Tag Archives: Michaela Stern

CELEBRATING LIONEL BART

★★★

JW3

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CELEBRATING LIONEL BART at JW3

★★★

“the star of the evening is Michaela Stern who beautifully concludes the show”

“There are many lyrics which wouldn’t get past the sensitivity reader these days” quips Nigel Planer before launching into a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Lionel Bart’s ‘Living Doll’. He singles out the line “Gonna lock her up in a trunk…”. When Cliff Richard sang it back in 1959 nobody would have batted an eyelid. When Planer revisited the song with his fellow ‘Young Ones’ for Comic Relief in 1986, he turned the dodginess into plain silliness, ad libbing with “I feel sorry for the elephant”, which became a bit of a catchphrase.

There was more than one elephant in the room at “Celebrating Lionel Bart” – a musical tribute to the great songwriter. Director Adam Lenson, one of many talking heads projected onto the back wall, drew attention to the accusations of antisemitism that Charles Dickens faced after publishing ‘Oliver Twist’ on which Bart based the musical drama ‘Oliver!’. But controversy aside, the evening settled into a light-hearted, nostalgic and gentle homage to the man Andrew Lloyd Webber once described as ‘the father of the modern British musical’.

A handful of songs were interspersed with video projections displaying a few famous faces – Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, Anita Harris among them. Mildly informative, they were little more than a garnish; the focus being on the onstage performers. Jos Slovick is first up with the aptly titled ‘A Handful of Songs’, giving a wistful touch to the number with the purity of his voice. Brady Isaacs Pearce delves into ‘What is Love?’ from ‘Oliver!’ with an airy beauty and vulnerability, while Debbie Chazen tackles ‘So Tell Me’ (a lesser-known number from Bart’s ‘Blitz!’) with more character than virtuosity. Nigel Planer has fun with ‘Reviewing the Situation’, but the star of the evening is Michaela Stern who beautifully concludes the show with ‘As Long as He Needs Me’. Stern also gives us another highlight with Bart’s unproduced ‘Nobody in Particular’.

We have a well-balanced cross section of Bart’s repertoire, including his 60s pop hits and his Bond theme, ‘From Russia with Love’. During the latter, Musical Director Theo Jamieson truly shines. The grand piano is the sole accompaniment and Jamieson draws out the different character of each number with an understated flair and intuition. The shades and nuances are matched by the singers’ delivery, but unfortunately are let down with a somewhat flat sound through the in-house sound system. We are never too sure if this lack of sparkle is a reflection, or a cause, of the low energy that pervades the performances.

There are moments of beauty, but the atmosphere is thin, and the songs have little room to breathe fully. A rather damp encore invites the audience to sing along to ‘Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be’. We get a hint of the cheeky chappie that Lionel Bart epitomised. Yet we never get beneath the skin. The show is a polite recital rather than a celebration. Bart was a complicated character. The darling of the sixties who later withdrew from the limelight; bankrupt, diabetic and alcoholic. He never really recovered from ‘Oliver’s!’ success, even though he still managed to stir hearts when he spoke to audiences directly through song. This evening’s showcase of his work doesn’t quite speak to us in the way he might have wanted. Yet it is a faithful rendition and we do get a sense – if not the true scent – of Lionel Bart’s impact on the British musical theatre scene.

 


CELEBRATING LIONEL BART at JW3

Reviewed on 7th July 2024

by Jonathan Evans

 


 

 

Recently reviewed by Jonathan:

NEXT TO NORMAL | ★★★★★ | Wyndham’s Theatre | June 2024
THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY | ★★★★ | Park Theatre | June 2024
KISS ME, KATE | ★★★★ | Barbican | June 2024
THREE MEN IN A BOAT | ★★★ | The Mill at Sonning | June 2024
GIFFORDS CIRCUS – AVALON | ★★★★ | Chiswick House & Gardens | June 2024
MARIE CURIE | ★★★ | Charing Cross Theatre | June 2024
CLOSER TO HEAVEN | ★★★★ | The Turbine Theatre | June 2024
THE BLEEDING TREE | ★★★★ | Southwark Playhouse Borough | June 2024
FUN AT THE BEACH ROMP-BOMP-A-LOMP!! | ★★★ | Southwark Playhouse Borough | May 2024
BLUETS | ★★★ | Royal Court Theatre | May 2024

CELEBRATING LIONEL BART

CELEBRATING LIONEL BART

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Soho Cinders

★★★★

Charing Cross Theatre

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Soho Cinders

Soho Cinders

Charing Cross Theatre

Reviewed – 28th October 2019

★★★★

 

“despite being predictable to the end, the story flows as harmoniously as the ensemble singing”

 

The setting for “Soho Cinders” is Old Compton Street, a street that knows no shame, where theatre goers rub shoulders with prostitutes and local businessmen on their way home are having one last drink as they collide with a younger crowd arriving for their first. It is a world which never really existed but you kind of feel it might have done. It is London as we know it, but with a technicolour gloss coating that fits perfectly with this modern-day retelling of ‘Cinderella’.

With music by George Stiles, Lyrics by Anthony Drewe and book by Drewe and Elliot Davis, the classic fable is given a satirical twist with a plot that is, in turns, comedic, romantic and serious. The mix of politics, scandal and true love is flawlessly balanced so that, despite being predictable to the end, the story flows as harmoniously as the ensemble singing.

Young, impoverished student Robbie is ‘Cinderella’, scraping a meagre living in his late mother’s laundrette, but facing eviction from his ‘ugly’ stepsisters who run the strip club next door. He just gets by with the occasional pay off from a local ‘Lord’, but when he begins a secret liaison with the already engaged Mayoral candidate, he looks set to lose everything. And everyone. Luke Bayer captivates as Robbie, having us rooting for him throughout. When he sings “Happy ever afters always turn out wrong”, we both wish and know that he’ll be proven wrong and he’ll find his prince. Part of me, however, wishes he would straighten up and fall for his co-worker and best-friend ‘Velcro’. Millie O’Connell imbues Velcro with a warmth, loyalty and irreverent wisdom that makes it one of the stand-out performances.

The show stealers are surely Clodagh and Dana, the stepsisters, though they do have a head start. Davis’ script is overflowing with brilliant one liners and these sisters have the lion’s share of them. Michaela Stern and Natalie Harman certainly make a meal of them too with unforgettably hilarious performances. But each character is given their moment to shine, while the ensemble highlights Adam Haigh’s dynamic choreography. Stiles and Drewe’s eclectic score is a catchy mix of ballads, duets and showstoppers, ranging from the achingly beautiful “They Don’t Make Glass Slippers” through to the fiery “I’m So Over Men”, which is reprised with a clever double-entendre re-interpretation of its title.

“Soho Cinders” is a musical with a heart full of passion and a belly full of laughs. As the nights draw in and the cold fronts approach the city, this show will certainly reignite the cinders and leave you with a feeling of warmth. The moral of the fairy-tale is in plain sight, but it doesn’t quench the enjoyment. This incredibly talented cast have as much fun as the audience. An audience who will still be humming the tunes way after midnight. Go! You’ll have a ball.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

 


Soho Cinders

Charing Cross Theatre until 21st December

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:
Harold and Maude | ★★★★ | February 2018
It Happened in Key West | ★★ | July 2018
Mythic | ★★★★ | October 2018
Violet | ★★ | January 2019
Amour | ★★★★ | May 2019
Queen Of The Mist | ★★★★ | August 2019

 

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