Based on the TV Series by Howard Schuman
Book by Chloë Moss
Songs by Howard Schuman and Andy Mackay
Directed by Dominic Cooke
Set Design by Vicki Mortimer
Choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille
Kinnetia Isidore- costume design
Nigel Lilley – MD, arranger, orchestrator
Minerva Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre
Thursday 17th August 2023, 14.15
CAST:
Carly Bawden – Anna
Angela Marie Hurst – Dee
Zizi Strallen – Q
with
Stepheson Ardern-Sodje- Spike
Samuel Barnett- Harry
Bella Brown – ensemble
Tamsin Carroll- Gloria / Kitty
Colette Guitart – ensemble
Fred Haig – Jack / David
Peter Houston – ensemble
Matthew Mathouse- ensemble
Antoine Murray-Straughan – ensemble
Philippa Stefani = Roxy / Secretary
Sebastian Torkia – Stevie / Bernard / Carl
Harriet Watson – ensemble
MUSIC
Toby Higgins- MD / keyboard
Liam Godwin- assistant MD / keyboard
Joe Britton – bass guitar, backing vocal
Ashley Williams – guitar, , backing vocal
Mat Hector- drums, backing vocal
We loved the original two- the1976 series and the 1977 series. They were one of the very few things we watched on TV that year. We had a Betamax video recorder which helped.
The story? Three female actors tire of endless auditions, and groping directors and managers, and meet on a dreadful production of Broadway Annie, and decide to form a rock group, The Little Ladies.
Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwall and Julie Covington did the singing themselves and got the album from the series into the chart. Not surprisingly the songs were really good, written by Andy Mackay of Roxy Music. Julie Covington had hit singles with Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (UK #1) in 1976, the year of the series, and Only Women Bleed (UK #12) in 1977. OK from Rock Follies was a UK #10 hit too. The idea of the three in the band was that one was a singer (Julie Covington), one a serious actress (Charlotte Cornwall) and one a mainstream popular soap (and in the TV series semi-porn) actress (Rula Lenska).
This stage version covers Rock Follies 77 as well. That’s a lot of story. They’ve stayed in 1976/1977 (musically there’s no choice) but rewritten heavily. For example the alcoholic director of the original Broadway Annie is not something for 2023. “He’s gay. That’s funny” doesn’t work anymore. Nor does ‘he’s a fat prat with a cigar’ for the wannabe manager. They’ve tightened the story a very great deal. They also truncate the ear worm Broadway Annie sequence (that song sounds SO authentic), and Tamsin Carroll plays the inept lead, NOT Anna (Carly Bawden) as in the original. Though Anna gets sacked directly after it.
The key is the casting. You have Carly Bawden, taking over as Anna (Charlotte Cornwall’s role): the serious actress and Cambridge graduate who ends up writing the songs. Carly is a wonderful actor (and singer) for the most serious acting role in the story, as this is the one who takes to cocaine and booze. Her physical resemblance to Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac is a bonus. She did Twelfth Night with Emma Rice and was my supporting actress of that year (I saw it twice). Her Romantics Anonymous (also Emma Rice) adds another feather.
Then Angela Marie Hurst takes Julie Covington’s role as Dee, the most powerful singer with a solo career beckoning. Her pedigree includes Tina, and The Motown Musical, She’s done it.
Zizi Strallen is Q, the upper class semi-porn star (Rula Lenska’s role). We saw her award winning performance as the lead in Mary Poppins. Yes, she’s an incredible singer too. This is a LONG way from Mary Poppins. She gets most of the comedy lines too. A review that compared her to Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous irritated me. See Rula Lenska’s role of Q in the original series. It’s written in.
The partners are important: the right-on commune dwelling Spike for Dee (Stephen Ardern-Sodje). The work-shy Carl (Sebastian Torkia) for Q, and Jack (Fred Haig) who is Anna’s academic husband.
I’m astonished by the few negative reviews. Maybe they just don’t know how accurate it is in portraying 70s music, and didn’t read the programme article on how many female singers were inspired by the series. Toyah leads the way. I’d argue a couple of points, not that they detract from the musical. I’m not sure a female vocal trio is ‘a female rock band’. Compare Fanny (USA) who not only sang but played all the instruments. If you were rethinking from scratch, you’d have them playing as well as singing. Later, the manager tries to prise Dee into a solo role, saying there are no black female British singers or groups. Really? Linda Lewis? Then while both are American-born, P.P. Arnold, and then Madeleine Bell with Blue Mink made their careers entirely in Britain. (Those lines are not in the original series obviously because Julie Covington is white).
Music composer Andy Mackay was in Roxy Music, along with my late friend, John Wetton. They were there as Roxy Music morphed into the Bryan Ferry Band. Yes, the main singer was extracted and promoted away from the band, just as in this story and as so often.
The Little Ladies are inveigled into being the ‘support act’ for Stevie, a major star. The job description was inaccurate. Stevie, the famous rock singer (Sebastian Torkia) sings Lou Reed style lyrics in an Alice Cooper hat parading about like Freddie Mercury. He is fabulous. I can’t believe Bryan Ferry’s more theatrical moments were not in Mackay’s mind. Compare how Mick Jagger was pushed to the front in the Rolling Stones, and Brian Jones sidelined. I could list so many examples, not least Diana Ross from the Supremes. That’s what managers do.
The 1977 sequences at a Silver Jubilee rock festival are precious. The Blurred Faces Band (from the ensemble) perform Paul McCartney’s festival anthem Let It Be in a frantic speeded up punk version (one which is not credited, though Blueberry Hill and We Shall Overcome are listed). The Little Ladies then ignore their overbearing manager, Kitty (Tamsin Carroll), and perform the political B-side of their 1977 single, Jubilee dressed in guards uniforms.. Think the Sex Pistols 1977 God Save The Queen, which stalled at #2 in the Top Twenty despite selling twice as many copies that week as Rod Stewart’s #1 … the BBC refused to let God Save The Queen top the Silver Jubilee week chart.
Then the added replacement singer in 1977 is named Rox(y) (Phillipa Stefani). Case proven for Roxy Music connection. She is screwing the manager /boss too. Diana Ross again comes to mind with Berry Gordy. Roxy is pushy and obnoxious. (And Philippa Stefani is a first rate powerful singer). The manager is trying to sideline Anna, getting Dee to replace her vocals. It happens. I can cite session players who often replaced parts unknown to members of a young band. Kitty, the manager tells Anna she’s getting the royalties as songwriter, why would she care? Anna wants to sing her own songs. The one getting the lion’s share of royalties is a major (the major?) cause of dissension in bands. That could have been explored further, but it’s not.
Costume changes are rapid. The ensemble and name parts continually switch roles. Tamsin Carrol and Sebastian Torkia deserve special mention. Samuel Barnett as Harry is a lovely sympathetic first manager. I like the way the ensemble appear to be roadies racing around with those aluminium transport cases, which can open and become dressing up rooms or whatever.
I’m sure it will go to London. Its major downside? At our matinee it was the audience. Many were older than us, and we are ancient. The age profile was not right for audience participation in clapping and joining in. It’s probably better in the evenings. It will be an ecstatic audience if and when it’s in the West End. I wanted to leap to my feet at the end, but it takes too long for many of these to stand. The issue is not enjoyment, it’s knees. I see the same problem looming in my future. This musical could run for ages in the West End IF and it’s a big “if” they can keep exactly these three stars. As in the 1976 /1977 original, they are terrific and they are the key. Like the originals, they radiate charisma. Each gets a solo song, each takes it in turns to sing lead in songs. The Minerva, acting three-quarters in the round, is an intimate space. It’s unusually small for a musical too, but Chichester starts stuff here that so often moves on. I think it will go proscenium in its next incarnation, which is a pity.
To be hypercritical, losing so much dialogue is a pity, though on rewatching much back then creaked a tad. I’d probably lose a song in each half to put some interaction back in. I’d wondered if both series was too far, and they could have done the first with more dramatic dialogue in between. I’m wrong though. The trajectory of rising to success in Part One, then the group falling apart for all the usual reasons in Part Two, is what makes it such a good stage story.
The partner relations are important. The managers are vital too. The team throughout is great. I really can’t understand the negative reviews, then I guess I know enough about the ins and outs of the 60s / 70s music scene to appreciate the points it is making.
I’m hovering on a five star, but after long discussion it’s a four (Karen is a total stickler on 1976 costume, so beyond what any young designer could ever please). A little nipping and tucking (not much at all) if it goes to London would make it five star.
****
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
four star
Arifa Akbar, The Guardian ****
three star
Susnnah Clapp, The Observer ***
Gareth Carr, Whats On Stage ***
Sam Marlowe, The Stage ***
two star
Domenic Cavendish, Telegraph, **
Clive Davis, The Times **
LINKS ON THIS BLOG
DOMINIC COOKE
Follies, by Stephen Sondheim, National Theatre 2019
Comedy of Errors, National Theatre 2012
CARLY BAWDEN
Romantics Anonymous by Emma Rice, Wanamaker Playhouse 2017 (Angelique)
Twelfth Night, Globe 2017 (Maria)
wonder.land by Damian Albarn, Moira Buffini, National Theatre 2016
ZIZI STRALLEN
Mary Poppins, Norwich Theatre Royal, 2016 (Mary Poppins)
SEBASTIAN TORKIA
Travels With My Aunt, Chichester Minerva 2016
TAMSIN CARROLL
Peter Gynt, National Theatre 2019
SAMUEL BARNETT
Richard III, Globe / West End 2012
Twelfth Night, Globe / West End 2012
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