Vidar Hjarding MBE - What’s New Pussycat, Audio Described Theatre Review

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey welcomes back Vidar Hjarding MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands to re-start his regular Connect Radio audio described theatre reviews with his first visit back to a live theatre performance in almost 2 years.

Vidar’s first trip back to the theatre was to see the audio described performance of ‘What’s New Pussycat’ at the Birmingham Repertory   Theatre on Wednesday 10 November at 7.30pm with live audio description by Julia Grundy and Caroline Smith. 

What’s New Pussycat  is a musical, comedy theatre production Written by Tony Award winning, Joe Di Pietro which marries  the classic Henry Fielding novel The History of Tom Jones.  and the iconic songs of Sir Tom Jones, to relive the delicious excess of London’s in the swinging sixties.

Set in 1965, ladies’ man Tom Jones arrives in London with a broken heart, but he also has big dreams and a big voice. He quickly discovers an exciting world of mods and miniskirts, dancing and decadence, but most of all…incredible music. Romance and adventure await, but will Tom ever be reunited with his one true love, who seems more interested in designing for Carnaby Street than in being Mrs. Tom Jones? 

Vidar began by explaining to Toby what it was like for him going back to the Birmingham Rep in almost 2 years and the joy of being back in the theatre seeing a live audio described show.

If the rumours are true that What’s New Pussycat will be hitting the London West End stage in 2022, then Vidar would certainly recommend going to see an audio described performance of the production for a trip to London’s West End.

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