First of all, I’d just like to make it clear that I have nothing but the greatest admiration for Dr Margaret Martin for writing the music, lyrics and book to a piece as epic as Gone With The Wind with no previous theatre experience. It’s quite an achievement in itself. However, is this first time project worthy of a major West End production directed by Trevor Nunn with a production team consisting of many of the most prestigious names in the business? Call me cynical, but I do wonder how well she understands the material herself as her author biography states that, “As a single mother, she identified closely with the challenges faced by Gone With the Wind’s young protagonist, Scarlett O’Hara.” So, does that mean that she too handed her children over to nannies from the moment they were born and was completely emotionally distanced from them?
I’ve been a GWTW fan for most of my life, having been utterly mesmerized by the film at the age of five, and I’ve read the book about three times since I was twelve (it’s very readable and perfect for rainy afternoons), and I wanted to love this latest incarnation. Some people complain about all musicals nowadays being adaptations of previously existing material, but I don’t have a problem with that as it’s always been that way, and a new musical based on something as rich as GWTW with a new score sounded pretty exciting to me. Sadly, I’ve got to admit that I didn’t find it fabulous and I certainly don’t seem to be alone in feeling this way.
At 3 3/4 hours, it’s probably got the best pence per minute rate in London. It should have a 7 o’clock start as it’s very unfair on people who have trains to catch and it made me all the more grateful that I live such an easy bus ride away from Covent Garden.
It might sound silly to some, but I knew that this piece was flawed when the cast list was released and Belle Watling (the tart with a heart of gold) wasn’t included. As far as I’m concerned, she’s probably the sixth most important character in the entire thing (after Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, Melanie and Mammy), and possibly the unsung heroine as you need to have a foil for Scarlett apart from the saintly Melanie who’s too perfect to be true.
Narration-wise, if you’ve ever seen Nicholas Nickleby with Roger Rees, you’ll instantly recognise this as a Trevor Nunn production (Careen O’Hara even wears the same black frock as Kate Nickleby), as it’s very ensemble driven. It works in certain places, but quickly becomes rather grating when the characters refer to themselves in the third person and state the bloody obvious!
As our heroine, Jill Paice pleasantly surprised me, having found her pleasant, but rather bland on the Woman In White cast recording and she does a very admirable job with such an iconic role. She looks gorgeous (with a suitably tiny waist) and has a surprisingly effective chest voice. She’s lucky enough to have the two best numbers in the show, Scarlett’s “I want” song, I Want To Be Scarlett O’Hara Again and the title song, which I found genuinely quite stirring. If the entire score was at that same standard, it would be pretty good. Unfortunately, it isn’t. The rest ranges from the instantly forgettable, to the downright dreadful (particularly Melanie’s Act 2 solo). Rhett’s songs sound exactly like those performed by Daryl van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick, and I don’t mean that as a compliment.
I admit to being deeply cynical when Darius Danesh was announced as Rhett Butler (“Please tell me it’s April 1st?”) and he failed to win me over. He has the sleazy side of Rhett down pretty well and a rather cool speaking voice, but he doesn’t have the rest of it. For one thing, he’s too young. I don’t think that “age appropriate” casting is the be all and end all if the person can act the hell out of it (my favourite Javert was only 23 when he first played the role), but Darius quite simply doesn’t have the acting chops for Rhett, or the voice as his diction is poor and he went out of tune several times. One of the things I like best about the character is the snarky humour, and Darius’s line readings just don’t capture that.
Melanie’s part was horribly underwritten, but that may have been for the best as the actress portraying her was dreadful. I didn’t admire her, or feel anything for her at all, even when she died. Ashley was better- nothing outstanding, but he seemed to “get” the character. It’s such a thankless role, anyway. Amongst a number of West End stalwarts in minor roles, Sue Jane Tanner is extremely funny as Aunt Pittypat.
I appreciated the nods to the book, as opposed to the film, such as Scarlett donating her wedding ring first at the Atalanta bazaar (in the film, it’s Melanie, to make her even more unselfish than she is already) and was very pleased that they remembered to include Wade (an even more thankless role than Young Eponine!) and Ella (I think the same girl also played Bonnie), but I didn’t think their existence was used in quite the right way, as they were just paraded on and off. One of Scarlett’s motivations for killing the Yankee is to protect Wade’s inheritance (I haven’t read the bit in ages, but I think it’s there), and I find that one of Rhett’s most endearing qualities is the way that he’s a much better parent to them than Scarlett is. It could have added another emotional layer, but it was skimmed over.
The second half of the story is always going to be more difficult to dramatize than the first, but I can only describe what they did here as political correctness gone mad. I was curious as to how Prissy (“I don’t know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ babies!”- and for the record, Scarlett doesn’t slap her in this) would be handled as I realise that such a character isn’t exactly ideal in this day and age (though there’s no doubt that Butterfly McQueen steals every scene she’s in in the film). She’s been transformed into an enlightened proto-feminist who represents the next generation, as Mammy, Pork and Dilcey are quite content with being slaves for the nice O’Haras, but she wants to go out and become a teacher and change the world. Quite a contrast from the silly little half-wit of the book. An enlightened Prissy left me quite speechless, and not in a good way. I don’t think one should forget that GWTW is a period piece, after all.
In terms of production values, the John Napier set is pretty impressive, but I was disappointed by the burning of Atlanta as it was over in about two seconds with a few lights flashing. The kissing scenes felt very clumsy and awkward. Scarlett also wears the same dress for most of Act 2, following the curtains dress (apparently they didn’t show the curtain rail at the very early previews- how awful! As the man in Dress Circle says, “Gone With The Wind is a story about dressmaking, after all”), which just isn’t on. She needs to come back from the honeymoon as Mrs Butler in something really fabulous. If you’re over budget, skimp on something else. One does not skimp on Scarlett’s frocks.
The official reviews will be out tomorrow (I’m basing this review on the notes I made immediately after the show), and I expect it’s been tightened up a bit since this preview, but I don’t think that even the best direction, performances, production values and editing can save it from its fatal flaw: the music. I expect there’ll be quite a lot of variations on, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Would a little bit of originality really hurt?
Seeing this just confirmed my feeling that epic isn’t a genre that lends itself well to musical. You need exceptional music to pull it off. The only one that I think really works is Les Misérables, and even then you get people who argue that it contradicts the novel’s spirit in places, and has its priorities wrong. Who knows, maybe there is a great GWTW musical just waiting to surface, but following the Drury Lane horror, the French atrocity and this ultimately underwhelming attempt, perhaps it’s best just to leave it.
(This review refers to a performance that took place on April 9th 2008 )
