Synopsis This intimate four hander revue uses Goodall's evocative music to weave a story about what happens to two couples when the men are called off to war, and how they are all changed when the war is over. The show features music from some of Goodall's best loved musicals including Love Story, The Hired Man, Day's of Hope, A Winter's Tale and many more!
Last year was a good year for fans of Howard Goodall’s musicals, with revivals of The Kissing Dance at Jermyn Street Theatre, an award-winning Hired Man at The Landor and Girlfriends here at Ye Olde Rose & Crown in Walthamstow. Now this enterprising venue has devised a musical revue showcasing c.30 songs from 8 of Goodall’s 10 musicals. Hearing them all together is conclusive proof that despite the lack of commercial success, he’s still the best British musical theatre composer we’ve had in the last 30 years.
Goodall’s 28-year career has been bookended by his two best shows – The Hired Man in 1984 and Love Story in 2010 – but there are other lovely chamber pieces like Days of Hope, whose title song opens and closes this compilation and is one of the best of the evening. His musical style is uniquely British, with beautiful melodies and excellent lyrics. However, only 3 of the 10 shows got to the West End and 4 didn’t even get to London. This man is seriously under-rated. Can we now have The Winter’s Tale and Two Cities in London please?!
Lydia Milman Schmidt and Aaron Clingham have made a good selection and ordered them well. Sarah Booth’s impressionistic design provides a nice simple setting for the themes of love and war, which do seem to recur in Goodall’s work. The combination of piano (Aaron Clingham) and cello (Maria Rodriguez Reina) is perfect for this music, though quite why they were located outside the performing area and heard through speakers is beyond me – this is my one quibble!
Jennifer Redson, Terrie-May McNulty, Steven Sparling and Michael Stacey acted the songs, rather than aiming for vocal perfection. This brings out the stories they tell and the emotions they convey and makes them more moving; they brought a tear to my eyes (and theirs!) more than once.
It was a somewhat melancholic evening, but a very beautiful one which proved well worth crossing London for.
- Gareth James
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