[Theatresquirrel]

Got momentarily excited by the Whatsonstage headline news that a new production of WSS is coming to London next year, from such a discerning source as Chatelet.

And then I read the line 'based on Jerome Robbins' original direction', and my heart sank.

Not because Robbins' work isn't phenomenal, but why oh why oh why won't the folks who own the rights for the greatest musical ever written allow it to be done for once without being so slavish to the original stage production? This kills its potential every time. The last production, duly 'based on Jerome Robbins' original direction' at the Prince Edward, was astoundingly drab.

We have astonishing choreographers at work today - not least Matthew Bourne - whose talents just seem a little wasted if they're never allowed a chance to create new choreography and movement for pretty much the most jet-propelled show of the last century. It would be unthinkable to say folks could only do The Nutcracker in its original staging, or The Marriage of Figaro, or South Pacific. So why does West Side Story have to suffer such shackles?

It's deeply depressing to see its supposed carers basically strangling one of the greatest stageworks.