Gone with the Wind was PHENOMENAL. Congratulations on a fantastic show, it makes me crazy to see the critics tear something so entertaining and raw apart to jump on a popular bangwagon. Everyone in the theatre last night thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were transported and engaged constantly and if there was a person not weeping by the end they hid it very well. The ovations were extremely well deserved and it is a tragedy that this show is closing when the great word of mouth about it spreads tragically too late and it could have soared over the cynics as We Will Rock You did.
Special mentions must go to the leads Danesh and Paice, for their electric chemistry, powerhouse performances and stunning voices put to beautiful and INTERSTING arias and tunes.
SURELY THE SOUNDTRACK MUST BE RELEASED SOON! I was along with at least 50 other audience members queueing for it in the interval.
Gone With The Wind surpassed my wildest expectations. I see an average of 100 shows a year and this my have been my favourite so far - ELIZABETH WALLACE
13 Jun 08
I am devastated this show is being closed, Everyone in the audience seemed to love the show, Darius and Jill were brilliant as Rhett and Scarlett. I am squeezing in one more show before it closes, what a crying shame the media critics cruxified this show based on the unfinalised first night show, mainly for its length which has now been addressed! I feel priviliged to be seeing this show again, but feel sorry for those who will never get to see it. - Denie
31 May 08
Trevor Nunn has certainly not disappointed me with this production, it is absolutely brilliant and very cleverly adapted for the stage. I give credit to the whole cast on their outstanding performance, their passion and energy shines through in the songs. Outstanding performances from Darius Danesh (fantastic stage presence)a very credible Rhett Butler and Jill Paice (sassy and captivating) a fabulous Scarlett. To hear that this show is closing is simply devastating and I urge those who have decided not to see the show due to the bad reviews is to go now while you have the chance. I have to say I am extremely upset over the closure and to quote a lady in the audience after the performance "You know I am really angry with those critics who condemmed this show, there are a lot of people out there who will miss a truly great show" By the way, I love the music and it will be a great pity if there is not a soundtrack CD from this show. - Wendy S
31 May 08
I saw the matinee on 14th May and wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't disappointed, it was an enjoyable show which really works well now. Jill Paice was superb as Scarlett, hardly off the stage, and Darius Danesh as Rhett was mesmorising, wonderful stage presence. Some excellent moments from Mammy too. - will hunter
21 May 08
Saw the show on Saturday. A tale of 2 halves. 1st half suffered from poor song lyrics, and the action felt like they were trying to cram too much into it. BUT, the 2nd half was superb, Great performances from the leads, especially Darius. - mj
19 May 08
I went went with high hopes. At first it had seemed to me to be too ambitious a project even for the mighty Mr Nunn, but as some reviewers on this page had been very generous in their praise I decided I would give it the benefit of the doubt and so went with a genuine open mind. How disappointing then to report it failed miserably - if only it had been Miserablé! Which I guess is what the dear man has been searching for years for. Well he aint found it yet. The set was as good as one would expect in the West End and by John Napier, but it stayed pretty much the same all through. Even the revolving house, which someone else has commented on here, revolved but still looked the same. The much flag waving was too reminiscent of les Miz. I audibly groaned at some of the lyrics. After an hour of this pageant I began to wonder if Mr Nunn has gone of the rails with no one brave enough to tell him so. This will not run not because of nasty critics saying awful things about it but because it is just plain bad! Don't waste your money or, at the last count, three hours and five minutes of your precious life on it get the DVD instead and whilst watching it appreciate Max Steiner's fabulous score too. As for this show, frankly my dear I don't give a damn! - rds
16 May 08
Cripes! bd_london's review is almost as long as the bloody book! - Scarlett
11 May 08
stunning - oliver
07 May 08
Saw the matinee on May 3rd - it was OK nothing special but I always rate a musical on how many songs I can recall at the end and the only one was gospelly Wings of a Dove - I take it this is what is called as the programme was very sparse! Even though the show ran till 6.10pm it still felt as though they were rushing most of the scenes. Maybe they should have left out all the songs and just did a play. Anyway on Sunday I treated myself to watching the film - with no songs! Unfortunately I think this is destined to be one of the WE's failures! - Steve
06 May 08
I went to see GWTW and was enthralled by the performances of Darius Danesh and Jill Paice. The scenes and production were very good. However, what really spoilt it all for me was the portrayal of Melanie by Madeleine Worrall. She stomped and shouted around the stage and even the death-bed scene was loud. Melanie was played by Olivia D'haviland in the film and the kindness and warmth of character of Melanie shone out and was one of the reasons why the betrayal by Scarlett and Ashley was so abhorent. Please, please can this part either be re-cast or played differently to how it is now!!! My opinion was also shared by other audience members whilst in discussion after the show. - Carol W
30 Apr 08
All I'll say is go and see if for yourself don't be put off by the bad reviews. It didn't feel as if it was too long because I was enthralled by the production. The understudy was playing Scarlett and she was superb. Darius, was brilliant, tall, dashing and handsome - he played his part very well. I think it's a shame the show has had bad press as this will put some people going to see it. The night we were there the production had a standing ovation and I think it was well deserved. Go and see it and make up your own mind. - Angie
28 Apr 08
We went to the matinee show on the 26th and didn't recognise the show from the bad reviews we had read. It was excellent, and time flew by, the cast were all exceptional acting wise and vocaly - fitting the characters in the book perfectly, I couldnt fault any of them, Jill Paice was back from her throat infection and gave a great performance. Darius Danesh was an impressive and imposing Rhett Butler, His vocals ranged from the deep bass in some songs to high and pure emotional ones in the Lullaby and the duet Alone, which was amazing. the theatre set was very good with a wrap around cimematic sky above the set changing from blue sun bathed days, through dusk and midnight sky, to the red of warfare, birdsong and explosions on cue coming from around and behind you. Great sweeping music and the songs ranged from funny to very moving, many in the audience were moved to a tear when Bonny is killed and Rhett sings his lullaby to her, not wanting to bury her in the dark earth alone. I dare anyone to watch this show and come out agreeing with anything bad the critics have said about it. Theatre was full and the show received a standing ovation - in fact it was one of the best WE shows I have seen, a proper musical, not a Eurobeat or Rent remixed for sure!
All it needs is for you to appreciate clever adaptation and the skill at story telling Trevor does so well. As for the script, I fear jealousy pushes some to belittle this effort by martin - a case of how dare a first time woman writer get a WE show - well as a debut musical she has done wonders! in fact as any Musical goes she has done a great job and Trevor had adapted it fantastically. Clever and insightive, I loved it and loved it all the more because I was not expecting it to be that much after reading all the things I have read about this show, the trouble is the show has been tweaked continually to get it to this stage and people have rushed to previews and opening night before the show had been locked(if they have locked it.)
I also think it says more about some reviewers than this show if they don't get it, perhaps too many jukebox shows that don't need any thought or have story lines of any meat have made people to lazy to appreciate this show. It deserves to be another Les Mis. - Mrs Vaux
27 Apr 08
Just Awful! - Michelle
25 Apr 08
I totally disagree with most of the critics, although a tad long, I thoroughly enjoyed GOTW. Darius is fantastic as Rhett and Jill Paice makes a brilliant as Scarlett. If people are expecting it to be like the movie, then buy the DVD. This is about making the most of the stage area and to my mind Trevor Nunn and co do this. I would see it again and recommend that everyone goes and makes up there own mind - amorris
24 Apr 08
I totally disagree with most of the critics, although a tad long, I thoroughly enjoyed GOTW. Darius is fantastic as Rhett and Jill Paice makes a brilliant as Scarlett. If people are expecting it to be like the movie, then buy the DVD. This is about making the most of the stage area and to my mind Trevor Nunn and co do this. I would see it again and recommend that everyone goes and makes up there own mind - amorris
24 Apr 08
"Burn, baby, burn"
Well Atlanta DID burn, albeit briefly. A mega flag (one of many Le Miz moments) was set alight. It sputtered a bit, the flames started racing up the sides, then they went out. Apparently it was meant to be fully ablaze. .
I wish I could say that was the only thing that didn't "light my fire" about GONE WITH THE WIND, but alas it wasn't THE event of the season it seems to be toted as.
First though, the high points. Darius Danesh (from Pop Idol fame) is physically quite striking at Rhett Butler and, perhaps most surprisingly, he was a good actor and a controlled singer (none of that PopStars/X-Factor 'Chico Time' about him). The black singers were also fab: Natasha Yvette Williams, as Mammy, and Jina Burrows, as Prissy (Little Butterfly McQueen's replacement), held their own alone on stage, belting out their numbers. Jill Paice was also convincing as Scarlet, although being forced to look as much like Vivien Leigh (right down to that green curtain dress with tassels and floppy doily hat) must be a bit tough on her.
The Design is a bit disappointing. The main set piece is a revolving house that seems to be much the same on side one, two, three and four. What's the point in turning if there is nothing new to see? A dress circle level walkway suggests that roller skates may be donned by the cast to recreate a STARLIGHT EXPRESSesque moment. The decor does reach out into the audience with bits of the set covering the back walls of the theatre. At times the audience seems to be a bit too close to the action as when the hoop-skirted women traipse along the central narrow aisle causing patrons to push back in their seats to avoid being smothered in satin and lace. The clothes are fine, but nothing you wouldn't expect in a period musical. One odd note is that Scarlet returns from her third (or is it her fifth?) honeymoon in the same dress she wore when departing months and months ago. Considering that she has many, many, many frocks (including at least two different mourning funereal black dresses and a wedding dress worn for about five minutes) shouldn't the budget been stretched or tweaked to allow Miss Scarlet to look her best when reappearing as Mrs. Butler?
The black musical that hides within the mega long GWTW is the best part of the evening.
That is the real problem with the show. It is really five, or more, works rolled into one:
1. The Slaves open the show (well, following a bizarre start where the full cast seem to wander aimlessly into the stalls and climb in their awkward hoop-skirts on to the stage, pose for a group photo - hmm, would've been a pretty early photographer in 1860s - with whites and slave mixed together in a very 21st century kinda way). They sing a song about "Everyone Has The Right to Be Free", which set my expectations fairly high. Several other numbers with the slaves/free slaves throughout the evening caused the audience's attention to come alive; the energy in the theatre was palpable at those moments.
2. THE Movie is copied almost shamelessly in a few too many ways. Most notably in Scarlet's dress, made from Tara's old curtains, that she wears when visiting Rhett in jail and in Rhett's exit line "Frankly my dear..." which garnished the most enthusiastic applause (I think because it signalled the near, not quite, oh wait there's another 25 minutes to go..) of the evening. One disappointment about following the movie so literally is that they just can't bring it all off on stage. The biggest failure was in not obtaining the rights to use the soaring GONE WITH THE WIND soundtrack music. Don't expect any "Da-dah-da-dah, da-dah-da-da..." soaring in the theatre; the tunes are mediocre at best. There is also the addition of - what felt like hours - of additional non-movie scenes which presumably are in the original book. These include a women's group discussing the morality of the Ku Klux Klan and the birth of Scarlet''s two other children (where did they disappear to? It's not quite clear, or perhaps I dozed off. Only pony loving Bonnie seems to be a child to remember).
3. Les Miz Revisited. Many of the crowd scenes are a bit too close to the rallying romp-and-stomp numbers seen more than two decades ago in Les Miserables. Flags are waved, the gals are swung about. Historically I don't believe that southern belles ever would allow their hoop skirts to fly up around their waists while cavorting in energetic dancing at the cotillions. One thing not learned from Les Miz is that costumes need to be distressed to look less pristine. When Ashley returns from the war his trousers are pressed and clean, not bedraggled and torn as his character seems to suggest they would be.
4. Horrible rhymes run through many songs that need to be cut from the show. These include a real stinker called something like "She's No Lady" sung more than once in reference to Scarlet's flirtatious ways with men. There is also an overly sentimental song that Pappy O'Hara sings in a rough-n-ready Irish brogue which could've been cut. Perhaps the team has fallen in love with unnecessary tunes (a fate that GYPSY suffered in the cloyingly sweet song 'Little Lamb' that no one had the courage to axe).
5. Narration carries throughout the show until I was ready to scream. Instead of showing Miss Scarlet walk down the lane to greet her father, some character says "Miss Scarlet walked down the lane to...". It is so bad at times that the audience seemed to groan especially as the actors begin to self-narrate: Scarlet says "Scarlet opened the box.." - Yeah, we get it, you, Scarlet, are actually opening a box. Stop talking about it already.
GONE WITH THE WIND has blown into town. If this is any indication then the South certainly ain't gonna rise again anytime soon. Pity, as the effort to get it all on stage seems immense; perhaps it needs a few months out of town to smooth out all the crinkles in Mammy's red silk petticoat and to allow Trevor Nunn edit, edit, edit... - bd_london
22 Apr 08
Unless by some miracle they get brilliant reviews, this show is going to be Gone With The Wind! What are the 3 most important things for a musical to succeed? Book, Book & Book and this show has a terrible book. As they say in Urinetown 'nothing kills a show like to much exposition!' There are hardly any songs, and the songs that are there are nothing to write home about. Scarlett sings a song called, 'Gone With The Wind' (I think, as they are not listed in the programme) at the end of Act 1 which is quite nice - but thats it. There is a Dreamgirls 'ish' number in the 2nd act that all the slaves sing - great song, but totally felt like it was from another show. The design is very impressive when you enter the space, but after that it goes nowhere. The burning scene was just not good enough (we have scene this done a lot better in Martin Guerre and Whistle Down The Wind - original) The Lighting and Sound Designs are the highlight of the show - superb! I have great respect for Sir Trevor Nunn and think he has done some masterful shows, but this is not one of them. The show starts with the company talking to us like they are doing 'The Naming Of Cats'. I don't need to be told she has shot someone, I can clearly see that! The show is told by the cast (a sort of greek chorus) like they are reading a radio play, it was obviously a clear choice from the beginning of the project which I don't think doesn't works at all. We also do not care about Scarlett, Rhett or Ashley as far too much of the show is spent on the circumstances around them - instead of on their relationship. We only want to care about them and we are not able to as we have to sit through a history lesson most of the time. The performances are fine - not helped by the book - but, Jill Paice really does very well and is a wonderful actress. She has glorious voice which is totally underutilized. Darius Danesh I am afraid does not cut it and tends to sing off the note quite a bit. Edward Baker-Duly is perfect and does very well. To get to the point - it is 3hrs 45mins - but thats not the problem, you are there to see Gone With The Wind so it is going to be long. But you can't get away with a bad book and a totally unmemorable score. I was really hoping to fall in love with this show - but was not able too.
- Mr H
22 Apr 08
Why oh why did they bother? - HNM
22 Apr 08
I saw one of the early previews and enjoyed it a lot. Yes the show was long but with a book like Gone with the Wind you can't really expect it to be short, and I understand that the running time is shorter now they've made a few cuts. Jill Paice was excellent as Scarlett O'Hara and I was really impressed by the performance given by Darius Danesh as Rhett Butler, both were true to the characters in the book. I am looking forward to seeing the show again once it's out of previews. - Sophie Smith
17 Apr 08
Went last night, we did enjoy it in parts although I'm sure it won't be any surprise to hear that it was too long! I haven't been to a show that I'm out after 11 for a long time.
I think there is alot of potential, the cast were very good (was pleasantly surprised at Darius!), I just think that some of the songs never really get going and are over before they start! The audience loved the song with the 'slaves' halfway through - think that got the best applause, which says it all really.
We didn't come away singing anything which is unusual for me. The set is good though. Anyone sitting in the front stalls, be prepared to look at the back of big dresses quite a bit and get a neck ache (although I'm short!).
I do think it could be a popular one with some changes and I'm sure die-hard fans of the film will enjoy it. - L from L
15 Apr 08
I can only review the first half, as life is just too short to take any more. It's not quite a train-wreck but perhaps worse, it's just mind-numbingly dull, which for a musical is worst possible sin. What's the point of this show? The story has been beautifully done on film so I would have thought the music might have been the point, but the music is totally pedestrian, not one standout tune. Nor are the performances or choreography anything out of the ordinary. The staging is very dull also. Very disappointing, I cannot see it having a long run. - LL
13 Apr 08
That should have been two stars so here's one to sort it out. - GarGar
13 Apr 08
Let's start with the good news. Almost all of the performances are very good. Darius Danesh, in particular, is a revelation. John Napier's use of space (with some re-cycled ideas from Starlight Express) serves the 'epic' nature of the show very well (thought the dress circle walkway is underused). I have never been to a musical where the sound is so good you can hear every word (though sometimes not knowing who's singing them) without being beaten into submission by the volume. Unfortuately, the show just isn't good enough for all this talent. It's seems odd to say this, but it feels that by rushing to cram in everything they deliver something that appears slow (and at 3hrs 45mins is way too long). It switches style from melodrama to realism and then they occasionally try to 'do a Kneehigh' but can't pull it off (the birth scene, the child's death scene.....). Scenes are so short that characters don't mdevelop and songs are by-and-large mere snatches - when you do get a fully formed song, it aint half bad. The sum of all this is, to borrow from the leading man, you just don't give a damn about anyone. I have rarely felt so uninvolved or unmoved by anything. How one of the world's most talented and experienced directors of musicals decided to take the over-ambitious work of a novice straight to one of the highest profile stages in the world is the real mystery. After 14 or so musical hits, I think he's about to get his first big musical flop. - GarGar
