Theatre Review: Gay's the Word - Jermyn Street Theatre, London ✭✭✭✭
Ivor Novello’s
Gay’s The
Word
Jermyn Street Theatre
Review by Claire Spence
Friday 8th February: What a wonderful show! Ivor Noevello’s 50’s classic Gay’s The Word certainly lived
up to its name! Gay meaning cheerful and jolly, and this production was
certainly that.
The show opens at Manchester Opera House with the finale of
the musical, Ruritania, which its
lead, fading stage star Gay Daventry, played with gusto by the wonderful Sophie-Louise Dann (Lend me a Tenor), hopes
to take to London. Unfortunately, it’s a flop. Giving a lifeline by Linda
Severn, played by angel-voiced Helena
Blackman (How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria), Gay opens a stage school
and discovers what is needed to get her back on top is, in the title of the
show’s hit song, Vitality!
Richard Stitling’s
adaptation is the first professional production of Gay’s The Word in London since 1951 and opens the newly refurbished
Jermyn Street Theatre. You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking an agreement with the ‘Doctor’
was made as the backstage area appeared to be a tardis! For the curtain call,
lines and lines of performers streamed out of the wings, 20 in total, including
James Church, the pianist. However,
this has a claustrophobic effect onstage.
Despite this, director and choreographer, Stewart Nicholls, effectively
manoeuvres his cast within the space with only one incident of a collision
during the whole show. I hope this production is transferred to a larger venue
so the actors can really stretch their legs and Nicholls is able to be less constrained
with his choreography. Notwithstanding, the venue is an important one for its
mission to revive forgotten classics and present new writing.
The cast are terrific, most
reprising their roles from a sold out semi-stage production at the Finborough
Theatre and I would name all personally if I could. Sophie-Louise Dann sings magnificently and moves and looks stunning
and I’m glad I was able to catch her performance before she heads over to Paris
to star in Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park
with George. James Bentham in
Ensemble stands out as a performer who is every present with attention to
detail and I deduce would receive full marks from Strictly’s Craig Revel
Horwood for his clean lines and precise movements.
Gay’s The Word lists many hilarious songs including Sweet Thames and the faultless Act Two
opener Teaching, sang by former stage
stars and spinsters turned teachers, Monica (Gaye Brown), Margaret (Myra Sands), Birdie (Eileen Page) and
Madame Nicolini (Elizabeth Seal -
whose career began in the original production of Gay’s The Word); it tells of their delight of hearing about the
misfortunes of former challenging pupils. The beauty of Novello’s production is
its diverse cast, in terms of age not culture, from the eager fresh blood at
the beginning of their careers to the cynical twilight generation who in a
‘normal’ job would have reached retirement. This show encompasses marvellous
characters and it is great to see acting greats onstage playing them.
The Stage and Costume design, by Gregor Donnelly, is delicious, truly encompassing the bygone era of
the 50’s and, as a seamstress, I found myself making mental notes of the
dresses. Rob Mills lighting is
effective in enhancing the production and does not distract from the action
onstage.
If you want an evening of pure gay entertainment this is
definitely one to watch.
Running at 2hrs 15minutes including interval, Gay's the Word runs until 2nd March.
4 Stars ✭✭✭✭
