The Sound of Music

Synopsis

The story of the von Trapp family and their escape from Nazi occupation. Made famous by the film starring Julie Andrews and containing such songs as Climb Every Mountain, I am Sixteen, Do a Deer and many more.

Our Review:

4 March 2008

Television coverage of theatre has long been a good thing; 50 years ago, Look Back in Anger, the play that changed everything on the post-war British stage, struggled to find an audience until a five-minute television extract got the box office lines busy. Connie Fisher was famously the upshot of a small screen audition by phone-in votes on How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? (although I’m convinced she was also the producers’ choice from the off).

Connie’s successor as Maria in this magnificent production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is Summer Strallen who, as the character of Summer Shaw in Hollyoaks, the Channel 4 soap, stalked a real-life Andrew Lloyd Webber playing himself (and how bizarre was that?) and was shown the door – the stage door. “You, I want you to be the next Maria,” said ALW’s other self, after Summer had sung “Do-Re-Mi” to a lamppost.

Summer Strallen had already b...

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Latest User Review

Jo - 13 January 2009:

Im not sure what those people giving this production a 1 or 2 star rating are expecting but they obviously were watching a different production to me! For the set design, costumes and music alone, it deserves a 3*! The set is mind boggling and an absolute triumph! Costumes are the usual stunning West End fair and the children were fantastic. Summer Strallen was good and I was glad to see she brought her own interpretation to the role, rather then try to copy what Julie did in the film. There were lots of very funny bits, which you imagine Maria had in real life. Why else would 7 unruly children warm to her so much after chasing away numerous other governess's! The Mother Abbess was outstanding and made me completely cry during her rendition of Climb Every Mountain! That is one powerful voice usued to blow the audience away. The only thing that has stopped me giving the show 5 stars is the casting of the Captain and the direction of the relationship between him and Maria. Simon MacCorkindale is a wonderful actor on TV Im sure, but on stage, he was just 1-dimensional. He was an upright gruff Naval Captain and didnt budge from that characterisation throughout the whole performance. There was no sign of him becoming more mellow and glimpses of how he was in the past when his first wife was alive. And his relationship with Maria showed no spark whatsoever. Even when she held him at the end of Something Good, he still had his hands held behind his back which just looked awkward and uncomfortable. They also werent matched very well. He looked far too old for her youthfulness (not sure if this is a true reflection of the real age difference or not) but none of it felt realistic. And the direction of that relationship was too hurried, leaving no time for the audience to get excited about the possibility of them getting together. At the start, she rubs him up the wrong way with rufusing to use the whistle, we then see him with the Baroness and the next minute Maria and the Captain are dancing and having a moment. I realise they cant fit in everything as the show can only run for a certain amount of time but I wouldve thought that this aspect was vital to the show and to people falling in love with these characters. That aside, it was a very pleasant evening out with friends. We wish they couldve sung a song altogether for the curtain call, but instead, my friend and I had to fill in for them from the front of the Upper Circle! For those who love a good show, I highly recommend it. ...

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