Forgotten Musicals: 'Bring It On ! - The Musical' (2011)

Forgotten Musicals: ‘Bring It On ! – The Musical’ (2011)

Music by Tom Kitt & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Lyrics by Amanda Green & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Book by Jeff Whitty (Inspired by ‘Bring It On’ by Jessica Bendinger)

History

Bring It On: The Musical is a musical with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda (‘Hamilton’), lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda, and a book by Jeff Whitty (‘Avenue Q’). It is loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name and focuses on the competitive world of cheerleading and over-the-top team rivalries.

The musical premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in January 2011, featuring "award-winning competitive cheerleaders from across the country". It was also the first Broadway musical to feature a transgender high school character, La Cienega, originally played by Gregory Haney. A national tour of the musical played in major U.S. cities from November 2011 to June 2012. The screenwriter of the original movie, Jessica Bendinger, sued in 2011, arguing that she had rights in the licensing of the theatre production. She said she would allow the Bring It On musical to proceed if she was properly credited and compensated. In November 2011, an out-of-court settlement was made. The touring stage production began previews on Broadway in July 2012 at the St. James Theatre, before opening for a limited engagement on August 1, 2012, to December 30, 2012.

The musical was due to make its UK and European première with a UK tour starting at the Palace Theatre in Manchester from 6th September 2017. However, in August 2017, it was announced that the tour has been postponed until 2019. Therefore, the UK premiere was at the Southwark Playhouse, opening on 2nd August 2018, as a student production by the British Theatre Academy.

Story

Campbell is cheer-royalty at Truman High School, and her senior year should prove the most cheertastic – she's been named captain of the squad. But an unexpected redistricting forces her to spend her final year of high school at the neighbouring hard-knock Jackson High School. Finding it difficult to fit in, particularly as Jackson has no cheerleading squad, and suspecting foul play in her transfer, Campbell needs not only to make friends, but convince them to form a squad to get her revenge at the National Championships.

In A Nutshell

Is cheerleading always only about the winning ?

Production

I went to see the Southwark Playhouse production, a fortnight into its run. Yet again the seating had been redistributed meaning that there were stewards with clipboards directing people to their seats. In fact the man originally sitting next to me had to move, when it became clear that the ‘E’ on the stage block that we were sitting on should have been ‘D’.

I enjoyed the performance, and the differing musical styles between songs set at the two schools (with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hip-Hop influence clearly visible in the Jackson High numbers). The show was anchored by Robyn McIntyre as Campbell, but I would wish to make special mention of Kristine Kruse as Bridget, considered dorky at Truman and sexy at Jackson, and Sydnie Hocknell as Eva, the new Captain of Jackson’s squad who may have not gained her position fairly. The rest of the cast threw themselves into the demanding dancing and cheerleading moves with gusto. Definitely recommended.

The only sour note was the very smelly food that the woman in the seat next to me was eating prior to curtain up. I don't know what is was - but for the whole of Act One I couldn't get the stench out of my nostrils.

Bring It On ! The Musical runs at the Southwark Playhouse, London from 2nd August 2018 to 1st September 2018.

Favourite Song

Another difficult choice, I am placing 'It Ain't No Thing' (for Bridget) and 'Killer Instinct' (for Eva) in joint first place, closely followed by 'Something Isn't Right Here' and the title song, 'Bring It On'.

Links

Production Website: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show/bring-it-on/

‘Bring It On !’ on Miranda’s website: http://www.linmanuel.com/bring-it-on

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN8EjkTpwXMAjuGjWAc9nDF7IvR2FkxrN

Forgotten Musicals: 'Ruthless!' (1992)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Ruthless!' (1992)

 

Music by Marvin Laird 

 

Lyrics & Book by Joel Paley

History:

Ruthless! The Musical is an all female musical with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley that spoofs Broadway musicals, like Gypsy and Mame and movies such as The Bad Seed and All About Eve. Although it is written for an all-female cast, it has become somewhat of a tradition to have the role of Sylvia St. Croix performed by a man simply because Joel Vig gave the best audition for the original 1992 production.

It opened Off-Broadway at the Players Theatre on 13th March 1992 and closed 24th January1993 after 342 performances. It was directed by Joel Paley with musical direction by Marvin Laird.and discovered young performers including Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. It was then produced in Los Angeles at the Canon Theatre, where it opened on 15th November 1993, and won the 1993 New York Outer Critics Circle Award for ‘Best Off-Broadway Musical’. It made its West End premiere at the Arts Theatre opening on 27th March (previews from 16th March) for a limited run until 23rd June 2018, directed by Richard Fitch, choreography by Rebecca Howell and music supervision by Gareth Valentine.

Plot:

The musical tells the story of the beautiful and talented eight year old Tina Denmark, who lives with her housewife mother, Judy. Tina will do anything to play the lead in her school play, ‘Pippi in Tahiti’......ANYTHING !

In a Nutshell: 

How far would you go to become a star ?

Production:

I went to see the Arts Theatre production, a month into its run. Tina’s mentor Sylvia St. Croix was being played by ‘Dancing on Ice’ pantomime villain, Jason Gardiner, with Tracie Bennett (who I first saw in ‘She Loves Me’ with Ruthie Henshall many years ago) and Harriet ‘The Brittas Empire’ Thorpe playing her critic grandmother and failed-actress schoolteacher respectively. Tina was being played in rotation by four fourteen year old actresses, with Fifi Bloomsbury-Khier playing the part on the evening I attended. However, the acting plaudits must go to Kim Maresca playing Judy, Tina’s mother, who was amazing in both halves playing two very different versions of the character. The cast was rounded off by Lara Denning, playing first Tina’s rival for the lead role, then another part in the second Act.

The production was very funny, and everyone got a chance to shine, building up to a wonderful climax. I think the review quoted on the posters from the New York Observer, summed it up best – ‘Malicious and Delicious....A total joy’. Catch it while you can.

Ruthless! The Musical runs at the Arts Theatre, Leicester Square, London from 16th March 2018 to 23rd June 2018.

Signature Song:

No doubt this time – the wonderfully meta ‘I Hate Musicals’ – made all the more funny by its being sung by Tracie Bennett, who in recent years has been in so many successful musicals. I also liked ‘Teaching Third Grade’, Tina’s teacher’s mourning the loss of her acting career.

Links:
 

Production Website: http://www.ruthlessthemusical.com

Interview with Creators: Laird and Paley (talkinbroadway.com)

 

Forgotten Musicals: 'Curtains' (2006)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Curtains' (2006)

Music: John Kander

Lyrics: Fred Ebb

Book: Rupert Holmes

History:

Curtains was a Kander & Ebb (Cabaret and Chicago) musical based on an original book and concept by Peter Stone  (best remembered for the screenplays he wrote or co-wrote in the mid-1960s, Charade, Father Goose, and Mirage). Stone died in April 2003, leaving the book unfinished, and Rupert Holmes was hired to rewrite it. Lyricist, Fred Ebb also died before the musical was completed. It had its world premiere on 25th July 2006 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Local reviews were mixed but not discouraging, and the producers decided to transfer the show to Broadway with minor alterations. The production, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Ashford, opened on Broadway on 22nd March 2007 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The cast included David Hyde Pierce  (Frasier) and  Debra Monk.

Plot:

The musical is a send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts and follows the fallout when Jessica Cranshaw, the supremely untalented star of Robbin' Hood of the Old West is murdered during her opening night curtain call. It is up to Lt. Frank Cioffi, a police detective who moonlights as a musical theatre fan to save the show, solve the case, and maybe even find love before the show reopens, without getting killed himself. Cioffi also dreams of being in musical theatre, and spends as much time helping rewrite the show as looking for the killer.

In a Nutshell: 

Will anyone make it to the Broadway transfer ?

Production:

I saw the show at 'The Landor Theatre' situated above the Landor Pub in Landor Road in South London in August 2012. Unfortunately this excellent pub theatre closed in 2016 following a dispute between the landlord and the operating company. Settling in the small space, which had seats on three sides, I had an enjoyable evening guessing whodunnit  (the culprit was in my final two), whilst laughing at the backstage shennanigans of an off-Broadway musical. There was a lovely beer garden for the interval, and all the cast were superb, with Jeremy Legat  (Lieutenant Cioffi), Bronwyn Andrews (the Lieutenant's love interest, Niki Harris) and Daniella Bowen (the super-ambitious chorus member, Bambi) particularly good. Definitely recommended.

A couple of years later I saw a local theatre company do 'Curtains' in an even smaller space. But I feel that I should draw a veil (or curtain) over this.

'Curtains' ran at 'The Landor Theatre' in Clapham, South London from 25th July to 1st September 2012.

Signature Song:

Definitely 'What Kind of Man ?' which comments on first night reviews by critics who don't seem to even like theatre.

Links:

'Curtains' At The Tonys (YouTube)

 

Forgotten Musicals: 'Miss Nightingale' (2011)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Miss Nightingale' (2011)

 

Book, Lyrics and Music by Matthew Bugg

History:

Miss Nightingale started life as a small-scale chamber musical at The Lowry Studio and King's Head Theatre in 2011. It was written and directed by acclaimed theatre composer Matthew Bugg, whose work had been heard in theatres across the UK and in the West End for shows including "King Lear", "Three Men in a Boat" and "The Secret of Sherlock Holmes". The first full-scale version of the show was staged in 2013 in a co-production with the New Wolsey Theatre, Ispwich, in association with The Lowry, Salford Quays. Since then it has toured the UK, becoming one of The Guardian’s 'Top 50 Shows of 2016' and being recently voted into BritishTheatre.com’s 'Top 100 Greatest Musicals of All Time'

Plot:

London, 1942.  A smoky, underground cabaret club opens in the heart of the war-torn city.  A saucy new singer, Miss Nightingale is thrust into the spotlight.  Meanwhile, two men struggle to bring their love out of the shadows. A dangerous world where aristocrats slum it with black market spivs, songwriters take to the streets, and showgirls fight to change the world.  When secrets are revealed and lies exposed, the only resistance is to stand up and be counted.

In a Nutshell: 

If you could die tomorrow, wouldn’t you live today as if it were your last ?

Production:

I saw the show at 'The Vaults', a subterranean theatre under the railway at Waterloo. Also on on the same evening was their successful 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' immersive promenade show, for which the majority of patrons seemed to have attended. Finally we were gestured upstairs and for a brief moment believed that the show might be in the bar area, until someone had the sense to open a curtain leading to the auditorium, and we all shuffled in.

Having bought a programme (which for a few pounds extra could come with some rationed chocolate), I settled in for an evening described in a review that I had read as "Like Cabaret as written by Victoria Wood". I would concur with this, as Maggie Brown (Tamar Broadbent) was reinvented as the cabaret star, Miss Nightingale, singing bawdy songs (with more than a touch of double entendre). However, the emotional heart of the play was the love story between her pianist (Conor O'Kane) and their impressario (Nicholas Coutu-Langmead), in an era when homosexuality was illegal. The rumbling trains acted as the sound of distant bombs falling, adding to the 1940s atmosphere. Credit must also be given to the show's creator, Matthew Bugg, playing Maggie's brother Harry, who like the others played instruments in the songs, who managed to have played six different instruments by the end.  Both bawdily funny and touchingly sweet.

'Miss Nightingale' ran at 'The Vaults' in London from 30th March 2017 to 20th May 2017.

Signature Song:

No struggling with emotion this time. If I say 'The Sausage Song' (with its refrain 'You've got to get your sausage where you can') just edges out 'The Pussy Song', you can get an idea of Miss Nightingale's singing style.

Links:

Production Website

'The Sausage Song' (YouTube)

 

Forgotten Musicals: ‘The Stripper’ (1982)

Forgotten Musicals: 'The Stripper' (1982)

 

Book by Carter Brown  

 

Lyrics by Richard O'Brien

Music by Richard Hartley

History:

The Stripper is a stage musical produced in 1982 by the Sydney Theatre Company, adapted by Richard O'Brien from the 1961 book of the same name written by Carter Brown. Much of the Rocky Horror creative team was involved in the show. In addition to Richard O'Brien composing lyrics, Richard Hartley wrote, arranged, and directed the music. Hartley was originally part of the four-piece band for the 'The Rocky Horror Show' and went on to arrange the score for the London Stage and film adaptations, as well as composing the incidental music for the 'Doctor Who' story, 'Mindwarp'. 

O'Brien had read a lot of Carter Brown detective stories and he'd come up with a script that was far too long. Rehearsals were not going well and all the actors were having trouble with the lines. The dialogue was very repetitive, and so the director, Brian Thomson (also a 'Rocky' alumni) started working on it. However, O'Brien wasn't having any of it, and refused to have his script touched and got so annoyed that Thomson eventually refused to have him in the theatre. The original cast included Terence (Jason's Dad) Donovan.

There have been two UK productions of The Stripper. The first in 2009 at the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch and the most recent in 2016 at the St James's Theatre, London.

Plot:

California 1961, and there’s trouble in Pine City. This is a case for Lieutenant Al Wheeler. Patty Keller, cousin to the title character Deadpan Dolores, is dead, but did she jump, was she pushed, or did she fall? Detective Al Wheeler is drawn into the mystery and the world of The Arkwright Happiness Club and the Club Extravaganza, where he meets "the girl the says it all from the neck down" - Deadpan Delores. She didn’t usually keep things under wraps, so what was she hiding ? With a nose for crime and an eye for the ladies, Wheeler will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth. Set in the early 1960's in California USA, this show captures the detective novel feel with style.

In a Nutshell: 

With dames aplenty, and a stripper who's concealing more than you'd expect, can Lieutenant Wheeler solve the case ?

Production:

Not unsurprisingly it was the 2016 revival at the St. James Theatre  (now The Other Palace) that I saw. The studio theatre seated just over a hundred people and the whole room became the Club Extravaganza, meaning that you felt like you were more a part of the show than just an audience member, particularly with some interaction with the audience, particularly from the main character, Lieutenant Al Wheeler.

Just five cast members in all played twelve characters, with some clever staging and some very quick costume changes making for a seamless show. These included Marc Pickering & Hannah Grover (both of whom I had enjoyed in 'The Toxic Avenger'). There was also a great five piece band stage right, in full view of the audience rather than hidden away, adding to the atmosphere. The songs varied from a torch-song to one the filthiest songs that I've ever heard in a musical  ('Man of Steel' - which is certainly not about Superman).

'The Stripper' ran at the St. James' Theatre in London from 11th July 2016 to 13th August 2016.

Signature Song:

Once again I find it difficult to choose - my emotional side wants 'Men Like That' and my filthy side wants 'Man of Steel' with its classic rhyme "I don't want to beg your pardon; Baby you give me a _____'.

Links:

Online MP3/FLACs of 'Original Cast Recording'

UK 'Rocky Horror' Fan Club – 'The Stripper'

 

Forgotten Musicals: ‘Soho Cinders’ (2011)

Forgotten Musicals: ‘Soho Cinders’   (2011)

Book by Anthony Drewe & Elliot Davies  

Lyrics by Anthony Drewe 

Music by George Stiles

History:

George Stiles and Anthony Drewe ('Betty Blue Eyes', 'Mary Poppins', 'Honk', 'The Three Little Pigs') started work on 'Soho Cinders' in 2000, having come up with the idea of updating a very basic version of Cinderella into something different in the 1990s. In the summer of 2000, they sat in Regents Park to start developing their adaptation and wrote a lot of it in France at Stiles' sister-in-law's house.Although the musical was almost finished, the pair had been busy with other projects which hindered their progress.Workshops for the musical began in the early 2000s but it was not until 6th July 2008 that some of the musical's songs were exclusively premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre as part of a gala concert that celebrated the 25th anniversary of Stiles and Drewe's songwriting partnership, entitled 'A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe'. 

It then had a gala concert production at the Queen's Theatre on 9th October 2011 in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. The concert, which was supported by Whatsonstage.com, was sold-out and featured a cast of West End performer. In 2012, Soho Cinders received its world premiere as a full-scale production at Soho Theatre, running from 3rd August to 9th September 2012.

Plot:

'Soho Cinders' is a modern musical fable that is set and celebrates the London district of Soho which mixes politics, sex-scandals and true love in a story about an impoverished student Robbie, who is paying for his college bills in a somewhat unorthodox way, becoming romantically involved with the engaged prospective mayoral candidate James Prince. James and Robbie's worlds collide forcing them to fight for their own fairy-tale ending in this hilarious, satirical twist on the classic Cinderella story.

In a Nutshell: 

Are fairy tale endings possible in real life ?

Production:

The production that I saw was at the Union Theatre in Southwark (10 minutes walk from Waterloo Station, or 5 minutes from Southwark Station), where a month before I had seen a disappointing production of the musical 'Moby Dick'  (There's only so many times that '__ years at sea, and still no sign of Dick' is funny). The show opened on 23rd November 2016, and I excitedly caught the second night, due to 'Betty Blue Eyes' (Drewe & Stiles) and 'Loserville'  (Elliot Davis) being two of my favourite musicals of recent years. The auditorium has moveable seating, and no actual stage, and in this case, seats were at the top and bottom of the hall with the action happening in the middle.

Our hero Robbie (Joshua Lewindon), the 'Cinders' of the piece, took a while to sing loud enough to be clearly heard over the band, but it was with the introduction of the main female characters that the show really took off for me. First his evil step-sisters, Clodagh (Michaela Stern) and Dana (Natalie Harman) appeared to throw him out of his late mother's flat and demand rent for the family launderette (a hint of 'Aladdin' creeping in), then were were introduced to his best friend, Velcro (Emily Deamer)  [geddit?] who runs the laundry with him, and who for me was the emotional heart of the show.  I found Robbie's daliances with both a middle-aged peer (Chris Coleman) and a mayoral candidate (Lewis Asquith) not as engaging as I would have liked, mainly due to the likely fall-out for other characters of any 'happy ending' but any musical number involving the Sisters or Velcro seemed to fly. The first Act ended with the remarkably catchy, 'You Shall Go To the Ball', and I was itching for it to start again. With Robbie and James' secret out, it was down to spin-doctor, William George (Samuel Haughton) to salvage what he could, both for James and himself. I also must praise Lowri Walton who was playing Marilyn Platt, James' fiancee, for all her scenes after the revelation, in particular her duet, 'Let Him Go', with Velcro. Happy endings were reached for some, with promises of happiness to come for others, and the action was ending with a full ensemble-version of 'You Shall Go To The Ball'. Very highly recommended.

'Soho Cinders' runs at the Union Theatre in London from 23rd November 2016 to 22nd December 2016.

Signature Song:

Once again I find it difficult to choose - my emotional side wants 'Let Him Go' and my fun side wants either of the Sisters' big numbers 'I'm So Over Men' and 'Fifteen Minutes' (a song easily customisable to current 15-minuters, such as Honey G) or Velcro's 'It's Hard to Tell' (about the difficulty in working out which men are gay and which are straight)

Links: 

Production website.
Some of the songs can be found here.

Forgotten Musicals: ‘The Toxic Avenger’ (2008)

Forgotten Musicals: ‘The Toxic Avenger’   (2008)

Book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro

Music and lyrics by David Bryan

History:

This rock ‘n’ roll musical comedy from the Tony Award-winning creative team behind ‘Memphis’, Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, is based on the 1984 cult classic film from Troma Entertainment. It was first produced under the direction of John Rando at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey and opened after previews officially on 10th October 2008. The New York City premiere opened at New World Stages on 6th April 2009, closing on 2nd January 2010 after over 300 performances, when the production left for a tour across the United States.

Plot:

The citizens of Tromaville, New Jersey, are crying out for a hero - enter Melvin Ferd the Third, an aspiring earth scientist determined to clean up the toxic waste problem. But when a corrupt Mayor and her government goons try to stop this heroic feat, Melvin is tossed into a vat of toxic waste and transformed into The Toxic Avenger, New Jersey’s first superhero! ‘Toxie’ is a seven-foot mutant freak with superhuman strength and a super-sized heart to match. He’s out to save New Jersey, end global warming, woo the prettiest (and blindest) librarian in town and get home in time for dinner, in the most toxic of love stories, with an environmental twist.

In a Nutshell: 

Can a seven-foot mutant freak ever save the day and get the girl, even if love is blind ?

Production:

The European premiere of 'The Toxic Avenger' was at the Southwark Playhouse, London, in April 2016 [where I was later to see the UK premiere of 'Side Show’]. Mark Anderson played ‘Melvin/Toxie’, whilst Hannah Grover, was Sarah, his love interest. Having heard good things about the show from my parents who had caught it off-Broadway on a visit to my cousin who actually lives in New Jersey (but not Tromaville), I booked a ticket for May 2016.

Taking my seat in an auditorium full of barrels of ‘toxic waste’, I was surprised when cult-musical star, Patricia Quinn, took a seat two rows behind me (she’s ‘Magenta’ in the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’, as well as being in Seventh Doctor TV story ‘Dragonfire’ and Seventh Doctor audio story ‘Bang-Bang-A-Boom’). Following a prologue involving a swearing nun and two workmen, the show began in earnest with the introduction of Melvin and Sarah the blind librarian whom he is in love with, followed by the villain of the piece, the sexy Mayor (Lizzii Hills). It also became clear that two actors, deemed Black Dude (Ashley Samuels) and White Dude (Marc Pickering) in the programme were playing all the other parts, from the bullies that throw Melvin in the toxic waste to Old Ladies, Police Officers and Doctors. The change to Melvin was well-realised, and Hannah Grover made the most of having to ‘feel her way’ off stage, climbing over those on the front row, admitting on the second occasion that this was just to allow for costume changes by Ashley and Marc. The rock score was excellently infectious, whilst also being very rude in the style of ‘The Book of Mormon’ (which both Mark & Ashley have been in). Highly recommended.

'The Toxic Avenger' ran at the Southwark Playhouse in London from 22nd April 2016 to 21st May 2016.

Signature Song:

Unfortunately my two favourite songs are both ‘parental advisory’, but my favourite is the sung fight between the Mayor and Melvin’s mother (who are both played by the same actress, rapidly swapping from one to the other) – ‘Bitch, Slut, Liar, Whore’. Running it close are ‘Evil is Hot’, again featuring the Mayor, and ‘You Tore My Heart Out’ – Toxie’s big number.

Links: 

Production website.
The songs can be found on Spotify here.

Forgotten Musicals: 'Side Show' (1997)

Forgotten Musicals: 'Side Show'   (1997)

Book and lyrics by Bill Russell

Music by Henry Krieger





History:
This musical is inspired by the true story of conjoined twins the Hilton Sisters, featuring a score by ‘Dreamgirls’ composer Henry Krieger and lyrics by Bill Russell (lyricist of Elegies for Angels’ and ‘Punks and Raging Queens’, rather than the Ian Chesterton actor). The original production, directed by Robert Longbottom, opened on Broadway in 1997. That production, despite the fact that it only played for four months, managed to find an incredibly loyal fan base that has only grown year after year, thanks to the enduring popularity of its Original Cast Recording.

Amongst the fans of that production was an up-and-coming writer and director named Bill Condon (who, at the time, was just a few months away from winning an Oscar for his screenplay of "Gods and Monsters"). Years later, when he was working with Henry Krieger on the film adaptation of ‘Dreamgirls’, he revealed his affection for ‘Side Show’, and expressed a desire to direct a production. Taking the opportunity to revisit the show, Russell, Krieger and Condon re-examined every syllable and note, strengthening the story, with an emphasis on fleshing out the male characters. A lot of long-abandoned ideas from those early drafts also re-emerged, in the new 2014 production, which had a "darker approach" and incorporated new songs as well as additional biographical details of the Hilton twins' life and historical figures of the era. The production began previews on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on 28th October 2014, opening officially on 17th November 2014. However, despite very positive reviews, the revival did not catch on with audiences and closed on 4th January 2015 after only seven weeks.


Plot:
The musical concerns conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who make ends meet playing a headline act at a seedy side show, languishing under the rule of an oppressive ringmaster. But when spotted by a talent agent, they are thrust into the spotlight of the famed 1920’s Orpheum Circuit. They soon become the highest paid vaudeville stars of their time, but whilst Daisy relishes the spotlight, Violet wishes for a quiet life with a man she loves, and who loves her. Can they balance their individual dreams with their inescapable physical connection ?

In a Nutshell:
Can a conjoined twin ever find love where there’s always going to be three in the relationship ?

Production:
The UK premiere of 'Side Show' was at the Southwark Playhouse, London, in October 2016. A venue beginning to build a reputation for musical theatre not that far off that of its near neighbour, Menier Chocolate Factory, that is only a fifteen minute bus ride from the Court where I work  (In fact I was originally intending to feature one of their previous productions in this entry). The twins were played by Louise Dearman (according to the programme, the only actress to ever play both Glinda and Elphaba in ‘Wicked’) and Laura Pitt-Pulford (2016 Olivier Award nominee for ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ for her performance in ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). I caught the show (the amended 2014 version) in the middle of its run on 15th November 2016.

The small auditorium was done up as a travelling freak-show, with the seating plan being so complex, it needed around four ushers to direct patrons to their seats. The show started with a grand opening number in which the supporting cast – including a wolfboy, tattooed lady, human pin-cushion, bearded lady, man/woman, fortune teller, lizard man, three-legged man, and cannibal chief – were introduced in song by the wicked freakshow owner, ‘Sir’, played with a wonderful moustache by Christopher Howell. The twins then made their entrance, their dresses tied together with ribbons to represent their shared ‘fleshy link’. The abuse of the ‘freaks’ soon became clear, but the twins were offered a lifeline by the arrival of a talent agent and his friend. Act One focused on court proceedings to sever the twins from their legal guardian (the other ‘freaks’ playing all the parts), and the beginning of their vaudeville career, as well as the twins falling in love for the first time, albeit seemingly not reciprocated. Act 2 featured the girls as stars and built to a climax that I had not predicted, with the ever-present suggestion of the possibility of an operation to separate the two regularly arising. Casting was perfect with Louise and Laura’s voices complementing one another wonderfully, and I was impressed how they coped with stairs when attached to one another. Christopher Howell was the perfect villain, and Haydn Oakley & Dominic Hodson were excellent as the twins’ ‘saviours’/love interests. Definitely recommended.

'Side Show' runs at the Southwark Playhouse in London from 21st October 2016 to 3rd December 2016.


Signature Song:
Again quite difficult to pick one, but I am going for "One Plus One Equals Three " (closely followed by "Stuck with You" and "Come Look At The Freaks")

Links: 
Production website.
Some of the songs can be found here.

Louise Dearman – Official Website