The Great British Musicals
St James Theatre
Reviewed on Saturday 5th July 2014 (evening)
Last week The Great British Musicals was staged at the St James Theatre for three performances only. Celebrating the very best of British musicals over the decades, the evening was hosted by Nicholas Parsons - and what Nicholas Parsons doesn’t know about the history of British musical theatre isn't worth knowing!
The evening paid tribute to the likes of Gilbert and Sullivan, Lionel Monckton, Vivien Ellis, Noel Coward, Ivor Novello, Lionel Bart, Leslie Bricusse and Andrew Lloyd Webber. With artistic director Ross Leadbeater at the piano and the The Novello Singers taking to the stage, we were certainly in safe hands. The Great British Musicals provided a delightful, classy and hugely interesting evening's entertainment.
I knew more about some segments than I did about others, and occasionally more context about where each number came within the story would have been helpful. Sometimes I felt numbers were over acted; however, this was most likely as I was unfamiliar with the show. If songs are going to be performed in performance context it's important to bring the audience up to speed.
The Novello Singers were all remarkably strong, both when performing individually and as an ensemble. They had fun but also performed each song with such respect and dedication. The evening also saw special guest performances from two of the West End's most talented stars, Jon Robyns and Louise Dearman.
Robyns raised the bar when he finally took to the stage during the second half. I’ve only previously seen Robyns perform more contemporary scores such as Avenue Q, Spamalot and The Last 5 Years, so it was eye opening to see him showcase a totally different side of his talents. Even without directly addressing the audience, Robyns’ likeable personality shone through whilst his vocals soared.
It was an utter joy and pleasure to see Louise Dearman perform songs from both Evita and Cats as I've often wished for a time machine to take me back to see her portrayals of both Eva and Grizabella. Dearman provided a top notch masterclass in performance through song. The evening was marvellous, but it wasn't until Robyn's and Dearman appeared towards the end of the evening that the performance became moving and heart wrenching. I felt every lyric and every emotion they sang and was totally blown away by their performances.
Parsons did a tremendous job as host, using his unique wit to tell his own incredible theatrical stories and even briefly reprising his performance as The Narrator from The Rocky Horror Show. I love the concept behind The Great British Musicals and look forward to seeing how the idea continues to grow over the coming months.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
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