GLORIOUS!

Theatre Royal Windsor

★★★

“a very watchable, and funny, portrait of a very eccentric woman”

The American socialite, Florence Foster Jenkins, who was widely mocked for her poor singing ability once famously remarked that “people may say I can’t sing… but no one can ever say I didn’t sing”. It throws into question just how aware she was of her considerable vocally deficiencies. Was she in on the joke, or did she honestly believe that she had talent? To some extent, Peter Quilter’s stage comedy “Glorious!” addresses the dilemma. It treats its subject very much as a joke – especially in the first act – but also gives us a glimpse of the complex personal history behind an eccentric who is merely trying to live her dream. The latter may come a little too late, and the former overdramatised and outstretched. The jokes – at Jenkins’ expense – are relentless and repetitive, and consequently our belief in the extent of her self-delusion is undermined.

It is 1944 and Florence Foster Jenkins (Wendi Peters) is recruiting a new accompanist, having dismissed her original one after catching him giving her audience a ‘knowing smile’ during a performance. In walks Cosmé McMoon (Matthew James Morrison) who rather swiftly discovers what he is letting himself in for, but takes the job anyway. A lifelong alliance ensues which is eventually portrayed by the pair as a touching tribute to the human spirit. Morrison is a striking presence and a talented pianist who finds the perfect balance between humouring Jenkins and showing unwavering support and loyalty. We get that McMoon is not just in it for the money, of which Jenkins has plenty, inherited from her father. Also inherited was her fierce determination – a direct and perverse reaction to her father’s dismissal of her ambitions by refusing to fund her musical education. The loss of her sister at the tender age of eight also had profound effects on shaping her personality. These facts are glossed over somewhat, as is her first marriage and her subsequent relationship with the actor St. Clair Bayfield.

But, to be fair, that is not the ambition of the play. Quilter is unashamedly playing for laughs. And Peters and Morrison certainly deliver. Peters channels Hyacinth Bucket from ‘Keeping up Appearances’, with a faultless American accent – and more faultless is her ability to sing extremely badly. One needs to be a virtuosic vocalist to be able to get it so wrong so convincingly. It is a bold performance, complete with outrageous costumes courtesy of Ingrid Hu. Morrison has more to play with and stands out as the sympathetic piano-player, breaking out of character to address the audience directly, at times, with some much-needed exposition.

To complement what is inherently a two hander are Sioned Jones as friend and side-kick Dorothy, and Caroline Gruber’s Italian maid, Maria. “I’m sure she’s Italian just to annoy me” quips Jenkins with shades of ‘Fawlty Towers’ creeping into the script. Gruber also doubles as the uptight Mrs Verrinder Gedge who storms the stage during one of Jenkins’ recitals to deliver the truth – in true ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ fashion. But the show ultimately belongs to Peters and Morrison, and we certainly feel the bond between the two. Director Kirk Jameson seems to take a while to find the true heart of the piece. Act One is very much a one-trick wonder that relies on slapstick rather than character; and we only really start warming to the couple in the second half. The gentler moments are quite touching, especially when Peters demonstrates moments of self-doubt that her peers rarely – if ever – saw. The comedy also works better the more subtly it is delivered. McMoon’s closet homosexuality is nearly blown by Jenkins during some cleverly constructed and unpredictable dialogue.

We do take particular pleasure from hearing Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’, for example, or Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ being well and truly murdered. Even if it does wear a bit thin. We are rewarded with a quite stunning finale that gives us a delicious taste of Wendi Peters’ true talents. What we hear in our head or in our heart is not always what is heard by those that surround us. Jenkins died shortly after her ill-fated public performance at Carnegie Hall. We may never really know how aware she was of others’ perception. “Glorious!” doesn’t attempt to shed more light on the quandary, but it is a very watchable, and funny, portrait of a very eccentric woman. Thankfully it hits many more right notes than its subject.

GLORIOUS!

Theatre Royal Windsor then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 17th March 2026

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Chris Davis

GLORIOUS!

Body Talk

Crypt – The Vaults

Reviewed – 29th January 202

★★★

“tackles really important issues that are woefully missing from mainstream discussion”

One of the tests for any fringe production is how it utilises the limitations of its own staging. Some productions fight against the lack of wings, the black floors and the white lighting as if they are projecting the play they wish they could have made. Some, however, take these limitations and use them to their advantage. Body Talk, currently running at VAULT Festival, is one of the latter.

Writer David Hendon and Directors Chris Davis and Sam Luffman use the intimacy and bareness of their stage to mimic an impromptu support group as three men, with wildly different experiences, explore and narrate their relationships to their own bodies and how living as a gay man has impacted that. As they tell their stories, they help each other by playing different parts, weave physically between each other and eventually feature themselves in the narratives. This kind of interweaving does a great job at demonstrating the huge complexity and intersectionality of the issue of gay male body image. The AIDS epidemic meets mental health, isolation from family meets social media and alcohol abuse meets eating disorders. Hendon’s script is clear in its message; that without an open dialogue, the gay community can do each other huge harm as these vectors collide.

However, this is very much a performance led by its issue and tailored to deliver a very specific message. This makes the writing quite hammy at times, with characters delivering some lines that sound more like leaflet slogans than dialogue and occasionally seeming more like archetypes than actual people. The final scenes are particularly dense with this as the moral of the story is driven home far more explicitly than it really had to be, ending on a note not dissimilar from an after school special.

Even the most clanging lines, however, are handled admirably by the three actors. Particular note should be given to Dominic Jones in his role as the closeted Carl, battling an eating disorder whilst hating his ‘skinny’ body. Jones gives a nuanced and intensely moving performance. He hits the comedic notes excellently, especially the more physical comedy as he acts out the parts of the other men’s stories. But even more impressive is the depth he gives the often oversimplified camp of his character. Whereas camp is often played just for the humour or wit that sits on the surface, Jones brings out the tragedy and fragility that is actually embroiled with it. His complete reliance on his best friend Becky and his almost compulsive mentioning of her is an aching example of this and is also a common but underrepresented part of growing up LGBT+.

Body Talk is a script that needs a little more polishing before it can flow seamlessly as a performance. However, it tackles really important issues that are woefully missing from mainstream discussion and does so in a clear, impactful way. These are stories we should be seeing on our stages and the cast are convincing as they start to right that wrong.

Tag Archives: Chris Davis

GLORIOUS!

★★★

UK Tour

GLORIOUS!

Theatre Royal Windsor

★★★

“a very watchable, and funny, portrait of a very eccentric woman”

GLORIOUS!