As
many of you may know my Nanny Cora is the one who got me into Musical Theatre
many years ago and she joined me yesterday to see Company. She wanted to go see
The King and I which recently finished its run at The London Palladium. Although
there is a live screening of the show hitting cinemas at the end of November so
go see it there, I heard it was a great production. Nanny Cora asked me why I no
longer wrote about theatre trips so here we go Nanny, this one is for you! Of
course we made a day of it in London. We had a quick visit to Knightsbridge to
pop into Harrods for a bit of light shopping. After we had a breakfast of Eggs
Benedict for me and a salmon on sourdough for Nanny Cora we went shopping. I’m
not being funny, my t-shirts cost me around a tenner, not going to lie to you,
I love a bargain! So when I saw a jumper that’s priced at £235, I thought best
get my annual bauble which I always get for my Christmas Tree and get out of
there before they realise I am an impostor.
Once
the bauble was safely stored and paid for in my bottle green bag we headed over
to the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue to pick up our tickets and get
settled for, what I had heard, was an amazing production of Company. Starring
Patti Lupone, I of course was a little excitable. I mean, she’s one of the
greats’ right? I sat in that bar, thinking, my luck, she won’t be here, she’ll
be stuck in traffic, still chatting to Graham Norton on BBC Radio 2, my luck I
never see the stars. Well she was there, alongside Mel Giedroyc, Rosalie Craig
and Jonathan Bailey. I knew the song ‘Being Alive’ of course, but knew nothing
about the story other than this. We both said to each other, me and Nanny Cora
this is, about how it’s really nice not knowing what you are going to get from
a show. So often you know the story, and despite those great musicals you want
to see over and over again, there’s something invigorating about seeing
something fresh for the first time.
This
new production of Stephen Sondheim’s classic has undergone some modern twists
and turns. Having neither seen the original nor having listened to the full
soundtrack before I had no idea of what I would be seeing, but when you see
Sondheim on the poster you are usually in for a treat. Sometimes taking a
classic and making it better doesn’t work (for example my favourite Cats with
the rapping Rum Tum Tugger, hmmmmmm). However all I’m saying is that this
production is amazing. It is of course nice to see a gay couple representing it
on the stage as well as a female lead. With book by George Furth, The Sondheim
music is beautiful and the lyrics as ever complicated, fast and funny but
always honest. Lupone sings her only solo, The Ladies Who Lunch, with such
divinity it was amazing. Playing marriage obsessed Joanne, Lupone’s performance
is captivating (just gutted to have never seen her in a leading role). My only problem
was that I forgot my glasses so didn’t see it in as much clarity as I had
wished. But she really is wonderful, I am so pleased to be able to say I have
seen Patti Lupone on a London stage singing and making me laugh.
Marrianne
Elliott directs the new production of Company and I have to say I loved the
effect of the moving flats and staging of thoughts and dreams being represented
in live motion. ‘Being Alive’ was song beautifully by leading lady, Rosalie
Craig, who plays Bobbie, the protagonist who is caught up in a mid-life crisis
of no marriage and no suitable men but all those around her seem to be going
from strength to strength. Originally Bobby (a male), the gender reversal works
beautifully and strange to think how it would work with a male lead. My
favourite scene has to be the gay couple, Jonathan Bailey and Alex Gaumond,
which caused a wave of laughter to engulf the auditorium with Bailey’s updated
rendition of ‘Getting Married Today’ who gets cold feet on his wedding day. I particularly
found the cute (is that the right word J) performance of Richard Fleshman’s character, Andy.
A little wet he was very cute, and he clearly goes to the gym more than me. Ben
Lewis, fresh from his performance as the Phantom, clearly rest a little but he
deserves it. I’m so pleased I got to see Mel Giedroyc in a musical. I remember seeing
her in The Sound of Music live TV version as Frau Schmidt. Strange hearing the
American accent but her TV one liners are so well placed on the stage it was a
joy to watch.
Company
is at the Gielgud theatre for previews. It officially opens on Wednesday, 17th
October, for a 12 week run. It is definitely a must see; even if just to watch
The Bake Off on Netflix and say, I saw her in a musical. Also any musical
theatre fan should be able to say they have seen Patti Lupone on stage. But truly
it is a genuine real-time take on a classic interesting conceptualisation
modern time story which I can definitely relate to coming up to 30 next year (yes
I know it’s 35 in the musical) and not being married (yet???). Right, I am now
off to finish baking my bread (looks so tasty as dough already) and to listen
to a few of the songs from Company while I do it. It is so good to be back
writing my blog again. I do have a few booked tickets coming up and will ensure
I get to write more posts. Speak to you soon – please get in touch with your
views on the show if you have seen it or just to say hi. Twitter @AaronBurgess89.
