Love this pic of Jamie Parker Jamie Parker photographing the audience at last night’s final performance of Next To Normal!

When my current depression passes, I will be forever indebted to the calm and serenity provided by our regular visits to the seaside at Goring-by-sea. I am so lucky to live just 25 minutes from here.

Farewell to #MaggieSmith, who has died, aged 89. I’m presenting her the Critics’ Circle 2015 Award for Services to the arts, which she accepted at an event in April 2016. The Guardian news story: theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/…

This is simply magnificent: a host of Broadway’s finest — Inc Sting, Lin-Manuel Miranda Miranda, Liz Callaway, Kate Baldwin, Brian Stokes Mitchell & more join forces with Aaron Lazar to support him in his ALS diagnosis, singing a rousing “Impossible Dream”. m.youtube.com/watch?v=-c0_Xe…

This week’s theatre reviews in The Observer New Review by Susannah Clapp: Waiting for Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket ★★★★ Coriolanus at National Theatre ★★★ A Face in the Crowd at Young Vic ★★ theguardian.com/stage/2024/sep…

Continuing a new occasional series, from my visits to the West Sussex coast: #SeasideDogs. 3) Rosie.

Continuing a new occasional series, from my visits to the West Sussex coast: #SeasideDogs. 4) Apollo

Last night’s one-off performance of GHOST IN CONCERT (which originally premiered in the West End in 2011) was less a concert than a blueprint for how to stage the show on a more intimate scale. Though I missed the seamless magic illusions of Paul Kieve, everything else was there.

All but one of the terrific cast for GHOST IN CONCERT were entirely off-book, quite an achievement for a single show only, they were thrillingly led by Oliver Tompsett & Lucie Jones as Sam & Molly, their gleaming rock-star voices matched by the sincerity of their acting.

A lot of musicals are being given a second go-round in one-off concert showings right now, but GHOST IN CONCERT provided a more persuasive case for an underrated show than most. I had a genuinely enjoyable time!

#Seasidedogs: Dillon and Skye.

Last night I was privileged to see the extraordinary return of my friend #PhilipQuast to the London cabaret stage at Crazy Coqs, after his recent formal retirement from the theatrical stage. What a privilege to see him at such close quarters. And in such glorious voice, too.

From last night’s cabaret return of #PhilipQuast in his intimate autobiographical show at Crazy Coqs: he is joined by #MattRawle in a thrilling duet of “In Lily’s Eyes” from THE SECRET GARDEN (in which he starred in the Australian and UK premieres of).

This is astonishing. TomHannah Updates trying to sing the title song of Sunset Blvd. as he walks through Shubert Alley in nyc: what an ordeal! Surely he can’t be singing LIVE?

This was Gavin Creel in April, before his cancer diagnosis and death last week. Amazing how fast life can change.

This week’s theatre reviews by Susannah Clapp in The Observer New Review: Giant at Royal Court ★★★★★ Roots at Almeida Theatre ★★★★ Look Back in Anger at Almeida Theatre ★★★ theguardian.com/stage/2024/oct…

#Seaside dogs: Fudge (who I met in Felpham)

Love this pin-up pic of a past cast of Les Misérables, posted by Christian Edwards, formerly westendproducer, in his professional career.

A gorgeous start to the day beside the sea at Felpham, West Sussex. It’s even sunny! If I need a reason to keep on living, this is it…. So it’s the perfect antidote to anxiety and despair.

Latest blissful Randy Rainbow take-down of #DonaldTrump, set to Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5.