First Night Nerves
Taken From The Sunday Mirror Magazine 24/11/02
Our House, a musical based on Madness songs, is the latest West End sensation. We joined the cast, crew and crowd of celebs for opening night.
It's taken years of talking, months of planning and weeks of rehearsal, but tonight The Nutty Boys' musical opens and none of the cast can quite believe it. The atmosphere backstage is electric, the young actors - many whom have never appeared on stage in London before - spend the afternoon rushing about getting costume checks, finalising the dance moves with the choreographer and practising their scales. Good luck cards and bouquets keep arriving at the stage door - between them, the girls have enough flowers to open a florist. The crew check and double-check the lighting and props, and the stage hands sweep and polish frenetically.
By 5pm, it's all very luvvie-fied, exactly how you imagine the theatre to be - lots of over excited, hugging actors and burley stagehands dressed in black. 'It's up to me to calm them all down because they're a bit nervy,' Company Manager Garth Browne informs me. 'They were like, "Oh my God, it's a world premiere" - so I didn't dare tell them about all the famous faces who'd be sitting in the front row. Even I'm excited about them, 'Everyone from Eddie Izzard to Anneka Rice is expected.
The older cast members take refuge in their dressing rooms to practise their lines, and stretch and contort their faces in strange ways in order to limber up. Ian Reddington, better known as Eastenders' Tricky Dicky, has seen it all before but gets as carried away as the rest of them. Julia Gay, the leading lady, has gone off on her own for a snack, but finds she can't eat anything. Her mum and dad pop in, which calms her down a bit. 'Everyone's on cloud nine. The adrenaline is amazing - especially as it's my first lead role. I'm nervous, but It's a good nervous.' 'I'm fine,' says male lead Michael Jibson, 'but I know I'll be throwing up with nerves tomorrow - that's when my family are coming down from Hull. I begged them to stay away tonight.'
At 6pm, the cast quieten down with anticipation, but front of house it's all action. Barriers have been erected and a steady stream of paparazzi photographers jostle for space in the foyer. Despite the rain, a madding crowd assemble to glimpse the celebs as they arrive. There's Fame Academy's Sinead and Pippa, Emma Bunton, David Badiel with his partner, comedian Morwenna Banks hairy pair Bryan May and Annita Dobson, and Andrew Lloyd Webber is spotted trying to sneak in round the back - not wanting to be seen at a rival production, no doubt. Limo after limo queues around the block. Denise Van Outen, Hugh Laurie and Claire Sweeney flash their tickets as they make their way to their seats, while Harry Enfield, Emily Lloyd and Gabby Roslin pose for pictures in the drizzle. By 7.15, the interval drink orders have been placed, sweets purchased and programmes flicked through. The lights go down, the curtain goes up and strains of House Of Fun can be heard throughout the auditorium. For the next two and a half hours, the audience is taken on a Madness memorial ride - It Must Be Love, Embarrassment, My Girl, all the classis. The crew worry about sodden hair and slippery shoes, because they have to run outside and around the theatre to get from stage right to stage left, but no one has come back on looking like a drowned rat.
Apart from a couple of out-of-time dance moves, the first night is hitch-free, and as soon as the last word is uttered the audience leap to their feet, applauding. Everyone stays standing to boogie to the encore - a reprise of Our House, what else?
Suggs appears on stage with a traffic cone on his head (no we don't know why either) and a fag hanging out of his mouth, while other band members walk on to hand the crates of beer. 'We were told the band might come up, but we weren't expecting that,' admits a gleeful Julia. As the VIPs make their way to Soho's Atlantic Bar and Grill for the post-show party, the cast hug each other again and breath a massive sigh of relief.
The producers, backers and writers are thrilled. Now they've just got to keep up the pace for the next 12 months. Friends and family are ushered backstage, bringing more flowers, cards and champagne, and the garnish slap is hurriedly removed and replaced with more subtle make-up.
Julia puts on her special opening night outfit - an Amanda Wakely dress and Jimmy Choo shoes, sourced for her by one of the producers. She suddenly looks much younger and prettier without the war paint and dazzling lights. By the time the cast make it to the party, most of the canapes have been demlished - leaving the starving cast disgruntled. But there are still plenty of strawberry daiquiris linning the bar - and random celebs are desperate to tell the leads how wonderful they are in a sycophantic manner usually reserved for themselves, 'I love it. I want to get all my friends to see it,' enthuses Denise Van Outen. 'What a great night, what great songs fantastic!' shreks Chris Tarrant. 'I wasn't expecting all this attention,' admits Julia, as she's being asked to pose on the sweeping starcase for the 50th time. 'Suggs was really pleased with me, so I'm happy. But I can't really drink, which is a shame - you can't go overboard when you've got another show to think about.'
The room starts to thin out in the early hours of the morning. Julia goes home for beans on toast and Michael feels tipsy - 'Every drink is going to my head and details are becoming vague. I'm being dragged around to meet people and constantly searching for food. Andrew Lloyd Webber said he enjoyed my performance though, which is a good bit of networking for the future,'
By 3am the last cocktail has been drained and the exhausted cast are ferried off to bed. 'We can't get the reviews until the morning. The idea you can get the papers handed to you as you're slipping you're celebrity champagne is a movie myth,' sighs a tired Garth as he leaves, 'But I shall rush to the shop first thing tomorrow - no doubt nursing a hangover - with crossed fingers,.
Our House is at the Cambridge Theatre, London. For box office and bookings call 0870-890 1102 or book through Ticketmaster on 0870-060 2317
