Opinion Makers

Having worked in Market Research, I know that some interviewers make up answers to questions that they don't want to ask their interviewees.  On a questionnaire for a toilet paper company there was a question about how often the respondant had sex and there was no way that I, as a kid studying for A levels, was going to ask anyone that question so I just left it blank but when I asked the other interviewers how they got on with the question their answers ranged from making up a number that was impossible, to asking the person and reducing the number by half because they knew it would be an exageration.

Today I saw The Opinion Makers at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester, which is a new musical based in a market research company, with researchers who make up the data. I really liked it and so did my son.  The Long Suffering Husband, unfortunately missed a lot of it, as he was overcome by the warmth and dark and had a little snooze.

It has made me think about public opinions and what makes things popular.  It doesn't make sense to me that a new comedy musical with tickets selling at £12 each wasn't full.  Even more surprising when you factor in the cast, which consisted of Julie Atherton, Daniel Boys, Justin Edwards, Stacey Ghent, David Mountfield, Benjamin Stratton and Mel Giedroyc.  With a cast that features West End musical stars and famous people off the telly you would think they couldn't go wrong and the theatre would be full for every performance.  And it should be.  If my opinion counts for anything you should go and see it.

Before I saw it I was a bit worried about it.  Julie Atherton, who I have stalked on Twitter since I saw her in Avenue Q, tweeted this:

Then before the show started a representative from the theatre apologised as a member of the cast, Benjamin Stratton had been taken ill and wouldn't be performing.  Checking Twitter in the interval, I discovered that he had banged his head during the first performance and it turns out it's quite difficult to perform with concussion.  This was a shame, as I love watching actor-musicians who manage to combine the skill of playing, singing and acting without dropping their instruments.

Fairly soon after it started I was convinced that this small but brilliant cast were an absolute joy to watch.  Julie Atherton has the most fantastic voice and the lullaby alone is worth going to see the show for. Daniel Boys is another West End star, who gives a fantastic performance and the TV stars Justin Edwards and Mel Giedroyc are able to fill the stage with comedy just with a twitch of the face or by lifting an eyebrow.  Bake Off fans will be pleased to know they even managed to squeeze a soggy bottom reference in.

I wouldn't review a musical without mentioning the band, which were brilliant.  A good show always makes you covet something that you've seen.  For the woman sitting next to me, it was the blue tartan bed covers but for me it was the Alto Flute (such a beautiful sound)

After the show, my son was waiting for us in Cafe Nero, while we finished a bit of shopping and he texted that some of the cast had come in.  He was really excited to not react but listen (he really does take after me) to their conversation.  Apparently, someone else had banged their head and they were laughing about Mel's coffee order because it was low calorie with extra cream and sprinkles.  You don't get that in the West End.