LONDON TRIP REVIEWS

July 98

If there was a theme to this trip it was "theatre" -- with plays, ballets, plays and more plays scheduled.  England 1998 proved to be far more satisfying Theatre-wise than the trip last September.

Two productions really stood out, one a musical: the revival of Oklahoma at the National, the other the evening of comedy by Tom Stoppard (The Real Inspector Hound) and Peter Schaffer (Black Comedy).

Not being a fan of the film version of Oklahoma, I relied on The National do a suitable follow up to the fabulous Guys and Dolls I saw a couple of years ago and also Carousel.  Right from the start of the overture, Trevor Nunn's production sweeps the audience out of their seats and into the magic of this classic musical. 

The entire cast shines, all able to sing beautifully, dance up a storm as well as being convincing in their roles.  Hugh Jackson is equal parts scamp and heartbreaker as Curly and is happily matched by Josefina Gabrille as Laurey.  Their performances are a particular delight in retrospect after trying once again to watch the film version and finding their cinematic counterparts stiff and sticky-sweet.

The supporting cast adds greatly to the production with Shuler Hensley very nearly stealing the show as Jud and Jimmy Johnson equally wonderful as Will Parker.  The only "name" in the company is Maureen Lipman who is fine as Aunt Eller. 

Oklahoma is that rare musical to fully integrate music, dance and book and again Nunn directs with a flair.  Two numbers stop the show, a revised dream ballet sequence (not using stand-ins for Curly and Laurey) mesmerize the audience.  Set designs are at once playful (the toy train) while effectively conveying the expansive Oklahoma landscape.

The double-billed of The Real Inspector Hound and Black Comedy is an irresistible mix of Stoppard's delicious verbal comedy and Shaffer's broad physical farce.  The small but superb troupe of actors play roles in both and the evening's success is largely due to them. They capture all of the comedy and nuances of the two plays.  Special mention must go to Nichola McAuliffe who plays 'Mrs Drudge', the hilariously creepy housekeeper in The Real Inspector Hound and then is quite touching as the spinster with a weakness for drink in Black Comedy.  An evening not to have missed.

I was sorry to have missed Ute Lemper by only a few weeks in Chicago.  With high expectations (it was the first ticket I booked in advance), I shouldn't have been too surprised to have been a bit let down.  Many years ago I saw the original Broadway cast on tour and have loved many of the songs.

The production is sleek and stunning, with minimal settings and costumes.  My one question is why Ruthie talks so funny -- what a departure from seeing her last summer in Divorce Me Darling.  Still, she quickly won me over.  Nicola Hughes is fun as Vera but it clearly remains Ruthie's show.  I had enjoyed Clarke Peters in Guys and Dolls but felt that for the performance I saw, he was just going through the motions.  Better were Meg Johnson, C. Shirvell and a terrific dancing chorus.  Chicago is great entertainment withone show-stopper after another.

Another highly anticipated production was Whistle Down the Wind.  Wrong.  So wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong. The story is ridiculous -- a convict a group of children believe is Jesus.  The characters are two-dimensional, something Webber seems to think won't matter because of the over-blown sets.  The title tune is okay, while the rest are amazingly unremarkable.  Marcus Lovett looks like a sweaty Chippendale dancer who sings powerfully but has little else to do but sweat.  Lottie Mayor is too old to be believable as someone who might actually believe that The Man is Jesus but too puny to be believed in the love scenes.  She sings well but doesn't sweat as much.  The rest of the cast -- who cares?

That said, people seated around me seemed to absolutely love the show, the songs, the cast, the theatre and the ice cream...

The last musical I saw was Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  The audience for this evening performance was one of the worst I've ever seen.  The few children seated around me were fine, the adults chatted throughout, left the auditorium, brought back refreshments, changed seats...

A fun show nevertheless with some terrific dance numbers and lively performances from Alasdair Harvey as "The Beast" and Julie Alanah Brighten as "Belle".  The only draw-back seems to me that the settings and action seemed cramped on The Dominion's stage. Back at the National I saw two plays dominated by the performances of the female stars: Our Lady of Sligo with Sinead Cusack and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with Fiona Shaw.

While both plays are thoughtful and thought-provoking, I was left with the feeling that they succeeded best as character studies and star vehicles. Sinead Cusack leaves the audience absolutely wrung out following Our Lady of Sligo.  A fascinating character, a sensation performance, too bad about the play.  Being presented in the intimate Cottesloe was a big plus.

I was left dazzled by Fiona Shaw's Jean Brodie but the stark set in the cavernous Lyttelton was largely ineffective in capturing the necessary atmosphere.  Nor does the supporting cast particularly distinguish themselves.

Much better was As You Like It at the Globe.  Last year I saw Henry V on a cold, rainy afternoon when lead Mark Rylance had to tell school children in the audience to be quiet or leave. Not a fun afternoon.

As You Like It was a refreshingly earthy and rustic production which took full advantage of the Globe's unique layout.  With Shakespeare, the play's the thing and As You Like It is filled with comic bits, romantic entanglements and more than a dash of deception. 

The acting was first-rate.  All the actors read lines clearly and loudly -- very necessary at the Globe.  As Rosalind, Anastasia Hille may have lost her trousers during a chase scene but won our hearts in a witty, heartfelt performance.  Paul Hilton was a suitably handsome, dashing Orlando.  A delightful performance on a warm, sunny afternoon.

Finally, I decided I had to do to see An Ideal Husband which had been on my b- list the last few trips but which I hadn't gotten to as of yet.  Although this production has been bouncing from theatre to theatre for the past few years, it is quite enjoyable, the cast having fun in their roles and dishing out Wilde's witticisms with great relish.  Only a rather gooey ending spoilt the fun a bit.

Overall, a sensational trip.  I only wish I could have extended it a bit and have had time to see a few other shows.  There's always next year!

END

(July 1998 / Carl M. Szatmary / GlnnB@aol.com