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Synopsis A comedy musical set in 1947, the story concerns an upwardly mobile chiropodist and his wife. He and his wife are in immediate and austere post Britain.. The Second World War might been over by two years, but food rationing is still in place. Food rationing has made things worse than during the war itself. Within this hierarchy of a very small town, desperate times call for desperate measures. Particularly when it comes to trying to prepare a fine pork roast to celebrate the royal wedding. The chiropodist and his wife steal a pig in order to fatten her up for a banquet celebrating the impending wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten. But the pig is not as co-operative as they want her to be.
It’s not often that an animatronic pig voiced by Kylie Minogue takes centre stage in a West End musical, but this very situation has come to pass in Betty Blue Eyes, which opened at the Novello Theatre last night (13 April 2011, previews from 19 March).
Adapted from the Alan Bennett-scripted comedy film A Private Function, the show, which is produced by Cameron Mackintosh, features a book by Americans Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman with music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
The action is set in a Yorkshire village after the Second World War, where rationing presents a challenge for the locals who want to celebrate a Royal wedding in style by slaughtering an illegally raised pig for the event. Chaos ensues when the pig is stolen and a food inspector arrives, determined to stop activities circumventing the food rationing.
"‘It’s not just pork, Gilbert. It’s power.’ That’s the enabling quality of the sow with long lashes in Betty Blue Eyes, the most thoroughly English and charming new musical in the West End for a very long time … Producer Cameron Mackintosh has put the whole thing together with splendid panache, Eyre’s fine work supplemented by the fluently conceived, picturesque designs of Tim Hatley and the witty choreography – making the most of queues, victory marches and processions – of Stephen Mear. Bennett’s story line is faithfully followed and many of the favourite lines of Joyce (‘I’m going to throw caution to the wind and have a sweet sherry’) retained. But the ending is changed for musical comedy purposes, very much in the spirit of the adaptation: the best numbers take the characters out of their present and into their fantasies, and in that respect the musical is most like Billy and, for that matter, Billy Elliot, two of its stable-mates in the best of bulldog British musicals category.”
"Musicals these days are constantly being based on movies. But this witty and delightful adaptation of the 1984 film A Private Function strikes me as better than the original … Much of the credit belongs to the show's American book writers, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman. They stick with the basic idea of a chiropodist and his wife purloining a pig being illegally reared for a royal wedding banquet in 1947. But they remind us how the vaunted egalitarianism of Attlee's Britain was undermined by ferocious status-seeking … Having previously written a show about an ugly duckling, George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics) also have no problem with one about a pig: after Honk!, you might say, comes Oink … Reece Shearsmith is immensely touching as the chiropodist, not least because he takes his craft seriously and finally rebels against endless humiliation by the town's bigwigs … And, even if Sarah Lancashire can't entirely escape Maggie Smith inflections as the social-climbing Joyce, she makes the character darker and more ruthless than in the movie: in her determination to triumph over the town's established grandees, there is even a strong hint of an incipient Mrs Thatcher.”
Libby Purves The Times ★★★★★
“The 1940s cheer us up no end: no sooner have we warmed to the camaraderie of 1941 in Flare Path than we get this romping musical version of 1947: in which two American writers, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, adapt Alan Bennett’s tale of snobbery, skulduggery and illegal pig-raising for ‘a private function’ to mark the wedding of Princess Elizabeth. From this unlikely pedigree, with George Stiles’ music and Anthony Drewe’s lyrics, a new smash musical is born: witty, rude, lovable, warm, dramatic, hilarious … It contains Reece Shearsmith singing the best song ever written about verrucas, a duet performed with clothespegs on the nose, a Lindy-hop in an air raid, Sarah Lancashire tearing off her pinny for a Ginger Rogers routine, and a chorus of town councillors in a pub urinal. There’s an animatronic pig, and a dream sequence involving Prince Philip doing a soft-shoe shuffle with his hands behind his back. Sometimes you can’t stop laughing … one pleasure of Richard Eyre’s direction is that for all the dotty glee of it, the show is never allowed to milk, drag or bore … I see I have hardly mentioned the pig. It’s a great pig. And I am happy to relate that despite the usual desperate first-night deadline scuttle, two of us critics remained riveted by the escape door long enough to hear it sing in the final curtain call.”
Quentin Letts Daily Mail ★★★★
"Betty Blue Eyes, which opened to oinks of happiness this week, is a musical comedy about a pig with eyes described not just as blue. They are 'cornflower or hyacinth, Wedgwood or azure' ... You’ve never heard a love song with the words 'foetid fungal growth'? You have now. The real star of Sir Richard Eyre’s cartoon-cheerful production is a mechanical pig. Betty the robotic porker waggles her hams, shudders with pleasure while having her chin stroked, wiggles her ears and generally steals the show ... The lavatorial comedy is taken to its logical conclusion when one scene takes place in a pub’s Gents. Betty does not make an appearance until halfway through the first half but after that the show moves up several gears. Another big moment is a dizzying dance number set in a wartime ballroom ... The human side of things is amply represented by Sarah Lancashire, playing the pushy wife of foot doctor Gilbert Chivers (Reece Shearsmith) ... Adrian Scarborough also struggles against a lively band but he has a good outing as the bureaucratic meat inspector. Ann Emery enjoys herself as Mrs Chivers’s 84 year-old mum ... The tunes are a little uneven. “Magic Fingers”, about the chiropodist’s touch, has a lovely ring of sadness about the suffering of wives in war ... Cameron Mackintosh... has been lucky with the topicality of the story ... The stage version never quite matches A Private Function for its eccentricity but Betty Blue Eyes, apart from being a blatant plug for Spam, will be welcomed by all animal lovers and piggy aficionados. Mustard."
"I promise I’m telling no porky-pies when I say that this delightful new musical with an irresistible pig ... This stage version actually strikes me as being even better than the original ... Directed with brio and palpable affection by Richard Eyre, and choreographed with great panache by Stephen Mear, (it) feels warmer, funnier and more touching ... The show has two aces up its sleeve. The first is that its portrait of post-war austerity Britain ... The second ace is the pig, Betty Blue Eyes, who seems destined to provide the climactic supper. What a star she proves ... It is quite impossible not to fall in love with her, and at the curtain call she even sings, in a voice eerily reminiscent of Kylie Minogue ... Sarah Lancashire is both hilarious and unexpectedly touching as the wife desperately trying to gain her place in society, urging her husband to screw his courage to the sticking place and kill the pig with all the fervour of a Yorkshire Lady Macbeth. Reece Shearsmith has a lovely woebegone charm as her decent, henpecked spouse, and there are tremendous supporting performances from David Bamber as an evil town councillor and Adrian Scarborough as a bonkers meat inspector who looks like a member of the Gestapo. With this superbly endearing and entertaining show, producer Cameron Mackintosh has once again brought home the bacon."
“It’s not just pork, Gilbert. It’s power.” That’s the enabling quality of the sow with long lashes in Betty Blue Eyes, the most thoroughly English and charming new musical in the West End for a very long time, based on Alan Bennett’s hilarious 1984 film, A Private Function.
The star herself is a pretty porcine too good to eat, controlled animatronically by stage management and mostly confined to a tin bath in the second act of the show, once Gilbert Chilvers (an outstandingly sweet and light-on-his-pins Reece Shearsmith), the village chiropodist, has snaffled her down on the farm.
Betty’s being reared for a banquet to celebrate the royal wedding of 1947. In case we didn’t know it was coming, Richard Eyre’s production starts with newsreels and public announcements (“Eat More Greens, Less Bread”) at a time of post-War rationing. The pig’s a forbidden luxury, but the town council wants to impress 150 visitors.
They have to contend with the spoilsport interference of Adrian Scarborough’s frenetic little meat inspector, not to mention the social ambitions of Gilbert’s wife, Joyce, played by Maggie Smith in the movie and here given an added musical theatre leading lady status by the marvellous Sarah Lancashire.
The adaptation is the unlikely work of two Americans, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who found their way to the writing team of George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics) thanks to Godspell composer Stephen Schwartz.
Producer Cameron Mackintosh has put the whole thing together with splendid panache, Eyre’s fine work supplemented by the fluently conceived, picturesque designs of Tim Hatley and the witty choreography – making the most of queues, victory marches and processions – of Stephen Mear.
Bennett’s story line is faithfully followed and many of the favourite lines of Joyce (“I’m going to throw caution to the wind and have a sweet sherry”) retained. But the ending is changed for musical comedy purposes, very much in the spirit of the adaptation: the best numbers take the characters out of their present and into their fantasies, and in that respect the musical is most like Billy and, for that matter, Billy Elliot, two of its stable-mates in the best of bulldog British musicals category.
Saw this marvellous production on Friday 23 September and just can't understand why it is closing. The acting, singing, staging, special effects, humour and most especially "Betty" were all first class, as was Sarah Lancashire and Reece Sheersmith. A very well earned standing ovation and I do hope that "Betty" will return in the very near future. Perhaps a tour of the country would be a good idea. - Heather Scandrett
25 Sep 11
I'd give this 5 stars if there was one truly memorable song, like "You'll never walk alone" or "Some enchanted evening" or even "Love never dies." Then again, I will never forget the wholly enjoyable hilarious song sung by 5 users of a urinal, excoriating our "piss stained piss poor country!" The cast assembled for this was a five star cast, with Sarah Lancashire triumphing, her acting channeling a youthful Maggie Smith, her singing commanding. Ann Emery was comic gold as Lancashire's mother, and Reese Sheersmith gently touching and rather wonderful as her husband. And Adrian Scarborough was perfectly unforgettable as the meat inspector, who views painting meat green, to prevent it being eaten, as pure artistry. I attended the last performance which was terrifically moving, with the seemingly full house giving each performer's number a rousing send-off. Cameron Macintosh was in the house, and he watched as the two writers and the composer and the lyricist all took to the stage to sing and dance with the cast, especially with Sarah Lancashire, who introduced them to us. I was struck by how ephemeral a show can be, how ephemeral a cast, how ephemeral a moment and indeed how ephemeral we all are. But for those last few minutes, creatives, cast and audience felt locked in a perfect joyous moment of celebration. And after the other cast members exited, Ann Emery lingered and danced, and lifted her dress to show some leg, and it felt like the show would go on forever. - Steve
24 Sep 11
One of the best musicals I have seen in a while, The company is really strong and work their socks off, One problem maybe that there are so many throw away gags present you don't want to laugh too much in case you miss the next one. The design was brilliant, The choreography fantastic, Good musical numbers, I am pissed off its closing because everyone I recommend it to wants to go now. If I was CamMac I would tour it around the UK but change its name to Private Function - The Musical, Betty Blue Eyes is too American "Pearl Harbour" in feeling. - Tom Stokes
13 Sep 11
Great musical which makes you laugh and cry. Sarah Lancashire is brilliant and Reece Shearsmith has suerb comic timing. Like a cross between Victoria Wood and Spend Spend Spend, this is worth catching before it closes. - Northen Theatregower
11 Sep 11
Closing 24th Sept: The slick professionalism of Lend Me A Tenor got my attendance three times but Betty failed despite the vivid poster campaign and heavy weight hype; quite enjoyable but just too English and twee. The tertiary messages could have been stronger [sinister], just how many bubble gum shows do we need - Leggy Blondes etc? In any event it's always worrying to see good shows failing to break even; CamMac is correct in stating that in uncertain times people revert to what they know [and trust], less willing to take a punt on the unknown. It's also worth remembering the fierce competition within live entertainment and other leisure industries vying for the pound-in-the-pocket; a wonder anyone turns up at all. We can thank UK tourism the West End's international reputation for that. As for pricing: theatre-land unfathomably avoids basic marketing techniques such as 'tickets from £17.50'. I still like bacon, that's the problem. - Stevie
03 Sep 11
Even a pig of a journey home (ho ho) which brought back memories of commuting on the misery line couldn't diminish the pleasure gained from this delightful show. It's incredible how two American writers have captured and enhanced Alan Bennett's original piece of English whimsy and Stiles and Drewe have created a score which is suggestive of the period without becoming a pastiche. There may not be any stand out numbers which could have a life beyond the show but every song advances the story or reveals the inner thoughts and dreams of the characters. David Bamber and Reece Shearsmith may not have great singing voices but they are excellent actors and Shearsmith brings great charm to Gilbert. Sarah Lancashire grows into her role as the show develops and Ann Emery is very funny even if she is virtually repeating her role from Billy Elliott. This is also a very rare example of a show that is even funnier after the interval and not just because Betty herself features more prominently. Oh yes; the pig. Whilst the anamatronic is adorably cute and very cleverly constructed it is a strength of this show that it would probably be just as good even if the pig remained offstage throughout. Finally, credit to Cameron Mackintosh in these times of austerity for offering a programme and an excellent brochure for just £8.50 - other producers should take note. - David Baxter
08 Jul 11
Betty Blue Eyes is about when food was rationed and when the Queen got married. Sarah Lancanshire plays a middle class woman but wants to be obviously more. Her character reminds me of Mrs Bucket (or should I say Mrs Bouquet) from the TV show ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ and the husband reminds me of Mrs Buckets husband. Sarah was fantastic though, has a great singing voice and still looks great. The animatronic pig is fantastic. It looks so realistic and it has the most amazing blue eyes. It only sung once at the very end of the show but I wish it sang more throughout the show. The show itself was ok there was only a handful of scenes I really loved one being when two men was singing to Betty Blue Eyes telling the pig how much they love her. The other scenes I did not enjoy as much as they were trying to kill the Betty the pig and the pig made a really loud squealing noise this upset me as I love animals and did not except the scenes to be so dramatic. So for this reason I would not go back and see the show and I definitely would not recommend in taking your children to see this show as I feel that certain scenes would properly upset them. However if you are a fan of Sarah Lancashire then perhaps go along and see it as I say there is a few funny scenes. I went along to see it as I love animals and I went along to see Sarah as I think she is a good actress. - Joanne M
01 Jul 11
what a nice change to see a well crafted British musical. Beautifully staged and directed with pleaseant, hummable tunes and an undertone of social realism, this was, without doubt, the best new musical for some time. An excellent cast seemed to be enjoying themselves and so was I,not such a bad thing - RICHARD SANDLER
10 Jun 11
This is a good new musical. The cast were all great - Sarah Lancashire was outstanding.
Loved Betty! - Stuart
01 Jun 11
Utter utter rubbish. The difference between a play and a musical is this - the emotion and the material needs to be heightened to warrant the use of music. This was THE dullest pile of rubbish I have EVER sat thru - even having 6 mates in the show was not enough to make me enjoy it. Reece Sheersmith is an utter disaster. Why take a complete non singer and place him in that role? - Matthew.
Opened 22 May 1905, originally the Waldorf, became the Strand in 1909 and the Whitney in 1911, back to the Strand in 1915. On 8 Oct 1940 the theatre was hit during a bombing raid - the show went on! There had been an earlier Strand Theatre where the Aldwych tube station now is that opened in 1832. 1061 seats. Member of the Society of London Theatre. On 25 March 2003 Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Limited, which had owned the freehold of the theatre since 1991, took over the management of the Strand from the Louis I Michaels Ltd Group of Companies when their lease expired. Delfont Mackintosh is now planning a 1.5 million refurbishment programme to restore the theatre to its former glory. May 2005 opened as Novello Theatre.
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