Funny Girl Tickets

Funny Girl, currently playing at London's Savoy Theatre, has been the cause of a great deal of hype since it opened in April. For a show that has been heavily revered by a lot of critics, I was slightly surprised that the production didn't completely explode onto stage; it was a pleasant, but very gentle show. However, the performance of Natasha J Barnes, who has been covering the principal role of Fanny Brice in the absence of Sheridan Smith, raised the show to a level of real excellence. The silver lining around the cloud of Smith's absence is that Barnes has been given a much deserved opportunity to absolutely shine, and she really does fill the stage with life, and energy. The show completely revolves around Barnes, and she makes the character of Fanny Brice so interesting, and engaging, that I would defy anybody to be unimpressed by the production.

Natasha J Barnes has a tricky job in front of her; despite someone else’s name being billed above the theatre entrance, she has delight crowds in one of the biggest roles on the West End. With two huge names having preceded her as Fanny Brice, firstly the great Barbra Streisand who originated the role and most recently the much loved Sheridan Smith, Barnes has big shoes to fill but she is absolutely sensational in Funny Girl. It’s a pretty dated musical but Barnes and the cast breathe new life into it and take the audience by surprise with plenty of charm and razzle dazzle. Natasha J Barnes is the greatest star in Funny Girl and you can’t help but fall head over heels for her as Fanny.

Natasha J Barnes plays the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre for a short period whilst Sheridan Smith takes 2 - 4 weeks leave of absence from the production due to stress and exhaustion.

Funny Girl tells the story of Fanny Brice, an actress who takes Broadway by storm with her knack for comedy. Funny women are in no shortage on the West End but sometimes get pushed aside by the more dramatic and tragic roles such as Fantine in Les Miserables and Kim in Miss Saigon. These hilarious roles should be appreciated more, especially as comedy has traditionally been a male-dominated zone for many years. Here’s my pick of four amazing and funny female roles from the West End’s past and present.

With the news of the classic Jule Styne and Bob Merill musical FUNNY GIRL making its way from its sold out run at the Menier this fall into the Savoy Theatre on the West End next April, I thought it would be apt to take you through the history of Funny Girl as a musical and where it originated from before that.