Postcard from Abroad
Guest Column Four nights in London
People do moan about the prices of West End theatre and more generally about the costs of a night out in London a lot. Well, I can tell you now that it's possible to have a great night out for as little as �12 � provided you're willing to venture off the beaten paths of the West End. Tempted by the irresistible prospect of seeing the gorgeous Ex-Trainspotter Jonny Lee Miller live on stage, I headed for the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, only a 20-minute bus ride away from Oxford Street to see "Four nights in Knaresborough". Walking down Kilburn High Road, I decided that I couldn't see a play on an empty stomach and entered a clean-looking fish & chips-shop. Two young guys were in charge of the shop and provided me not only with great food for as little as �3.50, but also with a very nice chat � quite a change from being on your own in the West End's fast food outlets. The play cost only �8.00 on midweek nights and although we sat on benches, it was comfortably enough. "Four nights in Knaresborough" may be a somewhat misleading title, as it is the story of the four knights who killed Thomas Becket in Canterbury before hiding in Knaresborough Castle for a year. One could now dread a profound soul-searching play full of philosophical ramblings, but writer Paul Corcoran delivered a marvellous comedy that seemed to be a first cousin to television's infamous "Black Adder". But it wasn't just witty dialogues and contemporary swear-words, it was also touching, as it showed how the knights tried to cope with their own deed and especially Brito's struggle to win the heart of their landlady Catherine. Jonny Lee Miller (Brito) was the star of the play of course and proved that he wasn't just the pretty boy from the movies, but a very good young actor, too. The rest of the cast performed equally well and the audience enjoyed themselves very much, though that piece of medieval dental surgery carried out in the first act is certainly not for the fainthearted... I hope that the play will survive beyond its run at the Tricycle Theatre and reaches a larger audience, be it in the West End or elsewhere.
My next theatre visit couldn't have been more different as I had booked a ticket for the latest "blockbuster musical" to arrive in London � Disney's "Lion King" at the Lyceum Theatre. Arriving in Wellington Street rather late, I had no time for a decent dinner, but went for a coffee and a piece of extremely sweet chocolate cake at the nearest Starbucks instead. I'm not too happy with those coffee shop chains sprouting all over London, but at least they serve really decent coffee. Then I entered the Lyceum and waited for the big spectacle to blow me away. Sad to say it didn't happen. Sure Julie Taymor's direction and costumes are great and certainly deserve the praise they received on Broadway, but throughout the show I kept thinking "Why on earth didn't they leave the animated movie alone?" It's one thing to have cuddly animated lions on screen, but quite another to have actors portraying the animal population of Africa � and reducing most of the cast to hardly more than puppeteers to have convincing animals. Timon, the chipmunk (or whatever he is) was clearly the audience's favourite, but will anyone remember the actor behind the cute puppet? I doubt it. The same goes for the three hyena's Shenzi, Banzai and Ed � all of them marvellously played, but what did the actors do more than steering the heads of the puppets and lending them their voices? The lucky ones who played the lions at least got more to do than that, but it were only two pictures that stuck to my memory � that of Mufasa (Cornell John) and young Simba (Ross Coates) under the starry sky as daddy lion sang "They live in you" and later on, that of the grown Simba (Roger Wright) as he sang "Endless Night" full of self-doubts. "Lion King" should certainly be seen, if only to admire the imagination of Julie Taymor who brought the movie to life on the stage, but although it's a huge improvement from the drab soulless spectacle that was "Beauty and the Beast", it's not the fabulous blockbuster that the ads made us believe it was. Personally I wish that Disney would leave their lovely animated movies alone and rather produce fresh shows for the stage that don't suffer from the liabilities of the movies, such as the talking animals or big action scenes (I wonder if anyone who hasn't seen the Lion King-movie could make sense of the "Stampede" that ultimately leads to Mufasa's death?).
The next show I saw was a lot more to my liking � "Spend, spend, spend" by the so-far unknown team Steve Brown and Justin Greene. An original story at last instead of a dull novel adaption or a tear-jerker it's the story of pools winner Viv Nicholson and does not only provide us with witty lyrics and an engaging story but also makes you think. She won an awful lot of money and squandered it all away � but would we really react so differently? I know I wouldn't. I'd spend, spend, spend, too. It was great to see the wonderful Barbara Dickson live on stage again as the older Viv, who works at a hair-dresser's now and tells her tale while a younger actress takes over as the young Viv. This actress, newcomer Rachel Leskovac, surely is the greatest discovery in a long time. She seemed to be bursting with energy throughout the show and had a great voice. It was also nice to see a rather small, sturdy girl getting to play such a fantastic role instead of the leggy, slim beauties you usually see on the stage.
It was also great to see Steven Houghton (as Viv's husband Keith) back on the West End stage after a long spell in the world of television, where he made his name as a firefighter in "London's Burning" which also got him into the Top Ten with his version of "Wind beneath my wings" he sang in one episode. The music may not have the great, memorable tunes of Lloyd-Webber's calibre, but there's enough to keep you entertained for two and a half hour, most notably the duet "Who's gonna love me?" between the two Viv's, as the young one learns about Keith's death in a car crash. Unforgettable also the song "Spend, spend, spend" at the end of the first act which has the cast flashing the two fingers to the audience. It may not be one of the big musicals, but I hope that � like "Blood Brothers", to which it is often compared � it will find its audience and play for a long time to come.
"Pajama Game" had initially been on my list of must-see shows for this trip, but after it received such an overall bashing from the critics I changed my mind. Now left with not much to choose from at the half price ticket booth and a free afternoon on my hands, I thought that "Pajama Game" might be a less painful choice than "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" which got even worse reviews - and I had never liked Hardy's novel anyway. So it was off to the Victoria Palace Theatre, which must be one of the most uncomfortable and most boring theatres of London. With the memory of the two previous musicals in the back of my mind, I enjoyed the sheer fun that was "Pajama Game", bringing back the good old days when musicals were all about singing and dancing. However, the setting in a pajama factory was dull to really engage anyone and it was simply too obvious that Babe and Sid would get each other. Much hype had been made around the avantgarde designs of artist Frank Stella � well, they were interesting and I can't say, they were "wrong", but I think it may have been better to present this rather unknown musical in a more conservative way while using Stella's creativity for one of those shows that have been played to death and could really do with a fresh and different approach. At least the tunes and the dancing made the visit worthwhile, not to forget the great cast. So Leslie Ash (Babe) is a TV-star who can't really dance. So what. She looks the part, she sings well and I imagine that for those who have seen her regularly on television, it must be great to see her live. It was also nice to see Graham Bickley free from the restraints of carbon copy-shows like "Les Miserables" where every individualism is lost forever, to play Sid and make this role entirely his own. The supporting cast was good, too, and despite the flaws "Pajama Game" can still make for an enjoyable evening out.
My next � and last � visit to a London theatre brought me to the Barbican to see "Taming of the Shrew" in the Pit. As I had never been there and heard several complaints of difficult it is to find your way, I was a bit worried about arriving on time � but found that it's really easy to find your way from the tube station to the theatre if only you're able to read the signs that are displayed everywhere. I was rather surprised at seeing just how huge the whole Barbican is, when you walk between the high towers of the complex. I fell in love with the Pit the moment I entered it as I love those small intimate studio theatres that bring you really close to the actors. Being the feminist I am (oh yes), I always thought that "Taming of the Shrew" was one of the most difficult Shakespeare plays to stage and I was curious to see how director Lindsey Posener had solved the problem of the "battle of the sexes". He achieved his aim by placing the subplot in a modern context and makes Sly (who becomes Petruchio in the real play) a drunken lout who has just been thrown out of a country pub. At the end of the play, after Katharine has delivered the speech about male dominance (which always makes me cringe), Sly is back lying on the floor in his contemporary casual wear, when Katharine and Bianca appear dressed in very sexy modern clubwear, ridiculing him before entering a club from which loud dance music is blaring and he is left thinking that he must have dreamed the whole thing. In-between we got three hours of great acting, especially by the wonderful Stuart McQuarrie as Petruchio who was so likeable you couldn't help feel sorry for him about Katharine's constant bitching and harping. Monica Dolan was a wonderful bitch, though in some scenes like the wedding when Petruchio shows her off by wearing a ridiculous female garment, she could have been ever stronger. For some it may appear that "seeing Shakespeare in London" is a typical tourist-thing to do, but if you have been starved for of well-staged plays for years as we are in Germany, you'd welcome a production like this one like a bottle of ice-cold Coca Cola in the Gobi desert. It certainly wasn't my last visit to the Barbican!Jesus Christ Superstar & The Life The musical year 2000 kicked off with a very exciting weekend in Germany. On Friday "Jesus Christ Superstar" opened at the Colosseum in Essen, where it replaced "Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat". Although it was "only" a transfer of the current UK-Tour from Blackpool to Germany, producer "Stella" turned it into a big bash to show that despite their financial problems and bankruptcy rumours they are still hot property. Even Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber had announced his visit to Germany, probably to boost Stella's campaign � after all, if Stella was forced to close down "Cats", "Starlight Express" and "Phantom of the Opera", it would affect HIM, too.
Having managed to get an invitation to the opening night, I was very excited about the prospect of meeting his Lordship, but alas, it was not to be. Lloyd-Webber entered the auditorium very late (well, at least we had seats in Row A on Dress Circle, so I could watch the celebrities in the stalls), bowed to the audience and sat down with his wife Madeline and Stella boss Hemj� Klein. I liked the recent London Revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Lyceum Theatre very much and also quite anticipated that the current tour cast would not live up to my memories of the London cast � Steve Balsamo, Zubin Varla and Joanna Ampil. What I had not foreseen though, was the fact that the tour production was entirely different from the London production that had been designed in a rather traditional way and on a round stage resembling a Roman amphitheatre. So I gasped when the apostles entered in contemporary clothing, some of them even wearing army trousers and machine guns! Judas (Ben Goddard) wore black trousers and a (revolutionary?) red T-shirt and only Jesus (William Byrne) looked like someone who lived 31 A.D. with his customary white, wallowing shirt. But it took me only a few minutes to get used to this modernistic approach of the story � and to the deafening volume of the music.
Though the cast did indeed not live up to the memories of London, they were still delivering great performances and seemed to burst with energy. I must confess here that I prefer rock scores to the syrupy ballads of the Les Miz/Phantom-kind and already thirty minutes into the show I realized that no scores of the 80's and 90's have been able to match the diversity of Lloyd-Webber's early works and delivered so many great tunes in a row. The "temple" looked like some grim, revolutionary market in the middle east with bombs, army kits and guns on offer, but although I usually prefer "traditional staging" of a show, I really loved these ideas � they brought home how very much alive religious fanatism still is today and how many people turn to some sort of "guru" in the hope for help. Mary Magdalene was played by soul singer Hazel Fernandes who delivered "I don't know how to love him" so entirely different from Joanna Ampil's soft, gentle Asian Mary, that it's impossible to compare them. Both were great in their own way! The second act kept up the pace and energy and brought along another interesting staging idea: While Judas sings "Superstar", camera teams come onto the stage and turn the crucification into a media spectacle, not even refraining from filming Jesus' pain and despair in close-up. Just like today's media that turn everything into a spectacle for the sake of high ratings and money.
This modernist version of JCS (direction: Gale Edwards, sets: Peter J. Davison, costumes: Roger Kirk) may not be to everyone's taste and I doubt that it will fare well in this country where the audience adores fluffy, glitzy entertainment of the "Beauty and the Beast" and "Starlight Express"-kind, but personally I liked it very much and would recommend everyone to see it. William Byrne is a good Jesus, though he lacked the stage presence of his predecessor Steve Balsamo, especially in "Gethsemane", which had left me breathless in London, but for those who have not seen Steve in London, it won't matter I guess. I was surprised at seeing Judas being played by a white English singer, but Ben Goddard had a fantastic rock voice nonetheless. His acting wasn't as strong as that of Zubin Varla in London but I know that some people thought Zubin was overacting, so they should be very pleased with Ben's performance. Since the show was left in English, I needn't complain about lack of comprehensiblity this time, which was a particular relief in this show as emotional songs like "Gethsemane" and "Damned for all time" would sound horrible in stiff, phonetically learned German. Well, come to think of it, they'd sound horrible in German anyway.
When the show was over, the spectacle continued off-stage with the opening night party. I suppose I thought consider myself lucky that I had invited my Mom to come along for this weekend, as she's a telly addict and could identify most of the German actors and soap stars that had been invited. Her bliss was perfect when some gossip columnist interviewed an actress of her favourite soap right at our table to that we could listen in ! I spotted a few familiar faces of the German musical scene like ex-"Joseph" Andi Bieber, Paul Kribbe, Drew Sarich (Berlin's Quasimodo) or Jerzy Jeszke, Germany's Valjean and current Phantom. I also got the chance to talk to "Mary" Hazel Fernandes and got her autograph in my programme. So even without meeting Andrew Lloyd-Webber it was a night to remember � now we can only wait and see whether JCS will work in Germany.
The musical weekend continued on Saturday 200 kilometres further north where Cy Coleman's musical "The Life" opened in Kassel's Staatstheater for the first time in Europe. I had bought the CD of "The Life" after it won five Tonys on Broadway and liked it from the start. I thought the subject � New York's hookers and pimps in the Times Square district of the early 80's � a very unlikely one, but I loved Coleman's upbeat, jazzy score and the clever lyrics. It was my very first visit to Kassel, a town that lies in the middle of Germany � and also in the middle of nowhere � oops, I mean, in a vast area of woodlands. It's a nice place with a wonderful leisure centre where we spent three hours in a hot swimming pool as it was far too cold to walk through the vast parks surrounding the castle Wilhelmsh�he. Bathed, fed and happy we went to the theatre and had another fantastic evening.
The cast was nothing short of excellent. Gaines Hall, the last Joe Gillis in Germany's "Sunset Boulevard", played Jojo, the white pimp who runs the show on Times Square. He speaks fluent German, sings and moves well and reminded me of the glory old days of Sinatra and Kelly, when musicals were all about singing, dancing and entertaining. The star of the show was undoubtedly Jackie Lowe, who played Queen, the girl who works as a prostitute to support her drug-addicted, Vietnam-traumatised lover Fleetwood (Lemuel Pitts), a no-good sucker, who's just come out of jail. Fleetwood and Jojo happen upon Mary (Carina Sandhaus), a new blonde arrival from the midwest, looking for fun and adventure in New York City. Queen warns Mary that the big city will kill her, but Mary refuses to go home. Fleetwood and Jojo get her a job in a bar, first as a waitress, but not long after as a stripper and prostitute. Another prostitute is Queen's best friend Sonia (Siggy Davis), the role that won Lillias White the Tony for best supporting performance and who quickly became the audience's favourite in Kassel as well with her song "I'm getting too old for the oldest profession in the world". Personally I think that Siggy Davis was too young and far too good-looking for the weary, worn-out hooker who looks after her younger friend Queen (while Jackie Lowe was obviously older than Siggy Davis), but it's a minor quibble that's quickly forgotten about her great performance.
When Queen realizes that Fleetwood is having an affair with Mary, she finally dumps him � only to get into deeper trouble by allying herself with Memphis, a black pimp (Steven Shivers with an excellent bass voice), who gives her a glorious blue dress to wear for the hooker's ball. Queen thinks it's a gift, but Memphis makes it clear that he expects her to work for him now to earn back the money for the dress. Queen tries to refuse and go back to Fleetwood, but Memphis gives her a beating and sends her to work for him on the streets. Mary has meanwhile met fortune in the form of Lou, who wants to take her to Hollywood. Fleetwood and Jojo lose her (and her income). Sonia helps Queen to get a bus ticket to leave New York and hide from Memphis, but Fleetwood comes to try and talk her into staying in New York with him (now that Mary has dumped him, as Queen realizes). Memphis appears on the scene as well to force Queen to stay. A brawl erupts in which Memphis stabs Fleetwood and Queen, in sheer despair, shoots Memphis. Sonia ushers Queen into the bus that'll take her to a new life and takes the gun, surrenderring to the police, taking the blame. Jojo reminds behind � the show on Times Square will go on, no matter what.
What makes "The Life" interesting above many other shows is that it tells an original tale instead of copying a book, movie or opera (book by Ira Gasman). The show was almost three hours long but it never dragged. Every leading character had at least one solo song and there were a score of great dance routines for the whole cast. The translation by Isabel Taube was well-done, too � much better than most translations of "big" musicals in Germany anyway, although she left a lot of titles and expressions in English. The creative team � Matthias Davids (direction), Melissa King (choreography) and Cheesha Gayden (costumes) � have worked on many "big" productions in Germany and in the end, I can't help thinking why on earth "The Life" should not be regarded as a "big" musical. It doesn't run en-suite like the Stella shows, but in repertory with other shows of the Staatstheater Kassel, but the standard is just as fine if not higher than that of many "big" productions and in London or New York it would be just as "big" as the works of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and others.
Unlike most local theatres, the Staatstheater held open auditions for "The Life" and the cast comes from various other musical productions (Carina Sandhaus, who plays fortune-hunting Mary here, is currently also playing Lisa in Bremen's "Jekyll & Hyde"). Not everyone's German was easy to understand and the furious rows between Queen and Fleetwood lost some of their rage thanks to both perfomer's stiff German, but it was never as annoying as in many big productions, where you often don't have a clue what they're singing about. And all leading performers were so excellent, that I can't imagine anyone else to do it any better. If Kassel wasn't so far away, I'd really love to see it again in three months' time, when everyone has gotten more into their parts.
Altogether I'm very glad that the Staatstheater had the courage to mount this totally unknown show in Germany and I really wish that it will be seen by many people � especially those who keep returning to see the same "Stella"-productions thirty times and ignore every wonderful gem that's being offered by local theatres. If the musical year 2000 holds what this weekend promised, I will be a very happy correspondent!
Any comments? Nikki would be glad to hear from you.
THE LION KING.
Lyceum Theatre, Friday 1st October 1999 7.30 pm
Disney announced its intention to bring the show to the UK in the Spring of 1999 for an Autumn opening, hoping to expand upon its Broadway success. The tickets were advertised under my priority booking scheme through an agency and the added lure of a free Lion King watch whetted my appetite. With the hefty booking fee per ticket and then credit card administration on top, it turned out to be the most expensive free watch I�d ever had, but no matter � I wanted to see this show. Badly.
So, the weeks passed and it was time to take a trip to the Lyceum to see the story of Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Rafiki et al.
First things first � no colour brochures out yet? Scandalous. Leafing through the cast, there were one or two familiar faces, including Dominique Moore as one of a possible three Young Nalas, one of the Sylvia Young attendees featured on the TV series Paddington Green. As the lights dimmed and the African chants rang out, the sun rose over the Pridelands and the animals assembled at Pride Rock to witness the introduction of the future King; Simba. Life-size giraffes walked out, raised on giant giraffe legs, with, well, long giraffe necks! While watching those, I almost missed the massive elephant making its way down the stalls aisle to the stage, complete with a calf at its tail. The boxes resounded with singers and drummers beating out the rhythm of Circle of Life as Rafiki (Josette Bushell-Mingo) performed the ceremony and held aloft the young cub.
Young Simba was that evening played by Ross Coates, who performed his duties well. He was assured and confidant, moved very gracefully and put a great deal of effort into it. His singing was robust and for one so young, his diction was perfect � every word either said or sung was clearly heard, despite the racket of the audience. Children, some very young, were outnumbering the adults by at least three to one. For Young Nala, we did get to see Dominique who was just as you�d expect from a seasoned pro! Both of them looked to be having a ball, especially for I Just Can�t Wait to be King. Zazu, Mufasa�s bird muse, played by Gregory Gudgeon, was a perfect foil for the young and impatient cub to toy with, and fluttered about issuing idle threats as Simba and Nala make their way to the elephant graveyard.
Scar (Rob Edwards) possessed a most villainous speaking voice but could be suitably charming when needed. His singing voice could be slightly on the flat side, but for his part as the resident baddie, it didn�t matter too much. His brother Mufasa (Cornell John) was all regal aloofness for the benefit of Zazu and the rest of the tribe, but a typically proud father to Simba. His powerful singing voice during They Live in You was a joy to listen to and his instructions on the role of what it takes to be a good king to Young Simba held the necessary gravitas that the role needed - the role of King of the Pridelands AND the role of Mufasa.
Josette Bushell-Mingo�s Rafiki was an inspiration. While her African chantings and spells could have been complete gibberish, they seemed to make perfect sense at the same time! Obviously, those spells were working.
The three hyenas (Paul J Medford, Christopher Holt and Stephanie Charles) all acted their parts with relish, and hammed it up considerably, especially Christopher as Ed, the dopey one. Chow Down was almost screeched out by all, and for anyone who didn�t like hyenas to begin with, this trio wouldn�t have changed your opinion.
The scene that you�d think it would be impossible to replicate on stage, namely, the stampede, was one of the theatrical highlights. Using what I can only lamely describe as a kind of three-tier thing, with small rolling dots at the back, being the farthest wildebeest, creatures on a continuous rolling mechanism in the middle, and then the overhanging drop from which Mufasa falls (rather is pushed) to his death just looks amazing. Instead of wondering how do they do THAT, you really are willing Mufasa back on safe ground. But of course, it is not to be. The evil Scar assists in Mufasa�s literal downfall and convinces Simba that it is his fault, and he must leave.
Once the transition had taken place for Simba and Nala into young adulthood, Roger Wright and Paulette Ivory took over the roles to great effect. The introduction of Martyn Ellis� Pumbaa and Simon Gregors� Timon, the threesome set out on their wilderness adventures for some well-timed comedy and of course Hakuna Matata had the audience almost joining in. The windy warthog provides most of the humour, and there are plenty of fart jokes which the children seemed to find hilarious.
Paulette encompassed all of Nala�s feistiness, most noticeably for the scenes involving her refusal to pledge allegiance to Scar. She has an incredibly steady singing voice, and her version of Shadowlands was eerily moving. The ribbons issuing from the lionesses eyes as they paid their respects to the dad Mufasa was simple yet touching.
Rafiki, weaving the story together, makes Simba see where his duties should lie, and waves her magic stick to reveal Mufasa to him. Now, if you thought the stampede was pretty special, just wait until you see this. It is amazing! In fact, I had to look very hard to see if it was him, but then I�m a confirmed Disneyite and Remembering the Magic has never been a problem for me. Mufasa gives his beyond-the-grave instructions to his son, and Simba sees what he must do. With Nala, returning to the Pridelands, he sees the decimation among his tribe which Scar has caused; drought, hunger, hyenas. Even his own mother has difficulty recognising him - ahhh! Another piece of very effective stagecraft was the evaporation of the watering hole; a large piece of silk material pulled through a hole from underneath so it appears to slowly dry up. Of course, Simba saves the day and the Pridelands can accommodate the next generation, which duly arrive in the shape of Nala and Simba�s offspring, completing the Circle of Life yet again.
The Lion King is simply a great all-round show. If you are expecting complicated rhyming patterns and convoluted melodies, you will be left disappointed. I would warn you that it is (or was when I went) full of kids and if you don�t like chatting and rustling during the performance, you will be biting your tongue. BUT, I would recommend it as I enjoyed immensely. Try to get aisle seats in the stalls if you can, then you will get to almost touch the animals. The puppets and costumes are stunning, with the actors using animal heads that seem to move of their own accord. The story is one of simplicity itself, a thinly-disguised eco-message (from Disney?!!) but the songs are nicely tuneful and sing-a-longy and the voices in this production were very well-chosen. Go on - you�ll love it! Dame Judy Dench reported that when the elephants appeared, she burst into tears. Blimey - I started when the giraffes stuck their heads out from the side of the stageJ
SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
20th Anniversary concert. Royal Festival Hall
Sunday 13th February 2000. 4.00 pm.
This special anniversary concert performance had been in the pipeline for several months. The only thing we were hanging on for was the casting. Duly announced as being Len Cariou reprising the title role with Judy Kaye and Davis Gaines, the date was set. The occasion was in support of Crusaid and the day was also in celebration of Stephen Sondheim�s seventieth birthday. During the interregnum the supporting cast were announced and included our very own John Owen Jones and Annalene Beechey as well as Pia Douwes, Michael Cantwell, Mark Roper and Neil Jenkins. Completing the line-up was a further dozen or so ensemble and a 40-piece choir. Then those clever organisers decided in their infinite wisdom to include a matinee performance, especially for those of us who had to get up for work the next day!
There was a definite buzz about the Festival Hall as the foyer filled with Sondheim-ites and we anxiously awaited our cue to enter. There seemed to be some kind of problem with the sets, we were told by the usher, and so there would be a short delay. The doors opened at about 10 past four, and the auditorium soon trickled with expectant guests. At 20 past, the conductor (Julian Kelly) walked out to applause and we were all set. I must add that in no way was the theatre full, which did surprise me, but because the matinee was only added around a week or so before, it left virtually no time for a concerted advertising promotion.
Onto the stage, complete with a very minimalist set, stepped the Company for the Ballad of Sweeney Todd. There was a kind of two-tier affair with corrugated iron doors leading off downstairs, and a mock-up of the barber shop upstairs, with a giant laundry basket in the corner. A ripple of applause greeted Mr Cariou as he appeared and the Company really let rip! In order to get across Sondheim�s impossibly intricate lyric patterns, you need a controlled delivery with perfect diction and an ability to sing in absolute harmony. We got it! The ensemble appeared at intervals to deliver the on-going Ballad of Sweeney Todd and the choir assisted ably from the wings - literally, you could hardly see them. The lighting, which I don�t usually take much notice of, assuming if you don�t notice it, it must be OK, was exceptionally good. The spotlights of blood-red cut through the dark and gloom which added considerably to the murky underworld atmosphere of 19th Century London.
Davis Gaines was the next face to appear, dressed in Anthony Hope�s fetching blue sailor suit. He and Todd sang about the dubious delights of the City in No Place Like London. Gaines has a fine voice also, and managed his speaking parts as an Englishman with no trouble at all. The mysterious Beggar Woman (Pia Douwes) offered him a good time, also employing a decent command of Cockney, if not so much decency! Not sure if I misheard some of the words she sang, but it was pretty graphic. Great devilish laugh from her too.
In Mrs Lovett�s Pie Shop, Judy Kaye made her grand entrance to promote The Worst Pies in London. Ms Kaye immediately endeared herself to the audience I felt, looking like a cross between Madame Thenardier and the Widow Corney. Her rapport as she filled in the details of the pie-fillings, disgusting and comical, left you in no doubt as to why she had been flown-in solely for this concert. She tried (and failed) a Cor Blimey London accent, but it really didn�t matter as she had already gained our sympathy, if you can call it that. Narrating the tale of the deported barber who used to inhabit the room upstairs (Poor Thing) to Sweeney she introduced, by clever use of the split-stage, Johanna and Lucy�s story.
Annalene Beechey then trilled her way through Green Finch and Linnet Bird with that tuneful, melodious voice of hers. With Annalene you�re never sure where the birdsong ends and the voice begins. The blonde wig made her look more like her �mother�. Johanna, sung by Gaines, was beautifully put across. Our first sighting of the cruel and if I may add, perverted Judge Turpin (Mark Roper) really made your flesh creep. Must be a really meaty part to get to grips with, and Roper had the necessary deep dark voice to portray a deep dark character.
For some light relief from the antics of Judge Turpin and his self-abuse obsession, enter Tobias (Michael Cantwell). Drumming up trade for Pirelli�s Miracle Elixir, like a cross between the Artful Dodger and Rodney Trotter, Tobias got the action moving nicely. After Todd has disclaimed the Elixir as being nothing but �piss and ink�, John Owen Jones entered, in the guise of Signor Pirelli. Offering Sweeney a haircutting and toothpulling contest, Pirelli extolled the virtues of how to �shave-a da face� and �pull-a da toot�. John, which was a real revelation and complete departure from his usual Valjean, has the most impeccable comic timing and a real flair for this kind of acting. And his voice? WOW! We all know he�s good, but he really surprised me here, being able to let fly with a real operatic flow, he�d have given Mario Lanza a run for his money! Returned later, to reveal himself as to whom he really was, he then let another of his many talents out of the bag - he can do a decent Oirish accent, to be sure!! I hope he was enjoying it as much as we were. He certainly appeared so. Shame his role was kind of cut short, if you�ll pardon the pun, but ending up stuffed in a laundry basket was no fitting end for him! Oh, and Pirelli was the only character, at least at the matinee, to have been despatched with the added treat of some fake blood. That squelching knife-sound coupled with a squirt of claret was, although made to still seem comical, quite stomach-churning. Poor Thing!!
The Beggar Woman interspersed the scenes as a kind of portent of doom, and although I had neither seen nor heard this show before, I did guess her real identity. Johanna and Anthony�s Kiss Me was again a very beautifully sung love song lifted with the wonderful harmonies of the two beset lovers. Annalene�s entreaties were heartfelt and longing.
Rounding-off Act One, A Little Priest, the hilarious song about what is now contained in the pies, had the audience both groaning with nausea and delight, especially the line about real shepherd being in the Shepherd�s Pie!
Tobias returned to open Act Two with God, That�s Good! his personal recommendation of Mrs Lovett�s new-syle pies. After Mrs Lovett�s entreaty to Todd to quit while he was ahead and retire to the coast (By The Sea), which again was amusing, especially her consent that he could �do one in� now and again, if he wanted, Tobias found Pirelli�s purse in Mrs Lovett�s bag. Quickly diverting his attention at the promise of his seeing inside the bakehouse, he began probably the most well-known of the songs in Not While I�m Around. This gave Michael the chance to �sing� rather than speak the words, and he does possess a very clear and pleasant voice. When Beadle Bamford (Neil Jenkins) turns up unexpectedly, he entertains her during Sweeney�s �absence� by singing the Parlour Songs in his strange Falsetto voice. He played the harpsichord while she �ding donged� covering Tobias� banging and crashing in the bakehouse, as he comes across various stray bits of �filling� which are contained in the mincer - yuk!
Meanwhile Anthony has gone to rescue Johanna from the confines of the lunatic asylum under the ownership of Mr Fogg, to which she has been banished. Johanna�s plaintive cries now were of complete desperation as the race was on to get to her before the Judge. Anthony wins, and while disguising Johanna as a sailor, he secretes her in the laundry basket at Sweeney�s Tonsorial Parlour while he goes in search of a carriage. Witnessing a further two murders (or was it three, I was losing count by now!) she blows her cover too early and is rescued in the nick of time, but Beadle, Beggar Woman and Judge have all had their final say.
Completely deranged now, Sweeney disposes of his partner-in-crime Mrs Lovett after discovering the true identity of the Beggar Woman, which Mrs L had known all along. Tobias, now white-haired with the shock of discovery, gives our Mr Todd a taste of his own medicine just as the rescue party arrive, consisting of Anthony, Johanna and the ensemble. Well, everyone else was dead! The Ballad of Sweeney Todd rang out for the final time, bringing and end to a truly eye-opening event. It opened a few throats too, but it was all done with a fair amount of comedy, though not strictly funny in the usual sense. The lyrics were as sharp as Sweeney�s razors and the characters very, very closely observed. The songs, while not always instantly catchy or hummable, are the kind which creep up on you gradually and grab you by the throat, oops, sorry, grab your feelings and you�ll find yourself with a line or two of lyric swimming round in your head the next day.
So, a most enjoyable performance from a spectacular cast, who then had only forty minutes until they had to do it all again. I hope we get a revival of this show sometime in London soon as I�d love to see the �proper� staging of it.
� Julie Meader. 2000
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