Musicals and Other Shows

[timv]

The Seven Dials area had a bad reputation from at least the early nineteenth century, as a tightly-packed slum that was seen as a hotbed of crime and very insanitary . From research work that I did in the 1980s for projects on London's history I got the impression that it was full of cheap and poorly-maintained housing for immigrants and transient ex-rural workers moving into London - right back into the C18th when the place was built up from its original fields and it had cheap rented housing. Along with the poorer parts of Soho to its West, it was poorly regulated and only had a few night-time watchmen and 'police' ( which before Sir Robert Peel invented the British state's police force were just parish-appointed constables supervised by the local magistrates), and crime was rife . The local parish in which the region stood was St. Giles', called after the church of St G off the main street of High Holborn - the whole of this parish had a poor reputation and very high density housing. Soho, originally more up-market , was the main residential centre for Mediterranean immigrants to the UK in the late C17th and C18th and had a very early multi-ethnic community. The winding and very narrow lanes of Seven Dials, which was so called from a large public clock from which seven roads radiated (the street-plan is still there), were full of multi-storey flats and warehouses, and criminals could escape pursuit easily - very Dickensian, imagine the setting of 'Oliver Twist' (written 1830s when the slum was at its worst). This extended East to what is now Kingsway, the main street running North from the Strand to Bloomsbury - which was driven through the slums to smarten them up and improve access. 'Theatreland', with the smarter area around Covent Garden and lower Drury Lane, was on the S fringes of this.

When I walked to work that way from Waterloo Station to Bloomsbury in the mid-1980s (not past Seven Dials itself, that was still a bit scary, but through the streets E of Covent Garden) it was starting to be gentrified, especially around Neal Street which runs N-S on the east side of SD, and trendy clothes and food shops were moving into Neal Street as the rents were still cheap. The place was being smartened up, and you could see this gradually extending Northwards from the Covent Garden piazza - which itself had been run-down until the old fruit-market was pushed out by the gentrifiers. A lot of successful vegetarian and overseas food outlets first set up there in the 1980s. But it's all got a lot more expensive since then! The way this bit of London has changed since I was a student nearby has been a fascinating slice of social history.

[Katharine]

Tim, thanks for that very interesting bit of history. I don't know why I thought Agatha Christie had invented the district of Seven Dials, as she used plenty of real London locations as settings in other books.

The only part of London I know (and that's only slightly) is the area around Liverpool Street station as I did some temping back in the 1980s - the company I worked for had several branches dotted about, although sadly I never got the chance to visit the then head office in Trinity Square which looked a magnificent building. I think the front of it was used for several films.

A quick Google shows me that I could actually get a chance to visit my former head office, as it is now a hotel, but at £850 a night for the cheapest room, I don't think I'll be checking in any time soon!

[Anita Bensoussane]

An interesting run-through of the history of Seven Dials, Tim.

It was a sundial pillar which stood/stands at the junction of the seven roads. The original was in position from 1694 - 1773 but a replica now stands there, put up in 1989.

[IceMaiden]

Lucky you seeing Cinderella Anita! No way possible for me to but someone has uploaded a few clips so I've seen bits and the soundtrack cd has practically the whole show in audio. It's not up there with Evita, Phantom, Cats and Sunset as ALW's best work but I really like it. I've read many hate it, saying it's a mess full of plot holes with poor songs, but personally I think I Know I Have A Heart, Far Too Late and Only You Lonely You are some of his best. I also love Beauty Has a Price and Bad Cinderella which seems to be a real marmite song. Definitely don't get the negativity I've seen for it.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'd need to hear the songs from Cinderella a number of times before I could judge them properly. Many of them were quirky and catchy rather than majestic, though there were certain pieces that had more grandeur.

If anyone would like to watch Anything Goes featuring Felicity Kendall et al, it has been filmed and is being shown on BBC 2 at 6:40 PM on Boxing Day.

[Katharine]

If anyone would like to watch Anything Goes featuring Felicity Kendall et al, it has been filmed and is being shown on BBC 2 at 6:40 PM on Boxing Day.

Thanks for sharing that info. Is that the one that was on at a few cinemas recently? If so, I was disappointed that there wasn't one anywhere near me.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Yes, it was on at particular cinemas for two nights only.

[Katharine]

Last night I had a rare evening out. To be honest, I wasn't that keen on turning out in the cold and dark, especially with prospect of spending an evening wearing a mask, but the tickets had been purchased months ago and it seemed a shame to waste them.

The event was 'The Magical Music of Harry Potter'. I thought it was just going to be sitting in the theatre listening to an orchestra playing, which to a large extent it was, but it also featured Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), who entertained us with snippets of information about the making of the Harry Potter films, and challenged us with questions about which bits of music related to certain Professors in the films.

The orchestra and (and choir) were superb, the music really came to life at times, being played live, rather than as part of a sound track - there's something very moving about the string section in particular. For me however the highlight was Chris' performance of 'Magic Works'. I've always loved that song in the film, and wasn't sure a different singer would be able to do justice to it, but Chris had a really good voice and gave an excellent performance - I think he got the longest round of applause of the whole evening.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Sounds good, Katharine. Certain songs and pieces of music stood out to me when I watched the Harry Potter films but others passed me by. It's easy to take the music for granted when concentrating on the story, characters and special effects, but it all adds to the atmosphere whether consciously noted or not. Next time I watch the films, I'll try to be more aware of what's going on musically.

The other day I mentioned that the very recent London production of Anything Goes has been filmed and is being broadcast on BBC 2 on Boxing Day at 6.40 PM. An older London show, Half a Sixpence, was recorded in 2015 and is being broadcast on Wednesday 29th December at 6.30 PM, under the title Kipps. It stars Charlie Stemp who gives an incredible performance as Arthur Kipps, absolutely full of energy. The following article says it's being shown on Sky Arts, which is apparently available on Freeview Channel 11:

https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-the ... 55487.html

[Anita Bensoussane]

Anyone seen any shows recently?

Yesterday, Tony and I went to the Charing Cross Theatre in London to see the matinée of the musical Rebecca, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. It was an absorbing performance, intimate and atmospheric with melodious music, staying close to the book. The casting was spot on, especially Lauren Jones as the second Mrs. de Winter and Melanie Bright as Mrs. Danvers. Richard Carson looked a little young to be playing Maxim, but that's a minor quibble. A lovely day, despite the unrelenting rain that forced us to eat our lunchtime sandwiches in a seating area at Charing Cross Station!

[Barnard]

I saw Pygmalion at the Old Vic a few weeks ago. It was an excellent production.
I especially wanted to see Sylvestra le Touzel who played Mrs Higgins.
I had seen her as a young girl in the Dr Who story, the Mind Robber and a couple of years later in the school, learning to read programme, the Boy From Space.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm glad you enjoyed Pygmalion, Barnard. I saw it on stage years ago (and have read the play several times), and in recent years I've seen the related musical My Fair Lady twice - at the Coliseum in London, and at the Mayflower in Southampton. Both productions were wonderful, with a clever revolving set incorporating Professor Higgins' study and various other rooms. Adam Woodyatt played Eliza Doolittle's father in Southampton.

[Barnard]

I saw the recent My Fair Lady at the Coliseum and also saw the West End production in about 1980 in which Tony Britton played Professor Higgins and Anna Neagle was Mrs Higgins.
Liza Robertson played Eliza and, during the run, married one of the writers, Alan J Lerner.
He died, on my birthday, just a few years later.

[Anita Bensoussane]

You were lucky to see Anna Neagle in the 1980 version, Barnard. I don't know whether you've seen the 1940 portrait of her by McClelland Barclay, but it's one of my favourite paintings in the National Portrait Gallery:

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/sear ... npgno=6054

Like me, you may have had Dame Vanessa Redgrave as Mrs. Higgins at the London Coliseum.

[Barnard]

Yes, Anita. I did see Dame Vanessa as Mrs Higgins at the Coliseum but I have not been to the National Portrait Gallery.