Reviews from Fran!

One of Siobhan's biggest fans Fran was lucky enough to see CSWY twice in the same week, including the final night! Here are her reviews of Thursday's and Saturday's show! ---

Hmmm, no flame retardant clothing was needed although there was a slightly batty guy sitting behind me in the second act singing away!....

I resisted the urge to: A/ Hit him and tell him to shut up B/ Laugh uncontrollably!....

Well THANK GOD! we had a full cast last night!....

I made a slight plank of myself as I was waiting by the stage door after the matinee to see if everyone (well one person) was present.... Saw her come out of the stage door (relief) but she didn't see me!.... Ahhh all ok so I thought why not pop to the pub on the corner for a bevvie whilst I'm waiting..... So I walked round the corner and there is no pub but a restaurant and as I'm doing so Siobhan is leaving in a car and sees me!.... Oh god! She probably thinks I'm stalking her!.... Bah!....

Anyways so after wandering off for a little while I return to the stage door wait for the cast to return.... Fran is first and then along come Chesney and Siobhan.... So I give her a little wave and she toodles over and says "What are you doing here?".... Erm.... Coming to see you?.... She didn't get my message!.... Anyways she was running late so she asked if I would be there later.... Er.... YEAH!.... I told her I was in the front row but to let Chesney know I wasn't wanting any of his "funny business!".... She was like ooooh I'm gonna tell him to come over to you!.... Eeeek!.... Not funny!....

Anyways I take up my seat in the front row.... Very nice, almost dead central....

Impressions of the show.... Very cheesy but some great singing by all the cast of the Manilow classics!.... Now we get to the part where Chesney is going to get beaten up.... Some fan gave him their phone number.... Their name?.... FRAN!.... I was like, hmmm is that supposed to be a name check?....

Anyways Siobhan's solo's were fab!.... But I was also impressed by Chesney and Fran (even though she doesn't have an awful lot of time in the show)....

Fortunately Chesney picked on an older lady in the front row a couple down from me to sing to.... Thank goodness!.... Maybe it was my nooooo! signals I was giving him!

Anyways show over and to the stage door I go!.... They all come out pretty quickly and Siobhan comes out from the stage door and says "Hello Darlin!".... Anyways we exchanged pleasantries and have a quick chat, including getting introduced to Chesney and then telling him my VERY embarrassing story of when I was 16 outside Radio 1 chasing his car down the road to get an autograph!.... Oooh the things you do when you're young!....

Anyways good news!, Siobhan has got financing for her album!.... An independent record label will release it sometime next year!.... She hasn't finished writing for it yet but it looks likely that none of her original material will make it to this new album.... She did say that on Alecia Dixon's new album there is a track on it that she originally recorded.... I'll have to have a look to see if I can remember which one!.... As she said it would give us an idea of the kind of stuff she's doing.... I asked her about the music going on MySpace and she said it will get done....

She said that she wants to concentrate on the album now so I think that's it for musicals for her, for the time being which is sad.... She did say that she has been asked to audition for some musicals but has decided against in favour of her music.... I asked about Can't Smile continuing next year.... Its possible but if Siobhan's concentrating on her album then I assume it could be without her....

I also asked about the neck incident for which I got a very strange answer!....Ok, what happened was Siobhan knitted herself an amazingly long scarf.... She was wearing it one day whilst driving but shut it in the door by accident.... I have no idea how but it got caught round the wheel of her car (Smart car) and nearly chocked her!.... Hence the reason why she was wearing scarves, to cover the burn marks on her neck!.... Oh my god!.... I'm thinking this could only have happened to Siobhan!.... Odd story but TRUE!, poor girl nearly killed herself....

Anyways chat over, the cast went off for drinks and I went off to the town centre to wait for my coach back to London.... The coldest 2 hour wait of my life!....BUT I'm doing it again on Saturday!.... Can't resist! Well who knows when we'll get to see Siobhan again singing on stage?.... Maybe at the O2?.... I wish her all the best in the persuit of her singing career!....

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Hey all....

Suppose I should post something about going to see Siobhan at the final performance of Can't Smile....

I only got back this morning and felt like a train wreck, overnight coaches aren't a good thing!...

Well I got into Darlington yesterday at 18.30 and went straight over to the Box Office to pick up my ticket, the matinee was just kicking out when I arrived.... I went into the box office and got my ticket but as I was speaking to the staff Siobhan popped in and said hi.... She also had to give the box office staff a forwarding address for a package she hadn't received from Connie.... Had a quick chat about not an awful lot but said to her about Isadora Duncan which she knew about and said "but I didn't die!" To which I replied, THANK GOD!.... Or something along those lines....

She said she had to go but asked if I would be about later.... I said that Beej would be down from Edinburgh to see the last show too so we'd catch up with her later.... I also saw Chesney at the Stage Door before he left and he remembered me and said "Hi Fran" which I thought was nice.... Incidentally the name check was for me the other night!.... Funny!.... Ooh and apparently the matinee was complete carnage!.... Siobhan asked me if I had been to see it but I couldn't get there on time.... She said that a couple of times she couldn't stop laughing, too many pranks to mention specifically but she said it was funny....

Anyways after our chat I trotted to a pub to have a bevvie and keep warm.... I then went back to the theatre before the show to meet up with Beej....

Anyways we take out seats for the last show, Chesney is off so the U/S Richard Taylor Woods was on.... He was actually very good.... Chesney sounds more like Barry Manilow when he sings but RTW was a good all rounder.... I thought that Richard and Siobhan were a good pairing and they sounded great together.... Siobhan's solo's were perfect, she just sounded amazing!.... Would love to be able to get my hands on an audio!....

Well after 27 Manilow songs it was all over!.... Siobhan genuinely looked a bit emotional at the curtain call and they all got a good standing ovation which was lovely!....

After the show Beej and I took our place at the Stage Door to wait for the cast.... Beej managed to get a couple of posters from the show, nice one!.... I had asked on Thursday but was told no!.... Some people just have luck!....

Anyways Siobhan comes out and heads over.... I really have no idea what we talked about.... Maybe something to do with all the wine I had drunk!.... All I can remember is Beej and I telling her that it would be a crime for her to go back to handbag designing, she needs to sing!.... Plus we were sad she wasn't going to do anymore shows for a while.... She's definitely going to concentrate on her music, and has said that if the record company wish she may do some live promotion gigs once the c.d is released.... So that's kinda good news to hope for!.... Anyways after a few minutes she was off, so we wished her well and off she went....

Who knows when we'll see her about again, hopefully in the not too distant future that's for sure.... Her voice is too special not to be heard!....