. So, I think if it were properly enforced it could work...yes it's harsh but then having a show, that you've spent a large amount of money on, ruined by a phone justifies think don't you think?

2. Good Behaviour - The General Nice Guy/Gal - On a few occasions I've been overwhelmed at how nice some people have been in the theatre, namely there was a man when I went to see Hair a few years ago who spent the interval chatting to me and my friends and giving us advice on the show (they invite the whole audience up onto the stage at the end of the second act...he, also, looked after our bags for us when we went up!), as well as being the type of person you could share and arm rest with. Now this is the behaviour we need to see more of at the theatre!

3. Manageable Behaviour - The Wriggler...now there's a limit to how much wriggling is acceptable (no seat kicking allowed!) but moving around in your seat a little, I feel, shouldn't get you glared at in the interval. I, for one, will stand up for people who can't sit still as I am one of these and through no fault of my own...a year and two months ago I broke my coccyx and am still in pain due to an inflamed ligament; this means I go to the theatre with a hole-y cushion and find it uncomfortable to sit in the same position for a long period of time. What I'm saying is, maybe people need to wriggle a little...forgive them people of the world they could be in pain.

4. Bad Behaviour - The Constant Chatter...like phone use, why, oh why would you pay to come and see a show and talk the whole way through it. Please go to a bar, or just stay at home if all you want to do is talk; it'll probably be a lot easier to hear each other anyway. And let's not get on to how distracting it is for everyone else! Now I'm not against a tiny whisper to your friend or a short (and I mean short!) explanation to your child, which results in them sitting quietly but jabbering on is a big, big no no!

5. Good Behaviour - The Laugher...there's been a few times when I've been to the theatre and sat near someone with a hilarious and infectious laugh. The most memorable time was one of the times I went to see Matilda and there was a guy sat behind me who had the most amazing laugh on the planet...so much so that I nearly turned round and asked if he could come to everyone musical with a hint of comedy as his laugh made the show ten times funnier (and that's saying something as I love Matilda anyway). So, in my books, it you've got a good laugh on you, let it roar!

6. Manageable Behaviour - The Sweet Eater...no, no, no, I am not saying that rustling your sweet wrappers is acceptable but I'm fed up of getting glared at for getting a box of Smarties at the interval. Now I know everyone wouldn't go to the lengths that I would to make sweets as silent as possible...taking them out of the plastic wrapper and just putting them in the box...but just because some people make a lot of noise with sweets, please don't tar us all with the same brush.

7. Bad Behaviour - The Arm Rest Hog...you know that person you sit next to who won't let you get even a fraction of your elbow on the arm rest, well to me they turn seeing a theatre show into a wrestling match...come on, there's enough room for two arms on an arm rest!

8. Good Behaviour - Stage Door Sharers...those who share pens, take photos for you and just generally make standing at the stage door a pleasurable experience. It doesn't take a lot to help people out and if you're on the receiving end it makes for a very happy stage door experience.

9. Manageable Behaviour - The Toilet Runner...now I know it's annoying when you're halfway through watching an act and someone has to push past to get to the loo so you miss half the action but wouldn't you rather this than the alternative. Yes, yes they probably should have gone before but what happens if they have a medical problem? I think the best I've ever experienced is those that had to go but waited at the back until the second act started so as not to disturb people a second time...to me this is making the best out of a bad situation.

10. Bad Behaviour - The Kissing Couple...your sat in your seat, watching the show and the people infant lean in to have a little kiss. Okay you can deal with this, but then the start hugging, nuzzling each other and before you know it they're full snog. Not only is it awkward to watch but you're missing the show. Yes you may love your partner but please can the only love affair be the one that's going on on stage?

11. Good Behaviour - Interval Interaction...kind of similar to number two but those people who chat to you, particularly when you're on your own. We all know the type, not too over baring but have the confidence to make you feel welcome. Now I fully admit to the fact that I know I'd be too shy to make the first interaction but I totally admire people who do and wish I had the confidence to be more like them as I think it can really make a show to know there's fellow theatre buffs there with you.

12. Manageable Behaviour - The Perpetual Cougher...cough, cough, cough, rustle, rustle, rustle...I know those you cough are annoying but think about it, they really can't help it; it's not like they're coughing on purpose. And as for the rustle of the wrapper of a cough sweet, yes they're loud but I always thing I'd prefer a bit of loud rustling if it means that the poor coughing soul will get some relief and I'm able to go on watching the show.

13. Bad Behaviour - The No Partaking Moaner...fair enough, if you didn't think the show deserved a standing ovation, can't stand or take part for some reason they ok, I'm fine with you. The problem comes with those who then feel the need to complain that they can't see or just generally moan at people who are (or can) take part. I mean I went to see The Rocky Horror Show and kept getting death stares from a guy when I joined in with some of the shout outs and the same guy started muttering under his breath when my friends and I really went for it in the Time Warp...if you don't want to or can't join in that's fine but let me have some fun too!

14. Good Behaviour - The Ticket Giver...now I can't find the article but I seem to remember a few months ago reading something that said a couple had realised on the day that they couldn't make it to see Book of Mormon but rather than getting a return they gave their ticket to someone who was waiting in the returns queue for free...how special is that?

15. Manageable Behaviour - The Defiantly Seated...linking into number thirteen, as I was saying if you can't stand or just don't feel the show was good enough to stand up then that's ok. People are entitled to their own opinions even if we don't agree with them. Also, someone may have a disability or just feel unsteady on their feet and they, most certainly, shouldn't be judged for staying seated. So really these people aren't defiant as the title suggests; they're just different and rightly so.

16. Bad Behaviour - The Late-Comer...even though it's annoying when someone comes in late at the start of the first act I'm not really referring to this as there could be a good reason...late train etc. The people that are really annoying are those who stumble back in at the start of the second act, drinks in hand, making a lot of noise, five minutes after it's started...my thoughts are, they're already in the building, they were just having too much of a good time at the bar to listen to the bell. Correct me if I'm wrong but surely you've come to watch the theatre not prop up the bar.

17. Good Behaviour - Friendships made and formed...now you probably know all about this even though it doesn't necessarily take place in the theatre...it's the friendships, fandoms and Facebook groups that come out of musical theatre, I don't think anything could get better than this.

Now I know this has been a rather long post but I hope you've enjoyed it. And let me know what behaviours you like or dislike in the theatre by commenting below or tweeting me at @GreenGirlsRox, also remember to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my musical theatre goings on and follow this blog by clicking the button at the top right of this post :)

Love you all

Kat

xx