On 13th
April 2016 my sister Fern and I went to the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft to see
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s and Don Black’s Tell Me on a Sunday starring the
wonderful Jodie Prenger. I have no real funny stories to share with you as we weren’t
together all that long however the woman in front of us during the Q&A
section of Act 2 was quite ridiculously funny, continually nodding and going ‘mmmmmmmmm’
to each of Prenger’s responses; I was worried Fern may spring a leak she was
laughing that much.
Tell Me on aSunday was first brought to the UK in 1979 at the Sydmonton Festival, before it moved to the West
End in 1982; these productions being Song and Dance which incorporates the
one-Act Tell Me on a Sunday as its Act 1. Don Black and Lord Lloyd Webber never
intended Tell Me on a Sunday to become a musical yet expected something like a
musical album or similar. Tell Me on a Sunday is now better known as a one-Act
show and has been seen in London, over the rest of the UK, off-Broadway, Belgium
and Australia. Tell Me on a Sunday has typically been a one woman
show, as it was when I saw it. There have been productions and variations on
the use of more actors and real life characters and the use of voice overs
however the only singer on stage tonight was Prenger. The story focuses on Emma
(previously unnamed until 1985), an English woman (I get the sense she is young
and vulnerable) who travels to New York City to look for love and adventure and
the difficulties she faces trying to keep a man and her relentless attitude to
love and life. I had the sense that Emma was struggling emotionally and
psychologically. I questioned whether Emma was inventing these men in her life;
either to satisfy her mother or her own needs. This was my interpretation and
not everyone shares this opinion. This was my first time seeing Tell Me on a
Sunday and if anyone has different or similar views I would love to hear about
them.
Lloyd Webber
created a great and wonderful music composition with Tell Me on a Sunday. One
of my greatest and fondest characteristics of a Lloyd Webber musical is his successful
and talented attempts to provide multiple musical genres in his work. The
lyrical mastermind that is Don Black provides humorous, emotional, powerful and
vulnerable words in Tell Me on a Sunday (which is one of the duo’s best musicals,
maybe just behind Sunset Boulevard which I am seeing this month with Glenn
Close). Black has recently worked on the new musical Mrs Henderson Presents currently
playing at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, can’t wait to see this next
month. I particularly loved the four Letters Home to England; when Emma writes
to her mother about the men she is seeing or that they have split with her
(earlier productions only used to feature two letters). Set in the late 1970’s/early
80’s, Director Paul Foster shows us that Emma relies on these letters to communicate
with her mother, seeing as there was no Skype or Facetime at this point. The
catchy music, humorous rhymes and Prenger’s voice made this night musically charming.
Classics of the show, the title song (‘Tell Me on a Sunday’) and ‘Take That
Look off Your Face’ will be long-time favourites of any Lloyd Webber fan.
Another mini-series was ‘It’s Not the End of the World’ which keeps you posted
on the life of Emma. Francis Goodhand, musical director, originally from
Suffolk, brings to life the orchestrations of Lloyd Webber. In this production,
by Jamie Wilson and Gavin Kalin Productions of the Watermill Theatre
Production, the 4 man/woman orchestra are surreptitiously on stage behind the
miniature set of New York City. Designed by David Woodhead; I loved the set
with its window long-sight view of the American skyscrapers, Twin Towers and
the Statue of Liberty. This little set was brought to life by Howard Hudson’s
lighting design. The set lights up with different colours and brightness, which
communicates so effectively the mood of Emma and the sympathy the audience show
her.
Jodie
Prenger stars in this one woman show, taking on the role of Emma who has been
played by some iconic West End women in the past including Sarah Brightman, Marti
Webb, Denise Van Outen, Claire Sweeney and even Lulu and Bernadette Peters in
America. With very little spoken word Prenger sings 23 songs back to back with no
break, an incredible feat for any West End and musical star. Prenger came to
fame when she won the BBC show, ‘I’d Do anything’, to find a new Nancy for
Cameron Mackintosh’s Oliver! in 2008. After this she has starred in multiple
West End hits and has recently finished a touring production of Calamity Jane
before starting her time on Tell Me on a Sunday. Prenger has a wonderful voice,
clearly as she won ‘I’d Do anything’. Her acting is fantastic to watch and she
brings the emotion and humour of Emma to the stage with ease. I have seen Prenger
on TV and heard her on BBC Radio 2 many times, but this was the first time
seeing her live and it was super! After singing a 23-song one-Act musical she
deserved a break. Prenger returns to the stage for a quasi-Act 2. This saw
Prenger sing two songs, one from Song and Dance and one from something I cannot
remember, sorry Jodie. Prenger also brought out her understudy, Jodie Beth
Meyer, and they sung the Evita wonder of ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’,
Meyer’s voice was great and the duet was fabulous. Prenger also arranged a
question and answer section. Prenger is so funny; she interacts so well with
the audience, making them laugh with her own anecdotes and experiences on and
off the stage. Prenger did not select my question to answer, however I got to
meet Jodie after the show at the stage door where we had a picture, natter,
cuddle and an autograph. My question was, “If you were a man, what musical
character would you want to play, past or present, in the West End”. Prenger
went to an all-girls school so had played well-known male roles including from
Les Mis and Phantom when she was younger, however she would love to play a drag
in La Cage Aux Folles – Prenger is camper than I am. She was fabulous to watch
and so down to earth, a great musical missy.
Tell Me on aSunday finishes on the 8th of June 2016 in Bromley. Starting in January
Prenger and all the creative and orchestra have and continue to work so hard
each night to bring this beautiful wonder to the stage again and this time for
the whole of the UK. Tell Me on a Sunday can be seen at Southampton, New Wimbledon
Theatre (London), Nottingham, York, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Dublin,
Wakefield, Edinburgh, Ipswich, Liverpool, Plymouth, Leicester and so many more
places. I would urge anyone who likes Jodie Prenger, is a fan of Don Black or
Andrew Lloyd Webber, loves the famous musical songs of ‘Take That Look Off Your
Face’ or the title song or for anyone who wants a different musical experience
as it is aesthetically strange from most productions with a 15/20 strong cast;
then you can let me know your interpretation of Emma and what’s going on.
It is a very
busy April and May for musical shows so no doubt I will be pestering you to
read some more of my posts sooner rather than later. Get in touch until then,
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