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New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Nicholas de Jongh's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Maggie Norris.
Cast: David Burt, Sally Dexter, Nicole Faraday, Helen Fraser, Maria Charles, Chris Grierson, Caroline Head, Julie Jupp, Amanda Posener, Laura Rogers, Rebecca Wheatley
Description: A show based on the successful television series, written by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus, with music composed by Kath Gotts. There's been a tragedy on one of the wings of HMP Larkhall, and officer Jim Fenner is implicated. The new Wing Governor Helen Stewart may lose her job if Fenner's misdeeds are not highlighted, so the women aim to nail him forever.
Trains: Tube: Leicester Square 
Phone: 0870890 1104
Authentic pleasure: Sally Dexter, centre, as a gangster's moll in Bad Girls at the Garrick
Girls aloud: the cast at the first night party at Sugar Reef
I offer a warm welcome to Bad Girls, the first lesbian musical to hit the West End. What a time it has taken for such girl-on-girl action to arrive - considering sexual liberation was launched with the hippy Hair! in 1968.
Bad Girls now offers authentic pleasure to those of us who enjoy serious issues camped up to melodrama level while plot-lines and characters scale the heights of absurdity: Sally Dexter's swaggering gangster's wife Yvonne in sumptuous leather, who belts out a song, trades a fine line in abuse and escapes by personal helicopter is the best example.
Trading on fame from its long-running ITV series, Bad Girls' authors Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus here recycle characters and seething, heaving tight-lipped excitements.
Film projections vividly set the prison scene in Maggie Norris's insufficiently flippant production. Kath Gotts's not very tuneful songs range from the unfunny, Lionel Bartish A Life of Grime by way of the odd anthem and pugilistic pop number, to the amusing, satirical spectacular: a chorus-line of prison officers in a Busby Berkeley routine and an Astaire/Rogers tap-dancing duo.
What with David Burt's sinister, smiling officer, Jim Fenner, sexually taking advantage of his female charges, a suicide, a menacingly real riot and Yvonne's battle to become hen rather than cock of the walk, this ladies' wing of Larkhall prison makes a boisterous impression. The dialogue crackles and snaps convincingly with lush vulgarity, innuendo and violence.
Between the heavy-duty plots a forbidden, lesbian romance manages to rear its shy, lovely head. Laura Rogers's henna-haired, fantastically liberal prison governor pops into a solitary cell to offer sympathy to cool blonde Nikki Wade (sexy Caroline Head) who is serving a life-sentence for murdering the policeman she discovered raping her girlfriend. A sympathetic hand on the shoulder, a meaningful exchange of looks leaves us rather than them quivering with anticipation of the first, hot flush of passion. It takes time coming since Laura has first to ward off Chris Grierson's pretty, young prison officer and attempts by Fenner and his crop-haired, henchwoman, Helen Fraser's "Bodybag" Hollamby, to wreck her career.
Two soulful songs finally coax the women's love into the open, but, shamefully, with no more than a discreet kiss.
Bad Girls needs a touch more lesbian liberation. Despite a criminology professor's plaudits in the programme Bad Girls offers no indictment of our primitive penal policy for women.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Laura, the first half is a lot weaker than the second half. It gets better, but I can understand why a lot of people would leave at the interval. I enjoyed the show but I think only "Bad Girls" aficionados would. I hope it lasts but can't see it doing so with the current audience figures being so low and the show's narrow appeal... I don't know of anyone else who wants to see it and had to bribe my other half to come along with me!
- L, London
Absolutely fantastic show, I've seen it 5 times already. It's funny, highly entertaining and there are some brilliant performances. You don't have to have been a fan of the TV show to enjoy it and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The cast are fantastic and really deserve success with this show. I can't rate it highly enough...go and see it!
- Diana, Colchester
I absolutely loved the show! Thoroughly recommended. Whether you've seen the series on TV or not (I hadn't) you'll enjoy this musical as it stands in its own right.
It's wicked, funny and the music is great. Wonderful performances and singing. You'll leave the theatre with a massive smile on your face and a tune in your heart that'll last at least a week.
- Lily, London
Me and my mates had an absolute ball. It's funny, bawdy and the songs are brilliant.
This could be the next rocky horror - so go - take friends and you'll be able to look back - proud that you were there when it started.
- Catherine Malblanc, London
This has to be the worst show that I have seen, I just could not believe how bad it really was that I did not even stay for the second half! Considering that I paid £45 to see the show I was very upset. If you want brilliant evening out and want to really entertained then I recommend that you go and see WICKED at the Apollo Victoria theatre, it is fantastic I have seen it twice this year!
- Laura, London, UK
I saw Bad Girls last Tuesday. Thought it was absolutely fantastic. So camp it felt like Christmas.
If you liked the tv show then you will love the show, if you didn't you might think its pants.
But a great night out, thanks girls... Boddybags should have got the final bow though, to me she's the leading lady!
- William, Manchester England
The show is very funny, original, very camp, and a cut above much of the west-end pap out there. It's a rollicking ride, especially the second half 'tie Mr Fenner to bed scene' with Shell Dockley - my favourite bit.
- Ed, London, UK
