[blowstar]

Replacements are Honor Blackman, still milking her black-and-white Avengers reputation as the oldest vamp in the business, and Francis Matthews another telly hasbeen. I don't think they'll have the chemistry of Sheila Hancock and Geoffrey Hutchings as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz.

[blowstar]

Blackman is 80 this year (or last year, depends which biog you read) and whilst I'm not suggesting there should be a retirement age for actresses (Hancock is 72 and still in excellent shape) Honor Blackman's singing voice was shot to hell when she played the Baroness in the Petula Clark Sound of Music at the Victoria Palace 25 years ago ... so I will be interested to see how she copes with the more demanding part of Fraulein Schneider eight shows a week.

[Ian]

Just a minor correction - in the interests of accuracy

It was the Apollo Victoria not the Vic Palace that SoM played at that time. The Vic Palace was reportedly considered and rejected for the ALW production which, several years later, has taken over the Palladium.

[blowstar]

Just a minor correction - in the interests of accuracy

It was the Apollo Victoria not the Vic Palace that SoM played at that time. The Vic Palace was reportedly considered and rejected for the ALW production which, several years later, has taken over the Palladium.

Quite right. I meant the big monster place beside the Station, not the cuter theatre. Always get those two names the wrong way round.

[siobhan]

Blackman is 80 this year (or last year, depends which biog you read) and whilst I'm not suggesting there should be a retirement age for actresses (Hancock is 72 and still in excellent shape) Honor Blackman's singing voice was shot to hell when she played the Baroness in the Petula Clark Sound of Music at the Victoria Palace 25 years ago ... so I will be interested to see how she copes with the more demanding part of Fraulein Schneider eight shows a week.

I think Honor Blackman will be alright. You hardly need a great voice to sing her parts, I will definately catch them when they have the cast change. Hopefully it will still be on TKTS.