24

CALL ME MADAM (1st Revival) London run: Victoria Palace, March 4th (10 weeks)

Music & Lyrics: Irving Berlin

Book: Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse

Director: Roger Redfarn

Choreographer: Tudor Davies

Musical Director: Ed Coleman Producer: Duncan Weldon with Paul Gregg & Lionel Becker

Cast: Noele Gordon (Sally Adams),

Basil Hoskins (Cosmo),

William Relton (Ken Gibson),

Veronica Page (Princess Maria),

Christopher Marlowe, David Alder,

Bruce Morrison

Notes: See original London production,

Coliseum, March 15th, 1952

MARILYN London run: Adelphi Theatre, March 17th (156 Performances)

Music: Mort Garson

Lyrics: Jacques Wilson

Book: Jacques Wilson

Director-Choreographer: Larry Fuller

Musical Director: Producer: Gaylord Elmo Williams & Elliot Kastner

Cast: Stephanie Lawrence (Norma-Jean/Marilyn), Clive Carter (Jim Dougherty),

Stanley Fleet (Harry Cohn),

Chuck Julian (Daryl Zanuck),

Margaret Burton (Louella Parsons),

Marie Lorraine (Hedda Hopper), Stuart Milligan (Joe Di Maggio),

David Firth (Arthur Miller), John Bennett (Lee Strasberg)

Songs: Did You Know Marilyn Monroe?, The Most Beautiful Girl

of Them All, 8 X 10 Glossies, I Never Knew a Girl Like Her

Before, A Girl Like You Needs a Little Protection, Dumb Blonde, It

Was Not Meant to Be, Somewhere a Phone Is Ringing.

Story: Rather waspishly described by Ned Sherrin as: “ an

undiscovered recitation of all the well-known landmarks of

Monroe’s life, inelegantly expressed to halting, derivative musak” –

the foster home, the nude modelling, the “agent who had faith”,

vulgar Hollywood moguls, mother’s madness, husbands DiMaggio

and Miller, and finally death with telephone dangling.

Notes: Stephanie Lawrence was praised for making the best of a

bad job.

1983 P

hoto

by

Wil

loughby

Gull

ach

son

Noele Gordon & male chorus

Stephanie Lawrence

Photo

by

Mik

e M

art

in

25 1983

I London run: Piccadilly Theatre, March 16th (Withdrawn after a few performances)

Music: Robert Purvis

Lyrics: Paul Prescott

Book & Conception: Arturo Brachetti

Director: Arturo Brachetti

Choreographer: Derek Deane & Graham Fletcher Producer: Michael White

This much-heralded “dinner theatre and cabaret” show was a “new” kind of

entertainment. All the seats in the stalls had been removed and the evening started

with a meal and some fringe entertainment from the waiters. Later (a kind of

“second doors”) the non-eating public were admitted to the circles and the cabaret

began.

The show was built around a series of spectacular magic tricks by the young quick-

change artist, Arturo Brachetti. The auditorium walls were covered in “eyes” – reflecting the name of the

show. Some of the complicated tricks failed to work properly, technically things kept falling apart – even the

serving of the food failed to finish in time for the proposed start of the show. The production was withdrawn,

and completely re-directed and re-staged. Given a new title “Y”, it opened two months later.

Y London run: Piccadilly Theatre, June 27th (ran for 12 months)

Music: Frederick Botton & Robert Purvis

Book & Conception: Jean-Marie Riviere, Arturo Brachetti,

Pierre Simoni & Carol Roboh

Director: Jean-Marie Riviere

Choreographer: Molly Malloy

Musical Director: Robert Purvis

Producer: Vladimir Forgency & Michael White

Cast: Arturo Brachetti, Nicola Kimber, Ward Alexander, Bunty Bailey,

Patrick Kealey, Kit & The Widow, Fiona Lewis, Adrian Richard Swerhun,

Gillian Winn

The new production worked much better. Arturo Brachetti, who was said to change

costume 80 times in the show, and all the grand illusions were successfully staged. The show featured things

like a Dracula-type scene where Veronica of Battersea is sawn in half by the wicked Count Alboretto, and then

a chorus of heavenly fairies attempt to put the pieces back together again; a Venetian scene with gondolas and

Casanova; a Pierrot scene with a flying Pierrot; a Ziegfeld-meets-Crazy-Horse scene with scantily clad tigers

and panthers and a lot of

whipping; some original

music and a lot of miming

to “standards”. All over

the theatre were a series of

eyes that lit up and winked

throughout (these were left

over from the previous

incarnation “I”.) It was all

very spectacular, exotic

and over the top. No one

quite knew what to make

of it, but its sheer novelty

value proved to be an

attraction and it ran for a

year. Arturo Brachetti was

nominated for a Society of

West End Theatre Award. Photo

by

Davi

d C

ross

wait

e

26 1983

THE MIKADO (Return Visit) London run: Prince of Wales August – 6 weeks

Music: Arthur Sullivan

Lyrics: W.S.Gilbert

Director: Chris Hayes

Choreographer: Michele Hardy

Musical Director: Ed Coleman Producer: Bill Kenwright & Paul Gregg.

Cast: Jimmy Thompson (Ko-Ko), Nicholas Smith (Mikado), Gary Lyons (Nanki Poo),

John Hewer (Pooh-Bah), Stella Goodier (Yum Yum), Eileen Gourlay (Katisha)

Christopher Marlowe

This was a return visit from the same production which had played the Cambridge Theatre the previous year

and had been touring meantime.

Notes: See Cambridge Theatre, September 1982

BLOOD BROTHERS London run: Lyric Theatre, April 11th (224 Performances)

Music & Lyrics: Willy Russell

Director: Chris Bond

Musical Director: Richard Spanswick Producer: Bob Swash

Cast: Barbara Dickson (Mrs Johnstone), George Costigan (Mickey),

Andrew C. Wadsworth (Eddie), Amanda York (Linda), Wendy Murray (Mrs Lyons),

Andrew Schofield (Narrator), Peter Christian, Alan Leith

Songs: Easy Terms, Marilyn Monroe, I’m Not Saying, Bright New Day, Tell Me it’s

Not True

Story: Mrs Johnstone, a prematurely aged mother of four, abandoned by her husband, gives birth to twins. She

agrees to hand over one of her babies to her childless employer, Mrs Lyons, who pretends that the child is her

own. The two children grow up, become best friends and head for ultimate tragedy. Mickey, the one kept by

his real mother, turns to crime, and comes out of prison broken and

ill. Their childhood friend, Linda, unable to cope, turns to the loving,

successful Eddie for help. Finally the crazed Mickey shoots down his

blood brother.

Notes: Originally produced at the Liverpool Playhouse in January, for

an eleven week run, this was based on Dion Boucicault’s 19th Century

melodrama “The Corsican Brothers”. This version had an excellent

reception for the outstanding performance by Barbara Dickson and

the much-praised performances of Andrew C. Wadsworth and George

Costigan. However, a few critics thought the characters were too

black-and-white : the poor family and the posh family were rather

obvious stereotypes, and the social comment was a bit heavy-handed

and unsubtle. Notwithstanding, the show had a successful run and

was recognised as something rather special, winning the Best New

Musical of the Year Award. Five years after its first West End run it

was revised and re-produced by Bill Kenwright in 1988 and was an

outstanding, triumphant success, becoming one of the longest-

running musicals of the 20th Century.

Barbara Dickson as Mrs Johnstone Photo

by

John H

ayn

es

27 1983

BUGSY MALONE London run: Her Majesty’s Theatre, May 26th (300 Performances)

Music & Lyrics: Paul Williams

Book: Micky Dolenz

Director: Mickey Dolenz

Choreographer: Gillian Gregory Producer: Martin Gates & Philip Summerscales

Songs: Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, That’s Why They Call Him Dandy, Show Business, Bad Guys’ Song, My

Name is Talullah, So You Wanna Be a

Boxer?, Ordinary Fool, Down and Out

Notes: This theatrical curiosity used

an all-child cast to re-create the Alan

Parker film, but instead of machine

gun killings, the young people spray

each other with splurge guns. The

children handle the dialogue

themselves, but then mime the songs

to the off-stage singing of adults. The

first Bugsy was played by Jeremy

Gil ley. The laws concerning

performers under the age of 16 meant

that the cast was constantly changing.

While the show might possibly have

had some value in youth companies

and schools, the general view was that

it had no business whatsoever to

occupy a major West End theatre.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1st Revival) London run: Apollo Victoria, June 28th (151 Performances)

Music: Jerry Bock

Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick

Book: Joseph Stein

Director-Choreographer: Jerome Robbins

Musical Director: Grant Hossack

Cast: Topol (Tevye),

Thelma Ruby (Golde),

Maria Charles (Yente),

David Jackson (Lazar Wolf).

Steven Mann (Perchick),

Jane Gurnett (Tzeitel),

Peter Whitman (Motel),

Lisa Jacobs (Chava)

Notes: See original London production,

Her Majesty's, February 16th 1967

Photo

by

Zoe

Dom

inic

Maria Charles & Thelma Ruby

Photo

by

Zoe

Dom

inic

28 1983

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN London run: London Palladium, June 30th (2 years & 3 months)

Music: Nacio Herb Brown & others

Lyrics: Arthur Freed & others

Book: Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Director: Tommy Steele

Choreographer: Peter Gennaro

Musical Director: Michael Reed Producer: Harold Fielding

Cast: Tommy Steele (Don Lockwood), Roy Castle (Cosmo Brown),

Danielle Carson (Kathy Selden), Sarah Payne (Lina Lamont),

Matt Zimmerman (Roscoe Dexter), Joyce Carpenter (Miss Ginsmore),

Kalman Glass, Shealagh Dennis

Songs: Fit as a Fiddle, You Are My

Lucky Star, Be a Clown, Moses

Supposes, Good Morning, Fascinating

Rhythm

Notes: Based on the MGM motion

picture screenplay by Betty Comden

and Adolph Green, this was the story of

movie-making in the 1920s at the time

when Hollywood switched from silents

to talkies, re-created almost exactly as

in the classic film and centred around

the spectacular “Singin’ in the Rain”

number. This was a great success at the

Palladium and ran for over two years.

Later cast changes included Bunny May

as Cosmo Brown and Graham Hoadley

as Roscoe

JUKEBOX London run: Astoria Theatre, July 14th (172 Performances)

Music & Lyrics: Various

Book: Mark Donnelly

Director-Choreographer: Steve Merritt

Musical Director: Phil Coulter Producer: Bill Martin

Cast: Allan Love, Donna Louise, Daliah Wood, Mark Tyme, Rosemarie Ford

Notes: An evening of song and dance featuring hot hits from the 1950s onwards –

67 different songs were listed in the programme, with a cast of 22 and an orchestra of

14 players – this was a concert rather than a musical.

Danielle Carson, Tommy Steele, Sarah

Payne & Roy Castle

Photo

by

Reg

Wil

son

29 1983

BASHVILLE London run: Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, August 2nd (Limited season)

Music: Dennis King

Book & Lyrics: Benny Green

Director: David William

Choreographer: Gillian Gregory

Musical Director: Anthony Bowles

Cast: Douglas Hodge (Bashville), Christina Collier (Lydia Carew),

Peter Woodward (Cashel Byron), James Cairncross, Vincenzo Nicolai,

Joan Davies

Songs: Hymn to Law and Order, Blackman’s Burden, He is My Son

Story: The admirable Bashville is a footman who secretly sighs for the heiress, Lydia Carew. She is also

sighed for by the boxer, Cashel Byron. Much as she likes Cashel, Lydia cannot accept him because he is not a

gentleman. Following a series of colourful prize-fighting scenes, it turns out that Cashel is the long-lost son of

a gentleman, and thus is able to win Lydia’s hand. The unfortunate Bashville goes on to become a boxer and to

win fame and fortune.

Notes: Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s “The Admirable Bashville”, this was the first musical to be

produced in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and required a special area to be excavated to accommodate

the small orchestra. The experiment was well received, and the same production was given a second outing in

the park the following year.

SNOOPY– The Musical London run: Duchess Theatre, September 16th (479 Performances)

Music: Larry Grossman

Lyrics: Hal Hackady

Book: Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates

Director: Arthur Whitelaw

Choreographer: Kay Cole

Musical Director: Stuart Pedlar Producer: Howard & Patrick Ltd

Cast: Anthony Best (Woodstock), Susie Blake (Sally Brown),

Zoe Bright (Lucy), Nicky Croydon (Peppermint Patty),

Mark Hadfield (Linus), Teddy Kempner (Snoopy),

Robert Locke (Charlie Brown)

Songs: Snoopy’s Song, Hurry Up Face, Edgar Allan Poe, Mother’s Day, Where Did that Little Dog Go?,

Bunnies, Don’t Be Anything Less than Everything You Can Be

Notes: The production originated at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury. This show had a long run, a year and 2

months—surprising inasmuch as “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” had achieved a very much shorter in

1968. The production was nominated for an Olivier Award Best New Musical of the Year, and Teddy

Kempner was nominated for Actor of the Year in a Musical.

30 P

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by

P. C

unnin

gham

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS London run: Comedy Theatre, October 12th

(813 Performances)

Music: Alan Menken

Lyrics: Howard Ashman

Director: Howard Ashman

Choreographer: Edie Cowan

Musical Director: Roger Ward Producer: Cameron Mackintosh,

David Geffen & Shubert Org.

Cast: Barry James (Seymour),

Ellen Greene (Audrey),

Terence Hillyer (Orin),

Harry Towb (Mushnik),

Anthony B. Asbury (Audrey II Manipulation),

Michael Leslie (Audrey II Voice)

Songs: Skid Row, Grow For Me, Suddenly Seymour, Dentist, Somewhere That’s

Green, Feed Me, Suppertime, Don’t Feed the Plants

Story: Mr Mushnik’s florist shop on Skid Row seems to have acquired a strange

and alien new plant. Shop assistant Seymour names it Audrey II after the love of

his life, fellow shop assistant Audrey, though Audrey has her own boyfriend, the

sadistic dentist, Orin. Audrey II grows much larger and is a great attraction,

bringing much business to the shop, but, as Seymour discovers, the plant can only

survive on human blood – and has the ability to talk – though all it can say is “Feed

Me”. Orin accidentally kills himself by inhaling too much laughing gas, and

Audrey II has her first human victim. Now only human beings can satisfy the

plant’s appetite. Mushnik is the next victim, then Audrey and Seymour himself.

When unknowing representatives of the World Botanical Enterprises arrive and

take cuttings to propagate this wonderful new plant, here come Audrey III, IV, V

as the aliens take over the world.

Notes: Based on the original film by Roger Corman and the film-script by Charles Griffith.

DEAR ANYONE London run: Cambridge Theatre, November 8th (65 Performances)

Music: Geoff Stephens

Lyrics: Don Black

Book: Jack Rosenthal

Director: David Taylor

Choreographer: Tudor Davies

Musical Director: Chris Walker Producer: Duncan Weldon, Paul Gregg & Lionel Becker

Cast: Jane Laportaire (Mercedes), Peter Blake (Danny), Stubby Kaye (Harry),

Stephanie Voss (Mildred), Ian Burford, Tracie Hart, Richard Kates, Buster Skeggs

Songs: I Don't Know the Answer, I'll Put You Together Again, Sleeping Like A Baby

Now, Shortcomings, One Sided Love, All Rocked Out, Don't Stop Him If You've

Heard It , Why the Panic ? ,Have You Heard About Pandora ?

Story: Journalist Mercedes is promoted to be the newspaper’s Miss Lonelyhearts, and

under the pseudonym “Pandora” her advice to the lovesick brings her great fame and

almost goddess-like status. However, this has a serious effect on her own personal

life, causing problems with Danny, her computer-salesman boyfriend, Harry, the

Features Editor, and Mildred, the office cleaner

1983

Audrey II & Ellen Greene

31

BLONDEL London run: Old Vic Theatre, November 9th (87 Performances)

Transferred to the Aldwych, January 20th 1984 (278 Performances)

Music: Stephen Oliver

Book & Lyrics: Tim Rice

Director: Peter James

Choreographer: Anthony van Laast

Musical Director: Martin Koch Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Cast: Paul Nicholas (Blondel), Stephen Tate (King Richard),

David Burt (Prince John), Chris Langham (Assassin), Sharon Lee Hill (Fiona),

Richard Bryan, Stewart Collins, Nicholas Ibbotson, Michael Steffan (Monks)

Songs: I’m a Monarchist, Artists Are Tragic and Sensitive Souls, The Ministry of Feudal Affairs, No Rhyme

for Richard, Assassin’s Song, Running Back for More, Saladin Days, I Can’t Wait to be King.

Story: Blondel is a minstrel who sets off around Europe with his own vocal group, The Blondettes, searching

for Richard the Lionheart, convinced that he is not dead but has been imprisoned somewhere. Danger lurks in

every corner of this crazy,

anachronistic tour of the

Middle Ages

Notes: Although many

critics found the plot

muddled and confused, the

chorus of monks was a great

success and the show did

develop a kind of cult

following. It was chosen to

re-open the Old Vic after the

theatre had undergone a

major renovation under its

new owner, the Canadian

“Honest” Ed Mirvisch. It

transferred to the Aldwych

Theatre in January 1984.

DANCIN’ London run: Drury Lane Theatre, November 14th (88 Performances)

Music & Lyrics: Various

Director: Bob Fosse

Choreographer: Bob Fosse re-created by Gail Benedict

Musical Director: David Firman Producer: Tom Arnold with Louis Benjamin & Peter Baldwin

Cast: Visiting American Company

Notes: This production was roundly condemned by almost all the critics.

Most of the reviews resented the pseudo-didactic approach of a narrator

introducing the various episodes with a kind of lecture on dance techniques,

and it was described as a “scrappily insubstantial little show”. One comment

said: “ I feel this particular company has been on the road too long in a

vehicle that is positively creaking.”

1983 P

hoto

by

John H

ayn

es

32

POPPY (Revival) London run: Adelphi Theatre, November 14th (97 Performances)

Music: Monty Norman

Book & Lyrics: Peter Nicholls

Director: Terry Hands

Choreographer: Onna White

Musical Director: Ian MacPherson

Cast: John Watts (Lin Tse-Tsi), Nichola McAuliffe (Queen Victoria),

Ken Wynne (Tao-Kuan), David Firth (Jack Idle), Janet Shaw (Sally Forth),

Geoffrey Hutchings (Lady Dodo), Alfred Marks (Obadiah Upward)

Christopher Hurst, Andrew Thomas-James

Notes: This was a revised and re-staged version of the original production at the

Barbican, September 1982. It had undergone rather a lot of changes – possibly to make it more acceptable for a

planned Broadway transfer – but this time round it received a critical drubbing, including: “It collapses amidst

the stuffing and garnishing of a cumbersome, shamefully under-rehearsed and embarrassingly under-cast

production”.

See: Original London production: September 1982

JEAN SEBERG London run: National Theatre, November 15th (Repertoire)

Music: Marvin Hamlisch

Lyrics: Christopher Adler

Book: Julian Barry

Director: Peter Hall

Choreographer: Irving Davies

Musical Director: Ray Cook

Cast: Kelly Hunter (Young Jean) Elizabeth Counsell (Older Jean) ,

Joss Ackland (Romain Gary), John Savident (Otto Preminger),

David Ryall (J. Edgar Hoover), Josephine Blake (Kate Devlin)

Songs: Everyone Wants to be in the Movies, It Wouldn’t Work Out,

My Lips Are Sealed, Where is the Wind?, Dreamers

Story: Jean Seberg was an Iowa girl who had shown sympathy for

black causes since she was 14. She was discovered by Otto

Preminger at 17 and pitch-forked in at the deep end to play St Joan of

Arc after a much publicised talent hunt. The critics gave her hell until

Jean Luc Goddard’s “Breathless” made her the symbol of the New

Wave. She married Romain Gary, fought with the Black Panthers and

perhaps slept with some of them. She became a victim of J. Edgar

Hoover’s obsessive hatred and of his smear techniques. Finally she

took her own life in Paris.

Notes: The show starts with her preparing the suicide, and then in a

flashback fantasises a re-shooting of the Joan of Arc trial which

merges into Jean Seberg’s trial, with the prosecutor being J. Edgar

Hoover. Running in repertoire, it closed on April 4th 1984, having

lost £800,000.

1983

Kelly Hunter & Michael Bryant

33

ABBACADABRA London run: Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, December 8th (Christmas Season)

Music: Bjorn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson

New lyrics: Don Black & Mike Batt

Book: David Wood, Alain Boublil, Daniel Boublil

Director: Peter James

Choreographer: Anthony van Laast Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Cast: Elaine Paige (Teacher/Carabosse), Finola Hughes (Cinderella),

Michael Praed (Aladdin), B.A. Robertson (Beast/Prince),

Sylvester McCoy (Pinocchio), Dexter Fletcher, Nigel Harman, Jenna Russell.

Story: The story opens in

a classroom, and when the teacher calls the lunch

break, one of the boys plugs a video game into the

school video system, and suddenly they are all off on

a quest. With Aladdin, Cinderella, Pinocchio and the

Beast, they are all off to kiss and wake up Sleeping

Beauty after her hundred year snooze. However,

Carabosse and her four hench-crows do all they can

to stop the quest.

Notes: This was hugely successful at the Lyric, but

was so obviously a kind of pantomime, that there was

no possibility of getting it to play other than in

holiday periods. Daniel and Alain Boublil were,

surprisingly, not related in any way. This first

involvement of Alain Boublil with Cameron

Mackintosh was, of course, to prove hugely

important in the future of British musicals.

OLIVER (3rd Revival) London run: Aldwych Theatre, December 14th (37 Performances)

Music, Lyrics, Book: Lionel Bart

Director: Peter Coe

Musical Director: Anthony Howard Williams Producer: Cameron Mackintosh

Cast: Ron Moody (Fagin), Jackie Marks (Nancy), Linal Haft (Bill Sykes), Anthony Pearson (Oliver),

David Garlick (Artful Dodger), Peter Bayliss (Mr Bumble),

Meg Johnson (Widow Corney), David Frost (Mr Sowerberry) ,

Eliza Tebith, Arthur Tolcher, Nick Berry, Matthew Ryan

This was a limited five week run as a preliminary try-out before

transferring to Broadway . It opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on April

29th 1984 and ran for just 13 previews and 17 performances. Ron Moody

reprised the role of Fagin and Patti Lupone played Nancy. David Garlick

reprised his West End performance as The Artful Dodger, the first British

youngster to appear on Broadway since Davy Jones, and , creating the

Equity Exchange Program in the process.

Notes: See original London production, New Theatre June 1960

First revival: Piccadilly Theatre, April 1967

Second revival: Albery Theatre, December 1977

1983

Photo

by

Andre

Csi

llag

B.A.Robertson & Elaine Paige

34

SWAN ESTHER London run: Young Vic, December 17th (26 Performances)

Music: Nick Munns

Book & Lyrics: J. Edward Oliver

Director: Frank Dunlop

Choreographer: Jeff Thacker

Musical Director: Gareth Valentine Producer: Robert Stigwood & David Land

Cast: Amanda Redman (Esther), Sam Kelly (Mordecai),

Stephen Lewis ( Prime Minister of Persia),

James Coombes (King of Persia),

David Henry, Christine Nagy, Susan Kyd, Simon Howe

Songs: Bright Idea, Let's Meet the Queen, Don't Trust Haman, Evil

Haman, A Far Outpost of Persia, I Am Great!, Kill the King, My Love Is

Like A Dream, Nothing To Lose, A Strange Girl.

Story: Based on the Biblical story of Esther, but burlesqued in the manner

of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. The story featured

a beauty contest in which each girl said exactly the same words, and a

number of magician’s tricks and illusions created by Mordecai—the

King’s magician. It also included some pastiche numbers of current West

End shows.

Notes: This was clearly an attempt to create another “Joseph” – a show with a large children’s chorus suitable

for schools and youth productions. However, something went wrong at the last minute and licences for the

children were refused, accordingly the show went ahead with adults only. In 1985 a new and revised version

called “Swan Esther and the King” was created and toured under the management of Bill Kenwright.

1983