Babes in Arms

Synopsis

The plot concerns the apprentices' conviction to mount the original revue they have created whilst dodging the underhanded attempts of the surly theatre owner to squash their efforts at every turn. Further complications are provided by the overbearing stage mother of a beautiful ex-child star and the inflated ego of a hack southern playwright. But of course the show must go on, and so it does in a resolution of comeuppance, reconciliation and romance.

Our Review:

8 June 2007

It is perhaps tempting fate to put on a play revolving around the theme of an old-fashioned theatre’s dying in a place like Chichester, renowned for its, shall we say, ageing demographic. But the delicious irony of Martin Connor’s production is that this is a musical that celebrates youth and a new way of doing things, yet contains so many reference s to actors, performers and society figures of the 1930s, that many songs would be unintelligible to anyone under 50.

Fortunately, Babes in Arms contains more than its fair share of superb Richard Rodgers’ tunes, as well as a reminder that Lorenz Hart was perhaps Broadway’s supreme lyricist. This is the original “let’s do the show right here in the barn” musical made famous by the Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney film. Those who know it from the movie version will be in for a shock, though - the stage version bears little resemblance to what appeared on screen.

That hasn’t stopped Chichester tapping ...

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Latest User Review

rds - 6 July 2007:

Well! I can't be as harsh as the one star - that's too mean, but I also cannot be more generous. The reference to cruise ship entertainment struck a chord with me too. It seemed to lack zest. Somehow it didn't come together. The dialougue scenes were tiresome, not so much from the book, but from the acting! It had a whiff of Amdram about it. Some of the dancing came together well, but again I caught some of the men panting after some not particularly strenuous routines? Now I know this ain't the West-End, where even they have trouble at times, and certainly not Broadway, where they certainly DON'T!, but still. Lorna Luft gave it a good shot as did the delightfull Kay Murphy, the new Bonnie Langford? All in all though it was great to hear Rogers & Hart's score again. Just a pity the sound system at Chichester is so bloody ropey!...

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