Andy Karl and the cast of Groundhog Day. Photo: Manuel Harlan With Groundhog Day, it looks like Tim Minchin might just repeat the huge success of his international hit musical Matilda. Groundhog Day opened last night at London's Old Vic theatre bringing together some of the team the created Matilda. Groundhog Day stars Andy Karl as Phil, a weatherman caught in a never-ending time loop.
Critics seem to have nothing but praise for Groundhog Day
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Douglas Mayo, BritishTheatre.com ✭✭✭✭✭
For a 10 week trial, this production of Groundhog Day is as good or better than many shows I have seen this year. A West-end transfer must surely be on the cards and I’m sure Andy Karl would be up for a Broadway run. Just get down to the Old Vic asap to see this stunning show. Writing and production of this calibre must be seen!
Ben Brantley, New York Times
I grinned pretty much all the way through “Groundhog Day,” unexpectedly happy to be stuck with Phil in Punxsutawney (and please never make me spell that again).
Roger Crow, Huffington Post
While elements of the movie are missing, it scarcely mattered. The transition from screen to stage is so rewarding I'm hoping this beta test version will be given a chance to shine on a bigger stage either in the West End or Broadway.
Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out ✭✭✭✭
'Groundhog Day', Tim Minchin's adaptation of the 1993 Bill Murray classic, is not quite as good as 'Matilda', being a little bit more slick and saccharine. It is still bloody good, and probably the third best British musical of the twenty-first century.
Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph ✭✭✭✭✭
Does it provide the same quantity of standout, sing-at-home numbers that we saw in Matilda? Hard to say at first sitting – but what is clear is that Groundhog Day is as funny and as touching as you could wish, and it lands with the confidence of an instant classic.
Michael Billington, The Guardian ✭✭✭✭
...while the show is high-grade fun, I enjoyed it more for its dazzling theatrical expertise than for its much thinner emotional content.
More reviews to come. Keep checking back.
Douglas Mayo has had a life long love affair with musical theatre. He has authored several books on publicity and marketing for amateur theatre groups. He is in the process of developing a musical based on his original story concept.
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